TMZ Sports - Page 50

Good news, bad news for the Dallas Cowboys ...

The good: Michael Irvin says Ezekiel Elliott will NOT sit out this season over his contract feud with the team!!

The bad: Irvin says the running back will be SUPER PISSED if he has to play on his current deal.

"I don't think he'll sit out the season, but what he will do if nothing gets done is break -- you break the love that he has with this unit," Irvin says ... "Somehow, some way, it will disturb him, and that stuff will fester."

The Cowboys kick off their season next week ... but Zeke is still down in Cabo, and there's starting to be serious concern the guy won't show up this season a la Le'Veon Bell in 2018.

But, Irvin -- who's been close with Zeke throughout the last 3 years in Dallas -- says the 24-year-old WILL show up ... but he's warning Jerry Jones it'll get messy if he's not paid.

As for what Zeke means to the team this year ... Irvin says there's no way in hell the Cowboys will win the Super Bowl without him.

"Jerry needs to make this happen," Irvin says.

L.A. is Dwight Howard's final shot at returning to NBA dominance and he knows it ... so says Matt Barnes, who tells TMZ Sports it's "time to put the bullsh*t to the side" and get back to business.

Of course, it's been over 6 years since Howard's disastrous first stint with the Lakers ... and the guy's career has never been the same.

So, when we spoke with Barnes -- who played with Howard on the Magic in 2009 and 2010 -- about the reunion in L.A. ... he says it could be a new spark in Dwight's career.

"I think he realizes it's his last chance and really need to put all the bullsh*t to the side and just go out there and play basketball," Barnes says.

For his part, Howard says that's exactly what he's trying to do -- even attempting to shut down a beef with Shaquille O'Neal because he wants to focus on basketball.

Of course, Dwight has been considered a disruption in the locker room for most of his career. We asked Barnes if that was a fair rap.

Ric Flair says his wife, Wendy Barlow, is "100 percent" the reason The Nature Boy is alive today ... telling TMZ Sports, "She's responsible for all of it."

Ric's had some close calls when it comes to his health the last few years ... he was on death's doorstep in 2017 and just a few months ago he needed a heart procedure to keep his ticker going.

Flair says the docs obviously did a great job piecing him together ... but tells us Wendy truly deserves all the credit for getting him back to being a jet flyin' son of a gun!!

"Doctors 20, her 80," Flair says of Wendy ... "No, 90-10. She's responsible for all of it."

As for how he's feeling now, after the heart procedure in May, Naitch tells us he's doing great ... saying, "Best I've been in 10 years!"

By the way, we also talked to Ric about Taylor Swift's new song, "The Man," and ya gotta hear why Flair has some issues with it.

Hint: As Wendy says, "Ya gotta beat the man to be the man!"

Jennifer Lopez and Alex Rodriguez were riding in a SUV when it allegedly bowled over a man in an L.A. alleyway ... at least according to a lawsuit he's filed against the superstar couple.

In the docs obtained by TMZ ... Liyanage Perera claims he was walking behind an eatery off Melrose Ave last October when he was hit by the Cadillac SUV in which A-Rod and J Lo were passengers.

He doesn't name the restaurant in the suit, but we believe it was Craig's, because we have this video of their SUV striking a paparazzo.

In the suit, Liyanage claims he was seriously injured and he's going after the singer and baseball player to cover medical expenses, plus damages. The suit makes no mention of Liyanage's profession.

Liyanage admits A-Rod and J Lo were not behind the wheel, but in the suit he claims they failed to instruct their security team to be careful as they pulled away from the restaurant. He also points out they didn't stop to check on him ... or as he puts it ... "they quickly fled the scene."

As we reported at the time, Liyanage had a report with the Sheriff's Dept., but no criminal charges were ever filed. Law enforcement sources told us pedestrians are not allowed to block a vehicle by standing in front of it, and drivers are permitted to creep forward.

MLB star Tyler Skaggs died in a Texas hotel room from a deadly mix of booze, fentanyl and oxycodone ... according to the Tarrant County Medical Examiner.

In the toxicology report released Friday, the ME's report lists the cause of death for the Angels pitcher as a mix of "alcohol, fentanyl and oxycodone intoxication with terminal aspiration of gastric contents." In other words, Skaggs choked on his own vomit while under the influence.

