TMZ Sports - Page 50

There's no football for Russell Wilson this week ... so he decided to get in a little futbol during the Seahawks' bye -- hitting Mexico for some soccer with Ciara!!!

The Seattle superstar grabbed his fam and smokin' hot wife and headed down to Cabo for a little R&R ... and the Wilson clan seemed to be having a blast on the Seahawks' off week.

Wilson had the guns out ... Ciara was in a bikini top ... and the whole crew looked thrilled to be getting some kicks in away from the rain in Seattle.

Of course, it ain't like there was much else Russ needed to escape in the Pacific Northwest  ... the QB is having the season of his life, and is a front runner for the NFL MVP award.

But, hey ... when you can go to Cabo with a bikini-clad Ciara -- nobody's gonna have a problem with that!!!

The MMA fighter who beat up TWO guys in a bathroom stall in a WILD brawl caught on video is telling TMZ Sports why he was attacked in the first place ... and it's INSANE!!!

The man at the center of the scuffle in the s**tter is ex-UFC fighter Jason Knight -- who now competes in the Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship.

In other words, HE'S THE WRONG GUY TO FIGHT IN A BATHROOM!

Knight tells us ... he was taking a leak at a club in Mobile, Alabama back in December when he heard two other guys in the bathroom complaining about their wives.

Knight says he jokingly yelled out, "F**k his wife" thinking it would a get a laugh -- but instead, the comment REALLY pissed off the pissers and they bum-rushed him in his stall.

"They snatched my stall door open and started talking crazy to me," Knight says ... and that's when he knew it was time to throw down.

You can see in the video ... Knight's backed up against the toilet, yet still manages to WAIL on the two assailants, landing some solid shots to the head in the process.

"I gave 'em the ol' shoulder shrug and I hit the big guy first. I was trying to put him down and make sure that it was a 1-on-1 fight, instead of a 2-on-1 fight. Either way, I pretty much put him down with the first couple punches. All he wanted to do after that was hug me."

"I think they were expecting me to kinda beg my way out of the stall, and then they beat me to a pulp right there in that little stall. But, I'm not the one to beg my way out. So, I figure, let's fight it out and see what happens."

Oh, in case you wondering ... 27-year-old Knight is 20-6 as a pro-MMA fighter -- and even beat UFC stud Dan Hooker in 2016.

"I fought MMA for years, but before I got into MMA, I was a street fighter, man. So, it wasn't nothing new to me."

"You hit the guy first and you don't stop 'til somebody comes. Somebody came and broke it up. But, I got in more licks than they did in the long run."

FYI, if you like watching Knight hit people ... he's got a (sanctioned) fight Saturday night against Artem Lobov at BKFC 9.

Lesson here ... don't start bar bathroom brawls with a bare knuckle fighter.

There's rare sports memorabilia ... and then there's this.

35 years ago, Michael Jordan -- a junior hoops star at the University of North Carolina -- hustled a UNC student on a billiards table ... and was paid his $5 winnings by personal check.

Now, that check -- made out to and endorsed (signed) by "Mike Jordan" -- is on the auction block at Goldin Auctions.

According to the auction site, the story goes like this ... and it's pretty awesome.

It was February 27, 1984 and Jordan -- in the mood to play pool -- went to the basement of the Granville Towers on UNC's campus ... and proceeded to dominate on the table.

The guys were betting money ... and MJ was up $25.

A friend of the guy Jordan was beating thought Michael was hustling his buddy, so he stepped in to play MJ ... and win back some of the money he'd lost.

MJ lost a few games in a row -- which the consignor says irritated Jordan -- so he decided to cash out and take the 5 bucks he was owed.

The friend -- realizing Jordan was likely going to be an NBA superstar -- asked Michael if he could pay him with a personal check.

Michael accepted ...and the UNC student wrote the check to "Mike Jordan" -- the name basketball phenom went by on campus.

The check -- drawn from a First Union Bank account in Pembroke, NC -- was cashed by Michael and ultimately returned to the consignor.

The UNC alum held the check for over 35 years ... until recently deciding to put it up for auction.

Goldin says MJ's signature has been authenticated.

Auction opens November 18.

NHL star Auston Matthews is off the hook in his pants-dropping case ... he settled with the woman who accused him of dropping trou in front her -- and apologized again for the incident on Friday.

"The case has been dismissed and I just want to reiterate again just how truly sorry I am for my actions and my behavior,” Matthews told reporters.

