TMZ Sports - Page 50

The mother of the woman who died following an incident at Montae Nicholson's home is breaking her silence ... saying the Redskins DB "could have done more" to save the girl's life.

According to Nicholson's attorney, the NFL player found a 21-year-old woman unresponsive at a bathroom in his Ashburn, Virginia home late Wednesday night.

Nicholson and a friend took the woman to a nearby hospital ... but officials say she later died there, suspecting a drug overdose.

The deceased woman has since been identified as Julia Crabbe ... and when FOX 5 in DC spoke with her mother, Michelle, on Friday, she said Nicholson could have done more to save her daughter.

"I'm perfectly happy to sit down and talk with him," Michelle said, adding, "[Julia's] life was so much more than what happened Wednesday. So much more."

Nicholson has yet to comment on the matter ... but the Redskins said in a statement the 23-year-old defensive back and the team are cooperating with authorities.

Myles Garrett is a good person who made one HUGE mistake ... so says ex-Browns asst. coach Bob Wylie who tells TMZ Sports the helmet-swinging maniac is "not the real Myles Garrett I know."

You probably remember Wylie from "Hard Knocks" -- he worked alongside Garrett as an assistant coach from 2017-18 (remember the belly-shaking "set, HUT!").

Wylie says he was disappointed to see the DE weaponize a helmet against Mason Rudolph during Thursday night's game against the Steelers ... but hopes it doesn't permanently ruin MG's reputation.

"He's not a bad person, he's a real good kid and he plays a violent sport," Wylie says.

"You play right on the edge and he plays right on the edge of the sport. And, he went over the edge."

The former offensive line coach says Garrett is a model teammate who went out of his way to help Wylie's guys ... and he NEVER saw an outburst like that before.

"All the times I spent with him on the practice field and in meetings, I never saw that Myles. I saw his effort, I saw his ability to compete, I saw his study habits ... but I never saw that."

Tyron Woodley says the UFC would be crazy not to sign Logan Paul to an MMA contract ASAP ... because he's PROVED he's got all the right ingredients to be a smash hit.

Woodley says he was super impressed with Paul's performance against KSI -- and advised him after the match to take ANOTHER fight.

"I think you should go and do it again," Woodley told Paul ... "You looked good, you just didn't win."

But, Woodley DOES think he can win in the UFC -- and says he wouldn't be surprised if Dana White signs the 24-year-old to a contract in the very near future.

"Logan Paul fits the exact demographic," Tyron said on 'The Hollywood Beatdown.' "He's got a huge following, great build, he looks athletic, he's a Division 1 wrestler, he's insane and he's gonna talk a lot of s**t so the press conferences are gonna be insane."

Woodley continued, "I wouldn't be surprised in the next 2 months if we see some breaking news on Logan Paul getting a couple fight deals with the UFC."

If he does get to the UFC, Woodley says there's only ONE fighter he wouldn't help Logan prepare for ... CM Punk. Check out the clip to hear why.

The Cleveland Police Dept. is NOT investigating Myles Garrett for assault stemming from the helmet attack on Steelers QB Mason Rudolph, a spokesperson tells TMZ Sports.

We asked if the CPD was planning to arrest the 23-year-old and we were told quite simply, "No."

"The person who was hit would have to file a report. There is no criminal complaint filed," Cleveland PD Public Information Officer Sgt. Jennifer Ciaccia tells us.

The incident went down in the final seconds of the game at FirstEnergy Stadium in Cleveland -- when Garrett and Rudolph tussled after a play ... followed by Garrett ripping off Mason's helmet and swinging it at his head.

After the game Garrett spoke about the incident -- "What I did was foolish, and I shouldn’t have allowed myself to slip like that," Garrett said ... "It’s out of character."

"I lost my cool and I regret it," he added ... "It’s going to come back to hurt our team. The guys who jumped into the scrum, I appreciate my team having my back, but it never should have gotten to that point."

Rudolph also commented ... saying, "I thought it was pretty cowardly and bush league."

"I’m not going to back down from any bully. I felt like I had a bone to pick with him. I appreciate the line always having my back, but I was angry."

