TMZ Sports - Page 50

Two things Tennessee Titans legend Chris Johnson wants you to understand about his NFL career ...

#1 -- He says he's a Hall of Famer FOR SURE.

#2 -- He says he's the fastest player EVER!!!

CJ2K's bold claims all went down Wednesday at the launch party for his supplement company in Nashville ... when he told TMZ Sports straight-up, "I think I'm a Hall of Famer" and "I'm the fastest guy that ever played in the NFL."

There ain't much debate about Johnson's speed ... the guy held the Combine record for YEARS with a 4.24 40-yard dash.

But, as for the HOF debate??? That might not be as clear-cut ... Johnson finished his career with less than 10,000 rushing yards and just 55 TDs -- numbers that haven't always gotten guys in.

But, Johnson tells us, "Hopefully they do the right thing. And we'll see what happens."

By the way ... Johnson knows Bengals stud John Ross technically owns his Combine record for the 40-yard dash now, but ya gotta hear why he doesn't respect that number.

Dirk Nowitzki's done playing ... but his body sure as hell didn't get the memo ... 'cause the recently retired NBA superstar ditched his shirt on vacation in Mexico -- and the dude looks jacked!!!

The Dallas Mavericks legend and his wife, Jessica Olsson, hit up the beach in Tulum earlier this week ... makin' a splash and enjoying every bit of the unemployment life.

Dirk's got a LOT to celebrate -- he finished his career as the 6th top scorer to ever play in the league ... and the Mavs' all-time leader in points, rebounds, blocks and games played.

Look, all that is nice and everything ... but the dude should be most proud of his beach bod.

Seriously, did anyone know the dude looked like this with his shirt off???

Stipe Miocic and Derrick Lewis ... get ready -- 'cause Greg Hardy says he's coming!!!

"They're not in my mind," the ex-NFL star says of the UFC heavyweight beasts ... "They're in my sights, brother. They're locked in."

Of course, Hardy ain't sure exactly when those fights will go down ... he tells TMZ Sports, after being DQ'd in his first-ever UFC fight -- he's got a lot to learn before he steps in the Octagon with the superstars.

But, he says guys like Stipe and The Black Beast are still the goal ... telling us, "When I go there and I do fight these guys -- hopefully soon enough when I do elevate and graduate -- it's going to be Goliath vs. Goliath."

Hardy's first step in that plan? A bout with Dmitrii Smoliakov in the co-main event of Saturday night's ESPN+ Fight Night 150.

Greg says he's more prepared for this UFC tilt than his first one -- the one he lost after he illegally kneed Allen Crowder back in January.

Hardy tells us he was "overwhelmed" by the stage in that fight ... but he's learned from it -- and says he's ready to kick some ass Saturday!!!

Before he was Captain Robert Sullivan, he was crushin' kids on the tennis court ... and actor Boris Kodjoe tells TMZ Sports he was so good, he could've been one of the best players in the world!!!

We spoke with the "Station 19" actor at LAX about his love for the sport ... and asked him straight-up if he had what it takes to make a career out of it if he wanted to.

As it turns out ... Kodjoe is a freakin' beast ... and says he was ranked in the top 10 at the junior level, went on to play at Virginia Commonwealth University in the '90s on tennis scholarship for 4 years.

Meek Mill won't be able to watch his beloved 76ers take on the Raptors in Toronto on Saturday ... 'cause his request was NOT approved by his arch-nemesis -- Judge Genece Brinkley.

The Philly rapper has been on probation ever since his 2008 drug and weapons case ... and has to get permission every time he wants to leave the state of Pennsylvania.

So, when the Sixers got matched up with the Raps in the Eastern Conference semi-finals this week, Meek -- a HUGE Sixers fan -- filed a request to make the trip to the 6 to cheer on his guys in person.

We're told Meek's probation officer signed off on the request with no issue ... but when it came to getting Brinkley's signature, she refused to approve the request.

Of course, Meek and Brinkley have history ... and it's no secret they don't get along.

Michael Rubin -- a limited partner with the Sixers -- says Brinkley is deliberately ignoring their attempts to get approval ... teeing off on the judge in an Instagram post.

"Judge Genece Brinkley - I know you have a vendetta against Meek Mill and are obsessed with trying to control every aspect of his life, but did you really NOT approve him to go to rep the Sixers in Toronto for the game?"

"We filed w/your court as soon as the schedule came out since you need to approve travel to Canada! Since you didn’t respond to numerous phone calls we sent lawyers to your courtroom today which you purposely ignored!!"

The college hoops national champions won't be celebrating their title at the White House ... but it ain't a diss on President Donald Trump -- Virginia says it's just too busy to go!!!

Of course, the Cavaliers just won their first-ever men's basketball championship with a thrilling 85-77 overtime win over Texas Tech back in March.

Usually, that's followed by a trip to 1600 Penn .. but Wahoos head coach Tony Bennett says they just can't make it happen.

And, why? Bennett says, "With several players either pursuing pro opportunities or moving on from UVA, it would be difficult, if not impossible to get everyone back together."

