TMZ Sports - Page 50

Soccer star Daniel Sturridge is returning to normalcy after he was reunited with his beloved dog, Lucci, following a burglary at his L.A. home ... taking his pet out for a fancy lunch date. 

But, there's a big problem behind the scenes ... because the man who claims he FOUND the dog after the incident is saying Sturridge never made good on paying reward money. 

As we previously reported, the former Liverpool striker said money was no object -- he'd pay ANY amount if someone could help him find his Pomeranian following the burglary at the L.A. home where he's been staying. 

A rapper named Killa Fame posted photos of the dog on social media after claiming his nephew spotted the dog while going to the store around 9 PM on Tuesday. 

Sturridge was eventually put in touch with Killa Fame -- and he drove up and got the dog back. 

The problem now ... Killa Fame claims he was expecting Sturridge to cut a $30k check for the safe return of the dog, but it never happened. 

"Honestly I’m just disappointed @DanielSturridge offer of [$30,000] is a life changing amount of money," Killa Fame tweeted ... "especially when your without a home to live in with your family."

Fame is also pissed some people are accusing him of stealing the dog -- and he made a video to clap back. 

Miami Dolphins defensive lineman Kendrick Norton is speaking out from his hospital bed -- saying even though he lost his arm in a July 4 car crash, he feels grateful to be alive. 

"I'm alive," Norton told CBS4’s Peter D’Oench ... "If nothing else, I'm alive."

Norton's voice was shaking as he gave the interview -- his left arm severed around the elbow -- but somehow, he's found a way to stay positive. 

"I'm doing fine. I'm doing the best I can," Norton said from the Ryder Trauma Center at Jackson Memorial Hospital, with his grandparents and father by his side. 

22-year-old Norton -- a 7th-round pick in the 2018 NFL Draft -- says the reality is sinking in that he'll never play football again, but he's trying to figure out another purpose in life. 

"It's not realistic that I'm going to play football anymore. We're working past that."

"We're going to be doing a blood drive," Norton said ... noting that he's looking for ways to help and inspire others going through a similar experience. 

U.S. soccer star Allie Long's L.A. hotel room was broken into ... and her wedding ring, cash and her honorary key to NYC were stolen ... TMZ Sports has learned.

Law enforcement sources tell us Long -- who was in L.A. for the ESPYs -- had her Ritz-Carlton hotel room burglarized Thursday afternoon.

We're told Allie's wedding ring -- worth about $15k -- along with the key to NYC awarded to her Wednesday for winning the World Cup were taken in the theft.

Sources tell us there were no signs of forced entry ... and police believe the door may have been left ajar.

Long -- a 31-year-old midfielder -- has played with the National Team since 2014.

LAPD is currently at the hotel investigating.

Chandler Jones would BEAT THE HELL out of his famous UFC brother, Jon Jones ... so says the Arizona Cardinals DE himself, who tells TMZ Sports, "I'll beat Jon Bones' ass!!"

"Listen, he has the longest arms in the UFC," Chandler says ... "My arms are longer than his. That's my brother, I love him to death, but I'll kick his ass!"

The clip is hilarious ... but Chandler seems dead serious -- telling us his older brother would take the first real L of his career if the two really did square up.

And why? Chandler says it's all about his power.

"I would wrestle him. I'm more strong than he is," Chandler says ... "Listen, I'm not trying to brag, but I go against 300-pound men every day. Jon Bones is like, what, 235?"

Jon fights at 6-foot-4, 205 pounds ... while Chandler plays at 6-foot-5, 265 pounds. The tale of the tape is interesting ...

As for Jon's input on the matter, Chandler says even the UFC superstar knows he'd get wrecked in the bro-on-bro fight!!

"Easy work," Chandler says.

Todd Gurley was the life of the party at a swanky event in Beverly Hills this week ... sippin' on expensive booze and posing with even more expensive luxury cars!!

The L.A. Rams superstar was celebrating his cover of the Haute Living Los Angeles magazine at Mr. C on Monday ... and everybody in attendance was drinking Louis XIII cognac -- which runs around $3,000 a bottle!!

If that ain't enough ... the main centerpiece decoration of the party was a Rolls-Royce Phantom, which starts at around 450k!! Oh yeah, and Gurley also pulled up to the party in a different Rolls for good measure.

The 24-year-old was gifted a custom piece of artwork by artist Crime ... which featured cool details about TG's life on and off the field.

How's Christian McCaffrey training to repeat his record-breaking 2018 season??

By spinning like a bunch of clothes in the dryer ... with a laser pointer in his hand!!!

TMZ Sports has learned the Carolina Panthers superstar has been hitting up NeuraPerformance in Denver in order to get his brain right for his 3rd NFL season.

We're told the way the training works is Christian shows up for a 30-to-45-minute session ... and as part of the workout, he vigorously tosses around in a machine designed to help his mind.

Clinic director Shawn Caldwell tells us it's a $200,000 device -- one of only 15-20 IN THE WORLD -- and the goal is to hit targets with a laser while spinning in rounds of 60 seconds.

