TMZ Sports - Page 20

Legendary Indianapolis Colts coach Howard Mudd -- the man responsible for getting O-linemen to block for Peyton Manning for YEARS -- died Wednesday, team owner Jim Irsay announced.

He was 78 years old.

According to Mudd's family members ... the famous NFL coach was involved in a serious accident on July 29 -- and succumbed to injuries Wednesday.

"Right after the accident he fought so hard against all odds to communicate to us that he loves us and that he knows we love him," Mudd's family said in a statement.

"[On Tuesday], it became clear that he was ready and that we needed to surround him with love and fight for his right to comfort and peace."

"This morning he was surrounded in the room by his sons [Darren and Adam] who held his arms and prayed over him as he passed away."

Mudd is known as one of the league's greatest offensive line coaches ever ... he famously produced O-lines year after year in Indy that protected Manning during the Hall of Fame QB's prime.

Mudd ultimately coached for nearly 5 DECADES in the league ... and was a damn good O-lineman himself during his playing days in the 1960s.

"Rest in peace, Howard Mudd," Irsay said Wednesday. "Howard was a GREAT player during a shortened career and then became one of the game's all-time greatest offensive line coaches."

"He contributed to many different teams over 47 years in our league---but he will always be a Colt. #LoveYouHoward."

Dak Prescott spoke out Wednesday on the tragic passing of his older brother, Jace ... and the Dallas Cowboys QB said emotionally, "it's tough, obviously."

"He meant a lot to my family, meant a lot to me," the 27-year-old told reporters in his first news conference since Jace's passing. "He's part of the reason I am a quarterback."

"When I was a little kid, he's the reason that I first started throwing the football."

Jace -- one of Dak's two older brothers -- died suddenly at the age of 31 this past April. The family has not publicly revealed the cause of death.

Dak was clearly torn up over the loss. In fact, it took the QB nearly four months to open up about it all publicly ... telling reporters Wednesday he's now making it his life's mission to carry on his brother's legacy.

"It's been a tough year," Dak said. "It's been a tough year for me personally. It's been a tough year for my family. It's been a tough year for this country and this world, obviously. So, it's all been tough."

Dak says he leaned on his Cowboys teammates and his other family members to get him through it all ... adding, "I have a great family to count on, to lean on. Great supporters here, great teammates. Great coaches."

As we previously reported ... Dak and Jace were extremely close -- the two famously filmed a Campbell's Chunky Soup commercial together in 2019, where the QB praised Jace and his other brother for being a great support system.

Sean Payton was hit with all the hard questions during a conference call with reporters on Wednesday ... and like a true pro, he had the answers to EVERYTHING -- even a pesky stain!!!

"Let me ask you a question," the reporter began -- not knowing everyone in the call could hear him -- "I spilled mustard on my suit..."

And, before the reporter was able to finish his thought -- or realize he wasn't muted -- the New Orleans Saints coach came through with some sound advice!!

"Generally with mustard, I'd use warm water," Payton said.

"I wanna use warm water, I don't wanna wipe it, I want to blot it and I want to treat it twice."

Of course, the embarrassed reporter quickly apologized for the hilarious blunder -- apologizing for having his mic on -- but Payton continued helping with his problem.

"You can't put it in the dryer on hot or it's going to be stained. If none of those things are working, seek outside help."

Patrick Mahomes says he's personally spoken with NFL commish Roger Goodell about the Black Lives Matter movement ... adding he's "excited" about taking the next steps.

The Kansas City Chiefs QB appeared on FS1's "Undisputed" on Wednesday where he was asked if he feels the BLM movement's impact on the NFL.

"I feel like it's been positive," Mahomes said.

"I've got to talk to Goodell, I've talked to other guys around the league and obviously now it's about action."

He added, "It's about going out there and making the right steps that we can ... and make the community a better place."

Mahomes -- who teamed up with other NFL to deliver a powerful statement to the league back in June -- says they're already getting the ball rolling with voter registration initiatives.

"We did a voter registration with the team and the Chiefs and we're trying to get everybody registered to vote," Mahomes said.

Jerry Jones says the Cowboys might be backing off his "toe the line" national anthem kneeling policy ... with the Dallas owner telling media members Wednesday he's considering a new rule.

The 77-year-old, who has famously threatened to cut players if they kneel during the pregame song, now says he's going to have an open dialogue with his team over the policy.

