TMZ Sports - Page 50

And, the Oscar for James Conner's biopic goes to ... The Rock?!?!

The Pittsburgh Steelers superstar tells TMZ Sports he's hopeful one day that'll be possible ... saying if his inspiring story ever hits the silver screen -- he wants Dwayne Johnson to play him!

"I need somebody to knock that role out of the park," Conner tells us.

James has put on some serious size this off-season (for real, check out his Instagram, dude is buff as hell) and he does have some tats ... so he says The Rock would be perfect for the role.

"I know he's getting up there, but ..." Conner says.

Of course, 25-year-old James definitely has the story worthy of a starring role from The Rock ... he famously kicked cancer's ass to become one the best running backs in the NFL.

For now, though, Conner's life is set for book form only ... the NFL star released his "Fear Is A Choice" memoir this week, and he says he hopes it'll help others overcome adversity.

"You have to kinda appreciate the dark days in order to move forward and have joy in the future," Conner says ... "I just want people to believe in themselves and realize how mentally strong that they are."

WWE superstar Matt Riddle says allegations he sexually assaulted a female wrestler in 2018 are "completely false" ... claiming the accuser is an obsessed, delusional liar.

The woman behind the allegation is Candy Cartwright -- who is a pro wrestler on the indy circuit.

Cartwright levied some heavy claims against 34-year-old Riddle on Twitter this week -- describing an alleged 2018 incident when the two were on the road with other performers.

"During the van ride, when the 3 other wrestlers had fallen asleep, Matt asked me to 'hop on his d***.'"

"When I refused (although we had previously been together I was incredibly uncomfortable in that setting) When I said no, he grabbed me by my throat, choked me and said 'what if I just made you?'"

Cartright says she ultimately performed oral sex on Riddle "to get out of having intercourse with him. It was incredibly humiliating."

She added, "It is never ok to put your hands on a woman, it's also not ok to not listen when she says no."

Unclear if Cartwright ever went to police with the allegations. She says she was inspired to speak out by other "brave women" who have come forward about sexual misconduct claims.

But, Riddle, through his attorney, is calling BS on the whole thing.

"The allegations by this independent female performer are completely false and another attempt to harass and humiliate Mr. and Mrs. Riddle and to try to tarnish their reputation in the community," attorney Daniel Rose says.

Rose says the Riddles believe Cartwright has had an unhealthy obsession with Matt for at least the past 2 years.

WWE has also issued a statement on Riddle saying, "We take any allegation of this nature very seriously and are looking into the matter."

The org. added, "Individuals are responsible for their own personal actions. WWE has zero tolerance for matters involving domestic violence, child abuse and sexual assault."

"Upon arrest for such misconduct, a WWE talent will be immediately suspended. Upon conviction for such misconduct, a WWE talent will be immediately terminated. WWE’s ability to fine, suspend or terminate a WWE talent will not be, however, limited or compromised in any manner in the event incontrovertible evidence of such illegal misconduct is presented to WWE.”

PGA Tour stud Nick Watney was forced to withdraw from this week's RBC Heritage tournament after testing positive for COVID-19 ... officials announced Friday.

Watney, who played in the first day of the South Carolina tourney on Thursday, woke up feeling ill Friday ... and, according to PGA Tour reps, tested positive shortly after.

FYI, the Tour tested EVERYBODY prior to the start of the week's tournament ... with all results -- including Watney's -- coming back negative.

The Tour says Watney will now have to undergo strict quarantine and isolation rules to eventually return to action ... and says it's taking precautions for everyone and everything that might have come in contact with Nick at this week's event.

"Nick will have the PGA TOUR’s full support throughout his self-isolation and recovery period under CDC guidelines," Tour officials said in a statement.

Watney played with Vaughn Taylor and Luke List in Thursday's opening round ... but neither golfer has withdrawn -- with both dudes still currently in the middle of their Friday rounds.

"Dear Whore ... "

That's how it began -- a disgusting piece of hate mail some racist coward sent to Lakers owner Jeanie Buss -- and now she's calling him out publicly.

