TMZ Sports - Page 50

Great news regarding one of the greats ... Randy Couture is BACK in the Hollywood scene less than a month after a serious heart attack -- and he seems better than ever!!

"Everything's great, man," Couture told us on the way out of a late dinner at Craig's with his longtime girlfriend, Mindy Robinson ... "I feel amazing!"

TMZ Sports broke the story ... the 56-year-old UFC Hall of Famer was hospitalized on Oct. 23 after experiencing chest pains and underwent emergency surgery to remove a clot in his Diagonal artery.

But, Couture is so damn tough, he WALKED HOME from the hospital just 3 days later.

Now, Couture says he's been working with doctors and "everything's back to normal."

One of the issues with Randy ... doctors told him he's got thick blood, something he needs to monitor. But, it sounds like Randy's all over it.

We also spoke with Couture -- a military veteran -- about Conor McGregor's $1 million donation to first responders ... and if the move can help CM's badly damaged image.

Couture also dished out some post-MMA career advice to the recently retired Ben Askren.

Yo, Jim Cornette ... WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH YOU?!

The longtime wrestling commentator said some insanely offensive stuff during an episode of "NWA Power" ... and it's so bad, the company has PULLED the episode.

Cornette was calling a match between champion Nick Aldis and Trevor Murdoch -- when the announcer tried to praise Murdoch for his toughness ... and went super racist.

"He’s the only man I’ve ever known that can strap a bucket of fried chicken on his back and ride a motor scooter across Ethiopia."

WILDLY RACIST.

Of course, there was IMMEDIATE outrage -- prompting NWA Vice President Dave Lagana to issue an apology on behalf of the company.

"On tonight's episode of NWA Power airing on November 19th 2019, one of our talents made comments which some viewers found offensive. We deeply regret the error and apologize."

Lagana added, "We have temporarily taken the program down while we correct this error."

Cornette has been in hot water for comments made on-air in the past -- in fact, NWA previously issued an apology when Cornette was "making light on the subject of suicide."

58-year-old Cornette has been a staple in pro wrestling for decades -- working for major promotions like WWE and Impact Wrestling.

So far, no word yet from Cornette on the incident.

The newest Laker Girl is ... GRONK?!

Yep, the (ex?) NFL superstar hit the court at Staples Center on Tuesday night to join the Laker Girls with Venus Williams and James Corden ... and it was ... something!!!

There were high kicks, hip thrusts and some booty poppin' ... and LA's home crowd LOVED IT!!!

If we had to guess, seems the routine was all for a bit for Corden's "The Late Late Show" ... because why the hell else would this happen?

One person who was (sorta) impressed? Rob Gronkowski's girlfriend Camille Kostek, who used to cheerlead for the Patriots.

"Still deciding if I’m a proud girlfriend over this," Camille said. "Nevertheless .... this is an EPIC #NeverNotDancing moment I am proud to witness by Mr James and Robert James I LOVE YOU BOTH"

The wild show capped off an eventful day for Gronk ... 'cause just hours before he broke it down at Staples Center, he announced he was staying retired this season and opting to party instead.

As for how the Lakers fared with the 6'6", 265-pound beast rootin' them on ... they kicked ass, beating Oklahoma City, 112-107.

UFC star Ben Askren wants you to know ... he's retiring, NOT DYING -- and he's got big plans for his life after MMA.

The 35-year-old says a hip injury is forcing him to cut his fighting career short -- which sucks -- but Askren says, "My life didn't effin' end! I'm ready to go destroy my next project!"

So, what's on deck for Askren? A lot ... from opening wrestling gyms to coaching, to a possible on-air MMA commentary career.

"I think there's a chance, I think I'm gonna give it a try," says Askren, who's known as one of the most charismatic guys in MMA.

"I've got a lot of people encouraging me to give it a try. I'm still not sure if I'm gonna like it or not. I'm up for debate on that one."

As for a possible fighting future, Askren says his medical condition will PROBABLY keep him from taking another pro bout ... but he's been speaking to other wrestlers who've been through the same situation, and there's hope.

Askren says he's spoken with guys who have fully recovered from the procedure he's planning to get, which is encouraging -- but he's certainly not committing to a comeback.

Conor McGregor's whiskey is officially one year old ... but the UFC superstar didn't celebrate by getting himself a present -- he's donating a MILLION dollars to a good cause instead!!!

The Notorious announced the milestone of his Proper 12 whiskey on Tuesday ... showing off his pipes by singing "Happy Birthday" to the green bottle and holding up a cake.

"What a journey it has been so far!" Conor said on Instagram. "I am so thankful to you all for your support and love of PROPER No. TWELVE!"