We spoke with "Friday Night Lights" director Peter Berg after the game -- and he told us the scene looked like something out of "Game of Thrones."

As for punishment, Berg says a 4-game suspension is probably fair.

Other stars, like ex-NFL linebacker James Harrison, seem to be calling for harsher punishment.

"That’s assault at the least... 6 months in jail on the street.. now add the weapon and that’s at least a year right?!"

Washington Redskins safety Montae Nicholson is back at practice ... this while an investigation into a 21-year-old woman's death continues.

Nicholson was one of two men who brought an unconscious and unresponsive woman to an E.R. in Ashburn, Virginia on Thursday at around 1:30 AM. Officials say the woman died at the hospital and all signs point to a drug overdose.

Nicholson has NOT been arrested or accused of any wrongdoing -- but officials are VERY curious about what happened before she arrived at the hospital. We're told Nicholson is cooperating with authorities as the investigation continues.

The 23-year-old defensive back had missed practice on Thursday to deal with the matter ... but on Friday, Nicholson was back with his team, wearing sweats and his #35 jersey.

Nicholson has yet to comment on the situation ... and it's unclear if he'll play this weekend against the New York Jets.

NBA legend Bill Russell -- one of the greatest basketball players ever -- has finally accepted his Hall of Fame ring after a 45-year boycott.

85-year-old Russell was elected into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1975 -- but refused to participate in the induction ceremony. At the time, Russell cited "his own personal reasons," but didn't expand on it.

But, Thursday night, things changed ... Russell participated in a private ceremony with Alonzo Mourning, hoops legend/broadcaster Ann Meyers, Bill Walton, his wife and others to accept his HOF ring.

And, why? It all has to do with ex-NBA star Chuck Cooper, who in 1950 became one of the first black players to compete in the NBA. He was the first black player selected in the NBA Draft when the Boston Celtics took him with the 14th overall pick.

Cooper, who passed away in 1984, is FINALLY being inducted into the Hall ... which is what Russell has been waiting for all along.

"In ‘75 I refused being the 1st black player to go into the [Hall of Fame]. I felt others before me should have that honor. Good to see progress; ChuckCooperHOF19 @NBA."

Like father, like daughter!!!

Kobe Bryant's daughter, Gigi, definitely has that Mamba blood ... pulling off a contested fadeaway jumper that looks just like her daddy's shot ... and it's all on video!!

The Black Mamba posted footage of his 13-year-old daughter's recent game against another "#TeamMamba" opponent on Thursday ... praising players on both sides of the ball.

"I hate seeing my #teammamba girls play against each other. This is GREAT defense by our mamba pg Alyssa Altobelli and a familiar looking fade by our 2gd the #Mambacita."

Of course, Gigi steals the show ... dribbling to the baseline, pulling off a spin move, and hitting the fader right in her opponent's face.

Antonio Brown believes his 8-hour meeting with NFL officials Thursday over rape allegations went well -- and it's clear he expects to get back on the field soon.

The NFL had been trying to speak with the WR about the lawsuit filed in Sept. by his ex-trainer Britney Taylor, who claimed AB sexually assaulted her 3 times, including a violent rape in 2018.

"I'm told Antonio Brown's interview w/t NFL lasted approximately 8 hours, omitting breaks," ESPN's Josina Anderson says.

"Brown felt it went well, had a chance to share his reflections during the time he's been out of the game & was very responsive to all questions."

Brown was definitely in good spirits after the sit-down -- and went to social media to talk about his plans to work out later that night. Seems obvious he thinks he'll be back in the NFL.

Anderson says the NFL might conduct some follow-up interviews with Brown before making a decision about possible punishment.

AB has adamantly denied the allegations and vowed the fight the case in court.

Seems this probe went WAY better than the deposition Brown sat for in his Sept. -- when the WR allegedly went berserk while being questioned in his apartment-trashing case.

As we previously reported, Brown is being sued by his former apartment complex in Miami for allegedly trashing his place ... and in a deposition explaining his side, he was accused by the complex's attorneys of being "defiant" and "profane."

