TMZ Sports - Page 50

Shaq better book an Airbnb when he travels to Arizona to watch his son Shareef play for the Wildcats ... 'cause Charles Barkley says the Big Diesel is a little too damn big to stay with him.

Barkley lives in Phoenix, and when we got him out in NYC our camera guy asked what Chuck thought about Shareef committing to play ball in his neck of the woods.

That's when things turned HILARIOUS ... and Barkley had to remind Shaq his house ain't no damn hotel ... especially if you're of the big and tall variety.

Bonus shade? Watch Chuck react to our guy saying Shaq is the best big man of all time. Classic.

Dana White says if Anderson Silva is even thinking about retiring he should DO IT ... 'cause the UFC simply ain't gonna give Silva the title shot he's asking for ... at least right now.

Earlier in the week Silva went public threatening to retire if he didn't get a shot at Yoel Romero for the interim middleweight championship.

When we got Dana out in Beverly Hills he had some advice for Silva ... get to steppin' ... telling our guy there's no way in hell Anderson is gonna get that shot.

If we're keeping it real, White seemed aggravated about the whole thing, making you wonder if Silva might've overplayed his hand a little.

A UFC champion is about to tell you how he made $16K pretending to be one of the greatest football players OF ALL TIME ... and you'll only hear it here on TMZ Sports.

We talked to Tyron Woodley who tells us he's been really hustling in his acting/stuntman career, and it paid off recently when he got to double NFL hall of famer, Barry Sanders, in a Pepsi Max spot.

Woodley -- who was in makeup for a project when he talked with us -- said he had to look like Barry, and walk like Barry, and do something Sanders didn't do much in his career ... fall down.

The whole thing took an hour ... and according to Tyron the going rate for four falls as Barry Sanders is a cool $16K.

Not bad work if you can get it ... but you can't.

American Pharoah trainer Bob Baffert doesn't have a horse in the race, but that's not stopping him from giving out some solid advice on how to win big at the Kentucky Derby!!

We spoke with Baffert -- who has reportedly earned more than $255 MILLION in his horse racing career -- about the big race at Churchill Downs on Saturday ... and he says there's no clear favorite to win it all, but shares his 2 favorite horses.

How does the guy sharing the broadcast booth with Jay Cutler feel about his new partner?

TMZ Sports spoke with NFL on Fox color analyst Charles Davis who says he's fired up!

Davis says he and Cutler are already working on building their chemistry -- and even though they have yet to meet in person, they're already becoming tight.

Of course, we had to ask the big question ... which QB will be better in the booth, Cutler or Tony Romo?

Tom Brady is all about tradition -- so, he's rounded up some of his favorite New England Patriots teammates and they're all flying to the Kentucky Derby on a private jet.

Tom's backups Jimmy Garoppolo and Jacoby Brissett joined other Pats like Julian Edelman for the trip to Churchill Downs for the big race this weekend ... as seen in the pic first posted by Pats color analyst Scott Zolak.

Once they landed, the guys met up with Aaron Rodgers.

Tom does the Derby almost every year -- but our favorite memory is when his then-teammate Wes Welker won BIG and handed out $100 bills to random people.

TMZ Sports has obtained the suicide note Aaron Hernandez wrote to his fiancee, Shayanna Jenkins-Hernandez -- in which he tells her she will be RICH after he kills himself.

It's not hard to connect the dots. In Massachusetts, when someone dies after being convicted of a crime, they are only considered guilty postmortem if their appeal process is exhausted.

In Aaron's case, his murder conviction was pending appeal. Therefore, under MA law he died an innocent man.

As a result of dying innocent, the New England Patriots cannot justify firing him and denying him the remainder of his salary ($6 mil) so the team may have to pay that money to Aaron's estate and it appears Shay is the beneficiary ... and Aaron knew it.

So, there's a strong smell Aaron may have killed himself so his fiancee could be set for life.

