TMZ Sports - Page 50

When you've got a nickname as bad ass as "Da Meat Hook" ... ya gotta get one tatted on your body, right?

That's exactly how ex-MLB star Dmitri Young feels ... 'cause the 2-time All Star told us he loved the nickname so much, he HAD to memorialize it in ink -- and he showed us!

Also, Young had a busted finger ... courtesy of an 8-year-old with a baseball bat.

Brett Favre suited up again, but no shoulder pads or helmet this time ... just a hot pink swim cap for the first leg of a triathlon Saturday.

A bunch of Brett's female competitors surrounded him at the start of the Key West Triathlon. It's unclear which group he went out with -- the shorter sprint distance or the more grueling olympic -- but either one's longer than what the average retiree could do.

This isn't Brett's first swim/bike/run event, he did one in Alabama back in September in Alabama ... and placed 3rd in his age group!

WBC heavyweight king Deontay Wilder is calling out new champ Tyson Fury ... saying his post fight serenade to his wife was total EAR TRASH ... and promising to REARRANGE HIS FACE.

Wilder checked in with the crew on the "TMZ Sports" show on FS1 -- and told us he's gonna beat Fury so badly, his wife is gonna wanna leave him.

"I'm gonna destroy him."

The smack talk is great ... Wilder even drags Fury's mom into the mix -- good times.

Wanna piss off your wife??? THREATEN TO BURN HER LOUBOUTIN SHOES ... 'cause that's now at the center of a nasty divorce war starring a former University of Oklahoma running back.

The man who allegedly threatened shoe-icide is Brennan Clay -- who's marriage hit the skids when he accused his wife of banging ex-teammate DeMarco Murray (allegations he later retracted).

But according to court docs obtained by TMZ Sports, Clay's wife wants Brennan thrown in jail -- after he allegedly sent her a picture of her expensive shoe collection in a pile with the caption, "I'm setting all of your Louboutins on fire."

Oh hell no.

It appears Clay backed off his alleged threat -- but his estranged wife says the fact he messed with her property is in violation of a court order to not harass each other during the divorce.

When reached out for comment, Clay told TMZ Sports the allegations are false -- he never threatened the shoes -- and says text messages are bogus.

It's the end of the road for Kobe ... and that's why Philadelphia singing legend Shawn Stockman says the city should get down on bended knee for the Mamba ... and give him the key to the city.

Stockman is royalty in his native Philadelphia as part of legendary singing group, Boyz II Men ... so when we got him at LAX we had to ask ... how does the city say 'thank you' to it's favorite bball son?

Check out the clip -- Shawn says Kobe definitely deserves the full hero's send-off ... complete with parades, and the key to the City of Brotherly Love.

We know it's hard to say goodbye to yesterday ... but that would be a good start.

After news broke that Kobe Bryant officially announced his retirement the office couldn't stop talking about who they thought was the best basketball player of all time ... so we huddled together some of the newsroom's first picks for you to enjoy.

Ex-USC football coach Steve Sarkisian has finally surfaced -- and he looks like the picture of sobriety ... just 2 months after hitting rock bottom.

Sark was leaving NikeTown in Bev Hills, looking lucid, healthy and upbeat ... drastically different from the guy who drank himself out of a job earlier this year.

Check out the clip ... Sarkisian says he'll still be rooting hard for his Trojans when they take on Stanford in the PAC 12 championship Saturday ... but wouldn't give a prediction as to who will win.

Officials have found a homemade SHANK in Aaron Hernandez's prison cell ... where he's serving a life sentence for murder ... this according to reports.

Once officials discovered the weapon, Hernandez was removed from the general population at the Souza-Baranowski Correctional Center (a super max prison) and put in solitary confinement ... according to FOX 25 in Boston.

St. Louis Rams wide receiver Stedman Bailey says he's recovering VERY WELL after being shot in the head -- and says he's determined to get back in the NFL.

Bailey was shot in front of his family's home in Florida last Tuesday -- and underwent an emergency operation in the hours following the attack.

Now, the 25-year-old has issued a statement saying, "My recovery has been nothing short of a miracle (a work of GOD) and I can only give GOD the praise, glory and honor for which he is doing in my life at this time."

The Cleveland Cavs hit the road Wednesday -- taking some time away from the court to visit a Children's Hospital in Cleveland ... and we're told the kids were PUMPED about the visit.

