TMZ Sports - Page 50

Brett Favre, John Elway, Tony Romo ... NONE of these dudes had the ability to chuck the pigskin like Patrick Mahomes does -- so says ex-Chiefs head coach Dick Vermeil.

"His overall ability to throw the ball in any body position is the best I've ever seen," the legendary coach tells TMZ Sports.

Mahomes just won his fifth straight start ... killin' the Broncos on Monday night -- and when we spoke with Vermeil about it, he couldn't have been more impressed.

"He's so flexible, body-wise," Vermeil says.

"He can twist his hips and kick his legs and turn his shoulders, and all three variations are going different directions, and he throws the ball accurately anyway. It's amazing!"

Remember ... Vermeil's coached Pro Bowlers like Kurt Warner, Ron Jaworski and Trent Green -- so it's some seriously high praise.

But, the gushing didn't stop there ... 'cause Dick tells us Mahomes has MORE athletic ability than even Donovan McNabb!!!

In fact ... Vermeil says if Mahomes doesn't get Andy Reid his first-ever Super Bowl ring ... NOBODY will.

The Capitals' first-ever Stanley Cup came with boobs, booze, F-bombs and even a baby for captain Alex Ovechkin ... and on Monday night -- it came with a boat-load of diamonds too!!!

Ovi, T.J. Oshie and the rest of the squad picked up their championship rings -- and yeah, they're icy.

The team says they feature 252 diamonds, 35 rubies and a big-ass sapphire ... all set into a 14-karat white and yellow gold ring.

The inside is engraved with the scores of the series that led them to the cup too. Pretty cool, right??

It's the diamond-topper to a Washington summer that kicked off with a boob flash during the cup ceremony ... followed by an F-bomb-laced parade -- and finished with LOTS of booze.

Great news for Tyler Eifert -- who had his ankle snapped in half on Sunday -- 'cause the Cincinnati Bengals TE is in good spirits after going under the knife ... and vows to be back better than ever!!

ICYMI -- Eifert suffered a nasty right ankle injury in the 3rd quarter of the Falcons game this week ... after De'Vondre Campbell accidentally fell on him while making a tackle.

It was a disgusting sight ... and if you haven't already seen it, DON'T CLICK ON IT.

Eifert shared a post-surgery pic with a thumbs-up on Monday night ... saying "At least my end zone celebration was fun! Thanks to everyone for the kind words. I’m all fixed, Dr. Anderson is the best. I’ll be back!"

Eifert has had his fair share of injuries since he was drafted in 2013 ... a dislocated elbow in 2014, stinger injuries in 2013 and 2015, back injury in 2016 and 2017. But, he's clearly not fazed by his history.

Senator Lindsey Graham says he LOVES Kanye West's idea of bringing Colin Kaepernick and Donald Trump together ... explaining, "I want to watch football without feeling guilty about it."

And get this ... it sounds like the Republican senator from South Carolina is actually on the same page with Colin when it comes to the reasons for his kneeling protest.

Graham told us he believes there's real work to be done when it comes to sentencing reform and prison reform -- particularly when it comes to black and Hispanic men.

As Colin has previously explained ... the point of his kneeling demonstration was to shine a spotlight on the mistreatment of minorities -- especially when it comes to the justice system.

"I want to work on sentencing reform, prison reform," Graham says ... "A lot of people in jail for a long period of time. African-American males, Hispanic males, particularly. Three strikes and you're out has been pretty hard. So, might be something we can all work on that would bring us together."

Graham explains the one major issue he has with Kaepernick is not standing for the flag -- but he clearly believes a White House summit could benefit both sides.

"Anything that will bring the country together."

And, Lindsey isn't the only one who feels this way -- we also spoke with ex-NFL star Marcellus Wiley who says a Kaepernick, Trump meeting would be a "great thing."

"Anyone that you have a difference with that has power, you should get in a room with them and try to find mutual ground and mutual agreement," Wiley said Monday night in Beverly Hills.

