TMZ Sports - Page 50

Johnny Gill says he was watching LIVE when the Seahawks receivers paid homage to New Edition with their TD celebration on Monday ... and tells TMZ Sports he loved every second of it!!!

The 'Hawks turned the gridiron into a dance floor after a 3rd quarter touchdown to David Moore ... re-enacting the iconic "If It Isn't Love" choreography from the boy band's 1988 hit music vid.

The Internet went crazy after the TD celly and the R&B legend appreciated it even more -- not only 'cause he's a Seahawks fan ... but also because they killed it!!!

"That was freakin' hilarious," Gill tells us. "But, you know what's so funny is that they're one of the few that I actually saw, like, they actually had the form and everything down."

"I was watching the game, and I'm going, 'OK! OK! AIGHT!'"

Gill says it was obvious how much time Moore, Tyler Lockett, DK Metcalf and Jaron Brown put into perfecting the dance.

"They really honestly took time and they practiced. I was like 'Yo, they're right in sync and the form is correct.'"

Gill gets serious for a second, pointing out the dance just goes to show how timeless the group's music really is ... and that's what made it even more special.

"True testament to our work, for anybody, when generations come and they’re aware of you and can appreciate what you’ve done. That’s a true testament to the hard work we put in and obviously you can’t even put it into words."

Gill says the group of guys have done a great job all season -- including their 'NSYNC "Bye Bye Bye" tribute.

We also asked Gill if he's ever down to join the WR corps next time they put on a New Edition rendition ... and ya gotta hear his response!!!

It's World Trick Shot Day ... and you know who's pumped about that?? The Harlem Globetrotters, which completed the HIGHEST DUNK EVER in honor of the holiday!!

The video is bananas ... Globetrotter legend Hammer Harrison jumped out of a freakin' airplane from 13,000 feet to attempt the record-breaking rim shaker ... and flew all the way down to land the dunk.

Not only is skydiving insane (props to the pro controlling the parachute), but Hammer managed to keep his focus to successfully complete the shot.

But, think about it ... WHAT IF HE MISJUDGED THE LANDING AND HIT HIS HEAD ON THE BACKBOARD?!?!?!

The Globetrotters made World Trick Shot Day an official holiday 4 years ago, so obviously they had to go big. 13,000-feet big to be exact.

Harrison also celebrated the big day last year by jumping off the Stratosphere in Las Vegas, which was the previous highest slam dunk record at 855 feet. Equally bananas.

"We work on trick shots every day, though the skydive trick shot is not one of them," Harrison said of the jump.

"We practice them because it’s such a thrill for us, and for our fans. Our fans give us such great feedback when we post them. We love getting the chance to see what they can do, too."

Alex Rodriguez is one of only 9 players ever to hit 600 home runs ... and now you can own everything short of the jockstrap A-Rod wore when he smashed the historic dinger.

Rodriguez hit his 600th career home run off Blue Jays pitcher Shaun Marcum on August 4, 2010 at Yankees Stadium in The Bronx ... making him the youngest player (35 years, 8 days) to ever reach the milestone.

Now, the Louisville Slugger bat that Rodriguez used to crush the Rawlings baseball over the center field fence is up for auction at SCP Auctions.

You can also bid on Alex's Majestic brand Yankees uniform ... as well as the 1st base bag that Rodriguez touched during his HR trot.

All of the pieces are signed by Rodriguez ... and inscribed with writing that commemorates his 600th blast.

600 home runs is a BIG DEAL ... and it put A-Rod in a super exclusive club with legends like Babe Ruth and Hank Aaron (and a few other guys you might've heard of ... Mays, Griffey Jr., Pujols, Thome, Sosa).

Rodriguez went on to hit 696 total home runs ... 4th all-time on the Major League Baseball career HR list.

Bidding ends next week ... and the bat, ball, and uniform (offered individually, not as a package) have each crossed the $10K mark already!

