TMZ Sports - Page 50

Shannon Sharpe tells TMZ Sports if Antonio Brown doesn't start shaping up and following NFL rules ... he's NEVER going to play a down in the league again!!!

"The game will go on without Antonio Brown," Sharpe says. "He needs to understand that."

Sharpe -- co-host of FS1's Undisputed -- tells us his beef with AB is simple ... he thinks the wide receiver believes he's bigger than the league -- and therefore doesn't have to abide by its laws.

Specifically, Sharpe believes Brown is dodging NFL investigators when it comes to his civil lawsuit against Britney Taylor -- the woman who alleges Brown raped her in 2018.

"He thinks he can play by his rules," Shannon says ... "We'll see how far that takes him."

Sharpe says unless Brown has a change of heart ... NO NFL team will touch him -- not now, and not EVER -- saying the game will ALWAYS find a replacement for players, no matter how good they are.

"It's been going on for 100 years -- Joe Montana, John Elway, Deion Sanders -- some of the greats. And, the game still goes on."

Rickie Fowler is officially a married man ... the golf superstar got hitched to track hottie Allison Stokke during a beach ceremony last weekend!!

Fowler and Stokke spilled the beans on Friday ... sharing the announcement with pics of their ceremony after somehow keeping it under wraps for nearly a week.

The couple tied the knot at an undisclosed beach location on Saturday ... with Fowler rockin' a powder blue suit and white kicks (we're guessing they're Pumas).

Fun fact -- Justin Bieber's longtime stylist and Fowler's bud, Ryan Good, served as the officiant for the big event.

"last week was the best yet...she’s mine...still winning," Fowler said in his IG post ... with Stokke adding, "10.5.19....and it just keeps getting better!"

30-year-old Fowler and 30-year-old Stokke's superstar friends congratulated the couple on their big day -- from Tom Brady to Paulina Gretzky to Michelle Wie.

Of course, Fowler is currently ranked No. 19 on the PGA Tour ... and Stokke is a pro pole vaulter and fitness model. They have been together for years ... and got engaged (also on the beach) back in June 2018.

Congrats!!

Great news for Reggie Bush ... his NCAA-issued ban requiring him to stay away from USC could expire in 2020, this according to USC's interim athletic director, Dave Roberts.

Roberts spelled it out to Ryan Young of TrojanSports.com ... saying a new NCAA rule "basically reduced any disassociation to a 10-year disassociation."

"The COI, which I sit on -- Committee on Infractions -- had recently put through a rule change. It's called an IOP -- internal operating procedure -- which basically reduced any disassociation to a 10-year disassociation, much like what was given to [former Michigan basketball star] Chris Webber," Roberts said.

"So in June of 2020, the disassociation for Bush will expire and it's going to be up to the university what the university wants to do."

The backstory ... back in 2010, the NCAA ordered USC to completely disassociate with Bush over Reggie's improper benefits scandal.

During Bush's college career, Reggie's family received improper benefits from 2 sports marketers who were hoping to sign him. As a result, the NCAA stripped USC of 14 wins, including the 2004 national championship. Bush was also stripped of his 2005 Heisman Trophy.

USC has previously said they want Reggie back on campus -- but they can't disobey the NCAA.

Reggie recently went back to the Coliseum in Los Angeles to cover a USC football game for FS1 and received an ovation from the crowd.

Also, several high-profile USC alum -- including LenDale White -- have called for the end of the Bush ban.

Back in 2016, Willie McGinest told us there was a group of ex-players working to get Bush back on campus.

San Diego Padres pitcher Jacob Nix -- a top prospect in the organization -- was arrested on Sunday after allegedly breaking into an Arizona home by squeezing through the doggie door.

... And then, the dude allegedly got his ass whooped and tased by the homeowner, according to court documents.

23-year-old Nix -- a 3rd-round pick to the Padres in 2015 -- was allegedly walking through a fenced neighborhood in Peoria around 3:30 AM when he tried entering the home.

Nix allegedly tried entering through the doggie door, but was confronted by the homeowner who kicked him in the face and tased him ... before calling 911.

