TMZ Sports - Page 50

Two huge K.C. Chiefs stars refuse to turn their backs on Kareem Hunt -- with Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce saying they're supporting their ex-teammate as he gets help off the field.

Of course, the Chiefs cut Hunt back in November after he was captured on video attacking a woman at a Cleveland hotel. He's been getting treatment ever since and hopes to play in the NFL again.

So, when we saw Mahomes at the EA Sports Madden Bowl event in Atlanta, we asked if he's been keeping in touch with the running back.

"He's still a buddy," Mahomes tells TMZ Sports ... "I wish all the best to him."

"It's stuff that he has to handle off the field and hopefully he might get another chance on it."

When asked if he thinks a team will sign Hunt next season, Mahomes told us, "I know he works hard. I know he does a lot of things on field really well."

"As long as he keeps doing stuff off the field and getting back right, I'm sure he'll get another chance."

As for Kelce, the Chiefs tight end echoed his QB -- saying Hunt is "always gonna be a brother to me."

Kelce also says Hunt can count on him for support as he continues to seek treatment for his personal issues.

Hunt has apologized for his role in the February 2018 incident -- saying, "I deeply regret what I did. I hope to move on from this."

Terrelle Pryor says it's time for the Buckeyes to bring his old coach, Jim Tressel, back to Columbus -- which is interesting, considering the history.

Remember, Tressel left OSU in 2011 after a scandal involving Bucks players getting free tattoos in exchange for their game-worn memorabilia.

Pryor was one of the players involved -- he was suspended for 5 games. Tressel subsequently resigned.

It's been nearly 8 years since Tressel left the Bucks ... and Ohio State just lost its national-championship-winning coach, Urban Meyer. Pryor thinks Tressel's the right man to fill his shoes.

"We need to get Jim Tressel back," Pryor tells TMZ Sports.

Tressel was beloved in Columbus prior to his departure, racking up a 106-22 record (before the vacated wins) ... and led the Buckeyes to a national championship in 2002.

Of course, Ohio State has found its replacement in Ryan Day ... but, it's clear Pryor wants to see the sweater vest back on the sidelines, or in some other capacity.

Devon Cajuste -- the ex-Cleveland Browns tight end who became a fan favorite on "Hard Knocks" -- is retiring from pro football to focus on his true passion ... healing, spirituality and crystals.

And, if you watched the show ... this really shouldn't come as too big of a surprise.

When he wasn't battling for a roster spot with his father cheering him on ... Devon spent his free time during Browns training camp working with crystals and learning about healing.

In fact, one of the most memorable scenes from the show was when Devon showed off his crystal collection and explained how different crystals emitted different kinds of energy.

The former Stanford player was ultimately cut by the Browns after prior stints with the 49ers and Packers -- and, after considering giving the NFL another shot in 2019 ... he's now decided to switch careers.

The 26-year-old says he was never really fulfilled by playing football -- but has found true joy through his experience with crystals.

"I am leaving as an example to follow your passion, stop chasing other peoples dreams, and trust to let go," Cajuste says ... "I discovered the ability to aid people in helping themselves."

Hey, gotta respect that.

TINSELTOWN TRASH TALK!!!

NBA star Danilo Gallinari says Anthony Davis to the Lakers doesn't scare him one bit ... telling TMZ Sports the Clippers are still the team to beat in L.A. -- Brow or no Brow.

We spoke with Gallo at LAX about the rumors of the Lake Show shipping out all their young ballers like Kyle Kuzma and Lonzo Ball in exchange for A.D. ... and Gallinari doesn't bat an eye.

"We have a great team, a good thing going," Gallinari says.

We asked straight-up if the Clippers come away with the win against a Lakers team led by LeBron James and the Brow ... and DG doubled down.

"Of course."

If Deion Branch had a Hall of Fame vote ... he says Julian Edelman WOULD get in -- telling TMZ Sports the Patriots star IS a legit HOFer.

Of course, Deion is biased -- he played for the Pats for 7 years and was a teammate of Edelman's for a couple of 'em -- but, he still insists the guy belongs.

