TMZ Sports - Page 50

Not everyone wants James Dolan to sell the Knicks ... and if ya don't believe us, here's ex-NBA player Chris Copeland telling TMZ Sports he LOVES his old boss!!

... but Copeland's friend?? Not so much.

We shot the ex-NBAer outside Madeo over the weekend and asked straight-up what the Knicks need to do to get back to relevance.

Copeland's friend had a few suggestions -- which would've gotten him BANNED from MSG if he had said it at a game -- but the hooper shuts down any of that talk and praised the team owner.

"I love Dolan, Dolan's my guy," Copeland tells us. I love Dolan, love the Knicks."

It's been the trend to tell Dolan off at Knicks games recently -- but it comes with a price.

As we previously reported, fans have been getting 86'd from Knicks games or any other events being held at MSG for heckling him ... as we've seen with at least 2 different occasions in recent years.

Tom Brady's stock continues to rise ... so does the cost for an autograph.

The New England Patriots star quarterback is holding a private signing session at the end of the month -- and TMZ Sports got a hold of the pricing sheet.

It ain't cheap ... but it could be a GREAT investment.

We started tracking Tom's autograph prices back in Feb. 2017 -- when it cost $850 for a signed photo.

Fast forward to now ... that same photo will cost $1,049.

A Patriots mini-helmet in 2017 was $900 ... now, it will run you $1,079.

There's a deal on jerseys -- in 2017, Tom would sign your uni for $1,200. Now, he'll do it for $1,099.

And, if you're an artist who's created an original Tom Brady painting, TB12 will sign it for $2,199!

The session is being held by New England Picture by way of Tri-Star -- which has held several Brady signings in the past.

One of the interesting notes ... the public is NOT allowed to attend the signing. Meaning you have to submit your items beforehand and you'll get 'em back after the event is over.

So, yeah ... the prices might seem steep -- but the way they've been appreciating in value, might be a great deal!

Pamela Anderson's on-again, off-again relationship with soccer star Adil Rami is back ON again ... but her friends see red flags.

Sources close to Pam tell TMZ ... the "Baywatch" star and World Cup champ have been back together for several weeks, but friends wish she'd 86 the relationship for various reasons. The main one ... they say Adil has tried cutting Pam off from her friends and family.

What's more ... they fear his juvenile behavior -- partying and clubbing -- isn't for Pam anymore. Her friends are adamant ... it's never gonna work long term.

Pam's friends are clear ... they want her to move on. If and when she's ready ... find someone else. Nevertheless ... easier said than done.

You'll recall it was just last July when the central defender for French club Marseille met Pam's mom. A serious sign, for sure. But, things really heated up when Adil proposed marriage. Pam said no dice and the relationship went kaput.

TMZ Sports has obtained video of Barry Cofield's DUI arrest ... and the scene is intense -- with cops drawing their guns and demanding the ex-Giants DL to get out of the car.

"Get out of the car!" one officer screams ... "Get out of the car now! Get out of the car! Get out of the car or we'll shoot! Get out of the car now!"

It all went down last July when the former Super Bowl champion allegedly led cops on a wild police chase after they found him asleep at the wheel of his Cadillac Escalade around 2:40 AM.

You can see in the video the conclusion of the chase ... where cops are so concerned with the way the 6'4", 250-pounder was driving -- they pulled out their guns and surrounded the car.

Cofield doesn't comply ... so cops attempt to physically break him out of the vehicle by beating in his window, with one officer yelling, "Get him out of that car!"

Cofield eventually opens the door as cops are smashing in the window ... and he's taken to the ground without incident.

When cops search the former defensive lineman ... they find a wad of cash and a small baggie of what they later say was heroin.

Cofield was hit with several severe charges from the altercation, including heroin possession, assaulting an officer, DUI, resisting arrest and fleeing from police.

But, Barry was able to get a great deal from prosecutors last week ... and after pleading no contest to just heroin possession and DUI causing damage or injury -- he likely won't spend any time behind bars.

Cofield was a key piece for the Giants' D-line from 2006 through 2010 ... ultimately helping Eli Manning and NY beat the undefeated Patriots in Super Bowl XLII.

Golf's a gentlemen's game, so it's no surprise "Southern Charm" star Shep Rose got his ass ejected from a VIP tent when he started actin' the fool.

We're told Shep hit up The Players Championship Friday at TPC Sawgrass in Ponte Vedra Beach, FL ... where he had an incredible view of the 17th hole from inside the Dye Pavilion VIP tent.

Witnesses at the event tell us Shep drank a little too much booze ... becoming belligerent and pestering guests. He also got up and started dancing ... blocking people's view.

We're told a woman working the event asked Shep to leave but he refused. That's when St. John's County Sheriff's deputies stepped in. A spokesperson tells us the deputies working the event escorted Shep outta the tent without incident. He was not arrested and removed from the tent but not from the event.

Lucky guy ... The Players Championship arguably has the best class of golfers from top to bottom, so lots of great golf to watch.

Maybe stick to water on the rocks, Shep?

Le'Veon Bell just signed a $52.5 mil contract, but LB is still focused on his other career -- throwing an album release party in Miami, and TMZ Sports has the footage.

Bell hit up Rockwell Nightclub in Miami Beach Saturday to perform songs from his new rap album, "Life's a Gamble" -- and the place went crazy for him.

Among the songs he performed was "Free at Last" -- where he talks about his drama with the Pittsburg Steelers. One of the lyrics includes, "I'm gonna make them open up their safes. I'm just doin' what I gotta do to get me paid."

