TMZ Sports - Page 50

"Come on, man."

Ninja seems straight-up annoyed that Donald Trump would even hint video games are the problem when it comes to gun violence in America ... telling TMZ Sports that's just a ridiculous claim.

"Violence, it's not video games," the Fortnite legend says ... "It's just how it is, man."

Of course, No. 45 would strongly disagree ... after the tragic mass shootings in both Dayton, Ohio and El Paso, Texas this month, Trump said, "We must stop the glorification of violence in our society."

"This includes the gruesome and grisly video games that are now commonplace."

28-year-old Ninja -- real name Tyler Blevins -- is one of the most famous gamers on the planet ... reeling in millions of viewers and even more dollars for playing in the virtual world.

And, when he was leaving Catch earlier this week, he let us know he thinks Trump's just flat-out wrong.

"Come on, man. Have you seen Minecraft? What's violent about Minecraft, bro? Nothing, man."

NYC radio legend Angie Martinez says she's got all the confidence in the world Jay-Z can change the NFL ... if people just give him time to get the job done.

Criticism of Hova is at an all-time high, with some people accusing him of selling out Colin Kaepernick by getting in bed with the NFL.

Not Angie ... she was IN THE ROOM when Jay and NFL Commish Roger Goodell took questions from the media earlier this month and says she came away believing the partnership will bare major fruit.

"I believe him being in the room and sitting at the table can change things in a big way."

When we asked if she thinks Jay taking a deal with the same league he'd criticized in the past is in any way hypocritical ... she couldn't have been clearer.

"I do not. That's my opinion. I understand why people could feel that way."

Angie - whose brand new TV show "Untold Stories Of Hip Hop" debuts this Fall -- says she's not sure if Jay will push for Kap to get an NFL job, but having a seat at the table with NFL honchos can't hurt.

"I think that would be phenomenal. I don't think one excludes the other, but if both happen we should have a party in the streets!"

Jon Jones is "soft as baby sh*t" ... so says Corey Anderson, the guy who claims he's living rent-free in Bones head.

There's zero love between the fighters ... in fact, Anderson -- the #7th ranked UFC light heavyweight -- recently confronted Jon at an autograph signing near Corey's gym in NJ.

Anderson told TMZ Sports his version of what went down ... and had some, lets say, not nice things to say about Jones.

"You made yourself look like you just sensitive, bro. You soft body. You soft like Charmin. All that G.O.A.T. talk, boy, you soft as baby sh*t. I ain't even say nothing to you and you got in your feelings."

Corey says since the incident, he's noticed guys from Jones' team are keeping a close eye on his social media accounts -- and Anderson thinks he's in Jon's head.

"Watch me, see that I'm developing, get scared. I want you in the gym. I want you to relapse and start doing drugs again because you don't think you can beat me. I want to get in your head before we get in the cage."

Anderson continued ... "I'm the real deal. Like I said, I got fight IQ and I'm a mixed martial artist. I'm not a one hit wonder. You hit me, I'mma hit you. you kick me, I'mma kick you. we gon' wrestle and we gon' do Jiu-Jitsu. We can go all over, and it ain't gonna be an easy battle. Believe that."

But, before a fight with Bones ... Corey has a scrap with UFC rising star Johnny Walker at UFC 244 on November 2.

Anderson's plan -- derail the JW hype train, and then ... "I want that belt, and I want [Jon's] head on a platter."

Forget a MayMac 2 ... there's a NEW fight to be made -- Conor McGregor vs. Floyd Mayweather SENIOR!!!

"I would beat the s*** out of Conor RIGHT NOW," 66-year-old Floyd Sr. told us while shadow boxing right in the Beverly Wilshire Hotel.

... And, by the way, dude can still throw a punch!!!

So ... how'd this all come about??? TMZ Sports spoke with the boxing legend about the video of the UFC superstar socking a 50-year-old man at a pub back in April ... and asked Floyd Sr. what he'd do in the same situation.

"I'm double his age and I'd whoop his ass."

Of course, Floyd Sr. ain't fighting Conor ... but his son might.

