TMZ Sports - Page 50

Thinking of being a world-class skier??? Lindsey Vonn might have ya reconsidering ... 'cause she just posted a pic of the knee she tore up flyin' down a mountain -- and it's DISGUSTING.

Vonn -- one of the greatest female skiers ever -- ripped up her knee in a crash during training last November ... and shredded her LCL so badly, she required surgery.

Lindsey says she put off the operation until now 'cause she had some obligations to fill ... and it's pretty easy to see why she waited so long to go under the knife.

The pic of the operation is NASTY ... docs cut open the side of her knee, pulled her skin apart and did everything they could to stitch her ligament back together.

Good news for Lindsey? She says despite the gnarly pic -- surgery went well and she's doing just fine.

Better news for Lindsey? The 34-year-old is retired from competitive skiing now ... which means (hopefully) no more nasty injuries!!!

Joe Haden ain't pissed the Browns got stacked after he got traded to the Steelers ... matter of fact, he's HAPPY for the city -- telling TMZ Sports he CAN'T WAIT to line up against OBJ!!

We spoke with the NFL star about his ex-team's newest addition ... and he's stoked for several reasons -- one being the fans having something to be excited about again. (After all, the Browns were awful in Haden's 7 years in Ohio).

"I'm happy for Cleveland. That's a great football city," Haden tells us. "They deserve everything. Odell, that's one of my good friends ... he's gonna bring a lot of flash and flare there."

The other big reason -- Haden can now line up against his good friend, Odell Beckham, twice a year ... and it's got some extra sauce to it, considering Pittsburgh's huge rivalry with CLE.

"I can't wait. You gotta go against the best to be the best."

Of course, the Browns officially introduced OBJ on Monday ... and there's a lot of talk about Cleveland being serious contenders with guys like Baker Mayfield, Nick Chubb, Kareem Hunt and Jarvis Landry on offense.

Meanwhile, the Stillers traded away Antonio Brown and Le'Veon Bell jetted off to New York. Haden says it'll be tough to replace those guys, but they're ready for the challenge.

"It was a disappointing hiring cycle for someone who watches it like I do."

That's Pittsburgh Steelers coach Mike Tomlin responding to the NFL's lack of diversity in its head coaching ranks ... and yeah, dude clearly ain't too happy about it.

Remember, the NFL's annual league meetings were last week ... and the teams put most of their head coaches proudly on display -- but there was one problem ... the black representation was tiny.

Of course, Tomlin missed the photo ... but so did 5 other white coaches -- which only highlighted an issue Mike says the league needs to address sooner rather than later.

"It was a disappointing hiring cycle for someone who watches it like I do," Tomlin told the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette ... "knowing some of the deserving men I do who I thought should have gotten an opportunity and didn’t."

"But we’ll continue to work and fight for equality and opportunity.”

The NFL fired 8 head coaches this past season -- including FIVE African Americans -- but only hired one black coach (Miami's Brian Flores) when replacing them.

That leaves the league currently with just THREE total black coaches ... and that's something that has Tomlin searching for answers.

"We’ll continue to fight for [equality within opportunity], not only in terms of head coaching searches, but maybe other areas of the profession as well."

JuJu Smith-Schuster says there's "no bad blood" between him and Antonio Brown ... telling TMZ Sports, "That's my guy."

Of course, as of just a few days ago that didn't seem to be the case ... 'cause the two seemed to be taking some passive aggressive shots at each other all over social media.

It all started just hours after the Steelers traded Brown to the Raiders ... when JuJu posted a pic of him catching a TD (with Brown watching in the background), writing, "I'm ready."

Then ... after a very public spat between A.B. and Ben Roethlisberger -- JuJu weighed in with his own take on Big Ben's leadership, completely disagreeing with Brown's opinion.

"I was so blessed to enter the league and play with a Hall of Fame QB as a 20-year old," JuJu wrote ... "Ben has taught me so much, he’s a true Leader and I can’t wait to rock with my guy this season."

Didn't take long for Brown to respond ... 'cause he took to his own social media page to fire back.

"Do not listen to any NFL player who haven’t got paid yet! They will do and say anything to make sure they going to get paid even if it’s compromising integrity or anything ! sad but true."

That sound like beef to you??

Why the hell did Lonzo Ball cover his Big Baller Brand tattoo?

LaVar Ball is about to answer that question for the entire world, and reveal that despite the cover job, BBB is intact, and so is the Ball family.

