TMZ Sports - Page 4

Don't get too comfy, Justin Herbert, Justin Jefferson and CeeDee Lamb ...

New Jaguars star James Robinson tells TMZ Sports he has just as much claim to the Rookie of the Year honors as anybody in the NFL ... saying, "I mean, I know that I am having a pretty good year."

JR came out of nowhere to dominate the touches in Jacksonville's backfield ... and he's been THRIVING since head coach Doug Marrone handed him the keys to the starting RB role.

The undrafted tailback out of Illinois State is 3rd in the league with 762 rushing yards ... and he's also got 5 rushing TDs and 249 receiving yards.

And, 22-year-old Robinson says he feels that should be plenty to get him some consideration for the NFL's most coveted award for rookies.

"I mean, I hope I am in that conversation," Robinson says.

Don't get it twisted ... Robinson has bigger goals than just the individual award -- telling us, "I try not to really pay attention to any of that."

As for Robinson's improbable road to success ... he credits the chip on his shoulder for motivating him to go from an unheralded, undrafted free agent back to one of the league's brightest young stars.

Lamar Jackson -- the face of the Baltimore Ravens and its star quarterback -- has now tested positive for coronavirus.

The reigning NFL MVP is now among the slew of players from the Charm City to have contracted the virus ... this according to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport who first reported the news on Thursday.

As you might have heard by now ... the Ravens are struggling to control the spread of the dangerous virus. ESPN previously reported Wednesday that 3 members of the organization contracted the virus. NFL Network later reported running backs Mark Ingram and J.K. Dobbins had also tested positive.

At this moment, it's unclear if Lamar's experiencing any symptoms. The news comes after the team reportedly disciplined strength and conditioning coach Steve Saunders for failing to report COVID symptoms. He also caught flak for not wearing his mask or his tracking device while inside the team's facility.

Then, on Thursday, the team learned about additional positive tests on the same day they were supposed to take on the Pittsburgh Steelers in a highly-anticipated matchup. The game was postponed to Sunday and it'll air at 1:15 PM ET on NBC.

Donald Trump got in a few holes before his Thanksgiving dinner, but it went about as well as the election for him ... and he was VERY vocal about it.

Trump was playing Thursday at his golf course in Sterling, Virginia, and he got teed off after he teed off and the ball went in the drink.

You hear Trump grouse, "Oh s**t," and it's clear he had a history with this particular hole, and it ain't a good one. As he watches the ball disappear in the water, he mutters, "I hate this f**king hole!!!"

You'd think he'd change the configuration of the pesky hole ... after all, he owns the course. He doesn't even need to be President to do that.

Maybe Trump was off his game because he's still so pissed off about the election. He was tweeting up a storm, again claiming he won the election, saying, "Just saw the vote tabulations.  There is NO WAY Biden got 80,000,000 votes!!! This was a 100% RIGGED ELECTION."

A funeral worker tasked with preparing Diego Maradona's body for the soccer legend's wake is out of a job ... after posing with the body for a disgusting selfie.

The funeral worker allegedly crept up to Maradona's open coffin and gave a thumbs up in the selfie ... sparking outrage from the owner of the Buenos Aires funeral parlor who promptly fired the guy.

The English tabloid Mirror Sport, which first reported the story, obtained the photo but opted not to post it on its website. As we reported ... the soccer legend died Wednesday after suffering a heart attack. He was recovering from emergency brain surgery earlier this month.

As mourners paid their respects around the world with touching tributes ... all hell broke loose Thursday in his native country where violence erupted as thousands of mourners tried to force their way into the presidential palace where Maradona is lying in state.

Cops tried stopping folks from entering the building following orders from the family. Fans clashed with police, who fired tear gas and rubber bullets to control the violent crowd.

Mike Tyson is gearing up for his big Thanksgiving weekend fight -- BY EATING ROY JONES JR'S HEAD!!!

Sure, it's a cake "head" -- but Mike went straight for his favorite part, THE EAR ... and the video is hilarious!!!

The 54-year-old fighter got his own adorable kids to take part in some Turkey Day trash talk directed at Roy -- warning the fighter to watch his lobes, or he'll get the Evander Holyfield treatment when they clash on Saturday night!

In the clip, Mike starts off by acknowledging he has a lot to be thankful for this year -- like the reported $10 mil he's scheduled to make from the Roy Jones Jr. fight -- before taking some shots at his opponent.

"It's a turkey," Mike says while revealing the cake of Roy's head.

Once he slices off Roy's ear, Mike jokes, "Tastes so much better than Evander's!"

