TMZ Sports - Page 50

Terence Crawford has a 100% chance of losing to Errol Spence when they finally fight ... this according to boxing superstar Jermell Charlo, who says Crawford has ZERO SHOT.

"I definitely believe Terence Crawford stands zero chance against Errol Spence. Zero. Zero."

That's what Crawford said when we got him out the Conga Room in L.A. this week, basically disrespecting the hell out of the undefeated Crawford, but telling us he has his reasons.

"Errol is the bigger, monster fighter."

Crawford vs. Spence is one of the biggest fights in boxing (if it could get made) and although it's known that Charlo and Spence are cool, it's still kinda surprising to hear him go this hard.

Even the Avengers were given a 1 in 14 million chance to beat Thanos ... and he had all 6 Infinity Stones.

Jack Swagger is fighting a factory worker who weighed 330 pounds 3 months ago ... and that regular dude, well ... he says he's gonna knock Swagger's ass out cold.

The former college wrestling and WWE Superstar -- government name Jake Hager -- has his 2nd pro MMA fight Saturday at Bellator 221. Swagger DOMINATED his first opponent ... submitting him in the 1st round.

Enter 6'2", 265 lb. T.J. Jones -- who holds down a 9 to 5 job at a meat factory in Kansas (yes, seriously) -- and basically has no experience as a fighter (he's 1-1).

Almost everyone believes Bellator's feeding Swagger a tomato to inflate his record -- someone who can't beat him.

Except Jones ain't with that program.

"I honestly don't think that he understands how fast I actually am," Jones tells us ... "The one thing that I've always been pretty blessed with is a super sweet left hook and a quick jab, and as soon as I land those, I think he'll go into panic mode."

Most fighter's don't reveal their fight game plan ... but T.J. had no problem laying out the blueprint.

"I'm gonna put my glove on his chin and he's gonna go down. That's the plan. We're gonna find out what his wrestling knows about my power."

Sin City found God on Friday ... 'cause a Las Vegas Golden Knights fan delivered a custom jersey to Pope Francis -- and the holiest guy on earth LOVED it!!!

Unclear why a man came to the Vatican bearing the NHL gift ... but when he did -- and the pictures became public -- the Knights were thrilled, tweeting of the moment, "OMG!"

The jersey is awesome ... it's a custom sweater featuring the name "Pope Francis" on the back.

Of course, the Knights are officially done this season -- the Sharks took care of them in the first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs in a super controversial, down-to-the-wire game 7 finish.

What do you do when your nickname is Spida and you got your own shoe deal??

You send your shoes to SPIDER-MAN!!! ... and that's exactly what NBA star Donovan Mitchell did when he hooked up Tom Holland with a pair of his signature kicks!!

Fresh off the awesome trailer for "Spider-Man: Far From Home" ... Holland showed love for the Utah Jazz baller by sporting his new D.O.N. Issue #1 sneakers in a pic.

In case you're wondering ... Mitchell got the "Spida" nickname from a parent of a former teammate ... and it just stuck with him ever since.

We're glad it did ... 'cause now we have this cool moment with Holland (who some consider the best Peter Parker actor to don the red and blue spandex) sporting his fellow insect's sneaks.

Team owner alert! Team owner alert!!

2 Chainz is getting into the business side of basketball ... announcing he just bought a minority ownership stake in the Atlanta Hawks G League team, the College Park Skyhawks!!

The "High Top Versace" rapper is a HUGE ATL fan ... and now he's teaming up with Hawks owners Tony Ressler and Grant Hill to join his hometown team's ownership group.

2 Chainz is no stranger to hoops -- he played college ball at Alabama State before focusing on his rap career.

The 41-year-old is also a regular at Hawks games, so it really is a perfect fit.

I'm just thankful for the blessings I have," Tity Boi said before the official press conference at his old alma mater, North Clayton High School.

The Skyhawks wasted no time marketing their new superstar owner ... they're already selling shirts with his signature 2 Chainz look ... and we can't emphasize how cool that is.

So, who knows ... maybe 2 Chainz will come out of hoops retirement for a game in the G League?!?!

The Pittsburgh Steelers are OFFICIALLY done with Antonio Brown ... they just gave away his #84 jersey to an undrafted free agent tight end -- just a few weeks after AB's departure!!

Of course, Brown's exit from the black and yellow wasn't pretty ... dude had drama with just about everyone on the team.

But, the guy was a legend for the Steelers -- 11,207 receiving yards and 74 receiving TDs in 9 seasons -- and some thought MAYBE Pittsburgh might want to retire his number eventually.

But, the Steelers shot down ANY plans of that this week -- because they not only gave away his number ... they handed it to a UDFA TE!!!

Now, Milan Richard ain't a scrub -- dude did win 2 national championships at Clemson -- but he ain't exactly Antonio Brown either.

For their part, the Steelers also had no problems giving away Le'Veon Bell's old #26 jersey ... newly acquired safety Mark Barron has already called dibs on those digits.

