TMZ Sports - Page 50

The barrage of smack talk between UFC fighters Cody Garbrandt and Dominick Cruz continues ... with Cruz telling TMZ Sports the only thing emptier than Cody's threats are his head ... 'cause he's dumb.

These two are scheduled to meet up at UFC 207 December 30th ... and have been destroying each other in the media, with the most recent shot coming from Garbrandt about Cruz's new beard.

Well, Cruz checked in with the guys on the "TMZ Sports" TV show ... and UNLOADED on Cody ... saying his insults are coming from a very small place ... his brain.

Be sure to watch "TMZ Sports" weeknights on FS1.

Kenny Smith says George Karl will suffer consequences & repercussions for his verbal assault on Carmelo Anthony & Kenyon Martin ... never being trusted in NBA circles again.

We got Kenny out at LAX and asked him about Karl's thoughts on his two former players ... thoughts that include him saying the guys had character issues because they lacked fathers in their lives.

Kenny says Karl's statements were totally wrong ... because you shouldn't air out the dirty laundry of the NBA inner circle for public consumption.

As a matter of fact ... Kenny says he doesn't see how any ex-association guys will be able to feel comfortable with George ever again.

"You gotta watch what you say, you gotta check him for mics."

Stanley Panther says he was BETRAYED by his own NHL team -- claiming he was unfairly fired as the team mascot after a serious bout with depression because the honchos didn't like his attitude.

'SNL' star Pete Davidson is sticking to his guns in his beef with the NFL's weed policy ... saying the league suspending a player for using marijuana to deal with his Crohn's disease is "terrible."

The player Davidson's talking about is Buffalo Bills lineman Seantrel Henderson ... who was hit with a 10 game ban after a 2nd violation of the league's substance abuse policy earlier this year.

Henderson suffers from Crohn's -- a painful, chronic, disease of the digestive tract -- and has argued that he needs pot to manage the pain associated with the condition.

Marcedes Lewis says there's one thing UCLA stud athlete Lonzo Ball needs to avoid like the plague while he's tearing it up for the Bruins ... the one thing that can derail his entire college career.

THE DREADED THOTS OF WESTWOOD.

Ball is DOMINATING for UCLA right now ... with a lot of people saying he's already a lock for Player of the Year honors ... and maybe even the #1 pick in the draft.

We got Marcedes -- who was a stud football player for UCLA last decade -- at LAX and asked if he had any advice for Lonzo on dealing with the ladies ... and Marcedes said there's one type to watch out for.

Can't ignore the obvious ... Gisele Bundchen had a pretty obvious bump during a modeling shoot in Brazil earlier this month -- begging the question ... preggo???

Gisele and Tom Brady were extra touchy-feely during a DeflateGate vacation to Italy back in September ... back when G's belly was its typical flat self.

So, could baby #3 be on the way for the 36-year-old supermodel ... or was it just a big lunch?

How does Ezekiel Elliott say thank you around the holidays? With 8 badass, custom, off-road whips that cost over $16k each ... for every one of his offensive lineman.

Zeke gifted his O-line with a bunch of John Deere 855D S4 Crossovers. They start at $16,099.

FYI -- Elliott's had a monster year rushing behind the Cowboys line ... arguably the best in football. In other words, they deserve the gifts.

Just be SAFE!!!!

Joe Mixon has apologized to the woman he brutalized in 2014 -- saying, "It's never okay to retaliate and hit a woman the way I did."

"I apologize. I regret what happened. And I'm sorry."

Mixon held a news conference in Oklahoma -- and got emotional as he apologized to the victim, his teammates and his family.

Mixon said he let his mother down ... "I disappointed her."

Mixon says he's still haunted by the incident and says he thinks about it every day. He would have done things much differently and wouldn't have put himself in that situation in the first place.

Mixon says he's grown up a lot in the 2.5 years since the incident and appreciates the University for giving him a second chance.

Mixon says he's still undergoing counseling.

Two rich guys went golfing together today ... each wearing their own signature hats.

Donald Trump and Tiger Woods met up Friday at the Trump International Golf Course in West Palm Beach to play together ... Tiger still rocking the bleached goatee from his "Mac Daddy Santa" look.

