TMZ Sports - Page 50

12:46 PM PT -- The Carolina Panthers have released a statement about Taylor Hearn, saying ... "We are aware of the video, and have been in contact with Taylor and the league about the incident. We will have no further comment at this time."

Carolina Panthers guard Taylor Hearn had a rough night in Augusta, Georgia ... getting knocked out cold in a brutal street fight captured on video.

Here's the deal … Hearn -- 6’4”, 315 lbs. -- was outside of a bar Thursday night when he got into it with a couple of guys on the street.

Clearly, the massive Hearn thought he’d be able to bully these guys around, due to his giant size and NFL strength, but he learned very quickly he was wrong. After some verbal insults and tussling, one of the guys on the street cracked Hearn with a straight right to the face that dropped the lineman like a sack of potatoes.

Hearn eventually gets up and appears to be okay ... even starting to fight again. Witnesses tell TMZ Sports cops arrived at the scene a short time later ... but Hearn was not arrested. In fact, we’re told no one was arrested.

Hearn -- who’s 23 years old -- was a lineman at Clemson and won the 2016 National Championship at the university (he started all 15 games that season) before signing with the Panthers in 2018. Hearn played in 4 games ... protecting Cam Newton.

We reached out to Hearn’s rep ... so far, no word back.

Remember when Aqib Talib and Michael Crabtree HATED each other -- with Talib snatching Crabtree's chain in TWO separate on-field incidents???

Yeah, that beef's now been squashed ... and it's all 'cause of a Texas go-kart track.

Here's the deal ... a witness tells us Talib was at Kartland in Frisco, Texas with his family -- when Crabtree walked in with friends and family of his own.

We're told there were tense moments when the two NFL stars saw each other -- with family members looking like they were fearing a fight was on the way.

But, one witness tells us the two decided to take it outside and squash their beef.

We're told the DB and the WR talked it out for several minutes ... and appeared to finally smooth things over.

If you're unfamiliar ... the two absolutely despised each other when Talib was a Bronco and Crabtree was a Raider.

During one game in the 2016 season, Talib ripped Crabtree's gold chain straight off his neck. In another game in 2017, the two fought again -- with Talib snatchin' Crab's chain again!!!

Did you know ... Patrick Mahomes' girlfriend is more of a gym rat than he is?!

It's true -- Brittany Matthews is a budding social media fitness star -- and she showed off the fruits of her labor during an awesome girls trip to Hawaii.

Brit -- along with a bunch of her girlfriends -- flew to Hawaii for a tropical bachelorette party (sans the Chiefs QB) ... where they partied and hit the beach in tiny bikinis.

In fact, all of the girls on the trip had custom swimsuits with their nicknames on them -- Brittany's read, "Fit Brit."

Don't worry, besides relaxing in paradise, Brittany found plenty of time to exercise -- hiking and hitting the gym, because NO DAYS OFF!!!

By the way, Mahomes and Brittany have been together for years. They started dating back in high school and continued dating while she was attending the University of Texas at Tyler and Patrick was at Texas Tech.

In fact, the two were just spotted all over L.A. a few weeks ago, hitting Lakers games and all the finest Hollywood hot spots.

It all begs the question ... who gets a ring first -- Pat or Brit?!?!?

It's the sports reaction you never thought you'd need ... but you'll be glad you watched, trust us.

Antonio Brown is no longer a Pittsburgh Steeler ... and there's one superfan who's still trying to figure out what to hell to do about losing his favorite player -- that guy is Carson Kressley.

Yes, as it turns out, the 'Queer Eye' star -- an Allentown, PA native -- is a HUGE Steelers fan. Seriously, the dude even has AB's total yardage memorized like some kinda freak.

So, with CK being the biggest AB fan east of the Mississippi, we had to ask the fashion guru how he's handling the news of Brown going to the Silver and Black.

And, uh ... let's just say he's had better days.

"I can't believe it," Kressley tells us in NYC. "We're gonna miss him. Antonio, come back to us, please!!!"

There are fake tears, hugs, and compliments shared as our camera guy consoles the devastated Kressley ... and it makes you almost feel bad for the dude.

Snoop Dogg's claim that David Irving was "not smart" to quit the NFL in a pot-smoking blaze of glory is just "ignorant" ... so says Irving, who now has a message for the rap legend.

Snoop went after Irving during a conversation with Stephen A. Smith -- essentially saying waging a pot war with the NFL is unwinnable and stupid.

Long story short ... Snoop says Irving blew up a golden opportunity to make millions of dollars all because he wanted to smoke weed. And, this is SNOOP saying this.

