TMZ Sports - Page 50

Washington Capitals star Evgeny Kuznetsov -- one of the biggest stars in hockey -- has been suspended from international play after testing positive for booger sugar.

... and after a video surfaced showing Evgeny in a hotel room with lines of white powder chopped up on a table, it's really no surprise to anyone.

Here's the deal ... back in May, the footage surfaced on social media showing Evgeny in a room with a woman with white lines on a table next to a rolled up dollar bill.

27-year-old Evgeny addressed the video at the time and insisted he had NEVER taken illegal drugs -- and neither the NHL nor the Washington Capitals took action.

But, the International Ice Hockey Federation -- which oversees everything from the Olympics to the World Championships -- does things a bit differently and on Friday they slapped Evgeny with a 4-YEAR SUSPENSION after the positive coke test.

In other words, he can't represent his home country, Russia, in international tournaments until 2023.

So, how will this affect his NHL career? It won't.

The NHL put out a statement saying, "Unlike the IIHF, cocaine is not considered a performance enhancing drug and is therefore not a Prohibited Substance under the NHL/NHLPA Performance Enhancing Substances Program."

"Instead, it is considered a drug of abuse that is tested for and for which intervention, evaluation and mandatory treatment can occur in appropriate cases."

"Here, we understand that Mr. Kuznetsov has voluntarily sought help through the education and counseling program provided for in the NHL and NHLPA collective bargaining agreement and has agreed to a regular testing protocol relating to his involvement with that program."

Turns out, this was a THROWBACK twerk sesh from Kiké ... not actually moments after he broke Toronto's heart.

Kiké Hernandez was straight-up GETTING IT after his walk-off hit Thursday night ... giving his locker room chair ALL of his ass in a twerk session that would make strippers jealous.

Seriously. It's incredible.

Hernandez really came through for Dodgers against the Blue Jays ... in the bottom of the ninth, after his teammates had tied the game at 2 ... he hit a bloop single to plate the winning run.

It was an epic moment for the second baseman ... because it was also his bobblehead night!!!

So, how'd the guy celebrate? Watch the clip, the dude gyrated his glutes in a way we didn't know he could!!!

#STEAMY

Seems his teammates loved the show ... L.A. star Justin Turner was the one who filmed all the action and wrote, "Current mood in the clubhouse #walkoff"

Kiké's been no stranger to hilarious baseball antics this season ... remember when he clapped back at some Rockies hecklers after a moonshot home run earlier this summer??

But, this twerk sesh takes the cake ... "Dancing with the Stars" producers, you watching?!

Larry Bird's clean-cut, non-tatted image is back ... sorta ... because the artist behind his inked-out mural in Indiana has removed the NBA legends face tats after Larry complained.

Remember, artist Jules Muck (aka Muck Rock) has created a modernized version of Bird's iconic 1977 Sports Illustrated shoot ... complete with tattoos in his face, chest and arms.

The image caught Bird's attention -- and he tapped his attorney to reach out and ask Jules to change it because he's not a "tattooed guy" and felt the mural could hurt his brand image.

We spoke with Jules, who tells us the two sides agreed to a compromise -- she would remove all of the tats ... EXCEPT ONE ... the "Indiana" ink on Bird's forearm.

So, on Thursday, Jules grabbed some spray paint and went to work ... doing her version of laser tattoo removal -- and the end result is still pretty cool.

WWE superstars Seth Rollins and Becky Lynch are both officially off the market ... the wrestlers just got engaged!!!

Seth and Becky announced the big news Thursday over social media ... with Becky calling Seth's beachfront proposal the happiest day of her life.

The super cute couple is definitely moving fast ... they started seeing each other earlier this year, and in May they finally went public with their relationship. Seth and Becky were friends for a while before things turned romantic.

These are some kickass couple ... Seth is the WWE Universal Champion and the WWE RAW Tag Team Champion, while Becky is the WWE RAW Women's Champion.

