TMZ Sports - Page 50

Washington cutting Dwayne Haskins has ESPN's Booger McFarland in a bad mood, and he's essentially blasting the NFL's young Black stars for throwing away multi-millions ... over TikTok.

Booger dropped this hot take Monday night, claiming the Washington Football Team dropping its former first-round pick before he completed his 2nd season is symptomatic of a bigger issue -- players focusing on brand building instead of the game.

And, he thinks it's a problem plaguing Black players more than white.

Booger said, "They come in saying 'How can I build my brand better? How can I build my social media following better? How can I work out on Instagram and show everybody that I'm ready to go?' But, when I get to the game I don't perform."

It was a not-so-subtle dig at Haskins getting in hot water for video of him partying at a strip club without a face mask or social distancing.

Booger also singled out another former 1st rounder, JaMarcus Russell, whose career went bust after getting a $40 million contract -- but his focus on African-American stars is kinda controversial, because white players bomb too. Johnny Manziel, Jake Locker and Ryan Leaf anyone?

However, as Booger pointed out, Black players make up roughly 70 percent of the league ... so, the fact is there are more Black players getting the financial opportunity. As he put it, "They play a child's game to get paid a king's ransom."

Washington Football Team running back J.D. McKissic is showin' some California love on his newest pair of cleats ... by honoring Tupac and Nipsey Hussle with an awesome design.

TMZ Sports has learned ... that the 27-year-old NFLer wanted to pay tribute to the two rap legends on his Nike kicks ... so he hit up California artist Joe Castro to make it happen.

Castro -- who also did J.D.'s teammate Chase Young's cleats -- came though with an incredibly detailed finished product ... from Tupac's nose ring to Nip's famous "Prolific" tattoo.

Of course, that kinda detail takes a lot of time ... and we're told it required a total of 12 HOURS from start to finish.

BTW -- Castro is also responsible for the incredible King Von cleat tribute for Chiefs WR Tajae Sharpe.

Dwayne Haskins has been released by the Washington Football Team ... this after he was caught partying it up without a mask.

The announcement was made Monday following the team's loss to the Carolina Panthers. The poor record this season -- plus Dwayne's on-camera COVID-risky screw-up, we imagine -- were the final straw for upper management.

Bottom line, the former first-round draft pick is out.

The 2nd year QB released a statement saying, "My time with the WFT has unfortunately come to an end. I thank the team & fans for the opportunity to play for the team I grew up rooting for."

He adds, "I take full responsibility for not meeting the standards of a NFL QB & will become a better man & player because of this experience."

Of course, Dwayne is probably talking about the fact he was recently caught raging with strippers (sans masks or distancing) on the heels of his team's loss to the Seahawks.

Not only that, but Dwayne simply wasn't living up to expectations after Washington made him its top pick in 2019.

For its part, WFT management says they talked to Dwayne, and basically said ... it'd be best if they went their separate ways.

Legendary Saints OL Willie Roaf says he's confident Taysom Hill can take over for Drew Brees in 2021 if necessary ... telling TMZ Sports the QB has all the tools to be great.

"Taysom Hill has looked good," Roaf says. "He's played well. He's got a lot of potential."

Brees just took the starting reins back from Hill last Sunday after returning from his rib and lung injuries ... but he didn't look sharp in a loss to the Chiefs, and now, the questions about his future in New Orleans are swirling again.

Many are wondering if the 41-year-old will hang it up after this season ... and if so, would Sean Payton be comfortable going into 2021 with Hill under center?

Roaf thinks it's all certainly possible ... telling us 30-year-old Hill has similar traits to star QBs like Lamar Jackson and Kyler Murray.

"He's in the mold of the young guys," Roaf says. "He uses his legs. He's a big guy. He's like a running back. But, he can throw the ball."

Roaf added he doesn't believe the Saints need to draft any signal callers this offseason.

Hall of Fame pitcher Phil Niekro -- famous for his wicked knuckleball that allowed him to pitch as an older guy -- has died.

