TMZ Sports - Page 50

Kurt Busch has some advice for all you white folks wonderin' how to get your African American buddies to enjoy NASCAR -- just force 'em!!!

The racing champ was traveling at relatively low speeds around D.C. yesterday ... so we got a chance to ask him a crucial question about his sport: how do you get black people to watch it?

Rafael Nadal is taking some time away from the court ... and heading to a casino in Prague ... where the tennis god will compete in his very first live poker tournament.

The 27-year-old tennis champ has signed up for a live charity poker tournament in the Czech Republic on December 12 as part of the European Poker Tour.

Rafa has been training with a poker coach and is taking the "sport" very seriously ... saying, "It's no secret that I love the competition and that's what I like about poker."

He added, "It's a game of skill that requires mental strength and the ability to out-think your opponents and in that way there are similarities to tennis. I have been playing poker online for almost 18 months and now I'm looking forward to the challenge of playing my first live tournament.."

Cam Newton won't be eating turkey for Thanksgiving ... or ham ... or even chicken -- 'cause the Carolina Panthers QB says he's now on a FISH-ONLY diet.

Newton was hosting his 2nd annual "Cam's Thanksgiving Jam" in NC last night -- where he helped serve more than 700 underprivileged kids and family members -- when he broke the news.

Cam says he's been on a pescetarian diet for 8 months -- and this will be his first Turkey Day sans meat or fowl.

"It's kind of challenging my parents and my grandmother to think outside the box to try to incorporate fish," Cam said ... noting that his diet has been good luck this NFL season.

Newton added that his diet has been challenging at times -- "especially being around in the locker room and gets guys eating hot wings, nachos, hamburgers, hot dogs, etc.”

When a reporter asked if Cam had any good seafood in Miami this past weekend -- Cam quipped back, "I had some great Dolphin."

Ex-NBA star Brent Barry threw down the greatest dunk by a white man in NBA history -- according to our camera guy -- and Brent's brother says it may never happen again ... due to the Association's severe lack of white dudes.

Current NBA analyst and former player Jon Barry held a State of the Union for NBA white guys yesterday at LAX ... when our photog brought up Brent's 1996 Dunk Contest winning slam.

So, can any pigment-challenged baller today top Brent? Jon says, "I don't know about that ... there's only about 35 white guys in the league."

He may or may not have been kidding.

Fun Fact: The actual number of white NBA players is somewhere between 60-75, depending on fluctuating team rosters

But for reals ... Brent's foul-line slam was awesome.

Lamar Odom is busting his ass like a man who's going to play in the NBA this season -- wasted rapping aside -- and TMZ Sports got video of one of his workouts.

Lamar was balling daily last week at his alma mater, the University of Rhode Island ... and sources on campus tell us he was spotted putting in 90 minute sessions in the gym.

In the video, shot Saturday ... LO drains a couple of short jumpers, then moves out closer to the 3-point line. As we previously reported, he's been working out with NBA guru Rob McClanaghan.

Life for San Francisco Giants fan Bryan Stow -- the man who was brutally beaten outside Dodgers Stadium -- is a drug addled nightmare, and nearly 3 years after the attack he's still re-learning how to walk ... TMZ Sports has learned..

According to new legal docs ... Stow's suffered multiple complications -- especially brain-related -- and he's currently taking 17 medications, including the anti-seizure drug Dilantin, the painkiller Percocet, Ambien, and Ritalin.

The docs were filed by the L.A. Dodgers in response to Stow's family suing the team following the March 2011 assault ... when two Dodgers fans beat Stow into a coma.

In the papers, Stow says he's been treated by neurologists, hematologists, gastroenterologists, orthopedic surgeons, and oral surgeons. Over the last few months, he's been going through physical therapy to learn how to shower and walk around.

Stow first revealed the full extent of his injuries on NBC's "Rock Center" back in 2011 -- and based on these docs ... it doesn't sound like he's had any huge improvement.

Peyton Manning's got a mutiny on his hands ... at one of his Papa John's pizza joints in Denver. Some of the employees claim they were humiliated by management during an armed robbery. Should Peyton step in to play peacemaker?

Plus, Deion Sanders makes the ballsiest, and classiest, move he's ever made off the field. How Prime went mano a mano over his new GF ... Babyface's ex-wife!

And it looks like Michael Jordan just can't unload his 56,000 sq. foot mansion ... even though it might be the pimpest piece of real estate ever. Is MJ finally going to lose at something?

You know your team's in trouble when you need Vanilla Ice to turn around your season ... but that's exactly where the Houston Texans are after a 9-game cold streak.

Ice performed at Houston's half-time show Sept. 15 ... aka the last time the (2-9) Texans won a game. According to locker room sources ... some of the Texans have made the connection, and think Ice somehow cursed them.

But Ice tells us ... the losing streak isn't his fault and adds, "if we could go sing for a team -- and 'ice' them to have bad luck when I'm not there -- I'd be making millions."

We're told some of the Texans actually want VI to make an encore performance -- rapping "Ice Ice Baby" again -- so they can start winning again.

