TMZ Sports - Page 32

Stars traveled a whole lotta furlongs to be at the Kentucky Derby this weekend ... dressed to impress at the biggest event in horseracing!

Livvy Dunne led the bold-faced names at Churchill Downs in Louisville Saturday ... showing off her tan lines in a chic black and white outfit. Anna Nicole Smith's daughter Dannielynn Birkhead showed up in a soft blue dress and a necklace her mom used to wear, and Carmelo Anthony wore a snazzy hat to the event.

Power couple Alix Earle and Braxton Berrios walked the red carpet together ... Earle proving nothing beats the classic black while Braxton added a splash of color in an eye-catching pink blazer.

4:36 PM PT -- Fareed has clarified Mike's medical issue ... explaining Tirico has a nut allergy and suffered a reaction due to it earlier today. He adds Mike is now doing recovering.

Mike Tirico was forced to step away from NBC's Kentucky Derby broadcast coverage after coming down with a mystery illness.

The veteran sports anchor left viewers of the broadcast shocked and concerned on Saturday afternoon when the anchor appeared to have low energy during the pre-Derby show -- which some fans online pointed out after his removal.

Tirico was on the air earlier in the day and seemed okay while anchoring coverage from Churchill Downs. We should note the weather in Louisville is currently cold and rainy.

The Kentucky Derby usually has tastemakers flexing their fashion muscles ... and, this year it was all plastic cover chic -- 'cause everyone needed ponchos to cover their ensembles.

People streaming into Churchill Downs in Louisville on Saturday had to brace the elements ... throwing on plastic over their nice clothes with a cloudy sky hanging menacingly above them.

Several ladies in their Sunday best seemed to be laughing it up ... even if their fancy dresses had a slightly opaque screen cast over them.

Anna Nicole Smith's daughter honored her late mom in the most stylish way.

Dannielynn Birkhead wore the same gown her late mom wore in 2004 while attending the Barnstable Brown Gala on the eve of the Kentucky Derby on Friday.

The 18-year-old stunned in the black evening gown, which featured crystal straps in the back and a low back.

Patrick and Brittany Mahomes had some fun one-on-one time away from their kids over the weekend in South Florida where they were seen letting loose.

The couple was photographed having a great time at the club Carbone Beach on Friday night in Miami Beach ahead of the F1 Miami Grand Prix.

The couple was photographed hitting the dance floor at one point, showing off their best moves alongside former soccer star Ashlyn Harris.

Star Jacksonville defensive end Arik Armstead is thrilled the Jaguars got two-way phenom Travis Hunter ... telling TMZ Sports he's super pumped to welcome his new teammate -- even if the Heisman winner doesn't spend much time on his side of the ball.

"I think this is rare air," Armstead -- who actually announced the big pick at the draft -- told us. "We have a player here who would have been a first-round pick as a receiver or a cornerback. And, you know, that's very unlikely that a prospect could be a first-round pick at two different positions."

So, where do you utilize a guy who is awesome on offense and defense? We asked Arik.

Football fans around the world were baffled when projected first-round pick Shedeur Sanders fell all the way to Day 3 in last weekend's NFL draft ... but former Browns great Eric Metcalf thinks it's a blessing in disguise -- telling TMZ Sports the QB can now play "carefree."

We caught up with the former Browns running back and wide receiver ... and he seems certain the former Colorado superstar's stock plummeted to No. 144 not because of his talent -- but his overwhelming confidence.

"All of the scouts, all of the teams said that he was accurate, he could throw the ball ... everything you wanted from a quarterback,” Metcalf said. "And for him to not get drafted in the first, second or third round is kinda a slap in his face and we all know what it was about."

Bo Nickal says he'll face the toughest test of his still-young MMA career Saturday when he steps into the Octagon vs. Reinier De Ridder ... a former 2-division world champ in ONE!

The 29-year-old 3x NCAA wrestling champ and undefeated MMA fighter is set to scrap with 34-year-old RDR ... and despite being the 13th-ranked Middleweight, Nickal says Ridder is actually underrated.