Nix ran away after the incident, but cops eventually caught up to him a few blocks away and arrested him for criminal trespass.

Tom Cosgrove -- also a pitcher in the Padres organization -- was with Nix during the incident and was also arrested for criminal trespass after admitting he entered a backyard.

When questioned by cops, Nix said he thought he was entering his own home -- although, he admitted his house doesn't have a doggie door.

The Padres released a statement on Thursday, saying, "We take this matter seriously and have been in contact with the Commissioner’s Office and local authorities."

"Due to the ongoing legal proceedings, we will not have any further comment at this time."

Canadian mountain bike legend Jordie Lunn died after a biking accident in Mexico earlier this week ... his family announced on Friday. He was 36.

Lunn -- a BMX racer and free rider -- was trail riding in Cabo with his friends when he got into an accident and suffered a fatal head injury.

"Jordie lost his life doing exactly what he loved," Lunn's family said in a statement to Pinkbike.

Lunn was also well known for his crazy biking videos ... with some clips getting millions of views on YouTube.

"Jordie had an incredible 20+ year career as a mountain biker," his family continued. "He will always be cherished for his heart and love that he gave to his family, friends, and fans, as well as the incredible talent that he had on his bikes."

Undefeated UFC star Mackenzie Dern just made weight and is set to fight on Saturday ... just 4 months after she gave birth to her first child!!!

We did the math (hey, numbers are hard) ... and it's only been 124 days since 26-year-old Mackenzie became a mom. She gave birth to her daughter, Moa, on June 9.

Think about that ... not only did Mack have to recover from the toll that pregnancy and delivery takes on your body, but then she began to train for a FISTFIGHT with a world class opponent almost immediately.

Dern -- who's 7-0 as a pro MMA fighter -- just hit the scales for the official weigh in for UFC Fight Night 161 in Tampa, Florida ... and came in at 115 lbs, a perfect number for her weight class.

Mackenzie -- who's known as one of the top female Brazilian Jiu Jitsu practitioners -- is set to face Amanda Ribas, who did NOT give birth 4 months ago!

And, get this, according to Vegas odds ... Dern is still the slight betting favorite ... you have to put down $145 to win $100.

FYI, Mackenzie's baby daddy is Brazilian pro surfer Wesley Santos ... so that kid is gonna be freakishly athletic!!!

Gather 'round kids, it's NBA PREDICTION TIME WITH LAVAR BALL!!!

This time, the head of the Big Baller Brand is seeing BIG things for the New Orleans Pelicans ... telling TMZ Sports his son Lonzo's team will DEFINITELY win a 'chip this season!

"They're gonna take it all this year, for sure," LaVar told us at the L.A. Regional Food Bank, where he donated 70,000 bottles of Big Baller Brand Water.

Why so confident? LaVar thinks the New Orleans Pelicans are a MUCH better fit for Lonzo than the Lakers ... and it all has to do with the coach and the young stars surrounding him, like Zion Williamson.

"All you need to be successful in the NBA, ya gotta have a coach be behind you. And, Alvin Gentry is that guy."

LaVar continued ... "What did Gentry say? He wants [The Pelicans] to play the fastest pace. That's Lonzo's best game!"

And, the biggest difference between the Pels and the Lakers?

"You've got a bunch of youngsters so you don't have 20 different people asking for the ball. Give it to Lonzo and let him just run it."

When asked if playing with Zion is better in the long run for Lonzo than playing with LeBron, LaVar explained things this way ...

"If you gonna run and pass the ball and play the right way, Zo will play with anybody. So, it's not that Zion is better than Lebron or Lebron is better ... anybody with an IQ that can play the game of basketball, [Lonzo's] fine playing with."

There's more ... we also asked LaVar how he feels the NBA is handling the issue with China, which is relevant since the Ball family had their own international crisis when LiAngelo was arrested in China for shoplifting back in 2017.

"My thing is this, anybody should speak out on whatever their heart feels. If you feel it's good for you to speak out, then speak out! If not, then shut the hell up."

