TMZ Sports - Page 50

This is gonna hit you right in the feels ...

Steelers RB James Conner -- who famously battled cancer in college -- went out of his way Sunday to comfort another man fighting the illness ... and the whole thing is insanely emotional.

The fan in the "FcukCancer" jersey is Richie Marsili -- who was diagnosed with a rare untreatable sarcoma and had always wanted to get on the field for a Steelers game.

Richie's friend, Rusty Sergent, made it all happen -- buying tickets and field passes and tweeting at Conner in the hopes the NFL star could "see him and give some encouragement."

It's a situation Conner knows all too well ... in 2015, he was diagnosed with Stage 2 Hodgkin lymphoma, forcing him to miss his junior season at the Univ. of Pitt. to undergo chemotherapy.

He was declared cancer free in 2016 and rejoined the football team -- balling out of his mind and eventually getting drafted by the Steelers in 2017.

So, for Conner it was a no-brainer to meet Marsili on Sunday ... and the scene was so emotional, it brought Richie's pal, Rusty, to tears.

Not only did Conner deliver on a motivational speech for Richie, he also signed the guy's customized "FcukCancer" jersey with the message "Rich! Keep going ... Fcuk cancer!"

Baker Mayfield isn't the only one in his family ripping Cleveland Browns reporters in public -- his wife is getting in on the action too!!

After the Browns lost to the Pittsburgh Steelers (sealed by a Mayfield interception) Emily Mayfield went on social media Sunday to blast Browns beat reporter Mary Kay Cabot.

Cabot had asked Browns head coach Freddie Kitchens about his decision to wear a "Pittsburgh Started It" shirt before the game ... a clear reference to the Myles Garrett helmet attack incident a few weeks ago.

Emily Mayfield had an issue with Cabot's decision to ask the COMPLETELY FAIR question ... and took to Twitter to call her out.

"Why is this the focus of your questions? 🤔 MUCH more to focus on than that.... @MaryKayCabot."

Cabot responded, "I asked exactly one t-shirt question after the game. I asked Baker what he thought of it, and he defended Kitchens, which I thought was pretty cool. He gave a great answer, saying 'I’ve done much worse.' Funny, and struck the right note."

When a fan chimed in and sarcastically pressed Emily, she stood her ground.

"Please Mrs. Baker enlighten all of us as to what the focus should be on? Questionable play calling, veterans missing practice, inability to get the ball to playmakers, inability to have guys coming off injury and know the playbook, poor clock management? Where should we focus?"

Mayfield wrote back, "Football, in general, would be a good start."

Obviously, Cabot is in the right here ... Kitchens intentionally wore a controversial, provocative shirt referencing the BIGGEST controversy in football this year. Plus, as Cabot mentions in her article, a Steelers player said it "motivated" the team to beat Cleveland.

Of course, reporters should ask Kitchens about the shirt.

What's funny is just a few weeks ago, Baker Mayfield blasted a Browns reporter for asking football questions ... and kept pointing out the reporter didn't know what he was talking about because he never played in the NFL.

Nyjah Huston says he could've been racking up those Olympic medals for more than a DECADE ... telling TMZ Sports he would've been ready for the Games at age 11!

Of course, skateboarding will be in the Olympics for the first time ever in 2020 ... but if it had been a thing in years past, Nyjah says he woulda been a serious contender while he was still in MIDDLE SCHOOL!

"I started skating pro contests when I was like, 11, and I was going out there on a competing, winning level ... so yeah, if the Olympics was around 8 years ago, I would've been there for sure."

By the way, we found footage of Nujah skating when he was 9 ... and yeah, he's probably right.

Huston is 25 now and has racked up 12 X Games gold medals during his career ... and says he's hoping to add that Olympic gold to his trophy case when he competes in Japan next summer.

There is ONE more major accomplishment Huston says he's hoping to achieve before he hangs up his board for good ... Thrasher's Skater of the Year award.

Sad news in the college football world ... Pat Sullivan -- Auburn's first Heisman winner ever -- has died, according to his family.

