TMZ Sports - Page 50

"I know for a fact before Jerry Jones leaves time and go to eternity, he wants to drink the sweet nectar of a championship again. And, that nectar he will not partake in without Ezekiel Elliott!"

Michael Irvin ain't a poet ... but he could be -- because that's how he described the Dallas Cowboys' tenuous situation with their running back ... and it's hilarious!!

We got The Playmaker leaving Catch in L.A. and had to ask about his former team's drama with Zeke ... and he told us clear as day there will be no Super Bowls in Dallas without the RB.

But, Irvin got ultra creative with his answer ... and it's seriously the best video you'll see all day.

"You may win games. You may sell tickets. And, you may make some money. But that nectar, you will not drink without Ezekiel Elliott!!"

Irvin tells us he understands why Zeke's holding out ... saying players don't have leverage in contract negotiations often, and he wants the running back to milk it for all it's worth.

"NFL has told all running backs over and over again, 'We will squeeze you, we will use you, and we will discard you.' So, now, he's saying, let me get mine while I'm riding the wave hot."

Kenny Stills says people have threatened to murder him after he criticized Miami Dolphins owner Stephen Ross for supporting Trump ... but the WR says he ain't backing down.

The 27-year-old blasted Ross -- his boss -- on Twitter earlier this week ... calling the guy a hypocrite for running a charity championing "equality" while simultaneously supporting Trump.

"You can’t have a non profit with this mission statement then open your doors to Trump,” Stills wrote.

The tweet was met with plenty of backlash ... and Stills says at least five to ten people threatened to take his life for the criticism.

But, Stills doubled down on his feelings on Ross after the Dolphins beat the Falcons in their preseason opener Thursday night nonetheless ... further explaining why he feels the need to call out the owner.

"Our country's in a rough place right now and I think we could be doing more," Stills told reporters at his locker.

"I think there’s other candidates that he could support. It’s not about Democrat or Republican or any of those things. It’s literally about why. Why are you trying to help this man raise money to continue to do things that he’s been doing?"

For his part, Ross released a statement this week defending himself, saying, "I have known Donald Trump for 40 years, and while we agree on some issues, we strongly disagree on many others and I have never been bashful about expressing my opinions."

Stills says he has yet to speak with the owner about the whole ordeal ... but says when the two do sit and chat, his message will be the same as the one he posted on Twitter.

Chris Johnson is sending a stern warning to Jerry Jones ... if ya let Ezekiel Elliott's contract holdout continue -- it could lead to the running back's career-worst year!!!

Of course, CJ2K would know that best ... the legendary RB says when he held out for all of training camp before the 2011 season -- it contributed to him having the worst season of his Titans career.

"You can train all you want to train, but until you're actually out there playing football and doing all those stuff and instant moves and stuff, you'll never be in football shape until you do it."

Johnson -- who waited until Sept. 1, 2011 to end his contract standoff with Tennessee brass -- says it took him 6 GAMES before he finally felt in football shape because of the layoff.

Chris still managed to get over 1,000 yards on the season, but barely ... logging just 1,047 and only 4 TDs.

CJ2K's advice to Jerry to make sure Zeke doesn't suffer the same fate in Dallas?

"If you're the Cowboys, you need to get him in right now."

Johnson also tells us he's a HUGE fan of Zeke's ... and says he wants the RB to continue the holdout until Jerry and the 'Boys pay him what he deserves nonetheless.

By the way, even though Johnson had a down season after his holdout ... it worked out pretty well for him financially -- he got the Titans to pay him $53.5 MILLION over 4 years!!!

Seems like Jerry's gonna have to AT LEAST hit that number for Zeke's new deal ... and it's obvious Chris thinks Jerry better get it done ASAP!!!

NBA guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is fitting right in at his new home ... telling TMZ Sports he loves Oklahoma ... and he's already linkin' up with his new teammate, Chris Paul!!!

Of course, 21-year-old SGA was shipped off to OKC in the blockbuster trade that paired Paul George with Kawhi Leonard in L.A. last month ... but the 2nd year pro seems excited for his fresh start, to say the least.

We asked how Oklahoma's been treating him so far, and he said "beautiful!!"

There have been rumblings that CP3 wouldn't ever play a minute for OKC after he was traded from Houston in exchange for Russell Westbrook .... but that hasn't stopped the superstar from taking SGA under his wing and shelling out some solid advice.

