TMZ Sports - Page 15

Aaron Rodgers and Mike Tomlin are two huge personalities, but Charlie Batch isn't worried about how they'll coexist in Pittsburgh -- the ex-Steelers QB tells TMZ Sports he believes the guys are actually a great match for one another.

Rodgers, of course, agreed on Thursday to join Tomlin's Steelers squad for 2025-26 ... and when Batch sat down with us on Friday to break down the move -- he made it clear, he likes it.

In fact, he told us he's been anticipating the signing for months ... calling it "the worst-kept secret ever."

Former Titans offensive lineman Taylor Lewan definitely made the correct career choice as a football player, 'cause the 3x Pro Bowler threw out one of the WORST first pitches ever!

It all went down Thursday night at Busch Stadium out in The Lou. Lewan -- alongside his "Bussin' With The Boys" co-host Will Compton -- were given the honors of throwing out the ceremonial first pitch during the pregame festivities.

Unfortunately for Lewan, his throw went about as badly as it could. Toeing the rubber, the lefty had the ball sail on him to the spectators hanging out near the backstop ... and the embarrassment was immediate.

Tyrese Haliburton turned his game-winning shot in Game 1 of the NBA Finals into an ad -- 'cause the Indiana Pacers star gave a big shoutout to his new signature shoes after beating the Oklahoma City Thunder in dramatic fashion on Thursday.

The Indiana Pacers star unveiled his first line of kicks with PUMA on Thursday ... hours before he nailed a deep two-point shot to break the home crowd's hearts to steal the opening contest of the championship series.

Haliburton rocked the Hali 1s during the game ... and led the Pacers back from a 15-point deficit to seal a thrilling 111-110 victory.

Those ready to name A.D. the G.O.A.T. are in luck ... Aaron Donald spoke to TMZ Sports this week about his "best ever" candidacy -- and he made it clear, he's not going to fight anyone who wants to give him the label.

Donald, of course, retired from the NFL last year, and ever since he hung up his spikes ... fans have wondered if he has a legit claim to the title of greatest defensive player ever.

He did, after all, earn 10 Pro Bowl selections in 10 seasons ... and won a Super Bowl too. But with guys like Lawrence Taylor and Reggie White having pretty good resumes as well, we had to ask Donald while he was out at Raising Cane's event in Los Angeles on Tuesday what he thought of the chatter.

Jay-Z will have an extra close eye on the NBA Finals this year ... 'cause the hip-hop mogul just placed a gigantic wager on the Oklahoma City Thunder winning the 'chip in five games!

TMZ Sports has learned Hov threw down $1 MILLION with his good friend Michael Rubin's Fanatics Sportsbook ... and if he's right, he will profit $2,300,000, on top of the milli he wagered (he'll walk away with $3.3m total).

The Thunder, led by this year's NBA MVP, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, are heavy favorites to beat Tyrese Haliburton's Indiana Pacers.

But, Jay's bet isn't as simple as picking the overwhelming fav to win ... it's gotta be in five games, meaning the Thunder cannot lose more than once in the best-of-seven series.

It's a bit of a longshot ... though if Jay-Z ultimately loses the wager, don't cry too hard for his bank account. He's worth around $2.5 BILLION, according to Forbes.

Donald Trump and Elon Musk have gone from best buddies to enemies in a flash ... and Jake Paul, a registered Republican, says it's not just a bad look for the party, but for America itself!

El Gallo shared his thoughts on the explosive spat between the President of the United States and the founder of Tesla and SpaceX on his X account, saying that while the two are great, they "need to work together and not make America look bad."

"We unfortunately have these Alpha male egos and leaders who aren't mature enough sometimes. They're 50+ years old and diss-tweeting each other."

Andy Roddick and Terrell Owens proved Wednesday even retired pro athletes can still whoop some tail -- as the ex-tennis star and former NFL wideout teamed up to beat a whole bunch of normies in a few pick-up pickleball games.

The guys hit a court in Venice, Calif. as part of HBO Max's promotion of its 2025 French Open coverage ... and they didn't take it easy on some fans who wanted to mix it up on the clay.

Roddick and Owens battered balls repeatedly ... winning point after point after point against the average Joes.

Aaron Rodgers isn't hanging up the cleats just yet ... the 20-year NFL veteran is going to join the Pittsburgh Steelers for the 2025 season.

According to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport, the 41-year-old is signing a one-year contract to link up with Mike Tomlin's squad.

The impending deal follows two rough years in New York for the 41-year-old QB. His first season lasted only four plays due to a ruptured Achilles. He did play in all 17 games for the Jets in 2025 ... but the team finished with a 5-12 record -- placing them third in the AFC East.

