TMZ Sports - Page 50

The son of the woman who created "Weeds" and "Orange Is the New Black" tragically died after crashing into a sign on the ski slopes ... TMZ has learned.

Law enforcement sources tell TMZ ... Charlie Noxon was skiing down the intermediate run in Park City when he came upon a fork. We're told Noxon had two choices -- left or right. Our sources say Noxon was unable to successfully navigate the move and instead slammed into a direction sign.

We're told Noxon was wearing a helmet at the time of the collision. Our sources say there were no witnesses and no surveillance video. Our law enforcement sources say they based their findings on where the body was found. Noxon was skiing alone at the time of the accident. His family was ahead of him on the ski run.

NBA fans LOVE Tacko Fall ... 'cause despite the 7'6" center only logging 3 games this season -- THEY WANNA SEE HIM IN THE ALL-STAR GAME!!!

The Association announced its top vote-getters so far for the annual classic ... and Fall currently sits at No. 6 in the Eastern Conference frontcourt standings with 110,269 votes.

It's an impressive number, considering Timberwolves superstar Karl Anthony-Towns has just 173,129 votes over on the Western Conference side.

Of course, it's hilarious because Fall has only played MINUTES this season -- he hasn't spent too much time on the Celtics' active roster because of mediocre play and a concussion he suffered for being too tall (seriously, that story is wild).

But, all the love is a testament to how much people really dig Fall -- who's been an Internet sensation for his giant size ever since he killed it in college at UCF.

Fall ain't the only quirky name on the NBA's fan vote list ... Lakers bench player Alex Caruso also notched nearly 100,000 votes, mostly because he's a hilarious internet meme too!!

As for if the NBA will actually let the guys play in the game despite not really doing much in this season ... don't count on it -- the fan vote only makes up 50 percent of the total voting players need to make the game.

Ex-Bengals head coach Sam Wyche -- who led Cincinnati to the Super Bowl in 1989 -- has died at age 74, the team announced Thursday.

Wyche -- who also played QB for the Bengals back in the day -- was battling melanoma and reportedly went into hospice in Pickens, South Carolina on December 30.

"Sam was a wonderful guy," Bengals president Mike Brown said in a statement. "We got to know him as both a player and a coach. As our coach, he had great success and took us to the Super Bowl."

"He was friends with everyone here, both during his tenure as head coach and afterwards. We not only liked him, we admired him as a man."

"He had a great generosity of spirit and lived his life trying to help others."

Of course, Wyche also famously gave a powerful speech to Bengals fans throwing debris on the field back in 1989 ... saying, "You don't live in Cleveland, you live in Cincinnati."

Wyche played professionally from 1968-76 ... and went on to coach the Bengals from 1984-1991. He's the second-winningest coach in franchise history.

New York Yankees pitcher Domingo German was just hit with an 81-game suspension ... this after the MLB concluded its investigation into allegations he committed domestic violence.

German was placed on administrative leave back in September after Major League Baseball was notified the 27-year-old had allegedly been involved in an altercation with his significant other.

Details of the allegations are unclear -- no police report was ever filed -- but what is known is the MLB clearly found the accusations to be credible.

"Having reviewed all of the available evidence," commissioner Rob Manfred said Thursday, "I have concluded that Mr. German violated our Policy and that discipline is appropriate."

According to the MLB, German will NOT appeal the punishment ... and has agreed to make a contribution to "Sanctuary for Families" -- a New York-area charity helping victims of domestic violence -- in addition to serving the ban.

Per multiple reports, the 81-game suspension is one of the most aggressive penalties EVER levied against an MLB player for dom. violence.

The suspension is retroactive ... meaning since German missed 18 games for the alleged incident in 2019, he'll only be required to sit the first 63 games of next season.

"Domestic violence — in any form — is a gravely serious matter that affects every segment of our society," the Yankees said in a statement. "Major League Baseball has taken the lead in our industry to make domestic violence awareness and prevention a priority, and we will continue to back those efforts."

"We are encouraged by Domingo’s acceptance of his discipline, and we sincerely hope this indicates a commitment to making a meaningful and positive change in his personal conduct."

International soccer superstar Franck Ribery is ringing in the new year in style ... by rockin' a sick, new Rolex from his wife ... and it's got a price tag of a whoppin' $120k!!

TMZ Sports has learned ... the French baller has been talking for a while about getting a nice timepiece ... so his wife, Wahiba, decided to hook her hubby up with the one-of-a-kind Rolly!!

We're told Wahiba hit up Franck's longtime friend, Gabriel the Jeweler, to come up with the fancy Sky Dweller ... which features 35 carats of VVS diamonds.

On top of that, Gabriel hooked it up with Franck's jersey number right below the Rolex crown!!

We're told this is the only watch of its kind ... and is worth a total of $120,000!!!

A Chinese Basketball Association coach slapped the hell out of a heckler during a game Wednesday after the man allegedly screamed at the coach's wife ... and video of the incident is wild.

During the Jiangsu Dragons' tilt with the Liaoning Flying Leopards in Nanjing on New Year's Day, a fan was clearly causing a scene from his courtside seat.

