TMZ Sports - Page 50

3:59 PM PT -- There are rumblings that Josh Shaw concocted the story to distract attention from a domestic violence incident involving his girlfriend.

But TMZ Sports spoke with Shaw's attorney Donald Etra and he is adamant, "There is absolutely NO domestic violence."

He adds, "The real story has nothing to do with domestic violence."

Shaw has issued a statement through his lawyer ... saying, "I injured myself in a fall. I made up a story about this fall that was untrue. I was wrong to not tell the truth. I apologize to USC for this action on my part."

Shaw has not revealed the true reason behind the fall.

USC football player Josh Shaw admitted to USC officials that his story about heroically rescuing his nephew is a lie.

In a statement, USC says ... "Shaw came to USC athletic department officials this afternoon (Wednesday, Aug. 27) and admitted that he had lied about how he suffered his ankle injuries over the weekend."

Stop us if you've heard this one before -- a man risks serious injury to rescue a swimmer in distress ... only this time the story wasn't made up ... and the hero is the REAL DEAL.

It all went down Wednesday afternoon in Malibu -- where surfers flocked to the beach to catch some unusually large waves.

But when one surfer lost his board and found himself in trouble -- surf legend Laird Hamilton jumped into action ... grabbing his fins and racing out to the man to help bring him back to safety.

Laird was assisted in the rescue by another man.

We're guessing the mystery co-hero isn't a football player from USC.

He knows football. He knows winning ... and Coach Bobby Bowden also knows MARRIAGE -- which is why our photog listened up when the guy gave him relationship advice RIGHT ON THE STREET.

The college football legend -- who just released a new book "The Wisdom of Faith" -- knows a little something about the topic ... he's been married to the same woman for 65 YEARS!!

So, ya gotta hear what he tells our TMZ Photog when our guy asked about the pressures of saying "I Do."

Sometimes crap does roll uphill. USC's head coach says he's washing his hands clean of the Josh Shaw mess, telling reporters he's leaving it all to his bosses.

Steve Sarkisian held a news conference this morning and said, "In this day and age ... I'd be foolish not to push everything up the ladder."

Sark says he'll have little to say about Shaw while he lets USC officials handle the investigation into what really happened to Shaw's ankles -- injured while saving a drowning child, or while mysteriously "shimmying" down the side of a campus building.

Watch the clip ... 'cause toward the end it sounds like he takes a shot at how other coaches have handled recent scandals.

Rich people love tennis ... they LOOOOOVE it ... just ask Michael Jordan, Donald Trump and all the other loaded celebrities who jetted over to NYC this week to check out the action.

But who's got the fattest wallet????

Jordan's reportedly a billionaire.

Trump is said to be worth 4 TIMES that much.

And "Shark Tank" star Daymond John ... well, he's rich ... but probably out of his league when if you stack up the bank accounts.

As for Alec Baldwin -- he raked in $15 million back in 2012 when "30 Rock" was on the air ... yet somehow managed to score great seats!

ESPN has issued an apology for a report which covered the locker room showering habits of Michael Sam.

The network came under fire yesterday after Josina Anderson went on the air and reported on her discussions with multiple Rams players about how Sam is conducting himself in the locker room.

In her report, Anderson said ... "Another Rams defensive player told me that ‘Sam is respecting our space’ and that, from his perspective, he seems to think that Michael Sam is kind of waiting to take a shower, as not to make his teammates feel uncomfortable."

Now, after several people -- including Rams star Chris Long -- went after the network, ESPN has issued an apology ... saying:

"ESPN regrets the manner in which we presented our report. Clearly yesterday we collectively failed to meet the standards we have set in reporting on LGBT-related topics in sports."

So far, Sam has yet to comment on the situation.

The new "Dancing with the Stars" cast could have its hardest bodies yet -- a bunch of pro athletes and an Olympian -- along with something new ... a YouTube superstar, TMZ has learned.

We got a hold of the 'DWTS' producers wish list -- the celebs they're gunning to get for Season 19 -- and it includes 'Bachelorette' Andi Dorfman, ex-UFC fighter Randy Couture, "American Ninja Warrior" contestant Kacy Catanzaro, Olympic track star Lolo Jones and Antonio Sabato Jr.

Our 'DWTS' sources tell us they're also trying to land a female YouTube star ... who we're told has tens of millions of followers. It's a smart ploy for a veteran show with aging viewers to pull in fresh, younger viewers.

We're told some of the celebs are already negotiating their 'DWTS' contracts. The one thing still missing though ... a really big traditional TV or movie star. The full cast will be announced Sept. 4.

UFC fighter Luke Rockhold worked on his grip Tuesday in Thailand ... and by that, we mean he grabbed a tiger by the balls -- and now the UFC fighter is apologizing.

The 29-year old middleweight posted a pic of the impromptu animal physical online ... only to issue an apology a short time later.

Rockhold tweeted, "For those of u who think it was disrespectful I'm sorry. Was so minor just joking around. I was way too scared and would never do anything harmful to any animal."

