TMZ Sports - Page 50

NFL wide receiver Josh Bellamy was arrested Thursday after officials say he misused government loans intended to help struggling businesses survive the COVID pandemic on lavish items like Gucci, Dior and casino trips.

31-year-old Bellamy -- who was cut by the NY Jets just 2 days ago -- is essentially accused of participating in a scheme in which people applied for more than $24 MILLION in PPP loans, intended for business owners to help stay afloat during the pandemic.

But, prosecutors say neither Bellamy nor his co-conspirators put the money toward their businesses -- instead, Bellamy blew a fortune on things like custom jewelry, designer clothes and casino trips.

In fact, officials say Bellamy spent $95k on custom jewelry, $5,381 at Gucci and $2,014 at Dior.

They also claim he dropped more than $62k during a recent trip to the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino.

Of the requested $24 mil, officials say Bellamy and his co-conspirators received roughly $17.4 million in PPP loans.

The alleged conspiracy is complicated but boils down to this ...

Officials believe Bellamy not only requested PPP loans for his own company based on false records ... but would then recruit others to apply for giant loans -- and when that money was received from the government, Bellamy would take a sizable kickback from the borrower.

By the way, prosecutors say Bellamy does technically own a business -- Drip Entertainment -- but officials say it hasnt been “active” since 2019.

Prosecutors say they have bank records showing Bellamy made large bank withdrawals recently -- taking around $302,800 between May and July 2020.

Officials say Bellamy executed the scheme while he was preparing for the 2020 NFL season.

If convicted, both the bank fraud and wire fraud charges carry lengthy prison sentences ... we're talkin' decades.

Bellamy was an undrafted free agent out of Louisville in 2012 -- and went on to play for the Chiefs, Bears, Jets and others.

Patrick Mahomes and Deshaun Watson just came through in the clutch for each other's cities ... by donating meals to frontline workers in KC and Houston before facing off in the NFL season opener.

The Chiefs and Texans are set to kick-off the 2020 campaign Thursday night ... and the 2 quarterbacks decided to help their opposing team's city by sending some local grub to those battling the pandemic.

The reigning Super Bowl MVP decided to send some grub from Cool Runnings Jamaican Grill -- a Black-owned restaurant in Houston -- to workers at Harris Health System via Postmates.

Watson returned the favor by hooking up workers at the Truman Medical Centers in Kansas City with meals from Niecie's Restaurant, a local Black-owned soul food joint.

Let's not forget -- the last time these guys faced off on the field, the Texans blew a 24-0 lead in the divisional round of the playoffs as the Chiefs went on to win, 51-31 ... eventually winning the Super Bowl.

NASCAR star Bubba Wallace says he's officially parting ways with Richard Petty Motorsports after 3 years in the #43 car.

"This was not an easy decision as I have nothing but the utmost respect for Richard Petty and his family, but I believe it's time for someone else to take over the reins of the No. 43," Wallace said Thursday.

It doesn't seem like there's any bad blood -- in fact, Wallace praises Petty and the team "for giving me the opportunity to start my Cup Series career."

"I've grown so much as a driver and as a person since joining them."

Wallace notes he's still got 9 more races to drive under the Petty banner before moving on ... "and I hope we can finish the 2020 season on a high note."

According to The Athletic, Wallace's contract with RPM expires at the end of the season -- and he's simply choosing to explore his options elsewhere.

Wallace and Petty have been through a lot together this year -- the 83-year-old legend stood by Wallace (the only Black driver in NASCAR's Cup Series) after a noose was found in his garage at Talladega Superspeedway back in June.

"There is absolutely no place in our sport or our society for racism," 83-year-old Petty said at the time.

"This filthy act serves as a reminder of how far we still have to go to eradicate racial prejudice and it galvanizes my resolve to use the resources of Richard Petty Motorsports to create change."

Damian Lillard is giving rookie Michael Porter Jr. a quick lesson in what NOT to say to the media ... calling out the Nuggets baller for "selfish" comments he said after Wednesday's loss to the Clippers.

MPJ was an open book to reporters after Denver's 96-85 loss to LA ... questioning coach Mike Malone's game plan and suggesting he should get the ball more in order to win.

"I just think to beat that team, we've gotta get more players involved," MPJ said ... essentially saying he wanted the rock in his hands more often.

When asked if it were his place -- as a rookie -- to speak up to the coaching staff, 22-year-old Porter doubled down.

"If Imma be out there on the court playing a lot of minutes, I think I should voice that."

