TMZ Sports - Page 50

Tyreek Hill tells TMZ Sports there is no debate in his mind ... Randy Moss is the NFL's G.O.A.T. wide receiver over Jerry Rice!!!

"Everybody know I'm going to say Randy Moss," Hill says. "Randy Moss was my favorite player growing up. Randy Moss is my favorite player of all time! Randy Moss, Randy Moss, Randy Moss!"

The debate just recently heated back up ... with Moss proclaiming himself as the best ever on Terrell Owens' 'Getcha Popcorn Ready' podcast last week.

In fact, Moss said Rice wasn't even his #2 ... putting T.O. in that spot ahead of the San Francisco 49ers legend!!

Rice has fired back a few times since ... saying he still believes he's #1 'cause of his 4 Super Bowl rings -- but Hill tells us Moss gets his nod for the honor all day.

"Like, he just changed the game," the Chiefs star said of Moss. "6-foot-4, run a 4.2, can create separation, can run routes, can catch the ball. Like, come on."

"Like, I understand Jerry got the stats, he got the touchdowns, he got all this, he can run routes -- but if I'm picking a receiver who's going to make me some plays in crunch times when I need them -- Randy Moss, definitely."

Tyreek says he's so enamored by Moss' game, he still to this day watches clips to try to glean tips from the ex-Vikings star.

"I'm like, how is he able to do this at 6-foot-4 running this fast? Like, how?!" Hill says. "Like, man, do God only make these players like once in a generation?! Like c'mon, man, this is crazy."

By the way, when Hill isn't watching old highlights of Moss destroying DBs ... he's working on his Soul Runner clothing brand, which has taken off since its recent launch.

Hill says he's put a TON of effort into it all ... telling us he's nearly as dedicated to it as he is to football!

The Los Angeles Lakers are honoring Kobe Bryant with their 2020 championship rings ... including 2 touching tributes to the late NBA legend in the design.

LeBron James, Anthony Davis and the rest of the returning members of the 2019-20 squad just received their rings prior to the season opener against the L.A. Clippers ... and they're MASSIVE.

The rocks are made of 16.45 carats and 804 stones ... with nods to the Orlando bubble, the league's social justice movement, regular-season wins and more.

The most notable parts of the design pay homage to the 5-time champ, who tragically passed away in a helicopter accident on Jan. 26, 2020.

The first tribute is a snake wrapped around each player's jersey number on the side of the ring ... representing Bryant's "Black Mamba" moniker and mentality.

The rings also feature a detachable top, which reveals each retired number in the franchise -- with Bryant's #8 and #24 jerseys in the team's Black Mamba uniforms worn during their title run.

One more cool thing -- LeBron's actual handwriting is used in the design ... with the team's playoff motto, "Leave a Legacy," etched on one side.

The pieces were made by Jason of Beverly Hills ... who told ESPN he completed the entire project in just 4 weeks due to the shortened offseason.

Rajon Rondo appeared to nudge a woman into a car and then stand by as his girlfriend punched her in the face ... new video obtained by TMZ Sports shows.

Rondo, his GF and another woman were involved in an altercation at an apartment complex in Los Angeles back on July 28 ... and according to a lawsuit filed last week, it all stemmed from a dispute over a parking space.

In court documents, Toktam Jorshari says she parked next to Rondo's $300k Rolls-Royce SUV, which she claims was parked in a handicapped parking spot.

In the suit, Jorshari says the NBA star was pissed over how close she parked to his driver's side door ... and claims the Atlanta Hawks player and his GF cussed her out and then attacked her for it.

In video of the alleged incident, which does NOT contain audio, you can see the whole scene unfold.

Jorshari entered the parking structure and had an animated conversation with Rondo and his GF.

At one point, Rondo's GF got on her phone ... and that's when Jorshari got close to her and seemed to shout something.

Rondo then appeared to put his elbow into the woman's body and nudge her into the front of her car.

Rondo's GF then lunged at Jorshari, but Rondo briefly held her back. Suddenly, though, Rondo appeared to let her go ... and that's when the fists started flying.

Video shows Rondo's GF threw several punches at the woman, who never appeared to fight back.

