TMZ Sports - Page 50

Colby Covington's support for President Trump has turned into an all-out bromance with POTUS' son ... 'cause Donald Trump Jr. says he considers the UFC star a good friend!!

Of course, the Trump family has been frequenting UFC events lately -- Trump Jr. and Eric were Covington's personal guests to his fight against Robbie Lawler in Aug. ... and they both attended UFC 244 last weekend with #45 himself.

As for Colby, he's been invited to 1600 Penn ... and even snapped a pic with Trump in the Oval Office.

So, when we saw DTJ out in NYC on Tuesday, we had to ask about the UFC megafight -- and if he'd ever consider walking a fighter out to the Octagon.

"I'd go out with Colby," Trump Jr. told us ... "He's become a good friend. There's a lot of great fighters out there but Colby's become a friend."

He might get his wish soon ... Colby is set to fight Kamaru Usman for the UFC welterweight championship at UFC 245 on Dec. 14 at the T-Mobile Arena in Vegas.

In fact, Colby put Don Jr.'s new book "Triggered" front and center at the official UFC 245 press conference last week to announce the fight. He also rocked his signature red MAGA hat.

Ex-New York Giants star Chris Canty ain't jumping off the Daniel Jones hype train just yet ... telling TMZ Sports he still thinks DJ's the future of the G-Men!!

"My man, Danny Dimes, is going to be all right!!" Canty says.

Daniel looked pretty whatever since his electric debut against the Buccaneers earlier this year ... and against the Cowboys on "Monday Night Football," his three turnovers cost his team a chance at a win.

But, when we got Canty out in NYC on Tuesday morning ... he told us he's still riding with the rookie QB, saying, "I think he's the next franchise quarterback for Big Blue."

Of course, there are a lot of people who are starting to doubt that ... Jones is just 1-5 since his 1st start in Tampa Bay -- and, overall, he's got 9 fumbles and 8 interceptions in just 7 starts.

Daniel himself has admitted he needs to play better ... saying after the Giants' 37-18 loss to the Cowboys, "Anytime you turn the ball over, it's costly to the team, so I gotta work on that."

NBA rising star John Collins has been suspended without pay for 25 games after the Hawks power forward tested positive for an illegal growth hormone ... the league announced Tuesday.

The 22-year-old stud violated the league's anti-drug policy after getting flagged for growth hormone-releasing peptide 2 ...  which increases food intake and appetite, according to studies.

Collins is the 3rd player this season to get popped for violating the league's anti-drug policy ... joining Brooklyn's Wilson Chandler and Phoenix Suns star DeAndre Ayton.

Collins addressed the test results in a statement to ESPN saying he plans to appeal the punishment.

"First I want to apologize to my teammates, the Hawks organization, our fans, partners and community as a whole for this situation."

"I understand the impact this matter has on what we are trying to achieve together this season, and I am incredibly frustrated and disappointed in myself for putting all us in this position."

"I have always been incredibly careful about what I put in my body, but I took a supplement, which unbeknownst to me, had been contaminated with an illegal component."

Collins -- the 19th overall pick in the 2017 draft out of Wake Forest -- has been averaging 17 points and 8 rebounds for ATL this season.

Dana White is a HUGE fan of boxing superstar Tyson Fury -- but tells TMZ Sports he thinks the Gypsy King would get "smashed" if he's serious about fighting in the UFC.

Fury has been very vocal lately about wanting to take a stab at MMA -- and says Conor McGregor has personally offered to train him up.

So, when we spoke with UFC honcho Dana White, we asked if there was a possibility the two could work out a deal to get Fury in the Octagon.

"Listen, anything's possible," White tells us ... "If Tyson Fury wants to fight in MMA, I've got a ton of guys that would love to fight him. I just don't know why."

White says Fury is an "incredible fighter" -- but he's one of the top heavyweight boxers in the world and should stick with that sport to make as much money as possible.

"Promoted the right way. [Fury] could be a part of 3 or 4 of the biggest fights in heavyweight [boxing] history. Why come over and get smashed when you could stay there?"

But, there is ONE boxing champ White says he'd love to see in the UFC -- Claressa Shields.

Shields is undefeated and has WRECKED every woman who has stepped in the ring with her. She recently told us she's begun MMA training and wants to take a fight in 2020.

"I understand Shields wanting to come over here," White said ... noting top female UFC fighter are making way more money than top female boxers.

"Yes, I'm definitely interested in that. If you look at [Shields], she's the best in boxing and I have the G.O.A.T. I have the greatest female fighter of all time right now in Amanda Nunes."