"He knows I'm all for it. Put my brother in. He has earned it ... Me, personally, I'm saying, 'Yeah. Put my brother in and let's do it!'"

Is the argument crazy? Maybe.

32-year-old Edelman has 499 career catches for 5,390 yards and 30 TDs ... while every WR currently in the Hall averages over 800 receptions, more than 10,000 yards and around 100 TDs.

But, Deion says if ya take playoff performance into consideration ... Julian should get a bronze bust some day.

"His postseason performance, is it better than, probably, every receiver that's in the Hall of Fame? Probably so."

"Me, personally, like I said, I'm biased, yeah, Julian -- my brother -- he should be in."

Edelman IS second to only Jerry Rice in all-time playoff receptions ... and he DOES already have two Super Bowl rings.

NFL star Josh Norman says the Los Angeles Rams got LUCKY ... because, had his QB Alex Smith not suffered a GRUESOME injury, it'd be his Washington team in the Super Bowl and not Goff's guys.

The Redskins were in 1st place in the NFC East until Smith broke both his fibula and tibia in his right leg against the Texans in November.

Smith was replaced by Colt McCoy (who also got injured) ... followed by Mark Sanchez (who was terrible) ... followed by Josh Johnson (who was basically signed off the street).

When we ran into Norman in ATL on Wednesday, we wanted to know what would've happened if Smith wouldn't have cracked his leg open ... and Norman let loose.

"We win the Super Bowl."

BTW ... Norman is dead serious, and even after our guy asks him SEVERAL times, he doesn't relent, and actually doubles down on his championship claim, saying they could've gotten by the Rams AND Saints.

"Why not?"

Julian Edelman was SO impressed with the way a 7th-grader handled being bullied by her classmates ... he straight-up gave her 2 tickets to this weekend's Super Bowl!!!

Dejah Rondeau is a badass 13-year-old who just so happens to play quarterback for her New Hampshire school's football team.

Problem was ... some of her classmates had an issue with a girl being their signal-caller -- and her parents say she was bullied over it.

"Some people don’t want to accept a female quarterback. She’ll have to put in 110 percent when others are putting in 50," Dejah's mother told Seacoastonline.com.

But, Dejah overcame it all ... and managed to thrive for her team -- and that caught Edelman's eye.

The Patriots and their star WR invited her to the team's facility last week for being so brave in the face of adversity ... and gave her TWO tickets to see them play the Rams on Sunday!!!

"My respect level for you is just through the roof because you just ignored all the noise and you played the game we all love -- and that’s football," Edelman told the girl.

Dejah's reaction??

"That was crazy! I never knew -- I never thought that would ever happen. I was just really excited to go!"

There's no need for Bryce Harper's free agency tour to continue ... 'cause Phillies legend Ryan Howard says Philadelphia is the PERFECT landing spot for the MLB superstar!!!

We got Ryan out at Jay Glazer's Merging Vets & Players Super Bowl Party on Wednesday when he explained to us why the X's and O's just make sense for both Bryce and the Phils.

In fact ... Howard says it's so clear the fit works -- he tells us he'd prefer Philly inks Bryce to a deal if it came down to Harper or other mega free agent Manny Machado.

Of course ... Ryan is biased -- the dude was a left-handed power bat who starred for the Phils -- but he tells us he actually has a great relationship with Bryce on a PERSONAL level.

Howard says he's talked with Bryce before ... and his message to him during this free agency period remains the same, "Bryce, man. Do your thing. You know what it is."

Forget Kylie ... Sean Payton is the best influencer on social media.

... this according to PFT Commenter, who tells TMZ Sports the Saints head coach's TV appearance in a Barstool Sports "Roger Goodell Clown" shirt has caused sales to skyrocket!

EVERYONE was talking about Payton's shirt on Wednesday -- when the Saints coach went on camera to talk about the blown non-P.I. call in the NFC title game that cost N.O. the game.

