TMZ Sports - Page 50

The NCAA is caving to the major backlash it got over its new agent certification criteria ... amending the bachelor's degree requirement to rep certain college players.

The organization had been under fire since the memo was sent out to agents last week ... when it announced that any college player looking to test the NBA waters would only retain eligibility if they had an approved agent with a degree, 3 years of experience with the NBPA and passed an in-person test.

The requirements were dubbed the "Rich Paul Rule" by many -- given the super agent does not have a college degree -- and everyone from LeBron James to Chris Paul spoke out against it.

But, it's all over now ... 'cause the NCAA is amending the rule to coincide with the NBPA's criteria.

"We have been made aware of several current agents who have appropriately represented former student-athletes in their professional quest and whom the National Basketball Players Association has granted waivers of its bachelor’s degree requirement," the NCAA said in a statement ... while insisting it wasn't singling out Paul.

"While specific individuals were not considered when developing our process, we respect the NBPA’s determination of qualification and have amended our certification criteria."

The new requirement states that an agent must "Have a bachelor’s degree and/or are currently certified and in good standing with the NBPA."

Here's Odell Beckham grabbin' some balls off the field ... thirst trappin' with a selfie in his skivvies!!

The Cleveland Browns superstar posted a pic in his boxer briefs on Monday ... channeling his inner Calvin Klein model and grabbing his crotch.

"Here’s a pic of me and a world class lamp," OBJ joked ... adding, "When y’all first start talkin and she asks u to send a selfie but u got a lil creep in u"

FYI -- Odell is part of CK's fall underwear campaign ... along with other huge names like Naomi Campbell, Diplo and Bella Hadid.

Of course ... the dude's getting roasted by some trolls ... but also getting a lot of love from his admirers.

OBJ ain't the only Browns stud showing off his underwear ... remember Baker Mayfield's epic PSD photo shoot with a REAL tiger??

Hey ... if you got it!!

Somebody caught 'em all ... and paid some serious coin for it!!!

TMZ Sports has learned a complete set of Pokemon cards just fetched $107,010 at auction ... and it's the most cash someone has EVER plopped down for the famous card game!!!

The 103 pieces are ridiculously rare ... they're all in perfect, Gem Mint 10 condition -- and, yes, the most coveted Pokemon card in the world, the 1st edition Charizard, is included.

The holographic Alakazam, Blastoise and Chansey cards are also in the set -- which was sold at Goldin Auctions over the weekend -- and they're all in unbelievable shape considering they were made in 1999.

In fact, we're told for some of these cards ... there are less than 50 (!!!) in these conditions in the world!!

Nationals star Ryan Zimmerman clearly doesn't give a damn that the Mets have hardly lost this past month ... telling TMZ Sports there's PLENTY of time left this season for them to screw it up!

"Long way to go, man," the Washington third baseman said.

Of course, the Mets have been the hottest team in baseball since the end of July ... going 16-3 in their last 19 games.

They even won their weekend series over Washington, 2-1 too ... but if ya think the Nats are panicking about NY's resurgence -- Zimmerman clearly shows they ain't.

FYI, the race in the NL East is SUPER tight now ... with the Braves, Nationals, Mets and Phillies all only separated by 9 games!!!

Michelle Wie got hitched to an NBA legend's son over the weekend ... exchanging vows with Jonnie West at a star-studded ceremony in L.A.!!!

The golf superstar and Warriors Director of Basketball Operations -- who got engaged back in March -- tied the knot in front of their closest family and friends, including tennis pro Genie Bouchard and fellow golfer Danielle Kang.

"MR. AND MRS. WEST Y’ALL!!!!," Michelle said in an Instagram post. "I love you HUSBAND with every living thing in my body and I didn’t think I could love you any more, but then I saw you at the end of the aisle and my heart exploded."

Best part of the whole shindig??? Wie's dad straight-up GETTING it on the dance floor at the reception.