Bella Thorne is hanging out with a brand new pro athlete ... and believe it or not, we ain't just talking about her boobs and butt cheeks.

The ex-Disney star was rocking a barely there see-through half shirt and some very tight white shorts during a trip to Six Flags Magic Mountain on Thursday with L.A. Lakers star Jordan Clarkson.

Unclear if they're anything more than friends ... but the two pulled up to the park together in his Lambo.

We know Bella likes NBA players -- she spent a lot of time hanging out with Chandler Parsons earlier this year ... and even kissed him in Mexico.

1:40 PM PT -- Cops in Oregon say they just caught Lyerla.

It's a crazy story ... a rep for the Hillsboro PD says they responded to a call for an overdose earlier today. When they got to the scene, they ID'ed the overdosed person as Lyerla.

Cops say he tried to run away but didn't get very far. He's currently in the hospital getting treated and will be rebooked into jail when he recovers.

Ex-Oregon Ducks tight end Colt Lyerla broke out of a jail on Thursday ... and now cops are trying to bring the 24-year-old back into custody, ASAP.

Lyerla was a key part of those insane Ducks teams from 2011 to 2013 -- winning the Pac-12 championship, the Rose Bowl and the Fiesta Bowl. He signed with Packers in 2014 but got injured before the season began.

The 24-year-old was 2 months into a 6 month sentence at a minimum security jail in Oregon stemming from a heroin arrest back in March ... but he went missing on Thursday.

Officials from the Washington County Community Corrections Center tells TMZ Sports an alarm was triggered by an open window at the jail and after a search, officers determined Lyerla had escaped.

We're told a warrant has been issued for his arrest and if/when he's caught he'll face a felony escape charge.

Lyerla has a troubled past -- with previous arrests for cocaine possession, DUI and forgery.

Neymar's international teammate, Gabriel Barbosa, just scored big time ... with his hot model sister.

21-year-old Rafaella -- who has been rumored to have a thing with the Inter Milan star for several weeks -- pretty much confirmed the relationship by posting a pic of the two sharing a smooch on Wednesday.

Neymar and Gabigol have been teammates on the Brazilian national team for years ... and it's sure seems like the soccer superstar approves of the couple if they decided to take things public.

GOOOOOOOAAAAAAAAAAALLLLLLLLLL!!!!!!!!!!!

Ezekiel Elliott had the ultimate pickup line at the Rae Sremmurd show Thursday night -- Swae Lee's ADORABLE puppy ... and the chicks looooved it!

The Dallas Cowboys superstar is tight with the rap group -- in fact, they even brought Zeke onstage during their concert in Dallas.

They also tasked him with the ultimate responsibility of watching Swae's beloved pooch, Boom, during the show ... and he accepted.

Kelly Slater -- the Michael Jordan of surfing -- is about to tell the world who the best celebrity surfer around is ... and sorry guys ... his pick ain't one of the fellas.

We had to surf talk with Kelly when we got him out in NYC promoting his Outerknown clothing line, and wanted to know who the world's most famous surfer is ... who's not actually a surfer.

Our guys gave Kelly a lot of options, like Jack Johnson, Jimmy Buffett, and Eddie Vedder ... but the first name out of his mouth was Victoria's Secret and SI Swimsuit model, Marisa Miller.

We looked it up ... Marisa's a legit real deal shredder, but we'd be lying if we didn't say some of the google results we got were kinda distracting from our research.

#OnlyHuman.

The owner of the Cincinnati Bengals is telling fans he knows the team "took a risk" in drafting Joe Mixon -- but he's hoping Joe is a changed man who won't screw up again.

Mike Brown -- who's also the team president -- wrote an open letter to fans who have expressed concerns about Cinci's decision to pick a player who brutalized a woman in 2012.

In the letter, Brown points out Mixon's upside as an athlete -- while condemning the "regrettable deed."

"In making our decision, we took a risk," Brown says ... "In this case, the risk has an upside as well as a downside."