In Jorshari's lawsuit, she claims she suffered injuries ... and is suing both Rondo and his GF for assault and battery, infliction of emotional distress, and conspiracy. She's seeking unspecified damages in excess of $1 MILLION.

In a statement released this week, Jorshari's attorneys -- Eddie Tehrani & Arnold Gross from State Law Firm -- say the video proves their client was the victim in the case.

"In the NBA, unnecessary and excessive contact is considered a Flagrant 2 foul, which can result in a fine, ejection and possible suspension of a player," the attorneys said. "Outside the NBA such conduct is considered an assault and battery. No man should ever put their hands on a woman, ESPECIALLY an NBA basketball player with superior height, and strength. The video speaks for itself."

The attorneys continued, "The defendants have no desire to resolve this matter and we will be looking forward to trying this case and obtaining a favorable verdict by a jury of her peers."

We reached out to Rondo's attorney, Mark D. Baute, over the video on Tuesday ... and received these statements:

"Mr. Rondo tried to separate them and keep them away from each other, he did not push anyone."

"I saw the videotape in July, during the first Covid surge. Rajon Rondo had a broken thumb in a cast at the time, and his vehicle was correctly parked in a handicapped spot while he was picking up his girlfriend."

"The plaintiff chose to park her car two inches from Mr. Rondo’s door, and the plaintiff was not in an assigned parking spot. The plaintiff refused to wear a mask during a short 30 second encounter, and also refused to move her car."

Baute continued, "The plaintiff and Mr. Rondo’s girlfriend had an unpleasant encounter that lasted roughly 10 seconds, and Mr. Rondo tried to prevent them from any further interaction, which was awkward due to (a) his thumb being broken, and (b) the plaintiff not wearing a mask."

"The plaintiff then left on her own, hired a lawyer, filed a lawsuit, and we have chosen to offer nothing, pay nothing and to defend the case on the merits, and win. The focus in July was on winning another championship with the Lakers. The focus now is on playing the best possible basketball for the Atlanta Hawks."

Dave Portnoy's sick and tired of waiting for the government to step up and help small businesses struggling during the pandemic ... so he's injecting his own stimulus package.

The Barstool Sports founder was on "TMZ Live" Tuesday and revealed he kicked in $500k of his own money for the Barstool Fund he launched last week to support small businesses impacted by COVID shutdowns. And, with more than 31,000 people also contributing whatever amount they can ... that's created a fund of more than $2 million.

Dave's been vocal against COVID restrictions in NYC forcing restaurants, bars and other small businesses to shut down. Don't get it twisted ... he says it's not about politics and he understands the country is in a terrible situation with no perfect solution.

With that being said ... Dave says the government's not giving these businesses nearly enough for them to survive. For weeks now, the government's been negotiating a new stimulus package that would include $285 billion for a renewed Paycheck Protection Program for small businesses. President Trump's on the verge of signing the package.

Dave's tired of waiting around for Washington to act, hence his relief fund -- which he knows won't be able to save every deserving business, but as he says ... something is better than nothing.

One of the restaurants being funded is New York’s Trattoria L'incontro ... which made headlines after patrons braved freezing weather to dine outside. Dave recently held one of his fan-favorite pizza reviews there too.

You've seen Conor McGregor's dolly-throwing attack on Khabib Nurmagomedov ... but have you seen it in GINGERBREAD FORM?!?!

Thanks to UFC fighter Angela Hill, the infamous moment in MMA history has taken a delicious turn ... and we gotta admit, it's impressive as hell!!!

Remember, Conor and his buddies went crazy at Barclays Center in Brooklyn in April 2018 ... throwing objects at the bus filled with fighters, including Khabib, Michael Chiesa and Rose Namajunas.

Hill and her husband, Adam, decided to pay tribute to the wild moment with their gingerbread house this year ... creating the scene complete with a bus, a dolly-wielding Conor, an angry Dana White, Khabib and Artem Lobov.

The thing is incredible ... and even detailed down to each fighter's face.

"Adam drew all the faces but Conor and the whole thing is made from gingerbread, icing, chocolate for the dolly and candy!," Angela said on Instagram.

As for how long it took to make the masterpiece ... it sounds like a REALLY long time.

