TMZ Sports - Page 50

IT'S HAPPENING!!!

Tommy Fury is putting an end to his standoff with Jake Paul ... telling the YouTube superstar to send over a fight contract ASAP -- 'cause he's ready to put him on a stretcher!!

Jake and Tommy have been going back and forth for months ... with the latter recently shutting down a $1 million offer, claiming he was being lowballed.

Just when all hope seemed lost, Tommy has finally agreed to Jake's most recent offer ... and while the total dollar amount has not been revealed, it's clear Fury is happy with it.

"Get that sent over to my lawyers ASAP, right now, we'll get that looked at and sorted because there's not a chance in hell you're winning this fight," Fury said Thursday.

"You're leaving on a stretcher. You’re getting knocked spark out and you know it. Get it over to me now."

Respect isn't the only thing in the line here -- Tommy could literally be fighting for his family name as well.

According to the contract Jake posted, Fury would legally have to change his name to "Tommy Fumbles" if he loses ... which is a nod to the nickname Paul and his fanbase have been calling him after he "fumbled the bag" for turning down the $1 million.

If he wins, Tommy would get an extra $500k in his pocket.

No word on when the fight will happen ... but it can't come soon enough.

The agreement comes right after Tommy's superstar brother, Tyson, told TMZ Sports he wanted to see the fight happen pronto ... telling both sides to "grow some balls" and make it happen.

Russell Wilson's middle finger might never look the same after the Seahawks' game Thursday ... 'cause he appeared to badly dislocate it after hitting it on a defender's hand.

Wilson was unloading a deep ball in the third quarter of Seattle's loss to the Rams ... when on his follow through, his hand collided with L.A. star Aaron Donald's.

In video of the throw, you can see the force of the impact caused the quarterback's finger to bend awkwardly -- and when he looked down at the digit, it was clearly out of place.

The tip of the finger had bent at nearly a 90-degree angle ... and Wilson immediately called for trainers to help.

The 32-year-old tried to stay in the game ... but he was later pulled in favor of backup Geno Smith -- and head coach Pete Carroll said after the game Wilson could need surgery.

"There is a lot of work to be done in assessing all of that," said Carroll, who called the injury a "badly sprained finger."

"Russell is one of the great healers of all time, and he'll do whatever he can to get back as soon as absolutely possible."

Wilson has not missed a single start in his 10 seasons in the NFL ... getting under center in all 149 of his career games.

The Seahawks have some time 'til they play again -- their next contest is slated for Oct. 17 against the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Meyers Leonard is breaking his silence and giving his first on-camera interview to TMZ Sports after using an anti-Semitic slur ... addressing the bonds he's formed with the Jewish community, death threats he's received, and his desire to return to the basketball court.

"It's hard to explain," Leonard told us out in Beverly Hills. "The people who have been the most loving and the most compassionate, showing the most grace, have been so many people from the Jewish community."

Remember, 29-year-old Meyers -- the 11th overall pick in the 2012 draft -- dropped the k-word while streaming on Twitch back in March. He was almost immediately traded to the OKC Thunder, who cut him.

Since being released, Leonard has been incredibly active within the Jewish community, including meeting a bunch of kids at a synagogue in Boca Raton ... where he got emotional while discussing the incident with the students.

It's just one of many things Leonard's done to educate himself ... in the process, forging tight bonds with Jewish people of all ages.

"I can honestly sit and talk for an hour about this. About all the different experiences with little kids in the Jewish community, to teenagers, all the way up to Rabbis, who have just been so generous with their time and so understanding."

Meyers says in the wake of the comments, both he and his family had to deal with terrible abuse online, including people threatening to sexually assault and murder his spouse.

"It's been a very, very long and hard process," Leonard says ... "When the death threats, and my wife is being told 'don't leave your house, we're gonna rape you.' And, these things. It was hard. So, a lot of these things are difficult to share, but over time I've been able to heal."

As for Meyers' hoops career, he's gunning to get back in the league ... and says it'd be a dream come true to return to Pat Riley's team.