Chris Pratt and Katherine Schwarzenegger are two peas on a board -- with Rob Lowe acting as the third wheel ... or paddle, in this case.

The newlyweds had a fun day in the sun and on the water with Rob -- Chris' former 'Parks and Rec' costar -- off the coast of Santa Barbara. All 3 got in some paddling -- Kat and Chris on a tandem kayak, and Rob was solo on a stand-up paddleboard.

The guys bared their torsos on the beach, and the Pawnee public employees were looking great. Kat looked hot too in a red bikini showing off her toned abs.

As for the actual paddling, it appears Chris might've been doing most of the heavy lifting. He's definitely built for the work, looking pretty yoked these days. Those L.A. gym sessions are seriously paying off. 'Guardians' season must be around the corner, huh?

If you didn't know ... Chris and Rob are super tight. They golfed together just hours before Chris met his bride at the altar, and they definitely bro'd out on the green.

Lenny Dykstra is fighting Bagel Boss Guy ... yes, the baseball legend inked a deal to box the guy who lost his mind in a NY bagel shop.

We broke the story, Bagel Boss Guy -- aka Chris Morgan -- signed a deal to fight in Damon Feldman's Celebrity Boxing promotion ... only question was, who was he gonna fight?

Now we know ... 56-year-old 3x-MLB All-Star and World Series champ Lenny Dykstra.

We're told Lenny agreed to a deal and signed the contract on Friday (he'll be paid a fixed amount of money for the fight) ... and will begin training immediately for the September 7 bout in Atlantic City, NJ.

Sources close to Lenny tell us he ain't worried about the lack of time to prepare ... and is very confident he's gonna beat the hell outta BB Guy.

If he does ... it won't be cause Bagel Boss ain't training hard for the scrap.

Morgan recently went to one of the best MMA gyms in the country ... and training with UFC superstars Al Iaquinta and Chris Weidman.

In fact, Iaquinta told us Morgan possessed some natural ability as a fighter.

Dykstra vs. Bagel Boss.

Rich Paul is finally addressing the NCAA's new agent criteria that's been dubbed the "Rich Paul Rule" ... saying the new requirements have NO impact on his business ... but could prevent people from following in his footsteps.

The NBA super agent published an op-ed in The Athletic on Monday ... breaking down the new policy (which requires a bachelor's degree to rep players testing their NBA waters without losing eligibility) and explaining how it hurts anyone trying to be the next Rich Paul.

"NCAA executives are once again preventing young people from less prestigious backgrounds, and often people of color, from working in the system they continue to control."

"In this case, the people being locked out are kids who aspire to be an agent and work in the NBA and do not have the resources, opportunity, or desire to get a four-year degree."

Paul DOES agree with 2 of the 3 requirements ... saying he supports requiring 3 years of experience and a written test in order to represent players testing the market.

"However, requiring a four-year degree accomplishes only one thing — systematically excluding those who come from a world where college is unrealistic."

Paul suggests the NCAA work with aspiring agents with a one-year program or mentorship, instead of rejecting them completely.

"The barriers to entry for the next Rich Paul are already high enough."

Tom Brady putting his $40 million mansion up for sale is NOT an indication he wants to retire from the Patriots after this season ... so says the legendary QB himself.

"You shouldn't read into anything," Brady said on "The Greg Hill Show" on WEEI on Monday ... "I think it takes a long time to sell a house."

TB12 just put his Boston-area pad on the market last week ... and after signing a contract that makes him a free agent after this season -- people tried connecting the retirement dots.

But, 42-year-old Brady fired back at those rumors ... saying the sale of his house has NOTHING to do with his future football plans.

"My house is a little bit of an expensive one," Brady said, "so, it doesn't fly off the shelf in a couple weeks."

Brady added, "I love playing for the Patriots. I have such a great relationship with Mr. Kraft, Coach Belichick and our team."

It's great news for Pats fans ... Brady's gunning for his SEVENTH Super Bowl win this season -- and losing him after this year would almost certainly mean no shot at an 8th one in 2020.