"Adam and I spent longer than I’d like to admit making this beautiful #gingerbreadhouse highlighting an important moment in mma history."

One of the most notorious 'Survivor' contestants of all time is in hot water after a recent arrest ... and it looks like it's a family affair.

Jonny Fairplay was busted for larceny last week in his hometown of Danville, Virginia ... along with his mother, Patsy Hall. Based on their smirking mug shots -- they're not too bent out of shape about it, though.

It's unclear why Jonny and his mom were booked for larceny ... we're working on it. He does tell us though, "I (we) have been unjustly charged by a family member. I welcome the opportunity to vindicate myself (and my mother)."

Fairplay -- real name Jon Dalton -- earned a shady reputation way back in 2003 when he appeared on "Survivor: Pearl Islands" and had his visiting friend lie and tell him his grandma had died ... in order to garner sympathy from the other tribe members and win a reward.

He later revealed to the audience that his grandma was alive and well and at home "watching Jerry Springer." He ended up finishing the season in 3rd place.

Jonny's villain distinction would follow him for years in the reality TV world -- including a brief follow-up appearance on 'Survivor' -- along with a stint in professional wrestling.

Incredibly emotional and raw moment from NFL star Bradley Chubb ... the Denver Broncos pass rusher sobbed uncontrollably after learning he earned a 2020 Pro Bowl selection.

"Went through a lot this year," the 24-year-old told reporters Monday with tears streaming down his face. "This for sure feels good."

Chubb tore his ACL in 2019 and rehabbed for MONTHS to get back into the starting lineup this season ... and when he reflected on that road on a Zoom call with media members, he broke down.

"I remember after -- when I got the news about the ACL, I called my dad crying," Chubb said while wiping away tears. "I was a little emotional going through it."

"And -- I'm sorry -- he just told me to keep my head on straight, put my head dead and keep on working. And, that's what I did, man. The accolade is huge."

The Pro Bowl selection was the first of Chubb's career -- and it was DEFINITELY deserved.

Bradley -- the 5th overall pick in the 2018 NFL Draft -- has balled out in this season, logging 7.5 sacks in 14 games.

Christmas came early for Keyontae Johnson and his family ... the Florida Gators star is being released from the hospital!!

The 21-year-old collapsed on the court during Florida's game against Florida State on Dec. 12. He was hospitalized in Tallahassee and transported to the UF hospital in Gainesville ... and at one point, was placed in a medically induced coma.

But, Johnson has been improving ever since ... and even did the famous "Gator Chomp" from his hospital bed last week.

Now, it's time to go home.

"Today is a great day!" Johnson's family said in a statement Tuesday. "We continue to be amazed at the pace of his recovery and look forward to spending Christmas together as a family."

"Along with so many well wishes and prayers, we've understandably gotten questions about the cause and extent of Keyontae's illness."

"As much as everyone involved wants firm answers, the process to draw definitive conclusions continues, and we ask for patience as the medical professionals continue their work."

The Johnsons say they will share as much info as possible to potentially help others dealing with similar issues once it's available.

Washington Football Team QB Dwayne Haskins is owning up to attending a stripper-filled party without a mask on Sunday ... apologizing for his actions and calling it all "irresponsible."

Pics of the 23-year-old hit social media hours after he quarterbacked WFT in a 20-15 loss to the Seattle Seahawks ... showing the QB and a female friend holding a stack of dollar bills while a dancer performs.

Haskins -- who was also previously fined for breaking COVID protocols earlier this season -- says he's sorry for his lack of judgment.

"I want to publicly apologize for my actions this past Sunday. I spoke with Coach (Ron) Rivera yesterday and took full accountability for putting the team at risk."

"It was irresponsible and immature of me and I accept responsibility for my action."

Haskins also extended an apology to his teammates for creating a distraction as they continue a push for the playoffs.

"I will learn and grow from this and do what’s best for the team moving forward."

The team addressed the situation on Tuesday, saying it's aware of the incident and will handle the matter internally ... but, according to NFL Network's Tom Pelissero, WFT does not intend to release the QB.

Haskins could, however, be hit with a fine or suspension as a result of the strip club visit.

We have 2 leaders in the clubhouse when it comes to the new permanent name for the Washington Football Team ... and one of 'em is inspired by that other brand of football.

