TMZ Sports - Page 50

Honest question ... what's the first thing you looked at when you saw this picture?

Thought so.

Anyway, here's Cristiano Ronaldo stripping down to his skivvies for his brand new CR7 underwear campaign ... which features the soccer superstar trying to look sexy in a ball pit.

Is it working? (Spoiler: Yes)

It's the 10th season of Ronaldo's line which started in 2014. Clearly, the Juventus striker believes there's nobody better to model his high-quality underwear than himself. He's right.

“This was one of the most fun shoots ever! I'm a big kid at heart and it's not every day you get to jump into a giant ball pit," Ronaldo says.

"CR7 Underwear makes you both look and feel good, so I wanted the new campaign to capture that and have a fun and light-hearted feel!”

"My new Fall/Winter range combines optimum fit with cool, edgy design in some of my favourite colours."

We're NOT racist, you're too sensitive -- that's how an Australian newspaper is handling criticism of their Serena Williams cartoon ... and now they've REPRINTED IT on their cover.

The Herald Sun ran the headline, "Welcome To PC World" -- along with the caption, "If the self-appointed censors of Mark Knight get their way on his Serena Williams cartoon, our new politically correct life will be very dull indeed."

Along with reprinting Serena, the paper added other "controversial" cartoons from the artist including a chubby Kim Jong-un and a villainous Donald Trump.

Under the Serena cartoon, they noted the public "vetoed" the image due to "large hair and lips, too angry."

They mockingly noted the paper would now be a "Satire Free Zone."

What the paper is failing to acknowledge is how racists used cartoons featuring exaggerated lips, hair, noses and other features to mock and dehumanize black people for centuries.

That exact point was raised by hundreds of critics on social media -- but the newspaper is refusing to back down.

In fact, the artist tried to defend his work, saying, "The world’s gone crazy. It’s a cartoon about poor behavior. It’s nothing to do with race."

He added, "I’m sorry it’s been taken by social media and distorted so much. I’ve tried to reply to these people but they don’t listen."

You could say Hugo Lloris was caught green handed ... because prosecutors say the soccer superstar puked on himself the night he was arrested for drunk driving.

The captain of the World Cup champion France soccer team pled guilty in a British court Wednesday morning stemming from an August 24 arrest.

During the hearing, prosecutors detailed the events of the evening -- and it's clear, dude was HAMMERED.

Officials say the goalkeeper was pulled over in his Porsche at 2:20 AM after cops noticed he was "not moving smoothly, and was travelling at a slower speed than expected."

He almost hit several parked cars and then ran a red light.

When cops pulled him over, "Officers observed his speech was slurred, he was helped from the vehicle by an officer, he was unstable on his feet, and there was evidence of vomit at the scene."

Gross.

A breathalyzer showed his blood alcohol was more than TWICE the legal limit.

Ultimately, the 31-year-old Tottenham star was hit with a $65,000 fine and his license will be suspended for 20 months.

His attorney issued a statement saying Lloris didn't intend to get drunk that night -- but fans at a restaurant kept buying him drinks.

Awwww, the widdle U.S. Open judge has hurt feewings??

SUCK IT UP, PAL, YOU DON'T DOCK SERENA WILLIAMS A FULL GAME PENALTY!!

At least, that's how Common feels about the drama involving his ex-girlfriend -- telling TMZ Sports the judge shouldn't be so damn sensitive when a passionate player blows up on him.

Remember, Carlos Ramos was so offended when Serena called him a "thief" during a heated moment in the U.S. Open final, he punished her by penalizing her 1 full game.

"You gotta rise above it as a referee," Common said ... "She was having a time at that moment, she should be allowed that space. She's a passionate athlete."

Common also explained, "I think the referee should have gave her some leeway. You could see she was having an emotional time and because she is that great and what she means to the sport, you don't want to see the match end because or things get swayed one way because of a referee."

"You should let the athletes play it out."

