TMZ Sports - Page 37

The world's first sperm race was limited to a couple bitter college rivals, but now organizers are planning to go Hollywood ... and they're courting celebrities to join the action!!!

Eric Zhu and his Sperm Racing startup's first winner, Tristan from USC, joined us on "TMZ Live" Monday and we asked them about the debut event and what's next.

Friday's sperm race at the Hollywood Palladium drew a big crowd and featured a celeb cameo from Ty Dolla $ign ... but Eric says the next event will have bigger names, a bigger budget and a bigger venue.

Damian Lillard's 2024-25 NBA season has come to a brutal end ... as the Milwaukee Bucks superstar will miss the rest of his team's playoff run after suffering a torn left Achilles.

The news broke Monday morning ... with ESPN saying an MRI revealed the extent of the ailment following the team's 129-103 loss to the Indiana Pacers in Game 4 of their first-round matchup.

The injury occurred during the first quarter of the contest when Dame went to grab a rebound. After falling to the ground, he reached for the back of his ankle before getting up and being helped to the locker room.

The Philadelphia Eagles will be without their Super Bowl MVP when they visit President Donald Trump's White House on Monday ... with Jalen Hurts reportedly missing the event due to "scheduling conflicts."

It shouldn't come as a major surprise ... considering the All-Pro quarterback was noncommittal when asked about the honorary trip to 1600 Penn to celebrate February's big win.

While Hurts hasn't come forward with his actual reason for not going -- it's fair to speculate whether it has to do with who's sitting in the Oval Office ... even though Hurts himself hasn't spoken much about his political stance in the past.

Puka Nacua's brother, Samson Nacua, has more than just the UFL investigation to worry about after he slapped a fan at Saturday's game -- St. Louis Police tell TMZ Sports they are currently looking into the matter.

A spokesperson says the department is aware of the video from the St. Louis Battlehawks game on Saturday ... which shows Samson, who plays for the Michigan Panthers, slapping a fan at The Dome at America's Center.

"We are conducting a thorough investigation into the incident and we are working to obtain video from The Dome at America's Center that may have captured what led up to the encounter," the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department said.

Shedeur Sanders would still be without an NFL home if it weren't for President Donald Trump's NFL draft temper tantrum -- at least that's what the White House press secretary joked on Monday ... saying, "The facts speak for themselves."

No. 45-47 was FURIOUS after Day 1 of the annual draft ... claiming anyone who passed on the former Colorado quarterback was "STUPID" not to take him, as his Hall of Famer pops did a great job raising him.

When Karoline Leavitt was asked about whether Trump's Truth Social outrage ultimately led to Sanders going No. 144 overall to the Cleveland Browns more than a day later, she said the proof is in the pudding.

Saquon Barkley is addressing the backlash he's received for hangin' with Donald Trump on Sunday ahead of the Eagles' White House visit on Monday, making it clear he respects anyone who holds the office of the President!

The Philadelphia Eagles star running back was spotted with POTUS this weekend, playing golf at his club in Bedminster, chitchatting at lunch, and even flying on Marine One -- the presidential chopper -- with Trump.

47 even joked he wanted to race Barkley, but decided not to. Smart!

Kevin Love shared the heartbreaking news of his dad's death with an emotional goodbye on Sunday ... saying he was "so proud to be" former NBA player Stan Love's son.

The 36-year-old Miami Heat forward -- who has spent time away from the team due to personal reasons -- said his dad "fought for a long time," and although it was painful to watch him "deteriorate" in his final days ... he still viewed him as his a "Giant," his "Protector," and his "first Hero."

"Your only wish was to be at home surrounded by your family when you took your dying breath," Kevin said. "That breath came. And now it’s time to rest."

Taylor Swift’s drama with Blake Lively seems to be heating up -- and Travis Kelce’s riding hard for his girl, hitting unfollow on the actress' hubby Ryan Reynolds' IG.

When you search for Travis, his name’s nowhere to be found on Ryan's IG. Not sure when Travis smashed that unfollow button, but it’s pretty fresh -- and for what it’s worth, Ryan’s still following him.

FYI, Blake’s still got Taylor on her list, but not Travis. As for Taylor, she’s following literally no one at all.