Conor McGregor strolled into court in Ireland on Friday to face an assault charge for punching a man in the face at a Dublin pub in April ... and the media was out in force!

The UFC superstar was decked out in a navy suit with a striped tie -- and didn't show any emotion on his face while he walked into the courthouse flanked by his lawyers.

Inside the courtroom, things weren't as exciting ... the judge granted McGregor's request to postpone the hearing until Nov. 1.

Irish officials say Conor will have to request a trial date or enter a plea during the Nov. 1 hearing, according to The Irish Times.

On the way out of court, Conor was quiet ... but you can hear people screaming, "McGregor!" as he walked to his car.

"3 ... 2 ... 1 ... SLIP 'N SLIDE!!!!!"

That's how the Washington Mystics spent their first few minutes as WNBA champions ... 'cause after they beat the Connecticut Sun, 89-78 Thursday, they went back to their locker room for some champagne dives!!!

The vid is hilarious ... the team sprayed down their clubhouse with a ton of booze -- and with a protective layer of plastic laid on the ground, they decided to get down on the floor.

Shatori Walker-Kimbrough and Natasha Cloud counted backward from 3 ... dove across the carpet -- and good times were had by all.

Of course, the celebration didn't end there ... the team continued boozing throughout the night -- and were even spotted capping off the evening at local D.C. nightclub!!!

As for prior to the party ... the Mystics kicked ass on the hardwood -- and they had some special courtside visitors for the historic Game 5 -- Wizards stars John Wall and Bradley Beal!!

Ernie Johnson is callin' BS on fans throwing dirt on Clayton Kershaw after his latest postseason debacle ... telling TMZ Sports, "His legacy is fine with me."

Kershaw gave up back-to-back home runs in the 8th inning against the Nationals in their NLDS finale Wednesday night ... and L.A. fans were PISSED he blew the game.

They ran over his No. 22 jersey in the parking lot ... they trashed him on Twitter ... and they bashed him on local radio.

When we got Johnson -- who did play-by-play for the Game 5 -- he told us everyone in L.A. needs to pipe down with that chatter ... saying Kershaw is still a legend in his book.

"I don't know what happens to his legacy," Johnson says ... "You know what? His legacy is fine with me."

Johnson says Kershaw's been plenty successful on the field ... and the fact that he's such a good dude off of it cements him as one of the game's greatest in his book.

But, Ernie does admit ... it would be nice if Clayton were able to somehow string together a postseason performance that lifts the Dodgers to a title.

At least one world leader will be in the crowd when Alberto El Patron fights Tito Ortiz in December ... because Alberto says the President of Mexico has agreed to be his VIP guest.

The former WWE superstar -- formerly known as Alberto Del Rio -- is taking on the UFC Hall of Famer in a Combate Americas MMA event on Dec. 7 in Hidalgo, Texas.

Tito Ortiz previously told us he invited Donald Trump and the First Family to the event since he's pretty tight with the Trumps ... but it's unclear if they will attend.

But, Alberto says President Andrés Manuel López Obrador is on board.

Boxing superstar Errol Spence -- one of the top pound-for-pound fighters in the world -- is badly injured and being treated in an Intensive Care Unit in Dallas after crashing a white Ferrari early Thursday morning.

The 29-year-old was driving on Riverfront Blvd. around 3 AM at a high rate of speed, according to cops, when the car went over the center median and flipped at least 5 times.

Spence, who was not wearing a seatbelt, was ejected from the car and suffered serious injuries, officials say. You can see in the photos, obtained by FOX 4, it doesn't appear the vehicle has a roof.

Spence was transported to a nearby hospital for treatment. Police say he's expected to survive.

The Dallas Police Dept. raced to the scene. Several officers were seen investigating the crash. It's unclear at this point if they believe alcohol was a factor.

New York Jets safety Jamal Adams was dancing his face off Thursday ... 'cause the league overturned his fine for hitting Baker Mayfield -- AND HE WAS STOKED!!!

Back in Week 2 ... Jamal laid a questionable hit on the Browns quarterback -- and the superstar defender was PISSED after he was fined for it.