The report says his death has been ruled an accident.

It's interesting, the autopsy says, when Skaggs was found dead in his hotel room, he was "clothed in black denim jeans, a black belt with white metal decorations and decorated white buckle, red boxer shorts, black socks and dark brown western boots." The description sounds a lot like what Skaggs was wearing on the team plane, when the Angels dressed in western gear as they flew from California to Texas on June 30.

As we reported ... Tyler was found dead in his team hotel room July 1, when the Angels were in Texas to play the Rangers.

Tyler's family issued a statement Friday, inferring an Angels employee might have been involved in the tragic incident.

The Skaggs family says ... “We are heartbroken to learn that the passing of our beloved Tyler was the result of a combination of dangerous drugs and alcohol. That is completely out of character for someone who worked so hard to become a Major League baseball player and had a very promising future in the game he loved so much."

The statement continues ... “We are grateful for the work of the detectives in the Southlake Police Department and their ongoing investigation into the circumstances surrounding Tyler’s death. We were shocked to learn that it may involve an employee of the Los Angeles Angels. We will not rest until we learn the truth about how Tyler came into possession of these narcotics, including who supplied them. To that end, we have hired attorney Rusty Hardin to assist us.”

Tyler's death sent shockwaves through MLB ... and the Angels tossed a combined no-hitter in their first home game after his passing.

His wife, Carli, gave a heartfelt tribute to the late pitcher during his private funeral.

Tyler was 27.

Alex Rodriguez has no need for a baller bachelor pad after his engagement to Jennifer Lopez -- but he can always use a few million bucks ... which is why he just sold off his Hollywood Hills crib.

Our real estate sources tell us A-Rod is closing the deal Friday to sell the 3,700 sq. ft. home for $4.4 million -- and the new owner got themselves a very unique home with a serious celebrity pedigree.

Alex bought the house from Meryl Streep back in 2014. It's known as the Honnold & Rex Research House because it was originally part of an architectural research program in the 1950s.

The stylish Hills hideaway -- photographed by Anthony Barcelo -- comes with awesome outdoor living space and some killer city views. We're told Jason Oppenheim from The Oppenheim Group -- and the Netflix series "Selling Sunset" -- repped the buyer and Carl Gambino from Westside Estate Agency repped A-Rod.

We're not saying Alex is on to bigger and better -- but he IS living with J Lo now.

Franco Columbu, a former Mr. Olympia and one of Arnold Schwarzenegger's closest friends, has died.

Franco died Friday, with reports out of Italy saying the legendary bodybuilder lost his life in an incident at sea in his native Sardinia.

Arnold said goodbye to Franco with a heartfelt message ... writing, "I love you Franco. I will always remember the joy you brought to my life, the advices you gave me, and the twinkle in your eye that never disappeared. You were my best friend."

Franco won Mr. Olympia way back in 1976, the year after Arnold retired from the famous bodybuilding competition. Franco won again in 1981, the year after Arnold's comeback win.

In addition to his success as a bodybuilder, weightlifter and boxer, Franco also had a long career acting on TV and in movies.

One of Franco's most famous movie moment was in the 1977 documentary, "Pumping Iron" ... when he lifted a car to help the driver escape a tiny parking spot.

Franco also appeared in a string of Schwarzenegger movies in the 1980s ... including, "The Terminator," "The Running Man," and "Conan the Barbarian."

Franco and Arnold met in Munich 54 years ago, and instantly became pals ... in later years, Franco was known as Arnold's squire, and Arnold always told people Franco was the strongest man he ever knew.

Franco is survived by his wife, Deborah, and their daughter, Maria. He was 78.

Olympic gymnast Simone Biles' older brother is in police custody for the murders of 3 people ... after an 8-month investigation into a New Year's Eve tragedy.

Tevin Biles-Thomas was arrested Thursday at Fort Stewart in Georgia, where he is an active duty soldier in the Army. Police say Biles-Thomas opened fired on a group of people when a fight broke out during a New Year's Eve party at an Airbnb in Cleveland.

According to cops, an "uninvited" group of people had entered the house party and during the ensuing brawl ... Biles-Thomas fired the shots that killed three men and injured 2 others.

