TMZ Sports - Page 50

New York Giants wide receiver Victor Cruz fired up a bunch of Pop Warner kids the other day -- leading the team in a badass end-of-practice chant ... and TMZ has the video.

Cruz was driving through Hasbrouck Heights, New Jersey on Tuesday night ... when he saw the local Pop Warner teams (kids 8-12-years-old) practicing and decided to stop by.

The coaches rounded up the kids and let Victor lead the players in the traditional Hasbrouck Heights "break" -- and you can tell from the video, the kids are PUMPED.

We spoke to some of the parents, who told us they weren't expecting Victor to show up -- and when he arrived he couldn't have been nicer ... smiling for pictures and signing autographs.

Here's Kate Upton ... basically naked ... with some strategically placed body paint.

You're welcome.

Kate got all painted up for a Sports Illustrated photo shoot -- in the footage, Kate's trying to recreate one of the mag's most famous Swimsuit Edition covers.

We think she nailed it.

"I definitely feel naked," Kate said during the shoot ... "Because I am."

Kate said the artists took a particularly long time to paint on the necklace on her boob area ... yeah, can't imagine why.

Accused murderer Aaron Hernandez turned 24 years old yesterday ... but unfortunately for him, it was no happy birthday ... in fact, it was pretty damn depressing, TMZ has learned.

-- No cake.
-- No party.
-- No presents.

In fact, sources at the Bristol County House of Corrections tell us ... there was no acknowledgement of AH's birthday whatsoever.

We're told ... no one in the slammer gets any sort of special treatment and birthdays are no exception.

Perhaps the saddest part of the whole situation -- Aaron's daughter Avielle Janelle turned 1-year-old on November 6 (they're birthday buddies) ... but Aaron didn't get to celebrate with her either.

Losing the World Series of Poker ain't really that bad ... just ask 2nd Place finisher Jay Farber -- who tells TMZ he's planning on spending his $5 MILLION prize like a BALLER!!!

The 29-year-old former Vegas nightclub VIP host was out at Hooray Henry's (with his bodyguard in tow) and told us he was bummed out about losing the $8.4 million prize at the big tourney in Vegas this weekend ... but it's not gonna stop him from rolling around like a champ.

In fact, Farber says he's planning on buying TWO sick cars right away ... plus ANOTHER expensive purchase.

MLB great George Brett went BALLISTIC on an autograph seeker Wednesday ... threatening to "f**king shoot" the guy if he ever saw him again, and it was all captured on video.

Brett -- who still works for the Royals organization -- had just arrived to Kansas City International Airport yesterday when he was confronted by Brandon Farrens ... who asked for an autograph.

Brett obliged ... saying it was the last time he'd ever sign for the guy -- and then he added, "If I ever see you f**king again, I'll shoot your f**king ass."

Farrens responded, "What an a**hole."

Brett goes back toward the camera -- and that's when the shot ends.

Milwaukee Bucks star Larry Sanders got into a bottle-smashing BRAWL inside a Wisconsin bar over the weekend ... simply because someone splashed him with champagne, sources tell TMZ.

Sanders -- who recently signed a $44 million contract with the team -- was at the Apartment 720 nightclub in Milwaukee early Sunday morning when a fight broke out near the VIP room.

Sources who were at the club tell TMZ ... Larry was walking by the VIP room when he got splashed with champagne from a group that was celebrating at a nearby table. We're told Larry was familiar with some of the members of the other group.

We're told Larry confronted the group about the splash ... and things escalated quickly.

Moments later, a fight broke out between Larry (who was alone) and the group (which consisted of roughly 10 people, both male and female).

Sources tell us ... security raced over to the scene immediately -- but in the melee, Sanders grabbed a bottle and attacked another patron with it -- causing a gash in other man's head that required several stitches.

Eventually, security was able to break up the fight. Cops eventually arrived to the club but both parties had already left.

Our sources say it's unclear if Larry had been drinking before the incident -- but tell us he had spent around 45 minutes at the bar before the fight.

Law enforcement sources tell us Sanders is being investigated for battery.

Portland Trail Blazers star Robin Lopez didn't sulk after losing to the Rockets last night -- he spent his Wednesday teaching kids about the importance of reading ... and TMZ Sports has the pics.

The 7-footer rolled over to Chief Joseph/Ockley Green School in Portland and talked to kids from kindergarten through 3rd grade about how much he loves to read. It's all part of a literacy program called "Read Big."

"If I’m not playing basketball, I’m reading or thinking of stories I can create," Lopez said. "I am so fortunate to have a mom who shared with me her love for books and helped me, from my earliest memories, take great adventures through reading."

During the assembly, Lopez -- a hardcore comic-book nerd -- debuted an animated, super-hero version of himself that will be featured in the campaign.

Nice work, dude.

Wayne Gretzky's daughter Paulina was smokin' hot both figuratively and literally last night ... because we've learned she almost went up in flames at her local bar.

Sources at The Tipsy Goat in Thousand Oaks tell us, Paulina was sitting on the edge of one of the bar's outdoor fire pits when she turned to throw a cigarette into the flames.

