TMZ Sports - Page 50

Lamar Jackson insists he was CRAMPING -- not CRAPPING -- and that's why he raced to the locker room in the middle of "Monday Night Football."

In other words, Lamar says he didn't "pull a Paul Pierce" and fake an injury so he could take a dump!

Here's the deal ... Lamar was leading his Baltimore Ravens in a close and heated game against the Cleveland Browns (ha) when something went wrong with the QB in the 3rd quarter.

ESPN showed footage of Lamar scrambling to get to the locker room -- and to be honest, it looked like a guy trying to keep the turtle's head from poking out ... if you catch our drift.

When Jackson returned to the field, he looked relieved -- and balled the hell out for the rest of the game!

So, everyone thought the poop theory was confirmed -- he left, he crapped, he came back feeling better and dominated ... right?

Lamar was asked about the toilet conspiracy after the game -- but adamantly DENIED the locker room trip was bowel-related!!

"No, I was cramping," Jackson said ... "I didn’t pull no Paul Pierce! I didn’t pull a Paul Pierce!"

Remember, Pierce left Game 1 of the 2008 NBA Finals in a wheelchair due to an apparent injury -- only to return to the court minutes later and led the Celtics to victory.

Years later, Pierce admitted he needed the wheelchair to keep from pooping himself on live TV.

But, Lamar insists he's no Paul Pierce -- and followed up with a tweet to reinforce his point.

As for the Ravens, they beat the Browns thanks to some excellent 4th quarter play by Lamar Jackson.

Chicago Bears defensive lineman Mario Edwards Jr. has been charged with assault over an alleged domestic violence incident -- but Edwards is adamant he did NOTHING wrong.

TMZ Sports has learned ... prosecutors in North Carolina are moving forward with an assault case against the 26-year-old NFL player, a 2nd round pick in the 2015 NFL Draft.

We've obtained court documents outlining the allegations against Edwards by a woman who says she had a dating relationship with him.

In the docs, the woman claims Edwards got violent with her in a North Carolina hotel room on October 17, 2020 (the day before the Bears played the Carolina Panthers). She says Edwards got aggressive when she turned down his sexual advances that night.

The woman claims she took out her phone to record Edwards yelling at her -- and he reacted by smacking her in the eye with his hand.

Then, she claims, Edwards grabbed her by the arm and "dragged her to the door of the hotel room."

The woman claims Edwards continued his attack down the hotel hall by an elevator where he struck her in her arm.

In court docs obtained by TMZ Sports, the woman claims she was hospitalized for injuries sustained during the alleged attack. She also says she was pregnant at the time of the incident.

The woman claims this was not a one-off -- insisting Edwards has a history of violent outbursts with her.

But, Edwards is calling B.S. on the allegations -- his agent tells TMZ Sports that Mario denies ever striking the woman.

In fact, Edwards told cops he's the real victim -- claiming the woman was the aggressor.

We've obtained a police report from the night in question where Edwards is also listed as a victim. In the narrative section, cops say they were called in reference to a woman hitting a man and scratching his forehead.

Mario's agent, Peter Schaffer, tells us, "Mario Edwards doesn’t condone domestic violence. At no time did Mario Edwards do anything that raised to the level of domestic violence, or any violence."

Schaffer says Mario acknowledges there was a verbal dispute -- but "When she started to scream and yell, Mario did what he’s been told. Walk away and de-escalate the situation."

That said, a spokesperson for the Mecklenburg County District Attorney's Office tells us Edwards has a criminal summons for a misdemeanor assault on a female -- which means the case is expected to go in front of a judge at some point.

No word on when that's expected to happen.

"Please! Please! Do not make me shoot you!"

Officials have released video of the deadly shooting incident involving ex-NFL player Ekom Udofia -- which shows officers begging him to drop his weapon before ultimately opening fire.

33-year-old Udofia was a defensive lineman who had a short stint with the Cincinnati Bengals and New Orleans Saints after leaving Stanford in 2009.

But, on Nov. 30, 2020 ... Udofia was shot and killed by Phoenix PD officers after they responded to reports of a possibly armed man messing with cars around 2 AM.

The video of the standoff was captured on body cam by the responding officers -- and has now been released to the public in a video presentation produced and distributed by the police.

