TMZ Sports - Page 50

Robert Kraft's bid to make sure his prostitution sting video doesn't see the light of day might be a little more difficult ... because prosecutors are refusing to play ball.

Sources familiar with the case tell TMZ ... the State's Attorney's Office in Palm Beach County declined to join in on the motion Kraft and 14 other suspects filed Wednesday in Florida ... seeking to prevent the release of any evidence, including video footage from inside the Orchids of Asia spa.

This is a big deal because if prosecutors were on board with the motion to protect the evidence, it would be much more likely the judge would sign off on it. However, prosecutors opted to let Kraft and the other alleged Johns fly solo with their motion, so it's unclear if they'll get their wish.

This begs the question -- why wouldn't the State's Attorney want to cooperate in the effort to keep evidence under wraps?? Especially considering it's an open investigation where police have, very publicly, claimed to be concerned about alleged victims.

We put that question to the State's Attorney's Office, and got a "no comment."

As we reported ... Kraft and the other suspects in the sting were offered a plea deal. It would require Kraft to complete a course about prostitution, 100 hours of community service and submit to an STD test, while also admitting he'd be found guilty if it went to trial. In exchange, the charges would be dropped.

It's pretty clear to us ... the deal's a non-starter for Kraft because it would be just like being convicted -- at least under the offered terms. It seems prosecutors want leverage over Kraft in negotiating a plea deal ... and the video is their weapon.

Dallas Cowboys tight end Rico Gathers cut a deal in his weed possession case and won't face jail time ... TMZ Sports has learned.

The 25-year-old was arrested back in August in Frisco, Texas just after Cowboys' training camp ... when cops say they found him with less than 2 ounces of weed.

Gathers was charged with possession of marijuana ... but on Thursday, he struck a deal with prosecutors and will avoid time behind bars for the incident.

Court officials tell us Gathers had his charge reduced from a Class B misdemeanor to a Class C misdemeanor in exchange for a guilty plea.

Rico's punishment? He has to keep his nose clean for the next 90 days ... and, if he does, the conviction will be wiped off his record.

Rico also had to pay fines and court costs.

It's good news for the young tight end ... his role on the Cowboys is in limbo after Dallas brought back veteran Jason Witten this offseason.

Kylie Jenner and Jordyn Woods still aren't talking much, and at this point ... Kylie's given up on making up and is moving on.

Sources close to the former best friends tell TMZ ... the two haven't made any real progress in mending their fractured relationship over the past few weeks, and have been mostly incommunicado since Jordyn's appearance on "Red Table Talk."

We're told Woods' interview with Jada Pinkett Smith -- in which she denied actually cheating with Tristan Thompson -- had the opposite effect of winning Kylie back. Instead, Kylie was more steadfast than ever that Jordyn wronged Khloe ... and their friendship would never be the same.

Our sources say Jordyn's stuff is still at Kylie's guest house ... but Kylie's certainly not going to stop her from coming to pick it up soon so they can officially go their separate ways.

Kylie's still open to being amicable with Jordyn in the future, we're told ... but their bestie days are a thing of the past.

3:11 PM PT -- Erica is continuing to post about his death, saying, "Please love me while I'm still here. Nothing is promised. Appreciate life."

1:23 PM PT -- Erica just posted a message about Dixon's murder, saying, "We all deal with so much. You dealt with a lot. I'm so sorry this happened, you didn't deserve this. Rest in forever peace. Watch over your blood sisters, brothers, nieces, nephews and your mommy. I know they are so broken right now."

9:04 AM PT -- Cops now say Dixon had just arrived at the location and was standing in the parking lot when he was shot multiple times. Cops still haven't said where Dixon was hit. The death is being investigated as a homicide.

Cliff Dixon, ex-boyfriend of 'Love & Hip Hop' star Erica Mena, is dead after getting shot in Atlanta ... while out celebrating his birthday.

Law enforcement sources tell TMZ ... Cliff, a close friend of NBA superstar Kevin Durant, was partying at SL Lounge when an apparent lone gunman opened fire in front of the club around 1 AM Thursday. Cops are investigating but it's unclear if Dixon was targeted.

He was rushed to Grady Memorial Hospital where he was pronounced dead.

According to an incident report, obtained by TMZ, an officer says he was in his patrol unit outside the club when he saw a black male wearing all black with a black skull cap fire at the victim.

The cop says he saw the suspect take off as others gave chase but lost him. It's unclear how many times Dixon -- who earlier Wednesday posted video of himself singing in his car -- was shot.

