TMZ Sports - Page 50

Colin Kaepernick is offering to cover legal bills for the "freedom fighters" on the ground in Minnesota ... claiming he's already put together a team of "top" defense attorneys.

"In fighting for liberation there’s always retaliation," Kaepernick said Friday morning ... "We must protect our Freedom Fighters."

"We started a legal defense initiative to give legal representation to Freedom Fighters in Minneapolis paid for by [Know Your Rights Camp]."

Kaepernick has donated a ton of his own money to the org. over the years -- but says they're also accepting donations from outside supporters.

The Know Your Rights Camp expanded on the initiative ... saying they have already "identified and teamed up with top defense lawyers in the Minneapolis, Minnesota area to provide legal resources for those in need."

"When there is an injustice within our community, it is our legal right to address it, by any means necessary."

"If you, or a loved one is in need of legal assistance, or has been arrested while fighting injustice in the Minneapolis area, please complete the form below with as much detail as possible."

On Thursday, Kaepernick tweeted out his support for a revolution after the killing of George Floyd ... saying, "When civility leads to death, revolting is the only logical reaction."

He added,  "The cries for peace will rain down, and when they do, they will land on deaf ears, because your violence has brought this resistance."

"We have the right to fight back!"

So far, protestors have set fire to multiple buildings in Minnesota including a police precinct.

Powerful statement from Jalen Rose.

The ex-NBA star -- now a regular on ESPN -- went off on "Get Up!" on Friday about the civil unrest following the killing of George Floyd.

Just watch. Here's the transcript.

"I wish America loved black people just as much as they love black culture."

"There's so many times that it gets cherry-picked and it gets piggybacked but only when it's convenient and sometimes it happens in entertainment and athletics."

We're not here designed only to entertain."

"We're actually living and breathing human beings that have a multitude of intelligence, work ethic, discipline and talent. We've overcome a lot just like so many other races."

"This didn't just start happening. You can Google. We've been sprayed with water hoses, we've been attacked by dogs. We've overcome it. I'm old enough to remember 'I Have a Dream,' 'Fight the Power,' 'Screw the Police.' Now it's 'I Can't Breathe.'"

"This is not new and it's not going to come from just us. We need people who aren't black. We need people who aren't brown. When you know these things are happening in your society to have a voice, a legitimate one. Lock and step with us. Protest with us. Post with us. Not just when it's convenient. When it can be uncomfortable."

"The image of Colin Kaepernick taking a knee before a football game during the national anthem is the exact same one that we see in Minnesota ... when a guy was laying on the ground for over 8 minutes handcuffed with a knee to his neck and was murdered."

Joe Burrow -- the #1 overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft -- is speaking out about the civil unrest following the killing of George Floyd ... saying, "The black community needs our help."

The "our" is presumably white people -- considering Burrow is white -- but it's possible the 23-year-old is referring to EVERYONE outside of the black community.

Nonetheless, the Cincinnati Bengals QB expanded on his point.

"They have been unheard for far too long. Open your ears, listen, and speak. This isn’t politics. This is human rights."

Burrow has spoken out about racial issues in the past -- in 2019 he made some strong comments following controversial tweets from President Trump when POTUS told 4 U.S. Congresswomen to "go back" to their home countries.

"Why does racial inequality have to be political? It’s basic human decency," Burrow told Sports Illustrated at the time.

Other NFL players have spoken out about the current situation -- including Philadelphia Eagles QB Carson Wentz.

"Been thinking about the George Floyd situation and thinking of the words to say [and] coming up empty," Wentz said.

Shaun White and Nina Dobrev are quarantining together and want everyone to know ... with the new couple going official on Instagram!!

The duo sparked rumors when spotted out in public earlier this year ... and have been spending a LOT of time together ever since.

The 33-year-old superstar pretty much confirmed everyone's speculation on Friday ... showing off the 'Vampire Diaries' star trimming his signature red locks for a quarantine cut. You know, cute couple-y stuff.

Dobrev has a passion for snowboarding and White is one of the best to ever do it (3-time Olympic gold medalist) ... so it seems like a natural fit!

White has previously dated Sarah Barthel of Phantogram ... and Dobrev most recently dated filmmaker Grant Mellon.

As for the haircut ... White's new look isn't bad at all. Maybe Nina's got a second career in cosmetology??

Of course, this ain't the first couple to blossom during the global pandemic ... as we previously reported, Lakers star Kyle Kuzma and supermodel Winnie Harlow started dating in quarantine ... and were even spotted out holding hands last month.

Love is in the air!! ... just keep your masks on.

Melvin Gordon didn't hold back when he was asked about the possibility of playing in fan-less stadiums in 2020 ... saying it used to happen to him all the time in his Chargers career!!

