TMZ Sports - Page 50

Janoris Jenkins says he now understands how hurtful the r-word can be -- telling TMZ Sports he won't use the term again and vows to learn from this experience.

Just hours after the NY Giants released Jenkins for using the word to insult a critic on Twitter, the NFL star agreed to speak with TMZ's Evan Rosenblum, a parent of a 4-year-old special needs daughter.

During the conversation, Evan explained why using the r-word as an insult is particularly hurtful for special needs families -- and Jenkins called it a "learning moment."

"It's always a learning moment, man. Everybody's going to learn from different situations ... move forward and learn."

Buckeye loyalty be damned ... Ohio State legend Eddie George says LSU's Joe Burrow is the front-runner to win the Heisman trophy on Saturday ... despite 2 OSU finalists.

TMZ Sports spoke with the 1995 Heisman winner about the 4 finalists -- Burrow, Jalen Hurts, Chase Young and Justin Fields -- and while he won't tell us who he voted for, he thinks the Tigers gunslinger will take home the hardware.

"They're all worthy candidates," George tells us ... "It's tough for me to say who's gonna take it. It might be Joe Burrow might be the leader. But this thing has always been surprising.

"If I was a guessing man, I would think it would probably be the quarterback at LSU."

Boxing legend Leon Spinks is battling prostate cancer that spread to his bladder -- but the family is hopeful he'll pull through.

TMZ Sports broke the story ... 66-year-old Spinks has been fighting for his life in a Las Vegas hospital.

Now, a family spokesperson is revealing more details about Leon's condition.

"Leon is currently in intensive care of a Las Vegas hospital receiving attentive medical care to suppress prostate cancer which he was diagnosed with earlier this year and has since spread to his bladder."

"The last few months have been an agonizing roller coaster for Leon and his wife, Brenda, with continuous hospital stays."

"Leon is showing small signs of improvement and progress. A miraculous fighter his entire life, we are optimistic and hopeful that he will  move out of ICU soon."

"The power of prayer is real and his family is beyond grateful for all of the tremendous love and support."

Quit smoking ... get a brand-new Maserati???

That's the deal Josh Donaldson made with his mom ... and when the MLB superstar paid up his side of the bet with the $70,000 whip -- Momma Donaldson's reaction was PRICELESS!!!

The Atlanta Braves stud says he made the pact with his mom a couple of years ago ... saying if she cut out cigarettes, he'd deliver a pricey ride as a present.

Well, sometime recently, she reached the two-year clean mark ... so he filmed himself giving her the Maserati, and the footage is amazing.

The third baseman's mom goes absolutely bananas when she sees the car ... jumping into his arms and screaming wildly.

Seriously, it's the best.

"2 years of not smoking and here is her early Christmas present," Donaldson said. "Trust me you are going to want to watch this."

The vid is so amazing ... a bunch of MLB stars weighed in, with JD Martinez calling it the "best reaction ever" and Ian Kinsler saying, "That's amazing."

Philadelphia Flyers forward Oskar Lindblom has been diagnosed with a rare form of cancer and will miss the rest of the season to focus on treatment, the team announced.

23-year-old Lindblom is a rising star in the NHL -- he already has 18 points in 30 games this season ... impressive for someone so young.

But, Friday the team announced Lindblom has been diagnosed with Ewing's sarcoma -- which is described by St. Jude's as "a cancerous tumor that grows in the bones or in the tissue around bones (soft tissue)."

Only about 200 children and young adults are diagnosed with Ewing's sarcoma each year in the United States.

The good news ... the cancer is treatable and people diagnosed with Ewing's sarcoma have a good chance of beating it, according to WebMD.

The Flyers say Lindblom "will undergo further testing and evaluation next week and begin treatment immediately thereafter."

"He is not expected to return to play for the remainder of the season."

The team added, "The Flyers will do everything possible to support Oskar and assist him in securing the best care available."

Amanda Nunes is calling BS on Cris Cyborg ... telling TMZ Sports the former UFC champ NEVER would've left the UFC if she really wanted a rematch with the champ-champ.

Nunes -- the bantamweight and featherweight champion -- came by the office this week with her fiancee (and #5 ranked UFC strawweight) Nina Ansaroff ... and chopped it up about Cyborg.

Remember, Cyborg -- who was KO'd in the 1st round of her December 2018 fight with Nunes -- floated the idea of a UFC-Bellator cross-promotion fight in the future when we saw her at LAX last month.

But, straight up, Nunes ain't buying it.

"Honestly, I love a challenge, but she made a wrong decision. She left [UFC], why? Why? If she really wanted to fight me she should’ve stayed."

Amanda says if Cyborg truly wanted the fight, she would've done anything -- including staying with the UFC -- to make the fight happen.

"If [Cyborg] really wanted [the fight], [she'd say] 'I’ll fight Amanda, give me $10,000 dollars. I'll fight her for $10,000. I’m better than her, I want that belt back.'”

So, Amanda thinks Cyborg's lying ... but it probably doesn't even matter.