McGregor revealed his company's got a master plan to give back ... donating $5 per case (up to $1 million) each year to first responders.

"In the New Year, we will begin donating the first million dollars to first responder organizations. My team is vetting it all out now to be sure it goes into the proper hands."

Conor launched the company after making around $85 million for the Floyd Mayweather fight ... and the company's expanded to 8 countries so far.

Ex-soccer star Sergio Contreras -- aka Koke -- was arrested in Spain on Tuesday as part of a massive drug raid ... and cops say they recovered a TON of hashish.

Literally, a metric TON.

36-year-old Contreras is pretty famous in Europe -- he made a fortune playing for big teams like the Ligue 1 club Olympique de Marseille and the famous Greek team Aris Thessaloniki.

But, ever since his pro career ended in 2016, cops say he's been RUNNING a major drug ring out of Southern Spain.

On Tuesday, cops launched a multi-city raid ... nabbing 20 and seizing nearly $800,000 in hash, which is made from the resin of the cannabis plant.

Cops also recovered a stash of guns -- including pistols and rifles.

A source told the Associated Free Press that Contreras is the "head of the organization."

Contreras was taken into custody and is currently being held in Malaga, an upscale beach community.

Boxing superstar Devin Haney just made $1 MILLION bucks in his last fight -- so he hit the streets of L.A. to share the wealth with people in need ... WE'RE TALKING CASH MONEY!

The 21-year-old WBC lightweight champ loaded up his SUV with everything from shrimp to crab legs and other delicious stuff to serve up some quality meals to people on Skid Row.

"Today, I gave out food on Skid Row," Haney said ... "And, when I ran out of food, I gave money to the ones that didn’t get a plate."

We're told Haney was in town celebrating his birthday -- but instead of accepting gifts, he decided it was more important to help out other people.

Haney is one of hottest young fighters in boxing -- he's 24-0 and coming off a straight beatdown of Alfredo Santiago on the undercard of the KSI vs. Logan Paul fight.

He's got big things in his future ... including a possible superfight with fellow rising superstar Ryan Garcia ... which would be HUGE!

But, in the meantime, good to see Haney giving back to the community ... just because he felt like it.

Carmelo Anthony is FINALLY making his NBA return Tuesday night ... and ex-NBA star Jalen Rose says he's expecting the newest Trail Blazer to make an immediate impact.

It's been 374 days since Melo saw the court ... but he'll be making his highly-anticipated return when Portland takes on the Pelicans in a few hours.

TMZ Sports spoke with Rose out in NYC about Anthony getting picked up ... and he's elated the "Free Melo" campaign is over.

"I'm happy that he back in the league," Rose tells us. "I think it's a great pickup to have a Hall of Famer back in the league and have the opportunity to end on his own terms."

Investigators say they found pills, weed and "foil with residue" when they searched the home of Redskins safety Montae Nicholson in connection to the death of a 21-year-old woman.

It's all spelled out in the search warrant obtained by TMZ Sports, which does NOT identify who the drugs belonged to.

In other words, just because the items were found in Montae's home does not mean Montae provided them to the victim, Julia Crabbe.

TMZ Sports broke the story ... Nicholson and another man brought the 21-year-old woman to a Virginia hospital late Wednesday night, where she ultimately died.

Officials believe the cause of death is a drug overdose.

Montae's reps and the Washington Redskins have both said Montae is cooperating with law enforcement.

We're told Montae has NOT been named a suspect and has not been formally accused of any wrongdoing.

However, Crabbe's mother spoke with local news and said she believes Montae "could have done more" to save her daughter.

Cops say they're still actively investigating the death.

Story developing ...

More terrible allegations against MLB pitcher Felipe Vazquez -- the Pirates star has just been hit with multiple child pornography charges in his already disturbing child sex case.

The 28-year-old All-Star showed up to a Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania courtroom on Tuesday with shackles on his ankles and wrists ... and was reportedly looking to be released on bond after he was arrested back in September for allegedly sexually assaulting a 13-year-old girl.

But, not only did a judge not let him out of jail Tuesday -- prosecutors announced they were bringing 21 new charges against Vasquez.

Among the new crimes ... Vasquez has been hit with 10 counts of child pornography, 10 counts of unlawful contact with a minor and 1 count of corruption of minors.

In court docs, authorities say they found photos and videos of the alleged underage victim in "various stages of nudity" in Vazquez's phone.

All 21 charges are listed as 3rd-degree felonies ... which carry a maximum of 7 years in prison each if Vazquez is convicted.

As we previously reported, Vazquez is accused of having sex with a 13-year-old girl in his Ford Mustang in Pennsylvania back in 2017.