If anyone's gonna have sex with Babyface's ex-wife, the legendary music producer is glad it's Deion Sanders.

Kenny "Babyface" Edmonds -- who divorced ex-wife Tracey Edmonds in 2005 -- recently sat for an interview with Oprah, and explained how Tracey's new BF Deion approached him for a man-to-man talk to make sure they had no problems with each other.

Babyface says he was blown away by Deion's classy move to clear the air ... and is totally at peace with Tracey's new relationship. Check the clip.

Babyface has been catching some flack for the interview -- he said he wasn't "in love" with Tracey towards the end of their marriage. But he tells TMZ, his words are being twisted. Babyface says he never stopped loving Tracey ... their love just changed from love-love to friend-love.

Minnesota Vikings cornerback A.J. Jefferson -- who's been in the league since 2010 -- was arrested this morning after allegedly strangling his girlfriend ... and was immediately released by the team, TMZ Sports has learned.

Law enforcement tells TMZ ... the 25-year-old was arrested for felony domestic violence this morning after the woman went to a police station in Eden Prairie, MINN and told authorities she had been abused by Jefferson.

Cops went to Jefferson's home -- where he was arrested. We're told he was cooperative during the arrest.

Law enforcement sources tell us ... the girlfriend claims Jefferson choked her during a dispute.

Kobe Bryant just inked a deal to stay with the purple and gold for another two years ... TMZ Sports has learned.

L.A. Lakers general manager Mitch Kupchak says the team has signed Kobe to a 2-year extension. The terms of the contract were not released.

The 35-year-old NBA legend was already set to make more than $30.5 million this season.

"This is a very happy day for Lakers fans and for the Lakers organization," Kupchak said. The team is confident Kobe will finish his career as a Laker.

Moments ago, Kobe tweeted out of a pic of his signed contract -- along with the hashtag "Laker4Life."

If Kobe completes his contract, he will be the longest tenured player with a single team in the history of the NBA -- overtaking John Stockton, who played 19 seasons with the Utah Jazz.

Before Tom Brady ruined Peyton Manning's weekend, the New England Patriots quarterback hit the park with his kids to play a little baseball -- and it made us wonder, think he'll let 'em play football?

Tom -- along with his 4-year-old son Benjamin and his 6-year-old Jack -- tossed around the hardball at a park in Boston on Saturday.

FYI -- Tom was a helluva baseball player back in the day ... he was one of the best high school catchers in the country and was drafted by the Montreal Expos back in 1995.

Now, with Brett Favre, Terry Bradshaw, Adrian Peterson and more saying they wouldn't let their kids play tackle football -- considering the medical risks -- think Brady is trying to shepherd the boys into a safer sport?

A former New Orleans Saints player is calling BS on Drew Brees ... claiming Drew's trying to unfairly throw him under the bus after the QB got killed in a bad financial investment.

The man in the crosshairs -- Kevin Houser -- a former Saints longsnapper who became a licensed securities broker.

Brees had sued Houser earlier this year claiming Houser duped him into buying $160,000 in bogus tax credits back in 2008.

Now, Houser is firing back in legal documents filed in New Orleans and obtained by TMZ Sports -- in which he claims he NEVER had a deal with Brees to serve as his broker and shouldn't have to pay because Drew made a crappy investment.

Jonathan Martin had to be wondering last night ... which would happen first -- him playing in the NFL again, or him catching a ride from the airport?

The man at the center of football's locker room bullying controversy was at LAX last night ... waiting, and waiting, and waiting ... for a parking shuttle.

Martin was pretty tight-lipped when we asked if he was returning to the Miami Dolphins, or reconnecting with his teammate/alleged tormentor Richie Incognito.

He was way more concerned with how he was getting home -- and, all told, our photog says Martin stood around for almost half an hour before hooking up with a shuttle.

He just turned 45, but boxing legend James Toney tells TMZ Sports he's NOT ready to retire -- and wants to get back into the ring ASAP.

Toney -- who's fought in 90 pro boxing matches -- was out in Calabasas, CA this weekend ... fresh off a big boxing tournament in the U.K., in which he defeated his 1st opponent and then lost in the semi-finals.

"I'm still one of the best fighters in the world," Toney said. And while explaining that he's still training added, "I'll be back soon."

Toney -- who beat Evander Holyfield in 2003 -- says he's still confident he'd beat the living crap out of famed streetfighter Kimbo Slice ... and the fact they never got in the ring is probably a blessing in disguise for Kimbo.

L.A. Angels manager Mike Scioscia is PUMPED -- telling TMZ Sports he's fired up about locking up former World Series MVP David Freese 'cause he'll finally stop the bleeding at 3rd base.

Scioscia was at Burbank Airport this weekend when we asked about Friday's big trade -- when the Angels got Freese from the St. Louis Cardinals in a 4-player deal.

It's a huge move for the Halos -- considering they ran through seven 3rd basemen last season ... and finished the year under .500.

"Yeah, we're real excited about it," Mike told us ... "I think [Freese is] gonna fill a big void for us so we're excited."