TMZ Sports - Page 50

Rob Gronkowski, Aldon Smith ... now Percy Harvin!?!?

The former-Super Bowl champ and ex-1st-round pick is gunning to become the next surprise NFL un-retirement ... saying he's training with an Olympian for a 2020 comeback!

"I'm ready to return to the NFL," Harvin told ESPN's Josina Anderson. "I thought I was done, but that itch came back. I’ve been training w/a former Olympian. My body is feeling good. Mentally I’m better. My family is good. The timing is right.”

31-year-old Harvin last played in the NFL for the Buffalo Bills in 2016 ... retiring after the season due to severe migraines and other injury issues.

But Harvin, who had also famously retired and unretired just before that year with the Bills, claims he's ready for another run at the league ... possibly even with Tom Brady and Gronk in Tampa.

"I had a dream a while ago when 12 was with the #Patriots, that I would play for Tom Brady," Harvin said. "That was well before the pandemic & he went to the Bucs, my comeback was already in the works."

Harvin added, "But I’m ready for any offense that'll just let me go."

Harvin's agent, Alvin Keels, says he's already fielding calls from teams interested in bringing in the former star WR for workouts this summer.

Tarvaris Jackson lost control of his car while doing 70 in a 30 MPH zone -- slamming into a signpost and crashing into a ditch, this according to the police report obtained by TMZ Sports.

The former NFL quarterback was fatally injured in the April 12 crash in Montgomery, Alabama around 8:50 PM.

According to the police report, the road where Jackson crashed was not well lit -- and he lost control while going around a bend.

When emergency personnel arrived at the scene just a few minutes after the crash, Jackson was "unable to give a reason why he crashed his vehicle."

The 36-year-old was transported to a nearby hospital where he was later pronounced dead.

The report also says Jackson was not tested for alcohol or drugs at the scene.

Officials also note Jackson WAS wearing his full shoulder and lap seatbelt at the time of the crash.

It was also noted the roadway way dry and the conditions outside of the poor lighting were normal.

They seem to blame the crash on Tarvaris driving at a "high rated speed."

Jackson was laid to rest of over the weekend -- but due to the COVID-19 pandemic, mourners inside the church were limited to groups of 10 or less.

Rob Gronkowski AND Tom Brady?!?!

Bucs legend Ronde Barber is STOKED ... telling TMZ Sports his squad just became serious Super Bowl contenders!

Of course, Ronde is one of the all-time Bucs greats -- spending 16 seasons in Tampa and winning a Super Bowl in the process.

But, the former defensive back admits his beloved squad hasn't exactly been relevant on a national level in years ... UNTIL NOW, BABY!!!

"You don't sign Tom Brady to a team that has this much talent ... without the expectation that you wanna win a Super Bowl," Barber says.

"They have talent on this football team. And, an emerging defense. I would say the expectation is to win this year."

Ronde also points out how bringing in Gronk and TB12 will ensure the Bucs get a chance to thrive on the national stage!

"When has Tony Romo ever been here? Has he done a game here in Tampa? Best analyst in football and I think he's been here one time. Those types of things will change."

"'Monday Night Football' will come here. 'Sunday Night Football' will come here. These types of things are gonna drive the energy for the Bucs franchise here in 2020."

By the way, Ronde's only 45 years old -- just 3 years older than Tom. So, has he considered dusting off the cleats and getting back on the field?

Just call Rob Gronkowski the pancake man ... 'cause he's flipping AGAIN on retirement talk -- this time saying he's "not totally done" with football after all!!!

The NFL's greatest-ever tight end has been in a tug-o-war almost since the day he quit the NFL in 2019 ... going back and forth on whether or not he's officially done.

The latest? Gronk told Andy Cohen this week on "Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen" that a reunion with Tom Brady in Tampa Bay ain't totally out of the question.

"I'm feeling good right now," the Patriots legend said. "I'm happy where I'm at. You just never know, man. You just never know. You never know. I'm not totally done."

Gronk says the only thing that's holding him back is a passion for the game ... adding, "I like to stay in shape, but I've gotta get that feeling back."

Rob retired in March 2019 ... and has said injuries -- including roughly 20 concussions -- played a big role in him calling it a career at the age of 29.

The rumors of a return haven't stopped, though ... with Gronk playing a big role in the whispers -- flipping publicly between "I'm done" and "You never know" often.

As for those close to him ... TMZ Sports spoke with Gronk's brother, Chris, just a few weeks ago, and he said he'd be surprised to see the tight end come back.

NFL quarterback Brett Hundley is being sued by his ex-wife -- who claims he repeatedly attacked her before and during their marriage.

