TMZ Sports - Page 50

Kevin Love's getting mad love from one of his teammates for talking openly about a panic attack he experienced earlier this season ... and spreading a positive message about mental health awareness.

"A lot of times people don’t look at us as humans, and we go through stuff all the time as well," Cavs SG Rodney Hood told TMZ Sports outside Craig's in L.A.

Love, DeMar DeRozan and Wizards SF Kelly Oubre have all opened up about their personal issues in recent weeks -- and Hood says it's huge not only for the NBA brotherhood, but the millions of fans they're reaching.

Rodney told us he expects a lot more players to join the conversation ... and K-Love deserves a ton of credit for helping to start the trend.

Angels star Shohei Ohtani could be leading a baseball revolution -- so says MLB postseason legend David Eckstein.

We spoke to the '06 World Series MVP after he paid a visit to Halos spring training ... and he told us Ohtani -- the team's huge offseason signing who can pitch, play outfield and DH -- is the real deal.

But the more interesting takeaway -- Eckstein told us Ohtani's just the beginning of a new wave of super-athletes who can play both ways!!

"If you start looking at more of the lower levels, and especially now going into college, you see that's where the game's going. And he might be the first," Eckstein said.

Eck knows all about trailblazing -- the 5'6'' shortstop paved the way for Jose Altuve and all the other small ballers of today!

Justin Bieber's gotta be a little tired ... because he was running all over the pitch trying to get in on the action in his soccer game.

We got the Biebs playing some organized futbol at Bluff Creek Fields in Playa Vista Saturday afternoon. It's hard to tell how well he played -- or if his team won or lost -- but he was getting props from his teammates when he went to the sidelines ... so had to be decent.

JB's team -- Churchome F.C. -- is part of an L.A. amateur league. We also got him hanging out of his ride inviting "anyone who wants to come over" afterward ... probably to somewhere awesome.

10:17 AM PT -- Davis has finally spoken out publicly about his weed bust last month, posting a since-deleted video online to refute the claims that he was allegedly selling drugs out of a hotel room in Maryland. He's on a private jet surrounded by Popeye's chicken ... and a bunch of cash that he says is all legit from his NBA days. He also says he'll have his day in court to prove his innocence.

Former NBA player Glen "Big Baby" Davis -- known for his role on the 2008 Boston Celtics team that won the championship -- was reportedly arrested last month on 7 counts of drug possession and distribution.

Davis -- who last played in the league with the Clippers in 2015 -- was busted in a Hampton Inn in Aberdeen, MD on February 7 by cops after the hotel owner smelled weed in his room, knocked on the door and was told to "F*** off!" ... according to court records obrained by WMAR Baltimore.

Aberdeen Police Lieutenant William Reiber says Davis had 126 grams of marijuana on him, along with $92,164 in a briefcase and a "ledger that contained language which is consistent with someone involved in the sale and distribution of narcotics."

The ledger reportedly had names of people who owed money along with baggies for packaging the weed ... which was from an L.A. wholesaler Davis told cops he was in business with.

He told cops he was Maryland to visit family. David was indicted weeks later on the drug charges, but his lawyer says he's innocent.

Aaron Hernandez was gay -- according to several people close to him ... and his private struggle with his sexuality caused him great emotional pain that may have turned him violent.

It's all part of the Oxygen documentary, "Aaron Hernandez Uncovered" -- which features interviews with Aaron's close friends, ex-girlfriends and members of his legal team.

Aaron's college girlfriend, Alyssa Anderson, says she first learned Aaron had a relationship with a man while they were attending the University of Florida ... but he denied it at the time. It was only years later that Hernandez cryptically acknowledged her suspicions were true.

George Leontire -- an openly gay member of Hernandez's defense team -- says he spoke with Hernandez at length about his sexuality and Aaron opened up like never before.

"This man clearly was gay," Leontire said ... "[He] acknowledged it. Acknowledged the immense pain that it caused him."

Leontire added, "I think that he also came out of a culture that was so negative about gay people that he exhibited some self-hatred."

Hernandez never spoke publicly about being gay. He was engaged to a woman, Shayanna Jenkins-Hernandez, and they had a daughter together.

Aaron was convicted of murdering Odin Lloyd in 2013 -- and there are some law enforcement officials who believe Hernandez executed Lloyd because he knew about Hernandez's sexuality.

