TMZ Sports - Page 50

U.S. Olympic legend Harrison Dillard -- whom General Patton once called "the best goddamn athlete I’ve ever seen" -- has died at 96.

Dillard was an absolute BEAST of an athlete -- winning 4 Olympic gold medals and smashing more than 11 world and Olympic records during his illustrious career, according to the NY Times.

In fact, Dillard was the "World's Fastest Man" in 1948 after winning the 100-meter dash at the Olympics ... and became "World's Fastest Hurdler" at the 1952 Games.

Dillard is also a military veteran who served in the U.S. Army for 32 months during World War II and after dominating at an Army track meet, Gen. Patton called him, "The best goddamn athlete I've ever seen."

He later worked as a running coach for the Cleveland Indians and the New York Yankees.

Dillard is a two-time Hall of Famer ... he was elected to the National Track and Field H.O.F. in 1974 and the U.S. Olympic Hall of Fame in '83.

Dillard passed away on Friday after battling stomach cancer.

Al Sharpton thinks people need to BACK OFF Colin Kaepernick and direct their anger at the NFL -- claiming it's the LEAGUE that bungled Saturday's workout ... not the QB.

"I think Kaepernick handled it right," Sharpton tells TMZ Sports ... "To have to be told that you're gonna have to sign some waivers and limit the media is absolutely insulting."

"I think that Kaepernick did the right thing by going to the high school, by opening it to the media, opening it to the public."

"He is being penalized for standing up for the rights of people, standing up for criminal justice and to try and reduce him to some kind of photo op for the NFL is something that is antithetical for what he stood for and is insulting to the fans and is insulting to the intelligence of the American people."

Sharpton says he salutes Kap for exposing the NFL's "hypocrisy."

Of course, there are several high profile people who feel the complete OPPOSITE way ... from Stephen A. Smith to James Brown to Jay Z.

Quavo is sick of watching his favorite Atlanta Falcons squad underperform on Sundays ... so he's giving some advice to Dan Quinn -- bench Matt Ryan for Colin Kaepernick!!!

"We need to get Matt Ryan out of there!" the Migos rapper tells TMZ Sports.

Of course, Colin ain't on the Falcons' roster ... and it's unclear if Atlanta even sent a rep to watch his workout near the team's facility Saturday.

But, Quavo tells us he doesn't care ... and says the Falcons need to add Kap and subtract Ryan ASAP!!!

"I love Colin," Quavo says. "Colin should be on a team!"

Doesn't seem likely the Falcons take Quavo's advice ... Matty Ice is locked into a 5-year, $150 MILLION contract -- and he actually hasn't been horrible this season.

But, hey ... Kap might be better than Ryan's backup, Matt Schaub, who is 38 years old now.

Touching moment on the golf course this weekend ... a fan with Down Syndrome yelled during a critical putt, but the PGA Tour Latin America golfer who missed the shot quickly forgave the guy with a hug and autographs.

The incredible scene all went down on Sunday at the Visa Open de Argentina in Buenos Aires ... where Brandon Matthews needed to sink an 8-footer in a playoff hole to keep his championship hopes alive.

But, while the 25-year-old was in the middle of his backswing ... a fan yelled out, causing Brandon to shank the putt -- and you can see on video, Matthews was initially pissed.

"I kind of flinched on the putt and immediately knew I missed it," Matthews told Golfchannel.com. "I thought someone had done it intentionally. I was frustrated."

But, when tournament officials went to Matthews and explained to him the fan had Down Syndrome and didn't mean any harm ... they say Brandon nearly cried.

Matthews raced over to the fan ... embraced him and handed him a signed glove and golf ball.

"I gave him a hug and I asked him, 'Hey, are you doing okay? Are you having fun?'" Matthews said. "I just wanted to make sure he was enjoying himself, that he had no hard feelings, that he didn’t feel bad about what happened."

It's an awesome gesture from Matthews, considering if the guy had won the tournament, he would've received an automatic invite to the prestigious British Open in 2020.

SHOOT THE J ... SHOOT IT!!!!

Dave Chappelle worked on his jumper at Lakers practice on Monday -- and if that's not the most L.A. sentence of the day, we don't know what is.

Chappelle linked up with the whole squad at the team facility and even posed for pics with LeBron James, who was wearing some REALLY short shorts (are Dave's arms bigger than Bron's BTW?)