"After 60 years as a huge Lakers fan, I now say to hell with the overpaid n***** traitors and the NBA."

"Go to hell and join **** Kobe Bryant."

The letter was signed by a man named Joe.

Jeanie says she thought a lot about what to do with the letter after receiving it on Monday -- but ultimately decided to post it on social media "so that everyone can see the hate is real and living out there."

"This is happening in our world TODAY. It's real and it exists."

Buss also posted a message to Joe ...

"Did sending this letter make you feel better? Really all you did was waste your time, and energy and your postage stamp. (But thank you for including your return home address) Why don’t you look in the mirror and see your ugliness because I refuse to."

Jeanie says she's received similar letters over the years and always thought it was best to just ignore the haters -- "but not anymore."

"On this day, Juneteenth, I ask my white friends to join together, acknowledge the racism that exists in our country and around the world, and pledge to stop ignoring it. We all must do better."

Jeanie's post is already resonating with LeBron James -- who showed his support for Buss on Instagram.

Donald Trump has drawn the battle lines ... if the NFL allows players to take a knee during the national anthem in 2020, POTUS says his days watching pro football are over!

President Trump made his threat during a Friday morning tweet that initially took aim at Dr. Anthony Fauci.

Remember, earlier this week Fauci warned America that a second wave of COVID-19 could impact pro sports -- and said straight-up, "Football may not happen this year."

"It would be very hard to see how football is able to be played this fall," Fauci told CNN. "If there is a second wave, which is certainly a possibility and which would be complicated by the predictable flu season, football may not happen this year."

Enter Trump ... who went to bat for the NFL before issuing an ultimatum in the same breath.

"Tony Fauci has nothing to do with NFL Football," Trump said ... "They are planning a very safe and controlled opening."

Then the warning to the NFL -- "However, if they don’t stand for our National Anthem and our Great American Flag, I won’t be watching!!!"

Looks like Trump might have to bail -- because NFL Commish Roger Goodell put out a video earlier this month admitting the league bungled the way it handled NFL kneelers in the past and vowed to be more tolerant of nonviolent protesters in the future.

Ex-NFL star Ryan Clark just gave an extremely emotional speech about being a black father in America ... breaking down in tears discussing his son's recent experience with racism.

Clark's son, Jordan -- alongside 2 Arizona State football teammates -- claim they were called the n-word by a Whataburger customer this week ... and instead of de-escalating, the restaurant manager threatened to call the police on the players.

You can read Jordan's entire narrative on the incident below.

Clark spoke on the incident with ESPN's "Get Up" on Friday morning ... saying he's thankful his son is still alive.

"I'm playing out a scenario of if this woman would've had a weapon and she could easily say that these 3 young black men were threatening her ... I believe that if that woman pulls a gun on those young men and that woman pulls the trigger, I believe that she's never punished," Clark says.

"I believe that justice is never served. And, even if justice is served, it's not enough to bring my son back."

"This isn't just a fear for me every day, this has been a fear for black people forever."

"If something would have happened to him, it would have broke me," Clark says. "So for me, I have to do a better job of educating him, and I have to protect him."

"I know it's getting better, but it's not better yet, better for everybody."

Clark says he wishes he would have taught his son to never approach a white person's vehicle ... knowing what could happen if he runs into the wrong person.

The entire segment is powerful ... Clark sobs as he thinks about what could have happened, given today's climate.

As for Whataburger, the chain released a statement on the incident ... saying, "We do not tolerate racism and were horrified to hear how these customers were treated by another customer."

The Indianapolis Colts have a new staff position -- "Director of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion" -- and the team says its all part of an effort to "battle systemic racism."

The organization has announced a new plan "to ensure that diversity, equity and inclusion are at the forefront of the team's business and community efforts."

There are 3 major points to the plan ...

1) Creating the Director of Diversity job. That person will "work across all Colts departments on social responsibility, hiring, supplier diversity, education and training and other internal efforts."

