TMZ Sports - Page 50

Tiger Woods still has another 20 years of golf left in him ... and WILL WIN AGAIN ... so says golf junkie Anthony Anderson.

The "Black-ish" star -- who also hosts "Golf in America" on the Golf Channel -- was leaving LAX yesterday when we asked if he thinks Tiger will ever regain his pre-divorce, skeezer-heavy, championship form.

For the record, people have been TRASHING Woods in the media -- his former swing coach says he simply doesn't care about the game anymore.

Golfer Curtis Strange says Tiger is "telling a lie to himself" if he thinks he's going to win the British Open this weekend.

But Anthony says the guy is not a friggin' loser -- and could be great again ... but there's one HUGE catch.

A 47-year-old competitive eater DIED during a hot dog eating competition in South Dakota on July 3rd ... after choking on one of the hot dogs.

Walter Eagle Tail was participating in a 4th of July weekend contest at Way Park in Custer, SD when witnesses say he began to choke.

Paramedics were called to the scene and tried to help ... but they were too late.

Custer County Sheriff Rick Wheeler told the Rapid City Journal, "There was someone doing CPR when we arrived ... Basically, he probably just suffocated. It got lodged in his throat and they couldn't get it out."

Wheeler added, "It all happened within minutes."

Jim Brown's 1964 Cleveland Browns championship ring is 100% NOT stolen property ... despite allegations from the NFL legend ... this according to the auction house that's selling the item.

TMZ Sports spoke with Josh Evans -- founder of Lelands Sports Auction House -- who tells us he originally obtained the ring in 1998 from a family member who got it as a gift from Brown himself.

Evans says at the time of the purchase, the item and the seller were vetted -- and the Auction House determined the family member was the rightful and legal owner of the ring.

Evans says ... after he purchased the item in '98, Brown himself visited Evans at a trade show and asked if he could check out the ring. Evans says Brown was polite during the interaction, but was clearly upset the ring was up for sale.

Eventually, Evans says the ring was sold to a collector ... who has gone back to Evans to sell the ring at auction ... which is set to end on July 25th. The ring is expected to fetch more than $250k.

But Brown is clearly upset about the sale -- telling TwinCities.com the ring was "stolen from me in the '60s" ... and adding, "Whoever got it should know that I didn’t give it up."

Evans says he believes Brown is misdirecting his anger -- telling us he thinks the NFL legend is simply disappointed that a family member would sell such a treasured item.

Evans says he's dealt with several athletes who make similar allegations -- and says they're usually upset that "things got out of their control. They're embarrassed or angry at family members and they lash out."

What happens when you fall off the horse??? You get on a model ... at least that's what recently single golf superstar Rory McIlroy is reportedly doing out in Ireland.

NY Giants co-owner Steve Tisch tells TMZ Sports ... if Johnny Manziel was one of his players, he'd be "concerned" about the 21-year-old prodigy.

Tisch was out in Beverly Hills yesterday when we asked if Manziel's partying habits should sound any alarms for the honchos at the Cleveland Browns organization.

And while Tisch praised the ownership in Cleveland and made it clear he's rooting for Johnny to be a success in the NFL, he told us he'd be worried about the kid if he played for the G-Men.

Then again, Tisch also explained why Johnny wasn't drafted to the team to begin with -- "I think if you sorta look at the culture and the history of the Giants, [Johnny] really doesn't fit the profile of, historically, NY Giants football players."

Good news ... we've ID'd the smokin' hot blonde chick who partied with Team USA goalie Tim Howard this weekend -- turns out, she's a model ... a really, really hot model.

In fact, TMZ Sports spoke with Nora Segura ... who confirms she and Tim are "friends" ... but when we asked if they were dating, Nora played coy.

"We've been talking a lot lately," Nora says ... "I was glad he came to L.A. It was great to see him."

Nora and Tim hit up 1Oak nightclub together on Saturday with a brunette who looks a lot like Sara Mclean -- the British reality star Tim had reportedly been dating.

But Nora tells us the woman was NOT Sara -- it's a friend named Gabrielle who lives in L.A.

SF 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick -- who just signed a $126 MILLION contract -- just got a brand new tattoo that symbolizes how EVIL money can be.

Mark Jackson ain't sweating about finding a new job in the NBA ... the ex-coach and devout Christian is pouring his energy -- and a lot of it -- into doing some serious sidewalk preaching in Los Angeles.

Instead of barking at players to get back on D ... the former Golden State Warriors coach and several members of his church were barking at sinners on a street corner on Saturday.

