TMZ Sports - Page 50

No money, Mo problems ...

Boris Becker appeared in a London courtroom Thursday to plead not guilty to allegations he's been hiding several tennis trophies from debt collectors.

... another bizarre twist in one of the weirdest falls from grace ever.

Remember, Becker -- a former tennis superstar who made more than $25 mil in his career -- was declared bankrupt in 2017 after racking up what court officials called a "historic debt."

52-year-old Becker was later ordered to surrender any possessions of value to a trustee -- who could in turn sell the items to help satisfy the debt. It's common practice in bankruptcy cases.

Among the items, Becker was ordered to hand over ... his Wimbledon trophies from 1985 and 1989 and his Australian Open trophies from 1991 and 1996.

FYI, Becker was only 17 when he won Wimbledon in '85 -- making him the youngest men's singles champ ever.

In other words, the trophy is probably super valuable to collectors.

But, Becker allegedly failed to hand over the trophies -- along with roughly $1.3 million in cash ... so prosecutors have pushed forward with criminal charges in a new 28-count indictment.

If convicted, Becker reportedly faces several years behind bars. This is a big deal.

Becker's attorney, Jonathan Caplan, says the tennis star is "determined to face and contest these charges and restore his reputation in relation to the allegations made against him."

Yeah, good luck with that.

By the way, Becker has allegedly tried to run from his debt in the past -- back in 2018, he claimed to have a diplomatic passport from the Central African Republic that would give him immunity in his bankruptcy case in the UK.

The insane mansion Wayne Gretzky sold to Lenny Dykstra back in the day -- only to buy back years later -- is back on the market ... with the NHL legend asking a cool $23 mil!

The property is legendary ... Wayne built the 13,300-square-foot estate in Thousand Oaks, CA back in 2002 and sold it to Dykstra in 2007 for $18.5 million.

Remember, at the time Dykstra was being hailed as some sort of financial genius ... when in reality, he wasn't.

The ex-MLB star filed for bankruptcy in 2009 and the bank foreclosed on the home soon after.

The home was bought at a foreclosure auction in 2010 -- only to hit the market again years later. Gretzky swooped in and picked it up in 2018 for $13.5 mil.

Now, Gretzky is selling it again -- asking $22.9 ... which (if he gets full asking) would put a cool $9.4 mil in his pocket.

NO WONDER THEY CALL HIM THE GREAT ONE!!

As for the house ... it's pretty rad. 6 bedrooms, 8 bathrooms -- plus 2 guest houses.

It's got a screening room, gym, game room, office, championship tennis court, outdoor entertainment area, wood-burning pizza oven, wood and gas barbecue, and formal gardens, according to the listing from Arvin Haddadzadeh of The Agency.

Shaq says if the Clippers ever want to win an NBA championship, they gotta ship Paul George’s ass outta Los Angeles ... like now!!

Some background ... after landing Leonard and PG last season, the Clips were favorites to win an NBA title in 2020 ... but ended up getting bounced by the Denver Nuggets in the 2nd round of the playoffs.

Doc Rivers was fired as head coach ... and now O'Neal -- who's got 4 rings and knows a little something about winning -- says it's time the team unloads its 30-year-old, 6x NBA All-Star who averaged over 21 points last year.

Here's how the conversation went on Shaquille's "The Big Podcast with Shaq."

Shaq: [The Clippers] gotta get rid of someone.

Co-host: Who?

Shaq: C'mon, bro.

Co-host: Pandemic P? They ain't gonna get rid of him, they gave up the farm for him.

Shaq: Well, guess what? They gave up the farm, but we can change some crops on that mug.

O'Neal went on to say that the Clippers should trade George -- who struggled mightily in the playoffs and reportedly beefed with teammates -- for multiple role players ... so 29-year-old Kawhi Leonard is clearly the man on the squad.

"You gotta use [George] to get 2 good solid players because I need Kawhi to be the man. See Kawhi, I don't want Kawhi to delegate," Shaq says.