Mike and Roy have said it's all fun and games until the bell rings on Saturday night -- with both guys telling TMZ Sports they'll both be trying to KNOCK EACH OTHER OUT.

The fight is technically an exhibition match, but Roy and Mike -- who's planning to walk to the ring with the song he created with EDM group Tiki Lau -- have each said they're approaching the event like a pro ... and want to put on a violent show for everyone spending money to watch. (It's available on PPV via cable and satellite, and PPV streaming at Triller).

Perhaps the lone bright spot of the coronavirus pandemic??? IT POSSIBLY MEANS MORE ADRIAN PETERSON, BABY!!!

The NFL superstar tells TMZ Sports, with teams not having preseason games and not practicing nearly as much due to COVID-19 protocols ... he believes his career has been extended.

In fact, Peterson says the lack of wear and tear put on his legs this season might allow him to play until he's 40 now!!!

"It actually took a lot off the body," the Detroit Lions running back said of the NFL's schedule this year. "Because we really didn't have a real training camp or OTAs or minicamp or anything like that."

"So, in hindsight, it really kind of allowed me to be a lot fresher."

Peterson -- who had told us back in June he was aiming to play 4 more years -- added, "Maybe it's five years now!"

The 35-year-old is still going strong regardless of the unique schedule ... he's rushed for 389 yards and 2 TDs this season -- and he's been solid every time the Lions have called his number.

And, Adrian's hoping that continues on Thanksgiving against the Houston Texans ... especially because he's doing some really cool charity work for the holiday.

Peterson tells us he and his foundation have partnered with The Athletes’ Corner to donate 100,000 meals to a local food bank in Detroit to help those in need.

To raise awareness for the situation, Peterson says he's going to be rockin' some custom kicks for the Turkey Day game against the Texans -- and check the spikes out ... they're AWESOME!!!

No turkey, stuffing, mac and cheese, green bean casserole or pumpkin pie will be consumed by Jake Paul on Turkey Day ... 'cause the social media star tells TMZ Sports he's too busy cutting weight for his big fight against Nate Robinson!!!

The YouTuber-turned-boxer gave us an inside look at what his Thanksgiving is gonna look like -- and considering he's 2 days from his bout with the ex-NBA star on the Tyson vs. Jones Jr. card, it's not so fun.

"We're going into the bubble on Thanksgiving," Paul tells us. "I'm just gonna be watching people eat."

That SUCKS ... but Paul -- whose goal weight is 189 for the event -- says it was even worse for his fight against AnEsonGib in January, which made him miss out on all the fun surrounding Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year's AND his birthday.

"So, only having to give up one holiday for this fight is not bad at all."

Jake gave an inside look on talks between his brother, Logan, and Floyd Mayweather ... but won't say 100% it's gonna go down.

Johnny Manziel is being as transparent as ever ... saying his relationship -- and divorce -- with Bre Tiesi helped him come to terms with the man he is today.

The former Heisman winner joined the "Ya Neva Know: You Know What I Mean?" podcast with Mike. (which aired Tuesday) ... and faced his past successes and struggles head-on in a truly candid setting.

When the topic of soulmates came up, Manziel detailed the impact his ex-wife had on his life ... and how she helped him find happiness after hitting a rough patch.

"I wouldn't be here right now if it wasn't for my relationship and getting married," Manziel said. "I wouldn't have the same attitude towards everything else if I wouldn't have gone through the divorce and stuff, too, if I wouldn't have gone through that with Bre. 100% there's no chance."

"And, I wouldn't be here probably today, sitting where I'm at, if it wasn't for her as well."

Of course, Manziel and Tiesi were married for one year -- the QB proposed in 2017 after going official in 2016. Tiesi later filed for divorce in 2019.

Johnny -- who credits Tiesi with saving his life -- says he has no regrets over the relationship .. saying, "She helped me grow to where I needed to be and it got to a point where I'm cool, finally, for the first time, picking myself up, looking in the mirror and being cool with me for the first time in a long, long time and that's where a lot of the mental stuff comes from."

"'Cause I can finally look myself in the mirror and go, 'What's good? You still look like a f**king idiot.' I'm still gonna do me, bro. I'm still me, bro."

Manziel also addressed his NFL career with the Cleveland Browns ... admitting he regrets wasting 2 years of future Hall of Famer Joe Thomas' career ... and praising fellow QB Josh McCown for being the ultimate pro.

Dallas Cowboys strength and conditioning coach Markus Paul died Wednesday evening following a medical emergency at the team facility Tuesday, the team confirmed.

"Markus Paul, surrounded by his family, passed away at the hospital this evening at the age of 54," the Cowboys said ... "The cause of death is pending."