Well, Irving says he respects Snoop ... but tells TMZ Sports the rapper is just wrong in this case.

Irving says Snoop made uninformed assumptions about why he stepped away from the game -- and he's now inviting the rapper to have a 1-on-1 conversation to talk things out.

The 25-year-old's point is that it's not about getting high ... it's about finding safer ways to treat pain -- and if anyone should be sympathetic, it's Snoop.

"I'm pretty sure if I could've met with Snoop and let him know exactly what I'm doing, the businesses I've set up and the things I'm doing, I'm pretty sure he would say different."

L.A. Rams "Get Back" coach, whose job is to physically restrain head coach Sean McVay from stepping on the field, is now in real hot water ... he's been charged with sexual battery.

His name is Ted Rath -- and he went viral during the 2018 season thanks to a highlight reel showing him constantly pulling McVay toward the bench so he wouldn't get run over by players and refs.

Rath -- who's also the team's strength and conditioning coach -- has been hit with 3 misdemeanor sexual battery charges stemming from an alleged incident on June 15, 2018.

Officials tell TMZ Sports the incident took place at a private residence in Moorpark, CA ... with the alleged victim claiming Rath groped her multiple times without her consent.

The Rams addressed the charges on Friday ... saying, "We take these allegations very seriously."

The Rams added ... "Once the charges were filed, we decided Ted would take a leave of absence from the team as this matter works its way through the justice system.”

Rath is facing more than a year behind bars if convicted ... and he would have to register as a sex offender.

Kansas City Chiefs superstar Tyreek Hill was named in a police report involving an alleged child abuse incident on March 5 ... and the Chiefs say they're aware of an investigation.

Look, the details are sketchy right now but here's what we know ...

TMZ Sports has obtained a report from the Overland Police Dept. filed on March 5 in Kansas which lists Hill as a person "involved" in a child abuse/neglect case.

There's another person named as an "involved" party, Crystal Espinal -- the mother of Hill's child.

Neither person is listed as a suspect on the police report.

There is a note on the report that the case was "closed/cleared" and "prosecution declined" on March 8.

Another police report filed on March 14 does NOT list Tyreek -- but names Espinal as an "involved person" in a battery case involving a juvenile victim.

Again, no details and Hill is NOT listed as a suspect.

The Kansas City Chiefs have issued a comment saying, "The club is aware of the investigation involving Tyreek Hill. We’re in the process of gathering information and have been in contact with the league and local authorities."

We reached out to cops who referred us to the District Attorney's Office -- where a rep told us, "We have nothing in our system."

We also reached out to Hill's agent -- so far, no word back.

3:48 PM PT-- Soulja's lawyer, Fred Minassian, tells TMZ the judge released him today pending a hearing on March 29. He says, "There was no finding in regards to his probation violation."

1:38 PM -- The rapper's been released from jail and he immediately took to Instagram Live to joke and rant about the arrest. Soulja Boy jokes he's gonna rock his jail ID wristbands on stage for his gig at Staples Center. He says he's still gonna perform at the Clippers game Friday night.

Check it out ... he also says he's NOT going out like Tekashi69, who is behind bars on racketeering charges. He also calls himself the hottest rapper in the game before peacing out.

Soulja Boy has been arrested ... and it sounds like the same old story -- he allegedly can't keep his hands off firearms and ammo.

Soulja went to see his probation officer Friday morning in the San Fernando Valley, and when he showed up he was cuffed and taken to jail.

Here's what we know. Soulja is currently on probation and the offenses go back 8 years ... when he was convicted of weapons violations. In 2016, while he was on probation, cops descended on his home after the rapper threatened people online. During their search, cops found at least one weapon, which was a violation of Soulja's probation.

A judge extended his probation again, making it clear ... NO WEAPONS.

Fast forward to last month ... cops executed a search warrant at Soulja's home after a woman claimed he held her hostage in his garage ... something he denied. Our law enforcement sources tell us during the search, cops found ammunition, which he's not allowed to possess while on probation.

Apparently, cops waited to make their move, knowing he was going to show up to see his probation officer, and that's when they swooped in and arrested him for another probation violation.

The rapper's currently in jail in Van Nuys. He'll appear in court later Friday to face a judge.

Soulja is supposed to perform at a Clippers game Friday night -- and seemed pretty confident he'd be there in a video posted just before his arrest. We'll see if he shows.

Originally Published -- 9:31 AM PT

Earl Thomas was facing a MAJOR issue in his first days as a Baltimore Raven ... his beloved #29 jersey was already taken ... and he'd have to cough up some serious dough to get it.

That is ... until Marlon Humphrey decided to change his mind and give it away FOR FREE -- and his explanation is pretty dope.