Ex-U.S. Olympian Michael Barisone -- who competed in Dressage in the 2008 Olympics -- allegedly shot a woman at his upscale equestrian center in Jersey, according to reports.

The 54-year-old reportedly got into a dispute with the woman at the fancy 53-acre Hawthorne Farm in Long Valley around 2:15 PM on Wednesday ... and things escalated.

Barisone reportedly opened fire multiple times -- striking the woman, who was raced to a nearby hospital. According to the NY Post, her condition has been described as "up in the air."

The Morris County Prosecutor's Office confirmed an incident at that farm and said a suspect had been taken into custody ... but they have not officially named Barisone.

According to law enforcement, the suspect was also injured in the incident ... along with a 3rd person.

Cops are still investigating -- but according to the Post, Barisone is expected to be hit with charges in the very near future.

The dispute has been described to the Post as a "tenant/landowner" issue.

Barisone is a monster in the equestrian world -- he was named the 2009 Sportsman International Horseman of the Year and went on to train several Olympic riders ... including Alison Brock, who won a team bronze medal in Dressage in the 2016 Olympics in Rio.

Giancarlo Stanton is 6 foot 4 inches and 250 pounds of hulking, baseball-smashing man ... and Tiffany Haddish says she wants EVERY. SINGLE. BIT. OF. HIM!!!!!

"That's what I'm talking about," Haddish says of the Yankees star outfielder ... "Somebody to burp me!!!"

Haddish has professed her love for the MLB stud before ... but she REALLY took her desire to get with Giancarlo a step further Wednesday night on the 'Late Show With Stephen Colbert.'

In fact, the "Girls Trip" actress developed a sneaky plan to get Stanton interested in her ... telling Stephen Colbert she's just going to start telling everyone they're dating -- like, speaking it into existence.

"Like, the world will know that I like this person. I will know that I like this person. And then, it'll be in his subconscious. And then, he will attract me to him!"

Haddish's obsession with Stanton seems pretty real ... 'cause when Colbert told her about the home run hitter's famous physique -- she got graphic!!!

"I just want him to pick me up and go like this," Tiffany said, pretending to burp a baby ... "'It's going to be OKAY. It's going to be OKAY. Shh. Shh. Shh.'"

Bad news for Tiffany, Stanton's been rumored to be dating model Chase Carter.

Can you hear me now?!?!

Dan Patrick couldn't when it came to NFL guru Peter King during an interview Thursday ... 'cause cops straight-up pulled the legendary football reporter over mid-sentence!!!

It all went down on the 'Dan Patrick Show' ... when DP was doing a phoner with King, discussing some of the hottest topics in the NFL.

But, things got super awkward after the two had a talk over Ezekiel Elliott ... 'cause King says cops were behind him -- and telling him to get off the phone!!!

Which begs the question ... where's the Bluetooth headset, bro?!

"Hey, Dan. Dan. Guess what? This is hilarious," King said live on air. "I got stopped for talking on a cell phone because I'm talking to you. So, now I have to hang up, the cop's coming to the car!"

King had to deal with the police for several minutes before rejoining Dan on the show ... and, of course, Dan's first question was, did ya get off without a ticket??

"Of course, I got a ticket," King said, laughing. "I said to the cop, 'I'm on with Dan Patrick.' And, he said, 'Here's your ticket, yeah.' That was fun."

Evander Holyfield actually traded punches with a young Andy Ruiz back in 2011 ... when Andy was only 19 ... and the "Real Deal" tells TMZ Sports he knew back then the guy was a stud.

"He's good, we sparred when I was 46 and he was 19," Holyfield said (Ruiz was actually 21 at the time).

"He showed that he was good then. I'm sure when people continue to practice, they work, they continue to get better."

The footage of the 2011 sparring session is pretty great -- the two are both in headgear, but they trade some pretty solid shots ... you can see the potential in Ruiz.

At the time, Holyfield was still an active fighter -- he beat Brian Nielsen by way of TKO in the 10th round during their May 2011 heavyweight bout. It was Evander's final pro fight.

On the other hand, Andy's pro career was just getting started at the time ... by the end of 2011, he was 13-0 and was getting a reputation as a legit threat in the boxing world.

Of course, Andy went on to upset Anthony Joshua in June 2019 to win 4 heavyweight titles ... and Holyfield says he's excited for the rematch.