The auction house tells us they expect the bat to go for between $40-50K, the uniform $30-40K ... and the baseball for over $50,000.

Terrelle Pryor ain't getting a "Get Out of Jail Free" card just because he was stabbed -- he'll be booked and must take a mug shot when he's released from the hospital, cops tell TMZ Sports.

Remember, Pryor was charged with misdemeanor assault for allegedly fighting with his girlfriend Shalaya Briston on Nov. 30 ... but he hasn't been booked because he's still holed up at UPMC Mercy Hospital, where he underwent emergency surgery to treat a life-threatening stab wound.

However, when he IS healthy enough to leave the hospital, cops say he MUST go through the regular booking process ... meaning he'll have to turn himself in and get booked like every other arrestee.

Which means mug shot, fingerprints, perp walk ... the whole shebang.

Unclear when Pryor will be released from the hospital -- however, ESPN's Jeremy Fowler says the family is hoping he'll be out in the next 48 hours.

As we previously reported, Pryor and Briston allegedly got into it at their Pittsburgh apartment after a night out with friends ... and things escalated quickly.

One witness claims Pryor attacked first and Briston defended herself by grabbing a sharp object and stabbing the 30-year-old NFL player in the chest.

Briston has been charged with felony attempted homicide -- and she's still behind bars. When Briston was booked, she appeared to be smirking in her mug shot.

Brandon Marshall is calling for MERCY for Browns head coach Freddie Kitchens -- telling TMZ Sports the guy should get another shot in Year 2 ... with one serious caveat.

Of course, calling the Browns underachievers under Kitchens is a massive understatement ... they've got an insanely talented roster but have only managed to get 5 wins.

And, after Kitchen rocked a "Pittsburgh Started It" shirt -- making light of the Myles Garrett helmet attack days before the Steelers rematch -- many are calling for the ax.

But, not Marshall ... at least, not yet.

"I didn't like him wearing that shirt. It made no sense for him to do that. Nothing that justifies that," Marshall said ... "But, I hate letting a coach go in the first year."

Marshall suggested keeping Kitchens around for a Prove-It year 2 ... but "he's gotta turn it around" -- explaining there's a serious problem with the culture in Cleveland.

"There are some cultural things he's gotta fix."

As for Baker Mayfield, Marshall's optimistic about him too ... saying it appears the QB has turned a corner and is starting to show he can be the guy in CLE.

The best young power hitter in the MLB hits a golf a ball like THIS?!?!?!

Vladimir Guerrero Jr. took a trip to Top Golf on Monday ... and the results were shockingly average.

The Toronto Blue Jays superstar stepped up to the range mat with what appeared to be a 3-wood in his hands ... and proceeded to show off less power than your average dad.

Watch the clip ... the same violent swing that allows the 20-year-old to launch baseballs 500 feet only yielded some 175-yarders.

OKAY, he ain't exactly Zion Williamson with a golf club ... but come on, look at this kid with a baseball bat in his hands!!!

For their part, Vladdy's friends appeared to be making fun of his lack of pop on the links too!!

Don't worry, baby Guerrero's still raking on the baseball diamond ... he later posted some clips Monday night showing off his classic power.

But, still ... call up Nelson Cruz and get some golf lessons, bro!!!

Ex-Notre Dame RB George Atkinson III -- son of former Super Bowl champ George Atkinson II -- died on Monday ... less than 1 year after his twin brother committed suicide.

It's unclear how the 27-year-old passed ... but the former NFL player said losing his brother, Josh, last December took a serious toll on him.

In a letter penned by Atkinson III in October ... he said Josh's death put him "on an emotional roller coaster and in a real dark place."

Atkinson III admitted he attempted to "harm himself" shortly after the death and had to be institutionalized ... but said his 2-year-old daughter was keeping him going.

"Without my daughter," Atkinson III wrote, "I don’t know where I would be right now. She gave me that second wind of motivation."

