TMZ Sports - Page 50

Jon Gruden's hat debacle on "Thursday Night Football" was the result of a practical joke played on him in the locker room -- so says the Raiders head coach.

Gruden caught hell on social media once fans realized he was wearing an "Oakland Raiders" hat on the sideline -- epic fail considering the Raiders just moved to Las Vegas!!

Social media clowned the 57-year-old for the error ... and the roar clearly grew so loud -- JG became aware of the cap problem in the 1st quarter and switched hats soon after.

"I apologize for not having the right hat on," Gruden told reporters. "Somebody played a pretty good trick on me."

So, who is this mysterious trickster? Gruden didn't name names -- but someone's ass is in the hot seat.

The thing is ... Gruden's headgear ended up being the LEAST of his worries against the Chargers -- 'cause the Raiders took an L they desperately couldn't afford to take.

Las Vegas' playoff hopes essentially rode on the game against LA ... but its defense struggled all night and the team lost in overtime, 30-27, to Justin Herbert's crew.

Gruden apologized for THAT as well ... telling reporters, "It's on me."

UFC rising star Khaos Williams wants to give his boss an early holiday gift -- by beating the dog snot out of Jake Paul.

Williams -- who won his first 2 fights in the UFC in a combined 57 seconds -- says he's seen Paul attack Dana White in the media ... and feels strongly that someone needs to check him, stat.

"Look, Dana ... I can handle you light work if you need me to and I won't let you down."

As we previously reported, Jake trashed Dana for refusing to allow Conor McGregor to fight the YouTube star. White told TMZ Sports Conor is wayyyyy too far out of Jake's league.

But Khaos, whose star is unquestionably on the rise, says he's all the way down for a scrap ... and guarantees a violent victory.

"Man, I box before anything. I'm in the gym with ex-WBC world champions, people that's going to the Olympic tryouts, undefeated boxers day in and day out. I do this for real!"

"I know for a fact, I will knock him out!"

But, Khaos has another opponent he's gotta focus on first -- he's taking on Michel Pereira at UFC Fight Night in Vegas on Saturday in a matchup some say could be a candidate for fight of the year!

FYI, Pereira is known for dropping some unusual strikes during his fights -- but Khaos says he'll be ready.

"If he come in there doing backflips and all of that stuff, it's a wrap! I'm gonna catch him! All it takes is one shot. We gonna test that chin out!"

Move over Rob Kardashian ... Holly Sonders is the latest celeb getting in the card game -- the famous sports reporter just pulled a SICK Larry Bird card this week that could be worth $25K!

TMZ Sports has learned ... Holly linked up with Vintage Breaks on Wednesday to do a little box breaking for a live stream.

And, Holly -- who's beginning to dip her toes into the card world after her famous ex-boyfriend, Vegas Dave, sold his Mike Trout rookie card for nearly $4 MIL -- scored BIG on one of her pack openings.

Sonders and Vintage Breaks' Leighton Sheldon tore through a 1981-82 Topps pack ... and in it, a Larry Legend piece that could be worth a small fortune stared back at them!

Leighton couldn't believe it ... because the card is pretty rare. FYI -- Larry's rookie card was a split with Magic Johnson, so this piece was his first-ever standalone NBA card.

It's so rare, in fact, that if it grades out as a perfect PSA Gem Mint 10 -- which Sheldon says is VERY possible given the centering of the picture -- it could be worth $25,000!!

We spoke with Holly after the awesome pull ... and she told us the whole experience was pretty damn thrilling.

"[My agent] Darren almost jumped out of his f*cking chair over here!" Sonders said ... "It's fun for me just to see the joy that it brings other people and the idea that something could be worth $25,000, you know? Somebody can buy a new car with that piece of cardboard!"

"It's just mind-blowing to me."

As for what Holly's plan for the card is now? She says she's sending it off to get graded -- and she'll gift it to her agent, Darren Prince (who's a HUGE card nut), for Christmas when it comes back.

Ravens star Marcus Peters appeared to hock a massive loogie and spit it at Jarvis Landry during "Monday Night Football" this week ... and it's got everyone wondering, was it intentional???