WARNING: THE VIDEO OF THE INCIDENT IS GRAPHIC AND DISTURBING.

When the video starts, you can see and hear officers screaming at the top of their lungs at Udofia to drop what appears to be a handgun.

At one point, one of the officers begins to beg Udofia to comply -- but to no avail.

"Please drop the gun, dude! Please!" one officer screamed at Udofia. "Drop the gun, man! Please! Please! Do not make me shoot you!"

Udofia did not comply with the officers' orders ... and that's when one of the cops unloaded several rounds into the man's body.

The scene, though, didn't stop there ... because officers still could not get Udofia -- who a 911 caller said appeared to be under the influence of drugs -- to drop the weapon.

As officers begged and pleaded with Udofia to separate himself from the weapon ... cops fired less-than-lethal rounds at his body.

Suddenly, though, the 33-year-old appeared to get up and point the weapon at officers ... and that's when police fired more live bullets into the former football player.

In video of the scene, you can see cops then used pepper balls and even a police dog to ultimately get Udofia away from the weapon.

Officers were able to finally subdue Udofia several minutes after the initial shooting ... but they say he passed away from his injuries after he was transported to a local hospital.

Cops say the gun Udofia was using was eventually identified as a BB gun.

The high school football star, who attacked a referee in the middle of a game earlier this month, has been suspended from all high school sports for the rest of the school year.

And, since 18-year-old Emmanuel Duron is a senior -- the punishment will effectively end his career as a high school athlete.

Officials from the University Interscholastic League -- which oversees high school sports in Texas -- announced the punishment Monday stemming from the December 3 incident.

Duron was captured on video charging after head official Fred Gracia and smashing him to the ground in the 2nd quarter of a playoff game -- an apparent retaliation for being ejected from the game due to a late hit penalty.

Gracia was injured in the attack. Afterward, the ref's daughter said he was recovering and expected to be okay.

Duron -- one of the top players in the area -- was arrested and booked for assault causing bodily injury.

The UIL announced Duron's head coach at Edinburg High School, J.J. Leija, will also be placed on "probation" for the 2021-2022 school year over the incident.

There's more ... "Additionally, the Edinburg High School Athletic Department received a public reprimand and probation for all athletic activities for 2 years," the UIL added.

"You win one championship and you don't know how to act!!!"

L.A. Lakers superstar Anthony Davis rolled up to the team facility in a brand new (crazy expensive) Rolls-Royce on Monday ... and Kyle Kuzma came with the jokes!!!

"Yo, yo, yo, yo, yo, big dawg. Look at this car," Kuzma jokingly said to AD ... "This dude. You actin' different!!!!"

The ride is RIDICULOUS -- looks like a tricked out Rolls-Royce Wraith, which reportedly starts at $330,000!!!

And, you know AD ain't gettin' the base model -- so fair to assume this thing is probably closer to $400,000.

Yeah, he can afford it -- dude just signed a 5-year, $190 MILLION extension with the Lakers. So, this is like the equivalent of any normal person dropping a few bucks on a Hot Wheels toy!!!

As for Kuzma, he got a big laugh out of Davis -- so still friends?!

The Lakers superstars sure do love fancy cars -- remember, it was just a week ago LeBron James was spotted zipping around L.A. in a sick Porsche 918 Spyder convertible!

Bron's car ain't just fast, it's also super rare and in high demand -- with similar rides selling for around $1.7 MILLION!!!!

Kyrie Irving is extending an olive branch to the media -- finally meeting with reporters Monday and insisting his "pawns" comment last week wasn't a shot at them.

The Brooklyn Nets star also walked back some comments about head coach Steve Nash -- so, yeah ... lot's going on here!

First, the "Pawns" issue ...

Remember, Irving was fined $25,000 for blowing off NBA media obligations last week. He later issued a statement saying, "I do not talk to Pawns. My attention is worth more."

Most interpreted the comment as a shot at journalists -- but when he was asked about it on Monday, Irving explained how he meant to say he's trying to eliminate everything in his life that could be considered a distraction from basketball.

"The focus is what's going on here, my job." Irving said. "And I wanted to make sure that was clear -- no distractions, nothing about dispelling anything, nothing about going back-and-forth, nothing about calling out one person or another."

