TMZ Sports - Page 50

"We, the National Football League, admit we were wrong for not listening to NFL players earlier and encourage all to speak out and peacefully protest."

Those words just came out of Roger Goodell's mouth -- and it seems obvious he's finally acknowledging the horrible way the NFL handled Colin Kaepernick's kneeling protest.

The NFL commish just released a video statement after several top NFL stars -- including Saquon Barkley, OBJ, and Patrick Mahomes -- demanded the league admit they were wrong in silencing peaceful protesters like Kap.

And, it seems the players got what they asked for.

Goodell never mentions Kaepernick by name -- but there's no doubt what he meant.

"It has been a difficult time for our country, in particular black people in our country," Goodell said.

He offered condolences to the families of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery and "all the families who have endured police brutality."

"We, the National Football League, condemn racism and the systematic oppression of Black People," Goodell continued.

"We, the National Football League, admit we were wrong for not listening to NFL players earlier and encourage all to speak out and peacefully protest."

Then this ...

"We, the National Football League, believe Black Lives Matter."

"I personally protest with you and want to be a part of the much needed change in this country."

"Without black players there would be no National Football League. And the protests around the country are emblematic of the centuries of silence, inequality, and oppression of black players, coaches, fans, and staff."

"We are listening and I will be reaching out to players who have raised their voices, and others on how we can move forward together for a better and more united NFL family."

Kaepernick began his kneeling demonstration during the national anthem in 2016 to put a spotlight on police brutality and racial injustice in America.

He parted ways with the SF 49ers after that season -- but hasn't had a legit opportunity with another NFL team since then.

Kap believes there was a concentrated effort to blackball him from the NFL because of his demonstration -- and has said for YEARS that he wants to get back in the league and play.

BTW, he's still only 32 years old.

Goodell's announcement signals an epic sea change for the league -- but the NFL started working toward this day more than year ago when it launched its Inspire Change initiative.

The program's poured considerable resources into improving community-police relations, criminal justice reform and advancing education for youth since January 2019.

During this year's Super Bowl, the league aired a social justice themed PSA about ex-WR star Anquan Boldin's murdered cousin ... which was part of the Inspire Change program.

Adrian Peterson says he's "without a doubt" taking a knee during NFL national anthems this season ... and he claims the entire league is considering doing it with him.

"We're all getting ready to take a knee together," the future Hall of Famer said.

Peterson told a pack of reporters out at a charity event in Texas on Friday he isn't worried about a possible punishment for the protest from league owners or the NFL commish either.

"Are they going to try to punish us all?" the Redskins star running back said. "If not playing football is going to help us save lives and change things, then that's just what it has to be."

Of course, the league's biggest stars appear ready to back Peterson in the kneeling in 2020 ... because, in a video released Thursday night, more than 15 of the NFL's top players demanded the NFL allow them to peacefully protest.

Everyone from Patrick Mahomes to Ezekiel Elliott to Michael Thomas took part in the vid ... strongly urging the NFL to genuinely support the Black Lives Matter movement.

But, the reaction to another round of kneeling protests will not be without controversy ... President Donald Trump just reiterated AGAIN on Friday he does not want to see the protests during anthems.

"There are other things you can protest," POTUS said, "but not our Great American Flag - NO KNEELING!"

Stephen Jackson is FURIOUS at Donald Trump for mentioning George Floyd's name at the White House on Friday ... and he's now warning POTUS not to let it happen again!

"Hey, this message is for Donald Trump," Jackson said in a heated video statement ... "Do not speak on my brother's name."

"I'm making you a promise, you will not be in the White House come November. You will not be reelected, I'm telling you now."

Earlier in the day, Trump spoke with the media from the Rose Garden and said he hoped George is looking down right now -- "This is a great thing that's happening for our country. It's a great day for him. It's a great day for everybody ... in terms of equality."

Enter Jackson ... who knew Floyd for years -- and he's pissed.

"You see how the whole world stood together? Arm to arm, race to race, everybody standing for love? 50 states, 18 countries. That's what me and my brother Floyd did. So we coming to get you out the White House."

Clearly, Jackson feels the next course of action is to mobilize the protesters into voters come November.

Michael Jordan and Jordan Brand have pledged to donate an incredible $100 MILLION over the next decade to fight racial inequality ... saying straight-up -- "Black lives matter."

"The Jordan Brand is us, the Black Community," Jordan and his company said in a joint statement. "Jordan Brand is more than one man. It has always been a family."