"Bro, we didn't have fans anyway!" Gordon said with a laugh.

Of course, MG ain't really wrong ... Chargers games over the past few seasons became famous for being overrun by opponents' fan bases -- but hearing Gordon say it so bluntly was still SAVAGE!!

"We didn't have many Chargers fans, I'm going to be honest," Gordon explained in an interview this week with his former Wisconsin teammate, Marcus Cromartie. "We didn't have many Chargers fans at the game."

Don't worry, L.A. faithful ... Gordon still praised the few of you out there, saying, "Much loyalty, love, but we didn't have many!"

Gordon added, "I ain't really missing out on much!"

This isn't the first time the running back has taken a shot at the Chargers' lack of support at their own games ... remember, he was publicly pissed at his former squad for playing the Steelers' rally song during their own HOME game in 2019.

Gordon doesn't have to worry about any of that anymore if the COVID-19 pandemic subsides ... he's in Denver now -- where fans are notorious for being loud as hell at games.

Roger Federer is finally #1 on the Forbes Highest-Paid Athletes list -- but it's all because two superstars took a pay hit thanks to COVID.

The 38-year-old tennis superstar reportedly raked in $106.3 million from June 1, 2019 to June 1, 2020 (in pre-taxed earnings) from prize money and endorsements.

Federer earned $6.3 million in prize money -- but the bulk of his financial haul comes by way of endorsements ... $100 MILLION from deals with companies like Uniqlo, Credit Suisse, Mercedes-Benz, Rolex and more.

Cristiano Ronaldo clocks in at #2 ($105 million) and Lionel Messi is #3 ($104 million) ... but Forbes points out their take would have been higher if not for the coronavirus pandemic.

"The two soccer icons earned a combined $209 million during the past 12 months, a $28 million drop from 2019, due to salary reductions at many European soccer clubs when league play was halted in March," Forbes says.

Might not be a big deal to you ... but we know some athletes take the Forbes list VERY seriously -- remember when Conor McGregor told Ronaldo to his face that he was coming for that top spot?!

Rounding out the Top 5 is Neymar ($95.5 M) followed by LeBron James ($88.2 M).

Other notable athletes include Tiger Woods at #8 ($62.3 mil), Carson Wentz at #10 ($59.1 mil), Conor McGregor at #16 ($48 mil), Tom Brady at #21 ($45 mil) and Naomi Osaka at #29 ($37.4 mil).

2019 marks the second year in a row Floyd Mayweather's failed to make the list ... after being the highest-paid athlete of the decade.

If Mike Tyson wants weed, Mike Tyson's gonna get weed -- even if UFC star Tyron Woodley has to get it for him!!

Woodley appeared on Mike's "Hotboxin" podcast this week -- and told the boxing legend about the time he ran a marijuana errand for him .. and it's pretty funny!

Long story short ... Tyron (who's from Missouri) was told Mike was in town and needed his "medicine" -- a special weed strain called "Sour Diesel."

Woodley said he wasn't really into weed at the time and was trying to figure out how to get it -- and at one point asked himself, "Do I really have to score a nickel bag for Mike Tyson in the streets of Ferguson?"

Yes.

Don't worry, Tyron got the weed -- and Mike got high. Everyone was happy!

Of course, Woodley is currently in Vegas gearing up for his Saturday fight with Gilbert Burns.

Check out the new "Hollywood Beatdown" episode -- where Tyron explains why he feels focused, sharp and dangerous!

Also, Tyron tells us his MOM came out to Vegas for the fight -- COVID-19 pandemic be damned!!!

Tim Tebow's ex-teammate just went scorched earth on the Mets over the former QB's 2016 signing ... calling the move a "mockery" and saying it only happened to help the team sell tickets.

Andrew Church -- a 2nd-round pick by the Mets in 2013 -- just exploded on his former squad after they officially released him this week ... taking aim at Tebow's signing in the rant.

“The Mets made a mockery of our team by putting a celebrity on it to sell more tickets,’’ Church wrote. "I saw players lose their jobs because of it."

He added, "We weren’t playing to win, we were playing to make everyone else money. Not the players. We never saw a cut. Well, allegedly one player did."

25-year-old Church never directly named Tebow in the post ... but it's pretty clear he's talking about the former Heisman Trophy winner -- whom Church was minor league teammates with in 2017.

Of course, Tim officially signed a minor league deal with the Mets in '16 ... and at the time, NY general manager Sandy Alderson said the move was strictly made because of Tim's baseball potential.

But, Alderson reportedly later admitted he inked Tim to a deal "partly because of his celebrity, partly because this is an entertainment business."