Looks like Becky is in it for the long haul ... she says they're going to be together for the rest of her life. Seth's been engaged before, but he never tied the knot, and this will be Becky's first marriage.

Congrats!!!

Mike Tyson says Conor McGregor is a "wonderful person" who's earned a shot at redemption with the public ... telling TMZ Sports, "He's a really kind man."

The boxing legend was leaving Cipriani in NYC on Thursday -- around the same time Conor was finally addressing his pub attack on ESPN ... when Iron Mike explained why Conor should be able to bounce back from his latest scandal.

"He's a wonderful person. He's a really kind man and he's gonna get good karma for that," Tyson said ... "I believe that."

Tyson also told us he thinks Conor has "earned" a 2nd chance for his actions.

Iron Mike and the Notorious aren't just friends -- they smoked weed together in late 2018 ... with Conor praising Mike on social media.

"I will always have the height of respect for you," Conor said after they kicked it together in Ireland ... "I love you Mike! Iron Mike Tyson!"

Of course, Conor essentially begged for forgiveness from his fans during an interview with ESPN's Ariel Helwani ... claiming he's trying to change for the better after several violent incidents.

He even owned up to acting like a jerk in an Ireland bar back in April -- admitting he was in the wrong for punching a 50-year-old man in the face.

As for Tyson, we also asked about the DOUBTERS who say Mike's claim about smoking $40k in weed per month is wrong. Tyson had a comment for them too ...

"They don't know how to dream," Tyson said before noting ... "Yeah, [the number] is a reality!"

NBA star Enes Kanter says he's still about 2 years away from becoming a U.S. citizen ... but when it DOES happen, he tells TMZ Sports he might have a new name too!!!

Of course, the 27-year-old Celtics hooper has been labeled a terrorist in his home country of Turkey after publicly criticizing president Recep Tayyip Erdogan ... calling him "the Hitler of our generation."

Considering Kanter can get locked up in prison if he ever goes back home, he's kick-started the process of becoming a U.S. citizen ... and is thinking of making even more changes to go along with it.

"I'm actually becoming a U.S. citizen in 2 years," Kanter said ... "I'm actually thinking about adding an American name. I'm still thinking about it. I don't know yet."

We also talked with Kanter about the work he's put into helping bring awareness to the human rights issues in Turkey and what he's doing to fix the problem.

Georgia-born Ron Simmons is best known as the championship-winning, All-American heavyweight wrestler in the World Championship Wrestling (WCW) in the early '90s and was one half of the tag-team duo Doom and went on to be a part of the Nation of Domination in the WWF.

Before his fame in the wrestling ring, Simmons was famous on the football field ... Ron got into the gridiron games as a nose guard at Florida State University with coach Bobby Bowden and went on to play in the National Football League with the Cleveland Browns for two seasons.

Simmons was inducted into the WWE Wrestling Hall of Fame back in 2012.

Dallas Cowboys team captain Tyrone Crawford ain't apologizing for his role in a bar brawl last March ... telling reporters Thursday, "I handled the situation to the best of my abilities."

We broke the story, TC shoved, pushed and threw punches at bar security on March 15 in Panama City Beach, FL ... and in a video we obtained, you can see him straight-up mauling people.

In fact, we're told Crawford also got physical with AT LEAST two police officers as they tried to break up the scene.

But, Crawford -- who spoke with media for the first time since the incident after Cowboys practice Thursday -- didn't seem sorry for his actions, saying, "I did what I had to do as best I could."

According to the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Crawford allegedly got into the whole fracas to help his brother at the bar ... and he's hoping when he eventually tells his side of the story to NFL investigators, they'll understand.

"I am going to let God take it," Crawford said. "I can’t speak on it too much. I am going to let God take it and handle everything, however it works out, it works out. Hopefully, they see my side."

Crawford was hit with a misdemeanor charge of affrays for the altercation ... but he reached a deal with prosecutors last month to close out the criminal case ahead of training camp.