The university released a statement Sunday, confirming the news on behalf of Pat's family. They say he died peacefully Sunday surrounded by loved ones. The fam goes on to say, "He was diagnosed with cancer in 2003 and fought a long and difficult battle as a result of his treatments. The family is appreciative of everyone's outpouring of love and support."

Sullivan played quarterback for the Tigers between 1968 and 1971, going on to win the coveted Heisman in his final year. He threw for over 2,200 yards in '71 -- scoring 21 touchdowns and rushing for 66 yards. He went out with Auburn going 9-2.

His jersey number -- No. 7 -- was retired at the school, and he was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1991. He went on to be drafted by the Atlanta Falcons, playing in the NFL for five seasons between the Falcons and the Redskins. He retired from football in 1976.

Years later, in 1986, he came back to Auburn to serve as their QB coach for a few years, before going to take on the role as head coach at TCU. He had a long career working in college football ... and eventually bowed out completely in 2014.

Pat was 69.

The hat and actual baseball Charlie Sheen wore and threw in the hit movie, "Major League," can now be yours to own ... but you'll have to beat everyone else out for dibs.

An auction house called Lelands -- which sells off famous sports memorabilia -- is auctioning off Charlie's movie-worn gear for him -- which includes his Cleveland Indians cap, as well as CS's 101 MPH baseball that Ricky 'Wild Thing' Vaughn threw to strike out slugger Clu Haywood. It's a pretty memorable scene ... you 'memba it, right?

Funny enough, Sheen says his actual fastball on set clocked in closer to 84/85 MPH -- apparently, he was actually a pretty good ballplayer himself back in high school.

Sounds like Charlie's ready to pass the good memories from his memorabilia to someone else, explaining, "It is my hope that whoever buys the cap and ball will get as much enjoyment from them as I did all these years." He says everyone always asks to try on the hat.

For now, there are 17 bids on the cap ... with the highest offer so far coming at $4,594. The ball has 10 bids on it, and someone's willing to drop $2,357 to call it their own.

BTW, there's other items up for grabs that Charlie has personally owned ... including a watch he wore on the movie "Platoon," Don Larsen's perfect game baseball and a Babe Ruth locker tag that apparently belonged to the Great Bambino himself.

Herman Moore tells TMZ Sports he belongs in the Pro Football Hall of Fame ... saying his 7 seasons as a starter in the NFL were as good as anyone in the league!!

"No doubt," the Detroit Lions legend says, "I wouldn't hesitate!"

Moore piled up 9,174 receiving yards and 62 TDs on 670 catches in just 122 career starts ... but the guy hasn't been able to earn enough votes to get a bust in Canton yet.

He tells us he thinks that shouldn't be the case ... saying if you compare his best seasons to guys like Randy Moss, Jerry Rice and Michael Irvin -- his stats hold up.

"You take my seven years as a starter and I'll put them up against anyone in the NFL," Moore says, "and, you won't be able to put me under two or three during that time period."

Herman thinks he's been spurned simply because people just didn't see enough of his games while the woeful Lions spent most of the 1990s out of the limelight.

But, Moore -- who's spending time these days giving back to the Detroit community and running his Team Business Solutions company -- tells us he's not too concerned about it all.

"At the end of the day, I'm happy with what I did," Moore says. "If it comes, it comes. If it doesn't, then it is what it is. But, I'm going to keep trying."

Forget the all-you-can-eat buffets and strip clubs ... the best thing to EVER happen to Las Vegas is the Raiders moving to town ... so says the Sin City icon, Steve Wynn!!

Of course, the Silver and Black are building a huge, $1.84 BILLION home and moving to Nevada next season after spending the past 24 seasons in Oakland.

Wynn's heavily responsible for making Vegas what it is today with his luxury hotels like the Mirage, Bellagio and the Wynn ... but he says none of that amounts to the Raiders' impact on the city.

"Great news," Wynn told us outside Craig's in L.A. "It's gonna be great. I think it's the best thing that's happened in that town."

"I was really excited and spoke in favor of it. I think it's a great thing, can't wait for it to happen."

Bernie Williams will NOT be the next Carlos Beltran ... so says the Yankees legend himself, who tells TMZ Sports he's solely focused on being a musician -- not an MLB manager!!