Claressa has said she'd LOVE a superfight with Nunes -- but needs time to work on her ground game first.

Jermaine Whitehead has now seen the error of his and has apologized for threatening to shoot and kill fans on social media.

Oh, and the apology comes 24 hours after he was cut by the Cleveland Browns.

In a statement that essentially reads "please, somebody hire me" -- the 26-year-old defensive back tries desperately to show remorse for the aggressive Twitter rant that got him suspended online and fired from his job.

"I would like to take this opportunity to apologize for my actions following our game with Denver," Whitehead said.

"That was totally out of character for me. I do not justify my actions, but was extremely frustrated with the way I had played and our team losing because of it. I was playing with a broken hand, but that is no excuse for my actions, and I am deeply regretful."

Remember, minutes after the Browns lost to the Denver Broncos ... Whitehead went on social media and began clapping back at his critics.

"Imma kill you bitch ... that's on blood," he told one guy.

"Don't get shot at lil bitch ... can you whoop my ass .. .f*ck football .. let me know when you need the address," he told another.

When one fan asked for Whitehead's address, the NFL player gave out the address to the Cleveland Browns facility in Ohio.

The Browns cut him first thing Monday morning and now Whitehead is trying to find a new job. Hence the apology ...

"I want to personally apologize to anyone who I offended, especially those who I was responsive to on Twitter. My choice of words did not reflect who I am, but only what I was feeling."

"Also, my sincerest apologies to my teammates, coaches, the Browns organization and most of all, the fans and kids that motivate me to even pursue this dream."

"Again I am deeply sorry for my unacceptable behavior, and I wish the Browns the best of luck in the future. I love you!"

Michael Bennett stood for the national anthem in his Dallas Cowboys debut Monday night ... this despite his long history of protesting during the pregame song.

Bennett -- a strong Colin Kaepernick supporter who hasn't stood for the anthem since 2016 -- was spotted on the Cowboys sideline next to teammates with a towel around his shoulders just before kickoff.

When he was with the Seahawks, the star pass rusher sat on the bench while the anthem played ... and during his time with the Patriots this year, he just stayed in the locker room.

But both Jerry Jones and Jason Garrett made it clear last week after trading for Bennett that he was given specific instructions to do "what all of our players do" ... and seems MB got the memo.

As for Bennett's thoughts on it all ... we're still waiting for comment -- he's dodged reporters since his trade to Dallas and declined to speak again after the Cowboys' win over the Giants.

Anthem drama aside, MB was a STUD in his first game with his new team ... he recorded two tackles and a sack and got constant pressure on NY QB Daniel Jones all night.

"I thought he was really impactful in there," Jones told reporters after the game ... "He really is a great addition for us. I don’t use that word much, but he's a great addition."

LSU star QB Joe Burrow says it's "pretty cool" President Trump is coming to his big rivalry game Saturday against Alabama ... no matter what political party you belong to.

FYI, Trump's team has reportedly notified the University of Alabama that he'll attend Saturday's game at Bryant-Denny Stadium in Tuscaloosa ... the 3rd big sporting event he'll attend in just a few weeks.

The game is huge -- LSU is ranked #1 and Bama is ranked #2.

Remember, Trump was booed at the World Series in D.C. and got a mixed welcome at UFC 244 in NYC.

So, when 22-year-old Burrow was asked how he felt about the Trump situation, you can tell he's wording his answer very carefully.

"Regardless of your political views, it's pretty cool having the President at the game," Burrow said.

"Doesn't matter if you're a Democrat or a Republican, President at the game is pretty cool."

President Trump is a big football fan -- he was an owner in the USFL back in the day and famously made an effort to buy the Buffalo Bills. He's also friendly with powerful football people, from Robert Kraft to Mike Leach, Ben Roethlisberger and Herschel Walker.

One of the biggest stars in gaming is calling for the company behind "Fortnite" to reconsider its LIFETIME ban on FaZe Jarvis ... telling TMZ Sports it's just unfair.

As we previously reported, 17-year-old Jarvis -- one of the top players in the world -- admitted to using aimbots (illegal software) to cheat at the game.

Epic Games immediately issued a lifetime ban against Jarvis -- and told TMZ Sports they have a "no tolerance" policy when it comes to cheaters.

So, when we saw KSI leaving the Belasco Theater in L.A. on Monday night, we asked if he thought Jarvis was getting a raw deal.

"He shouldn't have cheated, but yeah it's pretty harsh," KSI said ... "Hopefully it's not a lifetime ban."

