TMZ Sports - Page 50

We finished the week strong here at TMZ -- and with some tragic news, too, no less -- with a little bit of levity, but a lot of drama ... and we covered it all on our TV shows.

Kicking things off on 'TMZ Live,' we started scorching hot with some tea that resurfaced about Ayo Edebiri -- who was somewhat recently talking major trash about Jennifer Lopez ... with whom she's appearing alongside on 'Saturday Night Live' this weekend. Awkward!!!

Take a look for yourself to see exactly what she said, and what we're hearing she thinks of J Lo these days. Hard to say things won't be tense between them ... 'cause this was harsh.

Heading over to 'TMZ on TV,' we couldn't help but tip our cap to Tiffany Haddish's lawyer -- 'cause he seems to have scored her a pretty sweet deal in her L.A. DUI case.

Long story short, that case now goes away ... and she just has one DUI case to go!

The sports/entertainment word suffered a massive loss in the sudden death of Carl Weathers -- famous from the 'Rocky' movies and others, not to mention for his time with the Raiders.

Not much is known about the circumstances of his passing -- but Mike and Mojo got into his contributions on and off camera ... and there's a lot.

Check your local listings for when TMZ is on in your area or catch up on past episodes!

Sylvester Stallone is speaking on Carl Weathers' sudden death -- and it couldn't be more emotional and heartfelt .... yeah, this one's a tear-jerker.

The actor posted a video Friday just hours after news broke that his 'Rocky' costar had passed away the day prior -- and you can tell Sly is absolutely torn up about it ... fighting back tears as he honors his longtime friend and companion in the ring.

Sly says he owes so much of his career and success to Carl ... noting the man had a magnetism and energy about him that made him so special -- especially for the 'Rocky' franchise. SS recounts first meeting Carl ... and knowing right away, this guy's a star.

This video was actually filmed with Sly standing in front of the famous painting that was commissioned to recreate the end of 'Rocky III,' where they face off in the ring anew.

Sylvester ends his gut-wrenching remarks here with a special message for his good friend -- "Apollo, keep punching."

He also adds this of the late Weathers ... "We lost a legend yesterday. My life was forever changed for the better the day I met Carl Weathers. Rest in power."

We couldn't have said it better ourselves.

Kayla Harrison's opening up on all things UFC ... from her practice runs making 135 lbs. in the lead-up to her huge scrap with Holly Holm to whether she still has an interest in meeting Amanda Nunes in an Octagon!

33-year-old Harrison chopped it up with TMZ Sports ... weeks after she rocked the MMA world, moving from PFL to Dana White's promotion.

The 2x Olympic gold medalist and 2x PFL champion will fight 42-year-old Holm on the stacked UFC 300 card on April 13. We asked Kayla about signing with the UFC, and her thoughts on her legendary opponent.

"It's been amazing. Honestly, my life is so good. I really do feel like everything is happening at the right time and the right place with the right people," Harrison said.

"To be going to the Olympics of MMA on UFC 300 against Holly Holm, a legend in the sport. I'm so excited, I'm so amped. This is the s**t that gets me going, and yeah, I'm ready!"

When UFC 300 rolls around, it won't be happening at 145 or 155 lbs. ... no, Harrison is fighting at bantamweight. We asked her if she fears being able to make the weight.

"Listen there's this giant misconception about my weight, and I think people think I walk around at like 180 lbs. or something. The reality is I was fighting at 155 lbs. and I was walking into the cage at maybe 160 lbs. I don't get much bigger than 160."

Kayla continued ... "I was always the smaller fighter and usually the less experienced fighter. I don't believe in weight cutting, but now I'm going to do what everybody does and I'm gonna be in the cage and I'm gonna be the bigger, faster, stronger and more experienced fighter."

"Is it gonna suck? Yeah. I'm not gonna enjoy dieting, but it's a chosen sacrifice."

Harrison has long said she wants to be the G.O.A.T. ... a title Amanda Nunes currently lays claim to. We asked KH if she still has visions of fighting Nunes in the future.