Caldwell says the machine trains the brain to process information faster ... and can also lead to improved balance.

McCaffrey has been using it for a while ... and he's gotten so good at it, we're told the RB views it as his "secret weapon."

Tough to argue with the results ... Christian's a beast on the field.

Plus, it hasn't seemed to hurt his off-the-field game, either ...

Anderson Silva is one of the greatest fighters to ever live ... but the Spider says we ain't seen NOTHIN' yet ... telling TMZ Sports his son could be even better than him!!

Silva's 20-year-old son, Gabriel, just competed in his first Muay Thai fight last month and beat his opponent via 2nd-round TKO ... so we had to ask his dad how good his son could be.

"He has a great future inside the sport." Spider says ... adding it's too soon to decide whether he'll follow in his footsteps to be a UFC superstar.

We followed up by asking if Gabriel could be better than his daddy, and Silva said, "of course!!!"

Silva says they've sparred together in the past ... and his son has beaten him!!

Antonio Brown's new teammate is already going to bat for the star wide receiver ... 'cause Tyrell Williams tells TMZ Sports AB is 100 percent NOT a locker room cancer!!

"He's awesome," the stud receiver says ... "We love him. We love him. It's been fun."

Of course, there are a few dudes in Pittsburgh who'd disagree ... Brown left the Steelers on bad terms a few months ago -- and everyone from JuJu Smith-Schuster to ex-teammate Ryan Clark blasted the guy.

But, it's so far, so good in Oakland ... so says Tyrell (who just signed with the Raiders this offseason himself), 'cause the WR tells us he's actually learning some tricks from Brown.

We also asked Williams if he thinks Derek Carr and Brown can be a better duo than Big Ben and AB were ... and Tyrell said, "Sky is the limit. You never know what's going to happen."

How badly does Mike Vrabel wanna win the Super Bowl?? Well ... the Tennessee Titans head coach says he's fully prepared to part ways with his Johnson in exchange for a championship!!

Okay, full disclosure -- pretty confident the dude was kidding .... but he definitely said it and now it's on the internet forever and there's nothing he can do to take it back.

So ... how'd we get here?? Vrabel was talking with his players, Pro Bowler Taylor Lewan and Will Compton, on the "Bussin' With the Boys" podcast ... when he was asked if he'd make the ultimate sacrifice and chop off his dong in exchange for his first ring as a head coach.

"Been married 20 years ... yeah, probably," Vrabel says.

Remember ... Vrabel won 3 Super Bowls with Tom Brady and the Patriots. But, in the coach's eyes, it's different because he won them as a player ... not a coach.

"You guys will be married for 20 years one day. You won’t need it."

And, how would Vrabel's wife, Jen, handle it??

"She’d be like do you want me to do it? Do you want to do it now?"

The New England Patriots stay winning ... even at the poker table -- 'cause former Pats superstar Richard Seymour is KILLIN' it in this year's World Series Of Poker's Main Event!!!

The 6-foot-6, 317-pound former defensive end is one of the tourney's chip leaders (Wednesday is Day 5) -- and as of this posting, he's in the top 35!

If you're unfamiliar, the WSOP Main Event is poker's Super Bowl ... thousands of people flock to Vegas every year and drop down $10,000 on the buy-in to try to win poker's biggest 'ship.

This year's field included a staggering 8,569 people ... but in the past few days, it's been widdled down to just 291 remaining participants.

Seymour -- who won 3 Super Bowls during his playing days with the Patriots -- currently ranks No. 31 in chip count with over 3 MILLION chips.

There are a few days left to go before the final table ... but if we've learned anything about Seymour during his Pats career -- he knows how to win in the end!!

Here's a picture that could raise President Trump's blood pressure -- two of his biggest critics partying TOGETHER in Los Angeles!

Fresh off her World Cup celebration tour, Megan Rapinoe hit up the UNINTERRUPTED party at The Hollywood Athletic Club ... where she grabbed a bottle of champagne and kicked it with LeBron James!!

Of course, both Megan and LeBron have been targeted on Twitter by President Trump -- back in August, Trump went after James and called him dumb. Earlier this month, he told Rapinoe to stop publicly criticizing him and focus on winning. 

Well, she won ... and dug in her heels about not going to The White House. Instead, she talked about wanting to meet up with like-minded people who can help unite the country. 

Washington Redskins superstar Josh Norman jumped OVER a bull after the Running of the Bulls in Pamplona, Spain -- and the video is CRAZY!!!

31-year-old Josh -- who's in the middle of a 5-year, $75 MILLION contract -- was in the bullfighting arena following the run where he came face-to-face with one of the bulls.

Josh decided the only way out was to JUMP ... so he took a running start and pounced -- just as the animal began to charge!

If ya watch the clip ... you can see the bull actually made an effort to stick his horns in Josh's legs -- and if you listen closely, you can hear Dan Snyder screaming all the way from D.C.

Oh, and if that weren't terrifying enough for Redskins fans ... Norman jumped over the bull AGAIN just a few seconds later!!

