TMZ Sports - Page 50

Just 'cause pro gamers compete from comfy chairs doesn't mean they can't get hurt ... so says the FaZe Clan co-owner, Apex, who tells TMZ Sports video game injuries are a real thing!!

"I've heard of career-ending hand surgeries, for sure," Apex told us out in Hollywood on Monday.

"People get carpal tunnel. I don't get that into it, thankfully. But, some people legit stretch their hands, they do a whole thing of warm-ups to make sure they don't."

Apex even says one of his gamers had to sit out several months due to injury and couldn't play!!

And, just like other pro sports leagues, Apex says teams are hiring psychologists to help with the pressure of competing ... and FaZe Clan may follow suit.

Nick “Swaggy P” Young took his new fiance out for a fancy dinner Saturday night ... it's the first time we've seen them since he popped the question on XMAS day.

Nick and Keonna Green hit up Craig's in WeHo and they were in high style as they left the restaurant ... a doggie bag was in the free agent's hand.

Nick made it clear ... the ring was super expensive, although he was mum on exactly how much it set him back. One sweet note ... his son helped him pick out the bling.

Nick proposed on XMAS morning with some help from Nick Jr., who filmed the whole thing.  Check out the video ... Nick grabs the huge ring box, walks over to Keonna and makes it clear ... the proposal was "way overdue."

The couple has 3 kids together ... Nick Jr., Navi and 6-month old Nyce.

Evander Holyfield ain't giving up on Andy Ruiz -- telling TMZ Sports he strongly believes the former champ can win his belts back ... if he busts his ass!

Remember, Holyfield and Ruiz go WAYYYY back -- they famously sparred back in the day when Evander was training for his comeback in 2011.

Ruiz was a nobody way back then ... but Evander has said he could tell Andy had killer potential and wasn't shocked when he beat Anthony Joshua back in June.

Of course, Ruiz lost the Dec. 7 rematch -- and blamed himself for eating and partying way too much -- but Holyfield says if Ruiz can get focused again, he's a legitimate contender.

"Joshua became champion again, right? He made an adjustment," Holyfield tells TMZ Sports.

"People who make adjustments, their chances is still good. He made some bad choices. When you make bad choices, you gotta be accountable. If you're accountable, you can make adjustments."

Holyfield -- who knows all about coming back after losing a belt -- also had some advice for Ruiz.

"Go back to the work plan. Do whatcha daddy tell you to do. All these years, he's been right, what makes you think he's goin' be wrong?"

There's more ... boxing superstar Terence Crawford also believes in Andy ... telling TMZ Sports he understands why Ruiz lost his focus but strongly believes he can bounce back.

In fact, Crawford says he's good friends with Ruiz and knows what he's capable of doing in the ring when he's not raging outside of it.

What would you do if someone handed you a check for $1 MILLION!?!?!? New Ferrari? Big ass mansion? Pet tiger?

MMA fighter Jordan Johnson has MUCH different plans if he wins the big PFL $1 million prize fight on New Year's Eve ... dude says he wants a Kia!

The 31-year-old light heavyweight fought his way into the championship match against Emiliano Sordi -- where the winner takes home that 7-figure payday. Not bad.

Johnson says he ain't trying to count his chickens before they hatch ... but he'd be lying if he said he hadn't given some thought about how to spend the money.

"Ya know, I'm not gonna make any crazy purchases, but maybe a new car is something we've kinda been talking about."

And the dream ride?!

"I love Kias. We've been talking about the Telluride. But, I just saw the Stinger for the first time the other day. Most people laugh about this, 'You have a million dollar payday and you want to go buy a Kia?'"

Don't laugh ... the 2020 Telluride MSRP's for about $32k, and was named SUV of the Year by Motor Trend.

Sure, it doesn't go 200 MPH ... but do $300k sports cars hold 8 passengers and have an ungodly amount of cupholders? Nope.

Detroit Lions star Marvin Jones broke some heartbreaking news this weekend -- his infant son, Marlo, has died ... a loss that has shaken the organization at large.

