TMZ Sports - Page 50

Hilarious story from Torrey Smith ... the ex-NFL receiver says his mom accidentally smashed his college MVP awards -- this after she kept them safe for a DECADE!!!

The two-time Super Bowl champ said after he won the prized trophies during his career at the Univ. of Maryland ... his mom agreed to hang on to them until he got a nice place to display them.

And, Smith said he finally accomplished that goal recently ... so his mom went on her way to bring them to his pad on Friday.

The problem? Smith says she tripped going down the stairs with the trophies ... and they smashed into pieces!!!

Check out the photos Torrey posted ... the heads fell off the awards AND parts of the legs shattered!

To his credit, Torrey was all smiles about the incident afterward, despite losing the coveted awards ... saying, "They made it 10 years and 10 yards away from where they were going to be placed 😂😂😂😂."

Ex-Angels staffer Eric Kay has been indicted by a grand jury in Texas on two counts in the death of pitcher Tyler Skaggs, court docs show.

Kay -- who worked with the Angels in media relations for 24 years -- had previously been charged by prosecutors with distribution of the fentanyl that led to Skaggs' overdose death back in June 2019.

But, the case has since gone to a grand jury -- which has now handed down a 2-count indictment against Kay.

According to the documents, Kay was indicted on 1 count of conspiracy to possess fentanyl with the intent to distribute and 1 count of distribution of a controlled substance resulting in death.

Unclear why the case went to a grand jury after prosecutors had already announced a formal charge against Kay. We're working on it.

As we previously reported, prosecutors claim to have a text conversation between Kay and Skaggs from the night of the pitcher's overdose.

In the exchange, Kay asks "Hoe [sic] many?" ... to which Skaggs responded, "Just a few like 5."

Law enforcement officials have said they believe Kay and Skaggs were discussing drugs ... clearly implying the exchange proves Kay is the one who supplied the pitcher with the lethal dose of the pills.

Law enforcement also claimed Kay provided "30-milligram oxycodone pills" to Skaggs on multiple occasions.

Skaggs was found dead in his hotel room in Southlake, TX in July 2019 ... hours before the Angels were set to play the Texas Rangers.

He was only 27.

Drake's legal team is calling BS on injuries a man claims he suffered in a beatdown, because as they put it ... the guy wasn't too depressed or injured to appear on a reality TV show.

As you might recall, Bennett Sipes claimed he suffered a concussion, back injury, physical injury and depression after a March 2018 fight at Delilah nightclub with Drake, Odell Beckham and others. Sipes filed a lawsuit over the fight, but Drake's attorneys filed docs pointing out Sipes not only appeared on "Love Island" recently ... they also claim he attended music festivals and did backflips off rope swings while on vacay in Mexico.

As they say in the docs, obtained by TMZ, Sipes "appeared anything but depressed."

The legal docs include a declaration from Sipes' ex-GF, Sommer Ray Beaty, saying he started working with her after the brawl. She claims he carried her camera equipment without difficulty. She also claims Sipes seemed fine after his visible injuries healed -- and they traveled together to Mexico, Maryland, Colorado, England, France, Italy and Japan. She claims they also attended Coachella, Stagecoach and Rolling Loud Festival.

Drake's team also says Sipes deleted a bunch of text messages with Beaty ... which they say is a big no-no while the lawsuit was pending. They suspect the messages could have shed some light on Sipes' alleged injuries or the incident itself.

TMZ broke the story ... Sipes sued Drake, OBJ and Kourtney Kardashian's ex, Younes Bendjima, back in January 2019 claiming Younes attacked him along with members of Drake and OBJ's entourage. Sipes' ex said in her declaration both Drake and OBJ were standing at the back of the group and "appeared to simply be observing what was happening and following the group out of curiosity. Neither of them seemed to be instructing others or encouraging others to do anything at all."

Sipes had alleged Drake made a "throat slash" gesture and that's what triggered his crew to beat Sipes to a pulp. But, Sipes' ex contradicts that ... claiming she did not see any "throat slash" gesture "nor did I observe Drake encourage anything at all."

Saints owner Gayle Benson thwarted an attempted vehicle theft last weekend -- screaming at the perp until he fled -- and the team says she's "very shaken" over the incident.

It all went down in New Orleans while 73-year-old Benson was seated inside her car.

Cops say someone in a white Nissan Titan pulled up next to her around 2:15 p.m. on Oct. 10 ... and tried to get into her car.

