TMZ Sports - Page 50

Stefon Diggs was one happy man on Sunday -- he and his team beat the Lions at home ... all while wearing a pair of cleats that the Clown Prince of Gotham would greatly approve of.

The Vikings wide receiver turned heads out at Ford Field, not just because he was playing like a stud -- 7 catches and 142 yards by the end -- but probably more for his footwear ... a pair of custom "Joker" cleats,  with Joaquin Phoenix's mug painted on the side.

There was also a recurring theme from the hit movie written in as well ... "Put On a Happy Face."

What makes these Adidas even cooler is the fact that Stefon had them colored in to match the Joker's actual costume from the flick -- when he finally transforms, that is.

BTW, Stefon has a bit of a history of rockin' pimped out cleats -- literally wearing themes from Starbucks to-go cups to SpongeBob memes and almost everything in between. Props to his cleat guy ... always up to date on the latest trends, and with a nice touch.

NFL safety Su'a Cravens got into a crazy fight with Denver Nuggets guard Malik Beasley in an apartment lobby ... and TMZ Sports has the insane video.

It all went down at an upscale apartment complex in Denver on August 9 -- and you can see 22-year-old Beasley pacing the lobby without a shirt while wearing his Nuggets shorts.

We're told Beasley was heated over a situation involving a mutual female friend -- Instagram model Montana Yao -- and had called out Cravens to settle things once and for all.

You can see in the video, Cravens -- who was a member of the Broncos at the time -- enters the lobby and is immediately confronted by Beasley.

One thing quickly leads to another and the fists begin to fly.

The 2 pros trade blows for a minute before Su'a takes Beasley to the ground and appears to be winning the fight from the top position.

You can see Yao and a male friend of Beasley's jump in and removed Cravens. The NFL player eventually backs away from the scrum.

Yao is seen trying desperately to hold Beasley back -- using all of her strength to keep him from continuing the fight. After literally forcing herself in between the two combatants, she eventually throws herself to the ground and appears to be sobbing.

Meantime, we're told Cravens continued to taunt Beasley -- and invited him to "step outside" to continue the fight. Beasley DID go outside, but we're not sure what happened next.

What we do know ... Cravens went to Snapchat after the fight and bragged about beating Beasley up.

"I just had to beat a n***a ass that just tried me," Cravens said while wearing the same cloths from the brawl ... "Scratched my face, but I f*cked that n***a up, ol bitch ass n***a."

We're told law enforcement was NOT called about the fight ... and both parties have tried their damnedest to keep the incident under wraps.

Cravens was a star at USC before getting selected by the Washington Redskins in the 2nd round of the 2016 NFL Draft. He signed with the Broncos in 2018 but was cut on August 30 2019. He's currently a free agent.

Beasley played one season at Florida State before going to the Nuggets with the 19th overall pick in 2016.

We know you're wondering ... so here's the tale of the tape.

Su'a is 6'1", 224 lbs. Beasley is 6'5", 195 lbs.

We've reached out to Cravens', Beasley's and Yao's reps ... so far, no word back.

Move over Ed Reed and Troy Polamalu ... ex-Packers star Nick Collins says HE was the best safety of his era -- and he tells TMZ Sports he DEFINITELY belongs in Canton!!

"I think of my 7 years of playing I think I was the best safety in that era," Collins says. "My numbers show it."

Collins played for Green Bay from 2005 to 2011 (he was in the same draft class as Aaron Rodgers) ... and he racked up 21 INTs in 95 career games.

And, even though his career was cut short due to injury ... the Pro Football Hall of Fame still named him one of 122 finalists for 2020.

When we spoke with the 36-year-old this week, he told us he has ZERO doubts about his candidacy, telling us straight-up, "I do think I belong in Canton."

"Not knocking nothing that the guys before me or the guys gon’ be after me," Collins says, "but I just think I brought a new dynamic to the game with speed, a lot of versatility."