"Not even referring to you guys as pawns or media. It's just really how I felt about the mistreatment of certain artists when we get to a certain platform of when we make decisions within of lives to have full control and ownership."

Then, Irving addressed the comments he made about Steve Nash earlier this year ... right after Nash was hired as head coach.

Remember, Irving had said, "I don’t really see us having a head coach ... it's a collaborative effort."

Not exactly a ringing endorsement of his new coach ... but Irving walked back those comments on Monday -- praising Nash in the process.

"Steve's been amazing and it really is a reflection of the type of person he is and the IQ he has for the game," Irving said.

The Cleveland Indians are reportedly going the way of the Washington Football Team -- they're finally changing their team name, although it's unclear what it will be.

The NYT reports an announcement from the team is expected sometime this week, and the news is they're dropping the "Indians" name -- which they've had since 1915 -- and will start a process of adopting something new.

Thing is ... the report says they'll probably keep their current name for the 2021 season, and officially lose it for 2022 -- all while engaging the public about an appropriate alternative. In the interim, the team is reportedly considering going by the Cleveland Baseball Team.

As for the famous logo of a Native American -- known as Chief Wahoo -- that image was retired a couple years back, and the team adopted a letter "C" as their new official symbol.

The move to drop "Indians" is a long time coming -- similar to how Washington dropped "Redskins" not too long ago. There's been mounting pressure for years from the Native American community, as many found the caricatures/nicknames downright degrading.

Some Cleveland fans love the original name -- but it's clear the team's management and ownership feel it's time to get with the times, and stop exploiting indigenous groups.

Boxing star Victor Ortiz is officially off the hook in his sexual assault case stemming from an alleged rape in 2018 -- all of the criminal charges have been dropped, TMZ Sports has confirmed.

As we previously reported, 33-year-old Ortiz was hit 3 felony charges after a woman claimed she was raped by the boxer at a residence in Oxnard, CA.

Ortiz was arrested and booked for forcible rape, forcible oral copulation and forcible digital penetration -- and was facing serious prison time if convicted. Ortiz has long denied the allegations and spent the past 2 years fighting the case in court.

But, the case was formally dismissed at a court hearing on Monday -- and according to court records obtained by TMZ Sports, prosecutors say they simply could not prove the case beyond a reasonable doubt.

Ortiz was pleased with the decision, posing for a picture in front of the courthouse with his attorney, Sam Spira, and others.

Ortiz also issued a statement, saying, "Although I was confident this would be the result, this still has been a terrible and unimaginable ordeal that I am relieved to put behind me."

"With this case no longer my focus, I look forward to picking up and advancing my boxing and entertainment careers."

"I can’t wait to get back in the gym. I also look forward to spending my time with my two young children, my family and loyal friends without the weight of these charges hanging over me and my loved ones."

Ortiz -- who competed on "Dancing With the Stars" in 2013 -- was dropped from his Sept. 2018 bout with John Molina Jr. after his arrest. The 33-year-old has not fought since.

Ortiz was also a budding actor before the allegations - starring in movies like "The Expendables 3" and "South Paw."

Seems everyone in Philly is ready to anoint Jalen Hurts the next starting QB of the Eagles ... except the one guy who matters.

Eagles head coach Doug Pederson says he still needs to "take a look" at the game film before making a decision -- despite the fact Hurts led the Birds to a 24 to 21 win over the 1st place New Orleans Saints in his very first NFL start.

Hurts was 17 for 30 with 167 yards, a TD and most importantly ZERO interceptions in the victory ... not bad against one of the best defenses in the league!

But, when asked Monday morning if Hurts will be QB1 next week instead of Carson Wentz, Pederson wouldn't commit.

"I'm gonna take a look at yesterday," Pederson told SportsRadio "94WIP" ... "I'm gonna look at a lot of different things before I make that determination this week."

What? Why? Hurts plays great! Carson Wentz has been struggling like crazy. Seems like an obvious move to most people.

Pederson was complimentary when asked about Jalen's performance ... saying "There was some really, really good plays. He played well. He managed the team, he did everything we asked him to do."

"He played smart, he played physical with the run. Some of it was designed run, some of it was just him being him and what he can do. It's gonna be a really good film for him to look at and learn from and get better but I thought he did a really nice job."

So, start him!