Team sources tell us owner Daniel Snyder is strongly considering sticking with the Washington Football Team -- for good reasons that we'll get into in a moment -- but we're also told the Washington Football Club is also in the running.

Washington Football Team or Washington Football Club? WFT or WFC?

Let's break it down. WFT has a lot going for it ... head coach Ron Rivera has the team playing well lately. Yeah, they're only 6-8, but that's good enough to top the NFC East and, as of now, they're in the playoffs. Winning cures all.

As for WFC ... we're told some folks in the organization like the tip of the hat to Premier League powerhouses Manchester United, Chelsea and Arsenal ... all of which use the FC handle.

Now, we're told it's not a lock Snyder goes with either WFC or WFT ... but he is keen on both. The team hasn't picked a deadline to make a final choice, but it's reportedly eyeing the 2022 season to debut the new permanent handle.

Russell Westbrook is already giving back in his new city ... handing out backpacks, facemasks and his signature Jordans at a holiday drive in Washington, D.C. ... and it was COVID-safe!!!

Westbrook -- who was traded to the Washington Wizards earlier this month -- partnered up with The Children’s Guild D.C. Public Charter School for the early holiday celebration on Monday.

Nearly 300 kids from grades K through 8 came through for the drive-thru event ... where a masked-up Westbrook personally handed out the gifts -- and even took distanced selfies with lucky fans!!

Westbrook spoke about his decision to give back so early in his time in D.C., saying, "It is very important not just to come to a new place but to show that you actually care about a community."

"Because where I grew up, living in the city, being able to wake up on Christmas morning and be able to have a gift or a new pair of shoes or backpacks or whatever it was – you would be blessed to be able to have that."

Westbrook is known for helping out communities -- last month, he served over 1,000 meals in L.A. for his 9th annual Thanksgiving dinner event.

"I feel like this platform has blessed me to be able to do that."

Logan Paul is going NUCLEAR on Canelo Alvarez ... saying the champ has no room to call him "disrespectful" to boxing after testing positive for a banned substance.

LP is responding to Canelo's recent comments to TMZ Sports ... where the 30-year-old fighter said it's a "lack of respect" for pros to fight YouTubers like the Paul Bros -- claiming it's more about money than the love of the sport.

The social media superstar addressed Alvarez's comments on Monday ... and he didn't hold back.

“I think he’s the guy that got caught using steroids twice," Paul said on the Night Shift Gaming stream. "We want to talk about disrespecting boxing, talk about a guy who didn’t play by the rules."

Of course, Canelo was hit with a 6-month suspension after testing positive for Clenbuterol in 2018 ... which the fighter blamed on tainted meat.

Regardless of the explanation, Paul says it takes away Canelo's right to talk down on his own boxing endeavors.

"To say we’re disrespecting the sport, I feel disrespected especially as it’s coming from a guy who quite literally disrespected and spit on the ethics of the sport. Yeah, it upsets me."

Paul says Canelo's pissed that he has an upcoming fight with Floyd Mayweather ... when that's the only loss on the top pound-for-pound fighter's record.

"F**k you. Suck a d**k," Paul added. "I think he’s salty because I get a chance to beat Mayweather and he lost to him. That’s his one loss."

Logan -- who admits he idolizes Canelo and considers him one of the greatest fighters of all time -- defends his boxing pursuits ... saying he trains like a maniac and isn't half-assing anything.

Shannon Sharpe rubbed some serious salt into the Steelers' wounds Monday night ... clowning the hell out of JuJu Smith-Schuster for TikToking and then losing to the Bengals!!!

If you haven't seen it, the Pittsburgh star wideout has gained fame for doing TikTok dances on opponents' logos over the past few weeks.

But, seemingly every time he does it -- his team gets whooped ... and Monday night was no different.

Just a couple hours after JuJu grooved to Popp Hunna's "Adderall (Corvette Corvette)" at Cincy's midfield ... PIT took one of the worst losses of the NFL season this year, falling 27-17 to the 3-10-1 Bengals.

And, to make matters worse for JuJu, he got LIT UP during the game -- fumbling a ball that ended up costing the Steelers big time.