Officials say the MLB closer also sent the girl graphic videos and photos -- and told her in text messages he was planning to have sex with her again.

The texts were discovered by the alleged victim's mother -- who alerted police. Investigators say the images depicted numerous "unique and distinguishable" tattoos on his body ... which they were able to match to Vazquez through public images on the Internet.

Cops claim Vazquez admitted to the crime during a Sept. 17 interrogation ... telling investigators he had "sex but not really" with the victim.

Vazquez was initially charged with 3 felonies in Pennsylvania -- including statutory sexual assault, unlawful contact with a minor and corruption of minors.

Vazquez is also facing 2 felony charges in the case in Florida -- where the alleged victim's mom initially reported the relationship to authorities.

Vazquez is a 2-time All-Star who had a great season for the Pirates in 2019. He signed a 4-year, $22.5 million contract in 2018.

The Miami Dolphins cut running back Mark Walton on Tuesday after the NFL player was arrested for allegedly attacking a woman pregnant with his child, officials say.

The 22-year-old player was busted in Davie, Florida -- near Ft. Lauderdale -- after cops say he pushed the woman against the wall Tuesday around 4:15 AM and punched her several times in the face and head.

Cops say the woman is 5 weeks pregnant with Walton's child -- and note that Walton was made aware of the pregnancy on 11/17.

According to the police report, the responding officer claims the woman had swelling on her left eye.

Walton was booked for aggravated battery against a pregnant person -- a 2nd-degree felony which carries a maximum sentence of 15 years in prison.

The Dolphins immediately cut Walton when they learned about the allegations -- with GM Chris Grier saying, "We hold our players to a high standard and take these matters very seriously. We will have no further comment at this time."

Walton is currently serving a 4-game suspension for violating the NFL's personal conduct policy stemming from 3 arrests that all went down earlier this year.

In fact, TMZ Sports obtained video from a March 12 incident showing cops using a taser to subdue Walton following a high-speed chase in a rented BMW.

Cops say Walton -- a 4th round draft pick out of the Univ. of Miami -- was speeding and weaving through traffic in the Miami area when he came to an abrupt stop in the front yard of somebody's home.

Rob Gronkowski ain't coming back to the New England Patriots this season ... but he says he might just rejoin Tom Brady and Bill Belichick in 2020!!

"I still stay fit, still watch the game whenever I can, still enjoy it," Gronk said. "I'm feeling good, but you know, one year off could possibly be the case."

Gronk officially ruled out a return to Foxborough this season with the announcement that he'll be hosting a festival in Miami during Super Bowl weekend instead of training for it.

But, when the 30-year-old superstar spoke with ESPN about the party plans Tuesday ... he left the door wide open for a Patriots return either next year or even in 2021.

"It's always an option in the back of my head," Gronkowski said. "It's not like I'm not staying in shape and not doing anything. I'm never stressed over it."

It's a bit of good news, bad news for the Patriots ... 'cause their offense has REALLY struggled over the past couple weeks and they definitely could use Gronk ASAP.

In fact, Gronk even joked about their issues, saying, "Man, they're missing some guy who is 6'6", 260 [pounds]. They're missing that guy, for sure."

But, if the future Hall of Fame tight end does return next year ... it could help the team keep Brady -- who's a free agent after this season -- for one more year.

Antonio Brown is TRYING to make things right with the New England Patriots -- starting with an apology to owner Robert Kraft.

"Mr.Kraft I apologize sincerely to you and your organization," Brown wrote.

"All I wanted to be was an asset to the organization; sorry for the bad media and the drama ! Thank you sincerely AB."

Remember, the Patriots cut Brown after just 1 game when the team learned the superstar WR sent menacing text messages to a woman who had accused him of sexual misconduct.

After the Patriots fired Brown, the WR attacked the team on social media -- and made reference to Kraft's prostitution case.

"Kraft got caught in the parlor AB speculations fired different strokes different folks clearly," Brown tweeted.

Brown later deleted the post -- but the damage had already been done.

So, why the apology? That's obvious ... Brown is desperate to get back in the NFL but no team is willing to take a chance on him right now for several reasons.

First, the NFL is currently investigating him over sexual assault allegations included in a lawsuit filed against him earlier this year.

Second, AB not only had a bad breakup with the Pats, but he burned the bridge with the Raiders all the way down too ... essentially forcing the team to cut him back in August when he illegally recorded a phone call with coach Jon Gruden and posted it on YouTube.

He also got into an altercation with Raiders GM Mike Mayock.

The Seattle Seahawks reportedly looked into signing Brown a few weeks ago but ultimately decided to go a different direction.

