TMZ Sports - Page 50

Kobe Bryant's helicopter pilot was most likely severely disoriented by fog seconds before slamming into a hillside in January -- that's what federal investigators are now saying.

In new documents released Wednesday ... NTSB officials say they have evidence showing Ara Zobayan thought he was ascending when the chopper was actually going downward.

In the docs, investigators claim moments before the crash ... Zobayan told air traffic control he was "climbing to four thousand," and air traffic control asked him what he intended to do once he got to that altitude.

The NTSB says Zobayan never responded -- he had crashed by that point. Interestingly, according to the docs, the helicopter was actually descending rapidly at the time Zobayan said he was climbing.

Investigators add they believe "the pilot could have misperceived both pitch and roll angles" due to the dense fog in the area.

As we previously reported, Zobayan, Bryant and seven others on board hit the the ground at 184 MPH ... instantly killing everybody.

Autopsy results showed Zobayan was NOT high on alcohol or drugs at the time of the crash ... and in the new docs, investigators say Zobayan's girlfriend told them he was in great shape before the accident.

Vanessa Bryant and surviving family members of other passengers have sued the Zobayan and Island Express, which chartered the helicopter.

Various pilots have said Zobayan should not have been flying at such a high rate of speed in blinding fog.

It should be noted, investigators did NOT reveal an official conclusion on the cause of the crash. A final NTSB report with that information is expected to be released later.

Warning -- this post ain't for the young Patrick Mahomes fans ... 'cause the Super Bowl-winning QB is packin' on the PDA with his girlfriend in some steamy "PG-13" pics!!

The Kansas City Chiefs superstar and his high school sweetheart, Brittany Matthews -- sporting a hot pink bikini -- were having some fun in the sun at the Lake of the Ozarks on Wednesday ... and decided to turn things up a notch.

The couple look closer than ever on the boat trip ... including some very nice hand placement and some smooches.

"PG-13❕ #oops😘," Brittany captioned their impromptu photo sesh.

Of course, Matthews is easily Mahomes' most vocal supporter ... screaming her head off for her man's team every game en route to winning the Lombardi trophy.

Mahomes and Matthews have been even more inseparable during quarantine ... spending the offseason training together and other cute couples things.

Further proof that it's good to be the champs!!

PS -- amazing choice of shades, Patrick.

Another big break for Miami Dolphins star cornerback Xavien Howard ... the NFL will NOT suspend him over his domestic violence case -- TMZ Sports has learned.

26-year-old Howard was accused of roughing up his fiancee during an argument at a Davie, Fla. residence back on Dec. 29.

According to the police report ... Howard allegedly grabbed the woman and pushed her against a wall. Officers in the report stated they noticed scratches, redness and an abrasion on the alleged victim after they responded to the scene -- and arrested Howard shortly after.

In the 911 call from the incident ... Howard's fiancee seemed to insinuate the alleged attack was NOT an isolated incident.

But, prosecutors dropped the criminal case against Xavien back in February, saying, "The victim said she did not want to proceed with prosecution."

They added, "She also stated that it was a 'situation that got out of hand' and she has no fear of the defendant and no fear for her safety."

We're now told the NFL has concluded its independent investigation into the matter ... and has decided it will NOT force Howard to miss any games over the arrest.

President Donald Trump -- who previously said to fire any "son of a bitch" who knelt for the national anthem -- says Colin Kaepernick should get another shot at an NFL career ... if he deserves it.

POTUS has been adamantly against the national anthem protests since 2016 ... and most recently said he'd stop watching soccer and football if the demonstrations continued.

Trump seems to be softening his stance on Kap -- at least as a quarterback -- saying he should have a second chance in the league if he's talented enough to compete.

"If he deserves it, he should," Trump told ABC7's Scott Thuman. "If he has the playing ability. He started off great and then he didn't end up very great in terms as a player."

"He was terrific in his rookie year, I think he was very good in his second year and then something happened."

Trump continued ... "So, his playing wasn't up to snuff. The answer is absolutely I would, as far as kneeling, I would love to see him get another shot. But obviously, he has to be able to play well. If he can't play well, I think it would be very unfair."

What's unclear is if Trump means Kap should stand if he gets "another shot"... but we know for sure he believes a team shouldn't hesitate to sign him if he's good enough.