"I would be ecstatic if I could play for the Miami Heat again. I fell in love with that place, I really did. My wife and I love it there."

Meyers continued ... "There's something about the culture there that's just me."

Whether it's back in South Florida or in another NBA city ... Leonard -- a 9 year NBA vet -- just hopes he has a chance to return to the game he loves.

LSU head coach Ed Orgeron made an eye-opening comment toward a prank caller on his radio show this week ... when he seemingly threatened to make the guy disappear -- and people are pissed.

Here's how it went down ... Coach O was taking calls from listeners on his weekly show on Wednesday, when one person asked the 60-year-old to wish his sister a happy birthday.

When Orgeron asked for more details about the fake birthday girl, the caller described her as "a little blonde-headed girl" ... and then dropped the line, "Try not to have sex with her," before getting cut off. That got O worked up.

While the hosts tried to brush it off and move on to the next topic, Orgeron wanted to address the heckler.

"You know, down the bayou, we got a nice little fishing hole for people like that," O said.

The phrase is a popular term in Louisiana (ask a local) ... and once Orgeron's comment started to spread around social media, it didn't take long for people to sound off on Twitter.

Some users are going as far as to say Orgeron should be fired for the comment.

"Coach O should be terminated immediately for cause because if this call," one user said. "He is the highest paid State employee and just threatened to kill a man. He is not mature enough for this job. I am formally calling for his termination"

"Should've called a timeout Coach ...," another user added.

Bet ya didn't see this coming ... MLB legend Pete Rose -- banned from baseball for life for wagering on the game -- has launched a sports gambling podcast!!

The 17-time All-Star broke the news on Thursday, announcing he's exclusively teaming up with Quake Media to offer betting tips and picks on his show, "Pete Rose Daily Picks."

"It's a show featuring my picks and breakdowns of games, not just baseball," Rose says, "I'll be talking football, basketball, horse racing, golf and a lot of more."

The show debuts tonight ... and will air 6 days a week with sports betting broadcaster Ben Wilson.

“I’ll share how I think about games with Ben and the fans, then we can watch and learn together," the 80-year-old says.

"There are some insights, I believe, that only an old guy like me may think of. I'm excited to share my winning predictions with my fans."

Of course, it's ironic since Charlie Hustle received a lifetime ban from baseball in 1989 for gambling as a player and manager for the Cincinnati Reds.

Rose, who adamantly denied wagering on baseball (a cardinal sin in the game) for many years, ultimately copped to the allegation -- though he remains steadfast that he NEVER bet against his club.

But, Pete says don't call it a gambling podcast, telling USA Today he ain't gambling, saying ... "It's handicapping. I'm a handicapper."

"All I'm doing is lending my expertise to people who want to bet."

Want a little taste of Pete's expertise?? Here are his picks for tonight's action.

-White Sox vs. Astros, OVER 7.5 runs
-Tampa Bay Rays money line against Boston Red Sox in game 1 (-150)
-Los Angeles Rams (-2.5) vs. Seattle Seahawks

Kings and Suns fans ain't going to love this ...

Jerry West says he cannot believe both Phoenix and Sacramento passed on Luka Doncic in the 2018 NBA Draft, saying he was straight-up convinced the kid was going to be a superstar.

"Oh my God," Jerry said this week. "I can't believe that someone let him go. I can't."

The L.A. Clippers exec revealed his love for the Dallas Mavericks point guard on the "Getcha Popcorn Ready with T.O. and Hatch" show on Fubo Sports Network ... saying when he first saw Luka, he noticed some Kobe Bryant-esque traits to his game.

Like Kobe, West said, Luka dominated older competition at a young age ... and was clearly the best player in his draft class.

"He was a unique kid," West explained to Terrell Owens and Matthew Hatchette. "At 15 years of age, he was competing against men in Europe."

Still, the Suns drafted Deandre Ayton and the Kings went with Marvin Bagley Jr.

Even the Atlanta Hawks, who drafted Doncic at #3 overall, later sent him to the Mavs in exchange for Trae Young -- which all clearly had West shaking his head.