Canelo Alvarez has touched down in Texas for his big fight against Callum Smith ... and he's traveling in style!

The boxing superstar took off Sunday in a private jet from San Diego -- where he trains -- and landed in San Antonio just before midnight.

Once he landed, Canelo was driven to his hotel where he went through COVID safety protocols -- including a temperature check and walk through one of those sanitizing misters.

Canelo is set to fight the undefeated Englishman (27-0) on Saturday night at the Alamodome.

Promoters say, "A limited amount of fans will be in attendance" due to the pandemic.

It's been a whirlwind month for Canelo -- who split with longtime fight promoter Oscar De La Hoya after some issues with CA's famous $365 MILLION contract.

Alvarez officially split with Golden Boy in early November -- and quickly booked the fight with Smith.

She made NFL history. Now she's being honored at the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

Check out the new display at the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio celebrating Callie Brownson ... the 1st woman to serve as a positions coach in a regular-season NFL game.

31-year-old Brownson made her historic debut on Nov. 29 against the Jacksonville Jaguars -- when she filled in for tight ends coach Drew Petzing who left the team to welcome his first child.

Brownson's usual role with the Browns is "chief of staff" -- but she's got prior experience as both a coach and a player!

She played for the D.C. Divas in the Women's Football Alliance from 2010-17 -- WHERE SHE STRAIGHT TRUCKED FOOLS!!!

After that, she served as a scouting intern with the New York Jets, the offensive quality control coach at Dartmouth and ultimately joined the Browns in 2020.

So, when the Browns needed someone to step up on game day, they realized Brownson was more than equipped to handle the situation.

In fact, Cleveland's tight end Austin Hooper caught a key TD in the Browns' 27 to 25 victory over Jacksonville ... giving the Orange and Brown their 8th win of the season.

The Pro Football Hall of Fame thought Brownson's accomplishment was so important and impressive, they've put her sideline jacket from the game on display ... next to an autographed game ball.

Chase Young's mom was THRILLED to see her son ball the hell out for the Washington Football Team on Sunday ... and we know this -- 'cause the rookie brought her to his postgame press conference!!!

Just minutes after Young tore apart the San Francisco 49ers in a 23-15 win ... the 21-year-old stepped to the podium to talk about his monster game.

That's when a reporter asked for his mom's opinion of his afternoon ... and, fortunately for all of us, she just happened to be on the phone with him!!!

Chase introduced her to the media ... and she then showered her baby boy with nothing but praise!

"Oh my gosh, I’m just so worn out," Young's mom, Carla, said. "This game was just outstanding I couldn’t even believe it. I was in shock."

The moment was super cool and super sweet ... especially because Carla has been one of Chase's biggest critics this season.

If you're unfamiliar, she famously gave him just a C+ grade for his first few games this year because his sack totals weren't up to her liking.

But, after Chase piled up 6 tackles, a sack, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery for a TD ... there were absolutely no complaints from Mama!

"He knows how to pick that ball up and not fall on it!" Carla said. "And, he got it and kept trucking!"

Tyson Fury says he's "optimistic" he will fight Anthony Joshua in 2021 -- telling his rival, "Grow a pair and sign the contract, Big Boy!"

The Gypsy King appeared on "Good Morning Britain" where Piers Morgan referenced a report that the fighters could sign a 2-fight deal worth more than $500 MILLION!!!

"Well that doesn’t sound too bad," Fury said ... "but then again, I don’t believe everything I see in the paper."

"Let’s hope this fight happens. I’m willing to take the fight, I don't know if they are. I’ve been willing to take the fight for the last 5 years. It’s not happened so far but I’m very optimistic that will happen in 2021."

Of course, Joshua is coming off a violent victory over Kubrat Pulev -- he demolished the heavyweight Saturday night with a 9th-round knockout.

After the fight, Joshua was asked about a possible matchup with Fury -- and Tyson wasn't satisfied with his answer!

Tyson even mocked AJ on social media -- "Anthony Joshua just sh*t himself live on television! He got asked did he want the fight … and he went around the bushes and put his ass on the edge!"

"I want the fight! I want the fight next! I'll knock him out inside 3 rounds! He's a big bum dosser, I can't wait to knock him out!"