The Atlanta Braves made the announcement Sunday, saying Niekro passed away Saturday in his sleep at his home in the ATL suburb of Flowery Branch. They say he'd been battling cancer for a while.

The Braves heaped praise on Phil ... "Knucksie was woven into the Braves fabric, first in Milwaukee and then in Atlanta. Phil baffled batters on the field and later was always the first to join in our community activities." They add that he was a longtime presence in their clubhouse and community for years to come after finally retiring from baseball in 1987.

Niekro was one of the rare knuckleball pitchers who could seemingly wield an uncontrollable and unpredictable pitch ... a rare skill that helped him stay on the mound well into his 40s, which isn't all that common in baseball (for pitchers, anyway). And, yes, his stuff was nasty.

He had a cumulative ERA of 3.35 over the course of his 23-year career, with a total of 3,342 strikeouts and a win record of 318. Phil got his start in the big leagues with the Braves in '64 and played for them until 1983, at which he began to bounce around a few different teams.

The man played for the Yankees, the Indians, the Blue Jays ... and finally, circled back to his first love and ended his career in Atlanta. During his final outing on September 27, he received a massive standing ovation from the crowd as he bid them and baseball adieu.

Phil was a five-time gold glove winner and a five-time all-star, plus the recipient of tons of other accolades ... including the MLB ERA leader at one point, the National League strikeout leader and more. PN was inducted into the MLB HOF in 1997 as fifth ballot candidate.

He's survived by his wife, Nancy, his three sons and grandchildren. He was 81.

Brodie Lee -- the former WWE Intercontinental champion -- died Saturday after battling a non-COVID related lung issue, his family announced. He was only 41.

Lee -- real name Jon Huber -- was a superstar with WWE from 2012 to 2019 before jumping over to AEW in 2020 ... and was a fan favorite with both organizations.

"He passed surrounded by love ones after a hard fought battle with a non Covid related lung issue. The [Mayo Clinic in Florida] is literally the best team of doctors and nurses in the world who surrounded me with constant love."

Jon and Amanda were married back in 2008 and have 2 children together.

"My heart is broken," Huber's wife Amanda said in a statement ... "He was my best friend, my husband, and the greatest father you would ever meet."

"The world saw him as the amazing [Brodie Lee] (formally known as Luke Harper) but he was my best friend, my husband, and the greatest father you would ever meet."

Amanda has credited the leadership at AEW with helping her through this tough time -- and the org. has since issued a statement saying "the All Elite Wrestling family is heartbroken."

"In an industry filled with good people, Jon Huber was exceptionally respected and beloved in every way -- a fierce and captivating talent, a thoughtful mentor and simply a very kind soul that starkly contradicted his persona as Mr. Brodie Lee."

WWE honcho Triple H also weighed in ... saying, "Amazing talent ... Better human being, husband and father."

Matt Hardy -- "I'm shattered over Brodie’s passing. He was full of life with a wife & young children he loved. A devastating reminder of how fragile life is. Rest well, friend."

Huber first became a star with the WWE as Luke Harper, a member of the Wyatt Family -- and won the NXT and WWE SmackDown tag team championship.

He left the Wyatt Family in 2014 and wrestled Dolph Ziggler for the Intercontinental belt -- but Ziggler won it back a short time later.

In the years that followed, Huber re-joined the Wyatt family and also formed the tag team "Bludgeon Brothers" with Erick Rowan.

Once Huber left WWE and signed with AEW, he won the AEW TNT Championship -- and held it for 46 before losing the title in a match that aired on Oct. 7th.

After that, Lee took a leave of absence from pro wrestling for an undisclosed medical issue. Clearly, it seems that's he learned about his lung situation and unfortunately, never made it back to the ring.

Tyreek Hill says Eric Bieniemy will be the next huge name in the NFL head coaching world ... telling TMZ Sports the current Chiefs OC has everything needed to lead a franchise.

Bieniemy has been a hot name for general managers and team owners looking for a new head coach the past few offseasons ... but he's yet to officially land a gig.

