TMZ Sports - Page 50

Three University of Illinois football players have been arrested for armed robbery and home invasion for an alleged incident at a campus dorm ... and it sounds like one of the most PATHETIC crimes ever committed.

Darta Lee -- an 18-year-old offensive lineman who played 6 games as a true freshman was arrested ... as well as fellow offensive lineman Howard Watkins.

19-year-old Zarrian Holcombe was also popped -- he's a TE/WR who also played as a true freshman.

Cops say the 3 men were wearing masks and entered an apartment in an effort to rob the person inside. At least one of the men was brandishing what appeared to be a gun.

The problem, cops say the alleged victim recognized the voice of one of the masked men -- blowing their cover.

At that point, cops say one of the alleged robbers removed his mask and tried to play the whole thing off as a joke.

Oh, and cops say they now believe the gun used in the incident was a fake firearm.

Despite the comedy of errors, the three men allegedly got money from the victim and booked it.

The victim went to cops and the suspects were easily tracked down and arrested.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has 2 priorities -- letting the world know he had nothing to do with James Comey getting fired, and also ... playing hockey.

Putin delayed one of those to talk about the other with CBS News, saying there's no reason to think Comey's firing will disrupt U.S.-Russia relations. He got all constitutional, saying President Trump's action was "in accordance with his law."

And then he said ... it's hockey time!!

Putin does love stuffing a stat sheet when he hits the ice, but his invitation to CBS seemed odd.

UFC superstar Demetrious Johnson doesn't just kill it in the Octagon, he's also a hardcore gamer ... and he's breaking down the best, worst and most overrated video games of ALL TIME!

Who's the best video game character ever? DJ gets right into that.

Which "Mortal Kombat" fighter had the best fatality? (Hint: It's not Kano's heart rip).

What's the game that was SUPPOSED to be dope, that actually sucked ass?

The sports world is rallying around Chris Berman after news broke that his wife died in a car wreck ... with huge stars sending their condolences and messages of support to the ESPN legend.

Russell Wilson -- "Truly sad to hear Mrs. Kathy Berman is no longer with us. Praying for you Chris as I know you always told me she was your rock."

WWE legend Jim Ross -- "So unfortunate for the #ChrisBerman family. My sincere condolences. #KnowTheFeeling"

Buffalo Bills -- "Chris Berman has been a friend of the Buffalo Bills for many years and we are all heartbroken to learn of the passing of his wife, Kathy. We will circle the wagons for Boomer and his family."

Chris Long -- "Prayers with Chris Berman over the loss of his wife. Unimaginable."

Justin Tuck -- "Prayers to Chris Berman and his family!!"

Rob Dibble -- "Thoughts and Prayers to Chris Berman and his family, his wife Kathy passed away yesterday. RIP"

Hunter Strickland -- "Thoughts and prayers for Chris Berman and his family. Deeply saddened to hear this news."

Dick Vitale -- "Like many of u I am Heartbrokrn over the news of the tragic passing of Kathy Berman / Prayers go out to Chris & his family May she RIP"

Jamal Anderson -- "Thinking of Chris Berman and his family. Rest in peace, Kathy. Awful news."

How's this for maturity?!?

Casper Smart tells TMZ Sports there's ZERO jealousy or animosity or bitterness at Alex Rodriguez for dating his ex-girlfriend, Jennifer Lopez ... and actually praised A-Rod as a "legend."

Of course, Casper and J Lo dated for years before finally calling it quits in 2016. She's now dating A-Rod ... and it appears he has Casper's full blessing.

In fact, Casper says he's only heard great things about the ex-Yankees star and says when it comes to his feelings toward the baseball player -- "It's all respect and love."

Cookie Johnson says when it comes to all things Lakers -- including potential #1 draft pick Lonzo Ball -- she refuses to share her opinion ... telling TMZ Sports, "I stay in my lane!"

Magic Johnson's wife was out shopping in Beverly Hills on Tuesday when she told us sports is Magic's territory -- adding, "I have a lot of confidence in my husband."

Cookie and Magic have been married for 25 years and are extremely close -- so the question is ... you REALLY think Cookie has no opinion on Lonzo or LaVar Ball???

The wife of ESPN legend Chris Berman was killed in a bad crash in Connecticut on Tuesday ... when her car slammed into another vehicle, killing both drivers.

According to the police report obtained by TMZ Sports, 67-year-old Katherine Berman was driving her 2003 Lexus around 2:15 PM when she slammed into the back of a Ford Escape.

Officials say Katherine's car veered off the roadway and overturned into a small body of water, as seen in a photo from the scene, obtained by NBC Connecticut.

The other car collided with a utility pole and landed on its roof.

The driver of the other car -- an 87-year-old man -- was transported to a nearby hospital but did not survive.

In a photo of the crash scene obtained by WTNH, you can see the other driver's car (behind the red Ford) was completely totaled.

Chris and Katherine have been married since 1983 and have 2 kids together.

Chris was reportedly at the Giants vs. Mets game at Citi Field when he was notified of the crash by NYPD officers.

ESPN President John Skipper issued a statement saying, "This is a devastating tragedy and difficult to comprehend."

"Chris is beloved by all his ESPN colleagues and for good reason: he has a huge heart and has given so much to so many over the years. We know how much his family means to him and all we can do at a moment like this is give him the love and support he will surely need at this hour."

"Our thoughts and prayers are with Chris, Meredith, Doug and the entire family."