"See, when Kawhi was with Toronto he knew he was the man, everybody knew he was the man. Now you got one guy that thinks he's the man, one guy that is the man."

Even following the 2020 disaster, the Clips still have the 2nd highest odds to win the title next year -- behind LeBron James and the L.A. Lakers.

The Dez Bryant comeback is thiiiiiiis close to being complete ... with the Baltimore Ravens reportedly planning to sign the 31-year-old veteran to their practice squad.

The former Dallas Cowboys superstar hasn't seen the field since 2017. Bryant signed with the Saints in 2018 ... but suffered a devastating Achilles injury during his first practice with the team.

Dez tried out for the Ravens back in August ... and many thought it would be a perfect fit after Bryant and QB Lamar Jackson showed serious love for each other.

But, Dez left the Charm City without a deal ... leaving his NFL future up in the air.

NFL Network's Ian Rapoport says that could very well change SOON for Bryant ... reporting the team has brought him back in for a workout and physical on Thursday.

The report says if all goes well, the Ravens plan to add Bryant to their practice squad.

Bryant was drafted in the first round of the NFL Draft in 2010 ... earning 3 Pro Bowl nods, 1 All-Pro selection and leading the league in TDs in 2014.

Eric Andre was seriously injured -- and hospitalized -- after a wrestling stung gone wrong with John Cena ... and it's all on video.

The comedian revealed the whole story on "Jimmy Kimmel Live" ... saying he was shooting a bit for "The Eric Andre Show" which required Cena to hulk out and throw him through a shelf.

Kimmel watched the footage and asked Eric if the stunt hurt as badly as it looked.

"John Cena did the stunt right, but we prepped for the stunt wrong. And, that metal shelf came over and clocked me in the head," Andre said ... "And, I got concussed."

Andre says he went to the hospital immediately -- noting, "I had like a Fred Flintstone, like Bugs Bunny [welt] on the side of my head."

The good news ... Andre seems to be okay now and was joking about it with Kimmel.

"They did a CAT scan, and I haven’t been able to speak English since. I memorized this interview phonetically, actually."

Yeah, we know pro wrestling is fake ... but the stunts are VERY real and come with real risks.

Just ask WWE superstar Ridge Holland -- who underwent REAL surgery after suffering a gruesome injury on live TV earlier this month.

As if 2020 couldn't get any worse for some people ... here's beloved Philadelphia Flyers mascot Gritty crushing a golf ball better than you ever will!!!

The video is nothing short of incredible -- the big orange thing took its talents to the driving range to rip some shots recently ... and Gritty unleashed some moon shots.

Seriously, even the golf bros in our office had to admit the mascot hit the ball better than they ever could!!

But, here's where it gets tricky -- some would say, "there's gotta be a PGA pro in that costume, right?!" and brush off the whole thing as a publicity stunt.

That would be easy to believe, except when you watch Gritty celebrate with its signature dance moves, which look very Gritty-esque. 🧐

We're used to seeing Gritty show off clever jabs at enemies like P.K. Subban and the Houston Astros ... but who woulda thought it could grip it and rip it like John Daly?!

Great drive, Gritty ... but how's your short game?!

Cristiano Ronaldo ain't out of the woods yet ... he reportedly tested positive for COVID again, which means he won't be able to join his Juventus teammates to take on Barcelona next week.

Remember, the 35-year-old soccer superstar initially popped for COVID last week (it was announced Oct. 13) -- and was sent home from practicing with the Portugal national team.

CR7 has since been posting photos on social media showing him training and relaxing in his mansion -- with a big ol' smile on his face.

He even posted a pic of his freshly-shaved head on Thursday morning -- flaunting a ridiculously expensive watch.

But, behind the scenes, Ronaldo -- one of the top athletes on the planet -- is still battling coronavirus, according to Spanish outlet Marca.com.

The new positive test means he'll have to miss at least another week of action before he can join his Champions League club Juventus, which is scheduled to take on Lionel Messi's Barca squad on Wednesday.