We're told in exchange for completing an anger management assessment and keeping his nose clean for the next six months ... he'll have the charge dropped.

Adam Lambert, Usher, 'Real Housewives' star Dorit Kemsley and former football star Shaun Phillips are the latest celebs to be hit by burglars ... but this one has a twist.

Beverly Hills realtor Jason Emil Yaselli and an alleged accomplice, Benjamin Ackerman, are accused of various crimes between December 2016 and August 2018, including first-degree residential burglary, identity theft, conspiracy to commit burglary and money laundering ... including an allegation that they took more than $500,000 through fraud and embezzlement.

Here's the twist ... some of the crimes were allegedly committed during open houses in the Beverly Hills, Brentwood, Hollywood Hills and West Hollywood area. Presumably, during the open houses, the defendants allegedly pilfered stuff.

The complaint says the realtor would encourage his accomplice to steal luxury items from 14 homes, sell them and use the proceeds to make payments on the realtor's credit card.

The realtor was arrested Wednesday. The accomplice pled not guilty and his bail was set at $1.2 million. Prosecutors say they will recommend bail of $1.73 mil for the realtor.

If convicted, the 2 men face a max of 31 years in prison.

Conor McGregor is finally apologizing for sucker punching a man in the head at a pub in Ireland ... saying, "I was in the wrong."

The UFC superstar is speaking out 1 week after TMZ Sports posted video of the incident ... telling ESPN's Ariel Helwani that there was no excuse for his behavior.

"I mean, in reality, it doesn't matter what happened there. I was in the wrong. That man deserved to enjoy his time in the pub without having it to end the way it did."

McGregor says that he made amends with the man shortly after the April bar attack -- which happened to be a dispute over his Proper 12 whiskey.

While at the pub, Conor poured shots for patrons at the Marble Arch in Dublin ... and threw a punch at the victim when he turned down the offer.

"And, although five months ago it was, and I tried to make amends, and I made amends, back then, it does not even matter. I was in the wrong."

McGregor continues ... "I have to realize that's not the attitude or the behavior of a leader, of a martial artist, of a champion. So, I must get my head screwed on and just get back in the game and fight for redemption, retribution, respect."

Conor clearly wants to move on from the incident ... but Ireland cops tell TMZ Sports they are still investigating the attack and could bring criminal charges.

As for the victim, he told the Irish Daily Star that Conor is a "bully with money" ... and claimed he wanted to drink his Guinness in peace.

Conor also addressed his fighting future, saying he's NOT retired and when asked if he'll fight before the end of 2019, he says that's the goal.

Francisco Lindor is stoked Carlos Carrasco's making an epic return from cancer ... telling TMZ Sports, "Love it!"

The Indians star pitcher was diagnosed with Leukemia this past spring ... but, somehow, the guy battled all the way back to return to the mound on Monday night.

Carrasco KILLED IT in his comeback -- throwing 97 MPH on his first pitch of his minor league rehab start -- and gave up no hits or runs in his one inning of work.

When we got Lindor -- Carrasco's superstar teammate -- out in NYC ... he told us he loved to see it!!!

It's unclear when Carrasco will rejoin Lindor and the Indians at the big league level, but after his rehab start this week, the ace said, "I'm ready to go."

NBA hooper Amir Johnson is weighing in on the Great Double-Team Debate of 2019 ... and he ain't siding with Devin Booker and Kevin Durant, telling TMZ Sports double-teams are all part of the game!!

It's been a massive argument on NBA Twitter this week ... after Book got super pissed for getting double-teamed in a pickup game with other NBA stars including Ben Simmons and Joakim Noah.

The Suns superstar has gotten a bunch of support from fellow NBAers like Trae Young and KD .... who say when elite players are playing pickup, you shouldn't be able to lean on teammates for defensive help. Defense should be 1 on 1 in gym games.

But, Amir disagrees ... telling us "Technically, if it's game point and you're competitive, you're trying to win. I don't see nothing wrong with double-teaming."