Here's the deal ... the woman behind the suit is using the alias "Jane Doe" but identifies herself as Hundley's former wife.

She claims they were married in July 2016 after dating at UCLA.

But, according to the suit, the woman says Hundley -- who currently plays for the Arizona Cardinals -- got violent with her BEFORE they swapped "I Dos" and continued the attacks into 2017.

Here are the allegations ...

-- In January 2016, the woman claims Hundley choked her and threw her around their bedroom during a heated argument ... only letting up when she told him, "I can't breathe."

The woman claims she suffered mental trauma and a broken ankle -- but the lawsuit does NOT say if she ever went to police.

-- In December 2016, the woman claims they had another argument where he pushed her through an open garage door. She claims she suffered a back injury.

-- In March 2017, she claims Hundley charged at her during an argument and threw her onto a pool table and repeatedly shoved her against it.

In this case, the accuser claims two men overheard the incident and called police.

We have reached out to cops to find out if the incident was investigated -- but so far, we have not heard back.

The woman also claims Hundley gave her an STD during their marriage -- the result of alleged extramarital sexual activity.

In her lawsuit, the woman claims she finally filed to divorce Hundley in 2018. Court records show both parties have been declared single by a judge, but they are still sorting out property issues.

The accuser is suing for battery, domestic violence, emotional distress and negligence ... but the problem she might face is the typical statute of limitations for her causes of action are between 2 and 3 years, and the most recent allegation of abuse in the lawsuit falls OUTSIDE of that window.

Of course, there are legal exceptions. We reached out to the accuser's attorney for clarification -- but haven't heard back.

We also reached out to Hundley's reps for comment -- but radio silence on that end, too.

Hundley was a stud QB at UCLA before being drafted by the Green Bay Packers in the 5th round of the 2015 NFL Draft.

In his 4-year NFL career, he's been a backup for Aaron Rodgers, Russell Wilson, and, most recently, Kyler Murray in Arizona.

Jennifer Lopez and Alex Rodriguez are angling to join the movement among celebs to own a sports franchise -- like Magic, Jay-Z and Derek Jeter -- but insiders tell us it's strictly a business decision ... and we're told A-Rod has a vision for the New York Mets that will handsomely line his and his fiancee's pockets.

Sources familiar with the deal tell us ... A-Rod's weakness is also his strength -- he knows he doesn't have a background in business so he's going to leave the business part of running the team to people who know better than him. He's more of a "people manager" -- meaning his strength is inspiring players, but he's leaving the business part to people who know better than him.

We're also told A-Rod and J Lo are putting up a relatively small percentage of the cash necessary to make a deal. We're told they're looking for big investors who might put up somewhere between $25 million and $50 mil. At which point they could get financing from a bank for the balance.

As it was put to us ... the Mets have been "so mismanaged" that there is nothing but upside if he can right the organization. The danger -- we're told A-Rod has an interest in working with the players. The conventional wisdom ... Hall of Fame-level players typically screw up when they try to mess with the roster.

Our sources say it all comes down to money. There are reports the Mets are worth around $2.4 billion, but some of the financial people we've spoken with say that's way too high, and the team is worth more in the $1.5 billion range. Hedge fund manager Steve Cohen was previously in negotiations to buy the Mets in a deal valued at $2.6 billion, but that fell apart in February. Lots of people felt the offer was way over market.

As for A-Rod and J Lo, they've reportedly retained JPMorgan Chase to raise capital.

The man in charge of finding the money is JPMorgan Chase managing director Eric Menell, according to Variety.

Menell runs the company's North American media investment banking.

As we previously reported, the Wilpon family -- which currently owns the Mets -- are looking to sell in a big way.

If A-Rod and J Lo DID get the sale, it would be VERY interesting considering Alex played for the rival NY Yankees for years and Lopez brags about being from the Bronx, typically Yankees country.

One person who's NOT interested in buying the Mets -- superfan Jerry Seinfeld, who told us it's too much work!

Lamar Jackson is revealing why he decided to take truss and throw some Z's on it -- claiming someone threatened to SUE him over the Ravens' catchphrase!!

TMZ Sports broke the story ... LJ recently filed an application to trademark the term, Truzz, right around the time he got the word tatted across his chest.

Weird move, considering Lamar's Baltimore Ravens teammate, Mark Ingram, had been using the phrase "Big Truss" to reference LJ throughout the 2019 NFL season. Woo Woo!

But, just as we thought, the switch to "Z's" was all about business -- as Lamar explained Tuesday during a video Q&A with fans.