Hernandez ultimately killed himself in his prison cell in 2017.

LaDainian Tomlinson says Saquon Barkley is basically L.T. 2.0 -- but tells TMZ Sports that ain't enough for him to go #1 in the NFL draft.

We asked LaDainian about all the Saquon comparisons people have been making when we got the Chargers legend at LAX ... and he couldn't agree more.

"He’s a little bit bigger than I am -- but they’re awesome comparisons," L.T. said.

"The lateral movement, quickness, the power, he can catch the ball ... all that stuff."

But even with all that talent, L.T. told us there's a good reason the Browns won't take him with the first overall pick ... and he says that's GREAT news for the Giants at #2.

Ted Cruz says it's awesome his hometown Astros (mostly) said what's up to Trump at the White House ... and he's got faith the Rockets will, too.

We got the Texas Senator after he took in Monday's World Series ceremony in D.C. -- and you can tell he was still PUMPED off his 'Stros winning their first title.

"To win it in the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey, when so many Houstonians, so many Texans, were hurting -- it just meant an enormous amount," Cruz told TMZ Sports.

It was all pretty touching stuff from Ted ... that is 'til the conversation turned to the defending champion, Warriors -- who staunchly rejected their Oval Office visit.

"I think it is unfortunate that we've seen that happen ... I'm hoping that this is the first of at least two Houston trips to the White House this year."

Guessing he hasn't seen James Harden's hat ...

Canelo Alvarez's meat problems could be over -- a San Diego butcher shop is vowing to provide free, CLEAN meat to the middleweight champ for the rest of his training camp.

Alvarez recently tested positive for traces of Clenbuterol -- a banned performance-enhancing drug -- and he blamed the whole thing on tainted Mexican beef.

Canelo says he immediately moved his training camp from Mexico to the U.S. -- and he's already got a butcher shop near his training base in S.D. down to hook him up with roid-free beef.

"This really seems like a case where contaminated, factory farmed meats almost cost someone a monumental event in their life," Heart & Trotter owner, Trey Nichols, tells TMZ Sports.

"We are happy to offer clean, locally raised and sustainably-sourced meats that will not only be free of chemicals, hormones and antibiotics, but will help Canelo Alvarez reach his peak performance during training."

Nichols says the butcher shop has previously supplied clean meat to the Lakers and Chargers ... so teaming up with Canelo to preserve the May 5 showdown with GGG is a no-brainer.

Mackenzie Dern is clappin' back at her next opponent for saying she's gonna "derail her hype train" ... saying Amanda Cooper doesn't stand a chance when they scrap at UFC 224.

"That's good, I hope she tries to do that!" Mackenzie told TMZ Sports. "It's gonna keep going -- choo choo!"

Mackenzie took some serious damage in her Octagon debut earlier this month (check out her lower lip!) ... but is such a badass, she immediately requested her next matchup.

Dana White granted her wish ... and now Dern's taking on fellow rising star Amanda Cooper in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil -- her home away from home.

Mackenzie, the former #1 female Brazilian jiu-jitsu player in the world, knows Amanda's gonna be a tough out ... but told us it's GAME OVER for Cooper now that she's got a whole country in her corner!

Hall of Fame coach Barry Switzer is letting the world know he's been CHEATED by father time, saying the HUGE money that the football coaches are making now should've been his ... and he's got PROOF.

Switzer was on Capitol Hill wheelin' and dealin' with the Washington types (on behalf of search and rescue dogs) when we asked him about the insane salaries some NFL players are making.

That's not what Barry wanted to talk about, though -- 'cause he let loose on what the guys in the headsets are making ... and how he feels like he got the short end of the money stick.

"What about the coaches?! The salaries these damn coaches are getting! I got paid $24k a year, went 32-1-1, won 2 national championships, 2 undefeated seasons back-to-back ... I didn't even get a bonus! We were on probation (at Oklahoma)."

Just for some comparison, Jimbo Fisher, who has 1 national title, just signed a 10-year $75 MILLION contract to bolt Florida State and head to Texas A&M.

An ex-college football standout -- once considered one of the best junior college running backs in the country -- has been convicted of rape ... TMZ Sports has learned.

