TMZ Sports - Page 3

Could you imagine being stuck in quarantine -- and all of the sudden you get get a phone call from the star of your favorite Premier League soccer team?!

That's becoming a possibility for Liverpool F.C. backers during the coronavirus pandemic ... 'cause the football squad is looking to fight social isolation with some athlete-to-fan interaction.

The team announced its efforts to help those cooped up in their homes during the COVID-19 scare ... saying the plan is to have players call up "older and more vulnerable" fans in the North Liverpool and Kirkby communities.

The LFC Connect initiative includes weekly calls, as well as postcards going out to those impacted by the outbreak.

It's important to note ... there have been 35 confirmed cases in Liverpool ... and the numbers continue to rise across the world.

If you thought the quarantine would lead to more baseball families buying private batting cages to work on their swings at home (like we did) ... you thought wrong.

In fact, the baseball equipment industry is getting hit pretty hard by the coronavirus pandemic -- especially Jugs Sports, the company behind the famous pitching machines.

We spoke to a rep for the company who tells us March is usually the busiest time of the year for them -- they ship out machines to little leagues and other baseball and softball orgs around the country before the season kicks off.

But with the COVID-19 outbreak, we're told business has slowed in a big way -- a 30% to 50% DECREASE in sales from last year.

We spoke with other baseball equipment companies and they're also reporting a slow down in sales -- so far, it seems Jugs is having the toughest go.

Makes sense ... those Jugs machines ain't cheap -- they range from a couple hundred dollars for a basic model to a couple thousand dollars for the top of the line stuff.

UFC star Henry Cejudo could get a job at Auntie Anne's when the whole coronavirus thing ends ... 'cause the dude is a PRO at turning people into human pretzels!

Triple C hit up the TMZ office (before the pandemic, calm down) and took our TMZ Sports producer, Lucas, to "Fight School" ... our new Snapchat show hosted by UFC superstar Paige VanZant!

It's technically called the Suloev Stretch -- a pretty sick submission move only ever executed by a small number of UFC stars like Zabit Magomedsharipov and Aljamain Sterling (they did it in the same night!).

But, Cejudo hopes to put the move on Jose Aldo when they clash later this year -- and with the help of PVZ and our human crash-test dummy, Lucas, he showed us how it's done!

And, Henry not only demo'd the move on Lucas, he let Lucas try it out on him -- and it's hilarious!!

The 2020 NFL Draft just got a whole lot more interesting ...

Alabama QB Tua Tagovailoa -- who suffered a devastating hip dislocation injury just 4 months ago -- looked impressive as hell in a new workout vid ... and it's got us all wondering, could he now be the #1 overall pick???

Tua nearly lost his football career on Nov. 16 in a game against Miss. St. ... when the 22-year-old was sacked and gruesomely injured.

You can see in footage of the tackle, he landed awkwardly on his hip ... fracturing a bone in the area -- while also breaking his nose and suffering a concussion.

The injuries were considered career-threatening ... but Tua underwent surgery just days later -- and as you can see in a new workout vid he posted Monday night, he's clearly making an epic comeback.

Tua was cutting in both directions, and his arm seemed as lively as ever.

"Practicing social distancing with the long ball today," Tua said. "Feels good to spin it again.🤙🏾 #Process"

Of course, most NFL draft pundits have the Cincinnati Bengals taking Joe Burrow at #1 in the next month's draft ... but could this video have them rethinking things??

Sorry, Bucs fans -- Tom Brady almost certainly ain't bringing Rob Gronkowski to Tampa this season ... Gronk's bro tells TMZ Sports he thinks the TE is officially DONE with football.

"I can't say anything for him," Chris Gronkowski says. "But, I think that he might be moving on ... I would be surprised for sure."

Of course, rumors have flown about a possible Gronk-Brady reunion in Tampa this past week ... with some thinking, the move is in the best interest of both parties now that TB12 is the Bucs' new starter.

Remember, Gronk's had a year off to get his body right after retiring suddenly in March 2019 ... and he'd certainly be a big weapon for his old pal in the new Florida digs. Also, Chris tells us Rob DID use to own property in the area.

But, Gronk just signed a deal with WWE to be a part-time personality for the org. ... and when we spoke with Chris on Monday, he said he thinks that should officially signal the end of Rob's football days.

"Man, it looks like it after this deal," Chris says. "But, I'm not him, so I have no idea what he's thinking. But, as of right now, it looks like a pretty cool position that he's in."

As for how Chris thinks Gronk's Wrestlemania-hosting gig will go next month ... big bro has all the confidence in the NFL legend, telling us, "I expect good things."

