TMZ Sports - Page 50

Roddy White was BLINDSIDED when he got the cuffs slapped on him during a traffic stop earlier this month ... telling cops he had no idea he was driving on a suspended license.

"I never got anything in the mail or anything," the Falcons legend says as he's being arrested.

It's all on police video obtained by TMZ Sports ... which shows the ex-Atlanta WR telling Gwinnett County police he straight-up had no clue he missed a court date earlier this year.

You can see in the clip White is shocked to learn of the offense, saying, "Why is my driver's license suspended? Can you tell me why?"

As we previously reported ... White was pulled over in Atlanta on April 12 after officers say he dangerously crossed double lines to enter the carpool lane on I-85.

When cops ran Roddy's name in the system -- they found he had a warrant out for his arrest stemming from a court date from a November 2018 traffic violation that he blew off.

White was hauled to a nearby station where he was booked and processed. His car, an Audi A8L, was impounded.

Corey Ballentine, who was just drafted by the New York Giants, is recovering from a gunshot wound he suffered in a shooting that killed his former college teammate.

Washburn University in Topeka, Kansas says Ballentine was injured in the off-campus shooting that killed the 23-year-old junior defensive back, Dwane Simmons. The school says Ballentine, a 6th-round pick by the Giants, is expected to make a full recovery.

Ballentine's gunshot wound is reportedly non-life threatening and the cornerback is expected to be back on the field in a few weeks.

The Giants drafted Ballentine with the 180th overall pick in the 6th round of the NFL Draft on Saturday, and the shooting happened early Sunday morning, according to the school.

Move over Todd Gurley ... Ezekiel Elliott's contract is about to TOP your epic $57.5 MILLION deal -- so says Zeke's dad, who tells TMZ Sports the Cowboys are about to make his son rich!!

"Ezekiel will be the highest-paid running back EVER," Stacy Elliott says ... "In the history of the NFL!"

Of course, Zeke is still 2 years away from NEEDING a new deal -- the Cowboys just picked up his 5th-year option this week, keeping him under team control through the 2020 season.

But, Elliott's camp has already made it clear they'd like a new contract -- and his dad tells us it ain't gonna be cheap.

But, don't get it twisted ... Stacy says there won't be any sort of Le'Veon Bell-like holdout going down in Dallas -- saying the Elliotts' relationship with Jerry Jones is GREAT!!

As for what's going on with Zeke ON the field ... Stacy says he's never seen his son in better shape -- and tells us don't be surprised if Zeke rushes for more than 2,000 yards this season.

Anyone wondering if New Orleans Saints receiver Tedd Ginn Jr. is a fan of his quarterback, Drew Brees, you're about to get your answer ... and that answer is almost religious.

Ginn Jr. and Brees have been running mates for a couple years now, so when we talked to the speed burner from Ohio State recently, we wanted to know how he felt about his signal caller.

"He's a god. Anybody that gets with Drew seems like they get better and better. The things that he does on and off the field as a person are just really self-explanatory for who he is."

Far be it for us to compare gods to mere men, but we had to ask ... if Drew is so special, how does he stack up against one Mr. Thomas Brady?

According to Mr. Ginn, pretty damn good.

"The things that he does to make things work, I really don't see Tom Brady doing."

Before you call Ginn Jr. a homer (he needs the ball thrown to him, we get it) he also admits Brady is pretty good too.

"Some of the things Tom Brady does, I don't see Drew doing."

The Human Joystick is NOT the greatest return specialist in NFL history ... so says Dante Hall himself -- who tells TMZ Sports there were TWO guys who were better!!

"I give it to Hester," Hall says ... "And, then I give it to Deion after that!"

It's a crazy revelation from the Kansas City Chiefs legend ... 'cause the dude does have a legit claim to the G.O.A.T. kick returner title.

But, Hall was honest with us when we got him out in Nashville this week, telling us Devin Hester and Deion Sanders were better.

"I put myself at 3 ... that's my order."

Dante's admittedly humble -- so you make the call ...

Hall -- 2,261 punt return yards, 10,136 kick return yards, 12 total TDs

Hester -- 3,695 punt return yards, 7,333 kick return yards, 19 total TDs

Sanders -- 2,199 punt return yards, 3,523 kick return yards, 9 total TDs

No matter who ya got at No. 1 ... EVERYBODY can agree on one thing -- Hall's old highlights were nasty!!

Donald Trump tried firing up his base again, this time using the newly-minted San Francisco 49ers top draft pick, Nick Bosa.

Trump tweeted, "Congratulations to Nick Bosa on being picked number two in the NFL Draft. You will be a great player for years to come, maybe one of the best. Big Talent! San Francisco will embrace you but most importantly, always stay true to yourself. MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!"

It doesn't take a James Holzhauer to figure out ... Trump's reference to staying "true to yourself," followed by MAGA, is a not-so-veiled reference to various remarks Bosa made on social media ... remarks that have been scrubbed.