32-year-old Tebow has shown some flashes of being a potential big leaguer in his minor-league career ... but it's largely been a disappointment for the ex-NFL player -- he's batted .231 or worse in all but one of his seasons.

Church, meanwhile, also ripped the Mets for an injury he suffered in his career ... claiming they forced him to pitch when his body wasn't ready.

Church says he decided to go forward with his rant Thursday because "now that it’s officially over with them I’d like to say some things."

Minnesota Twins outfielder Max Kepler has apologized for wearing a Blue Lives Matter mask in the wake of George Floyd's tragic death ... saying he "had no idea that the mask had any underlying inferences."

The 27-year-old MLB player posted a picture of himself in a mask featuring a Blue Lives Matter flag ... just days after people accused a Minneapolis cop of killing Floyd by putting his knee to the man's neck.

The mask -- which had a black and grey American flag with a blue stripe in it -- caused tremendous online backlash for Kepler ... but the Berlin, Germany native brushed off the criticism.

"✌️wasn’t aware what the mask supported. still not into politics" Max wrote.

But, that only caused MORE criticism for the MLB player ... and he finally addressed the issue formally in a lengthy statement on his social media page Thursday.

"Earlier, I posted a photo of me in a mask that was sent to me by a company, to wear during the pandemic," Kepler said. "I had no idea that the mask had any underlying inferences -- I simply thought it looked good."

"After I was informed, I immediately took down the post. I take complete responsibility for not knowing what I was wearing. I am truly sorry for the hurt and pain my actions have caused, especially now."

Kepler continued, "Racism has no place in our world and I do not in any way support the actions that we all witnessed that led to George Floyd’s passing. My sympathies are with the Floyd family."

The Twins have not addressed Kepler's picture directly ... but did release a statement of their own Thursday, saying, "We are deeply saddened by the tragic and senseless death of George Floyd Monday night in Minneapolis."

"The Minnesota Twins send our deepest sympathies to the Floyd family, and join our Twin Cities community in mourning."

Kofi Kingston, Chavo Guerrero, Chuck Liddell -- just some of the stars who gathered in Venice, CA on Thursday to remember their friend, Shad Gaspard.

Pro wrestlers like Shelton Benjamin, Lilian Garcia, Chris Masters, Mickie James, John Morrison and Montel Vontavious Porter (aka MVP) stood side by side with MMA stars like Chuck and Josh Barnett.

The event appeared to be a celebration of Shad's life -- the attendees were smiling and flexing afterward.

Of course, Shad passed away on March 17 when he was caught in a riptide while swimming with his 10-year-old son.

Lifeguards rushed out to help them -- but Shad directed them to rescue his son first. Moments later, a giant wave crashed on Gaspard, pulling him under.

Shad has been praised as a hero by superstars like The Rock and Arnold Schwarzenegger ... and a makeshift memorial was erected at the Gold's Gym in Venice where Shad often worked out.

RIP.

Mackenzie Dern refuses to blame her first UFC loss on the fact she fought just 4 MONTHS after giving birth ... telling TMZ Sports, "I don't regret coming back."

Dern gave birth to her daughter, Moa, on June 9, 2019 -- and somehow managed to get back into fighting shape to take on Amanda Ribas on October 12.

27-year-old Dern (7-1) ultimately lost the fight via unanimous decision -- but now that she's had time to reflect, we asked if she thinks she came back too soon.

"No, definitely not," Dern says ... "I felt good for the fight. I was prepared."

"I lost but ya know I don't think it was because it was too soon. I think Amanda was just better than me that night and she came out with the win and I came out with the loss and that's it."

"I don't regret coming back at that time ... I wish it was a win because then I could of maybe fought sooner again but I'm just happy to be able to be fighting now."

Now, Dern is focusing her energy on Hannah Cifers (10-4) -- they face off Saturday in Las Vegas at UFC Fight Night.

Dern -- one of the top-ranked Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu practitioners in the world -- says her goal is to take the fight to the ground and submit Cifers quickly, "and get home to go see my daughter with no cuts or bruises!"

Suspended MLB pitcher Felipe Vazquez -- who's already behind bars and facing more than 20 felonies in a child sex case -- has been hit with a new child porn charge in St. Louis, according to reports.

Remember, 28-year-old Vazquez was arrested back in September for allegedly sexually assaulting a 13-year-old girl in 2017 ... and was also charged with sending nude pictures and videos of himself to the victim.

In docs, obtained by the Trib, Vazquez was charged with a count of "furnishing pornographic materials to a juvenile" in February ... a Class A misdemeanor.