We're told as she turned ... a corner of Paulina's sweater slipped into the pit, and before she knew it the entire thing was engulfed in flames.

Eyewitnesses say Paulina and several bar patrons ripped off her sweater -- or what was left of it -- and onlookers jumped into action, extinguishing the flames.

Paulina's people tell us ... she's fine.

That fire pit has caused Paulina trouble in the past. We're told she was once booted from the joint for dancing on the very same pit.

The Miami Dolphins player Richie Incognito allegedly bullied and harassed -- was doing so badly when he left the team, he had to be hospitalized for emotional distress ... according to a report.

Jonathan Martin checked into a South Florida hospital last week, and got a visit from Dolphins head coach Joe Philbin ... ESPN reports.

The team reportedly flew Martin's parents to Florida to visit him ... and he eventually returned to their home in California with them.

According to ESPN ... Martin is cooperating with an NFL investigation into his allegations of harassment from Incognito and other teammates.

It's the new craze sweeping the Cheesehead-hating anti-Packers universe -- a Graterhead -- and TMZ has learned, it's got "Shark Tank" star Daymond John's fingerprints all over it.

The Graterheads made their big debut during Monday night's game between longtime rivals the Packers and the Bears -- and the Graterhead creator tells us, it's been two years in the making.

CEO & Founder of Graterhead Jeran Dahlquist says he hatched his plan to create the grater-shaped hat back in 2011 -- and Shark Tanker Daymond John has been instrumental in the product's launch.

Daymond's rep says the businessman hasn't made a financial investment yet -- he's still weighing his options -- but he believes in the product, and has been coaching the company during its infant stages.

If the company shapes up like he thinks it will, we're told Daymond will be investing a sizable sum.

Dwight Howard was hit in the head with a basketball Monday night ... a basketball that came from the stands ... and he was so pissed, he called in the cops to hunt down the offender, TMZ Sports has learned.

Multiple sources tell us ... the Houston Rockets star was walking toward the tunnel to the locker room at Staples Center after losing to the Clippers Monday night when a basketball came out of the stands and smacked him in the head.

We're told Dwight was furious ... believing whoever had the ball hurled it at him on purpose. Dwight immediately went to stadium security to report the incident and pushed for the offender to be arrested.

Sources say security found the person who had the ball -- a 22-year-old man -- and detained him inside the stadium to conduct an investigation. We're told the LAPD was also involved.

The man maintained that he was an autograph seeker and just wanted Howard's Hancock on the ball -- but lost his grip and accidentally dropped it on the NBA star.

We're told cops found video footage of the incident -- and upon review of the tape, determined the whole thing was an accident that was blown way out of proportion. The man was eventually released.

L.A. Dodgers star Yasiel Puig won't go to jail for doing 97 in a 50 on a Tennessee highway back in April -- 'cause prosecutors have officially dropped the charges.

Puig was initially popped in Chattanooga for burning rubber around 1am on April 28. At the time, Puig was playing for the Chattanooga Lookouts -- a minor league team associated with the Dodgers.

Puig had been charged with reckless driving and speeding -- but now, officials say the charges have been dismissed after he logged 12 hours of community service in L.A.

Even Superman wasn't immune to NFL hazing during his days as a pro -- 'cause Dean Cain tells TMZ, things got straight up racial when he was in the league.

Dean -- who famously played Clark Kent after his short stint with the Buffalo Bills -- was in Malibu yesterday where he told us about a hazing incident that's just as racially charged as Richie Incognito dropping the n-bomb.

But Cain says he handled the situation much differently than Jonathan Martin did.

Richie Incognito finally broke his silence on the Miami Dolphins scandal ... calmly explaining that the situation will pass -- but until then, he's "just trying to weather the storm."

A reporter from WSVN-TV in Florida approached the NFL lineman on his way out of a doctor's appointment and asked Richie all sorts of questions about allegations he mercilessly bullied teammate Jonathan Martin.

Despite the fact he's been painted as the biggest villain in pro sports, Richie handles himself pretty confidently -- though he refused to comment on the n-word voice mail he allegedly left for Martin.

As we previously reported, Incognito is going about life as usual ... and even had a Ferrari delivered to his home yesterday.

The 2013-14 Philadelphia 76ers are no longer the worst team in NBA history -- at least according to Vegas odd makers, who have drastically increased the team's chances of winning a championship after the Sixers' strong start.

The experts at LVH Race and Sports Books initially calculated the odds of a Sixers championship this year at 9,999 to 1 -- the worst pre-season line in history.

But after the team's shocking victories against the Miami Heat and the Chicago Bulls in the first two games of the season, Vegas is now lowering the odds to 100 to 1, placing the 76ers in the middle of the pack between the Celtics and the Hawks.

The worst in the league? That honor goes to the Phoenix Suns, which has 500 to 1 odds of winning the title.

Our Vegas sources tell us the original 76ers line was “foolish" and offered no upside to LVH. Translation: a measly $10 bet would pay $99,990 if the Sixers won the title.