Jerry told reporters he's currently trying to find a way that pleases both protesters and staunch flag supporters when it comes to the team's newest anthem kneeling rule.

"Somewhere in between there," Jones said, "as we get together with our team, as we discuss with the team, somewhere in between there is how we're going to handle it."

Jerry says he's been in contact with several powerful people over how the Cowboys should move forward with the policy ... saying both past and current U.S. presidents have shared their feelings with him on the matter.

"I have talked to literally double handfuls of very, very engaged people," Jones said. "I have had input from ex-presidents, I've had input from presidents."

"I've had input from a cross-section of our players, former players and I will continue to have input. This is a very serious matter."

Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver John Ross III has left training camp to take care of his son ... after his 3-year-old and the child's mother both tested positive for coronavirus.

Ross did not attend practice on Tuesday as he flew back to Los Angeles to help care for his family, according to NFL Network's Tom Pelissero.

The timing isn't exactly ideal for the 24-year-old speedster --he's been hoping to have a breakout season with Cincy after 3 injury-plagued years in the league.

Ross was selected with the 9th overall pick in the 2017 Draft after flashing some insane speed. He's shown real potential on the field but injuries have been a problem.

He will now be placed on the Bengals' Reserve/COVID-19 list ... and a return date has not been set.

Ross frequently posts on social media his son, Juju -- and raves about how much he loves being a father.

Ozuna is moving on up ... to a massive mansion in Miami.

Our real estate sources tell us the "Caramelo" singer is the new owner of a 5-bedroom, 6-bathroom crib in Miami's coveted Coconut Grove neighborhood. We're told Ozuna dropped a cool $5,475,000 for the 7,200-square-foot pad, which is nestled in a lush, half-acre lot littered with palm trees.

The modern mansion is like a mini resort ... it's decked out with a pool, putting green, basketball court and a large outdoor patio. Ozuna's new place also features floor to ceiling windows, a home theater, a chef's kitchen and a summer kitchen.

Ozuna's already taking advantage of the home gym too.

The pad comes furnished, and as you can see in the gallery, there's tons of artwork and paintings throughout.

Ozuna's the second celeb to call this place home ... we're told it used to belong to former NFL linebacker and University of Miami football star Jon Beason.

Lourdes Alatriste of Engel & Völkers Miami held the listing.

8/24 is now officially "Kobe Bryant Day" in Orange County!

The Orange County Board of Supervisors voted on Tuesday to honor the late Lakers legend -- and the measure passed with flying colors.

"During his career, Kobe Bryant’s numbers on his jerseys were 8 and 24, therefore a fitting day to celebrate his legacy would be August 24," the resolution said.

Of course, Kobe lived in Orange County for most of his 20-year career with the L.A. Lakers ... and his family stayed there even after he retired.

Kobe was well-liked around town -- and was seen several times playing the role of Good Samaritan when he spotted car accidents.

So, when Kobe -- along with daughter Gianna and 7 other people -- passed away in a January 26 helicopter crash, officials wanted to make sure to honor his legacy.

"Kobe Bryant was a basketball legend that inspired so many globally to pursue their dreams and taught us that hard work truly pays off," the resolution says.

Officials even spell out how fans can celebrate KBD -- "By engaging in community building, helping young people in need, encouraging aspiring youth to follow their dreams, and living by Bryant's words: 'The most important thing is to try and inspire people so that they could be great in whatever they want to do.'"

FYI, Kobe's #8 and #24 jerseys were both retired by the Lakers -- he's the only player in franchise history to have two numbers hanging in the rafters.

Absolutely laugh out loud scene on Tuesday's episode of "Hard Knocks" ... Rams coach Sean McVay blasted his players for crappin' in the team's porta-potties -- telling them straight up, "Have a little bit more social awareness!"

Here's the deal ... the Rams set up portable Johns on their Los Angeles practice fields for training camp so guys could take piss breaks during workouts.

But McVay, in a team meeting recorded by HBO's cameras, says dudes were violating rules by poopin' in the toilets ... and coach wasn't happy with that AT ALL!!!

The rant was hilarious ... "Don't be the guy that takes a sh*t in the porta-potties!" McVay said.

"I went in there and I about threw up," he added ... "That's to take a piss! Don't take a sh*t in the porta-potties! All right!"