"I think it's going to be entertaining and I hope he gets in the ring at some point as well."

Kobe Bryant's daughters have just been appointed new guardians to represent their interests in their father's trust ... TMZ Sports has learned.

According to new legal docs ... Erika Williams has been appointed guardian ad litem for Natalia and Bianka Bryant, and James Summers is repping for Kobe's youngest daughter, Capri.

Vanessa Bryant and Kobe's former agent Rob Pelinka, who are the co-trustees of Kobe's trust, have been instructed to pay any expenses for Erika and James' roles as guardians, using money from the trust ... according to the docs.

As we first reported ... Vanessa filed docs Friday asking a judge to appoint the guardian ad litem for Bianka and Natalia, plus another one for Capri. Vanessa said she wanted to get her legal affairs in order ASAP because of uncertainty surrounding the court system due to coronavirus pandemic and potential government shutdowns.

Travis Frederick -- the Dallas Cowboys star center with Hall of Fame potential -- shockingly announced his retirement Monday ... this just 2 years after he battled a serious disease.

The 29-year-old fought through Guillain-Barre Syndrome -- a rare disorder that weakens the immune system -- in 2018 ... and the disease affected him so badly, he missed all of Dallas' games that year.

But the 6'4", 320-pound O-lineman returned to start all of the Cowboys' 16 games in 2019 ... and was even selected to the Pro Bowl.

Travis said in a statement Monday, however, he felt like his play had dipped ... and because of that, he's calling it a career.

"Each day I faced a struggle: I could no longer perform at my highest level," Frederick said. "Playing 'well' is not what I expect of myself and is not what my teammates deserve."

"Because of this, I know my days as a football player are done."

Travis says his time away from the Cowboys, fighting off his illness two seasons ago, opened his eyes to life after football ... and made his decision this week easier.

"Facing the potential end of my career because of my illness forced me to imagine life after football," Travis said. "I had to prepare for my career potentially ending ... After months of contemplation, I not only accepted that moment, but I also surprisingly found myself welcoming the moment."

Travis was the Cowboys' first-round pick in the 2013 NFL Draft ... and he went on to have a monster career, being selected to FIVE Pro Bowls in six seasons.

Today in Drake's self-quarantine adventures ... Drizzy takes us on a walk through his unbelievable shoe collection!!!

And, yeah ... sneakerheads will be drooling by the end of this post.

Of course, Aubrey has plenty of time to kill in his Toronto mansion after he hung out with Kevin Durant in L.A. 2 weeks ago ... with the Brooklyn Nets superstar later testing positive for coronavirus.

Drake showed off his kicks on IG Monday (probably out of complete boredom) ... and the collection has everything from the $2,000 super rare Air Diors (reportedly only 8,500 pairs made) to an entire section of Kobe Bryant's signature shoes.

On top of that, Drake shows off his Off-White Jordan 5s ... Supreme Air Force 1s and the Jordan 5 Tokyo T23, which currently go for the $3,000 to $4,000 range.

And, don't forget -- Drizzy can wear these expensive-ass shoes on his OVO indoor court from the comfort of his own home ... but we hope he doesn't hoop in these!!

Montae Nicholson's time with the Redskins is over ... he's been cut by Ron Rivera -- this just 4 months after he was wrapped up in an investigation over a woman’s death.

We broke the story, back on Nov. 14, Nicholson and a friend found 21-year-old Julia Crabbe "foaming at the mouth" in the safety's Ashburn, Virginia home after a night out.

According to police documents, 24-year-old Nicholson and the friend took Crabbe to a nearby hospital ... where she was later pronounced dead.

At the scene the following day, cops say they found pills, weed and "foil with residue" when they searched Nicholson's home ... although they did NOT say who the drugs belonged to.

A spokesperson for the county medical examiner told us back in January that Crabbe died of accidental fentanyl intoxication ... but the Loudoun County Sheriff's Office tells us an investigation into the incident is still ongoing.

For his part, Nicholson has said he's fully cooperating with police and called the days after Julia's death "extremely hard."

Nicholson was also famously involved in a street brawl just a year prior in 2018 ... where video showed him pummeling a man in the middle of a Virginia street around 2 AM.

He was charged with assault over the incident ... but prosecutors dropped the case a few months later.

Nicholson was a pretty solid safety for Washington since being selected in the 4th round of the 2017 NFL Draft ... and he still had one year left on his rookie contract.

It's unclear if his release Monday was related to his off-field incidents ... although Rivera and the Redskins announced they cut four other DBs along with Nicholson.