Nick made 3 Pro Bowls in his time in the league ... and says he would have made so many more if he didn't hurt his neck that he'd be considered one of the game's greatest ever today!!

"I think you, right now, can say I would be the number one safety in the NFL right now."

Ex- NFL star Tamba Hali says Liberia's education system is so poor he "could barely read and write" when he arrived in America as a kid ... and he tells TMZ Sports that's why he's building a school in his home country.

Hali -- a sack machine on the field who made 5 Pro Bowls over his 12 season NFL career -- says the education system in Liberia badly needs help.

"Going back, interacting with the people, the elders, the young people. You can tell because of the civil war and all the negative things that's happened," Hali says.

"The country is way behind when it comes to education,  what my kids are learning, kids there that are 14, 15 years old cannot even do. Kids can't even add, can't even multiply. You wonder what the [education] system is like. In my looking at Liberia, it's to try to create a better Liberia for the future."

But, starting a school ain't easy ... or cheap.

"We're starting small. So we want to know we can do it on a very small level. Our goal is to just raise hopefully maybe $300,000, and start from 1st grade," Hali says.

"We're not trying to do something above and beyond. We'll start with the youngest because they're the ones that are gonna make a difference in 20 years from now in the community there."

Tamba -- who's currently looking for a location to build the school -- says he plans on starting with 1 facility ... but won't rule out building multiple schools.

"Right now we're focused on one school. If we have success, we'll try to do more. But like my old coach would say, 'take care of the little things.'" .

Andy Ruiz might want to think twice about ditching his fat ... cause "The Biggest Loser" trainer Dolvett Quince tells TMZ Sports he might advise the stud boxer against it!!

"I think the weight that he had on was to his advantage," Quince says ... "Maybe the blows didn't hit as hard."

Of course, Ruiz -- who's got a huge rematch coming up against Anthony Joshua -- doesn't seem to be listening ... he appears to be dropping lbs by the day -- check out this vid he posted earlier this week!!

Right??? Dude's downright skinny as hell now!!!

Quince tells us he's happy Andy is shaping up a bit ... but the famous trainer says he's got at least a little bit of worry that Ruiz's boxing skills could suffer if he gets any thinner.

But, don't get it twisted, above all, Quince is just stoked Andy's getting healthier ... telling us, "From a health perspective, you're doing your thing, man!"

From on-screen stars to singers and directors, celebs from every part of the industry have been able to strike up a deal outside of what they're best known for!

As we head into the MLB World Series, we're highlighting the biggest stars that have been granted the opportunity to play ball!

Stars such as Sophia Bush, Kanye West, Judd Apatow, and plenty more have been able to strike up a deal and pitch to a whole new crowd.

Conor McGregor is reportedly being investigated for a second alleged sexual assault -- although he hasn't been arrested ... and vehemently denies the claim.

The UFC star has been accused of sexually assaulting a 20-something woman in her car last week outside of a Dublin pub, and a complaint has been filed with police there ... this according to the New York Times, citing anonymous law enforcement sources.

The paper says authorities have yet to interview McGregor, and he has yet to be charged as well. McGregor's spokesperson tells TMZ that Conor is often the subject of rumors, adding that his client "emphatically denies any report accusing him of sexual assault."

Of course, this comes months after McGregor was reportedly arrested and questioned for another alleged sexual assault that an accuser says happened in December of last year. The Times reports he was taken into custody back in January of this year, but got released pending further investigation ... which is standard there in the Republic.

Again, McGregor has NOT yet been charged in that case either ... and vehemently denied the Times's account at the time, while also denying the investigation is why he retired.

The timing of this second accusation of sexual assault probably couldn't have come at a worse time, considering McGregor is already facing charges in his native land for allegedly roughing up an old-timer in an Irish bar, of which TMZ got surveillance footage.

He was just in court this last week -- looking sharp too -- where he was told he'd have to either enter a plea or request a trial date at his next hearing on Nov. 1.