For their part, Rams players could not stop laughing about the whole situation ... cameras caught superstar Aaron Donald nearly in tears over it all!!

The NBA will allow players to FINALLY bring guests into the Bubble environment in Orlando ... but not EVERYONE will be allowed in.

In fact, the NO ENTRANCE list is the most interesting part!!

First off, the guest list will open up to players beginning after the 1st round of the NBA playoffs (which is approaching fast).

The league sent a memo to teams, obtained by ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski, laying out the criteria for entrance.

"Four guests per player, but can be exceeded for children," Woj says.

"Guests can travel on team charters following testing. Guests will be allowed to attend games."

There will be strict quarantine protocols for guests before they're allowed inside the bubble ... similar to what the players are already going through.

But, here's where it gets interesting ... the league is clearly trying to prevent players from bringing in random people they meet on social media for booty calls. Aka, no randoms from Tinder!!!

"Any individual the player has not previously met in person or with whom the player has had limited in-person interactions [will not be granted access]."

The league cites a hypothetical example of a person who would NOT be allowed in -- "[someone] known by the player only through social media or an intermediary."

Get it? Seems pretty clear to us!

Woj says other people NOT allowed inside include "agents, trainers, massage/physical therapists, personal chefs and tattoo artists."

Sorry, no new ink inside the bubble!

Once inside, Woj says "Each player is allowed one ticket per playoff game for a guest -- plus an additional admission for a child (32 inches and below)."

Gilbert Arenas recently told us he's been talking to players who are griping about not being able to get booty while inside the bubble.

Cleveland Indians pitcher Adam Plutko just roasted the hell out of his teammates Mike Clevinger and Zach Plesac for partying amid the pandemic ... saying straight up, "They hurt us bad."

"They lied to us," Plutko told reporters after the Tribe's loss to the Cubs on Tuesday. "They sat here in front of you guys and publicly said things that they didn't follow through on."

"It's gonna be up to them. It really is. I'll let them sit here and tell you how they're gonna earn their trust back."

As we previously reported, both Plesac and Clevinger were busted for leaving their team hotel over the weekend to hang out with friends in the Windy City.

It's obviously a huge no-no ... MLB teams like the Marlins and Cardinals have had their seasons completely derailed by COVID outbreaks, so unpermitted meetups are seriously frowned upon.

Both Clevinger and Plesac were placed on the restricted list for their actions and forced into quarantine ... and Plutko -- who had to fill in for Clevinger on the mound Tuesday -- was pretty pissed over it all.

"I don't need to put words in their mouths," the 28-year-old said. "The term that I continue to hear -- and excuse my language -- is 'grown-ass man.'"

"So those grown-ass men can sit here and tell you guys what happened and tell you guys what they're gonna do to fix it. I don't need to do that for them."

WARNING: THIS IS GNARLY!!!!

UFC fighter Joe Pyfer's elbow bent in a way no person's arm EVER should in his fight with Dustin Stoltzfus on Tuesday ... and it was so gruesome, Dana White nearly threw up ringside!

The disturbing injury all went down at DW’s Contender Series 28 ... where late in the 1st round of the Stoltzfus-Pyfer tilt, Pyfer was tossed and extended his arm to break his fall.

The problem? As Stoltzfus' weight crashed down on Pyfer ... his arm exploded outward -- dislocating at the elbow!!!

Here's the raw video -- but warning -- it's GROSS!

The fight was immediately waived off ... and the injury was so bad, when cameras cut to White, he was squirming in his seat and holding himself back from hurling!!!

Dana later commented ... saying, "I’m glad [Pyfer] only dislocated his elbow and didn’t break it on tonight’s Contender Series."

Despite the horrifying scene ... Pyfer took it all in stride -- he actually appeared to apologize to Stoltzfus and said straight up, "This sucks, bro."

YA THINK!?

Pyfer posted footage of himself in the hospital afterward vowing to come back.

Big career move for Deion Sanders -- who just announced he's leaving his gig at the NFL Network for a role at Barstool Sports.

Prime Time spent 14 years as an on-air analyst with the NFL Network -- but there were rumblings of a contract dispute and he bailed.

But, the 53-year-old ain't riding off into the sunset ... on the contrary, he's joining Barstool Sports where he'll bolster the company's NFL coverage with his own podcast and weekly appearances on "Pardon My Take" to break down NFL games.