Dixon's friends have taken to social media to offer condolences. One wrote, "Rest in heavenly peace bro. U ain't deserve what happen to u."

Erica and Cliff dated for about 10 months, but their relationship was undoubtedly rocky. You'll recall they both got arrested last October after getting into a huge fight. Erica ultimately moved on ... getting engaged to Safaree a few months later.

Cliff had been childhood friends with KD and was reportedly part of the hoops star's inner circle.

He was 32. RIP.

Johnny Manziel's wife, Bre Tiesi, has DELETED all traces of the QB from her Instagram page -- and removed "Manziel" from her last name ... and all signs point to a breakup.

Unclear what triggered the move -- we're working on the story right now.

Bre just came back from a girls' trip to Bali while Johnny has been working on getting his football career back on track by signing with a team in the AAF league.

Obviously, SOMETHING happened ... we're trying to figure out what.

Bre and Johnny had been going strong for years ... the two hooked up back in 2016 -- and it only took about a year for Johnny to ask her to marry him.

In fact, Manziel was so head over heels for Bre -- he gave her all the credit for pulling him out of his downward spiral that started with him being cut by the Browns after the 2015 season.

"When you find a girl as amazing as I did that saved me from where I was in my life, you absolutely put a ring on it."

But now, it seems the relationship could be over.

It's just another rough time for the embattled QB ... remember, it was just a few weeks ago when he was cut from the entire Canadian Football League for violating the terms of his contract.

Things had started looking up for Johnny, though ... he just signed on with the Memphis Express in the AAF and could get some playing time.

9:21 AM PT -- The International Skating Union says it has investigated the allegations ... and found "no evidence" Mariah Bell intentionally attacked Lim Eun-soo.

"The incident was verbally reported to the ISU by the Korean Team Leader however no formal complaint has been received," The ISU said in a statement.

"Based on the evidence at hand at this point in time, which includes a video, there is no evidence that Ms. Bell intended any harm to Ms. Lim."

"The ISU met with delegates from both USA and Korea and urged both parties to find an amicable solution. The ISU maintains that this remains the appropriate approach."

A 16-year-old female Korean figure skater is calling for an investigation -- claiming her 22-year-old American rival intentionally SLASHED her with her skate during warm-ups at a major event.

Reps for Lim Eun-soo claim the 16-year-old was at the ISU World Figure Skating Championships in Japan on Wednesday ... when Mariah Bell came crashing into her from behind, leading with her skate.

Eun-soo's agent described the incident this way to Agence France-Presse:

"Lim was slowly skating on the edge of the rink after completing her turn. Mariah Bell, who was scheduled to rehearse after Lim, suddenly kicked and stabbed Lim’s calf with her skate blades."

"Mariah Bell didn’t apologize to Lim Eun-soo after the incident and instead continued to rehearse for her routine."

Eun-soo reportedly suffered a gash on her calf which required medical attention. She was able to treat the wound and still compete ... ultimately finishing in 5th place, one spot AHEAD of Bell.

Lim Eun-soo's agent told the French media they have already gone to the Korea Skating Union and asked for a formal investigation.

Eun-soo's agent also says the two skaters have been training in Los Angeles together -- and they claim Bell has been "bullying" their client for months.

So far, no comment from Bell.

UFC's Stephen "Wonderboy" Thompson says it's "disappointing" his friend, T.J. Dillashaw, tested positive for a banned substance ... saying, "He doesn't seem like the type of guy who would do that."

Dillashaw has already relinquished the UFC bantamweight championship after officials say he failed a PED test following his January fight against Henry Cejudo.

And, while officials aren't identifying the substance they allegedly found in Dillashaw's system, Thompson says the situation is a reminder to fighters to be very careful what they put in their systems.

"I know T.J. We've hung out a lot. He doesn't seem like the type of guy who would do that," Thompson says.

"But, that goes to show man, you gotta check everything that you take."

It's obvious Thompson doesn't think Dillashaw intentionally cheated -- and says he hopes T.J. can "get this thing worked out."

For now, T.J. has been suspended 1 year by the New York State Athletic Commission. Dillashaw says he's conducting his own investigation to find out what went wrong.

Adrien Broner has been ordered to stay away from social media star Andrew C. Caldwell after making a video implying he would shoot Caldwell in the face if he made a pass at him.