"I think that both of us would beat most of the top 15, and I think that this fight is way more than an unranked guy fighting number 13," Bo told TMZ Sports. "Whoever wins this fight will have a really nice path to challenging for the title and fighting the best guys in the world."

Desmond Watson -- the 437-pound NFL rookie affectionately known as the "Tush Push Terminator" -- might have a bit less junk in his trunk when it comes time to stopping QB sneaks in 2025 ... as he tells TMZ Sports he's looking to shed a bunch of lbs before he takes the field for his first pro season.

The former Univ. of Florida defensive lineman, who was just picked up by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers after going undrafted last month, has found a whole lot of success while up over 400 pounds ... playing in 51 games with the Gators over the last four years.

But, he told us that while being big has its pros ... he believes slimming down could make him a whole lot quicker in the NFL.

A few golfers got the surprise of their lives during a round on Friday when a plane made an emergency landing just feet from where they were teeing off ... and video from the scene is terrifying.

It all went down at around 1 PM at the iconic Riviera Country Club in Los Angeles ... when an aircraft reportedly battling engine issues was forced to touch down on one of the course's fairways.

Check out some footage a golfer filmed as it barreled toward the grass ... it skidded across the ground several times before it somehow made a safe stop near a sand trap.

Livvy Dunne is ready to watch some horses run around ... and she's looking damn cute in the process!!

The Kentucky Oaks are going on at Churchill Downs on Friday ... and the recently retired LSU gymnast couldn't wait 'til Saturday's Derby to get in on all the fun.

The all-pink 'fit -- including a nice hat to top it all off -- was very fitting for the Oaks Day Survivors Parade honoring breast and ovarian cancer survivors.

John Elway was in good spirits hobnobbin' with other celebs and throwing back a beverage from a styrofoam cup just 2 hours before he was involved in the golf cart accident that killed his good friend, Jeff Sperbeck.

Take a look at these photos TMZ Sports obtained from a swanky day party last Saturday inside The Madison Club -- a golf community in La Quinta, CA -- Elway looked to be having a solid time.

Wearing a red and gray checkered shirt with a white ballcap, the NFL Hall of Famer was mingling with a small group around the bar.

2:10 PM PT -- The Riverside County Sheriff's Department just released a statement to TMZ Sports ... saying, "We have not completed our investigation but at this point there is nothing to indicate that this is anything more than a tragic accident."

We've also learned RCSO investigators have not yet spoken to everyone who was riding on the golf cart the evening Jeff Sperbeck tragically fell off of it.

The Riverside County Sheriff says the golf cart incident that resulted in the death of Jeff Sperbeck -- one of John Elway's close friends -- "appears to be a horrific accident."

Francis Ngannou is opening up on the tragic motorcycle accident that resulted in a young woman's death ... saying his "heart is shattered" by the "devastating loss of life."

According to news outlets in Cameroon, Ngannou was driving the motored vehicle when he struck a female in the streets of Yaounde late last month.

The reports stated Ngannou transported her to the hospital and provided financial assistance as she received medical attention ... but unfortunately, she succumbed to the injuries she suffered in the accident.

MTV reality star Johnny Bananas was riding with John Elway and Jeff Sperbeck during the fatal golf cart accident, with sources telling TMZ Sports ... "The Challenge" competitor tried to keep the agent alive after he fell off the vehicle.

We spoke to someone familiar with the incident ... who tells us, Bananas -- real name Johnny Devenanzio -- and Sperbeck were standing on the back of the cart as Elway drove and his wife sat in the front seat.

We're told Sperbeck lost his balance and fell backward off the cart -- hitting his head on the asphalt around 7 PM.

Travis Kelce looked like he invaded Taylor Swift's closet for a photo shoot in NYC this week ... 'cause the Kansas City Chiefs superstar rocked an outfit that gave big "folklore" vibes.

The 35-year-old tight end was spotted posing for the camera for an apparent fashion collab ... and it's hard not to make comparisons to the cardigan his girlfriend famously sported (and sold) in support of her 2020 song.

While Kelce's white top didn't feature any buttons, the similarities are still there ... with dark-colored piping along the waist and neck. Good enough for us!!