There's more ... many of the lyrics have to do with Bell's football career and how excited he was to leave the Steelers and sign with a new team. During the nightclub performance, Bell was wearing some big ass gold chains -- no doubt a result of getting a huge new contract in New York.

Conor McGregor provided inspiration to the Boston Bruins by giving a thunderous pep talk before Saturday night's game against the Columbus Blue Jackets ... kinda surprising given his felony robbery arrest just days before.

Conor was the guest of honor at TD Garden ... check out his roaring speech to the Bruins in the locker room.

The crowd went crazy when Conor came out for a ceremonial puck drop.

During the game, he went crazy with fans and went back into the locker room to congratulate the Bruins on their win.

Earlier in the day, Conor was in Chicago leading the St. Patrick's Day Parade.

As we reported, Conor was arrested for robbery/strong-arm and criminal mischief over $1,000 in Miami Monday morning for smashing a fan's cellphone and then taking it.

The fan, Ahmed Abdirzak, is suing Conor, claiming battery, assault and intentional infliction of emotional distress.

Sylvester Stallone isn't just a huge fight fan, he's also a minority owner of the UFC -- and tells TMZ Sports he's genuinely concerned for Conor McGregor after his latest arrest.

"This is a crossroad in his life," Stallone told us in Beverly Hills ... referring to both the arrest AND the fact he's coming off a huge loss to Khabib Nurmagomedov.

"If he can't overcome his fear and beat this man, I think it'll plague him for the rest of his life."

The conversation with Stallone is amazing ... he opens up about all of the issues Conor is facing in his life and provides him with a road map on how to come out on top.

In fact, Stallone says McGregor should be "inspired" by the obstacles in his life -- and use all of the negativity to fuel an epic comeback ... both in and out of the Octagon.

Sly says Conor should tell himself, "Okay, I've gone through a very rough time. I've been somewhat publicly humiliated. I'm at a crossroad in my life ... I have to overcome an incredible opponent who seems invulnerable."

That's when Stallone honed in on Conor's loss to Khabib -- "This is a crossroad in his life. This is probably the most important one because if he doesn't live up to his ideal ... if he can't overcome his fear and beat this man, I think it'll plague him for the rest of his life."

"I think [Conor] lost last time because he got resentful, he got prideful, he got arrogant ... put his hands down ... he walked right up to that gentleman and he just got smashed in the face when he could have been defensive. There was no Plan B. Not even a Plan A minus."

Stallone says he REALLY wants to see a rematch between the "two UFC Gods" -- adding, "I wanna see a guy that leaves everything on the table."

As for Conor's pending legal situation in Miami, where he's accused of smashing and stealing a cell phone from a fan who wanted a picture ... Sly has some advice for Conor on handling the burdens of fame.

"Keep smiling. You can't critique a smile."

Did you know ... Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones once made the guy who killed Osama Bin Laden his special Thanksgiving VIP guest???

It's true ... and when we spoke with Navy SEAL legend Rob O'Neill -- he told us what it was like spending Turkey Day with one of the most powerful guys in the NFL.

We were in D.C. talking with O'Neill about his favorite NFL team -- the Washington Redskins -- when he dropped the Jerry Jones fun fact ... so after the clip, we called him up on the phone to get the full story.

It all went down in 2014 when Rob was living in Dallas ... some of the Redskins honchos wanted to do something nice for him so they put him in touch with the Cowboys in hopes of getting him VIP access to the Thanksgiving Day game.

The Cowboys not only hooked it up -- but Jerry personally invited the American hero into his private owner's suite for the full Thanksgiving turkey spread!!

Jones also took Rob down on the field with a full access pass. Least he could do, right?!

Rob says he's still a hardcore Washington fan -- but he's got a soft spot for the Cowboys.

Anyway, salute this man.

#RESPECT

Boxing star Adrien Broner is off the hook in his sexual battery case after prosecutors decided there just wasn't enough evidence to prove he grabbed a woman's vagina at an Atlanta area mall.

The 29-year-old was arrested in February 2018 after a woman claimed Broner touched her butt, thigh and "private parts" without her permission outside of a Louis Vuitton store.

Aftermath of the alleged incident was captured on video -- you can see the woman yelling and getting angry at Broner.

Broner denied the allegations -- but cops arrested him for sexual battery and simple battery ... both misdemeanors.

But, when the boxer appeared in court last month ... prosecutors said they did not have enough admissible evidence to "prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt" and dropped the charges.

In other words, there's no smoking gun video to prove he committed the crime.

Per court records, "the alleged victim in this case understands and consents to this decision."

The Osundairo brothers told Chicago police if they really wanted to hurt Jussie Smollett, they could've killed him ... and here's proof.

We've obtained video of Abel Osundairo throwing haymakers Thursday night in Chicago, and you can tell the "Empire" extra is a beast in the ring. Take solace in the fact you weren't his opponent.

Remember, Abel's lawyer says Jussie told the brothers he wanted Abel to "attack" him, but not rough him up too badly. Judging by his boxing skills, Abel suppressed his true strength during the "attack."

Abel and Jussie are on two totally different paths ... hours after Jussie strutted into a Cook County courthouse to enter a not guilty plea in his 16-count felony indictment, Abel advanced in the Chicago Golden Gloves amateur boxing tourney, with a first-round TKO in his quarterfinal match.

Dude's a beast, he's boxing in the 178-pound weight class. No wonder Jussie cut the brothers a check for a training program.

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."