At the end of the 1st quarter of Baltimore's tilt with the Browns on Monday in Cleveland ... cameras caught Peters seemingly spitting in the direction of Landry as the wide receiver walked back toward his huddle.

Unclear if the Browns star even noticed -- but we've reached out to the Ravens and the NFL to see if they're looking into it.

Peters seemed to be pissed at Landry throughout the night ... and even appeared to call both Jarvis AND Odell Beckham "homegirls" and "she" after the win.

As Ravens star Marlon Humphrey was filming for social media postgame on the team jet ... Peters appeared to say of Jarvis and the injured Odell, "So, we only had one homegirl this time."

"And, you know, she was upset 'cause she ... she was upset because the other homegirl couldn't really end up making it. Because my dawg hurt. Well, she hurt right now. And, we understand that and I respect that."

"But, the one homegirl who was out there," Peters continued, "just needs to shut the f*ck up until she gets back."

FYI -- the Ravens and Browns have played twice already this season, with Baltimore winning both contests. There is a chance the two could possibly meet up in the playoffs next month.

For their part, neither Landry nor Peters has commented so far this week on any potential beef between the two stars.

"At some point, the student has to kill the master."

Shaquille O'Neal gave an AWESOME (and violent!) pump-up speech to rising UFC star Gillian Robertson ahead of her scrap this weekend ... and yeah, someone tell her opponent to watch out!!!

Shaq's pep talk all went down at his mansion in Atlanta ... when famous MMA coach Din Thomas reintroduced the Big Diesel to 25-year-old Robertson before her tilt with Taila Santos in Vegas on Saturday.

O'Neal was asked to give her some advice -- after all, Robertson is considered by some to be an underdog in the fight and is still trying to make her way up the women's flyweight division -- and the NBA legend sure delivered.

Shaq talked about how he had to take down guys like Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson and David Robinson when he first got into the league ... and then he brought violent karate movies into the speech!

"All the karate movies were the same," Shaq said. "At some point, the student has to kill the master. So, right now, you're the student. You're ranked No. 12. So, you've got 11 masters to kill."

"And then when you get to the top, you've got more work to do. Now, you got to stay at the top."

Shaq then left Gillian with this ... "You got to want it. You got to want it. If you want to be the best, say it. Mean it. And just go for it. And don't hold back."

"If you've got to break some cheeks and break some jaws, do it."

Cleveland Cavs player Kevin Porter Jr. just caught a huge break -- his firearm and weed charges stemming from his November car accident have been dropped, according to his attorney.

As we previously reported, the 20-year-old wrecked his Mercedes around 2 AM outside Cleveland on Nov. 15 ... and while his car was left mangled, KPJ was miraculously unharmed.

Cops responded to the scene and found a loaded handgun along with what appeared to be weed inside the vehicle ... but the officers did NOT believe Porter was under the influence.

Porter was arrested and charged with improper handling of a firearm, marijuana possession and more ... but pled not guilty to the misdemeanor charges but entered no plea on the felony gun charge.

The case went to a grand jury -- which ultimately declined to indict the NBA player on the gun charge, his attorney Alex Spiro tells ESPN. It's a big deal considering the felony charge carries possible prison time if convicted.

Two misdemeanors were also dropped -- weed possession and driving without a license.

Porter did, however, admit fault for failure to control his car.

More great news regarding the recovery of University of Florida basketball star Keyontae Johnson who continues to make great progress less than a week after he collapsed on the court.

But, he's awake and was reportedly talking with friends and family members earlier this week.

Remember, Johnson was placed into a medically induced coma after the incident during Saturday's Florida vs. Florida State game in Tallahassee.

Now, UF athletic director Scott Stricklin has another update ... saying, "Keyontae Johnson continues to show truly encouraging signs of progress as he undergoes tests and further evaluation at UF Health."

"He and his family have again expressed their gratitude for the outpouring of love, prayers and well-wishes."

Stricklin also announced the school has postponed the team's next 3 scheduled basketball games in the wake of Keyontae's situation.

"This has been an emotionally taxing time for Keyontae's family, friends and teammates," Stricklin said.