As you know, Bosa called Colin Kaepernick a "clown" in August 2016, and not too long after, Trump blasted the then-San Francisco 49ers' QB and urging team owners to fire the "sons of bitches" who dared to kneel.

And, there's another comment one of Nick's friends made ... "I'm going to post using the N-word." Nick "liked" the comment. He also expressed disdain for "Black Panther" and Beyonce's music.

Nick has now apologized, saying, "I definitely made some insensitive decisions throughout my life ... I'm sorry if I hurt anybody. I definitely didn't intend for that to be the case."

Two things Tennessee Titans legend Chris Johnson wants you to understand about his NFL career ...

#1 -- He says he's a Hall of Famer FOR SURE.

#2 -- He says he's the fastest player EVER!!!

CJ2K's bold claims all went down Wednesday at the launch party for his supplement company in Nashville ... when he told TMZ Sports straight-up, "I think I'm a Hall of Famer" and "I'm the fastest guy that ever played in the NFL."

There ain't much debate about Johnson's speed ... the guy held the Combine record for YEARS with a 4.24 40-yard dash.

But, as for the HOF debate??? That might not be as clear-cut ... Johnson finished his career with less than 10,000 rushing yards and just 55 TDs -- numbers that haven't always gotten guys in.

But, Johnson tells us, "Hopefully they do the right thing. And we'll see what happens."

By the way ... Johnson knows Bengals stud John Ross technically owns his Combine record for the 40-yard dash now, but ya gotta hear why he doesn't respect that number.

Dirk Nowitzki's done playing ... but his body sure as hell didn't get the memo ... 'cause the recently retired NBA superstar ditched his shirt on vacation in Mexico -- and the dude looks jacked!!!

The Dallas Mavericks legend and his wife, Jessica Olsson, hit up the beach in Tulum earlier this week ... makin' a splash and enjoying every bit of the unemployment life.

Dirk's got a LOT to celebrate -- he finished his career as the 6th top scorer to ever play in the league ... and the Mavs' all-time leader in points, rebounds, blocks and games played.

Look, all that is nice and everything ... but the dude should be most proud of his beach bod.

Seriously, did anyone know the dude looked like this with his shirt off???

Stipe Miocic and Derrick Lewis ... get ready -- 'cause Greg Hardy says he's coming!!!

"They're not in my mind," the ex-NFL star says of the UFC heavyweight beasts ... "They're in my sights, brother. They're locked in."

Of course, Hardy ain't sure exactly when those fights will go down ... he tells TMZ Sports, after being DQ'd in his first-ever UFC fight -- he's got a lot to learn before he steps in the Octagon with the superstars.

But, he says guys like Stipe and The Black Beast are still the goal ... telling us, "When I go there and I do fight these guys -- hopefully soon enough when I do elevate and graduate -- it's going to be Goliath vs. Goliath."

Hardy's first step in that plan? A bout with Dmitrii Smoliakov in the co-main event of Saturday night's ESPN+ Fight Night 150.

Greg says he's more prepared for this UFC tilt than his first one -- the one he lost after he illegally kneed Allen Crowder back in January.

Hardy tells us he was "overwhelmed" by the stage in that fight ... but he's learned from it -- and says he's ready to kick some ass Saturday!!!

Before he was Captain Robert Sullivan, he was crushin' kids on the tennis court ... and actor Boris Kodjoe tells TMZ Sports he was so good, he could've been one of the best players in the world!!!

We spoke with the "Station 19" actor at LAX about his love for the sport ... and asked him straight-up if he had what it takes to make a career out of it if he wanted to.

As it turns out ... Kodjoe is a freakin' beast ... and says he was ranked in the top 10 at the junior level, went on to play at Virginia Commonwealth University in the '90s on tennis scholarship for 4 years.

Meek Mill won't be able to watch his beloved 76ers take on the Raptors in Toronto on Saturday ... 'cause his request was NOT approved by his arch-nemesis -- Judge Genece Brinkley.

The Philly rapper has been on probation ever since his 2008 drug and weapons case ... and has to get permission every time he wants to leave the state of Pennsylvania.

So, when the Sixers got matched up with the Raps in the Eastern Conference semi-finals this week, Meek -- a HUGE Sixers fan -- filed a request to make the trip to the 6 to cheer on his guys in person.

We're told Meek's probation officer signed off on the request with no issue ... but when it came to getting Brinkley's signature, she refused to approve the request.

Of course, Meek and Brinkley have history ... and it's no secret they don't get along.

Michael Rubin -- a limited partner with the Sixers -- says Brinkley is deliberately ignoring their attempts to get approval ... teeing off on the judge in an Instagram post.

"Judge Genece Brinkley - I know you have a vendetta against Meek Mill and are obsessed with trying to control every aspect of his life, but did you really NOT approve him to go to rep the Sixers in Toronto for the game?"

"We filed w/your court as soon as the schedule came out since you need to approve travel to Canada! Since you didn’t respond to numerous phone calls we sent lawyers to your courtroom today which you purposely ignored!!"