The wide receiver made the announcement Saturday, saying his boy -- the youngest of his 5 children who was born this summer -- had passed away. He didn't reveal a cause, but in an emotional post made clear the kid had left his mark on both him and the family.

Marvin took to Instagram and wrote of his son, "Yesterday the Lord called home a piece of my family’s heart, Marlo. It is hard to believe that our little angel, our fighter from day one, our son “Marlito” has unfortunately passed away and is no longer here with us."

He continued, "Marlo, the joy that you brought to us everyday, with that smile, and that energy was like heaven on earth. You will always be in our hearts. We will always remember you." Marvin added he and his wife, Jazmyn, hadn't gotten a chance to hear his first words yet -- which he notes would've been in Spanish -- among many other "firsts."

The NFL player finished by saying, "We know that everything that We do from here on out will be with you. Every step we take, you will be with us. Whenever we have a bad day, We will think of your smile. We miss you already buddy and will forever love you. Rest peacefully our sweet baby boy. You have gained your wings."

The Lions released a statement after hearing word that Marlo had died, saying Marvin and Jazmyn embody the meaning of family with the example they set in the Detroit community. They also asked for privacy on behalf of the Jones family.

LSU's offensive coordinator Steve Ensminger lost his daughter-in-law in a plane crash this weekend just hours before his team was set to take the field for a football game.

Carley McCord -- who was also a New Orleans-based sports reporter -- was among five people killed in Lafayette, LA Saturday morning as the private aircraft slammed into a parking lot and burst into flames in what's said to have been an emergency landing after takeoff.

The plane was heading to Atlanta for the Peach Bowl, where Ensminger and the Tigers are facing the Oklahoma Sooners. McCord's husband, Steven Ensminger Jr., confirmed to AP she was one of the people killed. Only one passenger has reportedly survived.

Witnesses on the ground captured footage of the fiery wreck, and it looks like the plane landed in the lot of a Post Office, which was near a Walmart. Per local reports, the plane skidded and hit a nearby vehicle before stopping in a field. The driver of that car has reportedly died, and another bystander was transported to a hospital in critical condition.

Residents in the immediate area also reportedly lost power due to the crash. First responders were quick on the scene, which had been filled with smoke as well as onlookers.

As for McCord, she's reported to have been a staple in the NOLA sports scene -- and was even an in-game host for Saints and Pelicans broadcasts. She'd done freelance sideline work for several different stations, including Cox Sports Television, ESPN3 and WDSU-TV.

Her father-in-law is expected to coach despite the tragedy -- he's on the field at the moment. The team hasn't released a statement as of yet ... kickoff is just a few minutes away.

McCord was 30.

Marlon Wayans is a sideline dad who'll go to the mat for his kid -- and we think we mean that literally by the way he was screaming at the ref during a basketball game for teens.

The actor and comedian was at his son's high school basketball game Friday night at Bishop Alemany High School in L.A., where he was attentively watching from the bleachers. He eventually came down to court level though to do a little yelling over the officiating.

Apparently, Marlon felt his boy, Shawn, was getting fouled and not receiving the calls for it. He even pointed that out in his own home videos that he posted on social media.

Welp, it looks like the frustrated commentary turned into a shouting match down below, because eyewitnesses tell us Marlon let the refs have it and then some, cussing included.

In video of Marlon's tantrum, obtained by TMZ, you hear him seemingly call at least one referee a "motherf***er" before storming out of the gym. Another parent agreed with him.

MW wasn't done quite yet. At another point in the clip, it looks like he circled back and confronted the refs directly at the scoring table, and did some intense finger-pointing and chastising before having to be restrained. Marlon cooled down and walked away.

Luckily this thing didn't escalate to the point of no return. In the end, just another case of an involved parent who loves their kids. No harm, no ... uhhh, maybe not actually.

FaZe Selkoe -- aka the president of the famous FaZe Clan -- says Esports stars ain't making NFL player money yet ... but he tells TMZ Sports it could eventually happen.

And, why? The 44-year-old says their business model is just perfect for today's society.

Selkoe tells us because fans can watch and interact with players during tournaments AND in practice sessions, he says the potential for the growth of gamers' wallets is HUGE.