In fact, the meeting went so poorly ... AB has agreed to retake the depo later next month.

The QB has landed!

Colin Kaepernick flew into Atlanta on Thursday to get ready for his NFL workout -- and our sources say he's already in game mode.

Kap touched down around 5 AM in hopes of getting through the airport without fanfare -- and he pretty much did.

We're told he was with a very small group of people and the person who shot the pic tells us, "He looked like he was focused."

Of course, Colin was decked out in Nike gear -- no shock considering he has a deal with the Swoosh, which has stuck with him through everything.

Next up for Colin ... showtime on Saturday -- when roughly a dozen NFL teams will have reps at the Atlanta Falcons facility to evaluate the 32-year-old.

There's been a ton of stuff going down behind the scenes ... Kap's camp wanted the workout on a weekday so more NFL team decision makers could attend. He also wants a list of team reps attending the workout, something the NFL says it will NOT provide.

Carmelo Anthony tells TMZ Sports he WILL be back in the NBA this season -- and he's even open to returning to the New York Knicks!

Everyone's been wondering about Melo's basketball future ever since he parted ways with the Houston Rockets back in January.

35-year-old Anthony has previously said he wants to get back in the league -- however, no one has pulled the trigger yet.

But, it sounds like Melo's got something cookin' ... because when we saw the 35-year-old leaving The Henry in L.A. on Wednesday night, he was VERY optimistic about his return.

"We're figuring it out," Melo told us ... noting that he was NOT in town to speak with the Lakers or the Clippers.

When we pushed back and asked if he'll be on a roster this season, Melo told us ... "For sure. 2000%."

There are reports the Knicks could be interested in Anthony -- interesting considering the way things ended back in 2017 -- but Melo says he's down to return.

"We open man. We open to every opportunity."

In fact, Melo even defended Knicks head coach David Fizdale ... saying the team's lowly 2-9 record isn't all his fault ... "It's a lot of things that goes into that."

So, where will Melo end up this season? Stay tuned ...

Got tissues nearby? Better go grab 'em ... 'cause Cody Bellinger started crying after winning the NL MVP award Thursday -- and he says it's all 'cause of a celebration hug with his dad!!!

"That's what made me emotional right there for sure," Bellinger said.

The LA Dodgers superstar had an unbelievable year in 2019 ... hitting 47 home runs with 115 RBIs while batting .305 -- and he earned the MVP award over Christian Yelich because of it.

When MLB Network had Cody on shortly after to talk about the honor ... the outfielder couldn't hide his emotions -- saying an embrace with his pops made him break down.

"It's what you dream of, man," Bellinger said.

Of course, Cody and his dad, Clay, are SUPER tight ... Poppa Bellinger is a former MLB player who Cody has often credited for his ultra-successful baseball career.

Cody also had a bunch of other family and friends join him for the celebration ... and he called the whole moment, "pretty cool."

"It's absolutely incredible," Bellinger said ... "A little emotional. So, it's pretty cool."

File under: Things You Should NEVER Do!

YouTube superstar Jake Paul WILLINGLY got in the ring with boxing phenom Ryan Garcia -- and let the dude BLAST AWAY on him ... and it's all on video!!!

The 22-year-old vlogger made the trip down to San Diego for some one-on-one gym time with the Flash ... and threw on some padding to do the #BodyShotChallenge.

Yeah, he's wearing padding ... but watch the video -- Ryan hits so damn hard, Jake gets rocked back around the ring and looks like he's in real pain.

At one point, it looks like Jake tries to get Ryan to stop, but the 19-0 fighter keeps throwing bombs!

"This is stupid," Jake said to the camera before taking the beating ... and we agree. V stupid.

Of course, Jake beat Deji in his first-ever fight last year in Manchester ... and has been BEGGING Eddie Hearn to let him take a pro fight like his big bro, Logan Paul.

Speaking of Logan, he also did the #BodyShotChallenge with Garcia a while back -- and it went about the same way!

Ryan 2, Paul Bros 0.