Forget an iced latte, Stefon Diggs just got an iced out Starbucks chain -- and it's all because the dude is OBSESSED with the coffee house ... TMZ Sports has learned.

In case you didn't know ... the Minnesota Vikings star WR is a self-proclaimed Starbucks addict (he even wore Starbucks-themed cleats against Seattle last season).

But, Diggs decided to take it one step further ... hitting up Al the Jeweler from Labelle Jewelry in Totowa, NJ to create a diamond-studded tribute to the java joint.

Al tells TMZ Sports the piece -- which features more than 1,000 emeralds and VS diamonds -- took over a month to complete. We're told Diggs loved the finished product more than an espresso macchiato (and who doesn't love those?).

Al -- who works with huge stars like Jarvis Landry and Terrance Williams (to name a few) -- was tight-lipped on how much Diggs spent on the chain ... but our sources estimate it to be around $15k.

Oh, and we're also told one of the reasons Stefon got the piece was because, like Starbucks, he's "open all day."

#TreatYoSelf

Everyone's seen the video of President George W. Bush taking the mound at Yankees Stadium on October 30 -- in the wake of 9/11 -- but the man who caught the pitch is telling us what went down behind the scenes.

TMZ Sports spoke with Todd Greene -- the backup catcher for the Yanks that year -- who not only praised Bush for throwing a strike with the world watching ... but doing it while wearing a bulletproof vest.

The Yankees were taking on the Diamondbacks in Game 3 of the World Series -- the first World Series game back at Yankees Stadium ... and the scene was about as emotional as it could get.

Greene says the secret service had placed bulletproof glass in George Steinbrenner's private owner's box where Bush was watching the game ... and that was just the tip of the iceberg when it came to security.

Greene says the players were essentially on lockdown once POTUS arrived to the stadium.

So, what did Greene say to Bush when he caught the ball? Watch the clip and find out.

By the way, the Yankees won the game 2-1.

If you'd like to donate to the 9/11 Memorial Fund, click here.

Here's new video of Conor McGregor hitting the gym to prep for his superfight with Khabib Nurmagomedov -- and he looks scary good.

He's sparring, he's grappling, he's knocking people on their asses ... it's impressive stuff.

Of course, Conor hasn't had an MMA fight since defeating Eddie Alvarez at UFC 205 in 2016 -- but he's booked to make his triumphant return to the Octagon at UFC 229 on Oct. 6.

Some people are worried Conor could have "ring rust" -- but when you're looking at the new highlight video, he seems sharp and strong.

Obviously, it's heavily edited -- but we all know what Conor's capable of ... and it's cool to see him back in beast mode.

As for Khabib, that dude is an absolute monster -- he's 26-0 and beat the dog snot out of just about everyone he's faced.

The two have bad blood -- remember, when Conor attacked that bus at Barclay's Center back in April, he was gunning for Khabib ... who had disrespected one of Conor's training partners earlier that week.

Floyd Mayweather dished out advice for Khabib -- telling him not to underestimate Conor, who's a "warrior."

Conor shot back with some insults for the entire Mayweather family.

Richie Incognito says he didn't threaten to shoot ANYONE during a heated incident at an Arizona funeral home back in August ... but admits he "lost his cool" after his father's death.

As we previously reported, cops swarmed Messinger Mortuary on August 20 after staffers secretly called 911 and said Incognito had ordered them to "cut his dad's head off for research purposes." They also claim Richie threatened to shoot the funeral director. Police say they found guns in his truck.

Now, Incognito is finally breaking his silence ... apologizing to his fans while maintaining his innocence.

“I just want to apologize to all my fans, and the people of the Bills Mafia, the Rams, the Dolphins, the University of Nebraska, all these people that have supported me. I let em down," Richie told Pat McAfee on his podcast.

"I AM NOT GUILTY. And you know the court process will play itself out. But I feel like I let everybody down. I lost my cool with my father passing. And I feel confident that I will be vindicated in the court process or whatever the heck we’re in right now.”