By the way, if you haven't had the chance to see Brady's mansion ... it's insane -- 5 bedrooms, 7 bathrooms on 5 ACRES of land!!!

"If I could do it all over again, when that coach came to me and told me, 'You should switch your position to receiver or cornerback,' I would have did it."

That's Chris Johnson -- one of the best running backs that's EVER lived -- telling TMZ Sports he's so upset with the way the NFL's treated RBs over the last decade ... he wishes he had never played the position.

Of course, today's NFL tailbacks are learning that the hard way ... stars like Le'Veon Bell, Melvin Gordon and Ezekiel Elliott are either having to miss games or threaten to miss games to get a somewhat fair contract.

33-year-old Johnson says that's absolutely ridiculous, telling us, "Running backs and kickers probably get paid close to the same amount of money. Like, how!?"

Johnson tells us the pay scale is so jacked up ... he actually wishes he had listened when college coaches came to recruit him in high school to play either receiver or corner.

"I really believe in my head, if I played receiver or cornerback, I would still be playing in the league to this day and still making $15, $16 million a year at those positions."

In fact, Chris says he believes the NFL is treating its backs so poorly ... he won't even let his twin sons play the position -- saying he'll force them to go to either QB, WR or CB.

"I'm going to make sure I keep them away from running back."

Johnson played 10 years in the NFL ... and had one of the greatest seasons ever in 2009, rushing for 2,006 yards and catching 503 more.

Serena Williams was weeping from the sidelines after having to back out of a big match Sunday -- but her opponent proved to a good sport ... and her biggest fan.

The tennis icon was facing 19-year-old Canadian phenom Bianca Andreescu in Toronto for the 2019 Rogers Cup Final -- and after playing four rounds ... Serena was forced to pull the plug and remove herself from contention due to back spasms she was experiencing.

According to reports, she had started to feel the spasms as late as Saturday night during her semifinal victory over Marie Bouzkova.

Looks like it all came to a head Sunday, because Serena became incredibly emotional as she took a seat near the side netting and made her decision to withdraw final. Pretty amazingly, Bianca ran over to console her ... and shared some pretty inspiring words too.

Andreescu and Serena were both mic'd up, and you can hear the former ask if Serena was okay as she embraced her in a hug. After Serena breaks the news to her -- that she was pulling out -- Bianca lets her know there's no shame in her game ... 'cause she's the best.

She says, "I've watched you your whole career, you're a f***ing beast with injuries," adding that she's been through several herself, and knows a bad break when she sees one.

Serena also makes mention of a tattoo she has, and Bianca quickly points out where it is ... saying, "I know everything about you." The two then hugged again on camera.

Serena later explained to the Rogers Cup crowd that she simply couldn't tough it out that day, noting that she had tried. She ended on an optimistic tone, saying that despite it being a rough year professionally, she was going to keep going and competing.

The bummer ending comes almost a year after her controversial U.S. Open finals match with Naomi Osaka, who won amid a sea of boos after Serena's outburst, and eventual loss. She faced Naomi again on Friday and beat her ... but health was her Achilles heel this time.

Lamar Odom says he's at peace with getting booted from the BIG3 ... telling TMZ Sports he wishes Ice Cube and the league nothing but the best.

The ex-NBA superstar previously said he was "extremely disappointed" and embarrassed to find out through an Instagram post that he was deactivated for being out of shape last month.

"Only after I heard from the media, I was then told that the big boys cutting checks decided that they had to deactivate me with no real specific explanation," Odom said at the time.

But, Odom tells us the whole thing was a case of "miscommunication" ... and he's ready to move on to other pro opportunities.

"It's over. I wish them well, all the success and blessings to Ice Cube and anybody that has anything to do with the BIG3 ... and I hope [my former team] the Enemies win."

Odom reaffirms he's looking to play in the Philippines ... and has already started the process of reaching out to potential teams.