Enter Lillard -- who got wind of MPJ's comments and immediately let his feelings known by tweeting out, "Smdh ..."

Several Twitter users clapped back at Dame, saying Porter's comments weren't wrong, it just wasn't the right time to air out his feelings.

"Yes he is wrong," Lillard responded. "If you know you know and ima leave it at that" ... adding, "clearly y’all mfs think on a selfish level to think this is coo ."

Lillard explains his problem with the comments ... saying, "If I want to win ima have this conversation with my coaches and teammates and express that."

"This is their second time being down 3-1 so if [Nikola Jokic] and [Jamal] Murray didn’t carry them here we wouldn’t be having this convo."

Others cited Kobe Bryant's "Mamba Mentality" when defending MPJ's comments ... but Dame says this is NOTHING like that.

"The disrespect smh."

Boxing star Gervonta Davis is finally admitting he was "wrong" for getting violent with his ex-GF back in February ... and claims he's since sought professional help.

As we previously reported ... the 25-year-old WBA lightweight champ was caught on camera aggressively grabbing his ex, whom he has a child with, at a celeb basketball game in Miami on Feb. 1.

Footage of the altercation was disturbing ... it showed the boxing superstar clearly putting his hands near the woman's neck and violently grabbing her away from her courtside seat.

In other angles of the incident, obtained by TMZ Sports, the footage appeared to show Davis later attempting to throw a punch at the woman when the two got inside the locker room area.

Police say the woman suffered injuries to her lip and left jaw in the altercation ... and Davis was eventually arrested and hit with two charges of misdemeanor battery.

Now, Davis -- who's pleaded not guilty to the charges -- is speaking out about it all ... admitting on the Last Stand Podcast with Brian Custer that he wishes things had gone differently.

"I was just mad," said Davis, who claimed the whole thing started because he was angry over the woman attending the event. "And, once I seen her, it's not [like] I grabbed her by her neck, I grabbed her shirt, like, you gotta get outta here type thing."

"And, I probably was wrong for doing that. I WAS wrong for doing that. But, it wasn't so much of not me trying to hit her, it was just me angry."

Davis -- who had said immediately after the incident he NEVER hit the woman -- insisted yet again on the podcast he did NOT physically strike his ex with his fists in the confrontation.

"I'm a fighter," Davis said. "If I touch you in any kind of way, like as far as fists, I'mma hurt you. So it wasn't that. It was just me removing her from that situation that she wasn't supposed to be in."

Davis, though, did say he believes he has "a little" anger problem ... and added he's gotten professional help over it all since the incident.

"It wasn't because I have to," Davis said of the help, "it's more so of because of the situation in the future -- knowing how to deal with stuff in the future."

Davis' battery case, meanwhile, is still playing out in the court system.

Davis is 23-0 as a pro fighter -- and has been hailed as one of the best young fighters in the world.

The NBA has launched an investigation into Houston Rockets forward Danuel House -- after he allegedly violated Bubble protocol by allowing a woman into his hotel room.

The twist ... the woman in question is a COVID tester who's cleared to be inside the bubble, but apparently she's not allowed to hang with players in their rooms when she's off the clock.

According to Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports, the league is trying to figure out exactly what happened ... though so far, House has reportedly denied any wrongdoing.

House -- an important role player for H-Town -- missed Game 3 against the Lakers on Tuesday due to "personal reasons."

Now, there's a question if the investigation played a role in his absence.

If House is forced to undergo a mandatory 10-day quarantine over the incident, he would miss the remainder of the playoff series against the Lakers, which is a big deal.

The Lakers are up 2-1 in the best of 7 series. Game 4 is set for Thursday.

House is averaging 11.4 points and nearly 6 rebounds per game during the playoffs ... he's an important member of the Rockets.

According to Haynes, several other NBA teams are keeping a close on eye on the House investigation to see how it all plays out.

Here's the CUTEST thing you'll see all day ...

Philadelphia Flyers winger Oskar Lindblom finally got to see his pup after being in the NHL bubble for most of this summer ... and the video of their reunion is unbelievably adorable!!!

Check out the clip Lindblom posted Wednesday ... his dog -- a mini-dachshund named Tage -- went ballistic seeing the 24-year-old hockey player for the first time in weeks, sprinting into the guy's arms and giving him tons of love!!

There were kisses, pets, tail wags and barks. It's all SOOO SWEET!

Lindblom had been locked away from Tage since he joined his team in the NHL bubble in Canada in early August ... but after Philly lost in the conference semi-finals this week, Lindblom was finally able to return home.

