TMZ Sports - Page 50

Colin Kaepernick's former 49ers teammate says it was Chip Kelly who punted the elephant out of the room after the QB's first kneeling protest ... with Jeremy Kerley telling TMZ Sports the coach couldn't have handled the situation any better.

"I love Chip for it," Kerley says.

The ex-S.F. wideout tells us shortly after Kaepernick began his protest of social injustices during 2016 NFL national anthems ... Kelly didn't allow things to get awkward.

In fact, Kerley says the former Niners head man brought the team together almost immediately and gave Kaepernick the floor to speak his mind to the locker room.

"For Chip being able to do that, I think that was pretty cool for him to kind of take the elephant out the room and remove all doubt," Kerley says. "I think that was pretty cool, I love Chip for it."

"It kind of removed all doubts and stuff in the locker room and we just bonded, like we were close and it was fun."

Kerley tells us because of Chip's actions ... the 49ers were able to have a blast in 2016 -- and the receiver says even though they finished 2-14, it was his favorite year of his 8-season career.

"To play with Kaep -- a lot of people forget, Kaep was a ballplayer," Kerley told us.

Jeremy says Kaepernick still has the goods to play in the NFL ... adding, "I think it's definitely time for him to jump back on the field and for people to accept him back on the field."

As for Kerley -- who hasn't played since he was with Buffalo in 2018 -- he says he's still leaving the door open for an NFL return ... but tells us he has a pretty sweet job in the meantime.

The Yankees' truncated season got off to a rough start this weekend during batting practice -- one of their pitchers took a baseball to the noggin by one their hardest-hitting sluggers.

Righty Masahiro Tanaka was tossing to Giancarlo Stanton Saturday at Yankees Stadium during the team's first summer workout before they officially play ball later this month. During one of his pitches, Stanton hit a line drive right back at Tanaka ... and it nailed him.

The ball struck Tanaka in the head, knocking off his hat and sending him flying to the ground. Stanton immediately regretted it as he crouched in disgust and worry. The training staff rushed out to attend to their pitcher, and were eventually able to get him to his feet.

As bad as the hit looked on camera, it would appear the guy's gonna be alright -- which is kind of a miracle. The team says, "RHP Masahiro Tanaka was hit in the head with a line drive during today’s sim game. He is currently alert, responsive and walking under his own power." They added that he would undergo further evaluations/testing at a nearby hospital.

A little COVID fallout didn't stop hot dog eating champ Joey Chestnut from breaking his own record this year -- despite the fact there was no crowd -- 'cause the guy did just that and then some.

JC took top honors (again) Saturday at the annual July Fourth Nathan's Famous Hot Dog Eating Contest -- which saw the dude down 75 dogs in 10 minutes ... beating his own previous benchmark of 74 from last year. It's his 13th title total ... so basically, a G.O.A.T.

During the festivities, he also hit another food vacuum milestone -- his 1,000th career dog! The feat wasn't without its hiccups (damn near vomit fests), but he held off 'til the end.

BTW, Joey wasn't the only making history this weekend -- there's a women's champ too ... the one and only Miki Sudo, who downed 48.5 franks ... which easily beat the competition.

This year's event was unique in that there were no ticketholders or spectators (aside from the eaters' own teams, of course) ... which made for a somewhat muted performance. There was also plexiglass between the competitors -- so pretty distance friendly we'd say.

The only downside to Saturday's dog chugging event was that Joey did NOT live up to his promise to TMZ Sports earlier in June, when he said he'd hit 77 dogs no problem.

Justin Rohrwasser has delivered on his promise ... the Patriots kicker has removed a controversial tattoo from his arm after a public outcry, TMZ Sports has learned.

The tattoo in question is the logo for the "Three Percenters" -- a group some experts have described as a dangerous right-wing militia. Some chapters reportedly associate with "extreme racist groups."

The 23-year-old kicker claimed he got the tat when he was 18 because he thought it was a patriotic tribute to the military -- not knowing the group has been associated with some pretty bad stuff.

After the Patriots selected Rohrwasser with the 159th pick of the 2020 NFL Draft back in April, he received some major blowback online ... and later vowed to remove it from his body,.

"It's shameful that I had it on there ignorantly," Rohrwasser told WBZ-TV ... "That's not who I am."

Now, multiple sources confirm ... the tat is gone for good.

We're told the former Marshall kicker began the removal process almost immediately after the NFL Draft ... and described the process as physically painful.

Rohrwasser has apologized for the tattoo multiple times -- and told WBZ-TV, "I’m sorry for all my family that have to defend me. Putting them in that compromising position is one of the biggest regrets I’ll ever have, so to them, I’m sorry.

Karma -- the pro gamer who was struck by lightning while streaming on Twitch -- says she's no longer in physical pain ... but admits she's suffering a little "PTSD" after the crazy incident.