Most believe that'll change in 2021, though -- because Bieniemy has been CRUSHING it as the offensive coordinator for Hill, Patrick Mahomes, Travis Kelce and co. this season.

And, Hill tells us whoever ultimately lands EB will be getting a superstar ... with the wide receiver saying, "Besides coach [Andy] Reid, I've never seen a guy who comes into work each and everyday who wants to get better."

"Everything that he says on the sidelines or in meetings, guys are going to go out and do it because all of us, we want to fight for him because he's a great coach."

Hill continued, "I wouldn't mind playing for him anywhere because our relationship off the field is amazing. He cares about the player that much."

There's more ... Hill also spoke with us about his team's running back situation now that Clyde Edwards-Helaire is out with a lower-body injury.

Tyreek says the team has full confidence in Le'Veon Bell ... and expects zero drop-offs as K.C. tries to seal up the #1 seed in the AFC in the next two weeks.

A Utah football star is dead after accidentally shooting himself.

Ty Jordan, a freshman running back at the University of Utah, died early Saturday ... reportedly the result of an accidental shooting.

Cops responded to a call from someone who reported a gunshot victim. He was rushed to a local hospital where he was pronounced dead. Authorities believe the shooting was accidental.

Head Coach Kyle Whittingham said Saturday, "Words cannot express the devastation and heartache that our team is feeling right now upon learning of the tragic death of our teammate and brother, Ty Jordan. Ty's personality and smile were infectious and he made a huge impact on our program in the short time he was with us." The Coach adds ... "All of us in the Utah Football Family want to say we love you Ty and may you rest in peace."

Jordan was the 2020 Pac-12 Offensive Freshman Player of the Year, after rushing for 597 yards and scoring 6 touchdowns.

The 2020 Pac-12 Offensive Freshman Player of the Year allegedly died overnight in an ‘accidental shooting’ while in Texas.

Jordan was 19.

RIP

NFL star Josh Norman says he expects to split $500k worth of donations ... and give it to hundreds of small businesses in Buffalo who have been devastated by COVID-19.

TMZ Sports talked to the 33-year-old star CB about the fundraiser he created to assist small businesses that have been decimated by the shutdowns associated with the pandemic.

Josh has donated $25k of his own money -- and countless hours of his time organizing the fundraising -- and says he's already received hundreds of applications.

"With Buffalo Business Blitz, what we're doing with that was pretty much helping out small businesses that closed down during the holiday season, during the pandemic time," Norman tells us.

So, in about 3 weeks, how many businesses have asked Josh for help?

"About 650 applications. It's crazy, but the thing is, a lot of people need help. A lot of people are struggling right now and it's pretty sad."

Of course, small businesses across the country have been badly affected by COVID-19 lockdowns ... and many are on the verge of going out of business.

Every dollar matters and Norman says BBB already has a healthy chunk of change in the coffers ... but believes there's a lot more on the way -- courtesy of some larger corporate donors across the country.

"Right now, we're probably at like $80 grand but that's just accounted into the box. There's other things that are coming on -- couple hundred thousand dollars, so we'll probably be at half a mil, probably a little more than that. Depends on if the donors come through."

Come January 1st, Josh will comb through the applications and select hundreds of businesses -- as many as the donations will allow -- and mail out checks.

Jake Paul says fighting UFC superstar Amanda Nunes would be a complete "waste of time" ... telling TMZ Sports he wants a better-known opponent to generate more hype.

Remember, Jake recently called out Dana White to set up a fight with Conor McGregor ...  and the UFC honcho responded by telling us he'd consider letting Nunes "knock his ass out."

Nunes responded by saying she's down to scrap ... so naturally, we asked Jake if he'd entertain the idea.

"Nah, I wouldn't fight her," Jake says. "Waste of time. No one knows who she is."

Worth noting -- Nunes has more than a million followers on Instagram and several major endorsement deals ... but we take it Paul's comment is related to his fan base.

Of course, Jake acknowledges Nunes is one of the best fighters in combat sports ... but says he's looking for 2 things in his next opponent that the Lioness lacks.

"There's not a lot of hype there. Plus, there's no history."