2) The team has created the Irsay Family Impact Scholarship -- which will "help talented minority students with a financial need to achieve their educational goals."

The scholarship will cover 8 years of education costs for the recipient -- starting with high school college prep programs and tutors followed by tuition costs at Indiana University.

3) The Colts will formally recognize and celebrate Juneteenth every June 19.

"The team has made Juneteenth a permanent company holiday."

Colts' owner, Jim Irsay, says the moves come after discussions with players and staff about the topics surrounding the deaths of George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery and others.

"I have heard stunning testimonials from our players and staff about their personal experiences with racism," Irsay said.

Drake should get more than 3 points for this shot, but it looks like he's playing solo ... so he wins no matter what. Also, he's playing from his 35,000 sq. ft mansion, so he'd already won.

The rapper was practicing cornhole trick shots Thursday night from long-distance -- about 50 feet away from the second-story window of his Toronto palace, and put one right in the hole after a few tries.

He was pretty pumped about it ... as was his lone spectator -- the guy recording the toss for the 'Gram.

Drake captioned his epic next-level shot, "Highlight of summer 2020 so far."

The people who operate RFK Stadium are finally removing a monument dedicated to a racist former owner of the Washington Redskins,

Events D.C., which runs the stadium where the Skins used to play, ordered the removal of the George Preston Marshall statue on Friday ... and if you know anything about the guy, it's easy to see why.

Marshall -- the Redskins' founding father and Pro Football Hall of Famer -- famously refused to sign black players for DECADES.

In fact, he was quoted as saying once, "We will sign black players when the Harlem Globetrotters start playing white players."

His anti-African-American stance lasted all the way until the early 1960s ... when government officials threatened to force him out of RFK Stadium if he didn't sign black players.

FYI, Marshall died in 1969. He was 72.

People have been calling for the 'Skins to remove the monument at the park for years ... and finally, in the wake of national protests, the people who operate the stadium relented this week.

It's just the latest statue to be scrapped as America tries to sever its ties with its racist past ... in Minnesota, the Twins announced they're removing a statue of former owner Calvin Griffith.

Similar to Marshall, Griffith had been openly racist against black people ... and in a statement Friday, the Twins said, "His disparaging words displayed a blatant intolerance and disregard for the Black community that are the antithesis of what the Minnesota Twins stand for and value."

Redskins' nickname, you're up next.

Boston Celtics center Enes Kanter says his father has been released from custody in Turkey -- 7 years after he was "wrongfully" arrested.

For years, Enes has said officials in his home country have been going after his dad Mehmet Kanter because Enes has been publicly critical of the Turkish government -- particularly, president Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

Back in 2017, Enes explained ... "The police raided our home in Istanbul, something that is happening to many innocent families across Turkey just because they are members of Hizmet, inspired by Scholar, Fethullah Gulen."

"My father is arrested because of my outspoken criticism of the ruling party. He may get tortured for simply being my family member."

In fact, Enes has been a wanted man himself in Turkey -- the government accused him of being a member of an armed anti-government terrorist organization, which Enes has adamantly denied.

But, some good news ... Enes says his dad is now free.

"Wow! I could cry. Today I found out that 7 years after arresting my dad, taking him through a Kangaroo court and accusing him of being a criminal just because he is my dad.  MY DAD HAS BEEN RELEASED!"

Enes explained, "This is due to the pressure we have put on the Turkish regime."

"They no longer could keep him from his freedom because of the spotlight that we all put on this case!  However! He is just one person, there are still tens of thousands of people wrongfully in jail in Turkey.  I will not forget you, we will not forget you!"

Sad news ... Lewis Hamilton's 6-year-old bulldog, Coco, has passed away after suffering an apparent heart attack.

The Formula One racing superstar broke the horrible news Friday morning ... saying, "Last night at around 9pm, my beautiful little girl Coco died at home with the family by her side."

"Her little heart gave in, we think it was a heart attack. I tried to revive her but it was no use."

Hamilton LOVED Coco -- and even started an IG page for the pooch and his other bulldog Roscoe.