"No matter what side you're on, grab the person that you call 'adversary' and try to come to some mutual agreement."

"We're all sitting here on this same planet, coexisting ... so it would be great if we could coexist in some of these powerful meeting rooms and get our figures together.

Turns out the guy who was arrested for burglarizing the home of Rams wide receiver Robert Woods was targeting celebs ... at least that's what cops say.

Law enforcement sources tell us, 19-year-old Tyress Williams has now been linked to burglaries at the homes of Rihanna, Yasiel Puig and Christina Milian.

As for how cops linked Williams to the various break-ins ... we're told they pulled him over last Friday in connection with the Woods break-in and he had stolen items in his car that belonged to Woods, Rihanna, Puig and Milian.

Cops tell us Williams is the guy in this video kicking in the front door of L.A. Dodgers' star Yasiel Puig. This was the 4th burglary at Puig's home -- twice in the last 2 months. Cops aren't saying if Williams was the culprit in all 4 break-ins.

BTW ... Christina Milian had her house burglarized twice in 4 days. Again, we don't know if cops believe Williams was the culprit both times.

For a long time police were saying celebs were not specifically being targeted by burglars ... the party line was that there was a rash of burglaries in L.A. and celebs were simply some of the victims.

It always seemed ... celebs were easy targets, because they either posted their whereabouts on social media or their schedules were in plain view of the public.

It seems cops now believe ... at least some burglars have a thing for celebrity homes.

As for Williams ... we're told the D.A. will file charges Tuesday.

The biggest UFC fight of all time might just have the biggest celebrity guest list of all time -- with huge stars slated to be Octagonside when Conor McGregor takes on Khabib Nurmagomedov at UFC 229!

We're told Hollywood titans like Chris Pratt and Mel Gibson will be there alongside business moguls like Robert Kraft and Elon Musk.

Other names expected to be at the October 6 fight ... Rory McIlroy, Matt Damon, Anthony Kiedis, Megan Fox, Under Armour CEO Kevin Plank, Joel Kinnaman and Mark Consuelos.

We also got Mike Tyson out on Monday -- and he told us he'll be at the fight too!

Of course, Mike is tight with UFC honcho Dana White ... and he's become a big MMA fan over the years.

Kanye West thinks LeBron James made a mistake leaving Cleveland for Los Angeles -- claiming the people of Northeast Ohio need him there.

It's not a diss -- in fact, it's the opposite.

Kanye believes LeBron is so powerful and influential, he could have continued to make a major impact in his hometown off the court ... and he was sad to see King James leave.

"I'mma just, it's not my place ... but just to make it Ye -- I feel like LeBron really needs to be in Cleveland," Kanye told Harvey Levin on "TMZ Live."

"And that ain't my place, and I'm sorry, [Maverick Carter] and LeBron for saying, I know I'm speaking out of place. But, I feel like LeBron needs to be in Cleveland. Ye needs to be in Chicago. Big U needs to be in Crenshaw."

Of course, Kanye is referring to the fact he just moved his own family from L.A. to Chicago -- where he's from -- because he feels the community needs his help.

Kanye believes he shares a special bond with the city because he's from there.

LeBron recently said his move to L.A. was a basketball decision -- others have speculated it was about furthering his movie career.

Ex-NFL wideout Dorial Green-Beckham avoided serious jail time for his December drunk driving arrest ... in part 'cause the judge says he can still influence the community in his hometown.

As TMZ Sports reported ... DGB was busted for DWI back on Dec. 30 in Missouri when a cop suspected the ex-Eagles WR was intoxicated while picking up a friend at 3 AM.

Cops were right. He later pled guilty to misdemeanor DWI and was facing six months behind bars and a $1,000 fine.

But, when the 25-year-old appeared in court for sentencing Monday ... the Greene County judge let him off easy, in part because DGB -- as one of the greatest H.S. football players in the town's history -- can still have an impact on kids in the community.

"We're all pulling for you," the judge said, via the Springfield News-Leader.

"Don't forget that. This whole community is pulling for you."