But, when the team took the court, Chappelle went with 'em and even got pointers from Lakers guard Quinn Cook to improve his stepback game, according to Lakers reporter Dave McMenamin.

Of course, ya can't watch Dave hoop without thinking about that legendary "Chapelle's Show" skit with Charlie Murphy ... you know the one, THE PRINCE BASKETBALL GAME!

Chappelle kept his street clothes on this time around ... and while we wasn't exactly hitting all his shots, he's no Chance The Rapper either.

No word on why Dave was at practice ... but the team HOOKED HIM UP with his own custom Lakers jersey!! Wonder if they brought pancakes too?!

A 26-year-old female amateur MMA fighter died Sunday morning ... just one day after collapsing in the ring following a brutal loss at an event in England.

The Hampshire Police Dept. confirmed they were called to Southampton General Hospital around 1 AM on Sunday to respond to a woman who suffered a life-threatening brain injury.

The woman, Saeideh Aletaha, had competed at the Fast & Furious Fight series event at Central Hall in Southampton, England on Saturday ... and reportedly collapsed in the ring.

According to local reports, an ambulance was called to the venue around 9 PM and Aletaha was rushed to the hospital in "a serious and life-threatening condition."

Cops say Aletaha died at the hospital Sunday morning -- and they're now investigating her death.

Organizers behind the F&FFS event posted a statement early Monday morning essentially saying Aletaha knew what she signed up for ...

"All competitors get in [the ring] prepared that they may be injured and this is something not expected to happen 99.9% of the time."

FFS organizers say they had a full medical team on-site -- with doctors, paramedics and an ambulance -- along with an "experienced team of staff with numerous first aiders."

Exile Gym, where Aletaha trained, posted a tribute to the fighter ... saying, "Saeideh Aletaha was a lovely character with a beautiful soul. Her dedication to the sport was 110% travelling miles every day just to train."

"She found her place with us just a few months ago but has become apart of the family and will be sorely missed."

You're looking at the two scumbags who allegedly jacked a Super Bowl XLVI ring from a retired NY Giants linebacker's L.A. home ... and now the player is begging for its return.

The footage belongs to Spencer Paysinger, who was a rookie back in 2011 when the Giants miraculously beat the New England Patriots in one of the best title games ever.

Paysinger says he left a window open to air out his home on March 17 -- when two guys broke into the house and started rummaging through his stuff.

The 31-year-old -- who retired in 2017 -- says the crooks took all sorts of valuables including purses, computers and one REALLY important piece of jewelry ... the Super Bowl ring.

"I took it out recently for an elementary school Career Day and was lazy on returning to its secure location," Paysinger says.

The good news ... Paysinger had a Nest security camera in the home that captured the alleged thieves. You can see them going through the home with a flashlight while wearing gloves to hide fingerprints.

The bad news ... Paysinger says he had accidentally stopped paying to insure the ring just one month before the burglary because he changed credit cards and didn't update his autopay.

Now, Paysinger says he's desperate to get back his ring -- and promises if anyone comes forward with the item, he won't go to police.

"My Super Bowl ring should serve as a cherished family heirloom not an unfortunate event."

"If you’re reading this or if anyone knows the two young men in the video, please be assured there are no consequences tied to this post. This isn’t bait, there are no cops involved and nothing will happen to you by giving back my ring; keep the other s**t."

Officials are on the hunt for multiple suspects who entered a backyard NFL watch party in Fresno, CA and opened fire -- killing 4 people and injuring 6 more.

Around 35 people were at a home Sunday evening to watch the L.A. Rams vs. Chicago Bears game -- it's being described as a "friends and family gathering."

But, around 6 PM PT, "unknown suspects" snuck into the party and opened fire -- striking multiple people.

Cops say 3 people died at the scene and a 4th died at the hospital. 5 people are still hospitalized in critical condition but expected to survive and a 6th person suffered minor injuries.

Fresno Police Lt. Bill Dooley told the media ... "Everyone was watching football this evening when unknown suspects approached the residence, snuck into the backyard and opened fire."

Cops say it does not appear the victims knew the shooters -- and officials do NOT believe it was gang-related at this point, but they have not ruled it out.

No one has been arrested and cops have not identified a suspect.