He added, "We would have to respectfully decline an invitation.”

Bennett ain't kiddin' ... superstars like Kyle Guy, De'Andre Hunter and Ty Jerome have already moved on to get ready for June's NBA draft. And, without those guys, it ain't much of a party.

The Robert Kraft case is now at the profanity-laced, name-calling stage ... at least according to a prosecutor who's clearly pissed off at one of Kraft's attorneys.

There's a pretty heated hearing going down Friday in South Florida ... and so far, Kraft's lawyer, Alex Spiro, has been grilling a Jupiter PD detective like a cheeseburger. This afternoon, an Assistant State Attorney got so annoyed, she stood up and voiced her displeasure with a line of questioning.

You gotta see what happened next.

After the judge intervened and allowed Spiro to continue his questions, the prosecutor whispered, "What an asshole."

It's unclear if anyone outside of the prosecution heard it, but we picked it up on a microphone in court. No one in the courtroom reacted.

Kelly Stafford is back home with her NFL husband and their kids after a complication from her recent brain surgery landed her back in the hospital ... and boy is she glad to be home!

Matt Stafford's wife returned to the hospital Wednesday due to severe pain following a 12-hour procedure to remove a tumor from her brain.

She had initially been released from the hospital before Easter Sunday -- but the pain became too much to handle and she was readmitted to the E.R.

But, good news on Friday ... docs allowed Kelly to return to her home where she immediately snuggled up with her fam.

She's not 100% -- far from it -- admitting the surgery has messed with her ability to balance and when she moves her head a certain way, she feels like a drunk person.

"I can’t turn my head right without feeling college drunk," Stafford said.

"I’m talking end of the night, cant put one foot in front of the other, knowing you’ll be sleeping on the bathroom floor, college drunk."

"I have to rework my brain to know that it can only rely on my left side, which will take time, a good amount of time."

Kelly says she's using their 3 children -- Sawyer, Chandler and Hunter -- as motivation during recovery ... so she can get back to spending more time with them.

"I miss them so much, but I’m so grateful I got that time today and now I have my inspiration to keep on pushing!"

Keith Bulluck says his curling team -- comprised of ex-NFL stars -- is grinding like crazy on the ice ... and they're still dead set on making the 2022 Winter Olympics.

The squad? All-Pro Curling with Bulluck, Jared Allen, Marc Bulger, and Michael Roos -- 4 badass ex-football players with 6 All-Pro selections between 'em -- but ZERO pro curling experience.

Allen previously told us the goal was to rep the U.S. at the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing ... but that was before the team went up against real deal competition.

So, we asked Bulluck if he still believes they'll make the Olympics.

"I would like to say yes, because we are trying and working our ass off."

"We're venturing into uncharted waters for us. We've been at it a year. We have great coaches. We've been putting our time in. But, these guys are experts, man. It doesn't discourage us. It just makes us work hard. But, we know what we're up against."

Bulluck continued ... saying, "This is not a joke for us. We definitely take it serious. And respect the guys that doing. We've competing against some of the top guys in the country."

That's no exaggeration ... only months after starting the sport, the All-Pros -- minus KB and Roos who were absent -- played the 2018 gold medalists back in November.

They lost 11 to 3.

But, they ain't deterred ... and they still have some time til the '22 Winter Games.

1,015 days to be exact.

Ex-NFL star Rodney Peete is accused of pulling a fast one on a Super Bowl ticket broker -- allegedly squirming his way out of paying for VERY expensive seats ... and now the broker wants his cash!

The 53-year-old and his famous wife Holly Robinson Peete are being sued by Barry's Tickets -- a pretty famous business which sells tickets to high-profile events.

Barry's claims Rodney hit 'em up in January 2019 looking for 8 tickets to Super Bowl LIII in ATL to watch Tom Brady and the Patriots take on the L.A. Rams.

Barry's claims they offered Peete a discount -- they'd charge him $11,500 per ticket if he paid before Feb. 3 ... and the price would rise to $12,500 if he paid after.

Rodney agreed, according to the lawsuit -- but only wired $46,000 to Barry's.

Barry's says they gave Rodney the tickets under the assumption he'd deliver the second half of the money -- but he NEVER paid.

In fact, Barry's says Rodney strung them along for days until finally ghosting them in mid-February.

Now, Barry's demanding $54,000 for the tickets plus interest plus legal fees.

Tyreek Hill ain't exactly off the hook ... prosecutors have reopened the criminal child abuse case involving the NFL star and his fiancee in the wake of a disturbing audio recording, KCTV reports.

The audio went public Thursday night -- capturing Hill in a heated conversation with his fiancee, Crystal Espinal ... in which you can hear Hill say, "You need to be terrified of me too, bitch."

During the conversation (which took place in March), Espinal repeatedly accuses 25-year-old Hill of breaking their 3-year-old son's arm -- accusations Hill adamantly denies.

Officials had been investigating the situation -- and while prosecutors determined a crime WAS committed against the child, they could not determine who exactly hurt the boy.

As a result, prosecutors announced on Wednesday that no charges had been filed against Hill or Espinal.

