TMZ Sports - Page 50

Lenny Dykstra has taken his war with ex-Mets teammate, Ron Darling, to court -- suing the former pitcher for painting him as a foul-mouthed racist in his new book.

Darling recently published "108 Stitches: Loose Threads, Ripping Yarns and the Darndest Characters from My Time in the Game" ... which features stories from his playing days.

But, Dykstra says a story about him mercilessly taunting Dennis "Oil Can" Boyd -- a black pitcher -- during the 1986 World Series is pure BS.

In the book, Darling says Dykstra got in the on-deck circle and unleashed a racist tirade at Boyd in an effort to rattle him.

Darling describes the incident as "the worst collection of taunts and insults I'd ever head -- worse, I'm betting, than anything Jackie Robinson might have heard his first couple times around the league."

Dykstra claims the story is not true -- and says several black teammates including Darryl Strawberry, Dwight Gooden and Kevin Mitchell have all vouched for him.

Also, Dykstra says Boyd himself has publicly denied knowing anything about Dykstra shouting racial taunts at him.

In his suit, filed in New York state court by attorney Matthew Blit, Dykstra is demanding damages for defamation and intentional infliction of emotional distress.

Dykstra says the false allegations in the book "forever diminish Mr. Dykstra, stalk him, and preclude him from unknowable professional and personal relationships and benefits."

Dykstra is also asking the judge to issue an injunction -- which would in essence block sales of the book.

UFC star T.J. Dillashaw has just been hit with a 2-year suspension for failing a drug test before his January 19 title fight against Henry Cejudo.

Dillashaw tested positive for Erythropoietin -- aka EPO -- which is a synthetic hormone that's considered a cleaner alternative to blood doping, the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency has announced.

EPO is often used by athletes to increase oxygen transport and aerobic power, according to USADA.

Dillashaw has accepted the suspension -- which means he won't be eligible to fight until Jan. 2021.

Dillashaw provided the dirty sample on Jan. 18 -- one day before the fight.

What's even worse for T.J. ... he lost the fight against Cejudo in a 1st-round stoppage.

The 33-year-old fighter had issued a statement on the situation last month saying he was "disappointed" and was trying to figure out what happened.

"While words can't even begin to express how disappointed I am at this time, please know that I'm working with my team to understand what has occurred and how to resolve this situation as quickly as possible," Dillashaw said at the time.

After the positive test, Dillashaw relinquished his UFC bantamweight title so he could "deal with the matter."

Before the Cejudo fight, Dillashaw had defeated Cody Garbrandt twice.

LeBron James should walk into Magic Johnson's office and FIGHT for Luke Walton to stay as Lakers coach ... so says Damon Stoudamire, who tells TMZ Sports Luke deserves more time in L.A.

"LeBron, go in there and fight for my man," the ex-Trailblazers superstar says ... "He needs more time."

Of course, it's widely believed Walton's days as head man of the Lake Show are numbered ... 'cause nearly every insider believes he's going to get canned after this season.

In fact, there were some in the NBA world who were surprised to see Walton make it this long ... 'cause his Lakers are 10th in the West and have a 37-44 record.

But, Stoudamire -- who's friends with Luke and actually coached with the guy in Memphis -- says Walton just needs a little more time to right the ship.

"I think Luke deserves a couple more years ... Luke knows what he's doing. He knows what he's doing."

The NHL has just suspended Slava Voynov for the entire 2019-20 season over a domestic violence incident from 2014 ... the league has announced.

As we previously reported, Voynov pled no contest to misdemeanor corporal injury to a spouse -- stemming from a 2014 altercation with his wife at their Redondo Beach, CA home.

Cops said Voynov's wife told them the hockey player kicked, punched and choked her -- and also slammed her head into a TV. Cops said she was bleeding when they arrived to the scene.

Voynov was ultimately sentenced to 90 days in jail and 3 years probation, which he completed last year.

The L.A. Kings terminated Slava's $25 million contract in 2015 -- and he moved back to his native Russia where he resumed his hockey career.

But, now that his probation is over, he wants to play in the NHL again -- and recently met with NHL officials to discuss possible reinstatement.

Enter NHL Commish Gary Bettman ... who says if Slava wants to return, he needs to be punished by the league for his actions -- even if those actions are almost 5 years old.

Bettman decided a 1-year suspension was sufficient and made the announcement on Tuesday.