So, who would win a Holyfield vs. Ruiz heavyweight fight???

Ex-Michigan State basketball star Mateen Cleaves says he DID have sex with the woman accusing him of rape ... but he's adamant the encounter was 100% consensual.

The 41-year-old -- who was the 14th overall pick in the 2000 NBA Draft -- appeared in court in Flint, Michigan for opening statements in his trial ... where he is facing multiple felony charges.

As we previously reported, the accuser claims Cleaves took her to a motel in 2015 and held her there against her will. She claims Cleaves forced himself on her and raped her.

The woman told officials she managed to escape from the motel room and got help from someone nearby.

But, during Thursday's hearing, Mateen's attorney told the 14 people in the jury box that the woman is distorting the truth ... claiming her decision to have sex was "of her own free will."

The attorney suggested she had regretted her decision after the fact -- but told the jury, "Regret is not rape."

"By the time the truth comes out, the truth will set my client free," the attorney said according to DetroitNews.com ... "The truth will be there; the truth will be self-evident."

Prosecutors are painting a different picture ... acknowledging the woman voluntarily went to the motel with Cleaves following a golf tournament where they had met hours before ... but claim she made it VERY clear she did not want to have sex.

Melvin Guillard won't exactly have the clearest head in his return to the pro MMA world this weekend ... 'cause later this month, he's due in court in his domestic violence case.

The former UFC fighter was arrested in Colorado way back in April 2018 after cops say he violently attacked his mistress after she allegedly asked when he was going to leave his wife.

Cops say the 36-year-old choked the woman repeatedly ... and said the victim was "scared he might kill her.'"

Guillard's case in the Colorado court system hasn't progressed quickly ever since he pled not guilty to the crime ... but a court official tells us it likely has something to do with his two OTHER arrests in '18.

As we previously reported, Guillard was involved in TWO separate incidents in the Denver area where he knocked out civilians. He finally cut a plea deal to close those cases earlier this summer.

Now, Guillard's domestic violence case is ready to move forward -- he has a hearing slated for August 26, just 16 days after he makes his debut in the Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship on Saturday in Mississippi.

A court official tells TMZ Sports Guillard is facing 2 charges in the domestic violence case -- 1 count of second degree assault and 1 count of third degree assault.

If convicted, Guillard is facing up to 18 YEARS behind bars -- so it's POSSIBLE his BKFC fight could be the last match of his career.

Guillard is scheduled to fight Isaac Vallie-Flagg in the BKFC event in the meantime this weekend.

Carmelo Anthony wanted to play for Team USA in the FIBA World Cup ... but team organizers REJECTED the NBA superstar out of fear he could be a "distraction."

Yeah ... Jerry Colangelo seriously said that about the 3-time gold medalist and all-time leading scorer in Team USA history.

The Team USA hoops managing director says Melo expressed interest in playing in the upcoming international tourney (set to begin later this month) but Jerry says he wanted the team to go in a different direction.

“I love Carmelo,” Colangelo told Sports Illustrated. “He made a great contribution. He was a very good international player."

"But for where we are and what we’re doing, that conceivably could have been a distraction. I understand why the request was made. He’s trying to reestablish himself. I think that has to be done in the [NBA].”

It's a questionable decision to turn Melo away ... considering the biggest names on the USA roster -- from Kawhi Leonard and Kevin Love to James Harden and Dame Lillard -- have opted to sit this one out.

USA will be repped by young stars like Donovan Mitchell, Jayson Tatum and De'Aaron Fox ...as well as Celtics superstar Kemba Walker who tells us he will NOT be dropping out.

Imagine if Draymond Green, Boogie Cousins, John Wall and other NBA stars rolled up on your pickup game and asked to play ...

That's EXACTLY what happened in the Bahamas on Wednesday -- when a group of young ballers got one helluva surprise ... and the whole thing was captured on video.

Cousins was the first guy to walk over ... and despite the fact he was in flip-flops, he grabbed the ball and challenged some of the men to a 1-on-1.

Draymond -- sporting a fanny pack -- followed suit ... along with fellow NBAers Wall and Eric Bledsoe.

Wall is currently nursing a ruptured Achilles tendon he injured back in January -- we should mention that we never see him actually competing in the footage from the Bahamas.

We're told the guys stuck around for about 30 to 45 minutes and couldn't have been nicer to everyone.