5:40 PM PT -- Dustin has responded to the affair and breakup speculation, tweeting ... "Every relationship goes through its ups and downs, but most importantly, we love each other very much and are committed to being a family."

Couple developments in the rumored Paulina Gretzky, Dustin Johnson split ...

1) A deeply connected source tells us they're NOT broken up.

2) The alleged mistress is adamant she NEVER hooked up with the PGA superstar.

Here's what we know ... Paulina ignited the breakup rumors after wiping all traces of Dustin from her Instagram page (don't worry, her bikini pics are all still there).

Reports surfaced shortly after that a woman named Yassie Safai was "at the center" of the split -- the insinuation was that Dustin had an affair with her behind Paulina's back.

But now, Yassie has broken her silence ... saying, "I am not in a relationship with Dustin Johnson. Nor have we had any prior relationship."

She explained, "I met Dustin Johnson at Sherwood Country Club. I have run into him at Sherwood maybe 4 times since then and yes briefly spoke with him, like I'm sure any avid golfer and member would."

"I am sure he is a great person but we do not have a close friendship. I have never met Paulina Gretzky and do not know the Gretzky family, but again, I am sure they are great people."

"I have no insight into the rumors around Dustin Johnson and Paulina Gretzky's relationship. I wish them nothing but the best. I just want to go back to living my normal life."'

One source extremely close with the Gretzky family tells us Paulina and Dustin are still together but would not expand when asked why he has disappeared from her IG page.

Raiders legend Bill Romanowski says he's got a bad taste in his mouth over the Khalil Mack trade ... telling TMZ Sports Oakland's gonna REALLY regret giving Mack away.

"This is a guy that comes around, like a Lawrence Taylor, once in a lifetime," Romo says.

Remember ... Khalil and Jon Gruden never even spoke after Chuckie took the head coaching job -- and Gruden decided to punt the All-Pro to the Bears instead of working with him earlier this month.

Mack's first game with Chicago went well -- a sack, a pick AND a TD -- and Romanowski isn't at all surprised that the Raiders are feeling some immediate remorse.

In fact ... Bill seems downright pissed over the move -- even questioning how Oakland was able to get Derek Carr's mega deal done so quickly but couldn't get one for Mack.

"For Raider nation, you got one of the best defensive players in the National Football League -- figure out a way!" Bill says.

"Hey, you got Carr signed, figure out a way to get this guy signed!"

Kobe Bryant's basketball training campaign continues ... this time, Black Mamba is sharing his secrets with WNBA superstar Candace Parker!!

The retired NBA legend has been spreading his knowledge to hoopers like Jayson Tatum this offseason ... and has offered his services to Shaq's sons as well.

But Monday, he was focused squarely on the women's league -- hitting the gym with the L.A. Sparks superstar and fellow WNBAers Karlie Samuelson, Monique Billings and Gabby Williams.

Seems the training sesh was focused on improving footwork.

"[Kobe], I learned so much and was in awe to see the footwork in person," Candace posted ... "Here to prove older dogs can learn new tricks! #2019"

Kobe's sworn up and down he's done with pro basketball -- whether it's NBA or Ice Cube's BIG3 -- but he obviously still has an itch for the game.

Probably safe to assume Le'Veon Bell ain't coming back to the Steelers this week ... 'cause dude seems pretty busy livin' it up in Miami -- HITTING THE CLUB UNTIL EARLY TUESDAY MORNING!!

TMZ Sports has learned the star running back partied it up at Rockwell in South Beach ... and wasn't shy about it -- kickin' back at the DJ booth and taking pics with clubgoers.

We're told the Pittsburgh RB got there around midnight Monday and didn't leave until the wee hours of the morning Tuesday. He also partied at Gold Rush Cabaret Saturday night with friends.

Sources say he did look to be in great shape ... so at least there's that, Pittsburgh fans.