We spoke directly to LaVar (he was in a loud arena -- that's why he's so close to the phone), and he told us that after Lonzo learned a former business partner allegedly defrauded the company of $1.5 million, he made the decision to dissolve the brand.

"We had a meeting before the story came out, man. And, everybody was in they feelings. What I mean by that is, we're not really thinking. 'Cause I told them we're shutting down everything, 'cause I don't want him to get nothing."

"So, I said it was shut down. And, that's why DMo and everybody heard what I said and was going on them things. Okay, triple B's is done."

LaVar says he came to his senses and decided to keep the brand alive ... but not before Zo's tattoo was covered.

Still, LaVar has no problem with Lonzo covering his BBB tat, 'cause the art was a distraction anyway.

"Lonzo had to cover that Triple B up anyway. You can't play with no band-aid when you not even hurt. It feels weird playing like that. So, you gotta cover it anyway."

As far as stories that the family is estranged ... LaVar calls B.S. on those too.

"The media's making it a big deal, man. Our family stick together. Everything is good. The games still going on, man. My boys still going forward, and my family is still in tact. So, I'm good."

Demaryius Thomas is lucky to be alive today -- let alone healthy and ready to play in the NFL -- 'cause TMZ Sports has obtained pics of his car crash ... and the scene is gnarly.

Thomas was doing 70 MPH in a 30 MPH zone in Denver at around 12:20 AM on Feb. 16 when he lost control of his SUV and crashed it into a curb.

One witness tells us the car flipped several times before coming to a stop right-side-up ... dozens of yards from where it took off from.

Thomas and his two passengers somehow escaped from the crash okay -- which seems like a miracle when you see the damage that was done.

The pics show a mangled car ... the back is completely smashed in while the engine is in pieces, falling out of the front.

Thomas was hit with a felony charge of vehicular assault for the incident, but he reached a deal with prosecutors this week to avoid jail time.

The former Broncos star pled guilty to a lesser misdemeanor charge of careless driving resulting in injury in exchange for having the felony charge dropped.

DT's punishment? One year probation and 50 hours of community service, plus fines and restitution.

Think Jordan Poyer's enjoying his offseason???

Here's the Buffalo Bills safety's wife, Rachel Bush, to eliminate any possible doubt ... turning a yacht into her personal twerk stage ... and we're definitely here for it.

Fresh off a hot trip to Brazil, the Poyer fam has been keeping the heat going in Miami -- riding jet skis, hitting the water and, of course, having private booty dances on expensive boats.

If you aren't familiar with the Poyers, Rachel and Jordan have been together for years. They tied the knot back in February 2018 and have a 2-year-old daughter, Aliyah.

Rachel recently celebrated her 21st birthday by throwin' on some lingerie and doing a photo shoot with a big ass cake (it would behoove you to check those out to refresh your memory).

Definitely seems like the waters have been calmer for the Poyers lately -- there was a lot of drama with other attractive girls last year -- but it sure looks like smooth sailing now.

Conor McGregor vs. Anthony Pettis -- a match made in fight Heaven -- according to Pettis, who says fighting The Notorious would be a "dream fight" for UFC fans.

We talked to Pettis -- days after moving up to the welterweight division and starching Stephen "Wonderboy" Thompson -- about his next move ... and he says Conor makes a whole lotta sense.

There's just 1 problem ... Pettis says if Conor's actually mulling quitting, fighting him is a very bad idea.

"Man, I wouldn't talk him outta retirement. If someone wants to retire, don't get in the Octagon with me," Pettis tells TMZ Sports ...

"It's gonna be a bad one. I'm too hungry right now. I'm too motivated. I just knocked out the #3 in the world at 170 pounds. If you're trying to retire, don't entertain a fight with me."

But, if Conor's just using the threat of retirement as a negotiating ploy, Pettis is all the way down to fight ... and he thinks it'd be a helluva entertaining match up.

"I go for the kill. He goes for the kill. We both have a flashy striking style with a great ground game.".

Ya hear this, Dana?

Forget John Calipari ... UCLA hoops should offer Earl Watson its head coaching job -- so says ex-Bruins star Ryan Hollins, who tells TMZ Sports, the school "needs to hope" he takes the gig.

Of course, Hollins -- a 4-year contributor for the Bruins from 2002-2006 -- says he'd LOVE to see Cal bolt from the Wildcats to take over the reins in Westwood.