Enter Sharpe ... who was so clearly delighted to see JuJu stink it up after dancing on the logo -- he took to Twitter to straight-up clown the 24-year-old!!

"Ju Ju might need a new car," Sharpe said. "That corvette, corvette isn’t fast enough to get away anymore."

Sharpe later added, "Sent corvette,corvette to the body shop tonite. Don’t TikTok on the logo."

To make matters even worse for JuJu? The Bengals got in on the dancing shade too!!!

A teenage soccer player in Brazil was DECKED by a flying karate kick during an insane brawl in a championship game ... and the dude came away from the scrap with a gnarly wound.

The wild scene all went down Monday in Curitiba, Brazil, where Fluminense and Athletico Paranaense were duking it out for the U-17 Brasileirão title.

In the 93rd minute of a tight game ... Fluminense's João Neto was charging for a ball looking to add on to his team's scoring sheet.

The problem? He was tackled around midfield and was so pissed about it, he came up shoving.

That ignited a huge melee ... and when an Athletico Paranaense player tried to defend his teammates, he came in with an MMA style dropkick that connected squarely with Neto's face.

Check out a tighter angle of the violent kick ... it landed flush, and Neto dropped like a bag of sand.

More pushing, shoving and kicking went down between the two teams ... until, finally, the players were all able to separate themselves from the fracas.

In total, NINE players (including Neto) were reportedly sent off for their roles in the brawl ... and Neto showed off his cleat wound in the locker room a short time later.

Yeah. Ouch.

James Harden is too good of a talent to trade away just 'cause he's unhappy ... so says Kenny "The Jet" Smith ... who tells TMZ Sports the Rockets have to find a way to make things work with the superstar.

Houston has been trying to part ways with Harden for weeks ... after the 31-year-old baller expressed desires to play elsewhere earlier in the offseason.

Of course, after Harden's highly publicized trips to Atlanta and Las Vegas at the start of Rockets training camp, it appeared a breakup was on the horizon.

But, the "Inside The NBA" analyst -- who played in H-Town from 1990-96 -- tells us Houston should NOT give in to Harden's wishes ... and says the team needs to fix their relationship with the All-Star.

"Nah, I'm not trading my best player if he's not happy," Smith says. "He's gotta have a better reason. You gotta have a better reason."

"He's too good to just trade because he's not happy."

Smith adds the only way the Rockets should consider trading The Beard is if they get a player of the same talent level like Giannis Antetokounmpo, LeBron James or Anthony Davis in return ... but let's be honest -- that ain't happening.

"James Harden is a player that doesn't come around every 10 years. So, you need a guy who doesn't come around every 10 years to match that."

Smith has a solution -- saying the front office has to sit down with Harden and break down their plan to bring the Larry O'Brien trophy back to Houston.

UFC fighter Rob Font brutally knocked out Marlon Moraes, and now the 135 lb. striker has his sights set on former champ, T.J. Dillashaw -- along with a warning -- "I hit hard."

Font tore his ACL during a fight last December (he still won) and has been out of the fight game for a year, but needed less than 4 minutes to smash 32-year-old Moraes ... the 3rd ranked UFC bantamweight.

So, after the super-impressive performance, who's next?

“In a perfect world, the belt, fighting for the belt. But it’s looking like I’m going to need at least 1 more. A big name like TJ Dillashaw. Cody Garbrandt is out there. Cory Sandhagen, Frankie Edgar’s booked, I wouldn’t mind filling in if God forbid anything happened with that fight. But in a perfect world, I get a title shot.”

Font was ranked 11th before his impressive win, and will certainly jump up in the rankings ... but he'll still need a win or 2 before fighting for a title.

Enter Dillashaw, whose 2-year performance-enhancing drug suspension is about to come to an end.

TJ is a former champ, and was one of the best pound-for-pound fighters in the world before he was popped by USADA ... but Font believes he's "the guy to welcome him back to the division."

“I get my range, with my accuracy, my heavy hands, and I’m putting any of these guys away. I’m excited," Font says.

"Big options after this, but I wouldn’t mind gettin in there with TJ, ex-champ. I honestly don’t even care about the whole PED situation. That’s in the past.”

It's clear Font's gunning to dethrone the biggest names in the division ... but does he believe it's his time to takeover?