The comments come on the heels of Ben Carson -- the Housing and Urban Development Secretary -- saying he was going to "work with" POTUS to help him understand the meaning behind kneeling ... so it's a possibility it helped.

NFL commish Roger Goodell also recently said he'd encourage any team to sign the QB.

Tyrell Robinson -- a former winger for legendary soccer club Arsenal -- is now facing prison time after pleading guilty to allegations he performed sexual acts with a 14-year-old.

22-year-old Robinson, according to multiple reports, showed up to Bradford Crown Court in England on Tuesday to fess up to the charges.

The ex-Bradford City player reportedly admitted to engaging in sexual activities back in August 2018 with a 14-year-old ... while also admitting he made and distributed an indecent picture of a child as well.

It should be noted Robinson did DENY a charge in court that he distributed an indecent photo of a child back in 2017 ... and prosecutors are not moving forward with that charge.

But, a judge told him he now faces time behind bars over his guilty pleas ... saying incarceration will be on the table at a sentencing hearing at a later date.

Details surrounding the alleged 2018 incident with the 14-year-old are unclear ... but authorities said early in the case they were hitting Robinson with an "engaging in penetrative sexual activity with a child" charge.

Robinson, who will reportedly be on a sex offenders' registry after his guilty pleas, was seen leaving court in a black mask and red, puffy jacket.

A statue of African-American icon Arthur Ashe has been vandalized with "White Lives Matter" and "WLM" in Virginia ... and now police are investigating.

The monument was tagged in white spray paint early Wednesday morning ... and law enforcement says they have info on potential suspects.

The original vandalism was later written over with "BLM" in red spray paint ... and local reports say community members were already trying to remove the graffiti by the time cops arrived to the scene.

Ashe -- who broke barriers in the sport of tennis in becoming the first black man to win the Wimbledon, Australian Open and U.S. Open -- was honored with a statue in his hometown of Richmond in 1996.

It's worth noting ... the Ashe tribute is part of Richmond's Memorial Avenue, which is filled with statues to Confederate leaders that have been attacked by protesters following George Floyd's death.

The Premier League is finally back after 100 days off due to COVID-19 ... and the players made a profound statement at kick-off by taking a knee to honor George Floyd.

All players for Aston Villa and Sheffield United -- as well as the referees -- participated in the demonstration on Wednesday ... showing solidarity with the fight against police brutality and social injustice.

Along with taking a knee, all players are wearing "Black Lives Matter" on the back of their jerseys.

The EPL acknowledged the gesture on Twitter ... saying, "There is #NoRoomForRacism, anywhere."

The players made their intentions clear in a joint statement last week ... saying, "We, the Players, stand together with the singular objective of eradicating racial prejudice wherever it exists, to bring about a global society of inclusion, respect, and equal opportunities for All, regardless of their colour or creed."

Could Colin Kaepernick's return to the NFL start in Los Angeles?

Chargers coach Anthony Lynn told reporters Wednesday it's certainly a possibility ... saying, "Colin definitely fits the style of quarterback for the system that we’re going to be running,"

Of course, Lynn -- who has yet to speak with Colin about a potential tryout -- says the Bolts have a pretty full QB room already ... so a signing seems unlikely at the moment.

But, Lynn insinuated if something should happen to one of their top quarterbacks ... Colin would be one of the first guys they call for a workout.

"It would be crazy to not have him on your workout list," Lynn said ... before adding, "I’m very confident and happy with the three quarterbacks that I have but you can never have too many people waiting on the runway."

Colin -- who's been out of the league since 2016 -- has yet to have any truly serious offers since he last played ... even despite a workout in front of several NFL scouts in 2019.

Kap's made it clear he feels he's been blackballed because of his kneeling protests ... but in an interview with ESPN this week, NFL commissioner Roger Goodell said he's now encouraging teams to sign the QB.

Kids -- do NOT try this at home!!!

Lil Jon just took CRUNK to a whole 'nother level ... with the rap legend joining a pro Trophy Truck driver for the most INSANE joyride you'll ever see!!!

But, don't worry, everyone was wearing a helmet.

The "Turn Down For What" hype man joined 2020 Baja 1000 winner Alan Ampudia for a drive through the streets of Ensenada in Mexico ... and it's equally awesome and terrifying.