Will the apology pay off for Brown now? Maybe ... but don't hold your breath.

One more thing ... Tom Brady and AB have still been friendly on social media even after he was cut. And, with Brady recently criticizing the Patriots offense, it's possible the QB is lobbying to bring AB back.

Here's a shocker ... Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones thinks the Colin Kaepernick workout was a disaster and he's not even REMOTELY considering hiring the QB.

"That situation from the get-go probably had a lot more that wasn’t about football involved in it and consequently we got the results of that dynamic," Jones said on 105.3 The Fan.

Of course, Jones has been an outspoken critic of Kaepernick's kneeling protest for years -- so everyone expected Jerry to react this way to the workout.

During the interview, Jerry was asked specifically if he felt Colin's workout turned into a "circus."

"I think so," Jerry said ... adding, "We of course, aren't in the quarterback business."

"We're in the business of anytime, anywhere looking for talent -- whether we need it now or whether we need it in the future."

"So, the way these things work, you had that evaluation for you whether you're there or you're not. You have that evaluation. And, I think it's unfortunate that you can't just zero in on the business at hand, and that is evaluating a player that might or might not help you win a football game or move the chains within a football game."

When asked if he thought Cowboys backup Cooper Rush was better than Colin, Jerry essentially stood behind his roster and shot down the possibility of dropping Rush for Kap.

Jones has previously criticized Kap's protest as "disrespectful to the flag" -- though he led his team in a kneeling demonstration BEFORE the national anthem played during a "Monday Night Football" game in 2017.

A Washington Capitals player hocked a loogie and spit it all over an Anaheim Ducks player in a crazy brawl Monday night ... and the chaotic scene was all caught on video.

The spitter's name was Garnet Hathaway ... and during the second period of the Caps' game against the Ducks in D.C. -- he got into a tussle with some Anaheim players in a wild play behind the Ducks' net.

The Caps were putting it on Anaheim ... and some of the Ducks took issue with Hathaway's physical play -- and started a scrap all while Washington was scoring a goal.

In the video, you can see Hathaway beating the hell of Ducks center Derek Grant ... before another Anaheim player, Erik Gudbranson, grabbed Hathaway as the fight was dying down.

Gudbranson got in a nasty left jab to Hathaway's face ... so, the Caps' fourth-liner responded with a big ol' gob of spit!!

Of course, the saliva spray ignited another wild melee ... and eventually, the refs calmed down the whole scene by ejecting Hathaway.

After the game, 27-year-old Hathaway apologized for the spit ... but said he only did it because Gudbranson got in a cheap shot on him.

"The refs were trying to break it up, and it felt like there was a couple sucker punches thrown, and I got one there quick and then reacted a little emotionally," Hathaway said.

"And, unfortunately, spit came out of my mouth after I got sucker punched and it went onto him."

As for Gudbranson, he was pissed over it all, saying afterward, "That’s about as low as you dig a pit, really ... it's a bad thing to do. It’s something you just don’t do in our game, and he did it."

Unclear if the NHL will punish Hathaway for the spit ... and the winger said only "time will tell" if he'll have to serve a suspension over the altercation.

A powerful U.S. congressman is furious with the way the NFL is treating Colin Kaepernick -- and tells TMZ Sports the government may finally have to act against the league.

Rep. Hank Johnson (Democrat from Georgia's DeKalb County) says he believes Kaepernick is the "victim" ... because the NFL orchestrated a league-wide ban on the QB because he "exercised his 1st Amendment right."

So, what can Congress do about it?

"It's possible that Congress can do something," Johnson says ... "Congress oversees the anti-trust exemption that we gave the NFL. The NFL is doing quite well with that anti-trust exemption, maybe it's time for us to take a fresh look at it."

The anti-trust exemption is the law President Kennedy signed back in the day which allows the individual teams to work together as a monopoly to negotiate more lucrative broadcasting deals.

In other words, the NFL is in a much stronger negotiating position with the teams united -- instead of having to negotiate 32 individual broadcasting deals.

If the exemption was revoked, experts say it would cost the league billions of dollars.

"Maybe [the NFL feels] a little heat about their anti-trust exemption and the fact that the Judiciary Committee stands ready under the leadership of the chair of the anti-trust subcommittee David Cicilline to perhaps look at that anti-trust exemption."

FYI, Rep. Johnson serves on the House Judiciary Committee, one of the most powerful committees in Congress.

Rep. Johnson is essentially telling us if the league is abusing the anti-trust exemption to collude to keep players like Colin out of the league, Congress should investigate to decide if the exemption should be revoked.

It's a pretty aggressive threat that's sure to get the NFL's attention.