TMZ Sports - Page 50

Mark Cuban has just issued an apology to the family of Trayvon Martin ... claiming he wasn't thinking to consider Martin's family when he mentioned a black person in a hoodie in a conversation about prejudice.

Ex-NFL wide receiver James Hardy -- a former 2nd round draft pick -- has turned himself in to authorities stemming from an incident where he allegedly attacked and injured multiple police officers ... TMZ Sports has learned.

We broke the story ... cops responded to an L.A. apartment complex on May 4th and used a taser in an effort to take Hardy into custody. But the taser was ineffective and it took several officers to subdue the 6'6", 225-pound athlete.

Hardy had bailed out immediately following the arrest ... but was later charged with felony resisting arrest (he pled not guilty) ... and was ordered to appear in front of a judge earlier this month.

The L.A. Dodgers organization has cut catcher Miguel Olivo ... after the catcher BIT another player's ear during a dugout fight at a minor league baseball game.

The Dodgers made the announcement moments ago ... just 2 days after 2nd baseman Alex Guerrero was hospitalized during the bloody incident in Salt Lake City.

Olivo reportedly went after Guerrero for missing a tag on a play earlier in the game.

Mark Cuban's candid statements about prejudice and bigotry were not only honest but CORRECT ... so says ESPN host Stephen A. Smith.

"I took no issue whatsoever with what Mark Cuban said ... not only because he was forthright, very candid and honest ... but also he happens to be correct," Smith said.

Smith was referring to the hypothetical situation Cuban brought up during an interview at the GrowCo conference in Nashville ... where he said, "I know I'm prejudiced and I know I'm bigoted in a lot of different ways. If I see a black kid in a hoodie on my side of the street, I'll move to the other side of the street. If I see a white guy with a shaved head and tattoos, I'll move back to the other side of the street. None of us have pure thoughts; we all live in glass houses."

Cuban has taken some fire for the comments, but Smith says the people attacking the Dallas Mavericks owner are missing the point.

"Yes he spoke about hoodies and how if he saw a black individual with a hoodie he'd walk across the street because hes uncomfortable with that imagery ... obviously, he also alluded to a white individual with tattoos all over his body, his face and his head, he'd walk back to the other side of the street."

"So if you're gonna have a problem with what he said about the black person with the hoodie on, then you gotta have a problem with the white person he alluded to with tattoos all over."

"I'm sorry, I don't see a problem with that whatsoever. I don't think there's any ethnic group in America that should take issue with it as a personal affront to them as if he was isolating them or talking about them. He was simply being honest, forthcoming and very open about some of the fears and prejudices that he may have."

IT'S TIME FOR THE MAIN EVENT .... UFC ring announcer Bruce Buffer grabbing the mic and doing a fight-style intro at a UFC fighter's wedding ... and it's AWESOME!!!

Buffer was at Michael "The Count" Bisping's wedding -- they've been friends for years -- when he was asked to introduce the happy couple for the first time as man and wife to the crowd.

Of course, Buffer obliged ... and CRUSHED IT!!!

NY Jets rookie safety Calvin Pryor tells TMZ Sports he CAN'T WAIT to finally take on one particular NFL superstar when he takes the field this season ... but first, he's got SHOES TO BUY!!!

Pryor was leaving the famous Flight Club shoe store in NYC yesterday (with THREE bags of kicks) when we he told us how fired up he is to finally play against one of his NFL heroes.

The clip is great -- Calvin seems genuinely fired up about being in the NFL.

Serena Williams has already chosen sides in the Caroline Wozniacki, Rory McIlroy break up -- telling Caroline she's got her back NO MATTER WHAT.

Wozniacki finally broke her silence Thursday morning ... on Twitter ... saying she's going through a "hard time right now" ever since Rory announced that he dumped her ass after mailing out wedding invitations because he got scared.

In her message on Twitter, the tennis star also noted that she supports the Liverpool soccer team right now because "I know I'll never walk alone."

Soccer Note -- "You'll Never Walk Alone" is the anthem of the Liverpool team, which just came off their best season in 20 years ... while Rory's favorite team Man U just came off one of it's worst.

After she posted the message, Serena Williams tweeted back at her ... writing, "I'll always walk with you #friendsforever."

More shots fired in Charles Barkley's war with San Antonio ... now the ex-NBA star is calling the fans "idiots" and warning them to keep their distance or he'll "BEAT THEY ASS DOWN!"

Of course, it all started a while back when Sir Chuck blasted the women of S.A. on "Inside the NBA" -- saying the city is overloaded with great, big, hulking fat women.