"I initially asked Earl for money, and later that day I realized that’s not who I am," Humphrey says.

"So I texted him and said he can have it. I respect what he has done and accolades in 29. Didn’t want to alter that for a number I’ve accomplished nothing in."

MH has a point -- Thomas has been stellar in #29 ... winning a Super Bowl, making 6 Pro Bowls and being named a 1st team All-Pro 3 different times!!!

Battles over jersey numbers have gotten expensive in the past -- Clinton Portis famously offered an old Redskins teammate $40k(!!!) to get #26 in 2004 (that ended in a court battle).

Deion Sanders also bought a teammate a BMW to get his number when he joined the Cowboys.

UFC star Tony Ferguson pushed his wife, abducted their son and tore their house apart on several occasions ... this according to Tony's wife who says she's now afraid for all of their lives.

It's all spelled out in court docs obtained by TMZ Sports ... Cristina Ferguson says Tony has been "acting violent, paranoid and delusional for the past several months" and he needs help.

Cristina says Tony's behavior has been concerning for years -- but got significantly worse in 2017.

Since 2017, Cristina claims Tony has flown into manic episodes where he's destroyed property in their Santa Ana home -- including ripping off mirrors and dismantled appliances looking for tracking devices and cameras. She included pictures of the wreckage.

Cristina claims Tony has stated their 2-year-old son is Jesus Christ, that Tony is the "second Jesus Christ" and that she is a witch.

Cristina clearly believes Tony is suffering from mental illness that is causing him to be delusional and manic. She's tried to get him help over the years but his situation hasn't gotten better.

She claims Tony shoved her during a January 2018 incident and abducted their son during a March 7, 2019 incident.

"[His] erratic behavior is getting worse and more frightening. I am afraid that during one of [his] episodes [he] will kill me, our son and/or himself."

Cristina requested a domestic violence restraining order against Tony which was granted by the judge. He now has to stay at least 100 yards away from Cristina, their child and other family members.

She was also granted temporary sole physical and legal custody of their son. Law enforcement was ordered to remove their son from Tony's care and return him to Cristina.

Cristina has since issued a statement supporting Tony -- saying, he's a "good husband and good father to our son."

Errol Spence tells TMZ Sports he's ready to take Floyd Mayweather's place as the #1 star in boxing -- saying, "I'm next up to be a superstar icon."

Spence is 24-0 and headlining a massive PPV fight against 39-0 Mikey Garcia on Saturday for the IBF World Welterweight title ... the fight should be one of the best fights of the year.

In fact, Garia told TMZ Sports he believes it's gonna be an all-time classic.

But, Spence says it's not just a fight for him -- it's an opportunity to become one of the highest paid athletes on the planet ... just like Floyd, who changed the game when it comes to how fighters get paid.

"I feel like Floyd opened the door and I'm gonna kick it down," Spence says.

In fact, Spence says he'll probably steal a page from Floyd's playbook and fight Manny Pacquiao -- right after he defeats Garcia.

Spence praised Manny as a "blood and guts" fighter -- and says he believes Manny wants the fight too ... which is why he'll be ringside at the Garcia fight in Dallas this weekend.

After Manny, Spence says he's got his sights set on Terence Crawford -- who's also undefeated with a 34-0 record.

Look, if Errol wants to be known as TBE ... he's gotta get through the best in the world and he knows it.

As for Floyd, Errol says Mayweather will sometimes dish out advice when they hang out -- but mostly he likes to show off his fancy cars.

Hey, can't give away all your secrets ... right?

Big win for Lenny Dykstra despite the fact he pled GUILTY in his crazy Uber case -- after a New Jersey judge ruled the drugs found in Lenny's bags could NOT be used as evidence against him.

Here's the story ... Dykstra was arrested back in May 2018 after an Uber driver claimed Lenny was acting crazy and threatened his life during an early morning ride.

During the arrest, cops say they found cocaine and meth in Lenny's bags -- which had been in the trunk. He was later charged with possession of coke and meth and making terroristic threats.

Once the case went before a judge, Lenny argued cops did NOT have the right to go through his personal belongings ... and therefore the drug evidence should be thrown out.

The judge AGREED with Dykstra -- explaining there was no reason for cops to search the bags since they had no impact on the issue between Dykstra and the driver.

Since the drug charges couldn't stick, prosecutors offered Lenny a deal in which he would plead guilty to disorderly conduct and, in exchange, he got $125 in fines and was ordered to have NO contact with the Uber driver.

That's it -- easy sentence for a guy who was facing serious prison time.