In fact, he recently told us he believes Floyd will come out of retirement for a rematch with Manny Pacquiao ... so why not book another bout with McGregor (and bank another $300 mil) while he's at it?!

Corey Brooks couldn't fight his way to the top spot in the "Big Brother" house, but he's fully prepared to whoop someone's ass in the Octagon ... or he will be soon.

The former season 18 contestant -- he finished in 4th place, BTW -- hit up Santa Monica Beach for some MMA sparring. Shirtless, of course, because when you've got washboard abs like Corey's ... ya flaunt 'em! Who's gonna complain?

The MMA workout's also no gimmick. For starters, it's one of Corey's preferred workouts -- he's been doing it for years. And, even though a UFC contract's not likely in his future, these pics leave no doubt about his athleticism.

In fact, he was a pitcher at Texas A&M and he's also a baseball coach for elite young players in his hometown of Dallas.

A lightning bolt struck a PGA Tour Championship golf course this weekend -- and it ended up hurting a number of people ... including one kid.

The scary moment happened Saturday afternoon at the East Lake golf Club in Atlanta, GA at 4:45 PM ET, when lightning struck a tree in the middle of the third round of the FedEx Cup Championship -- which was on a brief break amid stormy skies.

The lightning reportedly sent a bunch of debris flying, and that struck at least six people ... one of whom was reportedly a child. Nobody was hit by the thunder bolt itself, and thankfully ... no one is said to have suffered life-threatening injuries. Terrifying, nonetheless.

Paramedics arrived shortly thereafter to treat the victims, and the scene couldn't have been more chaotic with folks lying out, waiting for help ... and being carried away on stretchers. Eyewitnesses on the ground say the moment sounded like a bomb going off on the course ... and you can see why.

The moment the lightning hit the tree was captured on camera from afar, and even in the still images of the strike ... you can see sparks, if not outright fire, emitting from the tree. There are reports of the tree catching fire, but it must've been put out quickly.

Desmond Howard learned a new rule in 2019 -- you can't quote Dave Chappelle as much as we used to ... especially on a Disney-owned network, at a Disney-owned park.

The former Heisman winner and NFL kick returner -- who's since become a TV analyst -- was on ESPN Saturday talkin' college football with Rece Davis and other broadcasters ... when he invoked a line from an old "Chappelle's Show" skit that caught immediate backlash.

The line -- in response to Rece asking if his alma mater, University of Michigan, could beat Ohio State -- went like this ... "Is Desmond Howard gonna have to choke a bitch?"

Funny, right? WRONG!!! At least that's what a ton of people watching had to say about it soon after. And, apparently, the ESPN honchos thought so too ... 'cause Des apologized.

He came back on the air later and flat-out said sorry if he offended anybody.

Des also tweeted about the incident, saying he didn't realize the joke was so obscure. Of course, he's referring to the line Wayne Brady dropped on a classic 'CS' episode, when he poses the same question to a prostitute during a 'Training Day'-esqe sketch.

Des later posted a clip that aired on ESPN in 2014, in which a commentator also made reference to the famous line. Problem is ... it's 2019, not 2014 -- and definitely not 2004. Also, Des works for ESPN (which Disney owns) and he said this at Disney World. Bad mix!!!

To make matters even more murky, Wayne Brady himself responded to the incident, showing support to Des and thanking him for the fandom. But, Wayne also said, "Choke who you wanna choke, have fun, and I'm a big fan of yours too." That raised eyebrows as well.

When ya mess with bull, ya get the horns ... right in the balls.

That's the lesson decorated matador Paco Urena learned when he stepped into the Vista Alegre bullfighting arena this week at the Semana Grande Fair in Bilbao, Spain ... where he ended up with a crotch full of horn.

OLE!!!!!!

Unclear how badly Urena was injured in the incident -- but it seems like his man-junk survived because there are photos showing Paco proudly showing off the bull's ears as trophies.

As you probably know ... the bulls are mercilessly tortured and killed during the fights. As you can see, Urena was wielding a sword during the fight, with the intention of stabbing the bull through the heart so it can die fast. But, that rarely happens because the bull doesn't want to die!

