TMZ Sports - Page 50

Here it is ... the last moments of Jay Gruden in D.C. right before he boarded a plane and got the hell out of town.

The footage was shot Monday at Dulles International Airport ... just hours after Jay got the chop in Washington. Jay was heading for Orlando, where he has a home.

And, ya gotta hand it to the guy, because despite JUST losing his job -- we're told he couldn't have been nicer to people who recognized him in the airport.

He even posed for pics and shook some hands before getting on the plane.

One witness described the scene this way ...

"He was ready to leave and kept his head low. I talked to him for a few minutes and wished him good luck on his next job. He was at the bar with his wife. It looked like he was having a long day."

A troubling twist in the Jeff Hardy drunk driving arrest ... cops say the WWE star had a bloody nose during the stop and told officers it was from an earlier "fight" with his wife.

It's all spelled out in the police report, obtained by TMZ Sports ... which describes how the Carthage Police Dept. in North Carolina received a tip about a careless and reckless driver around 8:40 PM on October 3.

When cops found the car, they noticed the driver (Hardy) was parked in front of a liquor store ... and when he came out, he was carrying a case of beer.

42-year-old Hardy got into his car and began to drive while cops followed closely -- and finally pulled him over when they observed him weaving badly in his lane.

During the stop, the officer noticed Hardy had "what seemed to be dried blood on his nose" -- and asked what had happened.

"The driver advised that him and his wife got into a fight."

Surprisingly, the police report doesn't give any more details about the possible domestic violence incident ... instead the officer proceeds to question Hardy about alcohol.

RIP OFF YOUR SHIRT AND BEAT ON YOUR CHEST LIKE KING KONG, NICK TURTURRO!!!!

The "NYPD Blue" star lost his friggin' mind Monday night when the Yankees swept the Minnesota Twins out of the playoffs ... and Nick busted out the broom at his home to make the point!

Of course, Nick is a diehard Yanks fan ... like, probably in an unhealthy way.

But, the dude couldn't have been happier watching the Yanks hang 5 on the Twins -- the adrenaline took hold, the shirt came off and the self-flagellation began!

NBA commissioner Adam Silver is going to Shanghai to try and repair the league's relationship with China ... but says he won't bend when it comes to protecting freedom of expression.

"The NBA will not put itself in a position of regulating what players, employees and team owners say or will not say on these issues," Silver said ...  "We simply could not operate that way."

Silver spoke with the media on Tuesday to discuss China essentially blackballing the Houston Rockets after team G.M. Daryl Morey tweeted out support for protesters in Hong Kong.

The NBA initially issued a statement saying it was "regrettable" that Morey's tweet offended some Chinese people, which caused a firestorm of criticism back in the U.S.

"I recognize our initial statement left people angered, confused or unclear on who we are or what the NBA stands for," Silver said in a new statement.

"Essentially, what I've said in that statement is the long-held values of the NBA are to support freedom of expression, and certainly freedom of expression by members of the NBA community," Silver explained.

"And in this case, Daryl Morey, as the general manager of the Houston Rockets, enjoys that right as one of our employees."

"What I also tried to suggest is I understand that there are consequences from that exercise of, in essence, his freedom of speech. We will have to live with those consequences."

As we previously reported, China's state broadcaster said it was pulling Houston Rockets games off the air. Sponsors have abandoned the Rockets and the NBA is scrambling to try and smooth things over ASAP.

Silver says China is also now refusing to air the Lakers vs. Nets preseason game set to go down in Shanghai on Thursday ... but he sees the event as an opportunity.

"My plan all along has been to travel to Shanghai tomorrow, and I plan to attend the Lakers-Nets game Thursday night. It's my hope that when I'm in Shanghai, I can meet with the appropriate officials and discuss where we stand, and again, put those remarks from Darl Morey and my remarks in an appropriate context of a many-decades-long relationship and see if we can find mutual respect for each other's political systems and beliefs."

"But I'm a realist as well, and I recognize that this issue may not die down so quickly."

Another boxing superfight is on the horizon ... because Terence Crawford is calling out Errol Spence, telling TMZ Sports the two sides need to cut the crap and make a deal already!!!

After Spence beat Shawn Porter on Sept. 28, boxing fans have been hoping and praying Spence and Crawford can get in the ring for a showdown at 147 pounds.

Well, we spoke with Bud who tells us he's ALL THE WAY DOWN -- sending this message to the undefeated Spence:

"Take off them panties and pull your pants up, and let's sign the contract!!!"

Crawford says he's been trying to get the Spence fight for a while but feels like Errol's camp is always full of excuses. Terence says the real reason is Errol knows he'll lose.

"I honestly believe when it comes to him ... deep down in his heart, he knows what he's up against when he goes up against me."

And, get this, Crawford -- the reigning WBO welterweight champ -- says he's not convinced Spence deserved to get the split decision victory over Porter either.

In fact, Crawford thinks Porter should have WON that fight!!!

"It was a close fight. Don't get me wrong. I wouldn't say it was a big-time robbery. But, it was a close fight and if I had to give anybody the victory, I think Shawn deserved it."