A Cuyahoga County Grand Jury returned an indictment of Biles-Thomas for 6 counts of murder, 3 counts of voluntary manslaughter, 5 counts of felonious assault and 1 count of perjury. Under Ohio law, "purposely killing" and "knowingly killing" a victim are separate counts for each victim -- and that's why he got 6 murder charges. 

Simone and her family are from the Columbus, Ohio area.

24-year-old Biles-Thomas is still being held in Georgia, but will be extradited to Ohio ahead of his arraignment on Sept. 13.

For Jay-Z, the best defense is a good offense -- he's wasting no time putting his controversial NFL partnership to work by launching a new apparel line to fund social change ... and enlisting his pal, Meek Mill.

The NFL and Jay's Roc Nation just announced a new Inspire Change apparel line and a music showcase called Songs of the Season. The music part of that deal will begin with Meek, Meghan Trainor and Rapsody performing at the NFL Kickoff Event in Chicago on Sept. 5.

Meek and Rapsody are Roc Nation clients, but Meghan is not ... which shows that despite facing a wave of criticism, Jay still has plenty of entertainers willing to support his NFL venture. All 3 artists are the first Inspire Change advocates.

The bigger part of the deal, though, is the apparel line -- because it seems to have Jay's fingerprint all over it. After successfully launching his Rocawear and Paper Planes (that Roc Nation logo you see everywhere) ... he knows there's big money in clothing and caps.

Roc Nation and the league say the revenue from Inspire Change apparel will fund Inspire Change programs across the U.S. -- with a focus on  "economic empowerment, police and community relations, and criminal justice reform."

As you know, Jay-Z took a ton of heat after a meeting with Roger Goodell to announce their partnership. Many critics, including athletes and entertainers, felt like Jay was turning his back on Colin Kaepernick and the kneeling protest he started for social justice.

Coming just 2 weeks after that firestorm, the Inspire Change initiative plays like Jay's clap back to the haters.

DeMarcus Cousins is facing a major obstacle in his domestic violence case -- he just underwent knee surgery and is unable to fly to Alabama to turn himself into police, TMZ Sports has learned.

As we previously reported, the Mobile Police Dept. confirmed a warrant was issued for the NBA star's arrest stemming from a threatening phone call Cousins allegedly made to the mother of his child.

We're told Cousins wants to cooperate with law enforcement but the issue is that he just underwent surgery to repair the torn ACL in his left knee on Wednesday and he's not cleared to fly yet.

It's unclear where the procedure took place, but we're told it was definitely NOT in Alabama. Most doctors recommend not flying for days (and sometimes weeks) after an ACL surgery because of the risks of clotting.

Cousins is facing a 3rd-degree misdemeanor for harassing communications which carries a sentence of up to 1 year behind bars.

We're told Cousins plans on reaching out to law enforcement to come up with a reasonable solution so he doesn't get in trouble.

Cousins tore his ACL during a workout in Las Vegas just weeks after he signed a new contract with the Los Angeles Lakers.

We broke the story ... Boogie's baby mama Christy West claims Cousins threatened to "put a bullet in your f**king head" when she declined his request to let their 7-year-old child attend his wedding in Atlanta.

Ex-UCLA linebacker Breland Brandt -- a former five-star recruit and Army All-American -- was arrested earlier this week after cops say he pushed his GF during a heated altercation.

Law enforcement sources tell TMZ Sports Brandt -- who was a top recruit for Jim Mora's Bruins in 2016 -- got into a verbal argument with his girlfriend at Palisades Park in Santa Monica, CA, on Aug. 22 when things turned physical.

We're told witnesses saw Brandt get aggressive with his GF ... and after he grabbed her and pushed her, several people had to jump in to break it up.

Sources say cops were called to the scene ... and they arrested 21-year-old Brandt for misdemeanor domestic violence.

6'4", 210-pound Brandt was held on $20,000 bond at the Santa Monica Police Department.

Brandt was one of the best high school football players in the country before he joined UCLA -- he was an Army All-American and a consensus top-250 recruit.

But, the linebacker battled concussion problems almost immediately at UCLA ... and after playing in just two games in 2017 -- he medically retired.