There's a HUGE divide -- we've been talking with NBA players and there's clearly a hard line in the sand ... some believe it's straight "weak sauce" to double-team in the gym.

Extremely emotional moment at Cowboys camp Thursday ... head coach Jason Garrett fought back tears during his meeting with the media after learning of his friend's son's death.

Luke Laufenberg -- the 21-year-old son of ex-Cowboys QB Babe Laufenberg -- was diagnosed with Leukemia back in 2017 ... and he died Thursday after a 2-year-long battle with the disease.

Garrett addressed reporters shortly after learning the news ... and the scene was tough to watch.

Garrett was extremely emotional in trying to describe Laufenberg's son, saying, "You guys have heard me talk about fight a lot. I don’t know that I’ve ever seen a better example of that in my life."

"What he’s gone through over the last couple of years, the spirit that he had every day, to battle through it, to always be thoughtful about the people in his life, ‘How’s my mom doing? How’s my dad doing? How’s my brother doing?’ Amazing."

Garrett and Babe's playing careers never crossed paths ... Jason started his Cowboys QB career in 1993 -- 3 years after Babe finished his time in Dallas.

But, the two have obviously gotten close over the years ... Jason's been the head coach of the 'Boys since 2010, while Babe's done work as the team's radio analyst for years.

Garrett didn't field any other questions from reporters during his news conference Thursday ... finishing his time at the podium by praising Luke for his courageous battle.

"It’s such a tragedy. It’s so hard to understand. But, I know I will and everybody who ever knew him will be forever inspired by the life that he lived.”

Barack and Michelle Obama may soon become Kennedy adjacent because we've learned they're in escrow for a remarkable, mega-expensive, Martha's Vineyard estate.

Multiple island sources tell us the Obamas are in escrow for the estate owned by Boston Celtics owner, Wyc Grousbeck. The former Prez and First Lady have been renting the house this summer and loved it so much, we've learned they made an offer. The property is listed at $14,850,000. Our sources say they're paying less, but we don't know how much.

The estate -- incredible. It's 29 beachfront acres. The main residence is just shy of 6,900 square feet. It has 7 bedrooms, so Sasha and Malia have a place to crash, along with several of their friends. It has the obligatory pool, an outdoor fireplace, a chef's kitchen, vaulted ceilings and 2 guest wings. It has incredible views, especially while soaking in the second-floor balcony Jacuzzi.

The beachfront is private ... and comes with a boathouse.

Downside -- only a 2-car garage!!! Sorry kids.

The estate is listed by the realtors who dominate the area -- Tom LeClair and Gerret Conover. They did not return our calls.

The estate is currently in escrow and it's not a done deal just yet. We're told there are contingencies so it's possible it could fall apart, but we're told so far it's a go.

Pro Bowl quarterback Jay Cutler faced off against his reality TV star/fashion designer wife, Kristin Cavallari, in an epic axe-throwing challenge ... and it went exactly how you'd think.

Yeah ... Kristin whooped dat ass.

The couple showed off the results of their contest at Class Axe Throwing in Nashville ... and while the dude who made $122 MILLION off his arm failed miserably, the girl who starred in a Gavin DeGraw music video hit the bulls-eye with ease.

The best part about it -- Cutler's DGAF attitude transitioning into his axe-throwing career, 'cause the guy shrugged it off and captioned his video with "Nailed it."

New England Patriots star Patrick Chung has been indicted for cocaine possession and now faces PRISON time if convicted.

It all stems back to an incident in New Hampshire on June 25 when cops say the 32-year-old was in possession of coke.

The case went to a grand jury which ultimately decided to charge Chung with a Class B felony which carries up to 7 years in prison if convicted, according to the Laconia Daily Sun.

Chung -- who's won 3 Super Bowl rings with the Patriots -- is scheduled to be arraigned next week.

Officials say Chung was not formally arrested and there is no mug shot.

Details surrounding the incident are sparse -- we're working on it.

Story developing ...