Now, KCTV says officials are reopening the case -- which means they will evaluate the new evidence and re-assess if charges should be filed.

Moments ago, K.C. Chiefs coach Andy Reid acknowledged he knew the case had been reopened -- but wouldn't comment further.

The Los Angeles Angels are dead last in the AL West right now ... and here's Halos superfan ScHoolboy Q to passionately explain what needs to happen to turn things around!!

"Get some pitching," the "Numb Numb Juice" rapper told TMZ Sports out in NYC on Thursday.

"You can't win if you can't strike nobody out and stop walking people and then people hit the sh*t over the f*cking gate."

Q is a MASSIVE Angels fan -- he's even thrown out the ceremonial first pitch!!

Q's got a point -- the Angels' team ERA is one of the worst in the league with nearly 5 runs allowed per game.

L.A.'s 2-8 in their last 10 games -- they'll have to make it all season without their superstar pitcher Shohei Ohtani ... and the players ain't the only guys missing him.

NBA superstar Klay Thompson made the MOST of his night off the court -- going on a romantic dinner date with one of the hottest actresses in town ... Eiza Gonzalez!!!

If that name seems familiar ... it's because Eiza was one of the breakout stars of "Baby Driver," she's also starring in the upcoming "Godzilla vs. Kong" movie ... and she's been connected to some of the biggest names in Hollywood.

Before Klay, Eiza dated Josh Duhamel ... and she was linked to guys like Liam Hemsworth, Cristiano Ronaldo, Calvin Harris and Maluma!!! #ShePimp!!!

But, on Thursday night, she was with Thompson at A.O.C. restaurant in West Hollywood ... and sources at the spot tell us they had a private table in the back so they could be alone.

Klay will get back on the court Friday night -- when his Golden State Warriors take on the L.A. Clippers at Staples Center in Game 6 of their NBA playoff series.

As for Eiza, her upcoming "Godzilla vs. Kong" flick is already getting a TON of hype -- even though it isn't scheduled to come out until 2020.

Dabo Swinney just got PAAAAAAID!!!! The Clemson Tigers head coach has agreed to the biggest contract in college football history ... inking a 10-year, $93 MILLION deal.

Dabo has been the most successful coach over the past 3 seasons -- winning 2 national championships in the past 3 years.

The 49-year-old coach previously signed an extension in 2017 for $54 million over 8 years ... and now the Tigers have locked down their guy by throwing even more money at him.

"I am incredibly blessed to be a part of this great University and passionate Clemson Family – what a privilege," Dabo said on Friday.

"The magnitude and significance of the financial commitment Clemson has made isn’t lost on me and, to be honest, it is all indescribably humbling."

The new contract puts Swinney at the top of the list of highest-paid college football coaches ... edging out Nick Saban (8-year, at least $74 million) and Jimbo Fisher (10-year, $75 million).

Swinney has earned a 116-30 record at Clemson over 11 seasons.

Denver Broncos tight end Noah Fant -- the #20 overall pick in the NFL Draft -- says he already knows how he's gonna spend that first big NFL paycheck ... and it's straight out of a country music song.

You ever hear that song "That's My Kind of Night" by Luke Bryan? Where he talks about rollin' in his big black jacked up truck, rollin' on 35s, pretty girl by my side?!

Yeah ... that's Fant's dream -- and he's about to make it a reality.

Last year's 20th overall pick signed a 4-year, $11.8 mil contract with a $6.6 mil signing bonus -- so, expect Fant's contract to be somewhere in the same neighborhood.

Fant tells TMZ Sports ... a bunch of Broncos stars reached out to him after the draft Thursday night, from Joe Flacco to Von Miller and more.

"It's gonna be a fun ride," Fant says.

Fant was a stud as a tight end back at Iowa -- where he caught 39 passes for 519 yards and 7 TDs in 2018. He was named First Team All-Big 10 in 2018.

At the NFL combine, he ran a 4.5 in the 40-yard dash (SPEEED) and put up 20 reps on the bench press (STRONG!).

And, get this ... dude wants to be an orthopedic surgeon after his NFL career wraps up!

Good luck!

Matthew Stafford is such a good teammate, he found time to text the Lions' #1 draft pick Thursday evening ... while still comforting his wife who's ailing from brain surgery.

We spoke with T.J. Hockenson early Friday morning on his way out of Nashville, where the tight end told us how excited he was to start his pro career in Detroit.

But, the most interesting part involved Stafford ... whose wife, Kelly, underwent a 12-hour procedure Sunday to remove a tumor from her brain. She was readmitted to the hospital due to complications from the surgery earlier this week. Matt has been by her side throughout the entire ordeal.

We asked Hockenson if he'd been in contact with Matt -- and he told us the QB reached out late Thursday night to congratulate him and welcome him to the Lions family.

Pretty cool stuff.

There's more ... after Hockenson was drafted, we spoke with his family -- including his 92-year-old grandfather -- who were all ecstatic they got to watch the former Iowa star get his name called in the 1st round!

So, how's Hockenson gonna spend that first round money now that he's a multi-millionaire?!?