"I'd love to see him come back."

KSI isn't the only gamer who feels that way -- there's been a backlash over the punishment from people who think a 1-strike rule for aimbots is just too severe ... especially since Jarvis isn't even a legal adult yet.

As for Jarvis, he made a video fessing up to cheating -- and begged for Epic Games to reconsider ... but the gaming company isn't budging.

Brooke Burke has moved on to a new man a little over a year after filing for divorce from her husband, David Charvet -- and she's already introducing him to her reality TV pals.

The model and actress was recently spotted at the brand new Nobu Hotel Los Cabos, where she arrived with her new man, Scott Rigsby. They were joined by a couple "Dancing with the Stars" pros who were there with their significant others.

Julianne Hough came out with her ex-hockey player hubby, Brooks Laich -- and her bro, Derek Hough, was on hand with his own GF, Hayley Erbert. The group of six laid out in style at the Nobu Hotel Los Cabos and enjoyed the facility's many amenities ... and trust, there's a lot ... gym, restaurant and more.

Photogs captured the 'DWTS' crew hitting up the gym, lounging out under their own cabanas and enjoying poolside margaritas. They even got couples massages!

We're told at one point, the dancing team actually met up with some other celebs staying at the resort -- Erika Christensen, Dania Ramirez and Mario Lopez.

As for Rigsby, he's a partner of LA-based real estate development company Redcar LTD.

Here's a fun way to escape your 1-7 teammates ...

Julio Jones ditched the Falcons during his squad's bye this weekend ... flying all the way out to the Bahamas to bro down with Roddy White for the ex-ATL star's birthday -- and it looked awesome!!!

The party went down at SLS Baha Mar in Nassau ... with White throwing a cool little get-together at the resort's swanky pool for his 38th.

There was bottle service, signs that spelled out "Roddy" ... and plenty of R&R for Julio before he had to get back to an Atlanta team with no hopes of the playoffs this season.

It's pretty cool that the two NFL studs are still good friends ... Jones and Roddy played together from 2011 to 2015 -- but shared a bond much bigger than just football.

Roddy was instrumental in helping Julio during his first few years in the league ... while 30-year-old Julio was later there for White to help him after he tragically lost his brother in 2014.

"Every day, he called me and checked up on me," White said of Julio at the time to NFL.com. "Asked me how I was doing, came down for the funeral, showed up at the house. You know, that was really, really special to me. I needed him to get through that."

ARE YOU TRYING TO GIVE LEBRON A HEART ATTACK?!?

Anthony Davis just dropped a hint his stint in L.A. could come to an end after just one season ... saying "it's a possibility" he leaves the Lakers for his hometown Chicago Bulls next year.

The Lakers are in town to play the Bulls this week .. so the Brow made a stop at LuLu's Hot Dogs on Monday to speak with folks from his alma mater, Perspectives Charter School.

During a Q&A at the event, AD was asked if he'd ever want to play for his hometown team ... and the dude didn't shut it down at all, even saying it could happen as early as 2020.

"I mean, obviously, it's nothing like playing at home," Davis said. "I don't know. I am a free agent next year ... but I mean ... we'll see, we'll see. It's a possibility."

Of course, AD is a Chicago legend ... he averaged 32 points and 18 rebounds in his senior season at Perspectives, which landed him as the top prospect in the country.

Does this mean Davis is leaving? Absolutely not. Should Laker nation be worried? Who knows.

Conor McGregor "vehemently denies" sexually assaulting a woman in a car outside of a Dublin pub in mid-October ... this according to his manager.

Audie Attar, who's been working with Conor for 8 years, appeared on "Ariel Helwani's MMA Show" on Monday where he was asked specifically about the allegations.

"[Conor] vehemently denies any allegation of sexual misconduct or any wrongdoing," Attar said.

As we previously reported, officials are reportedly investigating the allegations made by a woman in her 20s. It's the second time someone has accused McGregor of sexual assault in less than 12 months.

McGregor was reportedly arrested in Dublin back in January as part of an investigation into another alleged sexual assault at a hotel in Dublin in Dec. 2018. McGregor's rep slammed the report as "rumors."

And on Monday, Attar chalked the reports up to "relentless" tabloids pushing fake news.

Attar told Helwani ... Conor is laser-focused on returning to the UFC Octagon on Jan. 18 -- and the reported allegations won't prevent that from happening.

Kellen Winslow Jr. has pled guilty to raping an unconscious 17-year-old girl back during a 2003 incident and now faces up to 18 years in prison.