Caldwell filed a request for a temporary restraining order against the boxer Thursday morning in St. Louis -- which was granted by a judge. Broner must stay at least 500 feet from Caldwell.

As we previously reported, Broner threatened to "punch the testosterone" out of Caldwell earlier this week -- claiming Andrew had been contacting him online in an attempt to hook up. Caldwell has said Broner was the initiator.

Broner denied that -- and posted a "P.S.A." video online in which he threatened to shoot ANY gay person in the face who tried to make a pass at him ... saying he's aggressively homophobic.

Caldwell took the video as a personal threat -- and in court docs obtained by TMZ Sports, he wrote, "[Broner] says on social media that he coming to St. Louis to kill me."

The judge felt Caldwell had a reasonable fear and granted the temporary order -- which also requires both Broner and Caldwell from posting bad things about each other on social media.

Well, this ain't what you wanna see if you're a Patriots fan ... Tom Brady bombing his way down a mountain on skis!!!

The 41-year-old QB is out in Montana with his family for their annual ski trip -- and decided to take a run down a pretty large mountain.

"A little downhill this morning," Brady posted along with the video ... "now we just need to find the jump."

It appears Brady is the skier in the blue jacket based on his size -- either way, everyone on the hill is going pretty damn fast.

So, how are Pats fans reacting? Just as you'd expect ... CONCERN!!!

"Hey. Stop," one fan wrote on Instagram. Here are some other comments ...

-- "Please slow down. Stay inside" -- @hbennett3223

-- "Wtf are you doing man?!?! Be safe man" -- @cpeters1993

-- "I'm sweating watching this" -- @j_delano

-- "Killin it Tom just dont break anything especially those fingers gonna needem for another ring" -- @jasont1287

-- "Tom, my heart is beating faster then ever before. Be safe" -- @tomfckinbrady12

Carolina Panthers lineman Taylor Hearn is breaking his silence on his Georgia street fight captured on video -- saying he takes "full responsibility" and will use the incident as a learning experience.

"‘Dear Panther Nation: I would like to offer my deepest apologies to the Panthers organization, my teammates and coaches, the fans and the league," Hearn said in a statement.

"I take full responsibility for my actions. There is no excuse for my behavior, and I will learn from my mistakes.''

TMZ Sports broke the story ... Hearn got into an altercation with several men on March 14 outside of a bar in Augusta, Georgia -- and was ultimately knocked out by a much smaller man.

Hearn -- a 6'4", 315-pound guard -- had been shoving people in the street and acting like a jerk after being kicked out of the bar earlier that evening.

Earlier this week, Panthers quarterback Cam Newton told us the situation was "unfortunate" -- but he hadn't spoken with Hearn at that point.

23-year-old Hearn signed with the Panthers as an undrafted free agent in 2018 after playing his college ball at Clemson.

During his college career, Hearn won a national championship while protecting Deshaun Watson.

Ronda Rousey giving a big middle finger to her employer is exactly what she shoulda done ... so says The Miz, who tells TMZ Sports her anti-wrestling rant was MONEY.

Rousey went scorched earth on WWE in a "non-scripted" tirade earlier this month ... saying "Wrestling is scripted. It’s made up. It’s not real. None of those bitches can f*cking touch me. The end.”

She also went off on fans, her coworkers, people from Ohio ... basically anyone she could think of, Ronda put in a metaphorical body bag.

The whole rant was crazy ... and some people think Ronda went TOO far ... but The Miz says it was perfect.

"She's making noise, she's making headlines and you're talking about her, so everything's working about it," The Miz says ... adding that it's great hype leading into the year's biggest event.

"It's WrestleMania season. You do whatever you have to do to get people watching ... right now, she's doing exactly that."

The Miz says all signs point to Ronda being part of the main event at WrestleMania 35 ... and the rant certainly helped generate buzz.

Who likes watching mediocre college basketball?? Supreme Court Justice Elena Kagan!!!!

Judge Kagan was front and center at McDonough Arena at Georgetown University on Wednesday to watch her alma mater Harvard take on the Hoyas in the NIT basketball tournament.

Kagan's Crimson were the underdogs going into the game with a #6 seed -- facing a #3 seed in Georgetown, which also happens to feature college basketball star Mac McClung.

Oh, and the head coach at Georgetown is NBA legend Patrick Ewing. G.U. was a 6.5 point favorite going into the game.

So, why would Kagan choose a game where her team was facing almost certain destruction?