The UFC hasn't done a cross-promotion in over 15 years ... and then there's the whole issue of Dana White despising Cyborg.

Warning to all of Deontay Wilder's future opponents -- the dude's got The Holy One on his side now ... 'cause the Bronze Bomber met Pope Francis!!

The WBC heavyweight champ and his fiancee, Telli Swift, -- who runs the Boxing WAGS Association -- hit up the Vatican after visiting a children's hospital in Rome on Friday -- flying all the way across the world to see the Pope -- and they got the VIP treatment!!

"What a honor it was to meet the #Pope @franciscus today," Wilder said of the visit. "He’s truly a remarkable man that represents True Love, Happiness and World Peace for all human race."

What's even cooler -- Wilder brought a pair of boxing gloves for Francis to sign ... and he happily obliged!!

It appears the 2 really hit it off, 'cause Wilder revealed they talked pizza and boxing ... and it turns out Francis is a fan!!

"you know he’s apart of the #BombZquad Family Baby."

"Much love from me Pope Francis and I’m wishing you many many blessings your way"

Pope Francis has turned into a bit of a sports fanatic recently ... he was also gifted a signed Lamar Jackson jersey last week!!

Former NFL WR Jacoby Jones is using his hands for something other than catchin' footballs -- servin' up shots and drinks at a bar for charity!!

The 35-year-old ex-Ravens player was mixin' up some drinks at State Fare restaurant in Catonsville, Maryland on Wednesday night for a Toys for Tots Drive ... and we're told the turnout was huge!!!

All the fans in attendance were able to snap pics with Jacoby if they brought a toy or ordered a drink ... so yeah, the drinks were flowin'!

The event collected 200 toy donations -- and Jones must know his way behind the bar, 'cause they got over $1,000 in drink donations!!

Jacoby was a 3rd round pick to the Houston Texans in 2007 ... and won a Super Bowl ring with the Baltimore Ravens in 2013.

All the money that was raised is going to the Children's House at John Hopkins and the toys will be donated to the Toys for Tots.

Kobe Bryant watched a major car crash unfold right in front of him in Newport Beach, CA on Friday -- but didn't leave the scene ... he stuck around to comfort everyone involved.

TMZ Sports obtained video shot moments after the accident -- we're told it was T-bone crash at an intersection -- and you can see Kobe in his fresh pink sweatsuit taking control of the situation.

In the footage, you can see Kobe walk right into the wreckage scene to speak with the people involved -- directing traffic and calling the shots before help arrived.

Witnesses couldn't believe their eyes when they saw the NBA legend get involved ... but he seemed to be making a real impact and really helped.

Shareef O'Neal is giving an inside look of how far he's come since his serious heart surgery a year ago ... sharing behind-the-scenes videos on the anniversary of his procedure.

As we previously reported ... UCLA doctors found an irregularity with the 19-year-old's heart and he was required to go under the knife to fix the issue.

At the time, Shareef credited the docs with saving his life.

O'Neal is reflecting on his journey one year later ... sharing pics of his parents Shaq and Shaunie helping him walk for the first time post-surgery, and breaking down how he felt in that moment.

"a year ago today i was scared for my life," Shareef says. "a year ago today I was learning how to walk again . A year ago today I was turned into a new kid . A year ago today my life changed."

"I thought I was going through hell while dealing with this process but then i realized it was a blessing that it was found."

"I am very grateful for my health today and I will always be."

Shareef was sidelined for his entire first season ... but has since been able to return to the court to play for the Bruins. He's played in 10 games this season.

"I want to thank my family and friends for everything they did also .. this year has been a big struggle and I’m still finding my way back into things.."

The New York Giants have cut star CB Janoris Jenkins days after calling a fan the r-word ... and then refusing to apologize.

Jenkins used the word -- often used to mock people with special needs -- to insult a fan on social media who had been critical of Jenkins' recent play.

When pressed about using the word -- which has been condemned by organizations like the Special Olympics -- Jenkins shrugged it off and said it was just "hood" talk.

The Giants weren't satisfied with Jenkins' "apology" ... so the organization made the decision to fire the Pro Bowler on Friday.

“This was an organizational decision,” coach Pat Shurmur said.

“From ownership to management to our football operations, we felt it was in the best interests of the franchise and the player. Obviously, what happened this week, and the refusal to acknowledge the inappropriate and offensive language, was the determining factor.”

Janoris joined the Giants as a free agent in 2016 ... and had the best season of his career -- making the Pro Bowl.

This year's been a struggle ... the Giants are 2-11 and there's been beef between JJ and the coaching staff.

But ... none of that matters now 'cause Jenkins is a goner.

As for the star CB, he doesn't seem too broken up about being cut, tweeting "Best news ever.. Thank you"

A pit bull owned by NFL star Trent Williams killed a neighbor's 3-year-old black lab -- and while the neighbor is PISSED -- Williams says it's no big deal.

Linda Flowers says her beloved dog, Sandy, was attacked and dragged through a fence by one of 9 pitbulls at Williams' Missouri City, TX home, ripping its body to shreds in the process.