You can see Payton rocked the shirt underneath his pullover -- an obvious shot at Goodell -- and the crew at Barstool LOVED the publicity.

"Doesn't surprise me at all," PFT Commenter told TMZ Sports out in Atlanta ... "Sean Payton's a badass."

PFT says sales of that shirt are WAY up -- and he's considering customizing a new anti-Goodell shirt in Saints colors for all of the people in Who Dat Nation looking to send a message to the Commish.

NY Jets star safety Jamal Adams tells TMZ Sports he has ZERO REGRETS about putting the hit stick on the Patriots mascot last week -- and definitely ain't sweatin' a possible lawsuit.

You've seen the hilarious video by now, Adams blindsided Pat Patriot during Pro Bowl practice ... DE-CLEATING the mascot in front of fans and media members.

The problem ... the person in the costume was reportedly injured from the hit -- and is still dealing with soreness in his back, neck and jaw. Seems as if a lawsuit is imminent.

So, when we spoke with Jamal at the Merging Vets & Players Super Bowl kickoff party in Atlanta on Wednesday night ... we asked if he regretted the hit.

"Nah ... at the end of the day it was all for the kids," Adams says.

Adams says he has not reached out to the mascot because he's not really sure about the seriousness of Pats' injuries ... but it's obvious Jamal thinks the whole thing was in good fun and he's not worried about a legal battle.

Boston Celtics guard Jabari Bird appeared in court Wednesday to face new charges that he threatened to murder his GF multiple times during a violent altercation back in September.

As we previously reported ... Bird allegedly brutalized his GF at his Massachusetts apartment during a Sept. 7 incident -- allegedly choking and terrorizing her for hours.

Officials say Jabari roughed her up badly ... and she was only able to escape after Bird appeared to be having "seizure-like" symptoms during the end of the attack.

Jabari was arrested for assault and battery, strangulation and kidnapping ... and later pled not guilty to the charges in court.

On Wednesday, prosecutors tacked on TWO additional charges -- threats and witness intimidation -- alleging in court docs Bird told his GF he was going to MURDER her during the altercation.

"If you don’t stop talking I’m going to kill you," the victim alleges Bird said, according to court docs.

She added that Jabari also said while kicking her, “Tell anyone about this, I don’t care where you are, I’ll find you and I’ll kill you."

Bird appeared in Brighton Municipal Court Wednesday to face the new charges ... and once again pled not guilty.

Jabari is due back in court next month.

For his part ... Jabari released a statement shortly after the September incident saying, "I'm taking some time away from the team as I deal with my legal and medical issues. I apologize to my family, the Celtics organization, my teammates, the fans and the NBA for the unnecessary distraction that I have caused."

Cole Beasley is wrong ... he SHOULDN'T be getting more passes than either Amari Cooper OR Michael Gallup in Dallas -- so says Michael Irvin.

Beasley went off on his role with the Cowboys last week ... griping that he was never treated like a #1 receiver and that he should be getting more passes thrown his way.

In fact, Beasley seemed to blame Jerry Jones himself for the lack of targets, writing, "Honestly, the front office pushes who they want to get the ball to."

When we got Irvin out at Jay Glazer's Merging Vets & Players Super Bowl Party on Wednesday night ... he told us Beasley's being ridiculous.

"Never should Beasley be in front of Amari Cooper. Never should he be in front of Michael Gallup," Irvin tells us.

"And, what he has to do -- lemme tell him, stop looking at Julian Edelman and expect to have the kind of year Julian Edelman has!!"

Irvin says he understands why there's frustration from Beasley -- he just tells us Cole has to know his role.

"The Patriots play the game inside out, Cole Beasley. The Cowboys play it outside in. The only way you catch passes like Edelman is if you go to New England. Right now, you're in Dallas."

Could Beasley change that in a few weeks?? Cole is set to be a free agent -- and Tom Brady's ALWAYS looking for another slot wideout ...

Cardi B's family is together again -- she and Offset are under the same roof, and the hip-hop power couple is officially back on ... TMZ has learned.