Because Harvard WON -- shocking the world to overcome the Hoyas in a 71-68 victory!! Maybe it was Kagan's Crimson blazer that inspired the team!

Harvard now moves on to face North Carolina State in the next round of the NIT tournament on Sunday in Raleigh.

The problem for Harvard now ... NC State is really good and JUST missed out on making the NCAA tournament, which people actually care about.

Kwame Brown is callin' BS on the NBA's one-and-done rule ... telling TMZ Sports, "To tell a young man he can go shoot a gun but he can't go earn a living, that, to me, doesn't make any sense."

Of course, the infamous NBA rule is back making headlines this year after Zion Williamson made it emphatically clear in just a few weeks at Duke he was ready for the pros.

But, the league still has its draft rule in place -- saying players need to spend a year in college before they can play for one of its 30 teams -- and thus, Zion remains a Blue Devil.

Enter 37-year-old Brown -- who went straight from high school to being the No. 1 overall pick in the 2001 NBA Draft when he was selected by the Washington Wizards.

Brown thinks the 1-and-done rule is just ridiculous -- telling us there's simply no place for it in today's society.

"Free enterprise," Kwame says ... "Go and get that money."

As for Brown ... we had to ask if he regrets not going to college straight outta high school given his NBA career didn't flourish the way he expected it to -- and his answer was a big, fat HELL NO!!!

"Factor out the numbers, I know economics," Kwame tells us ... "I own four companies!"

Adrien Broner is a homophobic "a**hole" -- and should be charged with a crime for threatening to shoot gay people ... this according to "Orange Is the New Black" star Lea DeLaria.

Lea -- who famously plays Big Boo on the show -- was leaving the Rolling Stone: Women Shaping the World event in NYC ... when we asked for her reaction to Broner's vile video.

And, since Lea is openly gay ... the issue of violent homophobia seemed deeply personal.

"How do I feel about someone using those kind of slurs? I have a bigger issue with anybody who's threatening gay people with violence simply for being themselves."

"F*ck all the slurs. I'll use any f*cking slur I want. What I'm talking about is that a**hole is talking about hurting gay people."

Of course, Broner made the hate-filled video during a spat with Andrew Caldwell -- a viral video star who claims the boxer had made passes at him.

During his rant (which he posted to social media) Broner said ... "If any f*g, punk-ass n**ga come run up on me, trying to touch me on all that gay sh*t, I'm letting you know right now if I ain't got my gun on me, I'm knocking you the f*ck out."

Lea says Broner's language should be considered "hate speech and should be a crime."

"Freedom of speech comes with responsibility," Lea added ... "You should not be allowed to incite people to violence against other people."

Aljamain Sterling WANTS ALL THE SMOKE ... telling TMZ Sports he deserves first crack at T.J. Dillashaw's vacated UFC bantamweight title -- and FLEXING at his competition.

"It's obviously unfortunate for [T.J.]. But, his misfortunes are now my fortunes," Funkmaster says.

Of course, Dillashaw announced he gave up the title Wednesday morning after testing positive for a banned substance following his January fight (and loss) with flyweight champ Henry Cejudo.

As for talk that Henry should get the shot to come up in weight and fight for T.J.'s belt ... Sterling says simply, "F*ck Henry. Stay your ass at 125!"

Aljo -- who's only 29 years old and has won 5 of his last 6 UFC fights -- says he's been training like a maniac and has proven to be a worthy contender.

Sterling is also dead serious about a rematch with Marlon Moraes -- who knocked out Sterling during a Dec. 2017 fight by way of a DEVASTATING knee to the head.

Moraes is currently the #1 ranked bantamweight -- and Sterling is #3 -- which is why Aljo is stating his case to Dana White to let them battle it out for the belt.

What's better than winning the World Cup?? NOTHING ... well, unless Paul Pogba is your teammate ... 'cause the French superstar hooked up his ENTIRE team with championship rings!!

PP and the French national team brought home the FIFA World Cup Trophy last summer ... and the 26-year-old midfielder says he wanted to thank his teammates with "a small gesture."

The rings -- made by Jason of Beverly Hills -- were designed to resemble NBA or NFL championship rings ... complete with the French National team logo and "World Champions" across the face.

The pieces are composed of 3 carats of white diamonds, rubies and sapphires ... and feature the trophy and an outline of France.

Pogba talked about the gesture with reporters on Wednesday ... saying "It's a small gesture after winning a World Cup with great players. I consider them my family. It's a small gift from me."