Breaking News

The high school referee who told Andrew Johnson to cut his dreadlocks or forfeit is now threatening to sue ... claiming he's been DEFAMED and he's demanding $100,000 in damages.

The wrestling match made international headlines when Johnson -- who is black -- appeared humiliated when he was essentially forced to cut his hair during the Dec. 2018 match.

The ref, Alan Maloney, has not reffed a single high school wrestling match since ... and he's pissed -- claiming he did nothing wrong.

In fact, Maloney believes he was simply following the rules laid out by the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association ... and should NOT be subject to any sort of punishment.

In his letter, Maloney states his case ... saying Johnson's hair length violated the rules. Maloney claims he gave Johnson time to get a hair covering, but Johnson did not have one.

So, in accordance with NJSIAA policy, Maloney says "provided the wrestler with the time to correct the deficiency" -- aka, a haircut.

Once the video went viral, many people accused Maloney of operating out of racism and he feels the NJSIAA did nothing to correct the narrative.

Now, Maloney has fired off a letter to the NJSIAA saying he's planning to take legal action because he feels the association has participated in DEFAMING him, causing him to lose income and suffer emotional distress. He's claiming damages of $100k.

We spoke with Johnson's attorney Dominic Speziali who tells us, "To the extent that [Maloney] plans to file a claim as a victim in this incident is outright absurd."

Conor McGregor says he has no problem being the CO-MAIN event of a future UFC card -- he just wants Dana White to give him OWNERSHIP in the brand before he returns to the Octagon.

Of course, UFC legend Donald "Cowboy" Cerrone recently claimed McGregor refused to sign a fight contract unless their fight would be the sole MAIN event.

The issue ... neither Cowboy or Conor hold a UFC title at the moment and Dana White has said they want every major card to have a championship fight in the main event slot.

Enter McGregor ... who finally broke his silence on the issue Friday while speaking with fans at a bar in Chicago, Binny's -- saying, "I’m ready to fight, I’ve said that. No problem."

But, Conor says he doesn't want to fight for a paycheck anymore ... he wants a legit stake in the company, as he's demanded for years.

"Me sliding into the co-main event ... it’s now boosting [the UFC's] brand over fighter rhetoric that they have. And, there's no problem with that," Conor said in video captured by BJPenn.com's Mike Pendleton.

"If they want me to push that and I have no problem with pushing that, give me my rightful shares in the UFC company. That’s all I ask."

"You can put me on the first fight of ESPN+, no problem ... let's see how it goes ... but I'm still prepared and ready to fight."

Conor has demanded ownership in the UFC for years -- and at one point, UFC minority owner Mark Wahlberg offered him a piece of his stake in the company.

Wahlberg later rescinded the offer. But, ya gotta wonder if the UFC is considering Conor's demand with the kind of money McGregor's fights bring in.

Johnny Football's back!!!!!

Just a few weeks after being cut from the entire Canadian Football League ... Johnny Manziel is out on the field with another pro football team -- and his new squad seems damn proud of it!

The Alliance of American Football league's Memphis Express inked the embattled QB to a contract Sunday ... and immediately put him out on the practice field Monday.

JFF was rockin' his familiar no. 2 ... and, of course, had his famous swagged-out visor screwed into his facemask.

No word yet on how he looked throwing during his first day on the job ... but his new league seemed STOKED to hire him over the weekend.

"We are pleased to welcome Johnny Manziel to the Alliance of American Football, which we’ve always described as a league of opportunity for talented players to launch or revitalize their pro football careers,” cofounder and head of football for the Alliance, Bill Polian, said.

Added Express GM Will Lewis, "I’ve always viewed him as a viable option, so we’ll look into that situation and see how that works out for us.”

Of course, Manziel was just booted from the CFL on Feb. 27 after the league says he violated the terms of his agreement.

But, it doesn't appear that's fazed the AAF ... 'cause they say they did "extensive background work" on the QB -- and think it's fine for him to play in their league.

As for Johnny's future with the Express ... their starting QB, Zach Mettenberger, just injured his ankle -- so immediate playing time is available.

Sooo ... does that mean #ComebackSZN is officially on again?!?!

Cristiano Ronaldo wants to save you from BALD SHAME -- so he's opened up a new hair transplant clinic in Spain.

Seriously.

The international soccer superstar has launched Insparya in Madrid -- and Monday, the 34-year-old and his girlfriend, Georgina Rodriguez, faced the media to promote the place.

So, why???

Ronaldo says "image" is important to him and he wants to make sure other people have more control over the way they look.

When asked if he has ever had the procedure -- or ever would -- CR7 replied, "When I think it’s necessary [to have a transplant], of course I’ll do it."

In other words, Ronaldo claims his current hair is 100% his ... for now.

Oh, and Ronaldo says the clinic will also do eyebrow hair transplants too.