"We represent a proud family that has overcome obstacles, fought against discrimination in communities worldwide and that works every day to erase the stain of racism and the damage of injustice."

"The will, the work, the excellence the world has come to know is the result of one generation after another, pouring their dreams into the next. "

The statement continues ... "It's 2020, and our family now includes anyone who aspires to our way of life. Yet as much as things have changed, the worst remains the same."

"Black lives matter. This isn't a controversial statement. until the ingrained racism that allows our country's institutions to fail is completely eradicated, we will remain committed to protecting and improving the lives of Black people."

"Today, we are announcing that Michael Jordan and Jordan Brand will be donating $100 million over the next 10 years to organizations dedicated to ensuring racial equality, social justice and greater access to education."

Jordan recently spoke out over George Floyd's death ... saying, "I see and feel everyone’s pain, outrage and frustration."

"I stand with those who are calling out the ingrained racism and violence toward people of color in our country."

"We have had enough."

MLS winger Aleksandar Katai's wife's disgusting comments about protesters just cost him his job with the LA Galaxy ... with the team deciding to part ways with the player due to her "racist and violent" words.

The 29-year-old Serbian met with the team earlier this week after Tea Katai called for people to kill protesters -- which she referred to as "disgusting cattle" -- on Instagram.

The Galaxy released a statement condemning Tea's since-deleted comments on Wednesday ... saying "Earlier today, the LA Galaxy were made aware of a series of racist and violent social media posts by Tea Katai, the wife of LA Galaxy midfielder Aleksandar Katai."

"The LA Galaxy stands firmly against racism of any kind, including that which suggests violence or seeks to demean the efforts of those in pursuit of racial equality."

The team decided the next step was to wash its hands of the Katais on Friday ... calling the move a mutual decision.

Aleksandar -- who joined the squad in December -- released a statement against his wife's comments earlier this week, saying "These views are not ones that I share and are not tolerated in my family."

"I strongly condemn white supremacy, racism and violence towards people of color. Black lives matter. This is a mistake from my family and I take full responsibility."

Vanessa Bryant is paying tribute to her daughter, Gigi, for her academic accomplishments ... sharing a heartfelt message and a photo of her honorary 8th grade graduation diploma.

"Congratulations on your 8th grade graduation Gigi," Vanessa said on Instagram. "I love you forever and always."

Gigi was a student at Harbor Day School in Corona Del Mar, CA ... and was in the middle of her 8th grade year when she died in the tragic helicopter accident alongside Kobe and 7 others on January 26.

The school honored "Gianna Maria-Onoré Bryant" with a diploma -- and Vanessa was clearly moved by the gesture.

"I’m so proud of you. ❤️, Mommy #classof2020."

Gigi was a standout basketball player with dreams of making it to the WNBA ... and her school retired her #2 jersey at a memorial ceremony in February.

Serena Williams' husband, Alexis Ohanian, just announced he's giving up his seat on Reddit's board ... and he says it's all in an effort to help the black community.

The 37-year-old -- who co-founded Reddit 15 years ago -- said in a powerful video statement Friday he's urging the company to now give his spot to a black candidate.

Ohanian also announced he's donating any future gains he obtains on his Reddit stock "to serve the black community" ... beginning with a $1 MILLION donation to Colin Kaepernick's Know Your Rights Camp.

"It is long overdue to do the right thing," Ohanian said. "I'm doing this for me, for my family and for my country. I'm saying this as a father who needs to be able to answer his black daughter when she asks, 'What did you do?'"

Ohanian added, "I believe resignation can actually be an act of leadership for people in power right now, and to everyone fighting to fix our broken nation, do not stop."

Ohanian famously married Serena back in 2017 ... shortly after having their daughter, Alexis Olympia.

Fight Island is all set to open on July 11 -- with top-of-the-line facilities and an octagon on the beach, so says Dana White.

... but Dana says there's one big problem.

"The FANTASY of Fight Island," Dana explained, "I'm very worried it will eclipse the REALITY of Fight Island."

"The fighters are not going to walk out lined up with tiki torches on the side. I will not be sitting in a big thrown overseeing the octagon and watching the fight."

So, what will Fight Island look like? Dana explained on "TMZ Live."

"We actually have an arena. We built a little arena there that's very, very cool ... The fighters will have their own private places to train. And, there will be an octagon on the beach too!"

Meanwhile, back on the mainland ... Dana is gearing up for UFC 250 on Saturday featuring the great Amanda Nunes vs. Felicia Spencer.