"I have determined that Player Slava Voynov engaged in acts of domestic violence directed at his wife,” Commissioner Bettman said.

"Today’s ruling, while tailored to the specific facts of this case and the individuals involved, is necessary and consistent with the NHL’s strongly-held policy that it cannot and will not tolerate this and similar types of conduct, particularly as directed at a spouse, domestic partner or family member."

Comedian Luenell is absolutely furious at Chris Darden and going nuclear on him ... saying he's worse than an "Uncle Tom" for defending Nipsey Hussle's alleged killer.

We got Luenell outside Katsuya Monday night in Hollywood, and took her temperature on Darden putting himself in the center of another high-profile case in the African-American community. She makes it crystal clear ... "most of the people in my community, we're appalled" Darden has signed on to rep Eric Holder in the murder case.

Check out the vid ... Luenell doesn't mince words, calling the former O.J. Simpson prosecutor everything from a Judas to a race traitor to a bitch -- to name just a few of the gems she dropped.

It's clear Luenell's still heated over Darden's role in O.J.'s murder trial. On top of that, Darden is NOT getting her vote for Daddy of the Year -- she's livid Darden's daughter is getting harassed as a result of his decision to take Holder's case.

Cincinnati Reds star Yasiel Puig and Pittsburgh Pirates star pitcher Chris Archer have both been hit with suspensions for their roles in a crazy bench-clearing brawl ... MLB announced.

Archer intentionally threw at Reds infielder Derek Dietrich after he had previously homered off him earlier in the game. The pitch went behind Dietrich, pissing off Reds players who stormed the field.

The angriest Reds player was Puig -- who jogged right over to Archer and got in his face. Several players restrained Puig as things escalated. He continued to run after Pirates players like a wild man until he was eventually pulled back into the Reds dugout.

Now, Joe Torre, Chief Baseball Officer for Major League Baseball, says Puig will be suspended for 2 games starting Tuesday night. He will also be fined an undisclosed amount.

Archer was hit with a 5-game suspension. He was also fined. Archer will be allowed to appeal his suspension.

Reds manager David Bell was also suspended 1 game for running on the field after the wild pitch. His suspension will also begin Tuesday night.

Giannis Antetokounmpo wants no part of a role in LeBron James' "Space Jam 2" ... saying he'd rather focus on basketball than his movie career.

"I don't like being Hollywood," Antetokounmpo told ESPN ... "I don't like all this extra drama. I am just going to try to be me."

Of course, LBJ is working on a sequel to the ultra-popular Michael Jordan flick ... and getting NBA studs for an on-screen battle with the Monstars is pretty necessary for the new movie.

But, Bron's reportedly having trouble locking up top-tier NBA talent for the roles ... and now, he'll have to move forward without the Greek Freak, one of the best players in the league.

According to ESPN, Giannis says he ain't down to give up 2 weeks of his summer training to join up with LBJ on the silver screen.

Which begs the question ... who will step up for Bron?

We know he's tight with Dwyane Wade, Carmelo Anthony and Chris Paul -- but those guys ain't exactly the young superstars taking over the NBA.

Guessing he's got names like Kevin Durant, Steph Curry, James Harden, Russell Westbrook, Kawhi Leonard and Anthony Davis on his wish list.

Jordan had Hall of Famers like Larry Bird, Charles Barkley and Patrick Ewing in his version of "Space Jam" ... and if LBJ can't at least somewhat match that cast, ya know the criticism will be flyin'!!!

MLB legend Joe Torre is joining the protest against the Sultan of Brunei -- yanking his big charity dinner from the Sultan's Hotel Bel-Air over disgusting anti-gay laws in the tiny Asian country.

Brunei has enacted horrific new laws in which gay sex is punishable by stoning to death. Several huge stars and companies are now boycotting businesses owned by the Sultan of Brunei, which include the Hotel Bel-Air.

Torre's annual Safe at Home Foundation L.A. Dinner event had been scheduled to take place on April 25 at the Hotel Bel-Air, which has hosted the event for years.

But, that streak is over ... TMZ Sports has learned Torre's foundation has already moved the event to the Sunset Tower Hotel because they do not want to do business with Hotel Bel-Air until the laws in Brunei change.

The move comes after 2 other big foundations -- The Special Needs Network and The John Wayne Cancer Institute -- moved previously scheduled galas out of the Beverly Hills Hotel, which is also owned by Brunei's ruler, Hassanal Bolkiah.