The judge sentenced Dorial to 2 years of unsupervised probation, 60 hours of community service and a substance awareness traffic program.

DGB was the top-rated recruit in the 2012 class ... but flamed out at both Missouri and in the NFL thanks, in large part, to off-the-field issues.

Dorial's attorney told the Springfield News-Leader he could be trying to make a comeback to football ... perhaps in the Canadian Football League.

Remember, HE'S ONLY 25!!!

Ex-WWE superstar Alberto Del Rio has announced his plans to return to MMA ... more than 8 YEARS after his last real fight!!

The 41-year-old -- real name Jose Rodriguez -- announced his decision to return to MMA for Combate Americas on Monday ... and he's gunning to get in the cage in 2019.

Del Rio's last MMA fight was a Cage of Combat event back on Feb. 27, 2010 ... when he lost to Yamamoto Hanshi in a 2nd round TKO.

“I’m going to jump back in the cage -- or in the cage for the first time -- because I used to fight in rings in Mexico and in Asia, but never inside the cage,” Del Rio told The MMA Hour.

“So for 2019, I’m going to be doing that. I’m going to be fighting in the cage for Combate Americas, mi familia, mi casa, and I’m not just saying this because my boss is here and he writes my checks."

Del Rio says he expects to fight a big-name MMA star and draw a huge pay-per-view ... but says his opponent has not been made official yet.

Nate Diaz says he will 100% be at Madison Square Garden to fight at UFC 230 on Nov. 3 -- but if Dustin Poirier won't fight at 165 pounds, he wants a new opponent.

"Anybody who wants it at 165, we can do that," Diaz tells TMZ Sports.

Here's the issue ... Diaz is already booked to fight Poirier at 155 pounds. And, as Dana White pointed out last week, they signed the contract and everything.

But, Diaz believes he's a true 165-pound fighter -- and wants to start a 165-pound division so he and Dustin can fight in the main event that night for a brand new 165-pound belt.

And, if UFC and Poirier can't find a way to make it happen, Nate says -- "All comers bring it the f*ck on!"

Nate also had some strong words for Tyron Woodley -- saying The Chosen One better watch his mouth with all the trash talk or he'll get slapped upside his head ... whether it's in the Octagon or in the street.

Stay tuned ...

Kanye West says he's reached out to Colin Kaepernick -- and wants to bring him to Washington D.C. for a special meeting with Donald Trump.

West -- wearing his Make America Great Again hat -- sat down with Harvey Levin on "TMZ Live" on Monday and said he hopes to bring the two sides together so they can work out their issues.

Of course, Donald Trump has been extremely critical of Kaepernick -- strongly pressuring NFL owners to fire all of the "sons of bitches" who don't stand for the national anthem.

Kaepernick has said he began kneeling to shine a spotlight on police brutality against black people -- but Trump feels the demonstration is disrespectful to the flag and military vets.

So, will Kanye succeed in putting together a peace summit between Trump and Kaep?

He didn't say if either side was open to the idea -- but Trump has praised Kanye as a brilliant leader, so we're guessing he would be in.

LaMelo Ball was anything but mellow during his JBA international matchup on Monday -- SLAPPING his opponent and starting a BRAWL before getting ejected!!

The youngest Ball's Team USA squad was facing Alytaus Dzukija in Lithuania (welcome back) ... when Melo and his opponent got physical in the 3rd quarter ... and Melo hit him with a slap that would make Nate Diaz proud!!

Both benches cleared ... and all the players -- including Melo's older brother, LiAngelo -- had to be separated from the other teams.

Ex-Texas A&M coach Dennis Franchione is going to bat for Jimbo Fisher ... saying the Aggies coach was just trying to teach his player when he violently grabbed his facemask Saturday.

In the third quarter of TAMU's win over Arkansas ... cameras spotted Jimbo yanking LB Tyler Dodson's helmet in order to get him out of a scuffle.

The act drew immediate criticism ... with Eagles star Chris Long callin' it "garbage" and Saints TE Benjamin Watson saying Fisher "should be suspended."