Charles Oakley says Carmelo Anthony's gotta be bummed to see Dwight Howard join his best friend LeBron James on the Lakers ... telling TMZ Sports "it's embarrassing for Carmelo" to remain unsigned.

Melo's status in the league has been one of the biggest topics this off-season ... and the superstar has been very public about wanting to play.

Even ex-NBAer Royce White called out LeBron for not helping out his guy ... especially after the Lakers brought Howard back after a less than stellar first stint a few years back.

We spoke with the Knicks legend about teams passing on the 10-time All-Star ... and Oak says Anthony's problem is that he left New York to begin with.

"Carmelo should've never left New York," Oak tells us ... "I think if he'd have stayed in New York, he probably would've gotten a new contract and maybe the Knicks would've made the playoffs the last couple years."

Kurt Warner is issuing a message to all 32 NFL general managers ... call Carli Lloyd and let her kick for your team!!!!

"Give her shot!" Warner says ... "Why not?!?"

The U.S. Women's National Team star has set the football world on fire ever since she booted a 55-yard field goal at Eagles practice last week ... with a bunch of people wondering if she truly could suit up for a team this year.

37-year-old Lloyd certainly seems to think so ... she told Fox Sports this week she's "seriously considering" it, adding, "it’s a challenge (and) I would probably enjoy it."

Of course, some have shot down the idea ... Chargers star Keenan Allen wrote on Twitter on Tuesday she'd get stampeded if she ever had a kick blocked.

But, Warner doesn't seem to share those same concerns at all, 'cause he's saying sign her up ASAP!!!

"We need more kickers in the game," the Hall of Fame QB says ... "If you can kick the ball through the goalpost, let's do it!!!"

Teams appear to be open to the idea ... Lloyd's longtime trainer, James Galanis, says she actually had an offer to kick for a team in a preseason game this week.

Rob Gronkowski ain't retired from WHOOPIN' THAT ASS ... 'cause the ex-NFL superstar tells TMZ Sports he wants a WWE fight against his "wimp" friend Mojo Rawley!!!

The 30-year-old knows his way around the ring ... he famously helped Rawley win the Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal at WrestleMania 33 in 2017.

So, when the ex-Patriots tight end was out in NYC promoting his partnership with CBDMedic earlier this week, we had to ask if a full-time gig with WWE was in his future.

"My friend's in there and he's a little wimp, so I gotta go in that ring and whoop his ass!!!" Gronk tells us ... referring to his former partner as "Mojo 'Small Piece' Rawley!!!"

It's been a hot topic for YEARS ... given Gronk is a freak of nature and is hella charismatic. So, the fact that he called out his first fight opponent is a big deal.

But, as we previously reported ... Gronk says he's keeping his NFL window open, saying he could return if the desire comes back.

Debbie Allen says Lara Spencer made lemonade out of her lemon of a joke about Prince George liking ballet ... but now it's time for everyone to grow up when it comes to guys dancing.

The dance legend was at LAX when we asked about Lara's on-air apology for making fun of Prince William and Kate Middleton's son ... she applauds her for having the courage to own up to her mistake.

Debbie says the ordeal highlights a bigger issue -- there should be no shame for men in the dance game. Allen wants folks to educate themselves and gives a great example of a legendary man who took dance to broaden his horizons and inspire creativity.

Debbie suggests, if it worked for that guy ... we should all take note.

As for Spencer's blunder, Allen's not going to hold it against her ... even if other big names in the dance community -- notably Abby Lee Miller -- are less forgiving.

Carlos Carrasco kicked cancer's ass ... and Chicago Cubs ace Jon Lester is stoked to see it, telling TMZ Sports, "I'm just glad he's back!"

The Cleveland Indians star was diagnosed with Leukemia in the Spring ... and despite taking a few months off to fight the disease -- he's set to rejoin the team this weekend.

When we got Lester -- who also fought and beat a rare form of cancer back in 2006 -- out in NYC ... he told us he's happy the guy is returning to the mound.

Of course, Carrasco won't resume starting duties right away ... the Indians are expected to put him in the bullpen to pitch only an inning or two at a time for now.

But, seems Carlos is more than ready to take on that task ... in 3 minor league rehab starts this month, he pitched 3.2 innings, struck out 6 batters and only gave up 2 hits and 1 run.

By the way, he also threw 97 MPH!!!