TMZ Sports - Page 50

Nick Foles is killing it right now ... but when Carson Wentz gets healthy, the starting QB job in Philly is HIS ... so says Eagles legend Brian Westbrook.

Westbrook -- who's in the Eagles Hall of Fame -- tells TMZ Sports he's incredibly proud of the job Foles has done filling in for Wentz, but even if he wins the Super Bowl ... he won't get the starting nod next season.

"When Carson Wentz is healthy, Carson Wentz will be the starting QB of the Eagles."

Jason Kidd just got the boot in Milwaukee -- but he's already got a rebound offer from one of the most powerful head coaches in the NBA!

Well, sorta ... we got Doc Rivers and Tom Thibodeau -- Doc's former Celtics assistant -- leaving Craig's after Thibodeau's T-Wolves edged Rivers' Clippers in L.A.

Naturally, we had to bring up the shocking J-Kidd firing ... and Doc immediately went to bat for the NBA legend, saying he would "absolutely" add him to his coaching staff.

One problem -- there ain't any vacancies on his bench at the moment ... and he's already got big-name assistants like Sam Cassell and Mike Woodson.

Alright, guys ... this might actually be a thing.

Tennis superstar Genie Bouchard and the guy who won a date with her by betting on last year's Super Bowl are going back to the big game ... after NFL Canada (Genie's home country) offered to take them as guests.

The best part -- SHE ASKED HIM!!

"OMG. Back to where it all began?! And with the Patriots too?! I’m in! What do you say?" Genie tweeted at Missouri University student, John Goehrke.

Of course, John accepted -- "This keeps getting better. I’m in!"

You know the story -- Genie made a bet with John last year when the Falcons were up big on the Patriots ... agreeing to a date if the Pats pulled off a comeback.

They did ... and they've since gone on (at least) a few dates -- including a bikini beach sesh in Miami.

Kobe Bryant was just nominated for an Academy Award for Best Animated Short Film for his movie, "Dear Basketball" ... but it begs the question, Time's Up?

In a time where huge Hollywood stars are crushing people like Aziz Ansari, James Franco and others ... ya gotta remember, Kobe was formally charged with raping a woman back in 2003.

Remember, Bryant admitted having sex with a 19-year-old hotel staffer in Eagle, Colorado -- but insisted it was consensual.

By his account, things went south when Kobe asked the woman if he could ejaculate in her face during the sexual encounter. Kobe claims the woman denied his request and he stopped cold. The woman clearly saw things differently.

When approached by police, Kobe asked the cops if he could pay her off to make the situation go away.

Kobe was charged with sexual assault -- but the case was dropped when the accuser stopped cooperating with prosecutors. At the time, she claimed she was receiving hate mail and death threats.

She filed a civil suit against Kobe, which he later settled. There are reports he paid around $5 million, though Kobe claimed he never paid her a dime.

Kobe later released an apology saying, "I want to apologize directly to the young woman involved in this incident. I want to apologize to her for my behavior that night and for the consequences she has suffered in the past year."

Kobe added this part ... which sounds a lot like Aziz's explanation:

"Although I truly believe this encounter between us was consensual, I recognize now that she did not and does not view this incident the same way I did. After months of reviewing discovery, listening to her attorney, and even her testimony in person, I now understand how she feels that she did not consent to this encounter."

So, the big question ... how will Hollywood react if Kobe wins?

James Franco was not nominated for an Oscar, and there isn't a shadow of a doubt the reason is that 5 women have accused him of sexual misconduct.

It's a stunning statement ... Franco won the Golden Globe and the Critics' Choice Awards for Best Actor. The voting was partially completed before the allegations surfaced but obviously there were enough outstanding votes afterward to make a difference.

Here's what's interesting ... Kobe Bryant was nominated for Best Animated Short for "Dear Basketball." As you know, in 2003, Kobe was charged with raping a woman in Eagle, Colorado ... something he denied, claiming it was consensual. The case was dropped after the alleged victim refused to cooperate. Kobe settled a civil suit with the woman for a reported $5 million.