Unclear why the group is in the Bahamas -- but word in Nassau is someone is getting married.

These guys have all been friends for years -- with Boogie, Bledsoe and Wall playing college ball together at Kentucky before making it to the NBA.

Shawn Rhoden isn't letting his rape case get in the way of his training ... the 2018 Mr. Olympia hit the legendary Gold's Gym in L.A. this week -- and thanked all his fans for their support.

The 44-year-old bodybuilder is accused of raping a female bodybuilder at a Utah hotel back in October 2018 ... but he's adamantly denied the allegations, pleading not guilty in court and releasing several denial statements.

But, the guys that run the Mr. Olympia contest have barred Rhoden from competing in the 2019 tournament regardless, saying they were breaking off their relationship with the superstar until his case played out in the court system.

Rhoden fans have started a change.org petition to get the Mr. Olympia honchos to change their mind, and more than 17,000 people have already signed it.

Rhoden clearly appreciates the love ... because after we got him getting in a lift in at The Mecca in Venice -- he shouted out his supporters and gave us a bunch of thumbs ups.

Rhoden also says he has yet to hear from the Mr. Olympia competition since the petition has gained traction.

By the way, the gym we spotted Rhoden at is one of the most legendary in the country ... some of the greatest bodybuilders ever -- including Arnold Schwarzenegger in his prime -- have pumped iron there.

Good news for Anthony Davis ... Devean George says you have his FULL PERMISSION to shine in his old #3 Lakers jersey!

"I am not half the player AD is! He can take my number! He can have #3. He can have whatever number he wants," George told TMZ Sports.

Obviously, George is MORE THAN OKAY with the move -- and seems happy the Lakers' newest superstar will be rockin' his old number when he takes the floor with LeBron James this season.

Of course, George had a pretty solid career with the Lakers back in the day -- winning 3 NBA championships during his 7-season run in L.A. from 1999 to 2006.

George couldn't be more humble about the situation -- saying he was a scrappy role player back in the day ... and Davis is obviously a superstar.

DG is clearly still a Lakers fan -- and told us why he thinks AD and LeBron could be the most dangerous duo in the NBA.

WHAT A CATCH ... by the dad in the stands!!!

A Philadelphia Phillies fan made an AMAZING 1-handed grab at Citizens Bank Park on Wednesday ... snagging a foul ball while HOLDING HIS BABY!!

The Phillies were playing the Arizona Diamondbacks when Nick Ahmed fouled a pitch off into the right field stands ... where a dude clutching an infant got under the ball.

With his kid on his hip, the dad reached up and CAUGHT IT WITH 1 HAND -- without dropping the baby!!

The crowd went wild. The Phillies went wild. It was ... WILD!

The broadcasters on NBC Sports Philadelphia were impressed too -- "With a baby in hand, he was able to make the grab," one of the guys said ... "Oh man, what a baller!"

After the catch, the man told reporters he played high school and college baseball ... so he's got a little experience.

Nice grab, dude!

Bad news, Raiders fans ... Justin Gatlin says he suffered a similar cryotherapy injury as star receiver Antonio Brown -- and the U.S. sprinter says it took him MONTHS to get healthy.

The superstar Olympian famously got frostbite on both his feet and ankles after a mishap in the cryogenic chamber back in 2011 -- and the guy says the injury hurt like hell.

In fact, when Gatlin joined "TMZ Sports" (weeknights on FS1) on Wednesday, he said of the frostbite, "It was a disaster. I had, like, boils and blisters all over my ankles."

Gatlin says the injuries were similar to the ones Brown posted on social media a couple weeks ago ... and says he thinks it could be a while before AB is healthy again.

"He's not going to be able to run those routes properly without healing his feet totally."

Gatlin says the recovery process for the injury was brutal, telling the guys, "Every day I had to get those blisters popped by hand by a therapist ... It just got really, really bad."

Good news for Brown ... Gatlin says AB should still be able to resume cryotherapy treatments once he's all healed up by using a more localized form of the cold stuff.

As for AB, the Raiders have been mum on a timeline for the stud wideout ... only calling him day-to-day.

Gatlin says he's friendly with Brown and would be more than willing to offer the WR advice on how to treat the injury.

FYI, Gatlin is 37 years old and still one of the TOP sprinters in the world ... so, AB might wanna give him a buzz.