Here's Jared Goff proving he's having a GREAT off-season ... taking his relationship with his smokin' hot model GF public Thursday -- and yeah, dude's definitely winning.

The lovely lady is Christen Harper -- an Instagram model with over 200,000 followers -- and rumors have been swirling since January that the two are an item.

The L.A. Rams QB reportedly wanted to keep the relationship on the DL during L.A.'s run through the playoffs ... but now that that's over -- the two are running public errands like they have nothing to hide!

TMZ Sports spotted the pair leaving Best Buy in Woodland Hills -- and Jared didn't object to our photog calling Christen his "girlfriend" ... even thanking us for saying she looks great!!!

By the way, Jared also gave us his opinion on the Odell Beckham trade to the Cleveland Browns ... but he wasn't in much of a mood to stay any longer to chat after that.

And, after looking at these pics ... can ya blame him?!?!

The husband of UFC fighter Rachael Ostovich pled no contest to assault stemming from a violent altercation in November ... and he most likely won't spend a minute behind bars.

Arnold Berdon -- who's also an MMA fighter -- was charged with 2nd-degree assault for punching Ostovich in the head, face and ribs during an argument at their Hawaii home.

Ostovich suffered a broken orbital bone in the attack -- and initially pulled out of a scheduled fight with Paige VanZant ... but that fight was rescheduled after she healed up and was cleared by a doctor.

In audio obtained by Hawaii News Now you can hear a man yelling, "I'm going to f*cking murder you" during the alleged incident.

Berdon appeared in court on Thursday and pled no contest to the charge -- which carries a 5-year prison sentence.

But, Berdon likely won't do ANY time-- the judge told him he'll likely just get probation if he successfully completes a domestic violence intervention program.

During the hearing, Berdon told the judge he's "going to do well."

As for Ostovich, she issued a statement on the situation through her attorney, Lanson Kupau, saying she's "satisfied that Arnold is accepting responsibility for his actions and getting the needed help so that he can be the best father to our daughter."

The NFL has suspended Kareem Hunt for 8 games without pay for violating the league's personal conduct policy -- stemming from TWO violent incidents, including an altercation with a woman captured on video.

TMZ Sports broke the story ... Hunt shoved, bull-rushed and kicked a woman at a Cleveland hotel on Feb. 10, 2018.

Cops were called to the scene and investigated -- but did NOT arrest Hunt, who denied getting violent.

At the time, Hunt was a member of the Kansas City Chiefs -- but the team released the star running back once the video went public, claiming Hunt lied to them about his behavior that night.

Hunt sought treatment for anger management and substance abuse issues -- and was later signed by the Cleveland Browns, who were waiting to see what Hunt's punishment was going to be.

Hunt was also accused of getting violent with a man at an Ohio resort in June 2018 -- allegedly punching a man in the face during a heated argument.

The NFL says it investigated both incidents using "reviewing available law enforcement records, video and electronic communications, interviews with numerous witnesses, and multiple interviews with Hunt."

The league says, "Hunt has advised the league office that he accepts responsibility for his conduct and the discipline that has been imposed."

"He has committed to take advantage of available resources to help him grow personally and as a member of the Cleveland community, and to live up to his obligations as an NFL player."

"The eight-game suspension will take effect as of the final roster reduction on August 31. Hunt will be eligible to play in the Browns' ninth regular season game."

Hunt has issued a statement saying, "I want to again apologize for my actions last year. I know that my behavior hurt a lot of people, and I again apologize to them."

"I respect the league's decision on discipline, and I appreciate the time I spent with Commissioner Goodell last week."

"I'm grateful for my time with the Browns over the last month and thankful to all the people in the organization that have welcomed me. I also appreciate all of the support from my union through this process."

Shane Battier is off the deeeeeeeep end ... and it's beautiful as hell.

The 2-time NBA champ hit the stage to put on his best rendition of Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper's "Shallow" at his charity karaoke event on Thursday ... and this guy pulled out all the stops.

Look ... singing the ballad in front of ANYONE requires some guts. But, to do it in front of a huge crowd while wearing a dress AND a wig puts the whole thing over the top.

Miami Heat TV host Jason Jackson played the role of Cooper ... and he even put on a wig as well!!

It was all part of the 7th Annual Battioke Event in Miami ... which raises money for college scholarships.

Battier clearly stole the show ... but there were other great performances from Kelly Olynyk, who sang some classic One Direction ... and Pierre Garcon, who pulled off "Let Me Love You" by Mario.

The championship belt ended up going to Heat GM Andy Elisburg, who sang "Soul Man" by the Blues Brothers.

We're told the event raised more than $150k!!!