"He was 15 years old," West said of Luka, "but not competing, excelling!"

There's more, West also told the guys what made him so intrigued about Bryant before the 1996 draft ... and he also revealed what two football players really stand out to him.

Urban Meyer's wife is finally speaking out about her husband's infamous bar night ... saying in a social media post, "We all make mistakes - we are all sinners."

"If you think you aren't?" Shelley Meyer added. "Then cast the first stone."

Shelley issued the strong statement Thursday afternoon ... explaining she's quitting Twitter due to all the "hate, vitriol, slander" and "trash" she's received in the wake of Urban dancing with a blonde woman over the weekend.

"To my wonderful followers/friends: THANK YOU," Shelley wrote. "For your love, support, friendship, laughs - I will miss this most. I love you ALL and wish God's blessings on you. Thank you."

What's interesting ... Shelley made no note of standing by Urban or defending his actions -- though Urban did say earlier this week he was confident his 37-year marriage would survive.

In fact, Urban called the whole saga nothing more than a "speed bump" in their relationship.

The Jaguars head coach has apologized repeatedly for the incident and has vowed to grow from it.

Tyson Fury's sick and tired of the back and forth between his bro, Tommy, and Jake Paul ... telling both fighters to "grow some balls" and fight already!!

There's been a lot of bickering between the two fighters on social media recently ... with Jake publicly offering a $1 million payday (an amount TF claimed was not even worth getting out of bed for).

With negotiations reportedly picking back up again, TMZ Sports asked the Gypsy King himself for his thoughts on Jake vs. Tommy ... and he wants this fight to go down just as bad as the rest of us!!

"The fight is supposed to be happening," Tyson told us this week. "Both guys keep talking about it, so they better step up and show some balls and actually do the fight."

"I'm sick of all the talk about a fight that doesn't happen, so let's get it on! Let these 2 go to war. Put on a show for the fans. Everybody wants to see it!"

Tyson -- who has his own highly-anticipated trilogy fight against Deontay Wilder on Saturday -- gives props to the Problem Child's success so far in the boxing world ... applauding his undefeated record.

So ... if both guys sign on the dotted line, is Tyson gonna show up??

The NFL's fighting problem clearly ain't going away ... 'cause TMZ Sports has obtained more video of fans scrapping in the stands -- and, once again, it's violent.

The latest melee went down Monday night during the Chargers vs. Raiders game at SoFi Stadium ... when a Bolts supporter grew upset with a Silver-And-Black-clad fan in his row.

In the footage, you can see the two men aggressively got in each other's faces ... before the L.A. fan threw a wild haymaker that just missed tagging the guy in the Raiders jersey.

Immediately after the punch whiffed ... all hell broke loose, 'cause multiple other Raiders fans jumped in to take shots at the man in the Chargers jersey.

Video shows the Chargers fan ate multiple punches ... before the recording stopped.

One witness tells us people in the area were adamantly calling for security during the fight -- but the guards were already busy dealing with another incident several rows away.

Eventually, we're told stadium personnel and law enforcement arrived on the scene to break it all up.

The incident is just the latest in a long line of fan violence at NFL games this season ... with Rams and Bears fans going at it a couple weeks ago and Cowboys and Chargers fans getting into last month as well.

No word yet if the NFL or its teams are making any extra attempts to tamp down the craziness ... but it's clear, something needs to be done.

Olympic gold medalist diver Tom Daley says he was pressured to lose weight in order to perform better in 2012 ... claiming it was "hammered" into him that he was overweight.

The 27-year-old British diver opened up about his eating disorder this week ... saying he would make himself throw up and constantly weigh himself in order to maintain a smaller figure.

Daley -- who won bronze at the 2012 and 2016 Games before earning gold in Tokyo this summer -- says it's always been hard for him as a man to open up about his eating disorder, he revealed to The Guardian.

Daley says it's challenging as an athlete to talk about his struggle with body image ... because let's face it, most people would love to have his body.

