TMZ Sports - Page 50

New York Knicks and Rangers owner James Dolan has tested positive for COVID-19 ... making him the first known major American sports team owner to contract the virus.

Knicks PR announced Saturday night that the 64-year-old billionaire owner -- one of the most controversial figures in sports -- has coronavirus ... but made it clear he was in good condition, and still in charge of his teams.

"The Madison Square Garden Company Executive Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Jim Dolan has tested positive for coronavirus. He has been in self-isolation and is experiencing little to no symptoms. He continues to oversee business operations."

Dolan lives in New York -- the United States hotbed for the pandemic -- with over 53,000 identified cases.

Before the NBA shut down earlier this month, Dolan was reportedly the only NBA owner who didn't want to play games without fans or suspend the season ... despite the growing threat of the virus.

The war between Claressa Shields and Laila Ali is even nastier BEHIND THE SCENES ... with Claressa revealing all the trash-talking messages they've been sending each other -- and it's WILD!!

Shields -- BY FAR the best active female boxer on the planet -- says she offered up an olive branch to Ali back in January, after Laila trashed her on 'Sway in the Morning.'

If you recall, 42-year-old Ali (24-0) said she would destroy Shields if they ever fought because Claressa isn't talented enough to hang with her.

During the interview, Ali claimed Shields had called her a bad businesswoman -- something Shields says she never said.

So, Claressa reached out in Laila's DMs to try and clear things up -- and a few months later, she got a pretty scathing reply from Laila.

"She goes, You are a real punk. Talking all that sh*t publicly but trying to make nice in private,'" Shields explained.

Here's another message Shields claims she got from Ali:

"I'm gonna teach you a whole lot of things that will make you a better fighter and person. Lesson #1: Learn to shut your mouth about money being there because it's not there until it's in an escrow account."

"I can see right through you and always have. So just be patient, and hopefully you will have the opportunity to try and knock me out. Even though you're not even hurting these soft girls you have been fighting."

WOW.

Claressa responded -- "I hurt everybody I fight. But the girls are way tougher now, and they don't go down now like they went down back in the day. Those bitches was soft."

Just watch the video ... Claressa spells out the whole thing -- and tells us she's dead serious about a big money fight with Laila if the two sides can agree on numbers.

Francis Ngannou says if Dana White can lock down a location for UFC 249 -- the epic Khabib Nurmagomedov vs. Tony Ferguson card -- he will be there ... ready to beat the hell outta Jairzinho Rozenstruik.

The 33-year-old, 6'4", 260 lb. monster was scheduled to fight Rozenstruik -- a 32-year-old, undefeated heavyweight -- Saturday in Columbus, Ohio.

Then, Coronavirus screwed everything up ... and the highly anticipated March 28th fight was put on ice.

But, that doesn't mean the men ain't gonna scrap ... 'cause Ngannou tells TMZ Sports that he is 100% fighting -- assuming the UFC honcho can find a place that's down to host the event.

"[Dana] said if they find a location, we will be on the card," Francis says.

Ngannou has even found a facility where he can lift and train with his coaches ... 'cause he's planning to step in the Octagon in less than 3 weeks.

"Since we are expecting some potential fight for April 18th, so we have to stay ready. So, we have a closed-door training. Just me and Eric Nicksick, my coach. So, we keep working out."

There's been a crazy amount of speculation about where 249 could take place ... Khabib's manager, Ali Abdelaziz, recently told us the UFC was looking at locations in Africa.

Francis says even he doesn't know where it'll happen ... but if there's a place that's safe, you bet your ass he'll be there.

"I don't know exactly where the fight will take place," Ngannou says, "However, what I do know is wherever it is gonna be, I'm gonna be there."

Please, please, PLEASE, Dana ... lock down a spot for these fights!!

Forget expensive cars and flashy jewelry ... James Bradberry says the first big purchase he's going to make with his new Giants contract is the gift of retirement for his mom!!

"I'mma surprise her with that," the new NY corner tells TMZ Sports. "It's not an actual thing I'd be giving her, but I'll be telling her, 'Hey, you ain't got to go to work anymore if you don't want to.'"

James balled out this past season in Carolina, recording 3 INTs and 12 pass breakups ... and he was rewarded for the effort with a 3-year, $45 MILLION contract from the Giants in free-agency this month.

But, Bradberry says his mom is priority No. 1 when it comes to spending that new cash ... telling us she deserves all of it for the way she raised him and his sister as a single mom in Birmingham, Ala.

"She sacrificed a lot for me and my sister while growing up," Bradberry says. "And just to be able to repay her without having her go to work anymore that'd be good for me because she can now do whatever she wants. Enjoy life."

Ex-Steelers stud Ike Taylor says Tom Brady is going to LOVE his new head coach, telling TMZ Sports he had a blast playing for Bruce Arians for YEARS in Pittsburgh.

"BA's a 'we' guy," Taylor says ... "He’s one of the guys. BA is one of the guys."

Taylor spent nearly a decade around Tampa Bay's head man when Arians was a Steelers assistant ... and Ike had nothing but good things to say about him when we talked to him this week.

In fact, when we asked if TB12 was going to have an easy time playing for the dude down in Florida ... Ike couldn't have been more convinced.