"Our hope is that everyone impacted will take an opportunity to process those emotions and regroup ahead of the start of the new year."

Deshaun Watson and the Houston Texans may be in some hot water with the NFL ... after the QB and 7 of his teammates showed up at the launch of his new restaurant this week.

The 25-year-old superstar was joined by teammates Laremy Tunsil, Duke Johnson, Tytus Howard, Roderick Johnson, Brandin Cooks and Charles Omenihu at the debut of his Lefty's cheesecake franchise in Houston on Tuesday.

Of course, the NFL has a strict COVID-19 policy against 3 or more players congregating outside team sanctioned events or traveling to games ... in hopes of preventing a potential spread.

Do the math -- that's more than 3 players.

Watson was asked whether he followed COVID-19 protocols during the big event ... and he said, "Yes, for sure. I mean, we had the masks."

But, by peeping the pics above, that's doesn't seem to be the case.

Watson continued ... "We did everything that we were supposed to do. 6 feet from different people. It was a restaurant opening. It wasn't really an event. It was a grand opening of my restaurant."

"So, people were coming in to get food and things like that and everyone was excited about it. So, it turned out pretty good, and right now from the messages I got from after, it's still popping."

It could become a big issue for the Texans -- the Raiders were hit with fines after Derek Carr and others failed to follow COVID protocol at Darren Waller's charity event earlier this season.

The NFL has said it's aware of the situation with Watson and the Texans -- but so far, no official comment.

Scott Van Pelt -- one of the best sportscasters on the planet -- has been diagnosed with COVID ... and his wildly entertaining ESPN show is now on pause indefinitely because of it.

The 54-year-old made the announcement Thursday ... saying he can't smell or taste anything.

Fortunately, SVP said he has no fever, and otherwise feels "fine."

"Won't be doing shows for a bit after a positive Covid-19 test," Van Pelt said ... "I will hunker down and hopefully can be back at it before too long."

Van Pelt -- a longtime ESPN talent -- took over the midnight edition of "Sportscenter" a few years ago ... and his personal touches on the show have made it must-see, late-night TV.

Specifically, Van Pelt's "One Big Thing" and "Bad Beats" segments have become viral sensations on a weekly basis.

NHL star Henrik Lundqvist will NOT be suiting up for the Washington Capitals this season ... with the goalie revealing he's battling a heart condition that will prevent him from playing.

"It breaks my heart (literally) to share this news: I will not be joining the Capitals this upcoming season," Lundqvist said Thursday.

"After many weeks of tests and conversations with specialists around the country, it's been determined that a heart condition will prevent me from taking the ice."

"Together, we have decided that the risk of playing before remedying my condition is too high, so I will spend the coming months figuring out the best course of action."

Lundqvist -- who joined the Caps on a 1-year deal in October after playing with the New York Rangers from 2005-20 -- said he was excited for his fresh start in D.C. ... but admits "we knew there was only one way to go from here" after his most recent test results.

"I will take the next few weeks to be with my family and I'll be back to share the next steps."

The Caps also released a statement Thursday ... saying, "The Washington Capitals are supportive of Henrik's decision to step away from hockey at this time due to his heart condition."

"Our players' health is of the utmost importance. And we stand behind Henrik's decision."

"We want to wish him and his family all the best moving forward."

File Under: TOTALLY NOT COOL!!!

Soccer star Reece James was about to bring holiday cheer to a bunch of kids this Christmas season ... until some scumbag broke into his G-Wagon and stole all the toys!!

The 21-year-old Chelsea defender shared the unfortunate event on Instagram ... saying he was participating in a food giveaway with the Felix Project in London when someone smashed the window to his Mercedes and jacked all the presents he was going to donate.

"Unfortunately, I was met with huge disappointment when returning to my car," James said. "During the event, someone felt the need to break in and steal gifts that I was due to go and donate later in the day."

Seriously -- here's a dude doing everything he can to give back to the community during the holidays ... and some Grade-A dirtbag had to ruin it!?!

James added he's sure the culprit will get what's coming to them ... saying, "What goes around comes around."

Shoutout to James for trying to do the right thing.