In case you were wondering, the Steelers have only officially retired 2 players' numbers in franchise history -- Joe Greene (#75) and Ernie Stautner (#70) -- but they've historically taken some digits, like Terry Bradshaw's #12 and Franco Harris' #32, off the table nonetheless.

12:07 PM PT -- Vladimir Putin FELL DOWN HARD while skating around the rink following the game.

Putin clearly didn't see the red carpet on the ice and when he hit it, Vlad fell face first.

One of his teammates tried to warn him but to no avail.

Thoughts and prayers for whoever put the carpet down ...

It's that time of year again ... when Russian president Vladimir Putin straps on the skates and plays ice hockey with a bunch of his famous countrymen, including ex-NHL players.

And, how did ol' Vlad do???

TOTAL DOMINATION, COMRADES!!!

Of course, it's easy to score on opponents who are in constant fear of being sent to the gulags ... but hey, PUTIN!!!

The 66-year-old crushed his enemies right from the initial puck drop ... posting 8 goals in the annual exhibition match alongside ex-NHL stars Slava Fetisov and Pavel Bure.

Hey, last year Putin only scored 5 goals -- so he's getting better!!!

Putin's teammate -- Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu -- scored 3 goals in the 14 to 7 victory.

The opposing team had some notable players too -- including Russian billionaire Vladimir Potanin and Putin's longtime pal, Gennady Timchenko.

A female football player ran into the stands and chugged a beer with her mom after a Legends Football League game last Saturday night ... and the video is AWESOME!!!

LFL superstar ChrisDell "The Ferrari" Harris went off in Austin Acoustic's win over the Chicago Bliss last weekend ... and she was rewarded with a beer for her MVP performance.

But, slamming some suds by herself after the 11-carry, 115-yard, 2-TD game wasn't enough ... so she got Mom involved!!!

The clip is amazing ... Harris sprints straight from the field into the stands, runs up into the crowd and meets Mom at the top of the stairs.

After an emotional embrace ... Harris hands over the bottle -- and Mom takes a big swig!!!

Harris finishes the beer off ... and just so the fans don't feel left out -- she sprays them down with the leftovers!!!

LeBron James made a surprise visit to his I Promise School in Akron on Thursday ... and he came bearing a REALLY big gift -- a $1 MILLION check!!

The NBA superstar presented a grant from the DICK's Sporting Goods Foundation ... which will go towards building a brand new gym for his already-freakin'-awesome school.

The gym will be used for phys. ed classes, after-school activities and act as a safe space for local kids after hours.

“To my kids, this is more than a gym,” Bron says of the gift. “The DICK’s Sports Matter program is helping us provide even more opportunities. An opportunity to play and learn in a safe place that many don’t have access to."

"I can’t imagine where my friends and I would be if it weren’t for the coaches and teachers who cared about us and the opportunities we had.”

As we previously reported, Bron's school is doing REALLY well ... with their statewide test scores soaring after just one year.

Now, the kids will be able to work on their jump shot to, oh, who knows ... maybe become the next LeBron James.

6:58 AM PT -- TMZ Sports has obtained the 911 call placed by Smith's wife from the school ... and she says Zach was irate -- "yelling" at the principal until cops arrived.

More trouble for former Ohio State coach Zach Smith ... cops say they arrested Urban Meyer's ex-assistant after he got into an altercation with officials at his children's elementary school Thursday.

The Delaware County Sheriff's Office confirms to TMZ Sports that Smith showed up to Scioto Ridge Elementary School in Ohio to pick up his kids at around 3 PM.

The problem? They say because of a civil protection order with his wife -- who was already at the school -- Smith was NOT allowed to be there until 6 PM.

When school officials confronted Zach ... cops say an altercation took place -- and Zach was eventually arrested for violating the protection order.

Per jail records, Smith was booked at 6:24 PM and has not been released yet.

As we previously reported ... it's been a nightmare past year for Smith -- who was fired from his role as Buckeyes' receivers coach last summer when he was the centerpiece of a domestic violence scandal involving his wife, Courtney.

She accused him of abusing her on several occasions ... and while Zach denied ever getting violent, he admitted things had gotten physical during heated disputes in the past.

The 35-year-old has been out of coaching since his Ohio State departure in July.

Jennifer Aniston went HAM on a fan trying to sneak a selfie vid with her on the street, but unlike Conor McGregor she won't be arrested for it ... 'cause it's all for TV.

Jen was shooting a scene for her new Apple TV+ show, "The Morning Show," in NYC Thursday night ... and it features her going off on a guy and snatching his phone.

Check it out -- Aniston unleashes an f-bomb rant and looks primed to punish the dude's phone, but fortunately ... Reese Witherspoon's there to talk some sense into her!

If only Conor -- or Offset for that matter -- had someone like Reese in their crew.

"The Morning Show" is an upcoming dramedy web television series starring Aniston, Witherspoon, Steve Carell, Gugu Mbatha-Raw and Billy Crudup. It's described as "an inside look at the lives of the people who help America wake up in the morning."

He may be retired, but Rob Gronkowski's still training like a pro ... even while partying at the club!

The ex-NFL superstar was celebrating his girlfriend, Camille Kostek, being selected as a cover model for the new Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Edition at the Wall Lounge in Miami.