So, what ends up happening is a bloody, painful, torturous exhibition in front of thousands of screaming blood-thirsty fans ... but hey, TRADITION RIGHT?!?

Justin Gaethje says he wants to beat the dog snot out of Conor McGregor for sucker punching the guy in the bar, telling TMZ Sports he wants the fight, and it's personal.

On Thursday, Conor told ESPN's Ariel Helwani that he and Gaethje were lined up to fight in July ... before he broke his hand, torpedoing the match.

But, it ain't curtains on the fight just yet ... 'cause Gaethje joined the fellas on the "TMZ Sports" TV show (airs weeknights on FS1) and says he badly wants to meet Conor in the Octagon ... and it ain't just for his sake.

"Of course I want to f**k him up. I see him punch an old man, do I want to punch him for that? F**k yeah, I want to f**k that dude up for s**t like that. He looks like a crackhead on your video."

We asked Gaethje if he's lost respect for Conor after seeing video of the bar attack.

"Absolutely. Who didn't? If you don't, then you're a piece of s**t yourself. C'mon. The lack of respect, lack of morals, whatever you wanna call it."

But, before any Conor superfight, Gaethje's gotta take care of business with Donald "Cowboy" Cerrone at UFC Fight Night 158 on September 14.

"Hey I got f**king business in front of me, I got 'Cowboy.' And then I'm your huckleberry," Gaethje says ... "I'm right here, this s**t has to go forward, has to move on. He's either in or out."

DeMarcus Cousins is gonna wanna watch this ...

Ex-NBA superstar Steve Nash STRONGLY believes Boogie can recover from his ACL injury and dominate in the NBA again ... and he's got the pump-up speech to help him bounce back!!!

"He shouldn't retire," Nash told us after leaving a pickup soccer game in L.A. ... "He's still a young guy."

Nash acknowledges DC's had a "horrible run" when it comes to injuries, but says the 29-year-old Lakers star has a "fighting spirit"

"He's a competitor. He's gone through a lot already. He can do it."

Cousins suffered his latest injury during a training session in Las Vegas earlier this month ... and footage obtained by TMZ Sports shows it was non-contact situation.

DC has dealt with injuries before ... he had a quad injury during the playoffs and dealt with an Achilles injury before that.

Nash says Cousins has proved he has what it takes to battle back -- and he hopes the guy will do it again.

Sergey Kovalev's big-money fight with Canelo Alvarez is about to get the royal hater treatment ... because Anthony Yarde says he's gonna c-block the fight ... by knocking Kovalev the hell out.

Here's how this goes ... Kovalev is hoping to get a huge payday for fighting Canelo (boxing's biggest draw) but has to keep winning to make that a reality.

Sergey fights the undefeated Yarde on Saturday in Russia on ESPN+ at 12:30 PM ET and Yarde says it's HIS MISSION IN LIFE to stop Sergey's cash flow.

"There's a big thing about him fighting Canelo next. I want to c**k block."

Yarde has knocked out 17 of 18 opponents, so he can DEFINITELY do it ... plus, if he gets the win, it could end up being him who gets the life-changing money of a Canelo fight.

As for Sergey ... we talked to him too and he says Yarde ain't even ready and experienced enough to block his ... well, you know.

Lance Stephenson is clearly emotional about his old pal Sebastian Telfair getting sentenced to 3.5 years in prison ... telling TMZ Sports, "That's like family right there."

Telfair -- a 1st round pick in the 2004 NBA Draft -- was found guilty of felony weapons possession stemming from a crazy 2017 arrest where cops say they found an arsenal of weapons, ammo, bulletproof vest and weed. He's currently serving out his sentence in a NY State Prison.

28-year-old Stephenson tells us he grew up playing ball and training with 34-year-old Telfair ... and still strongly believes his old friend is a good person who can get his life back on track.

"I know he's a good kid," Lance says ... "He's got great spirit. I know it's very tough on him and his family."

Lance added, "I'm trying to support as much as I can but it's very hard. That situation's very tough."

"I'm praying for him too. I think he'll be alright."

Telfair was facing up to 15 years behind bars, so he got off relatively easy -- but during the sentencing hearing, he begged the judge for even more leniency.

