TMZ Sports - Page 50

The NHL season will NOT be kicking off in the great outdoors -- 'cause the league has just officially postponed the 2021 Winter Classic.

The Minnesota Wild were set to host the St. Louis Blues at Target Field in Minneapolis on Jan 1 ... but NHL officials are now hoping to get it done in 2022, when fans can attend -- AKA, when we're hopefully not still in a pandemic.

The All-Star Weekend festivities -- scheduled to go down in Jan. 2021 -- has also been pushed, the league said Thursday.

"Fan participation, both in arenas and stadiums as well as in the ancillary venues and events that we stage around the Winter Classic and All-Star Weekend, is integral to the success of our signature events,” NHL Senior EVP and COO Steve Mayer said in a statement.

"Because of the uncertainty as to when we will be able to welcome our fans back to our games, we felt that the prudent decision at this time was to postpone these celebrations until 2022 when our fans should be able to enjoy and celebrate these tentpole events in-person, as they were always intended."

The league says it still plans to start its 2021 season at the beginning of the year ... so, at least there WILL be hockey ... just indoors.

No "Sunday Night Football" for Tom Brady this week ... the NFL has MOVED UP the Raiders vs. Bucs game to daytime in the wake of a possible COVID outbreak in Las Vegas.

The strategy makes sense ... at least one Raiders player has tested positive for COVID and there are concerns several more players may have been exposed.

So, for now, the league has shifted the game out of the prime time slot -- instead Raiders vs. Bucs will kick off at 1:05 PM PT.

That frees up the league to move another game into prime time -- Seahawks vs. Cardinals ... Russell Wilson vs. Kyler Murray!

Here's the logic ... there's a chance more Raiders could test positive and the league may have to make a last-minute decision about moving the game to another date.

But, they still want to have a game in that prime time Sunday night spot. Get it?

There don't seem to be any COVID concerns with the Seahawks or the Cardinals at the moment -- and there are big stars on both teams. It's a safe move. Smart.

NFL teams should be champing at the bit to sign free agent Antonio Brown ... so says former star tight end Vernon Davis, who tells TMZ Sports the reward outweighs the risk.

AB is set to return from his 8-game suspension in 2 weeks ... and folks like Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll have expressed interest in the controversial receiver this week.

We spoke with the 2-time Pro Bowler about whether teams should consider swooping in to sign AB ... and he believes it would be a VERY smart move -- as long as he's made the right changes.

"First of all, he's a human being," Davis tells us. "Everyone makes mistakes. I think he's learned from his experiences in life. The time he's had off, I think he's really had a chance to think about that."

Davis says any team who takes a chance should monitor the situation and make sure he remains a valuable asset in the locker room.

"I would definitely do the gamble, 'cause everyone deserves a second chance ... and maybe even a third chance," Davis added. "But, a second chance for sure, and I think this is a great opportunity for him to showcase who he is as a person."

Miami Heat guard Tyler Herro's impressive rookie season ain't over yet -- 'cause the sharp-shooter is getting his very own rap song ... courtesy of Jack Harlow!!

The 20-year-old star has made headlines throughout his first year in the Association -- from insane highlights on the court to dating smoking hot model Katya Elise Henry.

On the heels of balling out in the NBA Finals, the former Kentucky Wildcat is getting something most athletes only dream of ... with the "I Wanna See Some Ass" MC announcing the track, "Tyler Herro," coming out Thursday.

The gesture is a pretty big deal -- Harlow is a die-hard Louisville Cardinals fan ... and Herro played at rival UK before becoming a 1st-rounder in the NBA.

But, the rivalry didn't stop Harlow from exchanging jerseys with Herro to promote the album ... and including the young hooper in the single art.

It's not the only connection Harlow has to the NBA this season -- remember, he accidentally snitched on Lou Williams when he snapped a selfie with the L.A. Clippers guard at Magic City in ATL.

Herro now joins NBAers like Kobe Bryant, Mo Bamba and Dennis Rodman ... who have gotten the song treatment in the past.

Best rookie year ever?! ... eh, close.

Ex-NFL star Dana Stubblefield has been sentenced to 15 years to life in prison for raping a mentally disabled woman in a 2015 incident, court officials tell TMZ Sports.

Back in July, the 49-year-old was found guilty of forcible rape while using a gun -- a crime that carries 15 to life.

And, on Thursday, the judge sentenced Stubblefield to exactly that - meaning he'll have to do a minimum of 15 years behind bars. Stubblefield was present in the courtroom when the sentence was handed out.

As we previously reported, Stubblefield was first arrested back in May 2016 after officials say the former 49ers superstar raped a woman he found on a babysitting website and had invited to his Santa Clara, CA home for a job interview.

Stubblefield had argued the sex was consensual -- and claimed he could prove it with a lie detector test.

Prosecutors argued the woman was "incapable" of giving consent because of a mental disorder and developmental and physical disabilities.

Stubblefield was initially hit with 5 felonies -- but in January 2018, prosecutors uncovered evidence they believe proved Stubblefield used a gun to commit the alleged rape. Bail was revoked and he was remanded back into custody.

Stubblefield and his attorneys have denied the allegations for years -- claiming the woman behind the allegations was just looking for a payday.

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.