Cameras caught the guy making a gesture toward one of the players ... and later, they appeared to show the man screaming toward a woman believed to be Dragons coach Memi Becirovic's wife.

You can see in the clip, Becirovic didn't handle the situation very well at all ... 'cause at some point during the 3rd quarter, he straight-up walked up to the fan and slapped him in the face!!

The fan fell backward ... and both parties needed to be restrained. Eventually, both the coach and the man were ejected from the game.

It's unclear if Becirovic will face further punishment from the CBA over the altercation.

Bill Belichick was asked straight-up if he had given any thought to Saturday being possibly his last game EVER with Tom Brady -- and ya gotta watch the way he handles the question.

Of course, The Hoodie didn't give any bombshell answer -- it was the usual Belichick deflection -- but it's interesting to see him faced with the reality this weekend could be the end of the Patriots' dynasty.

Belichick and Brady have been dominating the NFL ever since TB12 took the Pats' starting QB reins in 2001 ... but at 42 years old, there's a lot of speculation Tom won't be under center for New England next season.

As for Bill, he's 67 years old and hasn't exactly guaranteed he'll return to Foxboro in 2020 either.

So, a reporter asked the coach bluntly Thursday if he had given any thought to Saturday's game against the Tennessee Titans being the Brady-Belichick finale.

Belichick's response? "Yeah, we're focused on the Titans. That's really -- that's all I'm focused on. So, do everything we can to get ready to go and play the best game we can play Saturday night."

If playoff history's an indicator, the Patriots will likely roll through Tennessee -- and there will be more Belichick and Brady playoff games coming.

The Oregon Ducks were smellin' roses -- AND cigar smoke -- after the team's huge 1-point win over Wisconsin on Wednesday ... whippin' out the stogies for an epic locker room celly!!

Justin Herbert and co. partied like crazy after the 28-27 Rose Bowl thriller ... and some of the guys came prepared with some fine cigars.

Players like Dru Mathis and Samuelu Poutasi captured the awesome moment after the game ... when their teammates took glorious puffs that would make Rick Ross jealous.

As for the game, Herbert led the way with 3 TDs and looked like a damn stud. So, yeah, he deserves to celebrate.

Worth noting -- some of the dudes on this team aren't 21, so they better enjoy the stogies while they can before that new Tobacco 21 law goes into effect later this year!!

Who's a good public urinator?!? You are, yes you are!!!

Ruff day for the lads at Sheffield United ... who were getting ready for their big Premier League showdown with Liverpool on Thursday when a dog ran onto the field at Stanley Park and peed all over a practice cone!

At first, the players seemed a bit confused as to why the dog was there -- but when the 4-legged fan lifted his leg and opened fire, you can hear the whole team crack up laughing.

Funny moment ... but now, they've gotta focus quick -- Liverpool is #1 in the Premier League. They're 18-0-1 on the season so far and look unstoppable.

Meanwhile, Sheffield United is in 8th place ... they're 7-5-8 this season, but they've won 3 out of their last 5.

Best boyfriend EVER?!?!?

Deshaun Watson took some time off from preparing for the Buffalo Bills on Wednesday to celebrate his smokin' hot model GF's birthday ... and we gotta say, dude is MVP caliber on AND off the field!!

The Houston Texans superstar hit up a fancy dinner with Jilly Anais -- a legendary Instagram model -- and he brought diamonds and a custom Louis Vuitton box for the occasion.

Seems Jilly, who turned 24 this week, loved the gifts ... 'cause she couldn't stop showin' them off -- and the two even exchanged L-bombs afterward! AWWWW!!!

Of course, it's a massive week for Watson ... the 24-year-old QB is set to play in his second-ever NFL playoff game this weekend -- so Jilly MUST be pretty special to the guy!

And, if ya watch the clips ... it ain't hard to get a read on that -- 'cause pics of Watson and Jilly were laid out all over the birthday table!!

As for the rest of the party ... backup QB AJ McCarron's wife, Katherine Webb, was there -- and she posted video of Watson and Jilly kissing, saying "We love you!"

It's time to start rooting for Nick Kyrgios ... because the Australian tennis star has pledged to donate $200 for every ACE he lands to help wildfire relief efforts in his home country.

"I’m kicking off the support for those affected by the fires," the 24-year-old announced ... "I’ll be donating $200 per ace that I hit across all the events I play this summer."

It's a big deal considering Kyrgios smashed 597 aces in 2019 ... so if he matches that total, we're talking around $120k.

At least 17 people (8 in the past week) have been killed in the Australia fires -- which have been burning since October -- with at least 17 more people missing.

More than 1,000 homes and buildings have been destroyed so far and officials are concerned things could get even WORSE in the coming days.

Several Aussie tennis stars have already been inspired by Nick's gesture -- and are following suit with ace-based donations.

Alex de Minaur said, "I like this I will go $250 per ace, just because I don’t think I’ll be hitting as many aces as you mate."

TMZ Sports has obtained police video from Errol Spence Jr.'s horrifying Ferrari crash which shows a cop scrambling to get a blood sample from the boxer while he was being treated at the hospital.

