TMZ Sports - Page 50

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?!?

Taylor Swift is dropping her new single at midnight ... and she says the new track is all about embracing your individuality, celebrating it and owning it.

After dropping tons of hints about her new song throughout the day Thursday, Taylor finally opened up about her new music in an interview with ABC's Robin Roberts during the first round of the NFL Draft, which is going down in Nashville -- Taylor's hometown.

All eyes were on Taylor as she gave some background on the song ... and it's not just because she was wearing a bright, rainbow wrap dress. Any time Taylor drops new music it's huge news, and she says her new song featuring Brendon Urie from Panic! At The Disco is going to get stuck in your head and make you feel better about yourself!!!

As you know ... Taylor has been teasing a new musical era for months, and things kicked up a notch Thursday when she posed in front of a beautiful mural in Nashville, created by artist Kelsey Montague.

As you can see ... the mural features 2 massive butterfly wings with the word "ME!" sandwiched between them. Taylor said the mural was filled with clues about her new single ... and it turns out the title was in front of our faces the whole time!!!

We talked to the mural's artist ... and Kelsey tells us when she was first approached by ABC about making an interactive street mural, she was simply directed to create something featuring butterfly wings, hearts, stars, flowers and rainbows, and immediately felt inspired.

Kelsey tells us she was kept in the dark about what the project was ultimately for ... but she still had a feeling it had something to do with Taylor.

Taylor's star power was on full display ... because on a night that's about young men finally realizing their dream of playing in the NFL after years of busting their ass on a football field, she completely stole the show.

4/26 6:04 AM PT -- Taylor's song is here, and already it is just shy of 29 million views.

Elisa Johnson, Magic Johnson's daughter, says she suffered "intense scarring" on her stomach while escaping a terrifying home invasion back in December ... and now she's sharing the pics.

We broke the story ... Elisa was at a home in the San Fernando Valley on Dec. 2 when 2 armed men broke in and began terrorizing the 10 people inside.

We're told they held people at gunpoint and shoved people around while stealing cash, jewelry and electronics.

Elisa was able to escape through a sliding glass door at the back of the home and ran down the street.

TMZ obtained surveillance video from a neighbor's home which showed two men lurking on the block a few hours before the home invasion. We don't know if either of these guys are the suspect, but we know neighbors were suspicious

Now, the 24-year-old says she was injured at some point during the incident -- suffering damage to her abdomen.

"Months ago, I escaped from a home invasion and in the process I was left with intense scaring on my stomach," Elisa says.

"Until now I’ve been so afraid to show these scars, and incredibly insecure about the way I look. But I now realize these scars are a part of my journey, and tell the story of who I am."

Elisa says she loves her body and "I am proud to be in the place I am today. #selfhealing."

Now that he's been drafted ... and the money's coming in ... think #2 overall pick Nick Bosa's ready to remove his virtual muzzle and talk politics again?!

Nope! Well, at least not yet ...

We spotted the 49ers newest star leaving Nashville early Friday morning and asked if he would get back to tweeting about Donald Trump and all of the other pro-Republican things he used to post about.

Remember, before the draft, 21-year-old Bosa (an outspoken conservative) told ESPN he wiped his Twitter page of all political talk out of fear there could be a backlash in liberal San Francisco.

Back in his college days at Ohio State, the star defensive end tweeted pro-Trump comments and was critical of Colin Kaepernick.

But, Bosa was stone-faced in the airport Friday morning while walking behind his famous father, John Bosa (who also played in the NFL), ... and didn't even crack when we asked if he'd be open to get a drink with former 49ers QB Colin Kaepernick.

Cops were called to Tyreek Hill's Kansas home Thursday night -- just hours after disturbing audio recordings went public ... TMZ Sports has learned.

A spokesperson for the Overland Park Police Department confirms two units were sent to the Kansas City Chiefs star's Overland Park, Kansas home around 8:30 PM local time.

The audio tapes purportedly capturing Hill threatening his fiancee during a heated conversation about their child abuse case had gone public just around 2 hours prior to the police call.

A spokesperson wouldn't tell us the specific nature of the call, but suggested it was connected to the release of the audio tapes.

We're told no one was arrested as a result of the call -- including Hill. In fact, it's unclear if Hill was even home at the time police arrived to the house.

Cops were only at the residence for about 20 minutes, and as the police spokesperson put it, "It wasn't that exciting."

As we previously reported ... Hill and his fiancee, Crystal Espinal, have been the subject of a child abuse investigation after officials say their 3-year-old son was injured in a suspicious incident.

So far, prosecutors say they are not pressing charges against the couple.

However, Thursday afternoon, an audio recording from late March went public in which a man believed to be Hill tells his fiancee, "You need to be terrified of me too, b*tch."

On the recording, Hill's fiancee accuses the wide receiver of breaking their son's arm -- an allegation Tyreek adamantly denied.

9:40 PM PT -- The Chiefs announced they have suspended Hill from all team activities.

New audio tapes have surfaced purporting to capture NFL star Tyreek Hill threatening his fiancee over an alleged child abuse incident involving their 3-year-old son -- where you can hear a man say, "You need to be terrified of me too, bitch."

The audio was reportedly recorded by Hill's fiancee, Crystal Espinal, as an "insurance policy" -- and then passed to a friend who gave it to KCTV in Kansas City.

The recording is believed to have been made in early March.

As we previously reported, the Kansas City Chiefs superstar WR and Espinal were the subjects of a child abuse investigation involving their 3-year-old. There are reports the boy suffered a broken arm.

KCTV has now released the audio -- claiming the man you hear on the recording is, in fact, Tyreek Hill.

KCTV also says the tape is now in the possession of the Johnson County District Attorney's Office.

Here's a partial transcript of the recording:

Crystal Espinal: "He is terrified of you. And you say that he respects you, but it's not respect."

Tyreek Hill: "He respects me."

Crystal Espinal: "He is terrified of you."

Tyreek Hill: "You need to be terrified of me, too, bitch. That's why you can't keep a f*cking man."

Crystal Espinal: "He started crying & you were like, 'Shut up, shut up, stop crying, stop crying.'"

Tyreek Hill: "Right."

Crystal Espinal: "And then he kept crying because he was scared. He's terrified. You grabbed onto him somehow or he fell? 1 of the 2."

Tyreek Hill: "I didn't do nothing."

Crystal Espinal: "Then why does he say, 'Daddy did it.'? Why?"

Tyreek Hill: "He says Daddy does a lot of things."

Crystal Espinal: "A 3-year-old is not going to lie about what happened to his arm."

We've reached out to Hill's agent, the Chiefs and the NFL for comment. So far, no word back from anyone.

NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell just commented about the situation to ESPN's Sam Ponder -- saying:

"Well, you should wait and get the facts. That's the first thing you should do, Sam."

"[Law enforcement doesn't] have any information that they're willing to share with us."

"When you get the facts then you make a decision about how it fits into our personal conduct policy, but you don't rush to judgement and you don't make a decision without having those facts."

The tape surfaced one day after prosecutors announced they had declined to press charges against Hill and Espinal because they could not definitely prove which parent abused the boy.

On the recording, Hill DENIES breaking the boy's arm and accuses Espinal of punishing the child with a belt. She denies that allegation.