Flowers tells TMZ Sports ... Sandy was docile and friendly and is clearly the victim in the situation. She believes Williams is running a dangerous pit bull mastiff kennel out of his backyard in a residential community with families and children.

Williams, however, told FOX 5 in D.C. he doesn't understand why the mauling is such a big deal ... saying it's "dogs doing what dogs do."

Williams claims his dogs did nothing wrong -- and it was Sandy who broke into his yard and attacked his dogs first.

We've learned Missouri City PD responded to the scene -- but kicked the case over to animal control, which is currently investigating.

No arrests have been made and no charges filed at this time.

31-year old Williams is a star for the Redskins -- the #4 overall pick in 2010 is a 7-time Pro Bowler and signed a 5-year, $66 million contract in 2015.

No one was happier about Lamar Jackson breaking Mike Vick's QB rushing record ... than Mike Vick!!!

The Baltimore Ravens quarterback passed Vick for the #1 spot on the single season rushing record for a QB on Thursday night, moving past Vick's 1,039 yards from the 2006 season.

Jackson was only 23 yards shy going into the Jets game -- and smashed it -- finishing with 1,103 on the season ... and he's still got 2 games to go!

Mike Vick, who's been praising Jackson all season, immediately made a congratulatory video for the young superstar.

"Congratulations Lamar, we knew it was coming man!"

"Like I said, you was the guy for the job. You did it and you did it well. Keep rushing and set the bar high man!"

"It's gonna be an amazing run for you. Appreciate everything you do for the game."

Jackson, to his credit, seemed more interested in getting the victory than breaking the record ... and spelled it out during a hilarious post-game interview with Erin Andrews.

His running back/hype man, Mark Ingram, eventually took over the interview -- and it was GOLD!!! Check out the dancing teammate in the background!

Gruesome night in the OHL on Thursday ... a goalie was cut so severely by a skate -- blood poured onto the ice and the guy needed emergency surgery to save his life.

It all went down in Canada ... where during the 2nd period of the Niagara IceDogs' game against the London Knights, a player slammed into IceDog goalie Tucker Tynan.

The collision wasn't too violent ... but after a few seconds, it became clear something was VERY wrong -- because blood began to profusely pour out of Tynan's leg.

The 17-year-old was tended to by trainers for roughly 10 minutes on the ice before he was rushed into emergency surgery. The game, meanwhile, was immediately canceled.

The IceDogs announced the surgery was serious ... but thankfully, they said Tynan pulled through and is now "stable and safe" in a local hospital.

The scene after Tynan left the ice was pretty gnarly ... you can see in a picture of the aftermath, a portion of the crease was soaked in blood.

Teammates quickly showed their support for Tynan on social media, with stud forward Jonah De Simone writing, "The boys are here for you Tucks, keep strong."

Terrell Owens believes the NFL is screwing Antonio Brown ... claiming the league is slow-playing its investigation into the WR in order to keep the superstar off the field.

"I think that's probably, maybe a tactic of the NFL to drag it out to where, you know, he can't get on the field this year," Owens said.

AB is being investigated by the NFL for multiple reasons including allegations of sexual assault and claims he sent menacing text messages to a woman who accused him of sexual misconduct.

No team has signed Brown since the Pats cut him back in Sept. -- and it's pretty obvious everyone is staying away until the league concludes its probe.

Owens says he's been spending a lot of time with Brown -- and even visited the WR at his home ... and clearly doesn't believe the allegations against his friend.

T.O. does believe Brown could be handling the situation better publicly -- especially when it comes to his social media -- but tells TMZ Sports he understands why AB is frustrated and acting out.

"I don't condone everything he's doing but I understand where he's coming from," Owens says.

"Man, this guy's a loving father ... I don't agree with everything but I understand where he's coming from."

Of course, Brown went after the Patriots hard after he was cut -- and even made light of Robert Kraft's prostitution case -- probably not the smartest move on his part.

Brown later apologized for some of his social media posts ... but he's still out of a job.

Ex-NBA commissioner David Stern suffered a "sudden brain hemorrhage" on Thursday and underwent emergency surgery, the NBA announced.

77-year-old Stern collapsed at the Brasserie 8 1/2 restaurant in Manhattan while dining on Thursday, according to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski.

Stern was rushed to a nearby hospital where he underwent emergency surgery.

Stern served as NBA commish from 1984 to 2014. He famously shook LeBron James' hand when he was selected with the #1 overall pick in the 2003 NBA Draft.

He was the 4th NBA commish and current NBA commish Adam Silver was his protege.

The NBA hired Stern in 1980 as the Executive Vice President after he put in 2 years as the league's general counsel.

Stern famously implemented the NBA's dress code which required players to wear business casual attire to games. It also required players to wear a sport coat and dress shoes while on the bench (if that player wasn't active for the game).

Stern is married to Diane Bock Stern and they have 2 adult sons together, Eric and Andrew.

During his run as commish, Stern helped launch and grow the WNBA.