27-year-old Jaime Bickford was INSIDE her Boston-area home Sunday night commenting on a game of "Rocket League" when lightning struck ... and somehow, she got hit.

You can watch the live stream and HEAR the moment of impact -- it's really scary stuff.

Bickford tells TMZ Sports she's still not 100% sure how she got hit -- saying, "It all happened really fast."

"I was just commenting over this game and then a huge flash came out of my controller, like really bright," Bickford says.

"I just remember my hands burning and my body just automatically dropped the controller."

Bickford says her hands were sore for the next 2 days. But there was also mental trauma.

"I definitely had PTSD about it the day after -- just loud noises scared me. There was still thunderstorms the next day so I didn't want to touch the game just 'cause it freaked me out."

Don't get it twisted ... Bickford says she's definitely NOT walking away from gaming -- telling TMZ Sports she's worked too damn hard to quit.

As for the controller she had been using -- that's toast.

It's finally happening ... it looks like one of the big holdouts in the movement to 86 offensive names and imagery from our lexicon is about to go down, because it looks like the Washington Redskins may be FINALLY changing their name.

The team's owner, Dan Snyder, said his org will “undergo a thorough review of the team’s name” ... this as the Redskins have encountered a tidal wave of criticism.

Snyder said, “This process allows the team to take into account not only the proud tradition and history of the franchise but also input from our alumni, the organization, sponsors, the National Football League and the local community it is proud to represent on and off the field."

And there's more ... Ron Rivera, the head coach, added this ... “This issue is of personal importance to me and I look forward to working closely with Dan Snyder to make sure we continue the mission of honoring and supporting Native Americans and our Military.”

This all feels like things are now teed up for a name change, and not a minute too soon. FedEx -- whose name is on the stadium -- asked the team to change the name. Ditto Nike, that removed all Redskins merch.

The NY Giants hired a new full-time scout -- which usually isn't newsworthy ... unless that person is the FIRST FEMALE SCOUT in the team's 95-year history!

The team announced 25-year-old Hannah Burnett has joined the organization as their Midlands scout, a full-time position.

Burnett started as an intern for the Buffalo Bills in 2017 and later jumped to the Atlanta Falcons, where she spent the previous 19 months working with their scouting department.

She recently interviewed with the Giants and crushed it -- and now, she's on the staff.

"The only thing I care about is for us to win the Super Bowl," Burnett said in an official team statement.

"Our main goal as a team is to win a Super Bowl. That's my goal, that's everybody's goal."

Burnett is also humble on breaking gender barriers in the NFL.

"I try not to think about that. I completely understand and am aware that this is an awesome opportunity, and it's important for females in the league. But I've said this from the get-go, I just want to be the best area scout that I can."

"I want to go in there like everyone else goes in there and go about my business like a pro. Everything else will work itself out if I go about my business the right way. For me, that's my mindset. It's always been my mindset. I'm just continuing to stay on that course."

By the way, Burnett was a star lacrosse player at the University of Massachusetts back in the day. Not only was she a team captain, she was a 2-time all-region and all-conference player and 3-time conference champion.

She also holds the UMass record for points in a game with 10.

Here's "Iron" Mike Tyson tossing a steel cage around an L.A. beach this week like it's a toy ... and it's pretty fun to watch!!

Unclear why Mike hit the sand ... but it's all obviously part of a larger production -- hence the video cameras and crew members (all of whom were wearing masks btw, so props on that!).

In addition to the cage flip, Tyson was also spotted carrying buckets of bloody fish, tossing life rafts and wearing snorkeling equipment.

It almost seems like a promo for Shark Week.

Tyson just turned 54 years old this week ... and has said he wants to get back in the ring for some exhibition boxing matches -- but so far, nothing's a done deal.

The boxing legend told us he'd even be down to take on his old rival Evander Holyfield (who's also training for a comeback) but only if they could raise a bunch of money for charity.

"That would be awesome for charity," Tyson told us back in May ... "Can you imagine me and him going in the ring together?"

Tyson is also the focus of an upcoming movie -- with Jamie Foxx playing the boxer ... and he's already transforming his body into fighting shape.

Another HUGE development in the movement to change the name of the NFL's Washington team ... with a major business partner pushing to drop the moniker.

FedEx -- which has spent MILLIONS for the naming rights to FedExField in Maryland over the years -- is joining major leaders and asking Redskins owner Dan Snyder to swap out the team name.

"We have communicated to the team in Washington our request that they change the team name," the company said in a statement.

For years, Washington said Native Americans didn't have a problem with the name so they refused to make a change.

But, just this week, the National Congress of American Indians (which represents more than 500 tribal nations) called out the team ... saying the name is deeply offensive and needs to be changed immediately.

"It’s time for the players to rip down that name like it was a statue of a Confederate general in their locker room," NCAI president Fawn Sharp said.

NFL legend Tony Dungy has also said he won't say the team name during TV broadcasts moving forward -- plus, D.C. mayor Muriel Bowser is also demanding a rebrand.