No matter what happens on "Monday Night Football" ... 49ers D-lineman D.J. Jones is still winning -- 'cause the guy proposed to his GF before the game -- AND SHE SAID YES!!!

The scene was amazing ... just an hour or so before Jones' Niners squared off with the Browns -- he decided to pop the surprise question to his girlfriend, Kayla Fannin.

Jones told her to look up at the sky ... and when she turned her head, the 24-year-old quickly got down on one knee.

When she turned back around ... the magic happened -- 'cause he asked her to marry him, and she told him of course!!!

The two have been dating for a few years now ... she's been coming to his games every so often -- and the couple is adorable!!!

As for Jones' on-field play, he's been a regular starter for the Niners this season ... and we'll all be watching to see if the good pregame news gives him a boost.

Justin Gaethje is sick and tired of Conor McGregor ... telling TMZ Sports he's been trying to lock down a fight for months, but the Irishman just won't come to the negotiating table.

Gaethje says he's tried every trick in the book to draw him out for the past 7 months ... but it seems Conor has more interest in tweeting than fighting these days.

"He keeps tweeting he’s gonna fight. On planet earth, there's 2 people that will possibly fight him -- me or Dustin Poirier ... He either needs to go away or fight, and it’s me or Dustin."

In fact, Justin says there was a point where he honestly thought Conor had retired from MMA because the guy refuses to have serious negotiations about taking meaningful fights.

Gaethje says he's ready to fight RIGHT NOW -- but Conor won't respond to his texts, tweets and phone calls.

"I wrote him a message like f**king 7 months ago just trying to be his friend. I’ve tried every route. I’m trying reverse psychology. I’m trying to be his friend. I’m trying every f**king route that there is to draw this man out. And I can't draw him out. And he’s calling out Frankie Edgar. So, it’s a slap in the face to me, to all the lightweights, and to really the standard that we f**king do here."

Pres. Donald Trump took time away from tweeting about hating the Democrats and the Fake News media on Sunday to make a very important phone call ... to Kirk Cousins!?

Yep, it's true ... the Leader of the Free World decided to ring up the Minnesota Vikings QB to personally congratulate him on beating the lowly NY Giants (2-3) in an unremarkable Week 5 matchup.

Cousins played well ... completing 22 of 27 for 306 yards and 2 TDs in a 28-10 victory.

And, hey, that's great and all ... but why a call from POTUS??

It could be because Cousins has been a Trump fan for years ... the two actually got in a round of golf together back in 2017, with Kirk saying of the afternoon, "I didn't ever think that would happen."

OORRRRRR ... it could be because Trump has a rally in Minnesota this week and the call was just a PR move to help get the word out.

The two spoke only "briefly," according to WCCO in Minneapolis ... but the news outlet cites a source that says they also talked about the rally.

Cousins is reportedly NOT attending the Trump event ... he's gotta prepare for a big game against the Philadelphia Eagles -- but he was no doubt stoked for the call nonetheless.

YouTube superstars KSI and Logan Paul showed off their maturity and high respect for each other at their boxing rematch news conference in the UK on Monday.

Juuuust kidding ... there were tiny penis jokes and jabs about dead pet dogs.

The rivals met up in London on Monday to promote their upcoming rematch at Staples Center in L.A. in November ... and shocker, it basically turned into a roast.

KSI was quick to bring out the props -- with a 4-legged friend that looked just like Logan's late dog, Kong, who was tragically eaten by coyotes earlier this year.

Logan was anticipating the move though ... bringing out doggie treats to counter-burn KSI's burn.

"I'mma yoss you, guy," Logan said. "I'mma light your feet on fire, guy. I'mma kiss your mom on the cheek, my guy."

"I'm gonna win and I'm gonna make you a meme and you gon' be my bitch, bro," Logan added.

KSI didn't take it ... firing back at Paul with his own verbal punches. "I'm doing this for the UK, yo. I'mma go into your hometown and f**kin' punish you in front of everyone."

Antonio Brown is fighting like hell to make sure video of his condo-trashing deposition doesn't see the light of day ... the NFL star just filed docs in court to try to keep the footage under wraps.

As we previously reported ... Brown is accused of being a "belligerent" monster when he sat down for his depo as part of a lawsuit with his old luxury condo complex.

The attorneys for the place -- The Mansions at Acqualina in Miami, Florida -- say AB was not only late for the meeting, but he was also "pugnacious," "defiant" and "profane."

The attorneys also say Brown "chanted, over and over" during the depo ... and they claim all of his actions were recorded on video.

But, in court docs just filed last week, Brown is asking the court to make sure footage from the depo is never made available to the public ... filing a motion to make it all confidential.

In the docs, Brown says if the video is seen ... it'll destroy his ability to get fair treatment in the lawsuit.

As for his actions during the depo ... Brown -- in separate court docs -- said the attorneys' descriptions of his actions were unnecessary, calling them "scandalous, redundant and immaterial."

Brown adds the attorneys only released a description of his depo to "turn this into a media circus" for their "personal gain."