The Cleveland Guardians are apologizing to Boston Red Sox star Jarren Duran following a heated confrontation with a fan at the ballpark on Sunday ... after the spectator reportedly heckled him over his past suicide attempt.

The scene unfolded during the seventh inning of the matchup ... when Duran needed to be held back by umpires and other members of the Red Sox. According to Will Middlebrooks, the fan allegedly told Duran he "should have killed himself when he had the chance."

Shortly after the final out, Cleveland released a statement ... saying it identified the fan in question and was working with the league on potential next steps.

Floyd Diaz, an undefeated boxer, was arrested in Sin City last week ... after Las Vegas Metro cops pulled the pugilist over while driving a stolen vehicle, TMZ Sports has learned.

During the stop, LVMPD also found the 21-year-old boxer was carrying a firearm he was not legally allowed to possess.

Diaz was initially stopped after a patrol unit received a LoJack alert indicating the vehicle was stolen.

The Shedeur Sanders draft day prank call mystery has officially been solved ... with the son of Atlanta Falcons defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich admitting he was the person behind the cruel joke, calling it a "tremendous mistake."

Jax Ulbrich, the college sophomore son of the former NY Jets interim head coach, fessed up Sunday afternoon in a social media post.

"On Friday night I made a tremendous mistake. Shedeur, what I did was completely inexcusable, embarrassing, and shameful. I'm so sorry I took away from your moment, it was selfish and childish. I could never imagine getting ready to celebrate one of the greatest moments of your life and I made a terrible mistake and messed with that moment," Jax wrote on Instagram.

Bill Belichick's girlfriend doesn't want to field questions about their relationship ... and, she's not letting him take them either -- 'cause she awkwardly shut down a query about how they met during a CBS interview.

The legendary NFL coach -- who recently took the job as head of the University of North Carolina football team -- sat for a chat on "CBS Sunday Mornings" ... discussing his upcoming book "The Art of Winning," his childhood and his time at the helm of the New England Patriots.

The conversation naturally turned to Jordon Hudson -- Bill's 24-year-old girlfriend ... with interviewer Tony Dokoupil asking if Bill listens to the criticism about their relationship.

Shedeur Sanders may have slipped pretty far down into the draft ... but, that didn't diminish his party spirit at all -- 'cause he threw a star-studded event to celebrate his achievement.

The Cleveland Browns' newest QB held the party at Hyde & Seek -- a popular restaurant in Dallas ... looking fashionable in a black tank top, tons of jewelry hanging off him and a backwards Browns cap.

Sanders looks like the life of the party at the event ... drawing a ton of eyes with his big smile -- and even thrilling members of the crowd -- like Yung Miami -- with his music skills.

Ryan Reynolds and Blake Lively couldn't keep their hands off each other after the soccer team he owns was promoted once again ... sharing a sweet moment on the pitch, accompanied by a smooch.

The stars were in Wales Saturday to watch Wrexham AFC -- the team Reynolds purchased with "It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia" star Rob McElhenney back in November 2020 -- beat Charlton Athletic 3-0.

While American sports teams don't jump league to league, soccer clubs in the UK do have the ability ... and, with the win, Wrexham has now moved into a higher division -- one step down from the almighty Premier League in the country.

Shannon Sharpe got up close and personal with a cute female fan at an event in Nevada last year ... with video showing the Hall of Famer in great spirits throughout the interaction.

TMZ Sports obtained an exclusive clip from the Mr. Olympia festivities at Las Vegas' Resorts World in October 2024 -- the same month he was accused of forcing himself on a separate woman in a rape lawsuit.

In the clip, the two hit it off immediately ... and Shannon gave the lady his full attention, hanging on to her every word as she whispered into his ear.

Kim Zolciak and Kroy Biermann's relationship started out as a dream ... but, beginning in 2023, their union turned into a nightmare -- with years of calls to police, verbal sparring and divorce filings during their acrimonious split.

Kim & Kroy met way back in 2010 ... welcoming their first child together the following year and getting engaged shortly after.

They married in November 2011, welcoming four children together ... and, Kroy even adopted Kim's two kids from a previous relationship -- a happy decade-plus for the power couple.