Cops have NOT said what kind of car Benson was in at the time of the incident -- but she's a billionaire, so we imagine it was nice.

Officials are convinced the man intended to steal Benson's car.

But, when the man entered Benson's vehicle, according to NOLA.com, Gayle screamed at him -- and ordered him to exit immediately, which he did.

Cops say the man got back into his Nissan Titan and fled the scene.

Cops were called ... and while an investigation has been launched, no arrests have been made at this point.

Benson's rep issued a statement confirming the incident -- adding, "while she was very shaken at the time, she was unharmed and is doing fine."

"She wanted to send her sincere gratitude to the men and women of the New Orleans Police Department that responded so quickly and professionally."

Cops are asking anyone with information to come forward or hit up the Crimestoppers hotline at 504-822-1111.

Conor McGregor's wish is evidently Jerry Jones' command ... the Cowboys owner says he's now "very open" to hosting the Notorious' next fight at his palace in Dallas!

"I'm a real admirer of his," Jerry said of McGregor on 105.3 "The Fan" on Friday. "He's one of the neatest individuals I think I've met. Period."

Conor said Wednesday he's accepted a UFC fight with Dustin Poirier for Jan. 23 ... and in his announcement, McGregor said he wanted the scrap to take place at AT&T Stadium.

And, when Jerry was asked about the possibility of making that happen ... the 78-year-old said he was more than down to try to make it work.

"[Conor] is special," Jerry said. "It would be quite a day for AT&T Stadium to have him."

Of course, the UFC has yet to officially cross the T's and dot the I's on the fight ... so selecting a location for the possible tilt is still a ways away.

But, if a deal is eventually made ... it could pave the way for thousands of fans to watch the fight in person.

Jerry's been operating Cowboys home games with roughly 25,000 people in attendance all season.

As for how Jones knows Conor so well ... you'll recall, he played host to the fighter at a Dallas game back in 2018 -- and everyone LOVED the guy there!!

So, do we officially have a fight AND a location now???

Boxing star Teofimo Lopez says his feud with Vasyl Lomachenko is real and nasty -- and he'll have "bad intentions" when they step in the ring this weekend.

"This is just how I feel man, this definitely is personal to me -- it's a whole different mindset for me," Lopez tells TMZ Sports.

Lopez (15-0) vs. Loma (14-1) is one of the biggest fights of the year -- two superstars clashing at the height of their powers Saturday at The Bubble at the MGM Grand in Vegas.

23-year-old Lopez is the IBF lightweight champ. 32-year-old Loma is the WBC, WBA and WBO lightweight champ. All of the belts are on the line this weekend.

Lopez knows he's the betting underdog but tells us he likes it that way and advises anyone who knows anything about boxing to bet the house on him.

"If you know boxing, bet on Teofimo to win -- you making money, everybody goes home happy."

The beef between the two camps goes back years -- lots of trash talk -- and Lopez says he's been itching to settle things with violence.

"You can see it in my eyes, I don’t fear you -- and I don’t have no type of respect towards you … just be ready for a fight."

Lopez even took a shot at Loma for the quality of the opponents he's faced recently ... saying he hasn't taken on a real challenger in years.

"I don’t think you’ve had a real fight in a long time -- so let's see what you can do."

More COVID problems in the NFL -- the Indianapolis Colts say "several" members of the organization tested positive Friday ... so they're shutting down the team facility.

"This morning, we were informed that several individuals within our organization have tested positive for COVID-19," the team said in a statement.

"The team is currently in the process of confirming those tests. In the meantime, the practice facility will be closed and the team will work remotely while following NFL protocols."

"We are in communication with the NFL and will have more information when available."

The team has not identified the people who tested positive -- unclear if it's players, coaches, execs, etc.

The Colts -- led by QB Philip Rivers -- are scheduled to host the Cincinnati Bengals in Indy on Sunday. But, now it seems that game could be postponed or canceled if the COVID tests are confirmed.

The Colts news comes one day after the Atlanta Falcons closed their facility following positive COVID tests.

Several teams have been affected by COVID so far this season -- from the Tennessee Titans to the New England Patriots, Raiders, Chiefs and more.

Story developing ...

Nobody seems more content with COVID than Cristiano Ronaldo ...

The 35-year-old soccer superstar -- who was ordered to self-isolate earlier this week after testing positive -- is now chillaxing in his mansion in Turin, Italy like he doesn't have a care in the world.