Jamal called it "bullsh*t" and appealed it ... and after he won this week -- he did a little victory dance and rubbed it in to reporters!!!

"HA HA!!!" Adams said. "I told ya'll, if you just listen to me, I'm going to be completely honest, and I'm going to tell you straight up, I knew I was going to win it."

Adams -- who's KILLING It for NY this season -- said he's gonna do some big things with the fresh $21k that was returned to him for winning the appeal ... saying a gift for Mom is now on the way!!!

“I can spend that lovely money on my mother – for her birthday so, you know, I’m excited.”

Colin Kaepernick's team has released a 2-page "fact" sheet about the QB in the hopes of killing false rumors that have been dogging him ... and he makes it clear he still wants to play.

The document was issued by Colin's sports agent, Jeff Nalley -- who says in the 25 years he's worked in the business, he's never seen anyone treated as poorly and unfairly as Colin.

Nalley says he reached out to all 32 NFL teams but has gotten "little to no response."

"Not a single team has offered Colin a job since the 2016 season, in which he began his peaceful protest," Nalley says.

"Not a single team has brought Colin in for a workout. Seattle brought Colin in for a visit but did not work him out. Afterward, Pete Carroll said Colin is a 'starter in this league.'"

The Seahawks incident occurred around early April 2018.

"No other NFL team has interviewed or worked out Colin in the past 3 seasons, despite other false statements in the media to the contrary."

Nalley says rumors Colin is demanding a specific salary are "completely false" and the notion Colin doesn't want to play is just wrong.

In fact, Nalley says Colin has been "working out 5 days a week, for 3 years, in preparation to play again."

Nalley says Kaepernick has proved he can fit into most NFL offenses.

And, get this, Kap's camp breaks down his last NFL season -- when he played for the 49ers in 2016 -- saying Colin was great despite playing with WRs who dropped a ton of passes.

Kap's rep points out in 2016, the 49ers ranked 4th in dropped passes and 29th in pass-blocking efficiency ... along with having the worst-ranked defense in the NFL.

"In summary, it is difficult to think of another young player in NFL history with statistics and character as impressive as Colin's not being given an opportunity to earn a spot on an NFL roster after what he has accomplished."

Antonio Brown has such a great relationship with the police in Hollywood, Florida ... they're letting him work out on their official football field -- and he looks damn good.

Check out this footage of AB running routes and catching passes during a Thursday afternoon workout ... he's clearly the best unemployed WR on the planet.

When we started digging around about the location of the workout, we learned the venue is the official football field of the Hollywood Police Athletic League.

We called the HPAL and a staffer told us AB has been working out there for years -- since his Pittsburgh Steelers days -- and he's got a great reputation with the cops.

In other words, they're happy to host Brown while he tries to get back in the NFL.

What's weird is that Brown is alleged to have raped a woman in Hollywood, Florida in 2018 -- and while the accuser never filed a criminal complaint against him, her civil lawsuit is currently active.

For the record, Brown has adamantly denied the allegations against him.

What are YOUUUUUU doing here?!!?

Andrew Luck returned to the Colts headquarters in Indianapolis on Thursday -- the first time we've seen him back there since retiring in August ... and he looks happy!

The QB hung up his cleats right before the regular season kicked off, explaining he couldn't handle any more physical abuse.

Of course, Jacoby Brissett took over as QB1 and he's been doing pretty well so far ... the Colts are 3-2 and coming off a huge upset victory over the KC Chiefs.

The Colts are on a bye this week -- but a bunch of players were still at the facility on Thursday including T.Y. Hilton, Jacoby ... and Andrew Luck!?

Yep!

In fact, the healthy-looking Luck even posed for a pic with Brissett, actor Mike Epps and Amp Harris, a big-time promoter/manager.

Remember, the fans in Indy booed Luck off the field when they learned of his impending retirement ... and Luck said the boos hurt his feelings.

But, seems it's all water under the bridge now ... which is good to see.

30-year-old Luck -- who reportedly made more than $109 MILLION during his NFL career -- has said he wanted to travel the world and live life away from football.