Believe it or not ... there are several tiger parks all over Thailand ... and taking pics with the giant cats is a super popular thing to do.

Former boxing champ Jermain Taylor -- who beat Bernard Hopkins TWICE -- admitted that he grabbed a gun and shot his cousin Tuesday ... this according to cops.

TMZ Sports obtained the police report filed in Pulaski County, Arkansas ... which was filed after Taylor's cousin was shot "multiple times" in the boxer's home.

Cops raced to the home after Taylor's wife called 911 ... and when they got to the home, that's when Taylor reportedly confessed.

"[Taylor] told responding ofc. that he went into his residence and obtained a firearm and shot his cousin."

The report does not say why the two were arguing in the first place.

36-year-old Taylor -- the former undisputed middleweight champion -- was arrested for 1st degree battery and aggravated assault and was hauled to a nearby jail where he was booked.

Screw 50 Cent, Floyd Mayweather has a more rich and powerful ally in his corner -- Warren Buffett ... and the two hung out together at Floyd's boxing gym in Vegas Tuesday.

TMZ Sports has the footage of Warren arriving to the location (where he was told he would have to WAIT because Floyd hadn't arrived yet).

But this video is GREAT ... with Warren telling us the ONE casino game he refuses to play when he's gambling in Sin City.

Warren wouldn't say why the two met up -- or how they became friends -- but Floyd later went to Instagram and wrote, "We talked about how we could turn a $100 million of my assets to $1 billion."

Hey Floyd ... feel free to SHARE that info. Thanks.

Pierre Garcon is gunning to run his own PIZZA EMPIRE -- after locking up deals with TWO pizza companies ... and he tells TMZ Sports he's modeling himself after another pizza legend -- Peyton Manning.

The Washington Redskins WR was hangin' at Paisano's in Virginia yesterday -- where he's the spokesman for the company -- and sporting a shirt for his new doughy endeavor Spinfire ... where pizzas are whipped up in 90 seconds.

Clearly, Garcon is betting on the pie industry to be as good to him as it has been to his former Indianapolis Colts teammate Peyton Manning ... who owns 21 Papa John's restaurants in the Denver area.

"I just followed in his footsteps," Garcon said ... "He taught me a lot ... so I'm just trying to be like him."

HERE'S THE RUNDOWN

Suge Knight hasn't always been the hardest man in the world -- we didn't say that by the way -- his college football coach Wayne Nunnely did ... telling TMZ Sports Knight was the total "opposite" of a thug at UNLV.

FYI -- Knight was a defensive end for the Running Rebels in 1985 and '86 -- and Coach Nunnely (the man in charge at the time) tells us the Suge he knew was less gangsta and more good guy.

"Imagine the total opposite of the guy you know now, that was Suge."

Nunnely, who went on to coach in the pros as an assistant with the Saints, Chargers and Broncos says Knight changed his image in a BIG WAY after he left Las Vegas.

"Helluva player, one of the most respectful, hard working guys I ever had. One of our leaders, I don't know what happened when he put his pads down."

Suge, who's refused to work with law enforcement in identifying the individual who shot him SIX times this past weekend, definitely has the support of his former coach in his recovery

"Hopefully he makes it back, I'm praying for him."

Fomer NFL running back Rashard Mendenhall says he has NO REGRETS about quitting football in March at the age of 26 ... saying he's now a TV writer with a gig on an HBO show.

Mendenhall -- who won a Super Bowl with the Steelers in 2009 -- wrote a blog for the Huffington Post saying, "I wasn't supposed to walk away from the NFL, but I did. I wasn't supposed to be writing television, but I am. I'm supposed to be lost after football. I'm not."

Rashard says he moved to Santa Monica earlier this year and became a member of the Writers Guild of America, West to pursue his dreams of writing for a TV show.

And in just a few months, Mendenhall says he's already got a pretty sweet job -- "I'm on the writing team of a new show that will air on HBO next summer."

USC football player Josh Shaw was named in a burglary report ... stemming from an incident that went down Saturday night ... law enforcement sources tell TMZ Sports.

We're told Shaw was NOT named as a suspect in the burglary.

More fishy information surrounding the story of USC football player Josh Shaw who says he seriously hurt both of his ankles in an alleged heroic rescue of his drowning nephew.

TMZ Sports spoke with the L.A. County Fire Dept. in Palmdale and the L.A. County Sheriff's Dept. in Palmdale -- and both say they never got an emergency call about a drowning or a trauma incident involving Shaw or his nephew.

One law enforcement official told us .. "Let me put it to you this way: A drowning or a near drowning is a big deal. And our officials would know about it."

USC head football coach Steve Sarkisian addressed the media moments ago and said the school would be investigating Shaw's story -- saying, "He came to us with what had occurred Saturday night. I have no reason, no history, to not believe Josh and his story with what has occurred."

FYI -- Shaw went on the record and said he lept from a 2nd story balcony at his cousin's Palmdale apartment complex to rescue to his 7-year-old nephew who was struggling in a pool.