The college hoops national champions won't be celebrating their title at the White House ... but it ain't a diss on President Donald Trump -- Virginia says it's just too busy to go!!!

Of course, the Cavaliers just won their first-ever men's basketball championship with a thrilling 85-77 overtime win over Texas Tech back in March.

Usually, that's followed by a trip to 1600 Penn .. but Wahoos head coach Tony Bennett says they just can't make it happen.

And, why? Bennett says, "With several players either pursuing pro opportunities or moving on from UVA, it would be difficult, if not impossible to get everyone back together."

He added, "We would have to respectfully decline an invitation.”

Bennett ain't kiddin' ... superstars like Kyle Guy, De'Andre Hunter and Ty Jerome have already moved on to get ready for June's NBA draft. And, without those guys, it ain't much of a party.

The Robert Kraft case is now at the profanity-laced, name-calling stage ... at least according to a prosecutor who's clearly pissed off at one of Kraft's attorneys.

There's a pretty heated hearing going down Friday in South Florida ... and so far, Kraft's lawyer, Alex Spiro, has been grilling a Jupiter PD detective like a cheeseburger. This afternoon, an Assistant State Attorney got so annoyed, she stood up and voiced her displeasure with a line of questioning.

You gotta see what happened next.

After the judge intervened and allowed Spiro to continue his questions, the prosecutor whispered, "What an asshole."

It's unclear if anyone outside of the prosecution heard it, but we picked it up on a microphone in court. No one in the courtroom reacted.

Kelly Stafford is back home with her NFL husband and their kids after a complication from her recent brain surgery landed her back in the hospital ... and boy is she glad to be home!

Matt Stafford's wife returned to the hospital Wednesday due to severe pain following a 12-hour procedure to remove a tumor from her brain.

She had initially been released from the hospital before Easter Sunday -- but the pain became too much to handle and she was readmitted to the E.R.

But, good news on Friday ... docs allowed Kelly to return to her home where she immediately snuggled up with her fam.

She's not 100% -- far from it -- admitting the surgery has messed with her ability to balance and when she moves her head a certain way, she feels like a drunk person.

"I can’t turn my head right without feeling college drunk," Stafford said.

"I’m talking end of the night, cant put one foot in front of the other, knowing you’ll be sleeping on the bathroom floor, college drunk."

"I have to rework my brain to know that it can only rely on my left side, which will take time, a good amount of time."

Kelly says she's using their 3 children -- Sawyer, Chandler and Hunter -- as motivation during recovery ... so she can get back to spending more time with them.

"I miss them so much, but I’m so grateful I got that time today and now I have my inspiration to keep on pushing!"

Keith Bulluck says his curling team -- comprised of ex-NFL stars -- is grinding like crazy on the ice ... and they're still dead set on making the 2022 Winter Olympics.

The squad? All-Pro Curling with Bulluck, Jared Allen, Marc Bulger, and Michael Roos -- 4 badass ex-football players with 6 All-Pro selections between 'em -- but ZERO pro curling experience.

Allen previously told us the goal was to rep the U.S. at the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing ... but that was before the team went up against real deal competition.

So, we asked Bulluck if he still believes they'll make the Olympics.

"I would like to say yes, because we are trying and working our ass off."

"We're venturing into uncharted waters for us. We've been at it a year. We have great coaches. We've been putting our time in. But, these guys are experts, man. It doesn't discourage us. It just makes us work hard. But, we know what we're up against."

Bulluck continued ... saying, "This is not a joke for us. We definitely take it serious. And respect the guys that doing. We've competing against some of the top guys in the country."

That's no exaggeration ... only months after starting the sport, the All-Pros -- minus KB and Roos who were absent -- played the 2018 gold medalists back in November.

They lost 11 to 3.

But, they ain't deterred ... and they still have some time til the '22 Winter Games.

1,015 days to be exact.

Ex-NFL star Rodney Peete is accused of pulling a fast one on a Super Bowl ticket broker -- allegedly squirming his way out of paying for VERY expensive seats ... and now the broker wants his cash!

The 53-year-old and his famous wife Holly Robinson Peete are being sued by Barry's Tickets -- a pretty famous business which sells tickets to high-profile events.

Barry's claims Rodney hit 'em up in January 2019 looking for 8 tickets to Super Bowl LIII in ATL to watch Tom Brady and the Patriots take on the L.A. Rams.

Barry's claims they offered Peete a discount -- they'd charge him $11,500 per ticket if he paid before Feb. 3 ... and the price would rise to $12,500 if he paid after.

Rodney agreed, according to the lawsuit -- but only wired $46,000 to Barry's.

Barry's says they gave Rodney the tickets under the assumption he'd deliver the second half of the money -- but he NEVER paid.

In fact, Barry's says Rodney strung them along for days until finally ghosting them in mid-February.

Now, Barry's demanding $54,000 for the tickets plus interest plus legal fees.