Tom Brady makes an eyebrow-raising cameo in Paul Rudd's new TV show, but he absolutely denies it was a shot at Robert Kraft ... and he may have a point.

Here's the deal ... the Patriots quarterback makes a brief appearance in Netflix's new comedy series, "Living with Yourself," which just debuted Friday. In an out-of-context clip that's going viral, Tom strolls out the front doors of a massage parlor called "Top Happy Spa."

Rudd's character meets Brady as he pulls up and internally debates whether he wants to go in or not. At that moment, TB walks out and asks Rudd, "First time?" Rudd says yes, and asks it back to Brady ... he tells Rudd, "Six," before getting into an SUV and driving off.

Obviously, with Kraft's prostitution case ... folks are wondering whether Brady's participation was a dig at his boss, or if this scene was shot before Tom knew about it. As it turns out, the show's creator says Tom shot the scene after the Kraft scandal became public.

But, Tom's calling BS, telling reporters Saturday that the scene was written 4 years ago, and that he had no idea that his character would be exiting a spa when he shot his cameo earlier this year ... adding that there was a green screen behind him while on set.

TB said, "It's unfortunate that people would choose to think I would do something like that about Mr. Kraft." He continued by saying the similarities were just a coincidence.

What added fuel to the fire prior to Brady's comments was the fact that the show's creator, Timothy Greenberg, previously told media outlets that, as noted above, Brady had shot the scene AFTER Kraft's scandal went public ... the implication being TB knew what he was doing.

Granted, Greenberg says they'd discussed Tom's involvement before the scandal broke, but when it finally came to light ... he for sure thought TB would pull out. To his surprise, the G.O.A.T. didn't ... and Greenberg says he never understood why, and didn't care to find out.

What's still unclear, though, is if Tom had actually been told what exactly the scene entailed and if he'd been given a copy of the script beforehand. Based on what he said Saturday, it makes it seem he was in the dark as to the context of the scene.

Presumably, if he'd known he was leaving a massage parlor, he might not have done it ... at least that's what we can glean from what he told reporters.

Now, for the real context of the scene ... it's not what you may think based on this one clip. In the minutes leading up to the scene, it's revealed that Rudd's character has impotence issues with his wife, and is looking into options to help him -- fertility clinics, etc.

At a bar, a friend of his tells him about a day spa he went to that rejuvenated him and his libido -- which Rudd initially scoffs off as just a place to get a "h*** j**."

The friend tells him otherwise though, saying it's not like that ... and that the spa gives you a full makeover, which might be able to help Rudd's situation. The friend tells him it's a highly exclusive place, with only VIP clients that pay a fortune for a session.

The Hong Kong protests migrated to the U.S. Friday, where demonstrators tore into the NBA and LeBron James during the Raptors/Nets Game in Brooklyn.

The demonstrators were holding signs that read, "Human Rights Matter! Here + There!" and "NBA Stand for Freedom" while wearing T-shirts that read "Free Tibet" and "Stand With Hong Kong."

One sign read, "Tsai & LeBron: Morey was right - NBA: Stand for freedom” and “Don’t let China buy our silence, people are dying to be free”.

Protesters continued chanting until they were escorted out of the arena by security. They vowed to continue appearing at NBA games.

Tensions between the NBA, the Chinese government and pro-Hong Kong protesters intensified over the last week. It started when Houston Rockets GM Daryl Morey tweeted in support of Hong Kong.

MLB superagent Matt Sosnick -- whose agency reps huge stars like Pete Alonso -- was arrested for domestic violence for allegedly choking his wife in front of their young daughter ... and now she has a restraining order against him.

FYI, Sosnick is a big deal in Major League Baseball ... his powerful SCK Sports agency reps All-Stars like 2018 AL Cy Young winner Blake Snell, and Mets slugger Pete Alonso ... as well studs like Jay Bruce, Mitch Haniger and Blake Treinen.

Matt initially gained notoriety in the early 2000s for repping ex-Marlins star Dontrelle Willis, who actually got Sosnick's agency's logo tattooed on his arm during his pitching days.