“I never meant to cause any distress to this woman and I can assure you that I’ve learned from my mistakes and my actions."

Matthews allegedly pulled down his pants in front of a female security guard at his condo complex in Scottsdale, Ariz. at around 2 AM on May 26.

The woman claims Matthews and his friends drunkenly tried to play a joke on her by messing with her car door while she was on duty ... and after she confronted them, Matthews took his pants down.

She alleges the 22-year-old Maple Leafs center -- who left his boxers ON -- grabbed his ass cheeks in her direction ... and she was PISSED over the whole ordeal.

In body cam footage obtained by TMZ Sports, you can hear her explaining the incident to cops ... telling an officer, "None of this s**t is funny!"

Matthews was eventually hit with a misdemeanor charge of disorderly conduct ... but a court official tells us the case was dismissed earlier this week after the parties reached a settlement.

Unclear what the dollar amount might have been to close out the case ... but Matthews, who claimed he was sorry for the incident in a meeting with reporters over the summer, apologized vehemently again on Friday.

Fun Fact -- Matthews is in the middle of a 5-year, $58 MILLION contract.

Alex Vega -- one of the top car customizers in the U.S. -- was shot multiple times in an apparent hit caught on video ... and now he's offering $10k to find the bastard who pulled the trigger.

FYI, Vega runs the famous Auto Firm in Miami and has designed cars for everyone from Floyd Mayweather to Usain Bolt, Yasiel Puig, Rick Ross, Marc Anthony and more. He's insanely popular with the rich and famous crowd.

Vega was getting out of his car at his Miami-area home back in August when a masked man ran up and opened fire, striking Vega twice in the back. The attack was captured by surveillance cameras.

But, the shooter ran off and is still at large.

Vega -- who was hospitalized -- miraculously recovered and is now leading the charge to help find the perp.

In fact, Vega is offering up a $10,000 reward "for information that helps solve this case. You can remain anonymous."

Vega says, "Please help this from happening to anyone else. I think we can all agree that we need this person off of our streets."

The mother of the woman who died following an incident at Montae Nicholson's home is breaking her silence ... saying the Redskins DB "could have done more" to save the girl's life.

According to Nicholson's attorney, the NFL player found a 21-year-old woman unresponsive at a bathroom in his Ashburn, Virginia home late Wednesday night.

Nicholson and a friend took the woman to a nearby hospital ... but officials say she later died there, suspecting a drug overdose.

The deceased woman has since been identified as Julia Crabbe ... and when FOX 5 in DC spoke with her mother, Michelle, on Friday, she said Nicholson could have done more to save her daughter.

"I'm perfectly happy to sit down and talk with him," Michelle said, adding, "[Julia's] life was so much more than what happened Wednesday. So much more."

Nicholson has yet to comment on the matter ... but the Redskins said in a statement the 23-year-old defensive back and the team are cooperating with authorities.

Myles Garrett is a good person who made one HUGE mistake ... so says ex-Browns asst. coach Bob Wylie who tells TMZ Sports the helmet-swinging maniac is "not the real Myles Garrett I know."

You probably remember Wylie from "Hard Knocks" -- he worked alongside Garrett as an assistant coach from 2017-18 (remember the belly-shaking "set, HUT!").

Wylie says he was disappointed to see the DE weaponize a helmet against Mason Rudolph during Thursday night's game against the Steelers ... but hopes it doesn't permanently ruin MG's reputation.

"He's not a bad person, he's a real good kid and he plays a violent sport," Wylie says.

"You play right on the edge and he plays right on the edge of the sport. And, he went over the edge."

The former offensive line coach says Garrett is a model teammate who went out of his way to help Wylie's guys ... and he NEVER saw an outburst like that before.

"All the times I spent with him on the practice field and in meetings, I never saw that Myles. I saw his effort, I saw his ability to compete, I saw his study habits ... but I never saw that."

Tyron Woodley says the UFC would be crazy not to sign Logan Paul to an MMA contract ASAP ... because he's PROVED he's got all the right ingredients to be a smash hit.

Woodley says he was super impressed with Paul's performance against KSI -- and advised him after the match to take ANOTHER fight.

"I think you should go and do it again," Woodley told Paul ... "You looked good, you just didn't win."

But, Woodley DOES think he can win in the UFC -- and says he wouldn't be surprised if Dana White signs the 24-year-old to a contract in the very near future.