The team that drinks super expensive, rare cognac together ... wins titles together??

Los Angeles Lakers hope so, 'cause LeBron James, Anthony Davis, Dwight Howard, DeMarcus Cousins and Rajon Rondo sipped on the $3,000 a bottle Louis XIII at a fancy L.A. hotel this weekend.

The All-Star studded private dinner went down Saturday night at Mr. C Beverly Hills ... and it was all to celebrate AD gracing the cover of Haute Living magazine.

H.L. and XO hosted the event and invited all AD's superstar teammates ... and his agent, Rich Paul.

There was (very, very expensive) booze ... but there wasn't any crazy turn up this time.

We're told the Lakers stars sipped on Louis XIII ... but all left before 10 PM 'cause they had a game Sunday night against the Hawks.

The Lakers -- 11-2 for the season and in 1st place -- won the game easily, 122-101.

UFC star Ben Askren is calling it a career -- the 35-year-old is officially retiring from MMA after revealing his hip is shot.

Askren broke the news on Ariel Helwani's MMA Show on Monday saying, "I'm retiring from the sport of MMA. Frankly, I'm retiring from everything."

The biggest issue for Askren -- widely considered one of the best grapplers in the world -- is his jacked-up hip ... which he's been dealing with for the past few years.

In fact, Askren says his doctor is recommending a full hip replacement -- and since he's already 35, it ain't exactly a recipe for a comeback.

"I got really emotional the other day because I just started thinking about all the great experiences I've had and how lucky I've been to have the amount of success I've had," Askren said.

Ben was famously included in the blockbuster UFC, ONE Championship trade back in 2018 involving MMA legend Demetrious Johnson.

Askren raised eyebrows right away -- defeating Robbie Lawler in his first UFC fight -- but things went south in 2019 when he was knocked out by Jorge Masvidal in 5 seconds.

It got worse when Askren fought Demian Maia in Oct. 2019 and lost by submission in the 3rd round. It became clear to Ben he couldn't continue to compete at the highest levels.

Asken (19-2) wasn't just a stud fighter -- he's also one of the most entertaining personalities in the sport and will surely find a career in broadcasting now that he's done in the Octagon.

Brad Paisley is a MASSIVE Cleveland Browns fan -- and you can tell he's genuinely sad about the incident with Myles Garrett ... explaining why the helmet-swing was heartbreaking to watch.

"Wish he hadn't done what he did," the country music superstar tells TMZ Sports ... "It's crazy. He shouldn't have done that."

Paisley has spent a lot of time around the Browns (remember his "Hard Knocks" cameo at training camp?) ... and says he's heard Garrett is a good dude, which makes it harder to understand why he went so crazy against the Pittsburgh Steelers last week.

"I'd love to know what he's thinking. I'm sure he's remorseful."

Even if Garrett can bounce back from the scandal, Paisley says he'll NEVER win back Steelers fans ... saying, "Pittsburgh will never forgive him, I'm sure."

As for the punishment, Paisley says he'll support whatever suspension the NFL eventually dishes out -- "He needs to serve that time, whatever they decide that is."

The league has already suspended Garrett for the rest of the year, but he's appealing this week and the punishment COULD change (maybe).

So, why is Paisley -- who's from West Virginia -- a Browns fan? It all stems back to Brian Sipe ... (betcha didn't think you'd see that name today!)

Here's a video to help explain ...

Alabama star QB Tua Tagovailoa was hittin' them high notes -- singin' Marvin Gaye in his hospital bed Sunday night -- a day after enduring a super serious and painful hip injury.

Maybe it's the meds.

Tua suffered a dislocated and fractured right hip Saturday late in the 2nd quarter after two Mississippi State defenders fell on top of him ... leaving him bloodied and in crazy pain on the field.

The Heisman Trophy candidate -- and projected Top 10 pick -- was rushed to the hospital Saturday afternoon ... and will have surgery to repair the injury on Monday ... potentially putting him on the shelf for all of next season.

Tua's football future is up in the air ... so he's gotta be devastated, right?

Not exactly.

Bama O-lineman Joshua Carter posted video of Tagovailoa gettin' it in his hospital bed ... singing "Let's Get It On" by Marvin Gaye and playing an instrument.

"Ya sound good boy!" ... the senior lineman tells Tua.