It's heartbreaking news -- EVERYONE was looking forward to Ronaldo vs. Messi!

But, in order to be cleared to participate in a UEFA match, a player must test negative for an entire week before a game ... and now that's off the table.

Sucks, but if you're gonna have to self-isolate for another week -- at least Ronaldo has a gigantic mansion to enjoy ... with a private pool, gym, etc.

Bubba Wallace is taking the high road after a famous helmet artist -- who worked with Bubba in the past -- blasted the NASCAR driver on social media for bringing politics to the sport.

The artist is Jason Beam -- one of the top helmet designers in racing. He's worked with stars like Jimmie Johnson to Kyle Busch and more.

Beam's also pretty outspoken -- and when Richard Petty Motorsports announced they have officially named a new driver to take over the #43 car (now that Bubba has left the team), Beam went after Bubba publicly.

"RPM will actually have a wheelman behind the wheel and not a political statement looking for attention," Beam posted on Twitter.

A fan responds to Beam saying -- "So is this your final position? Cuz I remember a lot of flip flopping when you started getting called out by drivers."

That's when things escalated ... big time.

"I never once flip flopped," Beam said ... "F*ck Bubba and F*ck the BLM movement and F*ck anyone who wants to censor opinions and let politics get in the way of business relationships."

"You can quote me all you want, that’s my stance and has been from the get go."

Bubba saw the tweets and decided to respond -- expressing his disappointment with the artist.

"Can usually let the BS roll off but when it’s somebody I’ve met personally and was genuinely excited to have my first few lids painted by him .. hits different."

Bubba then explained why he left Richard Petty Motorsports to join Michael Jordan's new racing team.

"I ultimately left bc I just wanted a different look. No hard feelings just a personal feeling."

Wallace had this final message for Beam -- "Damn dude. Roger that."

As for the new Richard Petty driver -- RPM announced 24-year-old Erik Jones will take over the #43 car.

"Erik is an exceptionally talented driver, and we are excited to have him join our team,” RPM CEO Brian Moffitt said.

"At only 24 years old, Erik is part of NASCAR’s next generation of stars. He has won races at every level in NASCAR he has competed in – including in the NASCAR Cup Series. Erik is a proven winner and we look forward to providing him with the opportunity to add more wins to this already impressive resume."

Donald Trump is showing major love to ex-Florida State football coach Bobby Bowden -- praising the 90-year-old for making a "full recovery" from COVID.

As we previously reported, Bowden was hospitalized at Tallahassee Memorial HealthCare earlier this month after testing positive for coronavirus.

Bowden was released from the hospital last week -- and issued a statement on Wednesday thanking everyone for the support ... while reinforcing his support for Trump.

"I just went through a battle with COVID-19 and God just wasn't ready to take me home yet to be with him," Bowden said.

He added, "I’ve had the chance to get a lot of wins in my life, but I really wanted to win this one because I wanted to be around to vote for President Trump."

Well, POTUS got the message -- and tweeted about Bobby on Thursday morning ... calling him "great" while reposting Bowden's pro-Trump message.

"Over 300 wins and 2 National Championships," Trump added, "Thank you to Florida State for giving us Bobby Bowden!"

Penn State basketball coach Pat Chambers resigned Wednesday -- following an investigation into new allegations of misconduct.

The University says the new allegations were made following a report by The Undefeated back in July that Chambers made racially insensitive comments to a black player.

The player, Rasir Bolton, told The Undefeated that Chambers made a comment to him referencing a metaphorical "noose" back in 2019.

Bolton claims Chambers approached him and said, "I want to be a stress reliever for you. You can talk to me about anything. I need to get some of this pressure off you. I want to loosen the noose that's around your neck."

Bolton said of Chambers' comment, "Due to other interactions with Coach, I knew this was no slip of the tongue."

At the time the article came out, Chambers issued a statement saying, "I failed to comprehend the experiences of others, and the reference I made was hurtful, insensitive and unacceptable. I cannot apologize enough for what I said, and I will carry that forever."

