TMZ Sports - Page 50

Move over, Gronk ... Green Bay Packers WR Devin Funchess just came through and set a new record for the longest helicopter catch ever --- at 750 feet!!!!

...and, he did it in his house slippers!!

It went down at the Denver Broncos stadium for a Global Field Day charity event where they were having some cool activities -- and that included trying to break Rob Gronkowski's record for longest catch from a helicopter.

In the clip you can see the chopper hovering above tossing the balls down as Funchess missed over and over!

But, then the Packers WR finally gets 2 hands on the rock rom what we are told is 750 feet -- A NEW WORLD RECORD!!!

It's unclear if the folks from Guinness World Record were on hand to certify the new record.

Everyone around DF went CRAZY -- hoisting up the new catch king to celebrate!

Gronk initially set the record back in April at the Arizona Stadium, his former college team -- catching a 600 yarder from the chopper in full AZ Wildcats gear.

Dana White says it was a "massive f*** up" by the UFC for NOT showing former President Donald Trump during the Conor McGregor fight card.

The UFC prez tells TMZ Sports the flub was a mix of his production team dropping the ball, a technical issue, and the unpredictability of live television.

The way Dana explains it ... there was a plan in place to show Trump sitting near the Octagon. Cameras were supposed to pan from some big-name celebrities to the former Prez ... but things didn't go according to script.

“We were getting ready to show him right between the co-main and main events, I think you remember that we showed OBJ. We showed OBJ, then it was supposed to go to David Spade, 2 Chainz, and then the president, and we had some kinda glitch in the truck. Then the Conor fight ended up ending in the 2nd round so we never got a chance."

White continued ... "Let me tell you what, massive f*** up by my production team, but ya know, it’s live TV and these things happen.”

We obtained video of DT arriving at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas midway through the main card ... and you see Trump being greeted by Dana and getting a nice ovation from the packed crowd.

But, Trump was never seen on the broadcast ... leading some to speculate there was something nefarious going on with the ESPN broadcast.

Dana says that's NOT the case ... telling us any former president deserves to be shown on TV, regardless of political affiliation.

Zaila Avant-garde's on the roller coaster of a lifetime after winning the National Spelling Bee, and her next stop just might be 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. -- we just hope it goes smoother than her NYC visit.

We got the newly-crowned champ and her mother, Alma Heard, Wednesday after landing at LAX, and -- like most of us -- our photog was duly impressed by the 14-year-old wonderkid who just became the first Black American teen to win the event.

We had to ask if she was getting the same perks as most sports champions ... namely, an invitation to the White House. You gotta see her response ... Zaila's first thought was to be super-considerate of President Biden's time, but then mom revealed something might already be in the works. #Fingerscrossed.

Hey, she's already getting invited all over the place -- it's Hollywood this week, but last week she was at the ESPYs in NYC, and Zaila told how things went a little haywire there.

A 911 caller says Richard Sherman drank two bottles of hard alcohol and was threatening to kill himself before he was arrested on Wednesday ... new police audio, obtained TMZ Sports, reveals.

In the call, which was 4 minutes in length, a woman who ID'ed herself as Sherman's wife told dispatch the NFL star was "drunk and belligerent and threatening to kill himself."

The woman was frantic -- breathing heavily and speaking quickly -- and was pleading for dispatch to send officers to her home in Washington right away.

"I need officers here now!" the woman can be heard saying on the call. "He's trying to leave now. In the house, he was being aggressive. He was wrestling with my uncle. He's threatening to kill himself. He has sent text messages to people saying he's going to hang himself."

"And, he's saying that if the police show up -- please don't shoot is what I'm asking."

The woman continued, "He said if the police show up, he'll try to fight them."

The woman then can be heard saying she was worried that Sherman was going to leave the home ... telling dispatch, "It's Richard Sherman! Like, ma'am, this is, like, a f***ing emergency! I need officers here now!"

It should be noted the 911 dispatcher appeared annoyed and frustrated multiple times with the woman on the call ... telling her at one point, "Listen to me! I'm handling this! You need to stop telling me that!"

The caller eventually told the 911 dispatcher that Sherman had drank 1 bottle of vodka and 1 bottle of Hennessey ... and was concerned for everyone's safety.