"We believe Joe has put this behind him and that he can turn into the player and community member that creates a plus for Cincinnati. We are going to do everything in our power to make this happen."

"Our hope is that time will prove that this opportunity is deserved, and perhaps -- if given a chance -- Joe can write a chapter in Cincinnati sports history that both he and Cincinnati can be proud of."

Here's the letter in its entirety:

"In the NFL draft last Friday, the Cincinnati Bengals selected a very talented football player who did a terrible thing his freshman year at college.

The player – Joe Mixon – is a top level football player by everyone’s account. Joe’s regrettable deed was that he struck a young woman, another student, shortly after arriving on campus in Norman, Oklahoma, three years ago.

Joe and this young woman recently met in person, came to terms with the incident, and they agreed to resolve their differences so they could move forward with their lives. While the circumstances that led up to the incident are unclear – what is clear is that it is unacceptable for a man to strike a woman.

Since the incident three years ago, Joe was suspended by the football team, pleaded guilty in court, and accepted the consequences of his actions. He later went on to become a good citizen in Norman, a popular teammate, a player respected by his coaches, and one of the most talented players in college football.

The Bengals take pride in our hometown and want to provide winning football on the field and successful players off the field. That is the reason we drafted Joe – he is a rare football talent, and his conduct over the past three years leads us to believe he can help us win football games and also become a productive member of this community.

In making our decision, we took a risk. In this case, the risk has an upside as well as a downside. We believe Joe has put this behind him and that he can turn into the player and community member that creates a plus for Cincinnati. We are going to do everything in our power to make this happen. Our hope is that time will prove that this opportunity is deserved, and perhaps – if given a chance – Joe can write a chapter in Cincinnati sports history that both he and Cincinnati can be proud of.

Thank you.

Sincerely,

It's safe to say Mike Brown will NOT be shelling out $500 for Lonzo Ball's sneakers.

The Golden State Warriors assistant coach was asked about the ex-UCLA star's debut ZO2 shoes before Thursday night's win over the Jazz ... and his reaction is absolutely priceless.

The reporter asks: “Would you buy your kids a pair of shoes for $500 from an unproven NBA player after college?”

Brown lets out a great laugh before shooting down the idea. And he's not alone ... Shaq also scoffed at the expensive kicks on Twitter, saying "Real Big Baller Brands don't over charge kids for shoes."

Lonzo's dad, Lavar, responded to the haters on Twitter last night, saying "Big Baller's loose! If you can't afford the ZO2'S, you're NOT a BIG BALLER!"

Jay Cutler is officially pulling a Tony Romo -- leaving the football field for the broadcast booth ... but he won't say he's officially retired from the NFL.

The 34-year-old ex-Chicago Bears QB has signed on to join the NFL on FOX team this upcoming season as a color commentator ... reportedly replacing John Lynch, who is now running the 49ers.

Cutler issued a statement kind of explaining where he is in life right now ... but not officially announcing his retirement.

"I don't know if retirement is the right word; I don't feel that anyone ever retires from the NFL," Cutler said.

"You are either forced to leave, or you lose the desire to do what's required to keep going. I'm in between those situations at this point in my life."

Cutler was released by the Bears this off-season -- and while he reportedly spoke with other teams, didn't sign a new contract.

"Words can't express how grateful I am to everyone who helped me along my journey," Cutler added in his statement.

"To my parents, my sisters, my wife and kids – thank you for putting your wants and needs on the back burner while I played a game every Friday, Saturday or Sunday. You made it all possible."

Stacks on stacks on stacks on stacks!!

Floyd Mayweather broke the bank for the opening of his new Vegas strip club -- wheeling bags and bags of money into his whip to make sure his new joint is thunderstrormin' from the minute it opens.

Floyd is the man behind Girl Collection in Vegas -- what he describes as an "upscale" gentleman's club featuring exotic dancers from all over the world.

The club opens this week. Floyd's clearly prepared.