Mark Wahlberg denies being a steroid user ... saying his yolked bod is "all natural" and a result of "hard work."

We got Mark Monday in L.A. and asked about allegations that he, Josh Duhamel and WWE star Roman Reigns were clients of a now-jailed roid dealer, Richard Rodriguez.

Mark's adamant -- his gains come from nothing else but his own work ethic. He even bashes steroid use, saying it screws with your health.

As for any potential legal action ... it sounds like Marky Mark's just trying to put this thing behind him. Josh and Roman seem down with that, too. Both have also denied steroid use.

There will be no Jerseygate 2 at Super Bowl LII -- with law enforcement putting together special plans to watch Tom Brady's jersey LIKE A HAWK in the wake of last year's theft, TMZ Sports has learned.

First off, the guy who jacked Tom's jersey out of the locker room in 2017, Mauricio Ortega, has been banned from all Super Bowls (and all NFL games) for life ... an NFL spokesperson tell us.

Law enforcement directly involved with the SBLII protection in Minneapolis says the protection of player property -- especially game-used memorabilia -- will be a major priority this time around.

As one source put it ... "One of the main goals is to keep people and property safe. We do not want a repeat of last year and we have learned lessons from other major sporting events."

We're told the overall security plan involves federal agencies, multiple state agencies and private security plus "surveillance everywhere."

Still, Tom might wanna have a designated "jersey guy" just in case ...

With LeBron James and Steph Curry picking the teams for the NBA All-Star game, we asked Kyrie Irving if he'd be upset if his old teammate didn't pick him first.

Ya gotta see what Kyrie says when we spotted him at Delilah in West Hollywood.

For the record, Irving is having a killer season with the Boston Celtics -- averaging 24.5 points per game and carrying the team on his back. He's definitely an MVP candidate.

So, Bron's GOTTA pick him first, right?! We'll see ...

Johnny Manziel and his hot fiancee have a message for all the Johnny Football lovers (and haters) out there -- IT'S COMEBACK SEASON!!!

No, Manziel hasn't finalized his deal with the CFL ... but him and Bre Tiesi are out flaunting his "ComebackSZN" gear as he waits on word from the Hamilton Tiger-Cats.

Johnny and Bre weren't too chatty when we got 'em leaving Delilah in L.A. over the weekend ... but they were happy to show off a sample of Manziel's new signature swag.

And if hoodies aren't your thing ... they also got t-shirts with Johnny's face on a $2 bill and "lost in the sauce" dad hats!!

The Phoenix Police Dept. has opened up an investigation into allegations made by a woman who claims she was raped by WWE superstar Enzo Amore back in October. The WWE has also suspended him indefinitely.

The woman went public with her story on social media Monday -- claiming Enzo (real name Eric Arndt) along with 2 friends got her "f*cked up" in a hotel room on Oct. 19 to the point where she passed out.

The woman claims Enzo then restrained her and, "it happened."

The Phoenix PD says officers responded to a local hospital on Oct. 23 for a call about a woman who claims she was sexually assaulted. Investigators were assigned to the case. The investigation is still open.

As for the WWE, the organization has suspended Enzo ... saying, "WWE has zero tolerance for matters involving sexual harassment or sexual assault."

"Until this matter is resolved, Eric Arndt has been suspended."

That Philadelphia Eagles fan who ran smack into a pole and bounced off a subway train is in even more pain than you thought ... as this new angle of his asinine celebration reveals.

The guy was all pumped up underground Sunday on his way to see his Eagles in the NFC Championship. He and some pals were standing around yelling, "Whooooo," and not really making much of an effort to board a waiting subway train.

Of course, once the train started moving, the guy decided to drunkenly chase it down the platform. The chase was over pretty quickly ... courtesy of a giant pole he never saw for some reason.