"They'll have hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of people watching them play and interact," Selkoe says ... "It's really this amalgamation of pop culture, actual sports and classic entertainment."

Of course, some gamers are already pulling in the hefty checks ... Esports star FaZe Banks is reportedly worth around $3 MILLION, while gaming legend Ninja has said he makes roughly $500,000 A MONTH.

New York Giants legend Ottis Anderson belongs in the Hall of Fame ... so says the ex-running back himself, who tells TMZ Sports, "One day they'll figure it out."

"If you check my credentials, I think I earned the right to be considered [a Hall of Famer]," Anderson says.

Ottis sneakily has a solid case for the honor ... the 62-year-old rushed for 10,273 yards and 81 TDs in his 14-year career, and he added 3,062 receiving yards as well.

Plus, the dude IS a two-time Super Bowl champion ... something plenty of Hall of Fame tailbacks can't say themselves right now.

"Put me in," Ottis says ... "One day they'll figure it out and, until then, we'll just keep on enjoying what I accomplished as a 14-year vet."

As for the current Giants, Ottis clearly doesn't love what they're up to these days, saying, "We suck right now" -- but he says he is optimistic about the future.

When Mike "The Situation" Sorrentino was about to join the reality TV world on "Jersey Shore," he prepared in a very interesting way ... by smelling what The Rock was cooking.

Mike and his wife, Lauren, were guests on the Hollywood Pipeline Podcast with Dax Holt & Adam Glyn ... and he made a huge reveal. He tells them "The Situation" isn't his normal personality -- it's an amped-up version inspired by his love for wrestling ... specifically, Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson.

The Sitch says he wanted to bring something new to the hit MTV series, and while he's obviously a character on his own ... he wanted to make himself "larger than life." Hence -- the nickname, the catchphrases, the abs ... and talking about himself in the third person.

Gotta say, it worked pretty well, and Mike sold it as the genuine article ... though ya gotta think he really had some GTL experience.

Metta World Peace is enamored by the current Lakers squad -- telling TMZ Sports they're a "bigger" sensation than his 2010 Championship team ... at least right now.

"I think they're bigger than us to tell you the truth," Metta said ... "They're 24-6 at this point? They're bigger than what we were at this point in the season."

No shade ... but Metta's wrong.

The current Lakers are 24-7. During the 2009-10 run, Metta's Lakers were 24-6 at this point.

Let's do a squad vs. squad analysis.

2009-10 Lakers -- Kobe Bryant, Pau Gasol, Ron Artest, Derek Fisher, Lamar Odom, Shannon Brown, Andrew Bynum.

2019-20 Lakers -- LeBron James, Anthony Davis, Dwight Howard, Kyle Kuzma, JaVale McGee, Danny Green, Rajon Rondo.

So ... who ya got???

Of course, Metta's squad went on to beat the Boston Celtics in 7 games. Kobe was the series MVP.

For what it's worth, Metta thinks LeBron's Lakers will win it all this season -- "I think so. I know so!"

Eastern Michigan University quarterback Mike Glass III accidentally socked a referee -- sending him crashing to the floor -- before being thrown out of the football game.

EMU and Univ. of Pittsburgh were playing in the Quick Lane Bowl Thursday night in Detroit when a scuffle broke out late in the 4th quarter. Glass smacked Pitt LB Cam Bright in the face mask … before unloading a strike intended for another Pitt player that hit a ref in the face.

The referee immediately went down … while the other officials attempted to restore order.

Glass -- who was 28-50 for 311 yards and 2 TDs and an interception -- was hit with 2 unsportsmanlike conduct penalties and ejected from the game.

Glass' Michigan squad lost the game to Pittsburgh, 34-30 … ending their season.

After the game, EMU head coach Chris Creighton told reporters Glass was "in tears in the locker room" ... devastated by what unfolded on the field.

"I love him 100 percent. And thank God he is highly competitive, but absolutely zero excuse for what happened, and [Mike] knows it," the coach said.

Glass, EMU's senior captain, took to Twitter to apologize for his actions … saying, “I let God and my family down!”