But, White is also stoked for "Sugar" Sean O'Malley -- an 11-0 rising star who's been exploding in popularity after smashing José Alberto Quiñónez back in March.

One last thing ... you see the mug Dana was drinking from?

Marcell Ozuna's wife was arrested for misdemeanor battery, TMZ Sports has confirmed -- after allegedly cracking the MLB star in the face with a soap dish.

Here's what we know ... Genesis Ozuna -- who has children with the 29-year-old baseball player -- was booked into a Miami-Dade jail on May 29.

According to Andy Slater, the arrest came on the heels of a two-week police investigation into an alleged attack on the Atlanta Braves outfielder.

Ozuna suffered a "small laceration" on his face after his wife hit him with a soap dish, Slater says. Slater also says Ozuna personally drove to a nearby station to file a police report following the alleged attack.

Court records show Genesis has already pleaded not guilty to the charge. Initially, Genesis was ordered to stay away from Marcell, but records show there's been a motion to modify that order.

Marcell hasn't publicly commented on the alleged incident with his wife ... and, in fact, he posted a picture of a "Marcell and Genesis" jewelry piece to his social media page Friday.

Marcell captioned the pic with "Tu y yo para que la lleves en tu pecho siempre" ... which loosely translates to "You & I -- so you can always carry it in your heart."

Marcell -- who just inked a 1-year, $18 MILLION deal with the Braves -- is one of the better outfielders in the league ... hitting .272 with 148 home runs in his 7-year career.

Buffalo Bills rookie QB Jake Fromm is owning up to text messages about "elite white people" that were made public this week ... apologizing for the comments and vowing to help fight racism.

A text exchange from March 2019 was made public Wednesday night ... with Fromm saying, "guns are good" and adding "Just make them very expensive so only elite white people can get them haha."

While the validity of the texts were in question, Fromm admitted to the comments on Thursday ... apologizing and saying he addressed the situation with his teammates in a meeting.

"I am extremely sorry that I chose to use the words 'elite white people' in a text message conversation," Fromm said on Twitter.

"Although I never meant to imply that I am an 'elite white person,' as stated later in the conversation, there's no excuse for that word choice and sentiment."

"While it was poor, my heart is not. Now, more than ever, is the time for support and togetherness and I stand against racism 100%."

"I promise to commit myself to being a part of the solution in this country. I addressed my teammates and coaches in a team meeting today and I hope they see this incident is not representative of the person I am."

"Again, I'm truly sorry for my words and actions and humbly ask for forgiveness."

Fromm was picked by the Bills in the 5th round of the 2020 NFL Draft. He was a star at Georgia, throwing for 78 TDs in his 3 seasons as a Bulldog.

A top Aussie Rules Football club is following Colin Kaepernick's lead ... with the entire organization taking a knee Thursday in an effort to put a spotlight on racial injustice Down Under.

Players, coaches and staff for the Brisbane Lions -- one of the best teams in the AFL -- took the field following a team meeting and each person took a knee.

The team says they've been inspired by the protests ignited by the killing of George Floyd -- but they also want to highlight the racial injustices in Australia impacting their own Indigenous population.

According to reports, Indigenous people only make up 3% of the country's general population -- yet they make up 30% of the Australian jail population.

There are several Indigenous people on the Lions team along with one player of "African American descent" -- and they all spoke to the team "about the impact current events have had on them."

Kobe Bryant fans in Europe paid homage to the Mamba in a HUGE way this week ... finishing up a 39-foot-high mural of Bean that's now the biggest on the continent.

Locals in Gradiška, Bosnia and Herzegovina began painting the tribute at an elementary school about two weeks ago ... with one of the guys saying it all started because Kobe helped them find a love for hoops.

"Kobe Bryant was one of my role models and when we heard that he tragically lost his life, we came up with the idea to pay tribute to him," a mural initiator told The Srpska Times.

"That is how we made a mural on the wall of the school next to which we spent time on the playground."

The piece is roughly 39 feet tall and 19 feet wide ... and as you can see in the pics, it's pretty amazing.

The image is of Kobe at the free-throw line in his Lakers jersey set to sink a basket ... and it's complete with his Mamba logo in the upper right corner.

The artist who painted the work said it was painstaking, but worth every minute ... and added he hopes it brings similar pieces of art to the country.

As we previously reported ... there have been a TON of Kobe murals in Los Angeles as well -- and they're so beloved, each and every one went untouched amid the chaos in the city last week.