Hiring ex-stars has been the trendy move for clubs looking for a new leader these days ... and with Bernie's background, he seems to be a great candidate for a job down the road.

But, Williams tells us he has no interest in having that gig at the moment ... saying his guitar has his heart!!

"This music thing has got me, man!" Williams says. "It's got me really hard. And, I'm trying to be the best musician that I can be right now."

If you're unfamiliar, Bernie's been shredding his guitar for years since his retirement in 2006 ... and even got nominated for a Latin Grammy in 2009.

But, he's clearly gunning for more in the music world ... telling us that's his passion right now.

Don't get it twisted, Bernie's still staying around baseball and says he's always down to help Yankees hitters during spring training workouts in Florida.

NBA champ Festus Ezeli might be one of the most positive dudes on the planet ... 'cause he's spin zoning the Warriors' awful season into an actual GOOD thing!!

TMZ Sports spoke with the ex-Dub at LAX about his old team stumbling out of the gates this season ... and he says despite being 3-17 and dead last in the West, there are things to be excited about.

... just maybe not for a while.

"I actually think that this year is the best thing that can happen to the Warriors," Ezeli says. "They’re rebuilding. They have a chance to work on their bench."

"So I feel like, with this year, they can use it to get those guys to get some game time, to get confidence, to get better and come back healthy next year."

Of course, this year has felt like a bit of a mulligan for the Warriors -- Klay Thompson AND Steph Curry are sidelined with injuries ... leaving everything up to Draymond Green and D'Angelo Russell.

Not ideal.

But, Festus says it's not all over for Golden State as long as they still keep that core intact.

Dabo Swinney is going to LOVE this ...

Philadelphia Eagles legend Jeremiah Trotter tells TMZ Sports he's training his Clemson football commit son to be a BEAST ... saying the kid is going to better than him!!!

"He's more athletic than I was," Jeremiah says. "He's faster than I was ... he's better in space than I was."

FYI, Jeremiah ain't blowing smoke ... his son, Jeremiah Trotter Jr., is a nationally ranked linebacker in the 2021 class who's already 6 feet, 210 pounds.

And, Jeremiah Sr. tells us he thinks Swinney is going to LOVE the kid once he gets to Clemson's campus in a couple years ... saying the Tigers coach is "getting a killer, man!"

"Since he was young, I mean this kid, I just tell all my friends this guy will run through a brick wall," Trotter says ... "he covers like a DB but he hits like an old-school, physical linebacker."

NFL wide receiver, and ex-Ohio State QB, Terrelle Pryor is hospitalized after he was stabbed overnight in Pittsburgh.

Terrelle was reportedly at his apartment when the violence broke out. Police have a woman in custody in connection with the stabbing, according to WTAE. However, it's unclear at his point if she's the alleged attacker or just a person of interest.

A witness tells TMZ Sports ... a friend drove Pryor to a hospital for treatment, and ESPN's Adam Schefter is reporting he's in critical condition after surgery to treat stab wounds to the shoulder and chest.

Terrelle is currently a free agent, after the Jacksonville Jaguars released him this season, but he's best known for his years leading the Ohio State Buckeyes ... from 2008 to 2010.

During his NFL career, he's played for 9 teams, including the Raiders, Chiefs, Browns, Redskins, Jets and Jags.

And, because it's rivalry Saturday ... it's worth mentioning Terrelle went 3-0 against Michigan when he was QB1 for OSU.

Terry Glenn Jr. -- son of the late NFL star -- died on Thanksgiving from an accidental drug overdose, family sources tell the Fort Worth Star-Telegram.

The 22-year-old was found by family members in a bathroom at his home in Columbus, Ohio, according to Clarence Hill.

Earlier that day, Glenn Jr. had been tweeting about his father, Terry Glenn, who died almost 2 years ago to the day in a horrific car crash on the way home from a Dallas Cowboys game on Nov. 20, 2017. Toxicology later revealed Glenn Sr. had a .165 blood-alcohol level at the time of the crash.

"I miss him so much," Glenn Jr. tweeted ... "This time of the year is the hardest by far man... this was his holiday and the last one got cut short right before we were allllll gonna be together... really just wonder why."