As we previously reported, the Portuguese Football Association announced Ronaldo's positive test on Tuesday -- and said he had been sent home to prevent exposure to other Team Portugal players and staffers.

Well, home for CR7 is a massive estate with an indoor pool.

He's still smiling. He's still ripped to shreds. And, he's offering up encouraging words to his fans.

"Don't let what you can't do stand in the way of what you can do," Ronaldo said Friday on IG.

Ronaldo reportedly flew from Portugal to Italy on a private "air ambulance" which he paid for himself.

While Ronaldo has not personally commented about his health since the positive COVID test -- the Portuguese Football Federation said he was "well, without symptoms, and in isolation."

Uhhhhh -- heads up, Roy Jones Jr. ...

Mike Tyson is getting ABSOLUTELY JACKED for his November comeback fight with RJJ ... he revealed his new bod in another training video -- and the boxing legend looks ridiculous!!

The clip ain't long ... but in the few seconds where you see Tyson shirtless -- you can tell the guy has done nothing but prepare for his Nov. 28 bout with Jones Jr.

He's got abs. He's got biceps. He's got pecs. And, he looks as ferocious as ever!

The vid caught the attention of a bunch of famous people ... The Rock liked the clip and UFC superstar Tyron Woodley even reposted it to his social media page.

It all begs the question ... is Jones Jr. absolutely sure he wants to go through with this fight???

In addition to getting his body back in fighting shape, 54-year-old Tyson has also repeatedly posted videos showing he's still got knockout power too!

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!

The man with the best locks in the UFC no longer has hair ... Brian Ortega shaved off his beautiful salad for his bout with the Korean Zombie this weekend -- and we're heartbroken.

We just spoke with the 29-year-old a couple days ago, ... and his luscious slicked-back ponytail was still intact.

But, Ortega clearly broke out the razor in the last day or two ... showing up to weigh-ins bald as a cue ball!!!

Of course, Ortega is still handsome as hell ... but man, that hair was something!!

Unclear if Brian needed to ditch the mane to make weight ... back in 2017, he said he came close to shaving it off for the scale at UFC 214.

As for his thoughts back then on going bald? "I still look pretty regardless, I feel ... I woulda pulled it off!"

He's not wrong ... but, man, pour one out for that hairdo. Gone too soon.

NASCAR driver Kyle Larson says he's hoping the racing org. will let him back on the track 6 months after he used a racial slur -- claiming, "I know deep down I'm not a racist."

"I said a racist word and I can fully understand why people would label me a racist," the 28-year-old told James Brown on "CBS This Morning."

As we previously reported, Larson was fired by his racing team and dropped by his sponsors after he called a teammate the n-word during a virtual race -- not realizing his audio was streaming out to thousands of people on Twitch.

Larson says the person he directed the comment at (a white person) was a friend and he didn't mean it in a derogatory way.

"I had raced with him in Australia and the group that we were with kinda used the word casually as a greeting, I didn’t use it in a way to degrade or insult anyone."

Larson says he now realizes why he should NEVER use that word ever again -- explaining he didn't understand the impact the word has on Black people.

"I guess I didn’t think of how it took African Americans, and probably in their thoughts, took them back to slavery and things like that and injustice and things they’ve worked so hard to overcome."

Larson says he know understands what he said was "extremely hurtful" and he would understand if he was never allowed to race again.

But, he also insists he's a changed man and would love a second chance.

Brown, who is Black, points out that Larson has a track record of doing a lot of work with the Black community -- including a long relationship with the Urban Youth Racing School in Philadelphia.

Brown reports Larson has gone through sensitivity and diversity training and has met with Black leaders including Jackie Joyner-Kersee. He thinks Larson is the "real deal" and he's not just putting on an act to get his career back.

Justin Gaethje says he knows his upcoming fight with UFC champ  Khabib Nurmagomedov can change his life forever -- and to steal a line from Hamilton, he's not throwing away his shot.

"The stakes are huge," Gaethje tells TMZ Sports ... "This is life-changing for me. I go out there and get a dub?! This is life-changing."

And, for all of the critics who think he'll get smoked by the undefeated Dagestani, Justin offered up this message ...

"I am prepared and you can bet your bottom dollar I will not go out like no bitch!"