"You have these body issues as an athlete. Lots of people would look at athletes and be like, 'What are you talking about? You’re an athlete, you’re in shape, you have nothing to worry about.'"

Daley says the pressure to lose weight didn't come from the media or Internet trolls -- it was his peers in the diving community.

"My body image [issues] came from within my sport – it was hammered into me that I was overweight and needed to lose weight in order to perform."

Eighteen ex-NBA players -- including Glen "Big Baby" Davis and Sebastian Telfair -- have been charged with fraud ... after officials say they swindled a small fortune out of the Association's healthcare plan.

Federal prosecutors announced the charges against the former hoopers, which also included Shannon Brown and Darius Miles, on Thursday ... accusing the men of ripping off the NBA Players' Health and Welfare Benefit Plan.

The scheme was not terribly complicated, according to the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District Of NY, which is prosecuting the case.

The ex-basketball players allegedly submitted "false and fraudulent claims for reimbursement" to the plan --- which has been set up by the NBA to help current and former players pay medical bills -- and then were wrongly reimbursed.

Officials say it all started in 2017, when the players would ask the plan for money to pay for medical care they didn't actually receive.

The feds say the men submitted fraudulent claims that totaled approximately $3.9 million ... and they received approximately $2.5 million "in fraudulent proceeds" from the scheme.

The prosecutors claim Terrence Williams, the 11th overall pick in the 2009 NBA Draft, was the mastermind behind it all.

In addition to Davis, Telfair, Brown, Miles and Williams ... officials say Tony Allen, Jamario Moon, Tony Wroten, Melvin Ely and Ruben Patterson were also involved in the scheme.

Officials have scheduled have a meeting with reporters to further detail the alleged crimes later Thursday afternoon.

Bodybuilder George Peterson -- AKA "Da Bull" -- unexpectedly passed away this week at only 37, just days before he was scheduled to compete in a top bodybuilding competition.

"It is with great sadness that we report the unexpected passing of George Peterson, a champion on stage and off," officials from the Mr. Olympia competition announced on social media.

Peterson was in Orlando when he died -- preparing for the Olympia competition -- which kicks off Wednesday.

The cause of George's death is not yet clear, but his coach and close friend, Justin Miller -- who found Peterson deceased -- provided additional details on his death.

Miller says Peterson was in incredible spirits the night before he died ... and was pumped for the upcoming competition.

However, the next day, Miller says GP wasn't responding to texts or phone calls ... so he became worried, and went to George's hotel room.

Inside, tragically, Peterson was face down on the floor, cold. Still, Miller, desperate to help his friend, called 911 and was instructed to do CPR.

Unfortunately, Peterson -- who likely passed several hours earlier -- could not be saved.

George was a constant figure on the bodybuilding circuit ... competing at shows across the country, including the Olympia 4 times.

Peterson won the Classic Physique competition at the 2019 Arnold Classic.

Many people from the bodybuilding and fitness world -- from athletes to fans -- have expressed sadness at Peterson's unexpected passing.

If Ben Simmons wants out of town, it certainly seems mutual with the fans ... 'cause spectators ripped into the NBA star during a taping of AEW Rampage in Philly on Wednesday -- chanting, "F*** Ben Simmons!!"

Of course, Sixers fans ain't happy with the former #1 overall pick amid reports he'd rather lose out on his $33 MILLION salary this season than suit up for Philly ever again.

Considering fans may not get a chance to express their anger towards Simmons at a Sixers game -- assuming he won't show up -- they found an opportunity at the AEW event ... and man, they went at the guy HARD.

Several fans in the audience captured it on video -- you can hear the huge crowd joining together to shout out the NSFW chant as the event goes on.

While the Sixers star's trade demand is still on the table, the team is still trying to make things work ... so it could get really awk with fans if he ends up staying in Philly.

The 76ers' first preseason game at home is Thursday -- let's see if the chants continue.

Powerful moment throughout the National Women's Soccer League ... when players paused mid-game in an act of solidarity amid serious allegations of sexual misconduct surrounding ex-coach Paul Riley.

