TMZ Sports - Page 50

Florida State University says Jameis Winston NEVER told them about his alleged "hook up" at Publix -- and says the school is now launching an investigation with the NCAA into the QB's fishy crab tale.

FSU's Athletic Director Stan Wilcox just issued a statement saying, "We have become aware of statements made by Jameis Winston during a recent interview with Jim Harbaugh describing the circumstances of his alleged receipt of food from a local grocery store.

"The details disclosed by Winston in that interview were not previously known to the University.

"As is the case with all matters of this type, we will work in partnership with the NCAA to determine whether a violation occurred."

Either Jameis Winston lied to cops ... or he's lying now ... because his story about why he took crab legs from Publix has radically changed ... so says reps for the grocery store.

TMZ Sports spoke with a rep for the market ... who tells us they heard Jameis' explanation for the crab leg theft on ESPN, but insist his story isn't adding up.

FYI -- Winston appeared on the docuseries "Draft Academy" last night and said a Publix employee had "hooked him up" with a free birthday cake in the past and had promised more free stuff the next time Winston came into the market. That's why he claims he took the crab legs without paying.

But Publix says ... after the 2014 arrest, they launched an internal investigation and "never came across any evidence that suggests there was an arrangement that Mr. Winston or any other FSU athlete had with an employee."

There's more ... Publix also points out that when Winston was busted, he told police he had simply "forgot" to pay for the crab and didn't realize the mistake until he got home.

The rep for Publix continues ... "If Mr. Winston has new information about a person he had a deal with, we'd be happy to reopen the investigation."

Jameis Winston ain't the only superstar athlete in his family -- his 7-year-old brother is already a "damn superstar" ... so says the president of the kid's youth baseball league.

Jameis has already publicly touted his lil' bro Jonah Winston as a "Young Jeter" ... and according to Steve Crim, who runs the Hueytown Dixie Youth Baseball League -- Jameis is right.

"Jonah is a damn superstar," Crim says ... "You can't catch him, can't strike him out, can't stop him. For a 7-year-old, he's a true phenom. He is that good."

Crim says Jonah isn't just a stud on the diamond -- he's crushing it in football and basketball too ... "He's one of the best kids out here. Just a true athlete and he's a really good little kid too. People really care about him."

Of course, Jonah is getting some major support from Jameis -- who's been taking in some games recently and posting the highlights online ... and it's clear the kid can play.

While Hayden Panettiere surfaced in NYC for the first time since having a baby -- her fiance Wladimir Klitschko hit the beach in Miami ... with their four-month-old daughter Kaya.

Only problem is Wlad took his teeny tiny baby girl out in the ocean ... in the middle of some big waves! He better hope Mama Hayden doesn't see this.

Seems Jack Nicholson's not completely over the Lakers after all ... 'cause the Hollywood icon just told us he couldn't care less about the NBA playoffs ... since the Purple and Gold ain't in 'em.

Check out the clip ... Nicholson essentially says the NBA season is over for him -- and the insinuation is that he lost interest when the Lakers were eliminated from playoff contention.

When we pointed out that several teams are still going strong, including the Clippers -- Nicholson reinforced his point.

It's an interesting statement ... considering it seemed like Jack was at the end of his rope with the Lakers back in February and seemed thiiiis close to giving up on the team altogether.

But after watching the clip, it's pretty clear ... he'll always have a place in his heart for the Lake Show ... no matter how bad they are.

Odin Lloyd's mother is moving forward with a wrongful death lawsuit against Aaron Hernandez AND the New England Patriots ... hoping to collect on the MILLIONS she claims the team was supposed to pay the former tight end.

Ursula Ward has re-filed docs in state court in Massachusetts that she originally filed back in 2013 ... claiming Hernandez should be held financially liable for the wrongful death of her son.

Of course, Hernandez was convicted of Lloyd's murder -- so, Ward has a pretty solid case against Aaron.

But in the suit, Ward also names the New England Patriots as "reach and apply defendants" -- meaning that if she wins ... she wants to be able to collect her judgment from the Pats.

Now, this is important because Ward claims that Hernandez has a right to collect $3.25 million of a signing bonus that she claims was due back in March 2014.

Charles Barkley has been called a lot of things ... a lot of which we can't publish here ... but now he can add "incredibly good looking guy" to the list ... thanks to NBA commish Adam Silver.

Silver -- who was honored as one of Time Magazine's 100 Most Influential People -- is also a proud follically challenged man ... so we asked him to pick the best bald head on the set of "Inside the NBA."

That's when Silver began to gush about Sir Chuck ... explaining that Barkley is more than just a guy with a GREAT bald head, he's also one of the best looking guys in the sport.

Jameis Winston says he's NO CRAB LEG THIEF -- claiming the only reason he walked out of the grocery store without paying for 'em was because he THOUGHT an employee had "hooked him up."

Winston's explanation was featured on ESPN's "Draft Academy" ... a documentary-style show which followed the QB into a meeting with Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh.