The duo -- with Jon in the passenger seat, obvi -- zoomed through the streets of the city, twisting and turning at every curve ... and even coming within inches of the edge of cliffs.

Ampudia even makes his own path and does some WILD jumps ... all while Lil Jon is trying to keep his cool (spoiler alert: he doesn't).

FYI -- Ampudia is one of the best drivers in the extremely dangerous industry ... he's a 2-time world champ, so Jon was in great company.

Once the boys made it to their destination safely, Lil Jon gave his Uber review -- saying, "That s**t was crazy. I got a different respect for y'all motherf***ers being in the car now. Y'all do this for a whole day!?"

Ever seen a dude squat 585 pounds and get clowned over it?!?!

Welcome to the NFL ... where Washington Redskins star Jonathan Allen just threw around an inhuman amount of poundage -- only to get ripped by a former teammate hilariously.

Here's the deal ... Allen -- a former first-round pick -- loaded up his bar with nearly 600 pounds during a workout Tuesday and squatted it five times.

The feat was pretty unreal ... but the fact that he didn't break parallel clearly caught ex-Redskins DL Ziggy Hood's eyes -- 'cause the dude comically went off on Allen for the lift!!!

"Jon what are we doing here." Hood asked. "We quarter squat with a spotter holding on like a prom date photo."

Man, tough crowd.

To his credit, Allen took the jokes in stride ... and fired back, "Do you play football with your ass below your knees.... nope."

Hood wasn't done, though, adding, "I bet my 33 yr old ass got a better get off."

We love the banter ... and if we gotta input our two cents -- the squat was probably a little too high if we're scoring at home.

"If you take Kyrie Irving's brain and put it in a bird right now ... it's going to fly backwards."

Kendrick Perkins just EVISCERATED Kyrie Irving on national television ... ripping the Brooklyn Nets star for urging NBA players to back out of finishing the season in Orlando.

If you missed it, Kyrie said he wanted his league to be done with the 2020 season already so its players could keep the spotlight on the Black Lives Matter movement.

But, Perkins called BS on that on ESPN's "Get Up" Tuesday ... saying he believes Irving took the stance because the NBA wouldn't allow him to be a bystander in the Florida bubble as an injured player.

Although, Perkins said he'd give Kyrie the benefit of the doubt ... but still blasted him for putting the idea out there without thinking two steps ahead.

"What is the plan after that? He didn't have one!" Perkins said. "So once again, that showed his lack of leadership."

Kendrick says he believes Kyrie has taken away from the BLM movement with his statements ... going scorched-earth on the former champ in a nearly three-minute rant.

"Kyrie Irving, right now, you are the distraction!" Perkins said. "You're distracting the whole situation. It's crazy to me."

Kendrick says if Kyrie really felt passionate about all of this, he should have contacted the proper NBPA reps and developed a thoughtful plan instead.

"It makes zero sense," Perkins said. "And I totally disagree with Kyrie Irving."

UNLV has said adios to Hey Reb! ... the school just canned its famous on-campus mascot statue -- and now, its sports teams' nicknames could be next.

The university removed the heavy bronze bust -- which sat outside the Tam Alumni Center -- on Tuesday, with the school's president appearing to acknowledge it's because of its controversial Confederate ties.

"In recent conversations with the donor," President Marta Meana said in a letter to students, "We mutually agreed it was best to remove the statue and return it."

Meana seemed to strongly indicate the future of the school's "Runnin' Rebels" nickname and the mascot that comes with it could be in doubt as well.

"I have had discussions with multiple individuals and stakeholder groups from campus and the community on how best the university can move forward given recent events throughout our nation," she said.

"That includes the future of our mascot."

Of course, in the wake of George Floyd's tragic death ... protestors all over the nation have called for the removal of statues and figures that honor America's Confederate roots.

Sculptures all across the country have been torn down ... while NASCAR has even banned Confederate flags from its racetracks forever.

So, could this officially spell the end for the "Rebels" name at UNLV??

One of the last Chicago Bulls jerseys Michael Jordan's ever rocked is about to hit the auction block ... and is expected to sell for half a MILLION dollars!!

The threads are from the '97-'98 Eastern Conference Finals -- MJ's last season with Chicago -- when his Bulls squad battled Reggie Miller's Indiana Pacers.