But now, Matt's wife, Erica Sosnick, has filed for divorce from the 50-year-old -- alleging he roughed her up during an Oct. 8 incident.

We've confirmed Matt was arrested by the Danville PD in Northern California on Oct. 8 for domestic violence and misdemeanor child endangerment.

We've also learned Erica filed court docs requesting a temporary restraining order against Matt, which was granted almost immediately.

According to court docs obtained by TMZ Sports, Erica claims Matt "grabbed my neck and squeezed" and told her, "I will destroy you." Erica then says he threw her across the room -- where she crashed into a table, all while their 9-year-old daughter watched.

Erica says their daughter called her former nanny and told the woman, "Daddy is yelling at mom. Mom is hurt."

Erica says in court docs she suffered injuries in the attack -- including bruising and swelling on her arm and red marks in the shape of handprints around her throat ... and she says things took an even worse turn the next day.

Erica claims on Oct. 9, she received text messages from Matt saying he was going to kill himself ... telling her, "I've already decided ...Saying goodbye to kids" and "My death is on you."

Erica's request for a temporary restraining order against Matt was granted -- and the next day, officials say Matt VIOLATED the order ... so he was arrested again on Oct. 9.

Now, Erica is asking the court for a more permanent restraining order. Records show she also got a move-out order against Matt, requiring him to leave the family residence. She's also filed divorce docs seeking to end their 11-year marriage, citing irreconcilable differences.

Matt -- who was reportedly named 1 of the 5 most influential young people in baseball by Forbes in 2008 -- is currently one of the biggest agents in the MLB.

This might be the classiest clap back ever ... Floyd Mayweather subtly responding to 50 Cent after the rapper said Floyd's protege Gervonta Davis stole Mayweather's chick.

Earlier this week, 50 posted a video on social media saying he got a tip about someone who "took champ's bitch" -- and then identified the lady stealer as Davis.

"I don't know what the f**k," 50 said ... "Nelly took one of the bitches, Ray J took one of the bitches, now Gervonta done took one of the bitches. He bought the bitch a Bentley, Maybach, motherf**king condo and all that s**t. Now Gervonta got the bitch? N***a probably want to put a suicide note, man."

So, when we saw Floyd this week, we asked him about Gervonta -- and Mayweather showered him with praise, essentially saying Davis is like family.

"He's an unbelievable fighter and they can’t stop him," Floyd said.

"He’s the best at what he do. I’m behind him. I look at him like a son, ya know? I’ve been working with him for years now. And, the only thing we’re gonna do is keep racking those victories and beating the best they got out there."

Seem like a guy who thinks Gervonta stole his lady??? Not really ...

Paige VanZant says Mackenzie Dern is a HUGE inspiration -- showing that women CAN still have a career in the UFC even after giving birth!!!

Of course, Dern lost her comeback fight to Amanda Ribas just 4 months after giving birth to her baby daughter ... but the fight went the distance and Dern still looked pretty dangerous.

25-year-old VanZant says watching Dern fight "put things into perspective for me" about the reality of starting a family with her MMA fighter husband, Austin Vanderford, while maintaining a career as an MMA fighter.

"I always thought that I was going to have kids once I’m done fighting but now seeing that, I’m like no you don’t have to."

"[Dern] legitimately, in the time I broke my arm, she had a baby, came back and fought. So, now I’m like okay there’s hope for me!"

"Me and my husband, I can have a few more fights, maybe have kids and then still continue to fight. I don’t have to give up my dreams, just because you go through childbirth."

"It’s really inspiring and I hope other women can see that too. She’s still young and she’s going to have a really successful UFC career, it’s awesome."

NFL breakout star James Bradberry has been balling OUT OF HIS MIND this season ... and he's telling TMZ Sports his biggest motivation for putting in all that extra work -- getting a FAT new contract!!!