Atkinson III was a top recruit in the country coming out of high school in 2011 ... and was a stud for Notre Dame from '11 to '13 -- scoring 10 career TDs.

He went on to play two seasons in the NFL, one for the Raiders and one for the Browns ... and scored a memorable preseason TD in 2016.

Atkinson III's father was a star returner and defensive back for the Raiders, making two Pro Bowls and helping Oakland win Super Bowl XI over the Minnesota Vikings.

RIP

File Under: "WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH YOU?!"

A Russian figure skater wore an Auschwitz-themed costume during a November competition -- while skating to music from "Schindler's List" -- and now people are FURIOUS!!!

The skater is 23-year-old Anton Shulepov -- who competed in the costume during his free skating performance at the Grand Prix of Figure Skating event ... a prestigious tournament featuring top skaters from all over the world, including Israel.

Of course, the outfit contains imagery from Nazi concentration camps -- including the yellow star they forced Jews to wear ... and other elements of a Nazi prison guard uniform.

If the outfit isn't offensive enough, things got WORSE this week, when it appeared on a Best Costume list provided by the International Skating Union ... a contest that allows fans to vote on their favorite outfits.

The ISU has since removed the costume from the list -- insisting it meant to feature Shulepov's costume from his "Short Program" routine, a plain blue outfit.

The Anti-Defamation League has obviously condemned the costume AND the ISU for including it on the list in a statement from CEO Jonathan A Greenblatt.

"While we understand the need for skaters to be creative in their choice of costumes, Anton Shulepov’s apparent decision to evoke painful Holocaust imagery as part of his routine was insensitive and offensive."

"We are surprised that the International Skating Union initially posted a picture of this costume as a nominee for ‘costume of the year.’ Yellow Stars of David or other concentration camp imagery have no place in figure skating."

FYI, Shulepov reportedly finished LAST in the skating competition.

Bikram Choudhury -- the guy behind Bikram Yoga -- is not currently being investigated for rape despite a damning new Netflix documentary, but he ain't exactly out of the woods yet.

The 75-year-old was painted as a conniving serial rapist in "Bikram: Yogi, Guru, Predator" -- with several women explaining how Bikram abused his power to sexually assault them.

The burning question at the end of the documentary ... how the hell was Bikram NOT hit with criminal charges???

The L.A. District Attorney's Office acknowledges a case was submitted in 2013 involving 4 accusers -- but at the time "it was determined that there was insufficient evidence to file criminal charges."

Here's the breakdown as to why prosecutors shot down each allegation  ...

Alleged Victim 1 (Claimed she was sexually assaulted at Bikram's home in 2005) -- "No other witnesses were present and no physical evidence was recovered."

Alleged Victim 2 (Claimed she was sexually assaulted at Bikram's home in 2006) -- "No one witnessed the assault."

Alleged Victim 3 (Claimed she was raped twice in 2011) -- "No percipient witnesses or corroborative evidence are available."

Alleged Victim 4 (Claimed she was raped three times in 2010) -- "No percipient witnesses or corroborative evidence are available."

The D.A. also notes the statute of limitations had expired on Alleged Victim 1 prior to reporting.

But, even though those cases didn't go anywhere, the D.A. tells TMZ it will conduct a "complete and thorough review" if law enforcement presents any new allegations to the office.

Our LAPD sources tell us there are no current investigations but as one person put it, "If a victim does come forward, the LAPD will investigate."

Law enforcement sources tell us ... people involved in the previous investigations strongly believe the accusers ARE credible, but it's difficult to get a conviction without witnesses or physical evidence.

Of course, Bikram is currently on the lam ... he fled the country after he was hit with a $6.8 million judgment in 2016 after his former lawyer, Minakshi Jafa-Bodden, sued him for wrongful termination and sexual harassment.

Jafa-Bodden -- who was featured heavily in the Netflix doc -- claimed she was fired after investigating claims Bikram raped a female student.