"I wanna knock out Dilon because we've been talkin' s**t back and forth for 2 years, I've hooked up with his girlfriend, he's all butt-hurt about it, there's history there."

Paul even pulled up on Danis last week -- throwing water balloons and toilet paper at him in a drive-by.

Paul adds Danis might help him get closer to his goal of securing his dream fight with Conor ... "So, why would I waste my time doing some bulls**t like [boxing Nunes?]"

While Jake may not want to fight Nunes for those reasons, boxing star Devin Haney also spoke to us against the idea recently ... saying, "men should fight men."

Lavar Ball says the Charlotte Hornets need to quit messing around and name his son Melo as the starting point guard ... telling TMZ Sports it's time to let the kid shine.

LaMelo was the 3rd overall pick in the 2020 NBA Draft -- and has already flashed his immense potential during the pre-season.

But, when the season kicked off this week, Melo was #2 on the depth chart behind 25-year-old Devonte' Graham ... a 2nd round 2018 NBA Draft pick who was a star during his college days at Kansas.

We saw LaVar at a Big Baller Brand holiday charity event in L.A. on Wednesday before Melo's first NBA game as a pro and asked him about Charlotte's starting 5.

LaVar says bluntly that Melo deserves a starting role right now -- explaining, "If [Melo is] your marquee guy, what marquee guy don’t start?"

Melo had a rough first game -- missing all 5 of his shots in 16 minutes on the floor ... but it's obvious he can play. Even Shaq vouched for him this week.

There's more with LaVar ... he also told us about the plan for his son LiAngelo (who was recently released by the Detroit Pistons) and why he's still holding out hope all 3 of his boys will eventually play on the same team.

As for Lonzo, LaVar is excited about the situation in New Orleans -- especially with Zo playing for head coach Stan Van Gundy ... telling us it's a good fit for Zo's skill set.

Oh, and we also asked LaVar how he would handle the James Harden drama if he was running the show in Houston ... and it's interesting.

The bottom line ... LaVar says if Harden wants to leave, the Rockets shouldn't stand in his way -- as long as he doesn't go to Charlotte or New Orleans!!!

Boxing star Devin Haney does NOT like the idea of Jake Paul fighting UFC champ Amanda Nunes ... telling TMZ Sports it's simple -- "Guys should fight guys."

Remember, UFC honcho Dana White previously told us he might let The Lioness whoop Paul's ass after the social media superstar offered Conor McGregor $50 MILLION to take a fight earlier this week.

Nunes -- the current bantamweight and featherweight champ -- responded to White's comments on Twitter ... saying, "I'm in!"

So, when we spoke with the WBC lightweight champ outside Dior in Beverly Hills ... we had to get his take on the potential battle of the sexes ... and Haney's not with it.

"I don't think he should fight a girl," Haney tells us. "I think he's still a man. He gotta fight a man."

Of course, Nunes is one of the greatest fighters in UFC history ... and Paul only has 2 "pro" fights under his belt against inexperienced opponents.

But, that doesn't mean anything to Haney.

"No, it's not fair. Girls should fight girls. Guys should fight guys."

Despite being new to the sport, Haney praises Paul's work ethic in the gym ... saying he's trained with the guy and knows he's taking it seriously.

"That's my boy, so I like that he's doing good ... I've been in the gym with him. He's showing that he's dedicated to the sport."

So ... what do y'all think??

Washington Football Team owner Dan Snyder is calling out one of the team's minority owners ... flat out claiming the guy's extorting him in hopes Snyder will unload the NFL franchise.

Snyder filed a declaration stating Dwight Schar, part of the team's ownership group, has been threatening to leak information related to the sexual misconduct allegations made by former WFT employees.

In the docs, obtained by TMZ Sports, Snyder says Schar is well aware an independent investigation found no evidence of wrongdoing -- however, he claims Schar repeatedly leaked info about the case to the Washington Post and other media outlets, attempting to smear him.

As for the extortion allegation, Snyder claims Schar told Snyder's attorney he had a bombshell that would "kill Dan" if it came out ... and added he would release it if Snyder didn't "just sell the team."