But, the dude says UCLA needs to be honest with itself ... and understand that the Kentucky coaching legend is probably a long shot for the Bruins' vacancy.

And, why?? Hollins says he's seen the Bruins get burned going down this road before ... saying it was just a couple years ago when UCLA lost out on Brad Stevens and Shaka Smart and had to settle for Steve Alford instead.

"These top coaches that you want to go after -- which we can't knock -- it's not a guarantee they're going to come," Hollins tells us.

"And, when you ended up with Steve Alford ... man, he was the third or fourth or fifth down the line! So, if you're going to be realistic, you might as well keep it in house."

Earl's a UCLA alum who is VERY interested in taking the job ... and in fact, just reportedly interviewed for the spot last week.

Hollins says he thinks it'd be a slam dunk hire for the Bruins ... telling us the school isn't in any shape to pass on EW for the pipe dream of Calipari.

"It's a slap in the face, bro, when UCLA wants to go after a coach and they get denied," Hollins says.

Le'Veon Bell innocently went to Twitter to ask his followers what he thought of his new song on Sunday ... and Keenan Allen did exactly that with a BRUTALLY honest response.

"I gotta keep it band bro. This ain’t it" (while adding a garbage can emoji).

DAMN!

The NY Jets star didn't take the public criticism lightly ... telling Allen to hit him up directly if that's how he really felt.

"if youu honestly felt that way, youu could’ve just txted me and said that," Bell responded, "but it seems even ppl with check marks wanna troll to seek attention for mentions now a days..."

"enjoy this buzz fuzz, it’s still all positive vibes."

Now, remember ... it's April Fools Day. So, is this all just a prank to get people all worked up?? The LA Chargers star's follow-up suggests otherwise.

"I was not trolling on my momma bro. I don’t troll. Like I said I speak facts. You shouldn’t have asked if you ain’t want the truth. All love over here bro"

So ... is Bell's song actually good or bad? We're just gonna post the video below and let you decide.

Yeah, we didn't think it was possible either ... but Bryce Harper's life keeps on gettin' better -- the Philadelphia Phillies' $330 MILLION man just announced he's havin' a baby boy!!!

"Philly raised little man will be!" Harper said Monday.

Bryce has had the best month of his baseball career BY FAR ... 'cause after signing a 13-year, $330 million deal with Philly, he launched two massive home runs opening weekend.

But now, dude has even MORE to celebrate ... 'cause he says a baby boy with his wife, Kay Harper, is on the way -- and she says the kid will be in a Phillies uniform by THIS summer!!

"Wrigley’s gonna be pissed..." Kay said, referencing the couple's dog ... "Baby Harper making HIS debut Aug. 2019 #littleman"

Bryce and Kay have been together for years ... and tied the knot back in 2016 in an epic ceremony at one of the most famous Mormon temples in the world.

In fact, Kay reportedly played a big role in Bryce's free agency this offseason ... with the outfielder saying he wanted a long-term deal to make sure his family had roots in place for the future.

Now, dude's got that ... and just about everything else!!!

Big news from Tom Brady ... the G.O.A.T. has finally joined the Twittersphere!!!

Oh yeah, and he's retiring from the NFL ... using his first tweet to declare "I'm retiring. In my spare time, I'll be tweeting #LFG."

WOW ... the 6-time Super Bowl champ just ended his incredible career with a tweet. No emotional press conference. No goodbye party. Nothing. Not even a Crying Brady meme for crying out loud.

(You looked at the calendar this morning, right?)

HA HA HA ... GET IT?!?!?!? APRIL FOOLS, EVERYONE!!! Oh man, Tom, you sure did fool all of us.

Anyway ... what ISN'T a joke is that Brady is now on Twitter, and that is actually something to be excited about, if avocado recipes and workout plans are your things.

Johnny Manziel's had a rough few weeks -- he's single and he's injured -- so the star QB hit up an L.A. hot spot for some dance club therapy.

TMZ Sports got video of Manziel, solo, walking into Nightingale Plaza -- a West Hollywood club -- a little after 1 AM early Monday morning.

It's unclear what he did inside ... or how long he stayed at the spot.

Things haven't exactly been goin' Manziel's way lately ... Bre Tiesi wiped Johnny from her Instagram page and publicly accused him of breaking their wedding vows -- a year after they were married.