It was World Vision Day, which Jackson himself described as ... "A call 4 every Believer 2 hit the Streets n Preach for 1 hr."

You gotta hear Jax get fired up for the Lord -- sounds like he's more than ready to give referees the business.

Aaron Hernandez isn't gonna be Bristol County's problem anymore ... the former NFL star just got permission to move to a NEW JAIL near Boston so he could be closer to his lawyers.

Hernandez had begged a judge for the transfer last month -- claiming the distance to Bristol County, MA was a burden on his Boston-based lawyers. Plus, he felt the people who ran the jail could be out to get him after Aaron allegedly threatened one of the guards.

It's unclear when Hernandez will leave -- or exactly where he will go -- but he's gotta be pumped about it ... since he's been up to his ears in trouble ever since he stepped foot in Bristol County Jail back in June 2013.

Among the issues -- Hernandez attacked an inmate, allegedly threatened to kill a guard and his family and pulled a food scheme inside BCJ.

Chicago Cubs superfan Jeremy Piven tells TMZ Sports ... the time has come for all Cubs fans to FORGIVE Steve Bartman ... because it could help change the team's juju.

Of course, Bartman became persona non grata (to put it nicely) at Wrigley Field back in 2003 when he interfered with a catchable foul ball during Game 6 of the NLCS and got blamed for costing the team the series.

Bartman says he hasn't returned to Wrigley since the incident.

But over the weekend, Piven says Cubs Nation shouldn't just give him a pass ... but make him feel comfortable coming to games again ... even if that means giving the guy a hug.

Donald Sterling's attorney says the Clippers owner is NOT ducking his trial -- and did NOT leave town -- telling TMZ Sports he's right down the street and ready to come to court if needed.

Earlier today, Shelly Sterling's lawyer Bert Fields told the media Donald was on the run -- hiding out because he did not want to "face the music."

But Donald's attorney Bobby Samini tells us Fields is simply WRONG -- saying, "Donald is nearby but not under subpoena" and inferred that he would only come to court if a judge ordered him to get his ass in the building.

Donald Sterling's trial is set to begin any minute in L.A. ... and the disgraced Clippers owner has not arrived -- and now, Shelly Sterling's lawyer says he believes Donald is "on the run."

Shelly's attorney Bert Fields just arrived to L.A. County Superior Court and after trashing Donald's "sham" motion to move the case to federal court ... said he believes Sterling is in hiding.

"I even understand he left town," Fields said ... "That's the kind of guy he is. He's willing to do anything rather than face the music."

Fields added, "But he's ultimately gonna have to face it ... as Joe Louis once said, 'He can run but he can't hide.'"

Johnny Manziel wasn't just ordering drinks at a Texas nightclub Thursday night ... he was pouring 'em ... tending bar like a champ and TMZ Sports has the pics.

Manziel hit up Rooftop on 6th -- it only has 2.5 stars on Yelp -- and got behind the bar to sling drinks to some of the patrons.

Sources at the bar tell us Manziel worked the bar for about an hour -- and actually mixed and poured drinks. Apparently, he takes his work seriously.

Eventually, Johnny rejoined the crowd -- and spent some time in a VIP area the bar set up for the Cleveland Browns QB and his friends ... and shocker, we're told Johnny drank champagne.

After the Austin trip, Manziel jetted over to Vegas ... where according to Norm Clarke, the football star stayed at the Real World suite at the Hard Rock, ate dinner at STK and partied at XS nightclub at the Encore.

Shia LaBeouf was running the bases -- instead of running after a homeless guy -- as he enjoyed a game of softball over the 4th of July weekend.

As TMZ first reported, Shia began seeking help for alcohol addiction following a bizarre stretch in New York that included trying to fight a guy outside a strip club and getting arrested after being thrown out of a showing of "Cabaret."

In the video -- shot Saturday in Venice -- LaBeouf is playing catcher and roping a few singles.

He destroyed Dhiego Lima in the "The Ultimate Fighter" finale this weekend ... and now, UFC rising star Eddie Gordon says he's already thinking about his next opponent ... Emeril Lagasse.

Gordon was out in Vegas for UFC International Fight Week -- where he impressed a lot of people with his 1st round victory over Lima -- and told us he's just as lethal in the kitchen.

"I put it down in the kitchen," Gordon says ... "Emeril ain't got nothin' on me."

Gordon says his recipes are so insanely delicious, he's already been hit up to create his own cookbook ... and says he's got one signature dish that would BLOW AWAY the foodie community.