The 26-year-old Carolina Panthers cornerback is widely considered one of the biggest bargains this season ... considering he's still on his rookie contract (4 years, $3.69 million) and has racked up 3 INTs and 30 tackles.

Yeah ... he's a beast.

We spoke with Bradberry about going HAM during his contract year ... and he admits it's given him some extra oomph when he takes the field.

“I’d be lying if I said no," Bradberry tells us. "Definitely it’s always on my mind. And, you know, it just helps me play better. And, if I play good then the team does well. It helps on both ends."

And, what's really gonna make you root for this guy??? How he's gonna spend his money when he inks his new deal.

“The number one goal for me is to retire my mom. You know, my mom she’s worked hard. She’s pretty much a single parent for me and my sister. She’s taking care of my grandmother right now as well. So, if I can retire her, that’s my number one goal right now."

So, let's go Panthers ... PAY THIS MAN ALL THE MONEY!!!!

Lofa Tatupu says his body feels so good right now after using CBD ... he could make an NFL comeback TODAY -- and tells TMZ Sports he'd legit consider coming out of retirement if the league legalized it!!!

"If it's accepted in the next CBA," the former linebacker All-Pro says, "You might see a comeback -- I'll be 38 by then, but I don't care!"

Lofa was a superstar for the Seahawks from 2005 to 2010 ... earning 3 Pro Bowl selections and an All-Pro honor -- but injuries and concussions ultimately cut his NFL career short.

But, when we spoke with Tatupu earlier this week ... he says he's been taking CBD to cure his issues -- and he's never felt physically better in his life.

"I feel -- and I'm not lying -- better than my three Pro Bowl years," Tatupu says.

In fact, Lofa -- who's launched his own CBD company called ZoneIn CBD -- says he's feeling so good ... he thinks he could withstand the rigors of the NFL once again -- at nearly 40 years old!!!

Leornard Fournette is still devastated by his friend Jalen Ramsey getting traded to L.A. ... giving a blunt reaction to the NFL superstar's pics in his new uniform --

"Ain't this some sh*t."

Of course, Ramsey was shipped from the Jaguars to the Rams earlier this week in exchange for a couple of 1st round picks (as well as a 4th rounder) ... and Fournette was sad to see him go.

To add salt to the wound, the 24-year-old posted pics in his new practice threads on Friday -- smiling ear to ear and posing with fellow ex-Jag Dante Fowler.

"Reppin tha West side wit my Savage!!," Ramsey tweeted.

It's only been a few days, but Ramsey seems to love the move -- TMZ Sports shot him at LAX just hours after the trade and he told us he was "feeling good!!"

The Rams are currently 3-3 and 3rd in the NFC West ... but now that they have a shiny new piece on defense, fans have gotta be stoked to see #20 get on the field.

Nick Young and Rihanna???

It almost happened ... with the NBA star saying he shot his shot at the superstar after she watched him ball out at a Lakers game, but there was one thing holding him back ... Iggy Azalea.

It all went down around 2014, according to Swaggy (who told the story on the "Certified Buckets" podcast) ... saying he was motivated to play outta his mind after he saw RiRi sitting courtside at Staples Center.

"I had a good game, so [the reporters] asked me why ... and I said, you know, Rihanna was there."

Young says the shout-out got a reaction from Rihanna -- who actually hit him up afterward, but he didn't follow through because there was already another famous lady in the picture.

"She hit me back, but I couldn't go full throttle with it because I was like, in the beginning stages of my relationship with [Iggy]."

The hosts of the podcasts nearly lost their minds over Nick's revelation -- with Sarunas J Jackson saying straight-up, "WRONG ONE MAN!"

"You coulda been King of Barbados! You could have been first man of Barbados right now!"

Don't worry, Nick defended Iggy's honor -- "I think I did pretty good, though. It worked out for a little bit."

Of course, Nick and Iggy dated for years and even got engaged ... but things fell apart after Nick admitted messing around on Iggy on cell phone footage posted by then-teammate D'Angelo Russell ('memba that?!?).