"Logan Paul fits the exact demographic," Tyron said on 'The Hollywood Beatdown.' "He's got a huge following, great build, he looks athletic, he's a Division 1 wrestler, he's insane and he's gonna talk a lot of s**t so the press conferences are gonna be insane."

Woodley continued, "I wouldn't be surprised in the next 2 months if we see some breaking news on Logan Paul getting a couple fight deals with the UFC."

If he does get to the UFC, Woodley says there's only ONE fighter he wouldn't help Logan prepare for ... CM Punk. Check out the clip to hear why.

The Cleveland Police Dept. is NOT investigating Myles Garrett for assault stemming from the helmet attack on Steelers QB Mason Rudolph, a spokesperson tells TMZ Sports.

We asked if the CPD was planning to arrest the 23-year-old and we were told quite simply, "No."

"The person who was hit would have to file a report. There is no criminal complaint filed," Cleveland PD Public Information Officer Sgt. Jennifer Ciaccia tells us.

The incident went down in the final seconds of the game at FirstEnergy Stadium in Cleveland -- when Garrett and Rudolph tussled after a play ... followed by Garrett ripping off Mason's helmet and swinging it at his head.

After the game Garrett spoke about the incident -- "What I did was foolish, and I shouldn’t have allowed myself to slip like that," Garrett said ... "It’s out of character."

"I lost my cool and I regret it," he added ... "It’s going to come back to hurt our team. The guys who jumped into the scrum, I appreciate my team having my back, but it never should have gotten to that point."

Rudolph also commented ... saying, "I thought it was pretty cowardly and bush league."

"I’m not going to back down from any bully. I felt like I had a bone to pick with him. I appreciate the line always having my back, but I was angry."

We spoke with "Friday Night Lights" director Peter Berg after the game -- and he told us the scene looked like something out of "Game of Thrones."

As for punishment, Berg says a 4-game suspension is probably fair.

Other stars, like ex-NFL linebacker James Harrison, seem to be calling for harsher punishment.

"That’s assault at the least... 6 months in jail on the street.. now add the weapon and that’s at least a year right?!"

Washington Redskins safety Montae Nicholson is back at practice ... this while an investigation into a 21-year-old woman's death continues.

Nicholson was one of two men who brought an unconscious and unresponsive woman to an E.R. in Ashburn, Virginia on Thursday at around 1:30 AM. Officials say the woman died at the hospital and all signs point to a drug overdose.

Nicholson has NOT been arrested or accused of any wrongdoing -- but officials are VERY curious about what happened before she arrived at the hospital. We're told Nicholson is cooperating with authorities as the investigation continues.

The 23-year-old defensive back had missed practice on Thursday to deal with the matter ... but on Friday, Nicholson was back with his team, wearing sweats and his #35 jersey.

Nicholson has yet to comment on the situation ... and it's unclear if he'll play this weekend against the New York Jets.

NBA legend Bill Russell -- one of the greatest basketball players ever -- has finally accepted his Hall of Fame ring after a 45-year boycott.

85-year-old Russell was elected into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1975 -- but refused to participate in the induction ceremony. At the time, Russell cited "his own personal reasons," but didn't expand on it.

But, Thursday night, things changed ... Russell participated in a private ceremony with Alonzo Mourning, hoops legend/broadcaster Ann Meyers, Bill Walton, his wife and others to accept his HOF ring.

And, why? It all has to do with ex-NBA star Chuck Cooper, who in 1950 became one of the first black players to compete in the NBA. He was the first black player selected in the NBA Draft when the Boston Celtics took him with the 14th overall pick.

Cooper, who passed away in 1984, is FINALLY being inducted into the Hall ... which is what Russell has been waiting for all along.

"In ‘75 I refused being the 1st black player to go into the [Hall of Fame]. I felt others before me should have that honor. Good to see progress; ChuckCooperHOF19 @NBA."

Like father, like daughter!!!

Kobe Bryant's daughter, Gigi, definitely has that Mamba blood ... pulling off a contested fadeaway jumper that looks just like her daddy's shot ... and it's all on video!!

The Black Mamba posted footage of his 13-year-old daughter's recent game against another "#TeamMamba" opponent on Thursday ... praising players on both sides of the ball.

"I hate seeing my #teammamba girls play against each other. This is GREAT defense by our mamba pg Alyssa Altobelli and a familiar looking fade by our 2gd the #Mambacita."