Ronaldo isn't the first athlete to get in the hair business -- ex-NFL star Brian Urlacher had a hair procedure done after his football career wrapped up.

Here's an amazing photo ...

Jim Brown, Emmitt Smith and Barry Sanders all got together at a massive autograph signing event over the weekend -- and it begs the question, how do you rank these guys!?

All 3 have routinely been brought up in the age-old "Who's the greatest running back of all time?" debate. They're all in the Hall of Fame. They're all legends.

So, when they got together for a pic at the Chicago Sports Spectacular, it forced us to do some real debating in the office.

Barry Sanders ... 15,269 yards on the ground in just 10 NFL seasons. 10 Pro Bowl selections. 6-time All-Pro. All this without a great offensive line.

Emmitt Smith ... 18,355 yards rushing in 15 seasons. 164 rushing TDs. 1993 MVP, 3 Super Bowls, 8 Pro Bowls, 4-time All-Pro.

Jim Brown ... 12,312 yards rushing in 9 seasons, 106 rushing TDs, 8-time NFL All-Pro, 9 Pro Bowls, 3 NFL MVPs.

We looked at the autograph prices this weekend ... here's how they stack up in terms of value.

Barry Sanders ... autographs start at $135, photo ops are $135.

Emmitt Smith ... autographs start at $235, photo ops are $200.

Jim Brown ... autographs start at $150, photo ops are $150.

So, go ahead ... rank 'em.

Did you know ... Patrick Mahomes' girlfriend is more of a gym rat than he is?!

It's true -- Brittany Matthews is a budding social media fitness star -- and she showed off the fruits of her labor during an awesome girls trip to Hawaii.

Brit -- along with a bunch of her girlfriends -- flew to Hawaii for a tropical bachelorette party (sans the Chiefs QB) ... where they partied and hit the beach in tiny bikinis.

In fact, all of the girls on the trip had custom swimsuits with their nicknames on them -- Brittany's read, "Fit Brit."

Don't worry, besides relaxing in paradise, Brittany found plenty of time to exercise -- hiking and hitting the gym, because NO DAYS OFF!!!

By the way, Mahomes and Brittany have been together for years. They started dating back in high school and continued dating while she was attending the University of Texas at Tyler and Patrick was at Texas Tech.

In fact, the two were just spotted all over L.A. a few weeks ago, hitting Lakers games and all the finest Hollywood hot spots.

It all begs the question ... who gets a ring first -- Pat or Brit?!?!?

L.A. Rams "Get Back" coach, whose job is to physically restrain head coach Sean McVay from stepping on the field, is now in real hot water ... he's been charged with sexual battery.

His name is Ted Rath -- and he went viral during the 2018 season thanks to a highlight reel showing him constantly pulling McVay toward the bench so he wouldn't get run over by players and refs.

Rath -- who's also the team's strength and conditioning coach -- has been hit with 3 misdemeanor sexual battery charges stemming from an alleged incident on June 15, 2018.

Officials tell TMZ Sports the incident took place at a private residence in Moorpark, CA ... with the alleged victim claiming Rath groped her multiple times without her consent.

The Rams addressed the charges on Friday ... saying, "We take these allegations very seriously."

The Rams added ... "Once the charges were filed, we decided Ted would take a leave of absence from the team as this matter works its way through the justice system.”

Rath is facing more than a year behind bars if convicted ... and he would have to register as a sex offender.

Kansas City Chiefs superstar Tyreek Hill was named in a police report involving an alleged child abuse incident on March 5 ... and the Chiefs say they're aware of an investigation.

Look, the details are sketchy right now but here's what we know ...

TMZ Sports has obtained a report from the Overland Police Dept. filed on March 5 in Kansas which lists Hill as a person "involved" in a child abuse/neglect case.

There's another person named as an "involved" party, Crystal Espinal -- the mother of Hill's child.

Neither person is listed as a suspect on the police report.

There is a note on the report that the case was "closed/cleared" and "prosecution declined" on March 8.

Another police report filed on March 14 does NOT list Tyreek -- but names Espinal as an "involved person" in a battery case involving a juvenile victim.

Again, no details and Hill is NOT listed as a suspect.

The Kansas City Chiefs have issued a comment saying, "The club is aware of the investigation involving Tyreek Hill. We’re in the process of gathering information and have been in contact with the league and local authorities."

We reached out to cops who referred us to the District Attorney's Office -- where a rep told us, "We have nothing in our system."

We also reached out to Hill's agent -- so far, no word back.

Earl Thomas was facing a MAJOR issue in his first days as a Baltimore Raven ... his beloved #29 jersey was already taken ... and he'd have to cough up some serious dough to get it.

That is ... until Marlon Humphrey decided to change his mind and give it away FOR FREE -- and his explanation is pretty dope.