Trump and Tiger have been friends for years -- and Donald actually named the golfer as one of the top athletes he admired during an interview with Harvey Levin for the show 'OBJECT-ified.'

The two are currently on the links -- we'll let you know who wins.

[h/t Golf Digest]

Ray Rice loaded 50 kids into limousines and treated them all to the fanciest toy shopping spree of their lives ... and TMZ Sports has the video.

It all went down in Baltimore -- where the ex-NFL running back hooked up with some families in need and used his own money to play Santa.

The limos took the kids to a local Toys "R" Us ... where each of the tykes got to pick out two toys for themselves. Pretty cool, right?

If that wasn't enough ... Rice also raised more than $10k this holiday season to help send minority kids to college.

Rice is still training to get back into the NFL -- but even if that doesn't happen, it's clear he's still dedicated to the community.

Porsha Williams says Kordell Stewart is DEAD WRONG for insinuating she had anything to do with the release of a naked video featuring the ex-NFL star ... saying the whole thing smells like a publicity stunt.

We broke the story ... Kordell says a naked video of him was stolen and released without his permission and he pointed the finger at his ex-wife, Porsha, claiming she had something to do with it.

But we just spoke with Porsha -- and she ain't havin' it.

"This is obviously a publicity stunt that Kordell and maybe one of his partners in crime came up with."

"The truth is I have not spoken with Kordell Stewart since the day I signed our divorce decree. I have nothing to do with Kordell 'TOOTING' his derrière to the camera for the world to see."

She adds, "I would suggest Kordell find another hobby and wish him a very Happy New Year."

Kordell Stewart says newly surfaced video purportedly showing the ex-NFL star in the nude is real -- but it was stolen -- and he's pointing the finger at his reality star ex-wife.

TMZ Sports spoke with the former Pittsburgh Steelers QB who says he's outraged that the video went public because he had made it specifically for a woman he was dating at the time.

Stewart says he's already contacted his lawyers and plans to rain down hell on whoever released it.

Kordell says his #1 suspect is his ex-wife, Porsha Williams -- claiming she had sent him text messages warning him to "prepare for war" ... and he believes she was referring to the tape.

As for reports that Kordell had made the video for another man, the ex-NFL star tells us it's "bull****" -- and says that, while he respects gay people, that's just not who he is.

Kenyon Martin says George Karl "took a shot at my mom" when he claimed the NBA star didn't know how to act like a man because he didn't have a father in his life growing up.

Martin just appeared on "Undisputed" on FS1 to address the incendiary comments his former coach wrote about him in his new book ... and Kenyon didn't hold back.

"You're taking a shot at the way she raised me ... and other single mothers out there. You're taking a shot at them."

"My mother was my mother and my father. So for you to say that ... you disrespecting her."

Ex-NBA superstar Steve Francis just pled not guilty to breaking into a BMW in a restaurant parking lot in Florida and pilfering it for money, jewelry and makeup ... TMZ Sports has learned.

As we previously reported, Francis was locked up in Manatee County, FL over the alleged incident which went down back in June outside of the Cortez Clam Factory.

Francis allegedly asked the restaurant bartender for a flashlight -- and then raided the 2003 Beamer he'd been casing ... taking more than $1,700 in stuff.

He turned himself in last week.

Pats QB/social media goofball Tom Brady dropped a brand new video Thursday night -- joking about being lost in the woods, trying to put together a 32,000 piece puzzle ... and getting locked out of his home.

It's funny ... especially when we noticed the codes he tried to punch in to get back in the house:

Try 1 -- 12121#

Try 2 -- 1212#

Try 3 -- 1234#

C'mon TB12 ... you're better than that.

Funny video though.

How does George Lopez feel about Tiger Woods reportedly hitting the links with Donald Trump on Friday?

"That's just a couple of white dudes playing golf."

Lopez broke down the situation -- saying everyone knows that "all the golfers are republicans" ... therefore Tiger voted for Trump and it doesn't really surprise him.

George also recounts the time he golfed with Trump -- and once again accused the President-elect of hardcore cheaterism.