"Listen, Amanda is the greatest of all time. That's a fact. So, of course, I would love for that to happen," Kayla told us.

"I've always said that, and not out of a place of disrespect. To me thats the highest compliment I could give her. you're the best, I want to find out what I'm made of with you.t a lot to prove. I've got a lot to do. I've got my work boots on. I'm in the gym, I'm hungry, I'm staying humble, but of course!"

"I've always said that, and not out of a place of disrespect. To me thats the highest compliment I could give her. you're the best, I want to find out what I'm made of with you."

The Lioness is still technically retired ... though it sounds like she could be gearing up for a comeback.

Retired or not, first things first ... Holly Holm, and Kayla has her hands full.

3:27 PM -- New Mexico State just announced it's suspending Robert Carpenter indefinitely for his punch Thursday night.

"His actions do not align with the standards we uphold at New Mexico State," the school said in a statement Friday afternoon, "and we believe it is important to ensure that any actions contrary to our principles will not be tolerated."

New Mexico State men's basketball player Robert Carpenter unloaded a haymaker on his opponent's nose during a tiff in a game Thursday night ... and the incident was so brazen, even his own coach is now expecting him to receive a suspension.

The violent play happened with about 12 minutes to go in the first half of the Aggies' tilt with Liberty in Las Cruces ... when Carpenter and Shiloh Robinson got in a tussle while trying to fight for position for a possible rebound.

Broadcast video shows the guys pushed and shoved each other ... before, suddenly, Carpenter uncorked a right hook that landed flush on Robinson's face.

The Liberty forward immediately crumpled to the ground in pain ... and Carpenter was instantly ejected after being issued a flagrant foul 2.

Robinson eventually got up after being tended to by trainers, but he did not return to action.

After the game -- which NMSU ended up winning, 79-73 -- Aggies coach Jason Hooten called Carpenter's actions unacceptable ... and said he anticipated a ban for Carpenter was forthcoming.

"Even if there was something that put Rob in that state of mind to do what he did," Hooten said, "it's still not acceptable."

Hooten did add, though, that he knows Carpenter "feels really bad about what he did."

"There's just no room for that in the game," he said. "At all."

Hooten told media members Carpenter will definitively not play in NMSU's game on Saturday against Jacksonville State ... though his status after that is still unclear.

Carpenter has been one of the Aggies' best players this season, averaging 9.7 points and 3.9 rebounds per game.

1:30 PM -- As it turns out, Lisa McCaffrey won't have to fraternize with the regulars after all ... 'cause Olivia Culpo just revealed she hooked her future mother-in-law up with a suite for the Super Bowl!!

The model addressed Lisa's now-viral quote on Instagram Friday afternoon ... calling it "fake news" and saying she did, in fact, snag a luxury box for the big game as a birthday present.

FYI -- it's Lisa's birthday next week ... and if the Niners end up winning, it's safe to say this will be her sweetest celebration yet.

Christian McCaffrey and Olivia Culpo are both rich and successful, but even they have a limit when it comes to Super Bowl tickets ... with the NFL star's mom revealing they couldn't secure a suite for the Big Game due to the insane price tags.

Lisa McCaffrey broke it all down on her "Your Mom" podcast this week ... saying her son's loved ones will be sitting among the normies when the San Francisco 49ers and Kansas City Chiefs face off at Allegiant Stadium next weekend.

"We looked into a suite and none of us can afford it," Mama McCaffrey said. "Not even Christian, money bags over there -- nor money bags Olivia. So, we are not in a suite, I’ll tell you that right now."

It's pretty eye-opening -- CMC has made more than $65 MILLION in NFL money alone so far in his career ... and OC is one of the most recognizable models in the industry, even gracing the cover of the Sports Illustrated swimsuit edition in the past.

But, Lisa said there aren't enough couch cushions in the world the power couple could search in order to scrounge up the dough for a luxury box in Las Vegas ... and she's speculating it's either due to the game being in Las Vegas for the first time -- or the "Taylor Swift factor."