"I initially asked Earl for money, and later that day I realized that’s not who I am," Humphrey says.

"So I texted him and said he can have it. I respect what he has done and accolades in 29. Didn’t want to alter that for a number I’ve accomplished nothing in."

MH has a point -- Thomas has been stellar in #29 ... winning a Super Bowl, making 6 Pro Bowls and being named a 1st team All-Pro 3 different times!!!

Battles over jersey numbers have gotten expensive in the past -- Clinton Portis famously offered an old Redskins teammate $40k(!!!) to get #26 in 2004 (that ended in a court battle).

Deion Sanders also bought a teammate a BMW to get his number when he joined the Cowboys.

Big win for Lenny Dykstra despite the fact he pled GUILTY in his crazy Uber case -- after a New Jersey judge ruled the drugs found in Lenny's bags could NOT be used as evidence against him.

Here's the story ... Dykstra was arrested back in May 2018 after an Uber driver claimed Lenny was acting crazy and threatened his life during an early morning ride.

During the arrest, cops say they found cocaine and meth in Lenny's bags -- which had been in the trunk. He was later charged with possession of coke and meth and making terroristic threats.

Once the case went before a judge, Lenny argued cops did NOT have the right to go through his personal belongings ... and therefore the drug evidence should be thrown out.

The judge AGREED with Dykstra -- explaining there was no reason for cops to search the bags since they had no impact on the issue between Dykstra and the driver.

Since the drug charges couldn't stick, prosecutors offered Lenny a deal in which he would plead guilty to disorderly conduct and, in exchange, he got $125 in fines and was ordered to have NO contact with the Uber driver.

That's it -- easy sentence for a guy who was facing serious prison time.

The husband of UFC fighter Rachael Ostovich pled no contest to assault stemming from a violent altercation in November ... and he most likely won't spend a minute behind bars.

Arnold Berdon -- who's also an MMA fighter -- was charged with 2nd-degree assault for punching Ostovich in the head, face and ribs during an argument at their Hawaii home.

Ostovich suffered a broken orbital bone in the attack -- and initially pulled out of a scheduled fight with Paige VanZant ... but that fight was rescheduled after she healed up and was cleared by a doctor.

In audio obtained by Hawaii News Now you can hear a man yelling, "I'm going to f*cking murder you" during the alleged incident.

Berdon appeared in court on Thursday and pled no contest to the charge -- which carries a 5-year prison sentence.

But, Berdon likely won't do ANY time-- the judge told him he'll likely just get probation if he successfully completes a domestic violence intervention program.

During the hearing, Berdon told the judge he's "going to do well."

As for Ostovich, she issued a statement on the situation through her attorney, Lanson Kupau, saying she's "satisfied that Arnold is accepting responsibility for his actions and getting the needed help so that he can be the best father to our daughter."

The NFL has suspended Kareem Hunt for 8 games without pay for violating the league's personal conduct policy -- stemming from TWO violent incidents, including an altercation with a woman captured on video.

TMZ Sports broke the story ... Hunt shoved, bull-rushed and kicked a woman at a Cleveland hotel on Feb. 10, 2018.

Cops were called to the scene and investigated -- but did NOT arrest Hunt, who denied getting violent.

At the time, Hunt was a member of the Kansas City Chiefs -- but the team released the star running back once the video went public, claiming Hunt lied to them about his behavior that night.

Hunt sought treatment for anger management and substance abuse issues -- and was later signed by the Cleveland Browns, who were waiting to see what Hunt's punishment was going to be.

Hunt was also accused of getting violent with a man at an Ohio resort in June 2018 -- allegedly punching a man in the face during a heated argument.

The NFL says it investigated both incidents using "reviewing available law enforcement records, video and electronic communications, interviews with numerous witnesses, and multiple interviews with Hunt."

The league says, "Hunt has advised the league office that he accepts responsibility for his conduct and the discipline that has been imposed."

"He has committed to take advantage of available resources to help him grow personally and as a member of the Cleveland community, and to live up to his obligations as an NFL player."

"The eight-game suspension will take effect as of the final roster reduction on August 31. Hunt will be eligible to play in the Browns' ninth regular season game."

Hunt has issued a statement saying, "I want to again apologize for my actions last year. I know that my behavior hurt a lot of people, and I again apologize to them."

"I respect the league's decision on discipline, and I appreciate the time I spent with Commissioner Goodell last week."

"I'm grateful for my time with the Browns over the last month and thankful to all the people in the organization that have welcomed me. I also appreciate all of the support from my union through this process."

7:50 PM PT - Our intel is clear -- Lori's not coming back to "Fuller House." A well-placed production source tells TMZ, "Fuller House is not currently in production. Lori is a guest star and was during the previous 4 seasons and there are currently no plans for her to return to the 5th season." Translation ... she's gone from the show.