Sure, Tua's a better football player than a singer ... but it's good to see him happy so soon after a horrific injury.

By the way, Bama -- without TT in the 2nd half -- won the game 38-7 with backup QB Mac Jones at the helm.

Richard Sherman just came through BIG TIME for a youth football team from his hometown ... donating a big chunk of change to send them to the championship tournament!!

The Hub City (6U) Pop Warner team from Compton earned a trip to the National Youth Championship in Florida after going undefeated this season.

Not only was their play on the field impressive -- each kid had to maintain at least a 3.1 GPA in order to play.

But, there was one problem -- the team had to raise at least $15k in less than a month to cover travel and hotel expenses ... and needed help from the community to reach their goal.

Luckily for the team, the 49ers superstar -- who went to Dominguez High School in Compton -- got wind of their campaign after seeing the story on FOX 11 in L.A. and dropped $5,000 to help them get past the $15k mark!

"I respect good football but I respect the 3.1 min gpa more," Sherman said. "Establishing good habits young. I would like to help."

The 31-year-old quickly sprang into action -- sending over the donation to the team's GoFundMe page just minutes after finding out about the team ... and now they should be on their way to get that trophy!

Sherman isn't the only one helping out ... we're told Oakland Raiders cornerback Keisean Nixon -- who's from Compton -- donated $2k.

The NFL and Colin Kaepernick had two entirely different approaches to the legal issues going into Saturday's doomed workout ... and it's obvious when you read the waivers.

As we previously reported, Colin refused to sign the waiver the NFL initially presented to his camp -- and countered with a much shorter version of his own, which the NFL ultimately rejected.

We've seen both waivers, and the first big difference is length ... the NFL waiver is more than 1,200 words. Colin's is 268.

We're told Colin was more than willing to sign a waiver that specifically released the NFL from any legal liability if Colin got injured during the workout. But, he felt the NFL's waiver could be construed as much broader than that -- and may have prevented him from bringing any future action against the NFL based on violations of employment laws or the collective bargaining agreement.

One particular paragraph that was troubling for Colin reads, "In consideration for the opportunity to participate in the workout, Player [releases the NFL from all liability] ... arising out of, occurring during, or related directly or indirectly to the workout."

Colin felt that when the language is read to the extreme, it could bar him from ever suing the NFL for any reason in the future.

So, he countered with his own waiver -- a shorter version which stuck to ONLY physical injury-related issues.

As for the NFL, the league has insisted the waiver they offered was standard and they weren't willing to budge.

Move over, Barack Obama ... there's a new politician with an absolutely wet jumper -- BERNIE SANDERS!!!!

Okay, it ain't exactly Kareem and the skyhook ... but here's the 78-year-old showing off his hoops skills over the weekend -- and the dude can score the basketball!!!

The 2020 presidential candidate hit a small hoop somewhere in Las Vegas on Sunday ... and he was straight cash from the free-throw line -- nailing five shots in a row!!

In fact, Bernie's wife was even impressed with the guy ... saying to him in the video, "Now, you're just showing off!"

It's a pretty incredible rebound for Sanders ... who just a few weeks couldn't have looked more unathletic in a devastating loss to a speed bag.

But, Bernie's team says his basketball performance was no fluke ... in a statement to Newsweek, they claim Sanders gets buckets any chance he can on the campaign trail!

"Anytime we see a court, he'll ask if he can get a few minutes to shoot around," campaign manager Faiz Shakir said.

Dear Adam Archuleta ...

A "Dirty Sanchez" mustache isn't what you think it is -- it's WAYYYY WORSE -- and you probably shouldn't be referencing it during an NFL game ON LIVE TV!!

For those unaware, a "Dirty Sanchez" is most commonly described on Urban Dictionary as a temporary mustache wiped on to one's face ... and it's comprised of fecal matter.

In other words, it's a poop 'stache!

Good times, huh?!

Anyway, Archuleta -- former NFL star-turned-broadcaster -- was working the Bills vs. Dolphins game for CBS this weekend with Spero Dedes, when Spero asked if Adam could grow a mustache by next week.

"I could probably squeeze out maybe a Dirty Sanchez, not really a full stache," Archuleta said.

Ewwwwwwwwww!!!!!!

Innocent mistake? Yeah, probably.

Will this haunt him for a while? Yeah, probably.