He also tweeted, "Thanksgiving was my dads favorite game to play in as a Cowboy and you best believe ya boy was always right there in the stands."

Glenn Sr. was the 7th overall pick in the 1996 NFL Draft -- taken by the New England Patriots after an impressive run at Ohio State.

He went on to play 12 seasons in the NFL -- with the Patriots, Packers and Cowboys.

Terry also famously caught Tom Brady's very first TD pass in 2001.

We spoke with Glenn Jr. after his father's passing and he shared his favorite memory of his father.

The Andy Ruiz vs. Anthony Joshua rematch will have TONS of action -- but it will NOT have scantily clad women flashing giant cards between rounds.

TMZ Sports has confirmed ... promoters have decided NOT to include ring girls at the Dec. 7 event, out of respect for local culture in Saudi Arabia.

Saudi Arabia has a strict dress code when it comes to women -- though the country is easing back on restrictions ... especially when it comes to foreigners.

But, the promoters for Ruiz vs. Joshua II aren't trying to push boundaries or ruffle feathers ... so they've decided to scrap the ring girls from the event to avoid controversy.

As we previously reported, WWE was faced with a similar decision when they held their "Crown Jewel" event in Riyadh earlier this year ... and ultimately decided their female wrestlers would wear more modest costumes instead of the usual revealing, sexy attire.

WWE honcho Stephanie McMahon explained it this way ... "We need to be respectful of the cultures in the countries we perform in."

The event went off without a hitch -- and the people behind Ruiz vs. Joshua II are hoping for the same result.

The Super Bowl is the most-watched TV event of the year ... but could Esports actually dethrone the NFL?!?

HELL YEAH -- so says one of the biggest names in the industry, FaZe Banks, who tells TMZ Sports it's just a matter of time before video games wreck all of entertainment!!!

"It's gonna get crazy," the FaZe Clan cofounder tells us. "I think its gonna get more crazy online than it is in the actual real world. But, it's gonna take everything over. It's gonna get big."

Banks points out the industry is already well on its way ... with the 2019 Fortnite World Cup Finals reportedly drawing in 2 million viewers.

Of course, it's gonna be a while before Esports can dethrone the Super Bowl -- which averages nearly 100 MILLION each year -- but Banks is up for the challenge.

He's won the WWE Heavyweight belt, the Intercontinental title, the tag-team belt and he's a REAL-LIFE mayor -- but there's one more title Kane wants, WWE Hall of Famer!

Here's the deal ... since Kane, real name Glenn Jacobs has been wrestling in the WWE for 24 YEARS (since 1995) we asked him who should get the next nod for the WWE HOF.

"Maybe me, I don't know," Jacobs told us with a smile in NYC ... "Yeah, we'll see!"

Maybe me? ABSOLUTELY YOU!

Kane is a legend -- he's battled everyone from The Undertaker to Shawn Michaels ... screamed at The Rock and Hulk Hogan ... hugged it out with Daniel Bryan and even chokeslammed Pete Rose!

Of course, he deserves to be enshrined with the greatest WWE superstars of all time ... joining legends like Andre the Giant, Hulk Hogan, Ric Flair and more.

The issue ... Kane is still an active wrestler and even held (briefly) the 24/7 title back in September.

Lamar Jackson isn't just the hottest player in the NFL, he's the hottest name in sports collectibles ... with LJ memorabilia exploding in price over the past 12 months.

In fact, a Lamar Jackson game-worn rookie jersey from 2018 is about to hit the auction block ... and experts think it could sell for roughly 10 TIMES of its initial value!!!

We spoke with Ken Goldin from Goldin Auctions (one of the biggest names in the business) who tells us he bought Lamar's 2018 Game 7 jersey for $3,000 last year ... and expects it to sell for around $25k if the Ravens can win the Super Bowl.

Goldin says the demand for LJ items is crazy right now ... obviously a result of Jackson's insane play on the field during his sophomore campaign.

Not only has Jackson led the Ravens to an impressive 9-2 record ... but he's established himself as the most electrifying QB since Mike Vick.

Goldin says his guys are now on a mission to track down as much quality LJ stuff (especially game-used stuff) as they can ... because they're confident it'll fly off the shelf as soon as they get it in stock.