Floyd Mayweather's days of trashing his dad are LONG OVER -- in fact, TBE tells TMZ Sports why he owes his entire boxing empire to his pops!

Of course, Floyd Jr. and Floyd Sr. have a very famous, very nasty feud that left them estranged for years. At one point, Sr. offered to train fighters to BEAT his own son.

Oh, and don't forget that other time Sr. said he used Floyd as a human shield to keep Jr.'s maternal uncle from shooting him with a shotgun!!! Seriously!!

But all that's water under the bridge ... Floyd Jr. says he owes "all the thanks to my dad."

He also says Sr. gave him the single most important piece of advice he ever got about his career ... and he never forgot it.

Floyd also wants everyone to remember he ain't no bitch -- and used to be known as a "knockout artist" before his body broke down.

He ain't lyin ...

It's hard for some people to understand how pro athletes like Isaiah Thomas compete after the death of a loved one ... but L.A. Clippers player Raymond Felton summed it up pretty perfectly.

Felton lost his grandmother earlier this year and tells TMZ Sports he can completely relate to Thomas -- whose sister died in a tragic car crash last month.

"I understand the grief. I understand what he's feeling, what he's going through."

Oscar De La Hoya says he's a got a REAL offer for Floyd Mayweather -- forget fighting Conor McGregor and take on the winner of Canelo Alvarez vs. Gennady Golovkin!!!

The head of Golden Boy Promotions joined the guys on the "TMZ Sports" TV show (airs Tuesday night on FS1) and explained why Floyd shouldn't be wasting his time fighting a guy who's got a 0-0 boxing record.

Oscar says he's dead serious about negotiating a real deal to get everyone paid.

Clearly, Floyd is down to fight again -- he's said so himself -- and Dana White keeps telling everyone that a potential deal to fight Conor is a loooong way from happening.

So, why not make a fortune BEFORE making another fortune???

UFC star Yair Rodriguez says he's so busy preparing for his fight with Frankie Edgar, he doesn't have time for friends or a girlfriend ... telling TMZ Sports "the only thing I do is training for fighting."

We spoke with El Pantera about his upcoming fight with Edgar at UFC 211 ... and he feels disrespected by Edgar's claims that the fight is a 'win-win' situation for Rodriguez thanks to Edgar's popularity.

"I was thinking like, 'who the f*** does he think he is?'" Rodriguez says. "I don't care. Like, I'm not looking for his fame, you know? Like, I want my own s**t. I want my own stuff."

As for his focus leading up to the fight, Rodriguez says it's all about fighting 24/7.

Pacman Jones went off on the 911 operator he called for help after his car crash in Ohio early Tuesday morning ... and was especially upset when she questioned if he REALLY drove a Rolls-Royce.

In Pacman's defense, the operator jumped on him for not being more descriptive about the location of the car wreck and raised her voice at him. He didn't like that.

Pacman fired back, "Can you stop f**king yelling on the phone!?"

"I just got into a wreck. I'm kinda shook up. I'm trying to find where the f*ck I'm at. Good God Almighty."

Oh, and stay tuned at the end of the call when Pacman turns to someone -- who may be the other driver -- and screams out, "What the f*ck were you looking at?!"

Fortunately, no one was injured in the crash. Pacman says he plans on selling the car.

Serena Williams' ex-boyfriend, Common, has NO DOUBT she'll return to tennis and dominate again after her baby is born ... calling Serena the greatest tennis player of all time!

Aaron Hernandez's attorney, Jose Baez, says his legal team is in talks with the NFL player's former agents to see how the abatement of his murder conviction will affect his contract with the Patriots.

There are theories that with the murder conviction erased, the New England Patriots will be on the hook to pay out the remainder of his contract to Aaron's estate ... a number reportedly around $6 million.

Baez says Aaron's family and legal team are still grieving over Aaron's death and while they're exploring their options, they're not rushing to action.

As for prosecutors suggesting that Hernandez planned to kill himself in a plot to exploit the abatement doctrine to force the Patriots to pay out his family ... Baez says it's a long shot theory and "I don't give it any shred of credibility at this point."

9:05 AM PT -- The Bristol County D.A.'s Office just said they plan to appeal the judge's decision.

Aaron Hernandez's conviction for the murder of Odin Lloyd has officially been dismissed by a judge.

The case went before the court in Massachusetts early Tuesday morning where Hernandez's team argued that the conviction cannot stand because he had not exhausted all of his appeals before his death. The doctrine is called abatement ab initio.

Prosecutors argued against it -- claiming Hernandez knew about the rule and used it as a loophole in a diabolical plot to get millions of dollars from the Patriots for his family.

The evidence, prosecutors claim, was spelled out in his suicide note to his fiancee, Shayanna Jenkins ... in which he told her, "You're rich!"

Prosecutors say Hernandez knew if his conviction was erased the Patriots would have to pay out the remainder of his NFL contract ... estimated to be worth around $6 million.

Prosecutors claimed he shouldn't be rewarded for cutting his own appeal short by committing suicide -- but ultimately the judge didn't see it their way ... and cleared the conviction.

Odin Lloyd's family was in the courtroom when the judge announced her decision. They were visibly upset and left the courtroom in a rush.

NFL lineman Michael Oher -- the inspiration for the movie "The Blind Side" -- turned himself in to police on Monday to be booked for allegedly roughing up an Uber driver. He looked pissed.