Lisa also points out big companies like to snag the suites to entertain clients ... which also may have led to the "outrageous" prices.

In fact, Lisa said all Christian's buddies will forgo attending the game for a watch party instead ... but he was able to snag eight tickets for the fam.

Earlier this week, StubHub announced the get-in price for the game was a whopping $6,500 ... and the average entry fee is $9,300.

As of this post, there are a few suites still available ... ranging from $300k to $2.5 MILLION. So yeah, ya can't blame CMC and OC for exploring other options.

As for Ms. Swift, Lisa admitted she's a huge fan of the singer and her relationship with Travis Kelce ... but she's refusing to listen to any of the Grammy-winner's discography leading up to the game -- 'cause she's rooting for the enemy.

3:41 PM PT -- Two of Carl's former costars have expressed condolences for the late actor.

Arnold Schwarzenegger posted a photo of them from the set of 'Predator,' and wrote ... "Carl Weathers will always be a legend. An extraordinary athlete, a fantastic actor, and a great person. We couldn’t have made Predator without him. And we certainly wouldn’t have had such a wonderful time making it."

Dolph Lundgren of 'Rocky' fame also posted a tribute, writing ... "I was saddened to hear the news this morning. Along with the world, I will miss Carl. He was a great actor, a terrific athlete and a good friend. I cherish many special memories of Carl, both professionally and personally. Like Apollo Creed, he had that special charm that always brought a smile to your face"

Carl Weathers -- famous from a number of movies, but most prominently as Sylvester Stallone's early nemesis in the 'Rocky' movies -- has sadly died ... TMZ has confirmed.

The beloved actor passed away peacefully Thursday while surrounded by loved ones -- this according to a statement from his family. They say, "We are deeply saddened to announce the passing of Carl Weathers."

They add, "He died peacefully in his sleep on Thursday, February 1st, 2024. … Carl was an exceptional human being who lived an extraordinary life. Through his contributions to film, television, the arts and sports, he has left an indelible mark and is recognized worldwide and across generations. He was a beloved brother, father, grandfather, partner, and friend."

Unclear what ailments, if any, Carl may have been battling lately ... he'd been actively acting in recent years -- and on the surface, there didn't seem to be much wrong with him.

In any case ... it's an absolute blow to showbiz -- Carl was a titan in the movie industry, with acting credits dating back to the early 1970s when he was guest starring on shows like "Good " 'Kung Fu," "S.W.A.T.," "The Six Million Dollar Man," "Cannon" "McCloud" and more.

His true big break came courtesy of Sly ... Carl was cast as the brash and bold heavyweight champ of the world, Apollo, and he was pitted against Rocky in the ring for two films.

His character stuck around for another two 'Rocky' films ... in the third one, he actually brought the Italian Stallion out of a slump and back to glory with a new type of training he'd never experienced ... making for some iconic, memorable scenes as part of a montage.

The shot of them slow-mo running on the beach, and Sly eventually pulling ahead, goes down in movie history as one of the most awesome and inspiring things caught on camera.

Apollo was killed off in "Rocky IV" -- in dramatic fashion, no less -- but his imprint in that movie franchise lives on even today ... Michael B. Jordan plays his fictional son in the 'Creed' flicks, which are still going strong -- and which continue to be cranked out in Hollywood.

Even outside of 'Rocky,' Carl's presence left an impression in just about every cult classic flick he's been a part of. Just to name a few right off the bat -- "Predator," "Happy Gilmore," "Action Jackson," "The Defiant Ones," "Braker," "Death Hunt," "Hurricane Smith," and others.

His TV credits are also quite impressive ... CW was on shows like "Fortune Dane," "Tour of Duty," "Street Justice," "In the Heat of the Night," "Brothers," "The Shield," "Arrested Development," "Chicago Justice," ... and more recently, in Star Wars' "The Mandalorian."

He'd appeared in episodes of the latter as recently as 2023. In all, he has 80 acting credits.