NFL Hall of Famer Cortez Kennedy donated his brain to the most famous CTE research center in the world when he passed away in May ... this according to the autopsy obtained by TMZ Sports.

Kennedy's body was discovered by a friend on May 23, 2017. At the time, it was unclear how the 48-year-old passed away.

But according to the autopsy report, the official cause of death is hypertensive heart disease -- a heart condition caused by high blood pressure, according to Healthline.com.

The medical examiner also lists pneumonia and diabetes as a contributing factor to Kennedy's death. He's listed in the autopsy as 6'1" and 265 lbs.

As we previously reported, Kennedy was hospitalized for swollen legs just days before he died.

The report shows Kennedy's family requested the ex-NFL star's brain be sent to the Boston University CTE Center for further examination.

BU is widely regarded as the leader in CTE research -- they've studied the brains of several deceased NFL stars including Aaron Hernandez and Dave Duerson.

Omarosa's learning that quitting -- or getting fired, depending on who you believe -- pays big time.

The former 'Apprentice' star and President Trump's former Director of Communications for the White House Office of Public Liaison has officially signed with the American Program Bureau ... joining its elite roster of speakers that includes Jay Leno, Diddy, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Magic Johnson.

We're told Omarosa signed her John Hancock Monday morning and will ask for up to $50k a speech, depending on the venue. Robert P. Walker, APB's founder and CEO, tells TMZ ... his firm's goal is to book at least 10 appearances over the next 3 months, and he thinks that's doable.

Walker says, "Since it's Black History Month and Women's History Month, I'm sure Omarosa will be in high demand, as she has always been."

Omarosa left Trump's administration last month but was reportedly on the White House payroll until Saturday. And now she's ready to talk ... for a fee.

File this under: we weren't sure either.

Floyd Mayweather keeps racking up the accolades, this time getting his very own day in a major American city ... that doesn't seem to have anything to do with Floyd.

It went down back on January 17 when Floyd was honored in Oklahoma City, where the brass in town officially declared the date Floyd Mayweather Day.

There were festivities aplenty ... including a dinner, followed by a meet-and-greet hosted by industry mover and shaker Karen Civil.

This was no joke people, Floyd received official documents from the state -- making the whole thing as official as a referee with a whistle.

All of this is great, but what we can't figure out is WHY OKLAHOMA CITY!!??? We couldn't find any connection between Money and OKC ... and it's got us pretty bewildered.

This has gotta hurt Kevin Durant a little ... just a little.

Here's Lakers star Jordan Clarkson doing his best LaVar Ball impression -- saying Lonzo Ball should be LeBron's 1st pick in the All-Star draft ... even though he ain't an All-Star.

Right.

We got Clarkson at Delilah over the weekend ... and asked him straight-up who Bron's #1 selection should be when him and Steph Curry choose their squad members later this week.

Apparently, Jordan didn't get the memo that you gotta be an actual All-Star to qualify.

Or, more likely, he just wanted to plug Lonzo and his venerable fashion brand ... with the help of the BBB entourage (which we're guessing JC inherits whenever Zo's out).

The Oakland Raiders are firing back at the man who sued the NFL team over an alleged attack at the hands of star cornerback Sean Smith ... claiming the team has NOTHING to do with the incident.

The accuser is Christopher Woods -- who claims Smith beat the hell out of him on July 4, 2017 outside of a bar in Pasadena, CA.

Wood not only sued Smith -- but also went after the Raiders claiming the team's aggressive strength and conditioning programs turned Smith into a human-wrecking machine. Wood also claimed Smith was in town as part of a team-sponsored promotional and marketing trip.

But the Raiders are calling B.S. -- claiming "the alleged assault has no conceivable nexus to the Raiders or Smith's employment with the Raiders."

The team essentially says in new docs filed in L.A. County Superior Court ... if the allegations are true, Smith acted on his own -- your beef is with him, not us.

As we previously reported, Wood claims Smith stomped on his face during the incident -- causing multiple facial fractures that required surgery. Wood claims he suffered brain damage.