For his part, Bikram has denied raping anyone -- claiming he doesn't need to rape because there are plenty of women around the world who would willingly have sex with him.

NFL wide receiver Antonio Callaway was mere FEET from gunfire in Miami in which a woman was shot ... and the whole incident was captured on video.

22-year-old Callaway -- who was cut by the Browns in Nov. after failing a drug test -- was part of a large crowd of people watching a street fight between two women Sunday night when shots rang out.

Unclear why the women were fighting or why Callaway was there ... but people in the crowd seemed excited about the brawl with one woman live streaming the incident on Facebook.

But, after the fight, as people were leaving, multiple shots rang out and the woman who was live streaming drops her phone.

We've confirmed the woman recording is being hospitalized in the ICU at Jackson Memorial Hospital.

The Miami Police Dept. is investigating the shooting -- but so far, no arrests have been made and no suspects have been identified.

As for Callaway's involvement, we've reached out to his reps for comment and we're waiting to hear back.

Callaway was a stud WR during his freshman year at the University of Florida -- but was suspended in 2016 and 2017 for various reasons including an allegation of sexual assault (though school investigators found him "not responsible" for the incident and was allowed back on the team).

GARY SHEFFIELD CAN STILL RAKE!!!

Here's the 51-year-old ex-MLB superstar proving he's still got plenty of pop left in his bat ... hitting monster home runs at a local park -- all while smoking a stogie!!!

The video is pretty awesome ... Sheffield -- still using his trademark pre-swing waggle and an aluminum bat -- gets three pitches from a buddy, and unloads on all three!!

They go at least 400 feet ... and it probably ain't the smartest idea -- 'cause cars are zooming by just inches from the landing spot of his moonshot dingers!!!

Of course, Sheffield was super proud of the feat ... you can see him smirking with the cigar in his mouth -- and he later wrote on social media, "51 years old and still has the fastest hands alive."

"#garysheffieldswing haha old man still got it."

Gary became a legend in the MLB back in the 1990s and early 2000s for his power ... the guy hit 509 home runs in 22 seasons.

Drake and Joel Embiid may act like they hate each other's guts ... but it turns out the dudes are actually BROS behind closed doors, so says Sixers partner Michael Rubin!!

It always gets ugly between the 6 God and Embiid when Philly plays the Toronto Raptors ... with Drizzy and the All-Star trading jabs at any opportunity.

Most recently, Drake mocked Embiid for going scoreless last week -- clapping in Embiid's face and thanking him for racking up a goose egg on the score sheet.

TMZ Sports spoke with Rubin outside Madison Square Garden on Friday about the beef ... and he says while it looks legit on paper, it's all love when the cameras are off.

"It's all fun, they're good friends off the court," the billionaire businessman tells us.

Drake's gotten a lot of heat for his antics -- remember when he gave Raps coach Nick Nurse a mid-game back rub??

Officials say Aniah Blanchard was killed by a gunshot ... and now, they're seeking the death penalty for her alleged killer.

Blanchard's body was recovered in a wooded area in Macon County, Alabama on Nov. 25 after she had gone missing for weeks.

The medical examiner conducted an autopsy and determined Blanchard -- the stepdaughter of UFC fighter Walt Harris -- was killed by a gunshot ... but didn't specify to which part of her body.

Now, prosecutors say the man accused of pulling the trigger -- Ibraheem Yazeed -- is being charged with capital murder, and they're seeking the death penalty.

"This case has shaken our community to its core," Lee County District Attorney Brandon Hughes said Monday ... "It is my intention that the response to this horrific crime serve as a warning to anyone who believes they want to come to Lee County and engage in violent criminal behavior."

Hughes added, "You will be dealt with and the consequences will be severe."

So far, three men have been arrested in connection with Blanchard's abduction ... but Hughes said Monday Yazeed is now believed to be the "lone person responsible" for Blanchard's death.