... plus, the footage also shows officers found a loaded, expensive handgun at the crash scene.

As we previously reported, Spence -- one of the best boxers in the world -- wrecked his Ferrari during an Oct. 10 crash that was captured on video.

It's a miracle the 29-year-old survived ... 'cause the car was ripped to shreds -- and the dude was EJECTED from the vehicle after impact.

Spence was immediately transported to a nearby hospital where investigators rushed to get a blood sample because they suspected Spence had been driving under the influence of alcohol.

Obviously, time is of the essence for a DUI-blood draw ... because the more time passes, the harder it is to determine the BAC at the time of the crash.

Spence's blood showed he WAS intoxicated ... and he has since been charged with DWI.

The good news ... we're told Spence is recovering well and is even expected to fight again in 2020.

Back to the crash scene ... the police body cam video shows responding officers surprised over a firearm they found at the scene -- which they note is a pretty expensive weapon.

You can hear the cops talking about the gun ... with one of the officers saying jokingly, "It's only a $1,000 gun!"

Errol was not hit with any legal issues over the weapon because a spokesperson for the Dallas Police Dept. tells us, essentially officers couldn't link it to the boxer.

The spokesperson added the firearm has since been placed in the department's property room.

Don Larsen -- the only pitcher in MLB history to ever throw a perfect game in the World Series -- died Wednesday ... Major League Baseball announced.

Larsen's agent, Andrew Levy, told the Associated Press the ex-New York Yankee passed away due to esophageal cancer. He was 90 years old.

Larsen pitched for seven different teams during his 14-year MLB career from 1953-1967 ... but it was his performance in the 1956 World Series that he'll be forever remembered for.

The right-hander tossed a perfect game -- no hits and no walks allowed -- against the Brooklyn Dodgers in Game 5 of the Fall Classic. He was later named MVP of the series.

Larsen ended his baseball career with an 81-91 all-time record, and finished with a career 3.78 ERA and 849 strikeouts in 1548.0 innings pitched.

"We are deeply saddened to learn of the passing of Don Larsen, who remained a welcome & familiar face at our annual Old-Timers’ Day celebrations," the NY Yankees announced in a statement.

"The Yankees organization extends its deepest condolences to Don’s family and friends during this difficult time. He will be missed."

David Stern -- Hall of Fame ex-NBA Commissioner -- has died 3 weeks after suffering a brain hemorrhage.

The NBA says Stern passed away Wednesday afternoon with his wife, Dianne, and their family at his bedside.

As we reported ... Stern was in serious condition after undergoing emergency brain surgery to address the sudden hemorrhage he suffered at a Manhattan restaurant on December 12. Sadly, he was unable to make a recovery.

David took over as commissioner of the NBA in 1984 and ushered incredible growth in the league over his 30-year tenure. Of course, he was in charge during the heyday of Bird, Magic and Michael ... and helped the NBA become the global juggernaut it is today.

The troubling story about Tampa Bay Buccaneers defensive tackle Rakeem Nunez-Roches allegedly abandoning his Cane Corso has a happy ending ... because the sweet pooch has found a new forever home.

TMZ's learned the dog, whose name is Jitterbug, has been adopted by a woman named Andrea Johnson and her husband, Keith. Andrea tells us they already have a Cane Corso, and when they heard there was another at a Tampa rescue they drove to meet the pup and interview to adopt her.

Andrea says she explained to the rescue that Jitterbug would be in loving and caring hands because she and Keith are familiar with the breed ... and they have a large home with a big backyard and a pool.

Plus, Jitterbug will have a new canine pal in their other Cane Corso, whose name is Addi.

The rescue group approved and the Johnsons picked Jitterbug up on New Year's Eve after she was spayed. We're told she's doing great ... and enjoyed her first meal of 2020 -- steak and sweet potatoes.

More positive news -- Andrea tells us she reached out to Rakeem's wife about Jitterbug to learn more about her temperament and what she likes, and she was very helpful.

Andrea says the wife filled her in on all the commands the dog knows, what food she prefers, her love of walks and car rides and that she's a great house dog and very chill.

We're told Rakeem's wife claims they had to give Jitterbug away because they are expecting a child, but it's still unclear how the dog ended up abandoned on the side of a busy road.

As we reported ... the Tampa Bay Bucs are looking into the situation.

The son of the woman who created "Orange Is the New Black" and "Weeds" has died in a skiing accident ... TMZ has learned.

20-year-old Charlie Noxon had an accident on the slopes of Park City, Utah on New Year's Eve. Law enforcement says he fell, and it was apparent he needed immediate medical attention. A helicopter from the University of Utah's Medivac Unit was dispatched and took Charlie to a nearby hospital. He was later pronounced dead.

Aside from saying Noxon fell, there were no other details available concerning the circumstances surrounding the accident.

Charlie appeared in an episode of "Weeds" back in 2008. His mom, Jenji Kohan, and his dad, journalist Christopher Noxon, divorced in 2018 after 21 years of marriage.

Charlie was in Park City with his dad and 2 siblings when the accident occurred.