As we previously reported, Sherman was arrested a short time following the call ... after cops say he tried to break into his in-laws' home in Redmond, Wash.

Lamar Odom says things with Tristan Thompson "could have turned ugly" when the two ended up fighting over a steamy pic from Khloe Kardashian ... but cooler heads prevailed.

Khloe's ex-husband is speaking out for the first time since the social media spat last week, saying Tristan made a mistake by seemingly throwing a threat his way.

As we reported ... Lamar left a "hottie" comment on Khloe's outdoor shower pic, and Tristan was quick to respond by bringing up Lamar's nearly-fatal OD and warning him of what was to come if he didn't back off KK.

Lamar says he forgives Tristan because they don't really know each other, are both Black men and part of the NBA fraternity ... but he told "The Megan Pormer Show" the situation could have ended up a lot worse.

LO says he can't be rattled by some tough talk on social media, though ... and he's wishing Tristan the best.

As we first told you ... Lamar's looking to rekindle things with Khloe, who he was married to from 2009 to 2016, and he was shooting his shot with the IG comment.

Logan Paul wants a rematch with Floyd Mayweather ... and the YouTuber turned boxer says he's sure Money's gettin' his ass knocked out this time around.

TMZ Sports talked to Logan at a media event for his bro Jake's upcoming boxing match with former UFC champ Tyron Woodley ... and when we asked Logan if his bro would ever fight Floyd, LP said it's him who wants the fight.

"Let me ask you what you would rather see, Jake Paul versus Floyd, or me versus Floyd again?" Logan said. "Because, let me tell you something, if I fight Floyd again, I promise I’ll knock him out. Promise."

Remember, Logan and Floyd fought an exhibition fight June 6 in Miami ... and the fight went the full 8 rounds. No winner was declared.

This time ... Logan suggests they fight more rounds -- and he says that won't bode well for Mayweather.

"I got it figured out. I got it. End of the 8th round, he’s breathing heavy, I’m coming alive. It’s gonna be a 10-12 round fight. We run it back, and this time I finish him."

Now ... will this happen? Even Logan says probably not.

"I don’t think it’s gonna happen. This is all just hypothetical bulls***."

Future Hall of Famer Richard Sherman was arrested early this morning in Washington for "burglary domestic violence" ... and has been denied bail, TMZ Sports has learned.

The 33-year-old NFL free agent was booked into the King County Correctional Facility in Seattle at 6:08 AM ... and is currently sitting behind bars.

The Burglary Domestic Violence charge is a felony in Washington state ... and can carry a lengthy prison sentence, if convicted.

The details surrounding the arrest are not yet clear.

Sherman -- who played with the San Francisco 49ers last season -- is one of the best players of his generation. RS is a 5x Pro Bowler, Super Bowl Champ, and a lock to be immortalized in Canton, Ohio.

We've reached out to Sherman's rep ... but so far, no word back.

WNBA superstar Candace Parker is making history again ... she will be the first female ever to be on an NBA 2K video game cover!

The Chicago Sky center and NBA 2K made the announcement Wednesday ... saying the basketball legend will grace the front of one of the editions of this year's NBA 2K22 game.

"I’m honored to work with a company that’s investing in women and betting on us to succeed," the 35-year-old baller said.

"Being a player in 2K was a dream of mine; having the privilege to be a broadcaster in 2K was a goal of mine, and now being on the cover brings it all full circle."

Parker is certainly deserving of the honor -- she's a 2-time MVP, a 6-time All-Star and she owns a WNBA championship plus 2 Olympic gold medals.

And, before going #1 in the 2008 WNBA Draft, she won 2 NCAA championships and completely dominated at Tennessee.

Oh, she's also the first female to dunk twice in a college game!!

"I don’t take any of this for granted and I appreciate all of those who came before me and laid the groundwork for this moment. I’m hopeful there will be many more badass females to follow."

NBA 2K also announced Luka Doncic, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Kevin Durant and Dirk Nowitzki will be cover athletes on other editions of this year's game.

Former Marshall football star Jaquan Yulee tragically died in a horrific car crash in Virginia on Tuesday ... law enforcement officials confirmed.