According to the docs, the act allegedly went down from Vazquez's hotel room on July 16 ... when he sent nudes and a video of himself masturbating to a 15-year-old girl.

Worth noting ... the Pirates beat the Cardinals 3-1 that same day, and Vazquez recorded the save for Pittsburgh.

The Westmoreland County, PA Assistant DA told the Trib he believes the minor is the same girl at the center of Vazquez's other charges.

Jameis Winston is adding yet another sport to his training arsenal ... this time it's boxing -- and the NFL QB is doing it with a personal punching lesson from Keith Thurman!!!

The new Saints quarterback hit up the legendary St. Pete Boxing Club in St. Petersburg, Fla. on Thursday to get in a boxing sesh with One Time -- and the vid of the training is pretty intense.

Thurman showed Jameis how to throw punches with knockout power ... and by the end of it -- the former No. 1 overall pick looked all right hitting the heavy bag!!

Of course, Winston is used to being a multi-sport athlete -- he used to pitch for Florida State while he was a superstar QB there -- so it ain't exactly a surprise to see him take the training so quickly.

As for Jameis' workout regimen this offseason ... the 26-year-old has done it all -- from pushing cars, to swinging baseball bats to dodging heavy bags being thrown at his head.

Here's the first EVER look at the newest addition to Becky Lynch and Seth Rollins' family!!

The Man posted an ultrasound of The Baby (nickname pending) in honor of her fiance's birthday on Thursday ... saying "I love you and can’t wait to start this next crazy chapter with you."

Still no word on gender, name or exact due date -- but hey, at least we got a pic!

Of course, the wrestling community went wild earlier this month when Lynch announced she was relinquishing her Raw Championship belt to start a family with the fellow WWE Superstar.

The couple found out a little one was on the way back in April ... and Lynch has recently said she's always wanted kids.

Lynch posted an emotional message to the papa-to-be on his 34th cake day ... saying, "This person right here is my favorite person in the world."

"I thought I was doing fairly well in life before, but then you came along and made me feel like the luckiest (and happiest) human in the world."

Lynch and Rollins have been dating since early 2019 ... and got engaged in August during a romantic beachfront proposal.

Can we just take a second to appreciate how attractive this couple is??

Is that Dennis Rodman? Why is he putting a 9-pack of toilet paper in the middle of a busy street during a rainstorm?

Is he signing that guy's cast? Smoking a cigar? Aggressively hitting on women?

Is that a cop? He's definitely wearing a mask. Why isn't anyone else?

SO MANY QUESTIONS! BARELY ANY ANSWERS!

Welcome to another edition of, "The Bizarre Adventures of Dennis Rodman!!"

Here's the deal ... this video was shot on Sunday at the American Social gastropub in Ft. Lauderdale.

Witnesses tell us Rodman showed up with some friends around 3:45 PM and seemed to be on a mission to entertain.

No one seems to know where Rodman found the toilet paper -- but he was flaunting it like it was still Week 1 of quarantine!

At one point, he ran the TP into the street -- but we're told a police officer who was in the area instructed him to pick it up. Dennis complied.

"Entitled and spoiled? Mf watch yo mouth."

Damian Lillard just went OFF on ESPN's Dan Orlovsky over his criticism of the NBA star ... and the former Lions QB took the heat so hard, he issued an apology to Dame within minutes of the rant.

Here's the backstory ... Lillard said earlier this week he would sit out NBA games this summer if the league didn't provide his Trailblazers a "true opportunity" to make the playoffs.

Orlovsky took issue with those comments on Thursday's "Get Up!" ... and ripped the Portland superstar for coming off as "spoiled" and "entitled."

When Lillard got word of the name-calling ... he didn't hold back, taking aim at Orlovsky on social media, "Entitled and spoiled? Mf watch yo mouth. My background, family, and character couldn’t be further FROM entitled and spoiled. I said what I said!"

Lillard didn't stop there ... bashing Orlovsky for being a career backup in the NFL -- saying, "You sat out ya whole career basically."

To his credit, Dan was quick to backpedal off his comments ... writing back to Lillard, "No you’re right I was wrong to use that phrase at the end. That’s my bad."

"My comment started with saying I hope we all realize nothing is meaningless anymore. And if it’s about protecting loved ones-100%. I shouldn’t have said entitled or brat and that’s on me and my bad."

Doesn't seem Lillard cared much for the mea culpa ... 'cause he fired right back, "Go back on TV w @realskipbayless and tell all those viewers that."

"And tell skip I can answer his question as well 'what have I done' since y’all got so much to say. And I don’t know either one of y’all."

Apparently not -- Skip Bayless hosts 'Undisputed' on FS1 these days and hasn't been on ESPN in years!