31-year-old Joshua is 24-1 as a pro with his only loss coming by way of Andy Ruiz. He defeated Ruiz handily in the rematch.

32-year-old Fury is 30-0-1 -- with his 1 draw coming by way of Deontay Wilder. He smashed Wilder in the rematch.

A man who claims to be Kawhi Leonard's pal says Jerry West owes him $2.5 MIL for his role in helping the Clippers land the NBA superstar ... and he's demanding JW pay up ASAP.

It's all in a new lawsuit obtained by TMZ Sports ... in which Johnny Wilkes spells out how he agreed to work with West for a small fortune in exchange for help getting Kawhi in a Clippers uni.

Wilkes says back on April 10, 2019, he met West at Staples Center and informed the Clippers' executive board member he had close ties to Kawhi and Kawhi's uncle, Dennis Robertson.

Wilkes says he and West exchanged contact information ... and a few weeks later, in June, West asked Wilkes for help in courting Kawhi to Los Angeles.

In the suit, Wilkes claims he told West he'd only help if the Clippers would pay him $2.5 MILLION ... and Wilkes claims West agreed to the terms.

Wilkes says in the lawsuit he "immediately went to work" ... and began convincing Kawhi and Kawhi's uncle the Clippers were the right team for him after he had just left the Toronto Raptors.

Wilkes says he told West and the Clippers they needed to get Paul George first and foremost to hook Kawhi. He then says he helped connect West with Kawhi's uncle.

Wilkes also claims in the suit he gave West a specific gameplan for how the Clippers should pitch Kawhi during an important meeting with West, Leonard, Doc Rivers and others in July 2019.

"This information was vital," Wilkes said in the lawsuit, "because it was the exact information Kawhi Leonard wanted to hear at the time in order to effectuate his signing with the Clippers."

Wilkes also says he helped facilitate a deal between West and Kawhi's uncle ... in which West agreed to give Uncle Dennis a Southern California home and a travel expense account.

Wilkes says after Kawhi ultimately agreed to sign with the Clippers in late July ... he went for a celebratory meal with West and others in Beverly Hills.

Wilkes claims West agreed yet again at the dinner to fork over $2.5 million for all the help ... but Wilkes claims in the suit he still hasn't received a penny -- and he's suing West and the Clippers for breach of contract and more.

Wilkes is asking for the $2.5 mil plus damages.

We've reached out to the Clippers for comment ... but so far, no word back.

Ever seen a facemask with a FIST designed in the grill?!?

Las Vegas Raiders star lineman Trent Brown found one -- and rocked the hell out of it during pregame warmups before taking on the Indianapolis Colts.

The design is the same one used in Black Lives Matter imagery -- a closed, raised fist.

We know what you're thinking ... no, the facemask is not legal to use during the game -- so Brown swapped it out with a standard facemask by the time the game kicked off.

We've seen wild cut facemasks in the past -- but never one with a political statement weaved into the design!

The facemask looked awesome -- but it didn't provide the spark the Raiders needed ... they ended up getting blown out by the Colts in a 44 to 27 beatdown.

LiAngelo Ball has been waived by the Detroit Pistons ... reducing the amount of Ball bros in the NBA from 3 to 2.

The move came Sunday, according to The Athletic's James Edwards III, following the Pistons' 2nd preseason game -- though Gelo didn't play in that match up.

In fact, 22-year-old Gelo didn't play in either of the Pistons' 2 preseason games this year.

The 6'5", 230-pounder signed a non-guaranteed earlier this month -- and his father, LaVar Ball, was so pumped to have his 3 sons on NBA rosters, he tweeted about it.

"Proud!! We're just getting started," LaVar wrote at the time.

Of course, LaVar's oldest son, Lonzo Ball, was the 2nd overall pick in the 2017 NBA Draft. He now plays for the New Orleans Pelicans.

His youngest son, LaMelo Ball, was just taken with the 3rd overall pick in the 2020 NBA Draft by the Charlotte Hornets.

Gelo famously enrolled at UCLA back in 2017 -- but left the University after shoplifting sunglasses during an international trip to China.

He later took his talents to the Lithuanian Basketball League in 2018 before returning to the states to play his father's Junior Basketball Association.

Gelo signed a G League contract with the Oklahoma City Blues in 2019 -- but the season was canceled due to COVID-19.