"Someone tried to sue me for Truss," Jackson said ... "So, I changed my S's to Z's."

Lamar claims the person who holds the Truss trademark tried to "make a big deal" out of the situation ... and it was just easier to make the switch to ZZ instead.

Smart!

There's more -- Lamar also shared some major news ... he's officially been selected as the cover athlete for the Madden NFL 21 video game!!!

Bruce Smith is down to don Redskins garb once again ... this time, he tells TMZ Sports he'll throw on the D.C. gear to become Chase Young's personal mentor!!

Of course, the Ohio St. superstar ain't officially a member of the Redskins yet -- but it's nearly unanimous among NFL pundits that Washington will select him with the No. 2 overall pick Thursday.

And, once that happens, Bruce says he's open to calling team owner Dan Snyder to offer up his services as Young's personal pass-rush coach.

"I've given that some thought," Smith says, "in giving Dan Snyder a call and telling Dan that I can probably help this young man out to becoming that impact player that they would like for him to become a lot sooner rather than three or four years down the line."

If Dan were smart ... he'd make the hire ASAP -- Bruce is the greatest pass-rusher EVER, recording an NFL record 200 career sacks, and he's a proven commodity as a coach, having already mentored some of the league's current best.

"I think the knowledge that I have been able to gain over the course of my career and even after my career is over has been very helpful to some of the players that are in the league now," Smith says.

"I spent some time with Von Miller, I spent some time with a number of other players. But, it's the details -- the details -- that will set you apart from being average to good to great."

As for Smith's opinion of Chase's game right now ... Bruce LOVES the guy, saying, "Well, arguably, he is the best player in the draft."

By the way, Smith also sent a personal shout-out to all the people battling on the frontlines against the coronavirus ... and his message is touching.

Running from live, angry bulls is usually okay in Spain.

Running from live, angry bulls during COVID-19 ... well, that's just too dangerous!!

Officials have formally canceled the world-famous San Fermin festival in Pamplona (known as the Running of the Bulls) to try and protect people from coronavirus.

“No matter how expected it was, it does not stop us all from feeling sad," the acting mayor told reporters.

So, to be clear ... they don't care if a bull GORES YOU TO DEATH IN THE STREETS -- but, COVID is where they draw the line!

The 9-day event was set to begin in July -- and draw thousands of people from all over the world. Remember, NFL star Josh Norman JUMPED a bull during the 2019 event.

But, in all seriousness, COVID-19 is hitting Spain pretty hard -- more than 21,000 people have reportedly died in the country since the pandemic began.

The bulls are usually slaughtered following their run through the streets -- but it's unclear if they will get a reprieve this year.

Jon Gruden dropped in and surprised an online Univ. of Tennessee stats class this week ... and it was hilarious -- mostly because the guy absolutely sucks at using Zoom!!

The Raiders head coach -- who has an affinity for the Vols (remember #Grumors?) -- surprised a group of students Thursday that included star RB Ty Chandler ... but he didn't exactly pull off the drop-in without a hitch.

As soon as JG busted in the class ... his camera wasn't working and students couldn't see him. Later, the 56-year-old had a hell of a time trying to sign out.

But, hey! In between all of that -- Gruden's visit was cool as hell!!!

Gruden ribbed Chandler (a 2021 NFL Draft prospect), provided messages of encouragement for the young students and even got a "Spider 2 Y Banana" shoutout from the teacher. Good times, right?

As for why this happened ... Chuckie's always had a great relationship with UT -- he once was a grad assistant at the school and his wife was actually a former Vols cheerleader.

Shaun Weiss -- famous for playing Goldberg in "The Mighty Ducks" -- seems to be pulling out of his downward spiral, as he's looking much healthier than he has since his most recent meth bust.

Check out this pic of Shaun now ... he's no longer frail and disheveled. Instead, he's in great spirits and has apparently gained a lot of weight. He was having breakfast last month with his close friend, Drew Gallagher, when the picture was taken.

It's a good sign for Shaun who finally went to rehab in March after getting out of jail.

As we first reported ... Shaun's friends said they were desperate to get the troubled child star help before it was too late -- he was living on the streets and dealing with a slew of life-threatening problems before January's burglary and meth arrest.

When he got out of jail he checked into the recovery facility, but we're told he was recently transferred to a different one due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Our sources say Shaun was told he was at a higher risk of catching COVID-19 because he has diabetes and the original facility could no longer keep him with its main population. So, his team found the new rehab center.

This is, hands down, the best we've seen Shaun looking in a long while -- here's hoping he continues getting the help he needs.