A spokesperson for the Cleveland Clinic Children's Hospital confirms LeBron James, Iman Shumpert, Matthew Dellavedova, Anderson Varejao and James Jones spent more than an hour hanging out with the kids and giving out cool Cavs swag.

"It's a big deal," one staffer told us ... "They come every year. They spend a lot of time in each room. They hang out and really make the kids happy."

"For that time they're here visiting, it's amazing what it does to their spirits and mood and how it impacts their time in the hospital."

Matt Stafford's wife is PISSED AGAIN ... claiming the refs "screwed" her husband's Detroit Lions out of another victory Thursday night -- and once again, she's venting on social media.

Kelly Stafford has a history of going public with her disdain for the officiating -- and this time, she was clearly upset with the controversial facemask penalty against the Lions that set up GB's game-winning Hail Mary TD on the last play of the game.

"At least my brother was here to see us get screwed per the usual," Kelly wrote ... adding, "#detroitvseverybody."

Earlier this season, Stafford's wife called the refs "incompetent" after the Lions lost to the Seahawks ... and last year, she criticized NFL officials for babying Aaron Rodgers.

Apparently, you don't gotta play a sport to rock a championship ring -- just ask Chris Brown ... who just dropped $100,000 to make his crew look like the '96 Bulls.

Brown hit up Elliott Eliantte of Eliantte and Co. in NYC and commissioned 15 rings for himself and his best friends ... a crew that calls themselves OHB (Original Hood Bosses).

Elliott tells TMZ Sports ... each ring is made with 50 to 60 grams of 14 karat gold ... and sports roughly 3 carats worth of diamonds.

But Brown put more ice on his ring -- the boss ring -- that one has between 10 and 12 carats worth of diamonds.

We're told Brown and the group are getting their rings today.

Merry Xmas.

If basketball doesn't work out, Jahlil Okafor could always bring his talents to the octagon ... so says UFC star Frankie Edgar who tells TMZ Sports he was impressed by Okafor's fighting ability.

Edgar -- who's gearing up to fight Chad Mendes at "The Ultimate Fighter" finale on Dec. 11 -- says he watched the footage of the 76ers star fighting in Boston ... and says dude's got real talent.

"He's gotta use that range a little more, poke that jab a little better," Edgar says ... adding," He's got a future in it."

Check out the clip ... Edgar also says he's keeping a close eye on the McGregor vs. Aldo fight next weekend -- because he champing at the bit to fight the winner.

MMA superstar Gina Carano is off the market ... revealing that she's officially back in a relationship with a kickboxing star ... after nearly 10 YEARS apart.

Carano -- who's a big movie star now with a role in the upcoming "Deadpool" flick -- posted a pic on her Instagram page locking lips with kickboxer Kevin Ross -- the #14 Muay Thai fighter in the world.

Ross explained how they hooked up -- and it's actually a pretty sweet story.

"For those of you that don't know we dated for 4 years, were broken up for a decade then got back together on the 14th anniversary of the day we met."

They've been back on for 6 months -- and have now decided to go public with their relationship.

"Gina is not only the reason I'm even doing what I am but literally the reason that I'm even alive and walking around still. You are my inspiration, my best friend, my everything!!!"

Jaleel White knows exactly why #1 Kentucky turned from Stefan to Steve Urkel Thursday night against UCLA ... the bright lights of Hollywood ... saying the boys from Lexington simply couldn't handle the big spotlight.

Jaleel was leaving Matsuhisa restaurant in Bev Hills last night when we asked what all college bball fans are wondering right now ... how the HELL did unranked UCLA upset the #1 team in America?

Check out the clip -- Jaleel ... who is SUPER PUMPED about the victory ... says there was a Staples Center atmosphere in Pauley Pavilion last night -- tons of celebrities -- ... and Calipari's crew buckled.

Now if it only worked in the NBA ...

NHL legend Jeremy Roenick says he's very lucky he didn't get MURDERED BY AN ALLIGATOR back in October ... but says he has no regrets about trying to wrestle it on a golf course.

Video of Roenick trying to jump on the gator went viral recently -- with people saying Jeremy should count his blessings that he didn't get ripped to shreds.

Now, Jeremy finally broke his silence about the whole thing to TMZ Sports ... saying the reason he did it ... was because he wasn't thinking straight!!!

"It was pretty cool."

Ya gotta watch the video.