TMZ Sports - Page 50

Terry Bradshaw admits his joke about Peyton Manning habitually choking in Super Bowls was "tasteless" ... but he tells TMZ Sports he sure as hell won't apologize for it.

Bradshaw's been getting some heat ever since he took aim at Manning during his 1-man show, "America's Favorite Dumb Blonde" earlier this week and said:

"Peyton Manning, considered the best quarterback to play the game today. Nobody would argue with that -- if you like winning good during the season and losing Super Bowls, that’s your guy."

Now, Bradshaw tells TMZ Sports ... "I got caught up in the moment -- it just popped out."

But he's adamant he wasn't trying to be mean to Peyton -- he was just making a harmless joke -- and says there's absolutely no need to apologize.

"Does Jay Leno call and apologize to people when he makes a joke about them?"

Bradshaw says he respects Peyton as "one of the greatest QBs ever" -- and thinks Peyton will probably think the whole thing is funny.

Life's a beach ... and then your husband's team chokes in the World Cup to Uruguay -- at least that's the way the World Cup shook out for Wayne Rooney's wife.

Coleen Rooney was spotted out at a beach in Rio on Wednesday -- kicking around a soccer ball while rockin' a hot blue bikini.

Of course, the very next day ... Wayne and Team England lost a key match to Uruguay ... and now they need a miracle if they hope to advance to the next round (Italy needs to beat both Costa Rica and Uruguay, PLUS England has to beat Costa Rica).

They say "happy wife, happy life" ... and the same rings true for NBA superstars -- because Carmelo Anthony's wife tells TMZ Sports her opinion definitely matters when it comes to where Melo will play next season.

LaLa Anthony was out in NYC yesterday -- and while we pressed about Melo, she made sure to remind us to go see her new movie, "Think Like a Man Too."

Here's how Lakers fans will see this clip:

-- She's pushing her movie ... movies are made in Hollywood ... and so are Lakers championships.

Plus, she's lived and worked in L.A. before and has a lot of friends on the West Coast.

So, if her opinion matters ... think she's pushing for the Purple and Gold??

The hand-written notes from Mickey Mantle's emotional farewell address -- scribbled from his deathbed in 1995 -- just sold at auction for $24,000 ... TMZ Sports has learned.

We broke the story ... Mantle scribbled the notes on a PGA scorecard right before he gave his last public speech (which was nationally televised from Baylor University).

One of the most memorable lines from the speech -- "I didn't know how Lou Gehrig could here [sic] at home plate knowing he was going to die and say he was the luckiest man on the face of Earth [sic]. Now I think I know."

The item was part of a big sports memorabilia auction put on by Grey Flannel Auctions -- which also featured a Michael Jordan game-worn rookie jersey ... which sold for $25,076.

There's more ... a 1927 New York Yankees "Murderers' Row" signed photograph -- with autographs from Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig -- raked in almost $72k.

An autographed game-used Hank Aaron jersey from 1974 -- the year he broke the all-time home run record -- was also snatched up for a cool $29,586.

So far, the identities of the buyers are unknown -- but clearly, huge sports fans.

Dwyane Wade's ex-wife, Siohvaughn Funches-Wade, is suing the NBA All-Star's team of lawyers and a bunch of Chicago-area cops for $50,000, accusing them of conspiring to lock her up for kidnapping.

Siovaughn filed a Federal lawsuit, obtained by TMZ, in which she claims she and a friend were called "bitches" by police during her 2012 arrest for child abduction and unlawful visitation with the ex-couple's 2 kids.

Siohvaughn also accuses former cop Timothy Baldermann of pretending to be the Chief of the Chicago Ridge Police Department at the scene of the arrest. It's an interesting accusation ... since Baldermann used to be Chief, but retired back in 2010.

According to the court documents, obtained by TMZ, she also says cops wrenched her arm during the arrest and tore her rotator cuff.

Siohvaughn is suing for excessive force and false arrest, in addition to defamation of character.

12:08 PM PT -- Submitting the voice mails in court didn't help Shelly's case -- the judge just rejected her request for an injunction against Donald and his attorneys.

Donald Sterling went NUCLEAR on one of the psychiatrists who performed medical tests on him recently ... leaving the guy a NASTY voice mail ... cursing him out and calling him a "tramp."

TMZ Sports has obtained a recording of the voice mail Donald left for Dr. James Spar -- in which he explodes at the doctor, who had determined he was mentally incompetent:

"I'm not incompetent, YOU'RE F**KING INCOMPETENT ... you stupid f**king doctor!!!"

During the rant, Sterling vows to call UCLA and have the doctor fired immediately.

Sterling left a second voice mail -- for the other psychiatrist who evaluated him -- and ripped her too:

"You released my medical records of my head to a law firm without my permission. And you came in and you purported to examine me and you never told me anything about it."

Sterling continued, "You're nothing but a fraud and liar and a cheat and I'm gonna see that you lose your license ... and I'm suing you for conspiracy!"