Good news for everyone, Norman made it out of the horrifying event just fine ... and even said afterward, "It was fun. It was fun, man. It was worth it. It was really worth it."

Norman is ridiculously lucky to get out uninjured -- people get gored at the event every year. In fact 2 Americans were hospitalized with injuries in the 2019 run.

Daniel Cormier and Jon Jones came face to face in the lobby of an L.A. hotel right before the ESPYs ... but according to DC, the two kept it cordial.

Sources tell us the UFC rivals had a brief conversation -- but it was more civil than friendly. In other words, they acknowledged each other's presence just to be polite.

When we spoke with Cormier about the situation, he downplayed -- "Nothing happened. All my energy is on [my upcoming fight against] Stipe Miocic."

Cormier reiterated about Jones -- "We're not friendly."

Of course, these guys have one hell of a history -- they have one of the nastiest rivalries in pro sports and have talked an insane amount of trash to each other over the years.

At one point, Cormier even mocked Jon's wife for having a "flat ass."

Jones won both UFC fights against Cormier, though his second victory was overturned after Jon tested positive for an illegal substance.

But, Jon recently told TMZ Sports his animosity toward Cormier has been fading -- and claimed he would even shake his hand if the opportunity presented itself.

We're not sure if the two actually shook during Wednesday's run-in -- but DC made it clear he has no desire to have a friendly relationship with Jon.

It seems the two are on a collision course for a 3rd fight ... Cormier told us it's possible -- but he's gotta get through Miocic first.

When we asked if it would a "dream" to end his career with a victory over Jones -- DC laughed and responded, "It was my dream twice."

Ice Cube is opening up about why Lamar Odom was cut from his BIG3 basketball league -- explaining, "We want players that are actually playing."

As we previously reported, 39-year-old Odom was axed by the league on Wednesday -- essentially ending his dream of returning to pro ball. 

Odom was a member of the "Enemies" -- playing alongside Gilbert Arenas and Royce White. 

But, Odom only posted 2 points and 4 rebounds in 3 games and our sources told us the guy simply wasn't ready to play. 

Cube echoed those sentiments at LAX ... "You know, as a league we want players that are actually playing."

He added that players who aren't playing or who "can't play" or have "health issues" that prevent them from playing really don't have any business being on a BIG3 roster. 

When asked if he was concerned about Odom, considering the serious issues in Lamar's past ... Cube replied, "Always, I love the guy."

The move was shocking, considering Odom had been training like a maniac before the BIG3 season -- and it seemed like he was in shape and ready to go.

But, as the league continues to get more competitive, it became clear LO just couldn't hack it anymore. 

Odom has already been removed from Enemies' official roster. Baron Davis, Jermaine O'Neal and Bonzi Wells were also part of the BIG3 purge. 

David Ortiz suffered a setback in his recovery from gunshot wounds -- and required a third surgery to fix complications earlier this week ... the Red Sox announced Thursday.

Big Papi was shot in the back in the Dominican Republic last month ... but after two surgeries shortly after, his wife and the Red Sox said he was recovering well.

But, the Sox just announced Ortiz suffered complications from the injuries recently ... and needed a third procedure to fix the issues this week.

Good news for Big Papi, the team says he is now "recovering well and is in good spirits."

As we previously reported, Ortiz was shot in the back at point-blank range while he was sitting outside of a nightclub on June 9 ... with the bullet striking his liver and his small and large intestines. 

Ortiz underwent emergency surgery immediately after in the D.R. -- and doctors said they were forced to remove his gall bladder at the time.

Ortiz was flown to Boston just hours later to have a second surgery at Massachusetts General Hospital.

David's wife, Tiffany Ortiz, has previously said David was able to sit up and take steps ... and added, "he remains in good condition and continues to recover under the care of Drs. David King and Larry Ronan."

Miami Dolphins lineman Kendrick Norton was cited by police for an improper lane change after the horrific 4th of July car crash that caused him to lose his left arm, police docs show. 

According to the police report obtained by TMZ Sports, the Florida Highway Patrol responded the wreck at 1:18 AM on a Miami highway. 

When they arrived, officers noticed Norton's 2017 F-250 pickup truck flipped on its roof. 

Norton and his female passenger suffered major injuries in the crash and were both transported to a nearby hospital. 

Now, cops are spelling out what caused the crash -- and all signs point to Norton making a dangerous decision behind the wheel. 

Cops say Norton was exiting the highway on the Northbound exit ramp when he made a last-second decision to switch to the Southbound exit ramp. 

As Norton (Vehicle 1) was making his move, he sideswiped another car -- a 2015 Maserati Quattroporte -- which sent Norton careening into a barrier and ultimately causing his car to flip. 

The Maserati came to a controlled stop -- and it doesn't appear anyone in that car was seriously injured. 

Cops determined Norton made an improper lane change -- and he was issued a citation. 

Guessing it's the last issue on his mind though -- as we previously reported, the 22-year-old lost his arm in the wreck and suffered other serious injuries. 

Also noted on the police report ... officials say Norton caused $15,000 worth of damage to the concrete barrier. Unclear if he'll be charged for the repairs, but it appears likely.