"BA is the ultimate player's coach," Taylor says. "Just from being around BA, Tom Brady is getting a player’s coach, who, for the most part, is just going to let him be him."

Of course, there's been some concern that Bruce's infatuation with the deep ball could hurt Brady -- considering that requires 42-year-old TB12 to hang in the pocket more and take more hits.

But Ike says he knows Arians will be flexible ... and might even implement some of Brady's old offense into this season.

"I would say six or eight games throughout the season the offense should be clicking," Ike says.

Chael Sonnen says he's straight up "baffled" by Jon Jones' recent DWI arrest -- telling TMZ Sports it's about time he STOP DRIVING once and for all.

The two have history -- Chael famously fought Jon back in 2013 (Jon won in a 1st round stoppage) ... and they've had a cordial relationship ever since.

So, we asked "The Bad Guy" for his thoughts and he didn't hold back.

"It's baffling. You look at this guy, and this guy is blessed in so many ways. Great family, not just mom and dad, but the brothers and his own internal family, his kids, his career, he’s a handsome guy, charming guy."

"You look at him, there’s nobody that can beat him except for him. Every wound he has is just self-inflicted and that’s just hard. It's to the point where you just grab him and go 'hey man, there's people that care, there’s another way.'"

Of course, Jon has had multiple issues with the law over the years -- including a previous DUI arrest in 2012, a hit-and-run in 2015, a drag-racing stop in 2016 and the newest DWI in 2020.

"Man I gotta tell ya, it just seems like if he would just get the Uber app, it just seems like so many of his problems would go away," Sonnen says.

"I sit back like anybody else and read, Jon and I don't have the best relationship, but I've known Jon for a number of years, I've competed with Jon, I've done stuff with Jon. But I observe Jon, more than anything I can observe him from the outside. And I'll just tell you, it would just seem like if he didn't just get behind the wheel."

"So many of his problems, which are self-inflicted by the way, would not exist."

As for Chael, he's staying REAL busy during the pandemic -- in fact, he's promoting a HUGE Submission Underground event on March 29th, live on UFC Fight Pass.

"Juwanna Mann" star Miguel A. Nunez Jr. really didn't want to pay for hundreds of dollars of groceries ... at least according to cops, who say he gave himself the ole five-finger discount.

Law enforcement sources tell TMZ ... the actor was checking out at an L.A. Ralphs supermarket this week when his credit card got declined, so he just took his groceries in his cart and walked right out the front door without paying.

Pretty bold move ... allegedly.

Our sources say Miguel returned to the same Ralphs a few days later, but he wasn't allowed inside and cops were called. We're told Miguel was placed under citizen's arrest, and when LAPD showed up, police cited him for misdemeanor shoplifting and he was sent on his merry way.

Cops arrested Miguel but didn't take him into the station ... they gave him a ticket and he was on his way. During the pandemic, L.A. cops are not booking and jailing people for minor offenses. Cops still call it an arrest.

Miguel's spinning a different tale ... he tells us he was in a long line to check out -- ya gotta stay 6-feet away from folks because of coronavirus -- and he got tired of waiting and bounced with his items, but intended to return another day to pay.

Miguel says he tried to pay for his $200 worth of groceries when he returned, but claims the store manager told him no and that he wasn't special.

Floyd Mayweather thinks it's RIDICULOUS that the allegations against Antonio Brown are keeping him out of the NFL ... and he put the league on blast during a video chat with AB.

"They need to let you play in the NFL, man. They need to stop worrying about what you do on the outside."

"You can get arrested 40 times, 50 times," Mayweather told AB on Friday ... "Do that got something to do with you catching the ball or what you doing on the field?"

Of course, the allegations against Brown are very serious -- he's been accused of violent rape and he was arrested back in January for attacking a moving truck driver.

The league is investigating the allegations against AB -- but in the meantime, no team wants to touch him out of fear he'll likely get a big fat suspension.

But, Mayweather told Brown ... "You're supposed to be in the NFL. Tom Brady is one of the best quarterbacks of all time! He's not requesting you for no reason!

"He's requesting you because he know every time he throw it to you, you're gonna catch it."

Mayweather also brought up Brown's helmet issues with the NFL -- and suggested he was being singled out because he came from "nothing to something."

But, he ended the conversation with this ...

"Just stay focused, you'll get back in the NFL. You'll get back! There's too much talent for them to let go down the drain! We need you with the Raiders, we need something in Vegas!"

Brown responded, "I want to get it back. Tell 'em we can run it back, do this right!"

Have you seen those memes making fun of Jason Pierre-Paul's mangled hand? The ones where they compare him to a Ninja Turtle?

Yeah, JPP has seen 'em too ... and he's laughing all the way to the bank!

The Tampa Bay Bucs star finally decided to clap back at his hand-haters on Friday -- almost 5 years after a fireworks accident blew off parts of his right hand.

"For those all those memes out there with the ninja turtle hand lol. I'm still counting dem racks with it."

JPP ain't lyin' ... the 31-year-old just inked a 2-year, $25 MILLION contract to stay with the Bucs last week ... and has earned more than $75 million throughout his career.

But don't worry, the guy has a sense of humor ... and says he got a good laugh out of all the memes.

"I remember shiii was funny tho 😭😂😆🤣 never give up."