As we previously reported, both doctors submitted their evaluations of Sterling saying he is "suffering from cognitive impairment, secondary to primary dementia, Alzheimer's disease" and is unfit to run the business affairs of the L.A. Clippers.

Donald Sterling threatened to MURDER Shelly Sterling's attorney, Pierce O'Donnell, during a phone call earlier this month ... this according to Shelly who will try to smack Donald with a restraining order later today ... TMZ Sports has learned.

Despite the fact she was with Ben Savage to throw out the first pitch, "Girl Meets World" star Danielle Fishel says she MISSED Clayton Kershaw's historical no-hitter ... BECAUSE SHE LEFT EARLY!!!!

There were rumors that Danielle and Ben peace'd out in the 4th -- but D.F. says it's not true ... she left WAYYY before that.

He was doused with Powerade ... bubbles ... and when he got to the L.A. Dodgers locker room, Clayton Kershaw got sprayed down with champagne, too!!!

Kershaw's teammates were almost as fired up as he was after C.K. tossed a no-hitter in Dodger's Stadium last night -- the 2nd no-hitter for the Blue Crew this season (Josh Beckett hurled one last month).

Kershaw's teammates went crazy on the field -- dancing, chanting, Powerade showering ... and the celebration turnt up in the locker room with a bunch of the guys.

BEWARE TEAM MEXICO ... so says Akon ... who tells TMZ Sports the mean green machine is lookin' so strong, he's picking Memo Ochoa's squad to make it all the way to the World Cup finals!

FYI -- Akon's a HUGE soccer fan ... and even performed one of the official 2010 World Cup songs.

But while he's clearly impressed with the Mexican team, Akon tells us we shouldn't count out Team USA either.

In fact, Akon thinks the Red, White and Blue has a shot to go further in this year's tourney than any U.S. soccer team has ever gone before.

Today was the day L.A. Kings star Jake Muzzin was SUPPOSED to kill his playoff beard ... but things changed at the last minute when he decided ... he didn't "feel right" letting it go.

Muzzin -- along with teammates Trevor Lewis and Drew Doughty -- were scheduled to have their beards shaved off completely during an event at Floyd's Barber Shop in L.A. on Wednesday.

But things didn't go as planned ... Drew bailed completely ... and Trevor and Jake decided to trim their face-warmers down instead of shaving them off completely.

And why? According to Jake ... "I woke up this morning and it didn't feel right getting rid of it."

Emotionally attached? "Maybe."

They say you're not supposed to give KNIVES as a wedding gift ... it's bad juju ... which could be a problem for A.J. McCarron and Katherine Webb who just registered for THIRTY ONE blades!!!

Don't take our word for it ... take MARTHA STEWART'S WEDDING TEAM -- who stated the following to CNN last year:

"According to folklore, a knife signifies a broken relationship and is bad luck to give as a wedding gift."

Boom.

But, Stewart's people say there IS a loophole ... for those who can afford it:

"If knives are on your registry, just give the gift giver a penny. That way it's a purchase, not a gift."

Boom again.

U.S. Olympic legend Amy Van Dyken has just released the X-ray images taken moments after her spinal cord was severed in an ATV accident ... which shows just how bad her injury was.

Van Dyken just spoke to the media at an Arizona hospital and said the injuries to her spine were so severe, doctors instructed Amy and her husband to "say our goodbyes" before emergency back surgery.

"He told Tom and I to say our goodbyes ... There was a good chance I wasn't going to make it out of surgery. It was one of those things where I looked at my husband and basically said, 'I love you, goodbye, please continue on with your life.'"

She also told her husband Tom -- a former Denver Broncos kicker -- that if she didn't make it out of the surgery, she wanted him to try to date other women ... when he was ready.

Amy said that last part was especially hard for her to say ... but "to do that and then to be here now and to be with him is the most amazing thing."

Van Dyken still can't move her legs -- but she's hopeful she'll be able to walk again one day.

As far as her recovery goes, Amy says ... "Yes, this injury sucks and yes things hurt. But I'm alive and I'm so thankful to be alive. That's why I can be positive about it. It helps get me through the day."

Practice makes perfect ... even in drug smuggling ... so says Terry Bradshaw who just blasted the moron in Michigan who got busted trying to throw a drug-stuffed football into a prison yard!!!

Two big victories for golfer Rory McIlroy this morning:

1) He's been reunited with his missing golf clubs just in time for the Irish Open!!
2) The airline actually APOLOGIZED and took responsibility for misplacing them in the first place!

Rory raised the issue with United Airlines this week ... when he got off his plane in Ireland and couldn't find his golf bag. So, naturally, he tweeted ...

"Hey @united landed in Dublin yesterday morning from Newark and still no golf clubs... Sort of need them this week... Can someone help!?"

Well, United sprung into action -- and early Wednesday morning, Rory got his bag.

A rep for United told us, "What happened was that we failed to load Mr. McIlroy’s clubs on his flight. We reached out to him to apologize for our mistake."

McIlroy seemed to accept the apology ... tweeting a pic with a thumbs up and an airline pun -- "Re-@united with my clubs!"