According to the docs, Schar also had the investment banker for the WFT minority owners get in the mix. Snyder claims that guy texted him, "You know what I know and what I've never spoken about ... If you want a s**t show, we are on for that too."

As we've reported, Snyder has long suspected someone was leaking damaging stories to various websites in order to discredit him -- but up until now he hadn't publicly, or even in court, named names.

Snyder's declaration puts it all out in the open -- he's in a civil war with members of his team's ownership. A little background ... those minority owners can't get the full value of their investment unless Snyder, the majority owner, agrees to sell. Snyder's certainly insinuating that's Schar's motive.

The NBA has postponed the Houston Rockets vs. OKC Thunder game set for Wednesday night -- because the Rockets don't have enough players available to field a team due to COVID restrictions.

An NBA team needs at least 8 players to compete -- and the Rockets don't have enough guys.

Here's the deal ... the NBA says, "Three Houston Rockets players have returned tests that were either positive or inconclusive for coronavirus."

Unclear which Rockets players returned the positive or inconclusive COVID tests.

Additionally, the league says 4 more players are quarantined due to the league's contact tracing protocol.

Rockets superstars John Wall and DeMarcus Cousins are 2 of the players in the contact tracing protocol, according to The Athletic's Shams Charania.

Plus, there's more drama including James Harden, the NBA says the superstar is also unavailable due to "violation of the health and safety protocols."

Harden was spotted partying this week without a mask. Some people claimed Harden was at a strip club but Harden says he was just showing his "home girl love" at a private event.

So, that's a total of 8 guys unavailable for the Rockets -- which leaves them without enough players to field a team. Crappy way to kick off the season.

The Rockets vs. Thunder game was supposed to be one of the NBA's marquee opening night matchups to kick off the 2020-21 season.

Khloe Kardashian looks like she might be engaged to Tristan Thompson ... and by "looks like" we mean the bling on her left ring finger is big enough to make Rose from "Titanic" green with envy.

Khloe was sporting a huge ring on THAT finger during an outing in Boston Tuesday with TT and their daughter, True. The rock's got everyone talking and thinking engagement.

Seriously, look at this thing. It's HUGE.

As you know ... Khloe and Tristan first revealed their relationship back in September 2016, but after True was born in April 2018, videos surfaced showing TT cheating on KK.

Khloe and Tristan have been off-and-on ever since, but over the last year or so, they've appeared to be getting tight once again.

As we've told you ... Khloe and True are helping Tristan get settled in Boston, where the NBA star just signed a big contract with the Celtics. Still, Khloe says she won't leave L.A. for Beantown permanently.

"The Real Housewives of Potomac" reunion special got real when Monique Samuels accused Pastor Jamal Bryant of having an inappropriate relationship ... and she's not backing down, despite his threat to sue her.

ICYMI ... Monique threw major shade at the pastor last week on part 1 of the special -- claiming she had proof he was involved with a woman in his congregation while dating Gizelle Bryant. She even put his phone number on blast.

Jamal fired back at Monique with a cease and desist letter -- obtained by TMZ -- accusing her of "maliciously spreading inaccurate and unfounded information" on TV that defames him ... and claiming dropping his phone digits puts him in danger.

According to Bryant's letter ... he plans to sue her if he doesn't get a quick response assuring she's stopped making false statements.

Monique responded all right -- her lawyer sent the pastor a letter doubling down on her comments about him on the reunion special, saying she "has irrefutable proof of your egregious sexual conduct with a woman you have been seeing for the past eight years, as well as others."

Further, the letter refutes Pastor Bryant's claim the phone number did him harm ... because Bravo edited it out before the reunion show aired.

But wait, there's more. Monique's husband, former NFL lineman Chris Samuels, is also firing back at Pastor Bryant with a cease and desist letter of his own.

Samuels claims Bryant has been spreading lies and disparaging remarks about him on social media ... claiming he's abusive to Monique because he has CTE, that he cheated on her and verbally assaulted another woman.