His Airness wore the jersey during game 3 AND 4 of the series ... May 23 and May 25, 1998. Jordan dropped 30 and 28 points ... but the Bulls took 2 L's -- tying the series at 2 games apiece.

Chicago ended up winning the series in a nail-biting 7 games ... regarded as one of the toughest playoff series throughout the Bulls' 6-championship run.

The super-rare jersey is about to hit the auction block at Goldin Auctions ... and GA believes it will sell for around $500k!

"We expect this to set the all-time record for most valuable Jordan Jersey ever sold,” Ken Goldin tells TMZ Sports.

After the 7-game war, the Bulls went on to beat Karl Malone and John Stockton's Utah Jazz team ... culminating with MJ's dagger J in Bryon Russell's face (yeah, push-off, we know).

The rest is history ... the Bulls 3-peated for a 2nd time and Michael retired from basketball.

Daniel Suarez -- the ONLY Latino driver in NASCAR's top circuit -- says he's inspired by Bubba Wallace ... but the diversity battle's just begun.

"I want be successful but [I also want to] make a path for more Latinos," the Mexican-born driver tells TMZ Sports.

"The sport is amazing, we just have to make it for everyone."

28-year-old Suarez and 26-year-old Wallace have been friends for years -- and have been in close contact ever since Bubba starting publicly calling out the racial issues in NASCAR.

"I'm really proud of him for everything that he has done for taking leadership on this situation," Suarez says.

"I don't feel like many people in his shoes would've done the same. He's done a great job."

Of course, Wallace has had a big week -- speaking out against the Confederate flag and racing in a "Black Lives Matter" car.

Suarez says he and Wallace have been brainstorming ways to capitalize on the momentum so they can change the sport for other people of color.

"We're slowly moving the needle and hopefully 5 to 10 years from now, we see a lot of more Latinos on the race track. Not just fans but also drivers, pit crews, mechanics, African Americans and all kinds of people."

There's more ... Suarez also talks about the support he and Bubba have received from the white NASCAR drivers -- noting some were hesitant to speak up at first because they didn't want to piss off their sponsors, but ultimately came around.

"Everyone was a little hesitant in the beginning to actually speak up and move but once we start pushing people and working together, everyone jumped on board, which is great."

A mural of Kobe Bryant is shining on CA unobscured once again ... TMZ Sports has learned HBO ordered the immediate removal of a billboard covering Mamba art in L.A. on Tuesday.

Our sources tell us shortly after an HBO ad was placed over a piece of artwork dedicated to the Lakers legend this week ... officials at the company called to have it taken down.

We're told HBO was NOT aware the billboard would be placed over the Kobe art ... and once it saw it was concealed, the network realized the look had to go ASAP.

Fortunately, we're told the signage was ripped away in a swift manner ... and the Kobe artwork was NOT damaged in any way.

It's good news for Los Angelenos ... who have taken every precaution necessary to preserve public Kobe tributes since the 41-year-old tragically died in a helicopter crash in January.

Remember, even amid chaos, rioting and looting during protests earlier this month ... not a single Mamba mural was touched.

However, we're told this specific piece -- which is located near the famous Grove shopping center in West Hollywood -- could be obstructed by ads from time to time in the future.

Our sources say the vendor who owns the mural has plans to hang billboards over it eventually -- so long as the Kobe art goes undamaged and can be seen by all after the campaigns end.

The NBA is looking to hook players UP when the season picks up in Orlando next month ... with the Disney World "bubble" reportedly featuring DJ sets, ping-pong, movies, barbers, billiards and the whole VIP treatment.

The details on the living arrangements are trickling out courtesy of Shams Charania ... and it sounds like the Association is pulling out all the stops to make the experience as enjoyable as possible for its players.

The athletes will have their own lounge to be able to chill, watch TV or play NBA 2K20 and other games ... as well as a pool, mani-pedis and other options from the comfort of their hotels.

Other entertainment will include movies, lawn games, pool, and more ... as well as the option to attend other NBA games going on in Orlando.

Of course, not everyone is stoked on the idea -- players from Kyrie Irving to Carmelo Anthony have expressed safety concerns and other issues with starting the season back up.

As for the hotels, the teams will be split up between the Gran Destino, Grand Floridian and the Yacht Club based on seeding.