"I'm happy! I'm excited," Sanders said on "PMT" ... while revealing the name of his podcast will be "21st and Prime."

What's interesting ... Barstool has been at WAR with NFL commish Roger Goodell for years and ya gotta wonder how Rog feels about one of the sport's biggest stars EVER landing with the enemy.

As we previously reported, Barstool honcho Dave Portnoy recently won a charity auction to watch an NFL game with Goodell, but the league refunded his winning bid, labeling Portnoy as persona non grata.

L.A. Chargers head coach Anthony Lynn revealed he was diagnosed with COVID earlier this year -- and only got tested after hearing about a golfer with similar symptoms.

51-year-old Lynn spelled it out on the season premiere of HBO's "Hard Knocks" -- and though he didn't specifically say WHEN he tested positive.

"I can't promise you you're not going to get infected," Lynn told his players during a video chat meeting ... "I got infected."

He continued, "What I want to do is limit your exposure, but then when that whistle blows, let's go kick somebody's ass and play some football."

Later in the show, Lynn was asked about his symptoms -- and how he realized he had coronavirus.

"I’m coughing a little bit, then my body started aching a little bit. I couldn’t get comfortable in my bed," Lynn said.

Lynn then explained that he was watching a golf match and saw that a golfer had pulled out after experiencing similar symptoms -- and laster tested positive for COVID.

"I said, 'sh*t. My body kinda felt like that.'"

"If I hadn't been watching the golfing game and saw that golfer complain about backaches and soreness ... I never even would have gotten tested And I would have had this and never even known it. And probably got people infected."

Lynn says he was more worried about being branded an "outcast" than batting the virus itself.

"All the sudden, I'm the problem. I'm used to fixing the problem, now I'm the problem."

Lynn was eventually cleared to return to work -- where his players are staff are tested for COVID every day.

With the Pac 12 and the Big Ten shut down for 2020 -- sources tell TMZ Sports there are serious discussions about having 2 football seasons in 2021, 3 months apart.

The proposed plan, according to our sources would be a season that runs from February to April -- followed by 3 months off.

The 2nd season would kick off in August and run through the rest of the year ... on the normal college football schedule.

All of this is predicated on the notion that it will be safe to play again by the spring. In other words, there needs to be a real plan on the handle to handle the COVID threat. A cure would be nice.

With PAC 12 programs shut down until at least January, coaching staff can NOW start to focus on recruiting top players for the Fall 2021 season ... and coaches aren't wasting time.

There are other issues facing major college programs regarding how to handle players currently on campus -- keep them around or send them home?

One source tells us ... it will be up to players if they want to stay on campus or return to their homes. With most classes available online and no team practices allowed until January, some players will see no reason to stay.

But, with scholarship athletes still getting lodging and food plans covered by the schools, some are expected to stick around.

Another issue ... several programs are expecting some of their top players to opt out and prepare for the NFL Draft instead of waiting out the college football season.

As one source put it, "It's a smart move for some players with so much money at stake."

Icelandic behemoth Hafthor Bjornsson -- AKA "The Mountain" from "Game of Thrones" -- is calling it QUITS ... retiring from Strongman competitions after another dominant victory!

The 31-year-old legend made the stunning announcement Sunday after being crowned Iceland's Strongest Man for the 10th consecutive year!

"Great way to finish my strongman career," Bjornsson said ... "Now a different journey starts and I’m super excited."

Bjornsson definitely went out with a bang -- winning all 6 events at the Iceland competition ... a clean sweep.

But, he's not completely shutting the door on a comeback -- saying he'll continue to train ... and he'll see how he feels after taking some time off.

"Maybe I’ll never return but never say never right. I’m still only 31 years old and could come back in a few years if my heart wants it!"

"Right now my heart tells me that I need to be healthy for my family and do what’s best for them!"

Bjornsson's wife is pregnant with their second child.

Even if he never competes again, he's got one helluva resume:

-- He the prestigious World's Strongest Man Competition in 2018

-- He won 3 straight Arnold Strongman Classics (2018, 2019, 2020)

-- He holds the record for heaviest deadlift at 1,104 pounds, which he set in May 2020.

Of course, Bjornsson also became an International TV star thanks to his head-crushing role on "Game of Thrones."