The NWSL resumed play on Wednesday after canceling games over the weekend ... and the players used the pitch as an opportunity to demand change to the culture of sexual harassment in the league.

All three games -- Gotham FC/Washington Spirit, North Carolina Courage/Racing Louisville, and Houston Dash/Portland Thorns -- stopped play in the 6th minute ... representing the 6 years it took for the allegations against Riley to come out.

Players linked arms while standing in a circle at midfield ... sending a strong message to the NWSL and its members that they would no longer remain silent on these issues.

In a statement released on social media, the players said that the demonstration was for players "who fought for too long to be heard," prompting the hashtag #NoMoreSilence.

They also asked fans to stand in silence in support of the players.

"During that time, we ask that you stand in that pain and discomfort with us, as we consider what too many of us have been asked to sit with for too long," the NWSLPA statement read.

The group also released a list of demands, calling for an independent and thorough investigation into each club "to determine whether any abuse, whether presently known or unknown, has occurred at any point in time."

NWSL commissioner Lisa Baird has since resigned amid the backlash the league has been engulfed in. The players demand the NWSL give them the opportunity to interview her replacement.

The players ended their list of demands with a strong message -- "The reckoning has already begun. We will not be silent. We will be relentless in our pursuit of a league that deserves the players in it."

One of the most wanted fugitives in the world might have been sitting right behind home plate at a Dodgers game in 2016 ... and, yet, authorities say they're still having trouble nabbing him.

U.S. Marshals claim John Ruffo -- who was convicted of swindling $350 MILLION in an elaborate bank fraud scheme in the 1990s -- was possibly the guy in a blue shirt and glasses in a prime seat at a Red Sox vs. Dodgers game in Aug. 2016.

The Marshals say the balding, older man in footage from the broadcast looks a hell of a lot like Ruffo -- a guy they say has evaded them for nearly 24 years.

According to the Marshals, after his conviction, Ruffo was "ordered to report to a federal prison in New Jersey on Nov. 9, 1998" to begin serving a 17-and-a-half year sentence, but he never showed.

Instead, the Marshals claim he rented a car, withdrew cash from an ATM (which they say they captured on video), and headed to JFK Airport -- where he then disappeared.

Authorities say, though, he could have been the man in Section 1 Dugout Club, Row EE, Seat 10 at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles over 5 years ago.

The Marshals announced their suspicion in a statement Wednesday ... saying anyone who can help them find the 66-year-old -- who they believe is roughly 5 feet 5, 170 pounds -- could be given a reward of up to $25,000.

His capture would be a big deal ... Marshals have named him one of their "15 Most Wanted" and have described him as "a master manipulator."

Of course, this wouldn't be the first time cameras at Dodger Stadium have helped authorities crack a case ... remember, Larry David's "Curb Your Enthusiasm" crew aided in a murder suspect's release from jail back in the early 2000s.

In that case, Juan Catalan had been accused of murdering a 16-year-old ... but the 'Curb' cameras showed he was actually at the Dodgers' ballpark the night of the killing.

Chris Taylor's Dodgers teammates had the perfect reward for the star after he hit a clutch walk-off home run Wednesday night -- CHAMPAGNE SHOWERS!!

L.A. doused the utility man from head to toe in bubbly after he hit a two-run blast in the bottom of the 9th inning of the National League Wild Card game against the St. Louis Cardinals ... and the video of the celebration is amazing.

The Dodgers posted the footage shortly after the 3-1 win that sent them onward in the playoffs ... and you can see in the clip, Taylor and the guys were loving it!!

Chris was giving a speech in the locker room about how his hit was "just the start" -- when all of the guys uncorked their bottles and sprayed him down.

Of course, after hitting Taylor, everyone else got in on the showers too -- with stars like Cody Bellinger, Walker Buehler and Trea Turner going topless for the party.

The celly was well deserved -- the Cards put up a hell of a fight at Dodger Stadium -- but the team won't have long to shake off any sort of hangover.

Up next for the Dodgers is an NLDS matchup with the S.F. Giants -- a team with the best record in baseball.