Washington Redskins safety Montae Nicholson is cooperating with authorities who are investigating the death of a 21-year-old woman, TMZ Sports has learned.

Here's what we know ...  law enforcement has confirmed a "death investigation" is underway after an unconscious and unresponsive woman was brought to an E.R. in Ashburn, Virginia on Thursday around 1:30 AM.

The victim was pronounced dead in the emergency room. We're told officials believe the woman died from a drug overdose.

Cops tell us ... "The two males who brought her to the emergency room immediately left the area but have since been identified and located."

Multiple sources connected to the situation tell us one of the men is Montae Nicholson.

Nicholson has NOT been arrested or charged with a crime. However, cops say the case is being actively investigated by the Loudoun County Sheriff's Office and it's likely they'll speak with Nicholson as part of the probe.

Nicholson was NOT at Redskins practice on Thursday and we're being told his absence is due to this situation and not his ankle injury.

We reached out to the Redskins and a rep told us, "We’ve been made aware of the tragic event and extend our deepest sympathies to the family who lost a loved one."

"Our team has alerted the league office and is cooperating with local authorities. We fully support law enforcement and respect their process as they investigate the matter."

Nicholson was arrested back in December 2018 after cameras caught the NFL player in a late-night street brawl with a civilian.

The video, obtained by TMZ Sports, shows Nicholson (in a red hoodie) wrestling with a man in a jean jacket before he eventually lands a violent knockout blow.

Montae was arrested and charged with assault and battery and public drunkenness ... but prosecutors eventually dropped the case citing insufficient evidence.

Ex-Cleveland Browns head coach Hue Jackson will lead the drills at the Colin Kaepernick workout on Saturday, the NFL has announced.

The league issued a statement saying ex-Miami Dolphins head coach Joe Philbin will also be in attendance and involved in some capacity.

According to the NFL, 11 teams will send reps to attend the workout -- Arizona, Atlanta, Cleveland, Denver, Detroit, Miami, New England, New York Giants, New York Jets, Tampa Bay and Washington.

It's possible more will join the list -- but the NFL wants Kap and his fans to know video of the workout will be sent to all 32 teams ... "including head coaches and general managers."

There's definitely an issue behind the scenes involving Kap's camp and the NFL.

We're told Kap's camp was under the impression they would be getting a list of team representatives who will attend the workout. The NFL says they made no such promise.

Colin's concern is that NFL teams could send lowly peons instead of high-powered decision-makers. He wants to make sure he's flexing his skills for the right people.

Mark Cuban says he seriously considered running for President this year -- but his family ultimately shut it down.

The Dallas Mavericks owner has been talking about a possible 2020 presidential run for years -- and in 2017 told "OBJECTified" he'd run as a Republican to challenge Donald Trump.

But, a Cuban Campaign never came to fruition and Thursday in NYC, he explained why.

"My family voted it down," Cuban said ... "I would have done it if they said yes."

The 61-year-old billionaire isn't closing the door on a political career somewhere down the line -- "You never say never" -- but for now, he ain't ready to throw his hat in the ring.

Gym members who beat the hell out of each other with exercise equipment are now in serious trouble ... they've been banned from the facility for life and cops say they're now investigating.

The wild fight all went down shortly after noon on Nov. 7 at Ab Salute Gym in England ... and video of the scene -- which just surfaced this week -- shows a violent affair.

Unclear what kicked off the skirmish ... but several members grabbed gym equipment and weaponized it, swinging it at each other wildly.

You can see in the footage ... one man hits another guy on the ground with a metal bar -- while later in the brawl, a man swings a long horizontal bar.

The person who posted the footage didn't offer very many details on the fight, writing only, "so man are fighting in the gym now wow."

But, cops in Essex say two guys were hurt in the fracas ... saying, "A 17-year-old boy suffered bruising and cuts and a 27-year-old man suffered a cut above his eye."

Cops add they are investigating the fight.

As for the gym members' futures at the facility, an Ab Salute Gym spokesperson told The Sun, "The individuals concerned have been banned from our gyms for life."