Sources close to the couple tell us ... Cardi's returning to the Atlanta home they shared before the breakup. We're told this is the first time she's been back to stay there with Offset and Kulture since December ... when she ripped into her husband for allegedly cheating.

There have been numerous signs lately of a reunion. Cardi posted last week, "I wanna go home" -- but our sources say it's a done deal now, because Offset proved himself to his wife.

We're told one of the key factors was Offset changing his phone number, in order to show Cardi he's serious about being honest and faithful. Our sources say the new digits are strictly for Cardi and business calls.

More importantly, there's a new, "no groupies" rule, which will be in full effect this weekend. We're told Offset's not allowing any female fans near him during his Super Bowl appearances in ATL. He wants Cardi to know he's serious about their marriage.

The Rams and Patriots ain't the only ones with a lot to lose this weekend.

Will Kathy Ireland be the one who finally convinces the NFL to green light CBD???

She hopes so ... and now she's in a real position to make it happen.

The former supermodel-turned-business mogul has joined the board of NFL Players Inc. -- a wing of the NFL Players Association.

Kathy has become a real force in the fashion and beauty world over the years -- her kathy ireland Worldwide brand has made BILLIONS of dollars in revenue, landing her on the cover of Forbes twice.

Now that she's working with the NFLPA, her main focus will be advising the org. in matters of marketing and advertising ... but it's obvious she's also passionate about bringing CBD to the NFL.

Ireland has a line of CBD wellness products and, when we spoke with her at LAX, she told us she thinks NFL players could really benefit.

"The CBD that we work with, we're seeing great results," Ireland said.

Ireland says she does NOT use THC in her products -- the property in marijuana that makes people get high -- and says that's a big deal that a lot of people just don't understand.

"I think it's misunderstood by a lot of people so it's fortunate to have the opportunity to educate people on what it's about."

Kacy Clemens -- son of MLB legend Roger Clemens -- says bouncers at a Houston bar beat him so badly during a New Year's Eve event, they may have destroyed his pro baseball career.

Clemens and his pal, Conner Capel, have sued the Concrete Cowboy in Texas -- claiming they were just hanging out when bouncers singled them out and ordered them to move out of a spot in the bar while they were trying to order their first drink of the night.

Both men are minor league baseball players -- Kacy is a 1st baseman in the Blue Jays organization and Conner is an outfielder with the Cardinals organization.

The guys claim they complied with the bouncers' orders -- but the hired muscle manhandled them anyway, eventually beating them so ferociously they sustained serious damage to their faces and bodies.

In fact, Conner says he suffered a fractured skull -- and took photos of the bloody aftermath.

A lawyer for the alleged victims has suggested Kacy may have injured his throwing arm in the incident. He also claims Conner will have to see a neurologist for at least 5 years.

According to the lawsuit, cops showed up at the bar that night and determined neither Kacy nor Conner were intoxicated. One of the bouncers was arrested for assault.

Colin Kaepernick's attorney just went off on NFL Commish Roger Goodell -- claiming his explanation that teams just don't think Colin can help them win is the biggest crock he's ever heard.

And, Kap's lawyer is using Mark Sanchez to make his point.

Mark Geragos appeared on "Today" Thursday and was asked about the comments Goodell made at his State of the NFL Address this week ... when Goodell said Kap's unemployment status is based on football, not politics.

"Anybody who believes that will believe that Mark Sanchez was a better choice," Geragos said ... noting several other QBs who are "well past their prime" were also signed this season.

Geragos also asked why NFL teams did NOT give Kap a workout in 2018 -- "Why didn't anybody ever bring him in and see where his skills were at? I think the whole thing is basically a ruse."

Geragos believes Goodell's statement will help Kap's collusion case against the NFL -- saying, "The collusion actually was the NFL kowtowing to [President Trump]."

He also says ... "There isn't anybody who's got a couple of neurons firing that wouldn't say this is collusive activity."

For the record, Mark Sanchez was signed by the Washington Redskisn at the end of the NFL season after starting QB Alex Smith went down with an injury.