Outside of Hollywood, Carl was involved in noble charitable efforts -- including Lupus L.A., The L.A. Police Memorial Foundation, The PEACE Fund and The Tower Cancer Research Foundation.

Prior to his acting career, Weathers played for the Oakland Raiders from 1970-1971 ... and the team addressed the tragic loss in a statement Friday afternoon.

"Always a proud Raider, Weathers will be missed dearly by his Raiders Family and his many fans worldwide," the team said. "Our deepest condolences are with the Weathers family at this time."

He's survived by his two sons. Carl was 76.

RIP

Jason Kelce threw on his best Mickey Mouse T-shirt and had a Disney day with the fam on Friday -- and by the looks of things, the NFL star very much enjoyed his trip to Walt's World.

In Orlando this weekend for the 2024 Pro Bowl games, Kelce, his wife and his kids got away from the gridiron for a bit and made the trek over to Disney World ... and according to a bunch of people at the park, the Philadelphia Eagles center was lovin' the most magical place on Earth.

One witness tells TMZ Sports, Kelce was first spotted at the Seven Dwarfs Mine Train ... and plenty of people stopped what they were doing to snap pics of Travis Kelce's brother as he made his way around.

Later, others saw him helping his kids take a jaunt on the ultra-popular Mad Tea Party tea cup ride.

Of course, Jason's got a few more days of relaxation before it'll get a bit more stressful for him ... after all, his little brother is playing against the 49ers in Super Bowl LVIII, and he'll have to be on his best behavior in the stands as he'll almost certainly have a seat yet again next to Taylor Swift if she can make it to the Big Game.

LeBron James is fuming over the Joel Embiid knee injury news -- slamming all the talking heads who criticized the Sixers star for missing games ... and calling on them to admit they were wrong.

The reigning MVP suffered a lateral meniscus injury in his left knee during Philly's game against the Golden State Warriors on Tuesday ... and it was later announced he'd be sidelined at least through the weekend as the team figures out how to treat the ailment.

29-year-old Embiid had missed multiple games due to soreness in that same knee ... and at the time, several analysts ripped him and questioned the legitimacy behind his reason for sitting.

Now that Embiid is out an undisclosed amount of time and at risk of missing out on MVP contention due to the league's requirements for award eligibility ... LeBron is shining a light on the folks who had it completely wrong.

King James went to social media to voice his frustrations ... saying, "Where are all the media outlets, tv media personalities, hot takes that talked so much 💩 about Joel Embiid about missing those games when he knew what he was dealing with."

"Now he’s out with an injury because of it. Not 1 person has went back on tv or their dumbass podcast and apologized to that MAN!! No accountability 🗑️🗑️🗑️"

Embiid has played in 34 games so far this season ... and if he misses four more contests, he will lose his shot at top league honors -- despite averaging 35 points, 11 rebounds and nearly six assists.

February's highly anticipated heavyweight clash between champions Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk is OFF ... after The Gypsy King suffered a deep cut above his eye, forcing him to pull out of the fight.

"I am absolutely devastated after preparing for this fight for so long and being in such superb condition. I feel bad for everyone involved in this huge event and I will work diligently towards the rescheduled date once the eye has healed," Fury said.

Tyson continued, even saying sorry to Oleksandr and his people.

"I can only apologize to everyone affected including my own team, Team Usyk, the undercard fighters, partners, and fans as well as our hosts and my friends in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia."

It's especially a bummer for Fury 'cause he'd been training so hard for the fight ... and had his body looking better than it has in years. In fact, he's noticeably leaner now than when he fought Francis Ngannou in October 2023.

If you're a boxing fan, there's a good chance you were pumped for the upcoming bout, originally scheduled to go down on February 17 in Saudi Arabia ... until this morning's sparring sesh.

The deep cut is very close to where Fury was split open while fighting Otto Wallin in 2019 ... nearly forcing that fight to be stopped. It's unclear if that played a part in today's cut ... as scar tissue can make a fighter more apt to sustaining cuts.