As for Torre's dinner -- the event raises money for Joe's charity which supports children who have witnessed or experienced violence in their homes. It's a good cause.

Did you know ... German soccer superstar Mario Gotze is married to a ridiculously attractive German bikini model?

It's true. And fortunately for us, Ann-Kathrin Gotze put her talents on display during a bikini photo shoot in Ibiza this week.

The 29-year-old has been modeling for years -- and she even appeared on "Germany's Next Top Model" way back in 2012.

She's also modeled for everyone from GQ to FHM, and she's done some lingerie work for Lascana.

As for 26-year-old Mario -- the guy who famously scored the winning goal for Germany during the 2014 World Cup -- his career stalled after clinching the cup.

Now he plays for Borussia Dortmund where he's trying to prove he can still be a dominant force on the field ... and with 4 goals and 6 assists this season, it looks like he is on the right track.

Virginia won the title, but NO ONE had more fun than Travis Kelce ... 'cause the NFL star was pounding brews while supporting Patrick Mahomes' team!!

Kelce's Cincinnati Bearcats were eliminated in the 1st-round of the tourney, so with no horse in the race, he decided to show love for his QB's Texas Tech squad as they took on the Cavaliers.

Mahomes was SUPER into the game, constantly cheering and firing up his TT fans. Kelce was the perfect wingman -- making sure no beer got left behind.

Of course, Texas Tech lost in overtime. Still, a helluva run for the Red Raiders.

As for the winners, NFL star Chris Long was also in the house cheering on his alma mater -- while clutching a Coors Light -- and after the game, he had a message for Virginia coach Tony Bennett.

"Tony’s way too stable a person to have a twitter and he won’t read this but when I see him I’m going to hug him and tell him he’s the single most important figure in UVa athletic history."

Long also had some nice words for the enemy -- saying, "Everyone from Texas Tech I met was super classy and cool."

"Great run. Knocked off some great teams. A game for the ages tonight."

He's only got ONE more NBA game left in Miami -- so some of Dwyane Wade's most famous friends threw him a huge bash to celebrate the end of his amazing 16-year NBA career ... and the pics are GREAT!!

Huge rap stars like Rick Ross and Meek Mill partied with NBA stars like Jimmy Butler and Chris Bosh Monday night at the official "One Last Dance" bash at the Prime 112 steakhouse in Miami Beach.

D-Wade's mom and dad showed up to the party too -- along with Pat Riley, Erik Spoelstra, Fat Joe and more!!! Of course, Dwyane's wife, Gabrielle Union, was front and center.

The guys had champagne, personalized bottles of whiskey ... and D-Wade even got a massive bottle of wine during the Miami bash!!!

Ya gotta see the crane machine game that was stocked with Dwyane's designer socks from his sock line.

Of course, Wade announced this season will be his last ... and his final game in Miami is Tuesday night against the 76ers. His last-ever game is Wednesday in Brooklyn against the Nets.

It's been a hell of a career for the future Hall of Famer ... dude was a 3-time NBA champ, 13-time NBA All-Star, 2006 NBA Finals MVP AND the 2008-09 NBA scoring champion.

In fact, the career was so legendary ... ya gotta check out the FIRE fishnet shirt Jimmy Butler broke out for the party!!!

The IKEA furniture didn't stand a chance in Charlottesville after Virginia won the NCAA championship Monday night ... because there was a SOFA INFERNO right on the streets!

The Cavaliers defeated Texas Tech in an overtime thriller in Minnesota to clinch the school's very first national title -- and the fans back home in VA went crazy to celebrate.

Check out this footage of UVA fans setting fire to a couch and dancing around while chanting "Seven Nation Army" by the White Stripes in video shot by reporter Austin Kellerman.

Fortunately, no one was hurt and cops reportedly didn't make any arrests -- so all in all, pretty harmless fun.

Other students and fans flooded campus to chant and cheer -- the videos are insane!

UFC superstar Daniel Cormier says he wants to fight Brock Lesnar in the Octagon ASAP -- telling Dana White, "What are you waiting for?! Get this sh*t on the books!!!"

Of course, Brock got destroyed by Seth Rollins at WrestleMania Sunday -- a storyline many people think was written with the intention of freeing Lesnar up to go fight in the UFC again.

Which brings us to Cormier ... who had previously talked about retiring on his 40th birthday (which happened a couple of weeks ago) -- but now that Brock's in the picture, DC says he wants all the smoke.