Well, the L.A. Rams 2020 season is already off to a bad start -- they just revealed the new Rams logo ... and people hate it!

Unclear why the NFL franchise decided for a massive rebrand -- most people liked the old logo -- but alas, here we are. Rams COO Kevin Demoff explained the team wanted a new look that represented the "vibrant sunny optimism of Southern California life."

The final product ... it's not horrible, it's just not great. Maybe it'll grow on people?

In a super dramatic video reveal, Demoff told fans the franchise has been working on the project for YEARS -- even including Nike and Riddell helmets to pitch in.

"Over the past few years, we have listened to you at training camp practices, at tailgates at The Coliseum and in focus groups about your memories of the Rams, about your passion for our heritage," Demoff said.

"We have studied every look of the L.A. Rams over our history -- the blues, the yellows the whites, the helmets and the ram horns for inspiration."

Demoff said the goal was to "weave together this history into a new modern look for the L.A. Rams, respecting our past and representing our future."

The problem ... the new logo is underwhelming. There's nothing special about it. Search the hashtag "RamsLogo" on Twitter. Good luck finding anyone with positive commentary.

In fact, one user says it looks like the Rams stole the Firefox logo.

Here are some other reviews ...

@ciisumworld -- "Why? I’ve been fan since 98’ and I would have to say I am pretty disappointed. #ramslogo

@deanfense12 -- My thoughts on the new rams logo. Super bowl loss to NE hit them hard. #LArams #ramslogo.

@Cianaf -- 1. These look like they were made for a PS3 game in the 00s. 2. Am I the only one who thought the Rams old branding was classic and didn't need to be changed?

By the way, Roddy White warned us just how bad the reaction to these would be ... when we got the former Atlanta Falcon at LAX a few weeks ago, he clowned ALL OVER the leaked images.

Jimmy and Dee Haslam -- the owners of the Cleveland Browns -- are joining the fight against the coronavirus pandemic ... by pledging $1.5 MILLION to help Ohioans in need.

The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted the entire country ... and there have been 351 confirmed cases in Ohio -- with more people infected by the day.

The Haslams announced their contribution on Monday ... saying $1 million will go to the Greater Cleveland COVID-19 Rapid Response Fund ... with the remaining $500k going to the Columbus Foundation's Emergency Response Fund.

"We are humbled by the tremendous work of people around the world in their efforts to help those impacted by COVID-19 and we wanted to try to positively impact those affected in our own communities of Cleveland and Columbus," the Haslams said in a statement.

"We are grateful for the individuals who are putting others before themselves and for the sacrifices they are making."

Darius Slay -- one of the best defensive backs in the NFL -- says he's changing his jersey number from #23 to #24 ... and it's all to honor Kobe Bryant.

Slay was just traded from the Detroit Lions to the Philadelphia Eagles -- Kobe's favorite team. And, since Darius is looking for a fresh start, he felt a number change was in order -- and with #24 available, he scooped it right up!

"I'm rockin' with that two-four this year," Slay said on IG ... "Kobe mode. Black Mamba baby. Rest in peace to the GOAT! One of my favorite players."

"Playing for Kobe's favorite NFL team is a dream come true," Slay said on Instagram, "Man, it's truly a blessing."

Slay rocked #23 for all 6 years he played with the Lions. Before that, it was #9 at Mississippi State. And, #4 during his high school days. So, it's not like there's a prior connection.

The #24 jersey was previously worn in Philly by RB Jordan Howard -- but he signed with the Miami Dolphins last week ... leaving the number wide open.

"I think I'm gonna look good in 24," Slay adds.

Slay is expecting to rock #24 for at least the next 3 years in Philly -- since the Eagles made him the highest-paid CB in the league with a 3-year deal worth $50 million.

Jameis Winston is taking his offseason training to the streets -- literally -- pushing a 5,500-pound SUV up an incline ... in an effort to remind NFL teams he's still a beast!

The 26-year-old just lost his job in Tampa Bay to some old guy ... and while his agents work on getting Winston a deal with another squad, Jameis decided to put in some work!

We did some research ... Winston is pushing a 2020 Ford Expedition -- which weighs between 5,500 and 5,800 pounds depending on how tricked out it is.

Oh, and it looks like he's working out on an INCLINE -- so gravity ain't helping him out there. Winston even busts out a little sprint at the end.

Jameis led the NFL with 5,109 passing yards in 2019 and set a Bucs single-season franchise record with 33 TD passes.

BUUUUT ... he also led the NFL with 30 interceptions -- 7 of which were returned for TDs.