He was just 24 years old.

According to the Suffolk Police Department, Yulee was driving alone in a rural area of Suffolk when his car was involved in an accident and flipped on its roof.

Cops say they arrived on the scene at around 7:12 PM Tuesday ... and pronounced Yulee dead a short time later.

Officials say an investigation into the cause of the crash is ongoing.

Yulee was a touted recruit at Indian River H.S. in Virginia back in 2016 ... and despite receiving offers from Alabama, Clemson and Florida, he decided to go to Marshall instead.

The 6-foot-1, 242-pound linebacker played a key role for the Herd after redshirting in 2016 ... logging 42 total tackles, 3 forced fumbles and 1 sack in his redshirt freshman and sophomore seasons.

He got his first career start in his junior year in 2019 ... but in that game, he broke his neck and didn't play for the rest of the season.

Yulee, though, worked his ass off the last two years and was finally medically cleared to play again just last month.

He had been looking to enroll at Virginia State University, Central State University or Virginia Union University for his next college football stop.

"Our thoughts and prayers go out to the family and friends of former Marshall football student-athlete Jaquan Yulee," the Marshall football team said in a statement Wednesday.

"His energy and ability to connect with so many in our fanbase was exemplary. He will be missed by so many in the Thundering Herd."

Ever seen a dude jump so high during a dunk that he injured his face on the rim???

Well, now ya have ... 'cause NBA draft prospect Jericho Sims did just that Tuesday night -- and video of the scene is absolutely WILD!!!

Sims was warming up to try to put on a show for scouts at this week's Klutch Sports Pro Day ... when he elevated so high for a dunk, his eye came down and scraped the rim.

Check out the footage, the 22-year-old former Texas Longhorns star was a legit FOOT above the goal before his head came crashing down on the iron ... and he had to wipe away at his face afterward to try to stop the pain.

Don't worry ... Sims ended up being just fine -- and he went on to prove to NBA execs throughout the evening his hops are seriously no joke.

In fact, NBA superstar Ja Morant was so impressed with the guy ... he even tweeted a shocked reaction to the throwdown!!!

The 6-foot-10, 245-pound forward -- who averaged 9.2 points and 7.2 rebounds per game as a senior in 2021 -- was not initially thought to be a potential first-round pick later this month ... but he's shown so much athleticism in pre-draft workouts, pundits are now rethinking that idea.

Sha'Carri Richardson is missing one golden opportunity at the Olympics, but that's now opened the door to a very green opportunity ... and yeah, that's a double entendre.

The good folks over at Dr. Dabber -- a vaping org specializing in all things weed -- have extended a cannabis-laced olive branch to the U.S. sprinting star ... it's a high-paying job that doesn't really require a whole lot of physical labor.

The offer is for Sha'Carri to become an ambassador of sorts -- or, more accurately, one of Dabber's "doctors."

Check out the offer, obtained by TMZ, which lays out the responsibilities ... and her whopping $250k compensation.

The company says, "Considering your talent and grace over these past weeks, we would love to offer you the opportunity to work with our team as a spokesperson for Dr. Dabber. This entails testing our award-winning dab rigs and vape pens as a resident 'doctor.'"

It's unclear how long of a partnership Dabber has in mind -- but either way, it's a sweet chance to make some easy dough ... and to kinda stick it to the Olympics for DQ'ing her over a positive THC test.

Win-win, really -- but no word yet if Sha'Carri will accept.

Peyton Manning looked absolutely nothing like one of the greatest athletes ever on Tuesday ... botching the ceremonial first pitch at the MLB All-Star Game -- and it was pretty terrible.

The former Broncos QB was tapped by baseball officials to kick off the big night at Coors Field in Denver ... and, boy, did he disappoint in the role.

Check out the clip ... Manning took the bump, reared back with an ugly wind-up, and then fired a fastball that didn't even reach home plate.

Seriously, it wasn't good.

In fact, the ball bounced so far from being a strike ... it had to be knocked down by Rockies pitcher German Marquez to save Peyton from all-time embarrassment.

You can tell from the footage, even Manning was disappointed with the toss ... he shook his head and threw up his hands before receiving the ball back from Marquez.