Team owner Jerry Jones issued a statement, saying, "The loss of a family member is a tragedy, and Markus Paul was a loved and valued member of our family."

"He was a pleasant and calming influence in our strength room and throughout The Star."

"His passion for his work and his enthusiasm for life earned him great respect and admiration from all of our players and the entire organization."

"Our hearts are broken for his family and all of the individuals whose lives he touched and made better."

As we previously reported, Paul suffered a medical emergency at Cowboys headquarters at around 7:30 AM Tuesday morning and was transported to a nearby hospital.

Doctors scrambled to save Paul -- but despite their best efforts, he passed away Wednesday evening.

Paul had been a mainstay in NFL locker rooms for decades ... he played for the Chicago Bears from 1989 to 1993 and had a stint with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in '93 as well.

He later went on to become an assistant strength and conditioning coach for the New Orleans Saints in 1998. From there, he worked for the Patriots, Jets, Giants and Cowboys ... winning FIVE Super Bowls with those teams.

The Cowboys had just promoted him to lead their lead strength and conditioning department in January.

"Markus was a great coach and one of the best guys that I have ever known," NY Giants legend Eli Manning said on Twitter this week. "He will be missed."

Former Giants kicker Lawrence Tynes added, "My heart is heavy. One of the finest men and coaches I have ever met. The world lost a GREAT MAN today. We love you! RIP Markus Paul."

Diego Maradona -- widely considered one of the greatest soccer players of all time -- has died at his home in Argentina, according to his reps.

He was 60.

Maradona, who was still recovering after emergency brain surgery earlier this month, reportedly suffered a heart attack at his home Wednesday morning and was not able to pull through ... according to Argentinian news outlet Clarin.

His death was confirmed by Maradona's longtime lawyer and agent Matias Morla.

Back in the day, Maradona was considered one of the best soccer players in the world -- leading Argentina to a World Cup in 1986.

In fact, his "Hand of God" goal against England during the '86 World Cup is one of the most famous moments in soccer history.

Maradona was tracking down a ball and slyly used his hand to punch it over the goalkeeper into the net -- while pretending his hand never actually touched it. His acting job worked and the goal counted!

After his playing career, he struggled with drug addiction, alcohol abuse and health issues -- and had been hospitalized multiple times.

But, he was still widely loved in his home country -- and the fans came out in force to show love just a few weeks ago when he was being transported to the hospital for brain surgery.

As we previously reported, doctors discovered a blood clot on Maradona's brain that required emergency treatment ... and he went under the knife on Nov. 3.

In the days that followed, Maradona's doctor said the outlook was good and he expected the star to make a successful recovery.

But, something went terribly wrong on Wednesday ... and now the world is mourning Maradona's death.

Here's a pretty solid betting tip for all you boxing (and gambling) fans ...

Ryan Garcia says he's "100% sure" he'll knock out Luke Campbell in the first 3 rounds of their January fight ... adding, "I'm very, very, very sure of that."

King Ryan talked all sorts of trash about his opponent on Kevin Hart's "Cold As Balls" YouTube series ... explaining why he believes the fight could propel him to global stardom.

In fact, the 22-year-old told Hart it's downright "the biggest fight of my life so far."

"This is going to put me on, you know, that level where I get that respect," Garcia said. "I think this fight will solidify me as probably one of the best in the world right now."

Ryan is clearly oozing confidence over the upcoming fight ... and perhaps rightfully so, the dude is now 20-0 after knocking out Francisco Fonseca in the 1st round of his last tilt in February.

There's more ... Ryan also talked about his friendship with Canelo Alvarez -- and how they're still on great terms despite Canelo's messy split with promoter Oscar De La Hoya, who still reps Ryan.

"We’ve got the best relationship," Garcia said of Canelo. "We might not have the same language -- he speaks Spanish -- but, man, we get along so good."

Oscar has previously told TMZ Sports he thinks he can bring Ryan a $700 MILLION fight contract one day ... so yeah, no need to burn that bridge, right!?

The NFL has officially postponed its biggest Thanksgiving Day football game -- Ravens vs. Steelers -- after multiple players tested positive for COVID.

"Baltimore Ravens at Pittsburgh Steelers game scheduled for Thursday, November 26 has been moved to Sunday afternoon, November 29," the NFL confirmed.

"This decision was made out of an abundance of caution to ensure the health and safety of players, coaches and game day personnel and in consultation with medical experts."

Earlier this week, Baltimore's top 2 running backs -- Mark Ingram and J.K. Dobbins -- were ruled out for Thursday night after testing positive for COVID.

But now, there seems to be a chance they could get back on the field for Sunday's game ... IF they weren't symptomatic.