Hughes says Yazeed abducted Blanchard from an Auburn gas station on Oct. 23 ... and his first-degree kidnapping charge has now been upgraded to capital murder.

Yazeed is still being held in jail without bond.

Nate Bain says his family is absolutely STUNNED at the $150,000 in donations he's received since Stephen F. Austin State upset Duke ... and he's telling us how the money will be spent.

Of course, Bain's story went viral after the Duke game -- his family home and church in the Bahamas were destroyed in Hurricane Dorian -- and people raced to his GoFundMe to help them rebuild.

The good news ... Bain tells TMZ Sports his family home is covered by insurance, so the GoFundMe cash (currently around $150k) will be used to help the scores of people who need help the most.

"That money is to help other families within the church and on the school," Bain says ... "It's going to help a whole lot of families."

In fact, Bain had this special thank you message to everyone who contributed ...

"To those people who are watching right now or you’ll see this later, just thank you so much! You have no idea how [many] folks you’re helping. How [many] families and lives you’re gonna change ... because there’s still folks back home without constant water, without shoes, without clothes that this money is going to go towards."

"You’re making an impact inside a little kid’s life, you’re changing somebody’s life for the better. Shows there’s still great people inside this world, still humane people that are still thinking about others so I just wanna say THANK YOU! My whole country thanks those who are still contributing!"

As for the basketball team, Bain says they've become rock stars on campus since the upset -- but they're not looking to slow down any time soon!

"The whole campus has been loving on us! But, the season isn't over!"

SFA is 6-1 and taking on Arlington Baptist University on Monday night -- and after beating Duke, they're expected to win big!

Sorry, Tom Brady ... reinforcements are NOT on the way -- Rob Gronkowski's unretirement deadline has passed -- officially closing the door on a possible return for the TE this season.

Gronk has been rumored to be considering a comeback almost since the day he made his surprising retirement announcement last spring ... with the future Hall of Famer even joking about coming back to the Patriots around playoff time this year.

But, the NFL deadline for a possible return was Saturday ... and with Gronk choosing to remain retired -- he is now DONE for the 2019 season.

It's a bummer for Brady and the Pats ... their offense hasn't done much this season, and TB12 was seen openly screaming at his receivers during their loss to the Texans on Sunday.

Of course, Rob can come back to the Pats NEXT year ... and New England will have the first crack at signing him then if he chooses to do so.

But, Gronk sure as hell seems to be enjoying life away from the gridiron ... he's got a job analyzing football on FOX -- and he's spending others nights partying his face off!

TMZ Sports obtained video of the 30-year-old dancing in Dallas last week ... and he doesn't appear to be missing in-season practices that much.

Gronk was also spotted hunting for Christmas trees with his girlfriend, Camille Kostek, over the weekend ... and she seems to be enjoying his time away from football too!

"Family tradition with my favorite addition this year," she wrote.

Shocking news in the college football world ... Chris Petersen just resigned as Washington Huskies head coach, saying he needs "recharge."

"I'll be a Husky for life," 55-year-old Petersen said Monday, "but now is the right time for me to step away from my head coaching duties, and recharge."

Petersen has been widely regarded as a top 10 coach in the NCAA since he took over at UDub in 2014 ... and NOBODY expected him to leave the program this soon.

But, Petersen -- who's piled up a 54-26 record the past 6 years at Washington -- says he's ready to transition into an advisory role with the school.

Washington officials announced Petersen's defensive coordinator, Jimmy Lake, will take over the head coaching duties after this season concludes.

"It has been a privilege and a professional dream fulfilled to be part of this world-class institution," Petersen said. "I will forever be grateful, honored and humbled to have had the opportunity to coach our fine young men on Montlake for these past six seasons."

Petersen will finish out the year as Washington's coach ... and is slated to step aside after the team's soon-to-be-announced bowl game.

Of course, Petersen gained fame for turning Boise State into a powerhouse ... going 92-12 from 2006-2013.