Brown wants the court to NOT impose sanctions against him ... but he adds he IS willing to retake his deposition.

The angry bagel guy is now facing a big lawsuit after bailing on his "celebrity" boxing match with Dustin Diamond at the last minute.

According to new legal docs obtained by TMZ ... Chris Morgan is being sued by fight promoter Damon Feldman for $10,000. Damon claims Chris' change of heart cost him thousands of dollars in losses.

In the civil suit, the fight promoter claims Morgan signed a contract for a celebrity boxing match and pocketed appearance fees before pulling out of the fight.

You'll recall ... Chris surprised everyone hours before his Sept. 28 tangle with Screech, when he went on social media and said, "I fooled you all! I ain't coming to the fight."

The guys behind "South Park" are taking shots at the NBA for apologizing to China ... and it's pretty funny in an international-political-incident sort of way.

Here's the deal ... both South Park and the NBA are in hot water in China for recent criticisms about the government.

Houston Rockets general manager Daryl Morey tweeted out on Friday, "Fight for Freedom. Stand with Hong Kong" ... which led to the Chinese government essentially blackballing the Rockets.

Over at "South Park," last week's episode mocked China mercilessly for censorship ... and pointed out how Winnie the Pooh is bear non grata over there because people have used the cartoon character to mock President Xi's physical appearance.

According to reports, the Chinese government has blocked the "South Park" episode from TV and the internet.

Santana Moss says he has the PERFECT candidate to replace Jay Gruden on the Redskins ... telling TMZ Sports Gregg Williams would KILL IT as headman in D.C.!

Of course, Moss is a bit biased ... he was playing receiver for the 'Skins while Williams was the defensive coordinator there back in the early 2000s.

But, Moss says that's exactly why he's pounding the table for Gregg after Gruden's firing Monday ... saying his time with Williams has convinced him the 61-year-old should be Dan Snyder's next hire.

"I watched our defense for years," Moss says ... "One year, we had a lot of missing bodies out there -- like, key guys. And, he made us a contender."

Moss says Williams' defenses were so inspiring, it actually made the offense play better ... telling us, "He implemented what we needed as a culture."

Williams is currently the defensive coordinator in New York ... but it seems like he might be available for hire in 2020, 'cause the Jets are currently terrible.

And -- even though Williams is seemingly constantly surrounded by controversy (see Bountygate and the 2019 Odell Beckham drama) ... he does have a SERIOUSLY impressive resume.

Evelyn Lozada claims she's out on several endorsement deals because one of her "Basketball Wives" costars called her a racist bigot ... so she's now suing.

According to legal docs, obtained by TMZ ... Evelyn claims Ogom "OG" Chijindu called her a racist bigot on social media ever since Evelyn posted a cryptic message to her more than 4 million followers on Instagram back on September 11.

Evelyn's message read, "Nobody watches you harder than the people that can't stand you." The post included a picture of a laughing orangutan. OG took offense to this and clapped back with a repost of her own that read, "Wow so now black women are monkeys. Everyone boycott this trash box you are disgusting." The post didn't appear to tag or mention anyone.

OG also trashed talked on Twitter: "And there it is..show your true colors you racist bigot. You called Cece 'Ling Ling' Jackie a 'cockroach' & now me a 'monkey.'"

Ex-NBA hooper Matt Barnes was one of the toughest defenders of his time ... and he's telling TMZ Sports how he'd handle the task of guarding Zion Williamson -- "Foul the s**t outta him!!!"

Barnes is retired now but when we saw him out at Delilah in L.A., he had some advice for anyone going up against the 19-year-old New Orleans Pelicans phenom.

"I'd have to foul the s**t outta him," Barnes said ... "He's too big, man. I'd have to body him. [That's how I'd] try to stop him. He's a big boy."

We also asked Barnes about Zion being officially listed in the NBA at 6'6" -- instead of the 6'7" height he was listed at as a freshman at Duke -- and Matt says at this point, one stupid inch won't make a difference.

"You see how dominant he plays, so height doesn't really matter."

Stud running back Jeff Wilson says the Niners are LOVING the shade doubters are throwing their way after their 3-0 start ... he tells TMZ Sports SF's using it as motivation!!!

"It's cool," Wilson says ... "That can continue to be our fuel."

The Niners are off to a piping hot start this season ... but with their trio of wins coming against the Buccaneers, Steelers and Bengals -- people aren't quite sold on them yet.

When we spoke with Wilson -- he told us he's fine with that ... saying it'll "continue to motivate us."

But, Jeff tells us he's also trying not to pay too much attention to any of the outside noise ... saying the Niners have a great locker room that doesn't need outside validation.

"We just going to keep on working on ourselves, man," Wilson says.

"And, just going out and playing every Sunday and leaving it all on the field and whatever else anybody got to say or feel their opinion is, it'll be that."

The Niners have a chance to shut up some of the doubters on "Monday Night Football" against the Browns ... a lot of people would consider that a huge win for the Bay Area squad.

As for Wilson's personal game on the field ... he's killing it this year with 4 TDs on just 18 carries -- and he tells us fantasy owners everywhere are LOVING him!!!