Per the NFL's COVID policy, an asymptomatic player can return if 5 days have passed since the initial positive test AND the player receives 2 consecutive negative rapid tests at least 24 hours apart within that 5-day span.

We don't know if the RBs were symptomatic or not -- but we're making calls to try and find out.

In the meantime, there are still two other games going down on Turkey Day ... Houston vs. Detroit and Washington vs. Dallas.

Something historic might come out of the COVID pandemic ... Vanderbilt's head football coach says he's considering using a female soccer player to be his team's placekicker this week after the Commodores were hit by coronavirus quarantines.

Derek Mason, who's coached Vandy football since 2014, said Wednesday the school's women's soccer team's goalie, Sarah Fuller, "is an option for us" in the team's game against Missouri on Saturday.

FYI -- if Fuller does log a snap in the game ... it's believed she will be the first woman EVER to compete in live-action for a Power 5 football program.

As for why Mason's considering it ... aside from Vanderbilt's kicking woes this season -- the team had to place a bunch of special teamers in quarantine this week due to a possible COVID outbreak.

"Well, right now, we’re just looking at all options," Mason said of Fuller on ESPN 102.5 The Game. "She’s a complete competitor. She’s an option for us. So, right now, that’s where we sit."

According to the Vanderbilt Hustler, Fuller suited up for the Commodores at their practice Tuesday ... but did NOT kick with the team.

Instead, per the report, Fuller -- who donned full pads -- just went through walkthroughs with the team and coaches.

Fuller helped lead Vandy's women's soccer team to an SEC Championship last weekend in a COVID-shortened season ... playing in 8 games and logging 25 total saves.

Alabama football coach Nick Saban has tested positive for COVID-19 -- again -- only this time he's symptomatic and will likely not coach in the Iron Bowl against Auburn on Saturday.

"This morning we received notification that Coach Saban tested positive for COVID-19," the University said in a statement.

"He has very mild symptoms, so this test will not be categorized as a potential false positive. He will follow all appropriate guidelines and isolate at home."

#1 ranked Alabama is set to take on #22 ranked Auburn in the Iron Bowl this weekend -- a HUGE game -- but Saban is not expected to be on the sidelines this time around.

Saban previously tested positive for COVID back in October -- but was not symptomatic and he ultimately coached just 3 days after the positive test when Bama took on Georgia. The Tide won that game in a 41 to 24 shellacking.

After the game, Saban was seen on video dancing in the locker room with players while NOT wearing a mask.

Michael Jordan is feeling the holiday spirit -- the NBA legend just donated $2 MILLION to help feed people in need!!!

"In these challenging times and in a year of unimaginable difficulty due to COVID-19, it’s more important than ever to pause and give thanks," Jordan said.

"I am proud to be donating additional proceeds from 'The Last Dance' to Feeding America and its member food banks in the Carolinas in Chicago to help feed America’s hungry."

Of course, "The Last Dance" documentary was wildly successful -- it's very cool to see MJ using that extra cash to help the less fortunate have a nice holiday.

The people at Feeding America -- which touts itself as "the largest charitable food assistance network in the U.S." -- were stoked to receive MJ's gift.

"An incredible gift to be thankful for -- NBA legend Michael Jordan is donating $2 million to help our neighbors facing hunger!"

Feed America says it works with 200 food banks and 60,000 food partners across the country -- and they're encouraging everyone who can help to pitch in!

"Just chill out a little bit. It's a game."

That's Aaron Rodgers responding to the IDIOTS who made death threats at Packers WR Marquez Valdes-Scantling -- reminding everyone to CALM THE HELL DOWN.

Remember, Valdes-Scantling had a costly fumble in overtime against the Colts on Sunday -- and it ultimately led to Green Bay losing an important game.

After the game, MVS got death threats from morons on social media. The WR clapped back at the time saying, "Death threats over a football game? Jesus you people need help. It’s actually sick."

Enter Aaron Rodgers ... who was asked about the situation Tuesday on the "The Pat McAfee Show" -- where he went off on the lunatics behind the threats.

"Anybody who is so distraught about this that they need to go to Twitter and talk about killing someone, I would suggest that you relax," Rodgers said.

He continued, "It’s a game. We’re all trying our best. We’re trying to entertain you, but we’re also trying to do our best because we have a lot of pride in our performance."

"Nobody’s trying to do anything to f*ck up our season or your precious watching experience."

Rodgers said MVS is, in fact, one of the most productive wideouts he's EVER played with ... and the QB made it clear Valdes-Scantling is integral to the Packers' success -- despite his late turnover against Indianapolis.