Justin and Khabib -- two friends who share the same manager, Ali Abdelaziz -- are scheduled to throw down for the UFC lightweight championship at UFC 254 on Oct. 24 on Fight Island in Abu Dhabi.

Wanna hear Justin's fight plan?

"I'm gonna go out there and I'm gonna try and break his face, I promise you."

That simple.

We asked Justin what he believes will be the biggest challenge in the fight -- and his response was interesting.

"Right now, this man is gonna be very hard to beat. With the passing of his father -- for people like us that is a driving motivating factor. He's going to be 100% motivated but I do believe ... that I can beat him."

Justin says he knows he has to punish Khabib early and often -- explaining, "If he takes 8 clean shots I truly believe that he will understand that he doesn't want to take this damage."

Justin says the UFC is flying his parents out for the fight -- and when he wins the belt, they'll be the first people he seeks out to celebrate with.

"When I win, I'm gonna go find them and give them a huge hug because we f*cking did it!"

We also asked Gaethje about Conor McGregor -- and if he still wants to fight the Irishman after all of the back and forth over the years.

"When I get this belt, the target will be on my back and I will have no need to call anybody out," Gaethje says.

Le'Veon Bell is a Chief.

The ex-NY Jets running back signed a 1-year deal with the defending Super Bowl champs, after being cut by Gang Green earlier this week.

You know the backstory ... the Jets suck. Bell was unhappy. The Jets decided to get him outta there before he became a bigger problem.

Bell was reportedly deciding between 3 teams -- the Chiefs, Miami Dolphins and Buffalo Bills ... and ultimately decided the best fit was in K.C.

The best part ... the Chiefs play the Jets in Week 8 -- so, that should be fun!

Bell tweeted about the move Thursday afternoon -- saying, "Kansas City, #ChiefsKingdom thank you for the opportunity. Let’s go!"

Bell should have an immediate impact on the Chiefs running game -- currently ranked 19th in the league with an average of 108 rushing yards per game.

The starting back is rookie sensation Clyde Edwards-Helaire -- who can ball -- but let's face it, he could probably use the help.

Question is ... can Bell reclaim his place as one of the top backs in the NFL? Or are his best days behind him?

Forget the Secret Service, the "Baddest MF" on the planet has Donald Trump's back in Miami ... Jorge Masvidal.

The UFC superstar (and reigning "BMF" titleholder) was waiting for POTUS at Miami International Airport on Thursday to personally greet Trump as he arrived for his NBC Town Hall event at the Perez Art Museum.

Masvidal was wearing a mask. Trump -- who recently tested positive for COVID-19 -- was not. But, Jorge didn't seem too concerned.

While at the airport, Trump told reporters, "Don't ever fight him!"

Trump and Masvidal have become close over the past few weeks -- with Jorge even campaigning for Donald at a recent "Fighters Against Socialism" rally.

Earlier this week, Trump tweeted at Masvidal, "Jorge, you’re really tough and really smart. My Great Honor to have your support!"

Masvidal -- whose father was born in Cuba -- responded, "My honor and duty to the country my father risked his life escaping to from the hands of communists. Said it before and I’ll say it again, you a bmf sir."

Earlier this week, Masvidal had a fast-food lunch with Donald Jr. -- and said they had a lot in common ... including "good hair."

Trump has won over several UFC fighters over the past few months -- including Justin Gaethje and Henry Cejudo.

Super sad news for ex-Arizona State football head coach Todd Graham ... his wife says 17 of his most prized championship rings were stolen in Arizona this week.

Penni Graham tells TMZ Sports ... she and the coach are in the process of moving to Hawaii from Scottsdale for his new head coaching gig -- and had given the rings to a close friend to help move the jewelry out to Honolulu.

But, Penni says someone broke into their friend's car Tuesday at around 1 PM a couple blocks from Arizona State's campus ... and stole everything.

Penni says the coach is heartbroken over the loss of the items ... and is pleading with the thieves to return them ASAP.

"So much went into earning those rings," Penni said, "especially his National Championship ring, as a coach in 1992. Seventeen rings from years of blood, sweat and tears. He is devastated."

Penni says they're working with the Tempe Police Department to try to get the rings back.

Todd had a ton of success as the Sun Devils' coach from 2012 through 2017 ... winning 10 games in 2013 and 2014 and earning 2 bowl victories.

He left the program after the 2017 season ... and just signed on in January to be the Univ. of Hawaii's new head man.