We also spoke to Odom and his new GF Sabrina Parr about rumors their relationship is fake ... and you gotta hear their response.

Former boxing star Clifford Etienne is passing time during his 105-year prison sentence by giving his prison mates fresh cuts ... TMZ Sports has learned.

Etienne is a former heavyweight contender and had fights with huge names like Mike Tyson and Francois Botha ... before he found himself in a bit of legal trouble.

In 2006, Etienne was found guilty of robbing a check cashing business, attempting to shoot a police officer and carjacking. He was eventually sentenced to 105 years behind bars.

Despite the long sentence, the 49-year-old appears to be in great spirits -- spending his time painting and cutting hair for his prison mates ... as well as responding to his pen pals.

In a letter, obtained by TMZ Sports ... Etienne says "I am still healthy, and I look forward to a better future."

"I paint and cut hair almost every day ... I do watch TV sometimes ... mostly news and sports."

Etienne also talks about his living situation, as well as reflects on his boxing career.

The fighter is remaining extremely positive about his future, saying, "I will get out of here" ... even if the legal odds aren't in his favor.

Stipe Miocic says he's down to fight anyone -- including Jon Jones -- but right now, his focus is on getting his belt back from Daniel Cormier.

Stipe is looking to avenge his July 2018 loss to Cormier at UFC 226 ... when Cormier ended Stipe's 6-fight win streak in a crushing 1st round knockout.

The two will get back in the Octagon on August 17 at UFC 241 ... and Stipe is GUARANTEEING VICTORY telling TMZ Sports straight-up, "I'm going to win."

So, what's next? We asked Stipe if he would be interested in fighting Jon Jones ... who's discussed moving up to heavyweight -- and Stipe told us he's down to fight ANYONE.

But, he made it perfectly clear he's not flirting with future fights ... his sites are set squarely on DC

Cormier is the slight betting favorite going into the fight after being a heavy underdog the first time around.

Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao would be wasting their time if they actually rematched their 2015 snooze fest ... 'cause boxing star Keith Thurman says not a damn soul wants to see it.

Thurman is Pacquiao's last opponent, having just lost a close decision to Manny last month. Some believe that victory for Pacman set up a potential mega-rematch with the Money Man.

Keith is NOT one of them ... when we got him out at Avra in Beverly Hills, he completely crapped on the idea of the two stars running it back.

"At the end to the day, nobody wants to see it."

We're not sure he's wrong ... the first fight between the two men made boatloads of cash, but, to be honest, wasn't very memorable.

Despite that, Floyd has been posting workout videos lately, a signal to some that he's keen on making a comeback, and there's not a bigger money fight out there than a Manny rematch (sorry, Conor).

As far as Thurman goes, he's been open about wanting to fight Manny again, a rematch that would be in serious jeopardy if Floyd got there first.

Plus ... he thinks his fight with Manny was better.

"Real fight fans know, it ain't gonna be more exciting then what Keith Thurman just did."

"Rowdy" Roddy Piper's daughter is following in the footsteps of her legendary father -- becoming a professional wrestler -- and her only regret is he isn't here to watch her perform.

TMZ Sports talked to Teal Piper (real name Ariel Teal Toombs) ... who at 34 years old will make her wrestling debut for AEW on August 31.

"A million percent regret not taking this opportunity before," ... Piper told us ... adding, "It is very heartbreaking, and very nostalgic and intense feeling being in this world without him."

Roddy unexpectedly passed away back in July 2015 ... at the age of 61.

Teal says her dad woulda been pumped about her gettin' in the biz ... but also protective over his daughter.

"I think my dad would be very excited for me. He's always been so supportive of the stuff I do."

"But, on the flip side of that, he's always kept me far away from wrestling. He was always worried about the heat he would get as a heel, the fans in the industry, so he kept me and my sister, specifically, in a bubble."

Piper's in the deep end now ... 'cause her first match is a 21-woman Casino Battle Royal -- with the winner getting a title shot.