Two UFC fighters are teaming up -- FOR LIFE -- because Thiago Santos proposed to Yana Kunitskaya ... and she said, 'Da!'

(Side note: She's Russian).

Thiago -- AKA The Sledgehammer -- popped the question to his longtime GF earlier this week, using a ring he got from celeb jeweler Boodaddy Diamonds.

We're told the ring is 18k rose gold with a diamond halo. The center stone is a 2-carat round pink sapphire.

The two have reportedly been dating for a few years -- but Thiago decided it was time to level up -- so he took Beyonce's advice and put a ring on it!

Thiago is the #2 ranked light heavyweight in the UFC (remember, he fought Jon Jones for the title in 2019).

Yana is the #8 ranked women's bantamweight fighter who's coming off a unanimous decision victory over Julija Stoliarenko back in August.

The two have been training together throughout the COVID pandemic -- and while we've all heard stories about the lockdowns wreaking havoc on relationships, it seems to have brought Thiago and Yana even closer together.

Finally, THE ROCK has come back to the football card world -- because a super rare Dwayne Johnson card just sold for $14,000!!!

Remember, before Dwayne Johnson became "The Rock" -- he was a college football player at the University of Miami.

And, during his 1994 season, Bumble Bee -- the tuna company -- produced a set of cards featuring some of the team's best players ... including Ray Lewis and Warren Sapp!

Bob Marley's son Rohan Marley was also included (he was a linebacker at The U).

Legend has it ... the 24-card sheets were handed out at the Orange Bowl during a game that season, but it was a rainy day and most people didn't save the cards.

In fact, there are reportedly less than 50 of the Dwayne Johnson cards from that set in existence today!

So, when the folks at PWCC auctions got their hands on a mint condition (PSA 10) card of the future WWE superstar ... they knew they had a banger.

Final gavel price on the online auction which closed Wednesday night -- $13,988!!

It's a huge jump from the price in 2014 when a similar Dwayne Johnson PSA 10 sold for $4,228.

Here's something that's going to make you feel REALLY bad about your golf game ...

Tiger Woods' 11-year-old son showed off his swing while prepping for a big tournament with Dad in Florida this weekend ... and the kid's stroke is smooth as hell!!!

Check out the footage of little Charlie Woods grippin' it and rippin' on the range -- he's calm, he's easy ... and he even has a tiger driver headcover in his bag like Pops!!!

Of course, we'll see how well his range swing transfers to the actual course beginning on Saturday ... 'cause Charlie and Tiger are all set to compete in the PNC Championship.

The tourney -- which will pit the Woodses against guys like Justin Thomas and his father, and John Daly and his son -- will go down at the Ritz-Carlton Golf Club in Orlando.

Tragic news ... former Baltimore Ravens running back Lorenzo Taliaferro died on Wednesday, cops in Virginia confirmed.

He was just 28 years old.

The York-Poquoson Sheriff's Office in Yorktown, Va. announced it received a call of someone needing medical attention at around 3:07 PM on Wednesday.

Cops say when officers arrived, they found Taliaferro and immediately helped emergency personnel transfer him to a local hospital.

Sadly, police say he died at the facility a short time later.

Cops did not release a cause of death ... but a family member told Fox45 in Baltimore that Taliaferro had suffered a heart attack.

"We are deeply saddened to learn of the passing of Lorenzo Taliaferro," Ravens head coach John Harbaugh said in a statement Thursday.

"Lorenzo was a kind, smart, respectful and determined young man -- someone always committed to his teammates and well-liked by everyone in our organization. We extend our heartfelt condolences to Lorenzo's family. May he rest in peace."

Taliaferro was picked by the Ravens in the 4th round of the 2014 NFL Draft out of Coastal Carolina -- and was immediately put on people's fantasy football radars in his rookie year after some HUGE games.

Taliaferro, though, was forced to go on injured reserve late in his rookie year ... and was eventually moved to fullback.

He left the NFL after being cut by Baltimore prior to the 2017 season and eventually latched on in the CFL for 2018.

In his 3 years with the Ravens, Taliaferro rushed for 339 yards and 5 TDs. He also caught 16 passes for 153 yards.