To make things worse ... Saturday afternoon -- in only his 2nd game QBing for the AAF's Memphis Express -- Manziel sustained a head injury while tackling former NY Giants player Will Hill ... after he picked off a Johnny pass.

Manziel laid injured on the field ... and had to be helped off. He didn't return to the game.

The team hasn't said if Manziel's head injury will force him to miss any time (they have a game this Saturday in San Antonio) ... but the fact that he went to a nightclub probably indicates the injury ain't too serious.

That would be some good news ... 'cause sources close to Johnny tell us he's immersed himself in his football career following his breakup -- with the end goal being a return to the NFL.

Fun fact, the jacket Johnny's rockin' -- the Lovers baseball jacket by AMIRI -- retails at around $2,500 and has an image of a crumbling heart on the back.

Coincidence? Probably not.

"N****s killed my motherf**kin' uncle, n****. F**k that. Why we doin' this s**t? Why we doing it? Why we killing each other? Why we killing black people, n****?"

Cleveland Cavaliers guard Jordan Clarkson is completely fed up after Nipsey Hussle was shot and killed on Sunday ... grabbing the mic at a Scottsdale nightclub to give a heartfelt speech about gun and gang violence.

"Why the f**k we doing that s**t? Why we hating on all the black people that's successful? F**k that s**t. That's my motherf**kin' uncle," Clarkson yells to the crowd.

Clarkson and the Cavs are in town for their game against the Suns on Monday ... and the 26-year-old hit up International Boutique Nightclub on Sunday night, just hours after the rapper was killed.

Of course, the NBAer played for the Lakers from 2014-2018 -- and says he was close to the L.A. rapper. The 2 have exchanged props on social media in the past as well.

Clarkson added ..."I bang with all the sets. you got me f**ked up n****. Real talk, n****, that's on gang. Dont f**k with that s**t, bro, real talk."

TMZ broke the story ... the rapper was shot to death Sunday afternoon in front of his store, The Marathon Clothing, in L.A.'s Hyde Park neighborhood. Paramedics tried to save him, but he was pronounced dead at the hospital. He was just 33.

Think Robert Griffin III is fine with the Ravens being Lamar Jackson's team?? Think again, so says RGIII himself ... who tells TMZ Sports, "By no means am I content with where I'm at."

Of course, the former Heisman Trophy winner signed on to be a backup QB in Baltimore last season ... and he just re-signed to presumably do the same thing this season.

But, RGIII tells us he's got MUCH bigger plans than just holding a clipboard for Lamar in 2019 ... he says he's straight-up coming for LJ's starting job!!!

"Anybody that signs in the league is never content being a backup, so this is just part of the rebuilding process for me," Griffin tells us.

"It started last year, I moved from QB3 to QB2 ... but by no means am I content with where I'm at. I still want to keep going."

RGIII only played in 3 games for the Ravens last season ... completing just 2 passes for 21 yards -- but he clearly showed the team enough, 'cause they were fine with shippin' Joe Flacco off to Denver this offseason.

So, could RGIII really take over Lamar this year??? Stay tuned ...

Michael Irvin's clearly SUPER relieved to find out he's cancer-free ... 'cause the Dallas Cowboys legend was still smiling from ear to ear hours after receiving the great news!!

"I appreciate the prayers!" Irv told TMZ Sports out in D.C. on Sunday night.

As we previously reported, the Hall of Fame receiver announced last week he was "TERRIFIED" he might have throat cancer after losing his voice for several months during the NFL season.

"Saying I am afraid this time is a big big understatement," Irvin wrote on his social media page.

But, Michael announced early Sunday morning he received good news ... there's no cancer in his 53-year-old body!!!

"Thank you God for continuing to answer Prayers and Thank you ALL for Praying," Michael said. "I spoke with Dr St John at UCLA Medical and she has informed me that all test have come back 100!% clean. NO CANCER!!!!!!"

"It is impossible to express my family and my appreciation for the overwhelming out pour of love, support and prayers."

He added, "I was on my threshing floor dealing with the stronghold of fear. You all covered and encourage me."

Irvin's old teammates couldn't have been happier to hear the news -- his quarterback, Troy Aikman, wrote, "Great news Irv!!"

As for his buddy, Emmitt Smith, the Cowboys legend posted a pic of the 2 together, saying, "God is good!!! So thankful for the good news. @michaelirvin88 is cancer free!!"