As for the official -- who appears to be okay -- the incident sparked a heated internet discussion … did the ref flop or was he KO'd??

Antonio Brown is in New Orleans working out for Saints officials … and the superstar wide receiver could be signed by the 1st place team.

ESPN's Adam Schefter first reported the news … Brown flew into town to meet with coaches and front office staff on Friday, hoping to land a job with his 3rd NFL squad this season.

Brown's had a disastrous season … the Raiders signed him to a 3-year, $50 million contract, but released AB before he ever caught a ball after a ton of drama relating to his helmet and feet. He also had public spats with head coach Jon Gruden and GM Mike Mayock.

After he was released by Oakland, the New England signed the superstar WR … but cut him 11 days later after AB allegedly sent menacing text messages to a woman who previously accused him of sexual misconduct.

During Brown's short stint with the Pats, he was also hit with a lawsuit from a woman who claimed AB forcibly raped her in 2018.

The Pats cut bait with Brown in September … and he hasn't been part of an NFL squad since.

That could all change very soon … 'cause the Saints appears to have real interest in the superstar receiver.

Forget Conor McGregor ... Canelo Alvarez says he's down to fight UFC star Jorge Masvidal next -- telling TMZ Sports, "Why not?!"

... Of course, in boxing only.

Masvidal famously called out Canelo shortly after beating Nate Diaz for the 'BMF' belt back in November ... and when we asked Alvarez out in L.A. this month if he'd be up for the fight, the boxing superstar told us he's down.

"For business, why not?!" Canelo says.

Neither guy has an opponent lined up for their next fight ... so could it actually happen??

Seems there's a chance ... the first big, MMA-boxing crossover was HUGE -- with Floyd Mayweather and McGregor making SERIOUS bank for getting in the ring back in 2017.

And, Canelo DEFINITELY appears pretty intrigued by that.

As for if the Masvidal fight falls through ... Canelo says he'd be up for a rematch with Mayweather next -- telling us, "I was very young and experienced at the time and now I'm a different fighter. It will be a totally different result."

Mario Williams is off the hook after he was arrested for blowing up in a garage in a tense standoff with his baby mama ... TMZ Sports has learned prosecutors just dropped the case against the ex-NFL star.

The former Houston Texans' No. 1 overall pick got into a heated argument with the mother of his child in the garage of her Texas-area home on Aug. 20 ... and the 34-year-old was hauled off to jail shortly after.

In video of the altercation, obtained by TMZ Sports, you can see a clearly frustrated Williams going off on the woman ... accusing her of using their child's iPad to gain access to his iCloud.

Williams was eventually charged with misdemeanor trespassing for the incident ... but officials decided to dismiss the case this week.

TMZ Sports has learned Williams was asked to complete an online course about decision making ... and after he wrapped that up, the charge was dropped.

Seems both parties were on board with the move ... because according to court docs, neither Williams nor his baby mama, Torie Porter, wanted to move forward with the case.

Rams star Robert Woods is being terrorized by an angry ex-GF and her posse ... so claims the NFL player who just got a restraining order against her.

According to new legal docs, obtained by TMZ Sports, Woods claims his ex, Ca'Ron Fowlkes, showed up to his property earlier this month around 1 AM with her crew and tried coaxing him outside so they could jump him.

Woods claims he woke up to the gate's call box ringing non-stop. He says when he checked security footage, he noticed Fowlkes and her crew ... who were crouching and covering their faces to avoid getting picked up on security cameras.

Woods says he answered and Fowlkes responded, "Come outside, bitch" ... insinuating she wanted to fight him. Woods called cops and Fowlkes left ... but cops later found her near his residence. Cops issued an emergency protective order, but it expired last week.

Woods claims this isn't the first time she's harassed him ... he says she previously showed up to his property, pulled into his driveway and, again, continually rang the call box. Woods claims Fowlkes once also called his cell phone and went on an expletive-laced rant.

The former USC football star also claims Fowlkes is harassing his wife ... through e-mail and social media. A judge has now signed off on Woods' request for a temporary restraining order ... and Fowlkes must now stay at least 100 yards away from him, his wife and workplace.