So far, no official word from the powers that be in D.C. -- but money talks and the FedEx statement is a big deal.

An ultra-rare signed LeBron James rookie card -- featuring a piece of his game-worn jersey -- just passed the $1 MILLION mark at auction ... and experts say the number could DOUBLE before it's over.

That's $2 MILLION. For a basketball card. For real.

The card is from the 2003-2004 Upper Deck Exquisite collection --  it's one of only 23 ever produced.

The quality of the card was graded "9.5" by Beckett (considered Gem Mint) and the autograph was a perfect "10."

The rarity of the card combined with the near-perfect grading makes the item a collector's dream -- and rich enthusiasts have already proven they're willing to spend big money to own it.

So far, the card has received 22 bids on the Goldin Auctions website -- with the current price at $1,020,000.

The bidding started at $150k -- but it racked up in days and with more than 2 weeks left in the auction, we're told a $2 million bid isn't out the question.

Even if it doesn't get another bid -- the $1 mil price would make the Bron card the most expensive modern-era card of all-time (surpassing a Mike Trout card that sold for $900K).

We're talking NBA, MLB, NFL, and any other sport out there.

And, get this ... Goldin Auctions also tells us a $1 mil gavel price would make the card the highest-selling LBJ piece ever.

But surely, there must be more expensive Michael Jordan items, right?

Nope ... Goldin says there ain't a card, shoe, or MJ jersey out there that's cracked the $1 mil barrier.

If you want in, there's time left ... the auction doesn't close till July 18.

The NFL is planning to make a huge statement when the season kicks off ... with the league reportedly deciding to play the Black National Anthem before every Week 1 game.

"Lift Ev'ry Voice And Sing" -- which is often referred to as the Black National Anthem -- will be played before the 'Star-Spangled Banner' prior to every game in the first week of the season, according to ESPN.

It was originally written as a poem by African-American civil rights leader James Weldon Johnson in 1899 -- and later set to music by his brother John Rosamond Johnson.

It was first performed in public as part of a celebration of Abraham Lincoln’s Birthday on February 12, 1900, according to the NAACP.

Several NBA teams have played the song during Black History Month over the years -- and Beyonce famously performed part of it during her iconic Coachella performance in 2018.

Of course, Roger Goodell recently apologized for the way the league handled the Colin Kaepernick-led anthem protests ... and vowed to help spread awareness for the Black Lives Matter movement.

Along with making a statement against racism, the league also vowed to donate $250 million to social justice organizations.

The NFL is also considering adding names of victims of police brutality to uniforms with helmet decals or jersey patches.

Barstool Sports honcho Dave Portnoy is apologizing for his past on-camera usage of the n-word ... and he's now vowing to do better going forward.

"I should have had [my employees'] back from the beginning and been like, 'Yup, I wish I didn't f**king say that sh*t,'" Portnoy said in a video Thursday. "I'm sorry I said it. I'm sorry it offended people."

"I was just trying to be f**king funny."

Clips from around four years ago surfaced of Portnoy this past week ... showing the Barstool Sports founder saying and rapping the n-word on company-produced content videos.

In another one of the resurfaced clips, Portnoy also made insensitive comments about Colin Kaepernick ... saying the 49ers QB looked like an "ISIS guy," and adding, "throw a head wrap on this guy and he's a terrorist."

The unearthed footage was immediately met with backlash ... with critics calling for sponsors to drop partnerships with Barstool ASAP.

Initially, Portnoy defended the remarks ... saying he was "uncancellable." But after he says he spoke with his employees, the 43-year-old decided to issue a mea culpa.

"I can't apologize for my existence, but I can be better," Portnoy said. "And, I'm going to be better for [my employees]."

Portnoy says he'll lean on the diversity of his staff to make sure situations don't arise like this again in the future ... adding, "To all the guys that work for me, I want you to know I have your back."

Univ. of Texas linebacker DeMarvion Overshown says he's DONE with Longhorns football ... until officials at the school start meeting some of his team's social justice demands.

Overshown was one of many UT players involved in a statement last month that urged school officials to make changes to help right perceived racial inequalities at the university.

In their statement, the players asked for, among other things, donations to the Black Lives Matter movement, the renaming of several parts of campus, and the removal of the school song, "The Eyes of Texas."

At the time, university officials said they would look into all the demands ... but as of Thursday, no changes had been made -- and Overshown says he's pissed about that.

The junior says he's now boycotting all team activities until the school starts taking some real steps toward change.

"We are constantly preached urgency throughout the program and I feel that the university should be held to the same standard," Overshown said.

"I watched WNBA All-Star Maya Moore sit out a whole year because of something that meant so much to her. With that being said, until real action is taken and changes are made I will be sitting out of all team activities."

Overshown continued, "I will support my team in whatever they do but this is something I'm very passionate about and I can not continue to perform for a program that doesn't show me the same love and support I do for them."