"Please don’t take me from the society right now," Telfair told the judge ... "I’m 34. I can go play in China for another six years, take care of my family."

Ryan Garcia says if Gervonta Davis were ever to step in the ring with him it'd be the biggest fight in the history of boxing ... and he thinks he'd kick Tank's ass.

Garcia is an undefeated rising star in the sport ... and has called out Tank before, claiming he's ready to challenge Davis and take his strap (boxing term for belt, keep up people).

Last time we spoke to Davis, he said he had his sights on Vasyl Lomachenko in what would certainly be one of the biggest fights in the world.

Well, Garcia says him and Tank would be THE biggest fight in the world ... maybe ever.

"I feel like if we keep doing what we're doing, our fight would be the biggest fight in boxing history."

Garcia's star is on the rise for sure ... he has over 3 million Instagram followers, and his spectacular knockouts (and let's face it, the looks) have made him one of the biggest stars in the sport.

But, is he ready for a killer like Tank yet at 21 years old? Prolly not, but it's coming.

Sorry, Cowboys and Eagles ... those Super Bowl dreams you have AIN'T HAPPENING this year -- so says Joe Theismann, who tells TMZ Sports the Redskins are taking the NFC East!!!

"I just like the Redskins," the legendary QB says ... "Nobody's giving us any credit. Nobody's giving us any props whatsoever."

Of course, Joe is biased ... the guy spent the entirety of his great 12-year NFL career playing in D.C. -- but he says there's a method to his wild prediction.

Theismann tells us he thinks every team in the division has holes ... and the door is open for the 'Skins to grab the crown, partly because everyone is picking them to finish last.

"They have them winning three games, they have them finishing last in the division. And, it's fine to be under the radar."

Joe also opened up to us about his thoughts on 'Skins rookie QB Dwayne Haskins, who's struggled so far to begin the preseason.

Theismann tells us Dwayne has some issues with his footwork ... and thinks the 22-year-old will benefit from spending the year behind Case Keenum and learning the system.

But, Joe says next season ... watch out for the guy then!!!

Could Carli Lloyd become the NFL's first female player?!

The soccer star says she's been getting "inquiries" from NFL teams after hitting a 55 yard field goal last week ... and she definitely sounds interested.

The Team USA stud went on "Planet Futbol TV" with Grant Wahl where she was asked straight-up if her phone has been ringing ever since she hit the kick.

"I definitely got some inquiries," Lloyd said without specifying a particular team ... "I've definitely got some people talking."

So, would Lloyd consider making a serious run at an NFL career? She ain't ruling it out.

"I think anything is possible. It's been really interesting because for me I'm just an athlete, I'm a competitor. But, for so many other people they're starting to think, will there ever be a female in the NFL at some point? And, I think we're kind of at that crossroads as far as equality and women empowerment."

"But, right now I'm definitely a soccer player and we'll see what he future holds."

In other words ... maybe!?

As we previously reported, ex-NFL kicker Martin Grammatica says he sees real NFL potential in Lloyd and has offered to coach her up if she wants the help!!!

Nick Saban is calling on Ray Rice to teach his Alabama players an important lesson ... saying he had the ex-NFL star give a speech to the Tide "about how to treat the opposite sex."

Rice has been preaching to players and schools all over the country since he was booted from the NFL after TMZ Sports posted video of him punching his then-fiance in the face in a hotel elevator in 2014.

Saban clearly thinks the former running back has a valuable message he can relay to his team ... 'cause the Bama head coach invited the 32-year-old out to practice this week.

"He’s going to be here as a Title IX speaker to the team [Thursday night], which I think is a good thing for our players," Saban said.

"He’s obviously going to talk about how to treat the opposite sex and having the proper respect for other people."

Saban added, "I think that’s important to relationships. It’s important as a person to be able to do those things in a very respectful manner."

Rice has made countless attempts to try to make up for his massive misstep 5 years ago ... even offering to help Browns running back Kareem Hunt after he was caught on camera kicking a woman last year.

Seems Rice is finding success on his redemption tour ... coaches continue to bring him on to speak ... and in his return to Baltimore last year, he was wildly cheered.