Ryan Lochte and Kayla Reid both described their marriage as "irretrievably broken," TMZ Sports has learned.

According to court documents we obtained, when Reid filed for divorce from the Olympic great in late March, she stated the grounds for the split were "the marriage of the parties is irretrievably broken." In his answer to Reid's petition -- which was filed in late April -- Lochte wrote the same.

Both agreed their date of marriage was Jan. 9, 2018 ... but the two differed on the actual date of their split. Reid called it March 7 ... while Lochte said it simply happened in April.

Greg Hardy's girlfriend claims the former NFL star pushed her onto a bed and held her down by her neck in an argument over cheating allegations prior to his arrest ... this according to documents obtained by TMZ Sports.

The woman called police around 2 PM on Wednesday to report a family violence in progress ... stating Hardy assaulted her and she had marks on her body. The woman also said Hardy fled their home in a white 2018 GMC Acadia after the physical altercation.

When cops arrived, the woman said the argument started when they were driving back from the park with their children -- Hardy asked his girlfriend what was wrong, and she replied they would address it when they were home ... as she didn't want to bicker in front of the kids.

Who wears short shorts?! THIS birthday boy does!!! It's Mark Wahlberg's 54th year around the sun, and while it's hard to believe this hot piece of meat is in his mid-50s, his pecs don't lie ... and neither do his beefy hot shots!

Marky Mark first ripped off his shirt (and dropped trout) back in 1993 on the Calvin Klein runway -- He was an aspiring rapper trying to get his big ole' foot in the door.

He skyrocketed to superstardom playing Eddie Adams -- aka "Dirk Diggler" -- in the 19977 comedy/drama film "Boogie Nights."

Today, the Wahlburgers restaurant owner has beefed up his frame, and his social media page is all bulked up with shirtless gym selfies!

He's leveraged his celebrity status into developing his own fitness clothing line "Municipal" -- which he also has no problem showin' off during his workout regime.

Feelin' hungry? We've got the meat stacked up for ya in our gallery ... Enjoy 😉!

One Athletics fan took the team name a bit too literally on Wednesday ... diving head-first on top of the dugout to snag a foul ball -- but her efforts were rewarded with a souvenir!!

The hilarious highlight went down in the sixth inning of the A's vs. Minnesota Twins matchup at Sutter Health Park in Sacramento ... when at one point in the action, a ball made its way over the safety netting and within feet of the front row of spectators.

The lady who was sitting there with a male companion apparently felt the thing was within reach ... and jumped up and went parallel with the ground in hopes of going home with a keepsake.

The Beckham family drama could be far from over -- despite Romeo Beckham’s recent split from his girlfriend, a reconciliation between Brooklyn Beckham, Nicola Peltz, and David and Victoria Beckham remains up in the air ... TMZ has learned.

Sources with direct knowledge tell TMZ ... there’s been no progress in mending the strained relationship between Brooklyn, Nicola, and the rest of the famous family -- including Romeo -- as too much damage has already been done.

We're told Brooklyn and Nicola are still weighing whether to reopen the door, but it’s been difficult given the past history.

Wayne Gretzky now knows of a special place where boys and girls can all be queens every single day ... 'cause the Great One got a lesson in Chappell Roan's hit song, "Pink Pony Club" on live TV -- thanks to TNT co-host Paul Bissonnette.

Biz's session took place after the Edmonton Oilers' overtime win over the Florida Panthers in Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Final ... when the former NHLer started talking about how the popular tune has become an unofficial anthem for the Canadian squad.

The Great One didn't want to be left out -- so he started asking questions.

ESPN anchor Jay Harris just revealed he's been diagnosed with prostate cancer ... and while he'll be away from the "SportsCenter" desk for some time, he's vowing to come back "better than ever."

Harris -- who joined ESPN in 2003 -- broke the news to Michael Strahan on "Good Morning America" ... revealing he found out about the cancer over a month ago. He's scheduled to have surgery next week and will require some recovery time before returning to his day job.

"My doctor's quite optimistic," the 60-year-old said. "Per my last scan, nothing has spread. So, once we take out the prostate, hopefully that will be it. That's the goal."

8:43 AM PT -- TMZ Sports has obtained Greg Hardy's mug shot.

Greg Hardy was arrested in Texas earlier Wednesday ... TMZ Sports has learned.

Jail records we obtained show the former Dallas Cowboys pass rusher was taken into custody at around 2:29 PM. He was booked on a charge of "assault causes bodily injury family," the records show.

A jail official tells us Hardy is slated to see a judge on Thursday morning, and a bond is expected to be set at that court proceeding. Until then, he'll remain behind bars, we're told.