"It’s the fight I want," Cormier tells TMZ Sports ... "I think everyone wants to fight Brock. We all want to fight Brock."

Cormier is the reigning UFC heavyweight champion -- and recently relinquished the light heavyweight championship.

He added, "It's the fight. That’s the fight that needs to happen. You know, he’s a former UFC champ, All-American in college. This guy's very, very deserving of a fight, and he’s gonna get it. Hopefully."

Dana White has previously told us he wants to make the fight happen -- but so far, nothing's official.

Cormier is trying to light a fire under White's ass to get the deal done.

"Dana get on the phone right now. If you haven’t called him yet, do it today!! What are you waiting for?! Get this sh*t on the books. Let’s get this on the books!!"

As for Brock, Cormier has a message for him too after his defeat at WrestleMania -- "Lick those wounds ... 'cause I got some brand new ones waiting for ya."

41-year-old Lesnar was a beast during his UFC heyday -- winning the heavyweight title in 2008 with a victory over Randy Couture.

But, he hasn't fought in the UFC since 2016 -- when he beat Mark Hunt in a fight that was later overturned after Brock flunked a drug test.

Will Lesnar take one last fight before riding off into the sunset??? Stay tuned.

Here's a photo of soccer legend Pele at the airport in France on Monday -- right after he was released from a Paris hospital where he spent the past 6 days battling a urinary tract infection.

The 78-year-old was pushed through Charles de Gaulle Airport while being accompanied by 4 people. We're guessing he's now on a flight back home to Brazil.

Pele was admitted to the hospital on Wednesday after appearing at an event in Paris with French soccer superstar Kylian Mbappe.

His reps insisted the UTI was nothing serious -- but clearly, doctors felt it was in his best interest to keep him hospitalized while he being treated for the infection.

"I want to thank you deeply for your positive thoughts and get-well wishes," Pele said in a statement to the Brazilian news media.

"Thanks to the great affection of the medical team at the American hospital of Paris, I am travelling home soon."

Just before he was released from the hospital, Pele was visited by Paris Saint-Germain star Neymar -- and they both smiled for a quick photo in his hospital room.

Bret "The Hitman" Hart is speaking out about that crazy attack during his WWE Hall of Fame ceremony Saturday ... saying, " I want to let everyone know that I am okay and was not injured."

GREAT NEWS!!!

Of course, the 61-year-old legend was blindsided by a violent idiot who snuck on stage and tackled Bret while he was delivering his induction speech alongside Natalya Neidhart ... the daughter of Jim "The Anvil" Neidhart. Jim was also part of the 2019 WWE Hall of Fame class.

"What a wild weekend to say the least," Bret posted on social media Monday.

"If there’s one thing I want everyone to take away from the Hall of Fame ceremony is not so much what happened, but how I wasn’t going to let anything stop me from completing my tribute to my best friend and our team."

Bret added, "Thank you everyone for your kind thoughts and words."

As for the attacker, cops arrested Zachary Madsen -- who's since been charged with assault and criminal trespassing. He was held on $1,500 bond.

Madsen was also pummeled by ex-UFC star Travis Browne -- who happened to be ringside with his wife Ronda Rousey during the attack.

After the incident, Madsen told police he decided to tackle Hart because "I just felt like it was the right moment."

NHL forward JT Brown was arrested just hours before his Minnesota Wild team took on the Dallas Stars on Saturday ... 'cause cops say he was involved in TWO drunken altercations.

The Wild stud -- who was the first-ever NHL player to protest during the national anthem -- went out partying in Dallas the night before his team was set to play in Big D.

The problem ... cops say he got wasted -- and caused such a big scene with employees and patrons inside a local bar -- he was booted off the premises.

But, cops say JT later returned around 2 AM ... and drunkenly got into it AGAIN with bar employees -- and this time, cops say they decided to arrest him.

We're told JT was processed for public intoxication, a Misdemeanor C violation.

One of the crazier parts of the story?? The Wild kept Brown out of its game Saturday night but said it was because he was battling an illness.

For his part, Brown released a statement, saying, “I would like to apologize to the Minnesota Wild, my teammates, family, and fans for the poor decision I made."

"I went out the night before our last game in Dallas, put myself in a bad situation, and take full responsibility for my actions. I have learned from my mistake and will make sure it does not happen again."