A rep for Fury said the eye required immediate medical attention, including stitches, to close up the wound.

It's unclear how long Tyson will need to heal up ... but several reports indicate Usyk may not want to wait, and will instead seek out another opponent to step in on short notice.

Michael Bublé was seemingly feeling too good during NHL All-Star Weekend festivities on Thursday ... and he's chalking it all up to taking way more mushrooms than he signed up for.

The 48-year-old Canadian musician -- who's a celebrity captain for the All-Star Game -- spoke with the media following the Player Draft at Scotiabank Arena ... and as he fielded questions, he abruptly claimed he was spaced out on psychedelics.

"My buddy told me, this is just a microdose of mushrooms and he was LYING," Bublé said ... adding the drugs made him feel like he was in a Will Ferrell movie.

"So, I’ll be honest, I thought I was in 'Blades of Glory' for most of the time that I was out there, until it sort of settled down and then I realized, 'Holy s***, I am in the NHL All-Star Game."

Actor Will Arnett -- who was up onstage with Bublé -- took it all in stride ... and the two joked his admission lost him a lot of endorsement money.

Despite the hilarious moment, Bublé later backtracked on his statement at dinner after his All-Star appearance ... saying the whole thing was an attempt to be funny.

"It was a joke," Bublé said alongside YouTuber Steve Dangle. "Of course I wasn’t [on mushrooms]! I'm sitting here at dinner. I do have a problem with bread. When I get anxious, I can’t stop eating it. But no, not mushrooms."

It was an emotional night in NYC ... not only did the Knicks, beat up and all, win their 9th straight game, but Jalen Brunson was selected for his first All-Star game -- and it brought him, and even some fans, to tears!

The announcement was made on Thursday ahead of the Pacers vs. Knicks game at Madison Square Garden ... the 27-year-old guard was named a reserve for the Eastern Conference All-Stars.

It's Brunson's first-ever All-Star nod ... and after the 6'2" guard dropped 40 in a NYK dub, once again proving he's an elite player, Jalen was asked about the special night.

That's when Knicks fans started chanting "MVP" ... and Brunson was overwhelmed with emotion.

"I mean," Brunson started saying while holding back tears, "I got nothin' to say."

The Knicks and Brunson's family, including his father, Knicks assistant coach Rick Brunson, also made a congratulatory video for Jalen.

The MVP chants and All-Star selection are well deserved. Brunson -- who signed with the Knicks in 2022 after 4 seasons with the Mavs (many "Experts" and fans said NY overpaid for JB) -- is averaging 27.1 points and 6.4 assists per game this season while shooting 48%.

In his one-and-a-half seasons in New York, Brunson's already accomplished a lot ... including tying Stephon Marbury for the franchise record for most 40-point games, as well as leading the Knicks to their first 14-win month in 30 years!

And, if Brunson's Knicks keep playing like they are, there are a lot more big moments ahead.

Alyssa Milano is once again defending herself over her GoFundMe move to raise cash for her kid's baseball team -- pointing out that even though she's a celeb ... she's a parent too.

The actress is still facing backlash from an attempt to fundraise for her pre-teen son's trip to Cooperstown -- something she made evident with some screenshots of people apparently attacking her boy on social media, with the kid having to stick up for himself and his mom.

She added a lengthy caption, writing ... "Every parent raises money for their child’s sports teams and many of them do so through GoFundMe. I am no different."

AM elaborated by saying ... "As much as I’d love to pay for the entire team and their families for travel, transportation, hotel, food and beverage, uniforms, trading pins and all the things teams do for this kind of trip—I can not afford to do so. Maybe someday."

She also points out that if she hypothetically did pay for everyone -- as the public has strongly suggested she do -- then she believes trolls would find a way to criticize her for that too ... and Alyssa's probably right.

One final sentiment from her on this issue ... "Leave the kids alone. Let them play baseball. If you are against donating—don’t donate. If you’d like to donate to help the team’s families — we appreciate it—the link is in his bio."