All in all, the reunion with Tage was a pretty good bow on what's been a trying season for Lindblom ... who was diagnosed with a rare form of cancer last winter.

Oskar battled it all spring -- and finally beat it this summer ... and he was able to return to game action to an awesome ovation last week.

Ex-Univ. of North Carolina basketball coach Sylvia Hatchell has pled guilty to a "death by vehicle" charge after a fatal collision with an 89-year-old woman.

Officials say 68-year-old Hatchell was making a left turn out of a gym parking lot in NC back in January when she struck Betty Sue Colby with her driver's side mirror.

According to police, Colby fell backward and hit her head on the pavement, suffering grave injuries.

She was rushed to a nearby hospital -- but ultimately passed away 2 days later.

Hatchell was prosecuted over the incident -- and ultimately pled guilty to misdemeanor death by vehicle.

She was sentenced to 6 months of unsupervised probation, 50 hours of community service and ordered to pay roughly $300 in fines and court costs.

At the time of the incident, Hatchell's attorney said the coach was "absolutely devastated" by Colby's death.

Hatchell was widely considered one of the best coaches in women's college basketball -- she left the Tarheels from 1986 to 2019, racking up 8 ACC titles and 1 national championship.

But, Hatchell resigned in 2019 following an investigation into allegations she made racially insensitive comments to players.

Hundreds flocked to the state capitol building in Connecticut on Wednesday seriously pissed off over the cancelation of H.S. football ... and the scene was WILD!!

Just days after the Connecticut Interscholastic Athletic Conference announced it was unsafe to play football amid the coronavirus pandemic this fall ... nearly 1,000 players, coaches and parents overran the government building to try to get the ruling reversed.

Check out video from the protest ... it's pretty intense -- with everyone screaming "Let us play!" in unison while holding signs, flags and even football helmets.

Some of the players that were interviewed on the scene voiced their displeasure with not being able to play this season ... with one telling WFSB, "I'm really mad about it."

Seems Gov. Ned Lamont is willing to at least listen to arguments for an overturning of the decision ... he said after the protest he's organizing a meeting with local officials to hear both sides.

That summit will take place on Friday, Lamont said ... before he added, "I want to see football being played and I also want to see it being played safely."

Michael Strahan is finally speaking out about the death of his father, Gene -- saying he's still in shock roughly a week after his passing.

"It’s been a little over a week since I lost my hero and it’s still hard to believe my dad is no longer with us physically," Strahan said ... "but I know his spirit lives on thru me and the rest of the family."

Gene Willie Strahan Sr. passed away earlier this month. He was 83.

No cause of death has been released. Michael and his family laid him to rest on Friday.

Michael and Gene were particularly close.

"The biggest goal in everything I’ve ever done was to make him proud," Michael said.

"Knowing that I did that gives me peace but also pushes me to continue because I know he’s watching from above."

The NFL Hall of Famer says he doesn't know where he'd be in life without his father -- crediting him for fueling his personal and professional success.

"Without him I’m not sure where I’d be but I know I wouldn’t have anything close to the life I have now. Love you Dad and I’m honored to be your son!!"

Strahan concluded his statement with advice to his fans.

"Take time to hug your parents, spouse and kids. Let them know how you feel and don’t take it for granted that they automatically know that you love them."

Gene was a U.S. Army veteran who enlisted in 1955 and went on to serve with the 82nd Airborne division.

He married his wife, Louise, in 1957 and they had 6 kids together.

Last week, Strahan's coworkers on "Good Morning America" paid tribute to Gene and the rest of the Strahan family.

29 RUNS!!!

The Atlanta Braves scored 29 runs in ONE GAME against the Miami Marlins on Wednesday ... one of the highest-scoring games in MLB history!

The star of the game was Adam Duvall -- the left fielder smashed 3 home runs Wednesday ... including a 7th inning grand slam!

Duvall ended up with 9 RBIs!!!

Freddie Freeman also balled out -- with 6 RBIs on 3 hits, including a 2-run homer.

In total, the Braves hit SEVEN home runs in the 29-9 victory at Truist Park in ATL, in front of zero fans.

The 29 runs from the Braves tie for the 2nd most runs scored in an MLB game in the modern era.

The Texas Rangers posted 30 against the Orioles in 2007. Before that, the Red Sox posted 29 in 1950 and the White Sox scored 29 in 1955.

After the game, Freeman couldn't believe it.

"Pretty amazing ... Hard to put into words, really, when you look up and see 29 runs on the board."

Duvall was also stoked.

"I've known that homers come in bunches, but something like that is pretty special ... I'm going to enjoy this one tonight."