Enter ex-Aggies head man Franchione ... who tells us Jimbo was just trying to coach up his player -- and Dennis would have no problem with it if it were his kid in the helmet.

"It's not meant to be anything other than, 'Listen to me. Look at me. Give me eye contact. Make sure you hear me,'" Dennis tells TMZ Sports.

"Jimbo is really trying to get the culture right for his program there and trying to get the attention of the players and get everybody on the same page."

"And, I'm sure that's what he was trying to do there."

Franchione admits it probably wasn't the best thing for Jimbo to do in today's "politically correct society" ... but tells us, "It wouldn't have bothered me. I wanted my son to be coached well."

As for the player ... Dodson tweeted after the game, "Coach fisher is an amazing coach, he did the right thing. I let my emotions get the best of me at that certain moment."

MLB star Jayson Werth got into it with a police officer during his DUI arrest back in April -- ultimately telling the cop he's not sure the officer had his best interests at heart.

Werth was pulled over in Scottsdale, AZ on April 17 for expired registration and, during the stop, the officer suspected he was drunk.

Werth tried to celebrity his way out of the arrest -- handing the cop an MLB "courtesy card" which shows he's a pro baseball player -- and told the cop, "We do a lot of work with you guys."

Didn't work.

When the cops tried to conduct a field sobriety test, Werth objected -- refusing to comply and telling the cop, "I'm just not sure I trust you."

The cop tried to explain that he was NOT misleading Werth and was only trying to do the right thing.

Werth replied, "A lot of people have gotten into a lot of trouble assuming that police officers have their best interests [at heart]."

That's when the cop broke out the handcuffs and arrested the baseball player.

As we previously reported, Werth was taken to a nearby station where he ultimately surrendered to a blood draw -- which showed he had a .12 BAC.

Legendary sportscaster Ernie Johnson has just announced he will NOT be covering the MLB playoffs for TBS ... after doctors diagnosed him with blood clots in both of his legs.

The 62-year-old says he was undergoing a routine physical when doctors found the clots -- which can be fatal if not treated immediately.

The danger with blood clots ... they can break off and enter the blood stream and, in some cases, can cause a pulmonary embolism, which is a blockage of an artery in the lungs.

Johnson says he understands the situation -- and he's treating it aggressively with blood thinners and compression socks.

Flying in planes can be dangerous when diagnosed with clots -- and since Johnson would be taking a bunch of flights in a relatively short time period, his medical team advised him it wasn't worth the risk.

"The best course of action is to just stay grounded at this point, not fly," EJ said ... "blood clots are nothing to be messed with."

While recovering and treating the clots, Johnson says he'll be preparing to cover the NBA when the season kicks off in just a few weeks.

10:55 AM PT -- Eric Reid hasn't yet decided if he will continue kneeling during the national anthem ... telling reporters at his first-ever Panthers news conference today he's still considering it.

The newly signed safety -- sportin' an all-black "#IMWITHKAP" shirt ... says he needs to evaluate "the scope of our country" before he decides whether he'll continue to take a knee.

The 26-year-old says he's also considering other ways outside of pregame kneeling to continue his protests ... telling reporters, "I'll make that decision later."

Think Eric Reid is happy to be back in the NFL? Judging by this pic at Panthers practice Monday morning ... he's STOKED!!!

The 26-year-old rocked his new #25 jersey for the first time Monday -- it's a huge deal considering Reid sued the NFL claiming he was being blackballed for kneeling during the national anthem.

Reid was one of the top available defensive backs (he's a stud) -- but remained unsigned until last week when the Panthers finally pulled the trigger on the 2013 Pro Bowler.

After Reid signed his 1-year contract, he got love from a bunch of NFL stars who feel he should have been on a team months ago ... guys like Colin Kaepernick and Torrey Smith.

Reid flashed the black power fist while signing his deal -- leaving many wondering if he'll continue his kneeling protest now that he's back in the league.

The Panthers take on the Giants at home on Sunday ... so, stay tuned.