What's especially tough ... Lewis said Coco had just had the "best day" -- "happier than I’d seen her in a long time."

"She was such a special dog, born with so many problems and I feel so lucky to have adopted her."

"Her breeder said she was going to have to put her down as she wouldn’t be able to afford all the things she would need to survive, she went through a lot to become the bouncy, lazy loving dog she was."

Hamilton says on Coco's final day, "we shared a special moment playing together which I will never forget."

"I will miss her snoring and how happy she was always to see me. She was only 6, healthy and happy. Naturally, my heart is broken but i hope she’s in a better place with my Aunty Diane. Wanted to share with you and thank those of you who loved and cared for her."

Bruce Arena -- the former head coach for the U.S. Men's National Team -- is calling for an end to pregame Star-Spangled Banner renditions ... saying straight-up "it is inappropriate."

"I think it puts people in awkward positions," Arena told ESPN this week. "We don't use national anthem in movie theaters or on Broadway, or for other events in the United States."

"I don't think it is appropriate to have a national anthem before a baseball game or an MLS game."

Don't get it twisted, Arena -- a New York native and a current coach in the MLS -- says he's as patriotic as they come and understands why players kneel during the song.

But, Arena makes it clear he believes the whole thing is just unnecessary ... kneeling controversy or not.

"Think about it," Arena said. "In Major League Soccer, most of the players that are standing on the field during the national anthem are international players. They are not even Americans."

"So why are we playing the national anthem? With all due respect, I live in the greatest country in the world but I think it is inappropriate."

Of course, back in 2016 and 2017 at the height of the kneeling protests in the NFL ... some pundits suggested doing away with the anthems altogether to assuage the issue.

Wanna learn more about Juneteenth?

Leave it to former Dallas Cowboys defensive end Greg Ellis ... who wrote and stars in a play about the holiday!

Ellis -- who spent 11 seasons with the Cowboys -- is now fully immersed in the theater world ... where he writes, produces and acts.

In fact, he created "Juneteenth The Stage Play" back in 2018 ... and has an upcoming performance this weekend.

44-year-old Ellis told CBS 11 in Dallas the focus on the play is to inform the audience about the history of Juneteenth in an entertaining way.

"A lot of people don't know the history," Ellis said ... "and so through our production, our challenge is to make sure it's accurate, make sure people can be entertained -- laughing, crying, happy, upset and all those emotions getting touched upon for one common good and that common good is that you're going to retain the information that's inside the play."

Now, Ellis says he's pushing to turn Juneteenth into a national holiday -- he even started a petition.

"Juneteenth celebrates the anniversary of June 19, 1865, which marks the end of African-American slavery in the United States. It is our belief that Juneteenth needs to be a national holiday and making it one right now would be a huge step in the right direction to start the healing process."

The SEC wants Mississippi to change its state flag ASAP ... and if it refuses -- the conference's commish is threatening to pull all future titles games out of the state.

SEC honcho Greg Sankey made the announcement Thursday ... saying "it is past time" government officials pull the plug on a flag that features prominent ties to the Confederacy.

"Our students deserve an opportunity to learn and compete in environments that are inclusive and welcoming to all," Sankey said.

"In the event there is no change, there will be consideration of precluding Southeastern Conference championship events from being conducted in the State of Mississippi until the flag is changed."

Of course, Sankey's press on Mississippi lawmakers is just the latest in a long line of efforts from Americans to cut ties with its Confederacy past.

Cities all over the country have ripped down statues of Confederate leaders in the wake of George Floyd's death ... while NASCAR has permanently banned the Confederate flag from its race tracks.

For their part, SEC programs Mississippi State Univ. (NFL star Dak Prescott's alma mater) and Ole Miss are backing their conference's leader in the fight against the flag.

"Since 2015, our Student Association, Robert Holland Faculty Senate and university administration have been firmly on record in support of changing the state flag," Miss. St. President Mark E. Keenum said.

"I have reiterated that view to our state's leaders on multiple occasions, including during face-to-face discussions in recent days and hours."