Shaun Weiss -- famous for playing Goldberg in "The Mighty Ducks" -- is looking like a million bucks ... 'cause he's got brand new pearly whites and he's now over 200 days sober!!!

Shaun's friend, Drew Gallagher, tells TMZ ... Shaun received some full dental sponsorship offers from all over the country after we posted Shaun's story about being 170 days sober ... but needing new chompers.

We're told Shaun ultimately decided to go with Dr. Gabe Rosenthal in L.A., who offered a full dental sponsorship valued between $50k-$100k. We're told the entire process takes up to a year ... since he had to get a handful of teeth removed back in July. The teeth were infected ... causing him pain. Shaun got upper implants Tuesday and will get his lower implants in a few weeks, but the improvement has been drastic ... he just can't stop smiling.

As if that wasn't already great news ... Shaun's got more reason to smile since he's officially 265 days (and counting!!!) living a sober life. BTW, Drew had previously started a GoFundMe to help pay for the dental work and Shaun's rehab. Now that the teeth were fixed for free, the money raised will go a long way and help pay the rehab facility plus living expenses and towards getting him a car.

TMZ broke the story ... Shaun's sober living facility in Woodland Hills changed his life, and he's staying clean and attending outpatient meetings 5 days a week. At the time, he was looking much better and happier. But, since our July story, Shaun's looking a lot more like his former self ... and dude couldn't look happier.

Awesome!!!

New police video obtained by TMZ Sports shows La'el Collins' car accident was more serious than initially believed ... the Cowboys star complained of neck pain while 2 vehicles sat mangled in a street nearby.

The NFL O-lineman was initially described as fine after he was involved in a wreck on Aug. 20 in Little Elm, Texas ... but you can see in the new footage, Collins was definitely aching.

As he and a responding police officer broke down how his 2015 Cadillac Escalade collided with a Volkswagen ... the 6'4", 320-pound Dallas player said his neck wasn't feeling well.

"Should I go to like a hospital or like a, what do you call it? An emergency room?" Collins asked the officer, before adding, "I mean, my neck -- my neck is hurting right here."

Of course, it ain't too difficult to see why Collins was in pain ... the damage on the two vehicles involved in the crash suggests a pretty violent collision took place.

Collins' driver's side quarter panel and front wheel were destroyed -- with one cop describing the rim on video as "broken" with a "complete crack" in it.

The other driver's car, meanwhile, had its whole front bumper ripped off.

According to the accident report, the other driver "failed to yield the right of way" after coming out of a stop sign and turned right into Collins' ride.

As for Collins' neck ... the Cowboys ultimately put him on injured reserve to start this season ... though they claim it's unrelated to the crash -- saying a hip problem he had been previously dealing with was the reason for the move.

Collins -- who will be out at least the first 3 weeks of the season while he's on IR -- is one of the Cowboys' best players and is considered a top-five right tackle in the league.

Illinois athlete Daniel Ruettiger (or better known as Rudy) made a name for himself when he finally took the field as a defensive end on the Notre Dame college football team ... making the final tackle of the game ... and ended the season being carried off the field on his teammates' shoulders in a tear-jerking show of solidarity on November 8, 1975.

Daniel's story was so powerful it was the inspiration for the 1993 film "Rudy" which included actors like Jon Favreau as the college buddy Dennis "D-Bob" McGowan, Ned Beatty as the hard-working father, Charles S. Dutton as the pep-talking groundskeeper, Fortune ... and of course Sean Astin as the scout teammate with a heart of gold, Rudy.

Daniel Ruettiger continues to inspire people ... but now as a motivational speaker.

"See you when I get there coach..."

That's Allen Iverson's emotional message to John Thompson ... after the Hall of Famer served as a pallbearer at the funeral for his legendary college coach.

Thompson -- one of the greatest college basketball coaches of all-time -- passed away Monday morning at the age of 78.

The list of NBA legends JT coached at Georgetown University is long ... and former players -- including A.I., Dikembe Mutombo, Alonzo Mourning and Patrick Ewing -- took part in service at St. Augustine Church in D.C. ... carrying Thompson's casket during the touching ceremony.

Iverson and John had a special relationship ... and A.I. even credited JT with "saving his life" after The Answer was accused of injuring people in a bowling alley brawl.

It's not only GU hoopers who have sent love in the wake of Thompson's passing ... the NBA had a moment of silence for Big John before playoff games this week.

Shaquille O'Neal, Charles Barkley and Kenny Smith also celebrated Thompson's life on "Inside The NBA."