The player transferred from PSU to Iowa State shortly after the incident.

Penn State says "new allegations surfaced shortly after" the article came out -- so an investigation was launched into Chambers by Penn State's Affirmative Action and Athletics Integrity offices.

The school did not release the details regarding the new allegations.

But, Chambers issued a statement Wednesday saying he would be resigning.

"This has been an incredibly difficult year for me and my family, and we are in need of a break to reset and chart our path forward," chambers said.

"So, I’m taking a step back to prepare myself for the next 20 years."

The 49-year-old coach had been at Penn State since 2011.

UFC's newest star Michael Chandler says he's taking his job as "alternate" for the Khabib vs. Gaethje fight very seriously ... and he'll be ready to step in if either fighter can't go on Saturday.

As we previously reported, several Khabib fights have been scrapped at the last minute to due unforeseen circumstances ... from bad weight cuts to freak injuries.

So, Dana White has a backup plan for UFC 254 -- flying out Michael Chandler, one of the best lightweights in the world, to stay ready in case something happens to either Justin or Khabib before that bell rings.

"Of course I don't want bad luck to befall Khabib or Gaethje because I respect them a ton," Chandler tells TMZ Sports ... "but they needed someone to be here as an insurance policy, as a backup plan in case somebody did fall off the card. So, I've said I have to be ready."

Chandler is on Fight Island and preparing himself as if he'll fight on Saturday night -- everything from conditioning to the weight cut.

"At this point, I still don't know if whether I'm weighing in and then waiting for Khabib and Gaethje to make weight," Chandler says.

"I don't know if I'm gonna go to the arena, warm-up, get my hands wrapped until Khabib and Gaethje actually step into that cage and that cage door's locked and Bruce Buffer's announcing them."

Chandler admits it's frustrating training for a fight that might not happen -- but "I signed on the dotted line saying I'd be the alternate, I am the alternate until I'm needed no more."

"All I can do is do my job."

After UFC 254, Chandler says he's hoping to sign a contract to fight Tony Ferguson -- and if he wins that, it would put him in a great spot for a potential title shot with Khabib or Justin.

We also asked Chandler to make a fight prediction for Saturday -- and he's taking Khabib over Gaethje.

"You gotta bet on the guy who is undefeated."

But, Chandler says Gaethje is a dangerous man -- and he's got a real shot at upsetting the champ.

LeBron James is vowing NOT to engage in Twitter wars with President Trump before the election ... saying he "damn sure won't go back and forth" with #45.

The 4-time NBA champ has engaged in mutual verbal combat with POTUS in the past ... including his famous "bum" remark when defending Steph Curry and the Golden State Warriors' outspokenness against visiting the White House.

POTUS also recently ripped into the superstar ... calling him "nasty" and "a hater" for his political stance and accusing him of hurting the NBA's rankings.

Bron -- who's actively pushing to get more voters via his "More Than A Vote" campaign -- spoke with the New York Times about his public beef with Trump ... and he makes it clear he's not entertaining a long-term battle.

"I don’t go back and forth with anybody," James says. "And I damn sure won’t go back and forth with that guy."

"But, we want better, we want change in our community. We always talk about, 'We want change,' and now we have the opportunity to do that."

King James also spoke out on his decision to campaign for more voting rather than a particular candidate in 2020 ... saying, "We’ve been talking about voter suppression, we’ve been talking about police brutality, systemic racism."

"We’ve had so many things going on, and voter suppression in our communities happens to be at the forefront. So that’s something we wanted to educate our people on."

Pete Carroll just confirmed the Seahawks Seahawks have SOME interest in signing Antonio Brown ... but it ain't exactly a done deal.

The Seahawks coach was just asked about a report from ESPN's Adam Schefter which says Seattle is "positioned to make a push to sign" the WR when he's eligible to get back on the field after Week 8.

Carroll acknowledged AB is on their radar -- but that's about as much as he would say.