Of course, Gigi steals the show ... dribbling to the baseline, pulling off a spin move, and hitting the fader right in her opponent's face.

Antonio Brown believes his 8-hour meeting with NFL officials Thursday over rape allegations went well -- and it's clear he expects to get back on the field soon.

The NFL had been trying to speak with the WR about the lawsuit filed in Sept. by his ex-trainer Britney Taylor, who claimed AB sexually assaulted her 3 times, including a violent rape in 2018.

"I'm told Antonio Brown's interview w/t NFL lasted approximately 8 hours, omitting breaks," ESPN's Josina Anderson says.

"Brown felt it went well, had a chance to share his reflections during the time he's been out of the game & was very responsive to all questions."

Brown was definitely in good spirits after the sit-down -- and went to social media to talk about his plans to work out later that night. Seems obvious he thinks he'll be back in the NFL.

Anderson says the NFL might conduct some follow-up interviews with Brown before making a decision about possible punishment.

AB has adamantly denied the allegations and vowed the fight the case in court.

Seems this probe went WAY better than the deposition Brown sat for in his Sept. -- when the WR allegedly went berserk while being questioned in his apartment-trashing case.

As we previously reported, Brown is being sued by his former apartment complex in Miami for allegedly trashing his place ... and in a deposition explaining his side, he was accused by the complex's attorneys of being "defiant" and "profane."

In fact, the meeting went so poorly ... AB has agreed to retake the depo later next month.

The QB has landed!

Colin Kaepernick flew into Atlanta on Thursday to get ready for his NFL workout -- and our sources say he's already in game mode.

Kap touched down around 5 AM in hopes of getting through the airport without fanfare -- and he pretty much did.

We're told he was with a very small group of people and the person who shot the pic tells us, "He looked like he was focused."

Of course, Colin was decked out in Nike gear -- no shock considering he has a deal with the Swoosh, which has stuck with him through everything.

Next up for Colin ... showtime on Saturday -- when roughly a dozen NFL teams will have reps at the Atlanta Falcons facility to evaluate the 32-year-old.

There's been a ton of stuff going down behind the scenes ... Kap's camp wanted the workout on a weekday so more NFL team decision makers could attend. He also wants a list of team reps attending the workout, something the NFL says it will NOT provide.

Carmelo Anthony tells TMZ Sports he WILL be back in the NBA this season -- and he's even open to returning to the New York Knicks!

Everyone's been wondering about Melo's basketball future ever since he parted ways with the Houston Rockets back in January.

35-year-old Anthony has previously said he wants to get back in the league -- however, no one has pulled the trigger yet.

But, it sounds like Melo's got something cookin' ... because when we saw the 35-year-old leaving The Henry in L.A. on Wednesday night, he was VERY optimistic about his return.

"We're figuring it out," Melo told us ... noting that he was NOT in town to speak with the Lakers or the Clippers.

When we pushed back and asked if he'll be on a roster this season, Melo told us ... "For sure. 2000%."

There are reports the Knicks could be interested in Anthony -- interesting considering the way things ended back in 2017 -- but Melo says he's down to return.

"We open man. We open to every opportunity."

In fact, Melo even defended Knicks head coach David Fizdale ... saying the team's lowly 2-9 record isn't all his fault ... "It's a lot of things that goes into that."

So, where will Melo end up this season? Stay tuned ...

Got tissues nearby? Better go grab 'em ... 'cause Cody Bellinger started crying after winning the NL MVP award Thursday -- and he says it's all 'cause of a celebration hug with his dad!!!

"That's what made me emotional right there for sure," Bellinger said.

The LA Dodgers superstar had an unbelievable year in 2019 ... hitting 47 home runs with 115 RBIs while batting .305 -- and he earned the MVP award over Christian Yelich because of it.

When MLB Network had Cody on shortly after to talk about the honor ... the outfielder couldn't hide his emotions -- saying an embrace with his pops made him break down.

"It's what you dream of, man," Bellinger said.

Of course, Cody and his dad, Clay, are SUPER tight ... Poppa Bellinger is a former MLB player who Cody has often credited for his ultra-successful baseball career.

Cody also had a bunch of other family and friends join him for the celebration ... and he called the whole moment, "pretty cool."

"It's absolutely incredible," Bellinger said ... "A little emotional. So, it's pretty cool."