The party was crazy -- a bunch of the S.I. models turned up to turn up ... and when they displayed Camille's cover on the big wall, Rob and CK started dancing their faces off.

At one point, Gronk put CK on his back and began doing deep squats -- BECAUSE HE'S A BEAST AND HE'S ALWAYS LIFTING, BRO!!!

Before the club, a bunch of the models hit up Irma's at W South Beach for a kickoff party. Some of the stars in attendance include UFC's Paige VanZant, Tyra Banks, model Veronica Pome’e and Hailey Clauson.

Congrats!

You can't punch spectators, Neymar ...

The 27-year-old soccer superstar has been banned for 3 games after socking a fan in the face minutes after his team lost in the French Cup final last month, the French Football Federation announced.

Neymar's Paris Saint-Germain club had just lost to Stade Rennes in a 6-5 penalty shootout -- and the team was forced to walk through the crowd to collect their 2nd place medals.

During the walk, Neymar claims a fan lurched at him and began shouting various insults -- so Neymar popped the guy in the face.

The fan claims he suffered a bloody nose and a split lip from the punch. Neymar later commented, "I was wrong but I don't have cockroach blood."

The saying essentially means he won't back down from people when they cross a line.

Now, the FFF says Neymar won't play in the next 3 games for PSG -- a suspension the team has described as "severe."

Dennis Rodman claims he's NOT A THIEF -- telling TMZ Sports allegations he participated in a clothing heist at a yoga studio this week are just wrong.

Or as Dennis put it ... "We didn't steal sh*t!!!"

We spotted the NBA Hall of Famer leaving The Abbey in West Hollywood on Thursday with the same group of friends who were with him at the VIBES Hot Yoga studio in Newport Beach earlier this week.

As we previously reported, the owner of the studio claims Dennis and his crew stole more than $500 in clothing off the racks before breaking (and taking) a $2,500 crystal art piece. The whole incident was captured on surveillance video obtained by TMZ Sports.

But, Dennis claims it's all a giant misunderstanding -- insisting the staffers at the shop told the group they could take "a couple of gifts" in exchange for helping to move the giant crystal art piece ... which is why they grabbed the items.

Rodman never explains why his female companion tried to shield herself from view while stuffing shirts into her purse at the store ... or why the staff needed help moving the crystal in the first place.

"I tried to help ... as the good person I am," Rodman said.

When asked why the store owners filed a police report, Rodman and his crew insisted the yoga place was just looking for "exposure."

Remember, Rodman is still on probation from a 2018 DUI arrest -- but Dennis says he's not worried about this incident possibly triggering a violation because he's adamant he did NOTHING wrong!

"Am I going to jail? No."

Rodman also disputes claims he was drunk during the situation.

The NBA will NEVER make its employees play nice with Donald Trump ... that's according to league commissioner Adam Silver, who says if teams want to skip the White House, it's their prerogative.

No NBA champion has visited Donald Trump since he's occupied 1600 Pennsylvania Ave., with last year's Warriors actually opting to visit Barack Obama instead of the sitting Prez.

It's been quite the controversy, with many people suggesting players from all sports should put patriotism over politics and go to the White House. Some think the leagues should compel the players to go.

We got the NBA commish in D.C. and he says that'll NEVER happen in his league, telling our guy if teams want to skip it ... so be it.

"It's a team decision, we'll see who the champion is this year, and what they decide."

There are 7 teams left in the NBA playoffs -- Milwaukee, Portland, Denver, Houston, Toronto, Philly and Golden State. Last year, the Warriors famously blew off Trump to meet with Obama.

"A lot of our players still have relationships with President Obama and I think it's wonderful," Silver told us ... "Players make their own decisions, organizations make their own decisions."

Speaking of Obama, Silver also talked about the NBA's ongoing relationship with #44, and how they're partnering to do some big things in Africa.

"President Obama is doing a lot with the NBA. We announced down in Charlotte at the All-Star game that he was gonna be involved in Africa with us, we're starting a league down there. He's one of our partners."

Silver's a busy guy these days -- on Thursday, he was a featured speaker at a 400-person luncheon at the Economic Club in D.C. where he talked about the NCAA's 1-and-done issue.

Among the high-profile guests in the crowd ... Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh -- who's a big basketball fan.

In fact, Kavanaugh famously still coaches his daughter's youth basketball team.

Refer to Curtis Martin as Dr. Curtis Martin from now on ... 'cause the Hall of Famer just got a doctorate degree!!!

The ex-Jets superstar was just presented with a Doctor of Humane Letters honorary degree from the Icahn School of Medicine at Mt. Sinai in New York on Thursday ... where he took the stage and was participated in the hooding ceremony.

Martin was honored for his on-and-off field accomplishments ... receiving praise for his Curtis Martin Job Foundation, which provided financial support to single parents and people with disabilities, as well as providing medical attention to people in developing countries.

On top of that, the dude was a freakin' beast on the field ... he was a 2-time first team All Pro selection, a 5-time Pro Bowler and oh yeah, he's in the hall of fame.

This right here though has gotta take the cake.