The ex-NFL star cut a plea deal with prosecutors in his serial rape case involving 5 different accusers -- several of them older transients.

Back in June, Winslow was convicted on 4 criminal charges ... but the jury was deadlocked on 8 remaining charges.

Winslow was due back in a San Diego court Monday for a retrial on the 8 remaining counts but cut a plea deal minutes ago in which he pled guilty to 2 counts -- sexual battery and rape of unconscious person.

In exchange for his plea, the remaining 6 charges were dropped -- which is a big deal for Kellen because he was facing a LIFE sentence if convicted on those 6 counts.

Instead, he's only facing between 12 and 18 years in prison. A sentencing hearing is scheduled for February 19.

As for Monday's 2 guilty pleas -- the sexual battery involves Jane Doe #1, a 54-year-old woman who claims Winslow raped her in his Jeep in 2018.

The other count, rape of an unconscious person, involved Jane Doe #4 who claimed Winslow raped her at a party in 2003 when she was 17 and he was 19.

Winslow had previously denied ALL allegations and vowed to prove his innocence.

During Monday's hearing, Winslow Jr. begged the judge to give him the minimum sentence -- 12 years -- so he could see his family.

Kellen's father, NFL Hall of Famer Kellen Winslow Sr., was also in the courtroom and got very emotional during the hearing ... at one point telling the prosecutor, "Do NOT look over here."

Flashing your boobs to the whole country at the World Series definitely has its perks... 'cause models Lauren Summer and Kayla Lauren got the VIP hookup at the L.A. Chargers game!!!

Of course, just last week the ladies made global headlines for exposing their chests while Gerrit Cole was on the mound during Game 5 of the Fall Classic.

MLB booted them from the ballpark and banned them from all MLB events FOR LIFE --  but apparently, they're still welcome at NFL games!!!

So, Lauren and Kayla threw on some Keenan Allen jerseys and hit up the Dignity Health Sports Park in Carson, CA on Sunday where they got special field access during warmups before the Bolts took on the Packers.

Don't worry, they kept it PG this time.

No sign of Julia Rose at the game, so the trifecta wasn't totally complete ... but 2 outta 3 ain't bad!

For the record, it's unclear if the women were invited by the Chargers -- or if they got hooked up from someone else. We reached out to the team for comment but haven't heard back.

Seems the women were good luck charms for the Chargers -- considering L.A. easily handled the Pack in a 26-11 victory with Aaron Rodgers having one of his worst games of the season.

Maybe he was just distracted.

Jessi Combs -- the "Fastest Woman on Four Wheels" -- crashed her jet-car because her front wheel gave out.

According to the Harney County Sheriff's Office ... the front wheel of Jessi's jet-powered car suffered a mechanical failure before her fatal crash, and the front wheel assembly most likely collapsed as a result of hitting an object during her attempt at breaking her own land-speed record.

The Sheriff released the findings Monday after completing an investigation into the crash ... and they say the front wheel failed when Jessi's jet-car reached around 550 miles per hour.

Jessi's cause of death was also determined to be blunt force trauma to the head, which the Sheriff says occurred before her race vehicle was engulfed in flames following the crash.

As we reported ... Jessi's jet-powered car crashed and killed her in August in the Alvord Desert in Oregon. Photos of the wreckage showed her 56-foot-long jet-car -- the North American Eagle -- completely destroyed, and the footage we obtained shows her traveling at incredible speeds before the crash.

"I thought the train was going to cut him in half, honestly."

That's how a city employee described the scene after he saved a man from an oncoming train after the Oakland Raiders game Sunday -- and footage of the whole ordeal is WILD.

Shortly after the Raiders beat the Lions ... a nearby Oakland BART stop was so packed with Raider fans that a man got too close to the tracks and fell.

You can see in the video how dire the situation was ... 'cause a train was barreling down on the man just seconds away from his body!!!

But, BART employee John O'Conner quickly sprang into action ... grabbing the man and pulling him off the tracks with barely a second to spare.

Afterward, O'Conner admitted to CBS SF he thought the guy was going to die.

"Everybody was telling him, ‘Get out of the trackway, a train’s coming," O'Conner said. “I thought the train was going to cut him in half, honestly ... I didn’t want to see this guy die."

Fortunately for everybody involved ... both men were okay, and cameras caught the two sharing a big embrace afterward.

As for O'Conner, BART officials say he's a Transportation Supervisor who's been working for the company for two decades ... and called the whole situation "an amazing rescue."