When Barkley arrived in S.A. last night for the NBA Playoffs, he was greeted with chants of "Barkley Sucks" -- so he went on the air and fired back saying, "I want them to know that I hear them and I'm not just gonna take it."

Barkley continued, "THEY SUCK TOO!"

He added, "Most of the people in S.A. have been great to me and they can take a joke ... talk is never gonna hurt me, but if they get too close, I'm gonna beat 'em like a drum."

It's gets worse ... and even more awkward for the Spurs star the "Inside the NBA" team was trying to interview during the segment.

NBA star Brandon Jennings is one step closer to marrying girlfriend Lashontae Heckard -- because the ex-video vixen has filed papers to END her domestic partnership with another woman ... TMZ Sports has learned.

There are rumblings that Jennings and Heckard are engaged -- but fact is, Heckard can't legally tie the knot until she terminates her relationship with a woman named Monique Blanton ... who she domestically partnered up with back in 2008.

According to court docs filed in L.A. County Superior Court, Lashontae took Monique's last name -- so, their relationship appears to have been more than just a way to save on taxes.

Either way, Tae notes in legal docs that she and Monique separated in 2011 ... citing irreconcilable differences.

TMZ Sports has just obtained the call a Burger King employee made to police in 2013 -- when she accused Jameis Winston of stealing soda from the restaurant ... and it's clear, SHE'S PISSED.

The call was made to a non-emergency police hotline by the assistant manager of a BK located right near the Florida State University campus on July 21, 2013.

According to cops, Winston allegedly entered the burger joint with 3 other men and began to fill ketchup cups with soda without paying for it.

During the call, the employee tells the operator she told Winston what he was doing was a crime -- but "he said he didn't care."

The employee noted Winston and his group were "causing a big scene out front" ... and were "fighting with me and refusing to leave."

Ultimately, the case was dropped when the manager of BK decided not to prosecute ... and Jameis went on to steal crab legs from a grocery store.

Aldon Smith just plead no contest to 3 felony weapons charges and 1 misdemeanor DUI charge in a Santa Clara, CA courtroom ... stemming from 2 separate incidents over the past 2 years.

The gun charges stem from a party at Smith's house back in 2012 -- at which he was stabbed, btw -- where cops found 3 illegal assault rifles.

The DUI stems from the an arrest in September 2013 ... where Smith crashed his car into a tree while allegedly drunk and in possession of weed.

Smith is due back in court for sentencing in July -- and faces up to 4 years in jail. It's unclear why he copped a plea without a sentencing deal in place.

3:30 PM PT -- WE HAVE A WINNER!!!!

Congrats to Walter Ryan ... who submitted the winning nickname, "Meowiano Purrvera."

Enjoy the fight!

Here she is ... Hero Cat firing off the first pitch at a minor league baseball game Tuesday night.

We nicknamed her Clayton Furrshaw ... and Justin Purrlander -- but people have been writing in saying they can do better.

So, now it's time for you to put your money where your mouth is and come up with a better baseball nickname for Hero Cat ... and there's a pretty kick ass prize for the winner -- TWO TICKETS TO UFC 173: Barao vs. Dillashaw at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas on Saturday May 24th.

We'll provide the tickets -- but it's up to you to get to the fight and find a place to stay.

Submit your entries in the comments section ... and do it fast. We will pick the best baseball-themed cat nickname. The deadline is Thursday May 22nd at 12:00 PM PT.

Good luck.

Host: "Welcome to comedy hour here at the White House! Next up ... a very funny comedian ... hails all the way from Nairobi ...(pauses for laughter) ... just kidding!

Elin Nordegren says "the word betrayal isn't strong enough" to describe how she felt when she learned Tiger Woods had been banging around behind her back ... but says she's finally moved on.

Aaron Hernandez's TATTOOS could unlock important information in his double murder case ... this according to cops who are now trying to track down AH's tat artists.

The Suffolk County D.A. issued a statement saying they are "seeking assistance" from anyone who put the needle to Aaron's RIGHT FOREARM in the aftermath of the 2012 drive-by shooting that killed Daniel de Abreu and Safiro Furtado.

Officials say they want information on "specific tattoos" they believe Hernandez got between February 2012 and June 2013 -- and it seems they believe AH got the tats to memorialize his role in the shooting.

Investigators are stressing that the tat artists are NOT accused of any wrongdoing ... they just want to see if they know anything.

We pulled up some photos of Aaron's arm from before and after the time period mentioned by cops -- and noticed one major difference ... stars.