Grab a pen and paper, Shohei Ohtani -- former Dodgers star Justin Turner has some solid pointers on how the MLB superstar can succeed with his new team ... telling TMZ Sports there's one simple way to win the fanbase over (if he hasn't already).

Turner -- who signed with the Toronto Blue Jays this offseason -- will forever have a special place in the hearts of Dodger Nation ... after all, he was part of the World Series-winning squad in 2020 and also secured the NLCS MVP when they made it to the Fall Classic in 2017.

With Ohtani deciding to join the "real" L.A. team after spending his first six seasons with the Angels, we asked Red what the two-way athlete would have to do to get the diehard fans on his side ... and he pointed out everyone's probably already over the moon about the historic signing.

"I think he's doing a pretty good job with that already," Turner said this week.

When we asked for one thing in particular that could earn the fanbase's trust ... his solution was simple.

"Hit homers."

There's a ton of hype surrounding Ohtani's move to the Dodgers following his record-breaking 10-year, $700 million deal ... but it's clear Turner thinks he'll fit right in.

We also asked for some L.A. recommendations -- considering Anaheim is NOT the same thing -- and Turner thinks Ohtani's got it all figured out by now.

Just one more day before we head into the weekend, and we're finishing strong at TMZ -- especially on the topic of TV coverage ... of which there was plenty on Thursday.

Starting with 'TMZ Live,' we revisited an old feud that got kicked up all over again thanks to Justin Timberlake -- who took a not-so-subtle shot at his ex-girlfriend, Britney Spears.

You might've heard about his sorry-not-sorry moment in NYC this week, and Harvey and Charles have some opinions on whether he was right (or wrong) to be so brash here. Of course, BS fired back ... even though her diss was a little odd, focused on ... basketball?

'TMZ on TV' kept the good times going, and Kanye West helped us get there with a whole new look that screams bloody murder -- from the movies, of course ... of the horror variety.

What we're even talking about here ... well, it's a mask. Just take a look for yourself.

Finally we get to 'TMZ Sports,' where Lewis Hamilton made news by jumping ship at Mercedes and zooming over to Ferrari for the upcoming F1 season. Listen up, gear heads!

Check your local listings for when TMZ is on in your area or catch up on past episodes!

Mike Tyson's joined forces with another famous fighter to help kids get an education ... opening a first-of-its-kind school.

Mike is working with MMA star Daniel Puder on a new education model ... and the joined us on "TMZ Live" Thursday to break it down for us.

Iron Mike and Daniel just opened a school in Arizona called Tyson's Transformational Technologies Academy ... it's an extension of Daniel's prep schools, the first emotional and belief intelligence-based school system in the nation.

As the fighters explain ... the school is all about teaching life skills like financial literacy and resume building ... topics that don't fall into traditional curriculum.

Daniel says Mike's star power is what makes this whole thing run ... he says students who attend a Tyson school are going to make a serious impression when it's time for college admissions.

Mike and Daniel have four schools so far ... two in Florida and another in West Virginia ... but Mike's already talking expansion, telling us ... "We're gonna educate the world, baby!!!"

If you're one of the NFL fans who thinks Taylor Swift is ruining football, Charles Barkley has a message for you: "You’re just a loser or a jackass!"

That was the NBA legend's message Thursday, dunking on T.S. critics from the desk of his "King Charles" show on CNN ... blasting fans who have come for Swift, accusing her of screwing up football.

"I'm gonna look right in that camera," Barkley said, "If you're screaming at T-Swift saying she ruined [football], you're just a loser."

Chuck continued ... "You're just a loser or a jackass. You can be A or B. One of the two."

Legendary sportscaster Bob Costas -- a guest of Barkley and Gayle King's -- also spoke on the Traylor frenzy ... and it's clear he doesn't believe the negativity will have an impact on the hundred-plus million fans who will watch Super Bowl LVIII.

"When it comes to the Super Bowl, where a lot of people who don't watch football all year long, double the audience," Costas said.

"Like 90 of the top 100 rated television shows in a given year are football games -- almost all of them NFL games."