According the the L.A. County District Attorney's office, 22-year-old Kishawn Holmes is facing up to 18 years behind bars for raping a fellow Cerritos College student back in 2016.

Officials say the victim was a 19-year-old female. We're told she was performing an athletic massage on Holmes before things turned violent.

Along with the prison time, Holmes is facing lifetime sex offender registration.

FYI -- Holmes was fresh off a 1,100-yard rushing season and reportedly had 7 Division 1 scholarship offers prior to the incident.

This was Holmes' SECOND rape case -- as a minor, he pled guilty to rape after he was accused of sexually assaulting 2 different underage girls in 2013.

CM Punk has been in the gym -- THREE TIMES A DAY -- training his ass off since his unsuccessful UFC debut ... and now Tyron Woodley says he's CONVINCED Punk can win in his return.

"I just talked with him yesterday," Woodley said on "The Hollywood Beatdown" ... "He's putting in more work than some of these guys who claim they wanna be at the top."

Woodley -- the reigning UFC welterweight champ -- says he's been in the gym with Punk and is incredibly impressed with his training regimen.

In fact, once UFC selects an opponent for Punk, Woodley says he'll help the ex-WWE superstar break down tape to prepare for UFC 225 in June.

There's more ... Woodley also reacts to Floyd Mayweather's MMA self-ranking -- and tells us how he plans to get Floyd ready to destroy Conor McGregor whenever they finally get in the octagon.

The guy who played legendary movie golfer Shooter McGavin is PUMPED on the return of vintage Tiger Woods ... and says it's only a matter of time before he locks down his first Major in a decade!

We got "Happy Gilmore" villain Christopher McDonald leaving Craig's in L.A. ... and you can tell he's been keeping a close eye on Tiger's comeback tour -- including his near victory at the Valspar Championship.

"I am so happy for my man Tiger doin' it like he does," McDonald told TMZ Sports.

"It was so close, he could've won that last one. It was amazing."

As for Tiger having the juice to win one of the PGA's Major tourneys ... "HELL YES."

Still got it, Shooter. Still got it.

Colin Kaepernick sure seemed to be in a good mood in Houston on Friday -- after personally attending the deposition of Texans owner Bob McNair in his collusion case against the NFL.

TMZ Sports obtained a photo of Kaep after the depo with his attorney, Ben Meiselas -- with some extra pep in their step.

As we previously reported, Kaepernick had filed a grievance against the league claiming owners and other high-ranking NFL officials were in cahoots to blackball Colin after his national anthem demonstration.

Kaepernick had arrived in Houston earlier this week -- and even knocked out a QB workout with his trainer.

As far as the case goes ... McNair isn't the only big name on the witness list -- Kaep's legal team from Geragos & Geragos also subpoenaed Seahawks owner Paul Allen and coach Pete Carroll along with Jerry Jones and Robert Kraft.

The Ryan Shazier comeback is underway ... with the Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker killin' it in the gym just 3 months after suffering a serious back injury.

Remember, Shazier required MAJOR spinal stabilization surgery back in December after suffering a severe spinal injury while playing the Bengals during Monday Night Football.

Shazier couldn't feel his legs at first -- and there was a real possibility he could've been paralyzed from the waist down.

But, Shazier vowed to defy the odds and not only walk again -- but get back to the NFL!!!

He started physical therapy last month and he's already standing on his own.

The upper body gym session on Friday is also a damn good sign.

O.J. Simpson says he agrees with Donald Trump -- Colin Kaepernick "made a mistake" taking a knee during the national anthem ... and completely disrespected the American flag.

"I think Colin made a mistake," Simpson told The Buffalo News ... "I really appreciate what he was trying to say. I thought he made a bad choice in attacking the flag."

"I grew up at a time when deacons were in the KKK. I don't disrespect the Bible because of those guys. The flag shouldn't be disrespected because of what cops do. The flag represents what we want America to be."

"When he did it the first time I thought, 'Well, you took a gamble, and I give you credit.' But it was him continuing to do it where he made the biggest mistake."

"I'm a firm believer of doing what you think is right, but I would always stand for the flag."

As far as his relationship with Trump, O.J. says he was friends with Donald back in the day and even went to Trump's 1993 wedding to Marla Maples.

But Simpson says he doesn't see eye-to-eye with Trump when it comes to politics.