ICYMI ... Bell's been a no-show at Steelers practices AND at Sunday's game against the Browns as he continues to look for a mega deal from the team.

The Steelers are hosting the Kansas City Chiefs in Pittsburgh on Sunday. No word if Bell plans to be there. Hell, he might still be in Florida for all we know.

By the way ... this ain't the first time Bell's partied the night away instead of practicing with his teammates -- remember when he slapped all that butt at the booty club during training camp!?

A former Michigan State field hockey player claims Larry Nassar raped her back in 1992 -- and got her pregnant -- but when she tried to go to cops, a high-ranking MSU official shut her down.

The woman behind the suit is Erika Davis -- who was 17 years old when she suffered a knee injury during an MSU team practice and her coach referred her to Nassar.

During an exam, Davis claims Nassar crushed up a pill and made her drink it -- and a short time later she got "very woozy" and could not move her limbs.

Davis claims she passed out -- and woke up to Nassar raping her vaginally and ejaculating into her.

Later in the summer, Davis says a pregnancy test came back positive "and the only person who could have caused her to be pregnant was [Nassar]."

She miscarried a few weeks later, according to the suit.

Davis claims she told friends who recommended she go to the police -- but when she did, a detective told her he was "powerless to investigate ... and to go to the athletic department."

Davis says the athletic department had already dismissed her complaint and the Sergeant told her that MSU athletic director George Perles was a "powerful man" and that "she should just drop it."

Davis says she eventually moved on with her life and repressed the memories -- until 2018 after other victims began speaking out. That's when she decided to resurrect her legal action.

Nothing would make Tiki Barber happier than to see Saquon Barkley break his NY rushing record this season ... 'CAUSE IT WOULD MEAN HIS GIANTS WOULDN'T SUCK ANYMORE!!

"If he breaks my records, then that means good things," the NY legend tells TMZ Sports.

Tiki holds a grip of Giants records ... but it's his 1,860-yard, single-season rushing total that many have said could be within reach for Barkley by season's end.

And, if you think Barber is secretly hoping the star rookie falls short of that ... you'd be wrong.

"That means good things for the New York Giants," Tiki says.

Barber's ex-teammate, Amani Toomer, seems to think it's certainly possible the record falls this year ... 'cause the ex-receiver tells us Saquon was undoubtedly the most impressive NFL rookie of Week 1!!

Wanna hear something gross? Imagine putting your opponent in a KNEEBAR and then hearing it POP!!!!!

That's exactly what happened to UFC star Aljamain Sterling this weekend -- when he was ripping away at Cody Stamann's knee and heard it explode right in the Octagon!

The "Funkmaster" was ripping Stamann's left leg over his head with an excruciatingly painful move, when he pulled just a little too hard and heard the joint go snap, crackle, POP!

"I heard it bro," Sterling tells TMZ Sports ... "It was a nasty one!"

Sterling says he feels bad for Stamann and hopes he heals up soon -- but fears the dude tore his LCL and maybe even more ... judging by the way the injury went down.

Injury aside, Sterling's victory was super impressive and Aljamain says Dana White took notice -- even promising to send him a little bonus check in the mail for putting on a show at UFC 228.

Congrats, man ... you earned it!

Jay Williams says he's seen Andrew Bynum's recent workout video -- and he's impressed -- but tells TMZ Sports it might be too little, too late for the big man's NBA comeback dreams.

FYI -- Bynum's been training like crazy in hopes of getting a tryout with a team in need of a 7-footer ... even though it's been 4 years since he last suited up for a pro team.

Williams -- who went to the same New Jersey H.S. as Bynum -- says the ex-Laker looks in amazing shape ... but questions whether he'll be able to adjust to today's game with big men like Anthony Davis and Boogie Cousins pulling up from three.

But, Williams doesn't close the door on Bynum's goals, he actually thinks he CAN pull off the comeback ... but he's keeping it real for the 30-year-old.