Charles Barkley says the last 24 hours of hate that Drew Brees has received for his anthem comments are straight-up "overkill" ... and now, he's calling for people to back off the NFL star.

"This level of, 'we've got to kill everybody who says something we don't agree with,'" Barkley said on "NBA on TNT" Thursday, "I am never going with the mob."

Don't get it twisted ... Chuck said Brees' comments were "insensitive," and the NBA Hall of Famer wishes the QB hadn't said them -- but he believes the backlash is too much.

"I want to make it clear: I did not like what he said right away, but the vitriol and animosity and hatred he just got for the last 24 hours, I thought it was overkill," Barkley said. "That's just my personal opinion."

Brees was ripped apart by just about EVERY notable athlete in the country after he said on Wednesday he believed kneeling protests during NFL anthems were disrespectful to the flag.

LeBron James slammed him on Twitter, NFL Hall of Famer, Shannon Sharpe said the guy should retire ... and his teammate, Malcolm Jenkins, even told him to "shut the f*ck up."

Drew has since issued TWO apologies ... and while some -- including Saints stars Michael Thomas, Alvin Kamara and Demario Davis -- accepted it, the QB was still getting blasted for the comments all day Thursday.

Chuck says that needs to end now ... adding, "I have never heard a bad word about Drew Brees in my life."

"He made a mistake. But, we've gotten to the point in society where everybody on social media thinks they are God, judge and jury."

MMA legend Wanderlei Silva says he's lucky to be alive after getting hit by a car -- AGAIN -- while riding his bike in Curitiba, Brazil.

"I could even have died if I wasn’t wearing a helmet,” Silva told Brazilian media outlet Tribuna.

The 43-year-old legend was biking Wednesday across a large street with two traffic lights ... when something went horribly wrong.

"The first one was green ... but I cannot [be sure] if the second turned red in the process."

Silva says he was thrown from his bike -- suffering cuts on his face and a broken bone in his foot.

"People have to be more careful in traffic. It’s hard to ride bikes in Curitiba.”

If the story sounds familiar, it's because Silva was also hit by a car while riding his bike to his gym in 2016.

Silva suffered major damage in that crash and required stitches on his leg.

Similarly, he credits his bike helmet for saving his life in that incident too.

Joe Giudice finally has an opponent lined up for his celebrity boxing match ... and there's a good chance Jennifer Lopez may be rooting for him to kick some ass.

The ex-"Real Housewives of New Jersey" star will fight actor/producer Ojani Noa ... according to Celebrity Boxing promoter Damon Feldman. As we reported, Joe inked a deal last month for an October 24 fight in the Bahamas.

At the time ... the opponent was TBA, but Feldman said he was open to anyone. Joe even joked he'd step in the ring with Mike Tyson.

Let's face it, Noa's a much better fit for Joe. If you're unfamiliar ... Ojani was married to J Lo for less than a year between 1997-1998. About a decade later, they had some more drama. He's done film acting, nothing huge -- "Rapping-n-Rhyming" in 2002, "Irish Eyes" in 2004 and "Eye See Me" in 2007.

He'll need to do more than act like a boxer ... Joe's got some hands, for a celeb amateur. They'll go toe-to-toe for three 1-minute, 30-second rounds.

Hall of Famer Warren Moon says he truly believes Drew Brees didn't mean any harm with his stance on the national anthem protests ... but now that he's apologized, it's time to step up and put his words to action.

Of course, Brees faced backlash from his teammates and other major sports figures for condemning kneeling during the anthem on Wednesday.

Moon -- who knows the Saints superstar personally -- is giving Brees the benefit of the doubt ... saying the QB was so passionate about his stance, he forgot to take everything into account before speaking.

"I know what type of guy that he is, but I think he just got so wrapped up into his beliefs on the national anthem and the flag that he forgot to open his eyes and listen to what was being said by others that might not have his same belief about what all that means to them," Moon tells TMZ Sports.

Brees apologized in a lengthy statement and video and vowed to be a leader for the black community ... and Moon says the next step in getting forgiveness is proving he's genuine.

"I don't know if the apology is going to be enough, but at least it's a start."

"I think he has to maybe now get out there and try and do some things physically to show that he's putting his money where his mouth is and maybe get on camera to talk about those things so people can look in him in the face, look him in the eye and see if he's sincere or not."

(A short time after we shot our interview with Warren, Brees posted an video apology.)

Moon says Brees isn't the enemy people are making him out to be ... but can use this as an opportunity to hear from others with different experiences.