6:56 PM PT -- Hallmark has now addressed their show, "When Calls the Heart," which is now in the middle of airing its 6th season and stars Loughlin, saying, "The series will not air on Sunday, March 17. We are evaluating all creative options related to When Calls the Heart series."

With 7 episodes to go for the season, that must be a busy writers' room.

2:50 PM PT -- Tresemme has also announced they are cutting ties with Olivia. They stated, "We take this very seriously and are no longer working with Olivia."

12:35 PM PT -- Hallmark has cut ties with Lori Loughlin, a longtime collaborator with the company. In a statement Hallmark's parent company, Crown Media, says it is no longer working with Lori and has stopped development of all productions she's involved in, adding it was "saddened" by the allegations.

Hallmark's first tragic ending ever. That's a shame.

12:08 PM PT -- Olivia's page with clothing brand Princess Polly is no longer active ... we've reached out to the company to see if the line has been completely shelved, but no word back so far.

Lori Loughlin's alleged cheating is already costing her daughter, Olivia Jade -- 'cause Sephora just kicked the kid to the curb in the wake of the college admissions scandal.

A honcho for Sephora -- which had a partnership with Olivia -- tells TMZ, "After careful review of recent developments, we have made the decision to end the Sephora Collection partnership with Olivia Jade, effective immediately."

Olivia had a makeup partnership with the cosmetics chain that produced the Olivia Jade x Sephora palette. That page on Sephora's website has been 86'd.

Lori's youngest daughter has been catching the bulk of the backlash since her mom and dad were indicted for allegedly paying bribes to get their kids into USC.

TMZ broke the story ... Olivia was on Rick Caruso's yacht in the Bahamas with his daughter when the indictment news broke ... Caruso -- the Chairman of USC's Board of Trustees -- tells us that Olivia is no longer on his yacht, and has since gone home.

USC has yet to decide Olivia's fate.

Shane Battier is off the deeeeeeeep end ... and it's beautiful as hell.

The 2-time NBA champ hit the stage to put on his best rendition of Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper's "Shallow" at his charity karaoke event on Thursday ... and this guy pulled out all the stops.

Look ... singing the ballad in front of ANYONE requires some guts. But, to do it in front of a huge crowd while wearing a dress AND a wig puts the whole thing over the top.

Miami Heat TV host Jason Jackson played the role of Cooper ... and he even put on a wig as well!!

It was all part of the 7th Annual Battioke Event in Miami ... which raises money for college scholarships.

Battier clearly stole the show ... but there were other great performances from Kelly Olynyk, who sang some classic One Direction ... and Pierre Garcon, who pulled off "Let Me Love You" by Mario.

The championship belt ended up going to Heat GM Andy Elisburg, who sang "Soul Man" by the Blues Brothers.

We're told the event raised more than $150k!!!

Zion Williamson made his much-anticipated return to the court on Thursday ... and when people weren't busy watching his rim-shaking dunks, their eyes were glued to his shoes.

The Duke superstar hit the court against Syracuse for the ACC Tournament after missing the past month with a knee sprain ... when his Paul George sneaker infamously blew up on him.

Z-Dub ditched the Thunder star's kicks for Kyrie 4s in the return -- he has to stick with the Swoosh with Duke being a Nike school -- and the replacements seemed to work just fine.

Well ... great, actually. Zion went on to shoot 13 for 13 from the field, with 29 points, 14 rebounds and 5 steals. He looked like a freak of nature who won't let a pair of sneakers get in his way.

Of course, there were a bunch of people like Scottie Pippen saying Zion should just sit out the rest of the season ... and uh, we're glad he isn't listening.

Although ... Zion didn't go *completely* without any scary moments ... 'Cuse star Frank Howard appeared to try to trip him in the first half of the game.

Duke ended up winning the game, 84-72 ... and Zion escaped unscathed.

The owner of the Utah Jazz addressed the Russell Westbrook incident head-on Thursday night -- saying Utah is "not a racist community" ... and warning fans to treat opposing players with respect.

Of course, the Westbrook incident made international headlines after he told a fan, "I'll f*ck you up." Westbrook claimed the fan and his wife had made offensive comments. The fan denied it. The Jazz ultimately banned the fan for life.

Enter Jazz owner Gail Miller ... who grabbed the mic before the Jazz took on the Timberwolves at Vivint Smart Home Arena and warned fans she'll boot ANYONE who acts like a jerk.

"I am extremely disappointed that one of our 'fans' conducted himself in such a way as to offend not only a guest in our arena, but also me personally, my family, our organization, the community, our players, and you as the best fans in the NBA,” Miller said.

"This should never happen. We are not a racist community."

She added, "We have a code of conduct in this arena. It will be strictly enforced."