Of course, Manning's been retired from being a star athlete for more than 5 years now ... so maybe the 45-year-old deserves a pass here.

Forget watching the Tokyo Olympics at a bar -- Scottie Pippen is offering fans a WAY cooler watch party option ... his own Chicago home!!!

TMZ Sports has learned the former NBA star is renting out his pad for 3 one-night stays in August to a max of four people to have Olympics watch parties -- and the spot is amazing!

We're told Scottie's home features an indoor basketball court AND an outdoor one ... and also has an arcade and a SWEET pool.

Pippen's place also promises a stacked kitchen ... filled with fresh fruit, veggies and Scottie's favorite pregame and game-time meals (AKA steak and potatoes).

Oh, and the place even comes with a whole movie theater to catch all of the Olympic events!

We're told Pippen's hookin' up his guests with theater footage of the Dream Team in the 1992 Olympics as well ... with exclusive access to his Olympic memorabilia.

Of course, the Hall of Famer won't be there for the stays -- but we're told Scottie will give a virtual welcome check-in ... and his spot comes with staff available on-call too.

The coolest part of the experience? It only costs $92 per night via the special Airbnb offer -- a tip of the cap to the 1992 year that Scottie won his gold medal.

"He's a piece of s***. He's sitting there on the ground after losing, talking s*** to Dustin Poirier's wife. I don't feel bad at all."

That's Jake Paul expressing exactly ZERO remorse for Conor McGregor ... and his snapped leg.

TMZ Sports talked to the YouTuber turned boxing superstar in Los Angeles ... at a press conference for his big August 29 fight with ex-UFC champ Tyron Woodley (much more to come on that soon).

We asked Jake -- who's got big beef with the Irish superstar -- for his thoughts on McGregor's gruesome injury ... and Paul didn't mince his words.

"I think he's an evil man, and he had what was coming for him."

We also talked to Jake about his $100k Sleepy McGregor pendant ... and asked if JP was really sending the 6 figure bling to Poirier.

"I think he deserves it. I think it’s hilarious. I hope he takes a picture with it and posts it on Instagram. I just love to see McGregor plummet. He was a meteoric star that’s now just taking a nosedive. Before I wanted to fight him and I offered him $50 million, now my offer is $23."

In fact, Jake says he tried to break the lower leg off the chain ... but couldn't do it.

"I tried to snap off the ankle on it. After the fight I took a rock and tried to smash it. It wouldn’t break, honestly. The chain is more solid than McGregor."

Jessie J is glad Prince William spoke out against racists targeting Black players on England's soccer team after their championship loss -- she says it's a sign of great progress.

We got the English singer Tuesday leaving Crossroads Kitchen in L.A. and asked her if William's comments show the Royal Family learned from the recent racism scandal with Meghan Markle.

Jessie says Prince William calling the disgusting comments "totally unacceptable" is a big step in the right direction.

As we reported ... England's soccer officials also condemned the racial abuse directed at their players after missed opportunities during England's penalty shootout with Italy in Sunday's Euro 2020 championship match.

Fernando Tatis is shining bright like a diamond at the MLB's 2021 All-Star Week ... rockin' a massive 'El Nino' diamond chain --- worth $200k!!

The San Diego Padres shortstop's nickname is 'El Nino' ... and you may have spotted Tatis rockin' the ice during the Home Run Derby in Denver on Monday -- and the jewelry is amazing.

TMZ Sports has learned that the pendant -- featuring a little boy's face -- is filled with 25 carats of VVS emerald diamonds ... and the specially made Hermes chain holds 75 carats of VVS diamonds!

That's a total of 100 carats -- worth 200 racks!!

And, Tatis isn't the only All-Star reppin' his alias in some new bling ... Atlanta Braves' Ronald Acuna Jr. got a diamond 'El Abusador' pendant featuring his team's logo.

It's infused with 100 carats of VVS diamonds and is worth $175K!

Even though the right-fielder tore his ACL last weekend, he'll still be in Denver showin' love -- and maybe we'll catch him sportin' the new ice!

We're told that both chains -- made by Gabriel the Jeweler -- were designed and inspired by their close friend Nick Drbal.