"We have endeavored to be in on everything that's going on -- and [Seahawks GM John Schneider] has done a marvelous job of always being tuned in to what's happening ... and this is no exception."

"So, we’ll see what happens as we go forward, but we're tuned in to what's happening there."

Of course, Brown has a troubling history both on and off the field -- causing problems with the Steelers and the Raiders ... and trashing the New England Patriots at the end of his run with the Patriots.

Off the field, Brown has been arrested for allegedly assaulting a moving truck driver and he's been accused of raping a former personal trainer. He's also publicly said horrible things about the mother of his children and trashed the police.

Don't forget the furniture throwing allegations ... and much, much more.

For his part, Brown says he's sought help for his issues and promises he's a changed man.

When Pete Carroll was asked if the team has started to look into Brown's history ... the Seahawks head coach said, "We're nowhere there right now so let's wait and see what happens."

Carroll noted that with all players, the team always does their homework -- "We will never think we can leave a stone unturned. That's how we approach everything and we’ll continue to do that here."

Look, AB can ball -- we all know that. But, will a team roll the dice???

Bad news for the Las Vegas Raiders ... offensive lineman Trent Brown has tested positive for COVID -- and there are concerns the rest of the starting linemen could have it too.

Raiders head coach Jon Gruden just told the media all 5 starting offensive linemen were sent home from practice on Wednesday due contract tracing ... stemming from Brown's positive test.

Gruden says he's not happy about the situation -- but made it clear the health of his players is the priority.

The issue ... the Raiders are set to play a pretty important game against Tom Brady and the Tampa Bay Bucs on Sunday -- and many are wondering if the Silver & Black will have to take the field without their starting offensive line!

Gruden doesn't seem too concerned yet ... telling the media, "We’ll have 5 on Sunday, we’ll be ready to go."

Gruden says ... this is just the way it is (playing football during a pandemic) and he'll do the best he can to make sure the team is ready by Sunday.

As for Brown, he'll be tested and retested to make sure the positive test is accurate -- and not a false positive.

LSU has banned Odell Beckham from its facilities for the next 2 years for his antics at the 2019 National Championship game ... when the NFL star handed out $2,000 in $100 bills to LSU players.

You remember the video ... Odell -- who played at LSU back in the day -- was going crazy on the field after LSU beat Clemson on Jan. 13, 2020 ... throwing around money like he didn't care.

Guess what ... LSU cared and so does the NCAA -- since it's against the rules to just hand out money to college players like that.

LSU believes the Odell money incident constitutes a Level III violation, according to SI.com.

Remember, LSU initially told the media Odell was handing out fake money that night -- but it turned out to be real.

In fact, LSU quarterback Joe Burrow later confirmed it was real cash during an episode of the Barstool Sports podcast, "Pardon My Take."

LSU says Odell is now banned from all LSU facilities for the next 2 years.

LSU has bigger problems ... they're also accused of several other NCAA violations, which could cost them scholarships and more.

The University has self-imposed penalties -- including the loss of 8 scholarships over the next 2 years -- in the hopes of getting a lighter punishment from the NCAA. We'll see if the strategy works.

The school released a statement Wednesday saying, "LSU has worked proactively and in cooperation with the NCAA to identify and self-report any violations that occurred within our football program."

Patrick Mahomes is officially going to be part of the #GIRLDAD gang ... the NFL superstar and his fiancee just announced the couple's expecting a baby girl!

... and, the gender reveal party the two threw looked AWESOME!!!

Mahomes and Brittany Matthews posted the video announcement Wednesday ... showing they used their adorable dogs to make the big reveal.

There were also balloons, custom shirts and jackets, confetti ... and a whole lot of smiling!!!

"P.s-," Brittany captioned the video Wednesday, "Yes, my dogs walked down a run way with pink paws for the reveal 🤩😍."

Added Mahomes, "#GirlDad."

Britt and Patrick have been dating for YEARS ... and initially announced they were pregnant last month. The two got engaged at the Chiefs' Super Bowl ring ceremony just a few weeks prior.