During the meeting, Winston says he wasn't so much stealing ... as much as he was blatantly violating NCAA rules by accepting free stuff.

Odin Lloyd's mother tells TMZ Sports ... she's still deciding whether or not she will file a wrongful death lawsuit against Aaron Hernandez ... a lawsuit that could potentially be worth MILLIONS of dollars.

With Hernandez having been convicted of murdering the former semi-pro football player, the odds are extremely good that Lloyd's family would win a civil case against him.

And since Hernandez was an NFL star who made MILLIONS during his brief career ... there's real money on the line.

But when we spoke with Ursula Ward this week, she told us she had not made up her mind about whether she will go through with the lawsuit.

She's UFC's newest rising superstar ... but Paige VanZant says there's NO WAY she'll ever step into the octagon with Ronda Rousey!

VanZant appeared on "TMZ Hollywood Sports" on Tuesday -- and talked about how she made the transition from being a dancer to a legit wrecking machine.

In fact, the 21-year-old says she owes a lot of her success to Rousey -- who paved the way for women to fight in the UFC.

Shannon Briggs is like Freddy Krueger, Jason Voorhees, and Michael Myers all wrapped up in one ... 'cause no matter what Wladimir Klitschko does ... he just keeps coming for the boxing champ.

FYI -- Briggs has been trying to bait Hayden Panettiere's baby daddy into a fight for MONTHS ... harassing Wlad at restaurants, training sessions, the mall and even crashing a paddleboard ride.

And moments ago, Briggs was at it again ... popping up in NYC to scream at Wlad, who was in the middle of a media event for the big Klitschko vs. Bryant Jennings fight this weekend.

Check out the hilarious video -- Briggs (who's shirtless the entire time) actually gets his chance to plead his case to TMZ Sports saying it's a travesty he's not fighting Wlad in his hometown of NY.

Rick Ross just got out-bawsed ... but he ain't sweatin' it -- 'cause even though he got CRUSHED in a celeb hoops game ... he raised a TON of cash for a local charity.

Ross stepped up to coach a team in the 4th annual Nike South Beach Celebrity Court of Dreams game this past weekend to benefit the South Beach Charitable Foundation for kids.

The hip-hop star coached a team of celebs -- including NFL players Antrel Rolle and the Pouncey twins ... in an effort to beat the "South Beach All-Stars," coached by ex-NFL lineman Bryant McKinnie.

In the end ... Ross' squad just couldn't hang and they lost to Bryant's team 62-38.

But the event raised $35,000 for charity -- so, hard to call anyone a loser after that.

Here it is ... the $1 million emerald-studded WBC championship belt that Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao will be fighting for on May 2nd ... in addition to their $100-million + paychecks!

TMZ Sports broke the story ... the World Boxing Council commissioned the belt when the fight was announced .. and adorned it with 3,000 real miniature emeralds.

The belt was revealed at a WBC event in Mexico -- and will make its way to Vegas this week ... escorted by a private security team.

The party has gotta end sometime ... and for the sport of volleyball, it's LIGHTS OUT ... so says C. Thomas Howell -- who starred in one of the most famous volleyball movies ever!

Howell -- who starred in "Side Out" twenty five years ago -- was leaving LAX when he told us the sport bit the dust in the '90s ... along with Walkmen and pagers.

BTW, Howell's "Side Out" co-star Peter Horton went on to become a big deal in Hollywood ... producing a ton of stuff ... including "Grey's Anatomy."

Dig that.

FOX Sports announcer Steve Byrnes died Tuesday of cancer ... just 2 days after NASCAR fans, drivers and crew members paid him an emotional track side tribute.

Byrnes -- one of FOX's leading reporters for its NASCAR coverage -- was diagnosed with head and neck cancer in August of 2013. He was forced to take an indefinite leave from the job last year in October.

FOX and NASCAR teamed with Stand Up to Cancer to dedicate Sunday's race at Bristol Motor Speedway to Steve. Before the race people in the stands ... and crew members on pit road held up signs with Steve's name.

Steve watched the race on TV, and afterward tweeted his thanks for the show of love and support.

Byrnes is survived by his wife Karen and their 12-year-old son Bryson. He was 56.

The Clippers aren't trolling the Lakers by turning the team locker room into an owners lounge for the NBA playoffs -- they asked the team for permission and got it ... TMZ Sports has learned.

There were rumblings that the Clips were trying to diss Laker Nation by using their space at Staples Center as Steve Ballmer's personal hangout area ... since the Clips are still playing and the Lakers didn't even come close to the playoffs.

But it just ain't the case -- at least according to Staples Center honcho Lee Zeidman who tells us there was an arrangement made before the 1st playoff game.

"The team inquired about using the Lakers locker room as a space for the Clippers owner. The Lakers gracefully granted use."

He continued, "People are trying to make something out of this, as if the Clippers are pissing off the Lakers by using their locker room. That's not true at all. We'd never use the Lakers space without asking the team."