TMZ Sports - Page 50

You do right by Bills Mafia, they do right by you ... just ask left tackle Dion Dawkins, whose charity has been flooded with donations after coming to his QB Josh Allen's defense in the AFC Championship Game!!

You know the play -- K.C. Chiefs defensive end Alex Okafor sacked Allen late in the conference title game last month ... which led to the QB throwing the ball in his face out of frustration.

Okafor then taunted Allen by standing over his body after the play. That clearly didn't sit well with the Bills, 'cause Dawkins and teammate Jon Feliciano rushed over to kickstart a shoving match.

Dawkins and Feliciano were both hit with $10k fines for the pushing attack ... while Allen was hit with a $15k penalty for the throw.

Naturally, Bills Mafia -- which will stop at nothing to find a reason to pull out their wallets for good causes -- decided to band together to thank Dawkins for having their QB's back ... with donations piling into the O-lineman's Dion's Dreamers charity.

So far, WVIB reports the crazed fanatics have donated $3k to the charity, which mentors young men and women in underserved communities.

But, it's not the dollar amount that matters, it's the fact these fans are ALWAYS looking to make an impact -- after all, Bills fans donated over $1 million to John R. Oishei Children’s Hospital in Buffalo after Allen's grandmother passed away.

Lamar Jackson's charity also received over $360k from the Mafia after he suffered a concussion in their playoff game on Jan. 16.

Seems Danny Amendola still ain't too fond of his former New England Patriots coach Bill Belichick ... 'cause the WR just threw more shade at BB while praising Tom Brady.

Amendola -- who won 2 Super Bowls during his run with the Pats from 2013 through 2017 -- appeared on FS1's "First Things First" on Monday and explained why TB12 should get all of the credit for the famous "Patriot Way" mentality, instead of Belichick.

"When you see the ‘Patriot Way’ in the dictionary, it’s gonna have Tom Brady’s name next to it," Amendola said.

"None of those coaches threw any passes, none of those coaches caught any passes, none of those coaches made any tackles … they got guys in the right position 'cause they watch a lot of film and they spend all their time at the facility."

Amendola concluded, "But Tom Brady is the Patriot Way. And that’s the reason Tom Brady's in the Super Bowl right now and the Patriots aren’t."

It's not the first time Amendola has taken a shot at Belichick -- he compared the coach to an unlikeable high school principal during a Barstool Sports podcast in 2018.

Dustin Pedroia -- one of the most legendary Boston Red Sox players ever -- has officially called it a career ... the 37-year-old announced Monday he's retiring.

Pedroia was a STAR for the Sox for over a decade ... he won AL Rookie of the Year honors in 2007 and went on to win the league's MVP award just one year later.

The 2nd basemen -- whose final years with the Sox were marred by various injuries -- also helped Boston win two World Series titles.

He ultimately ended his 14-year MLB career with a .299 batting average, four Gold Gloves and four total All-Star selections.

"Dustin is so much more than his American League Most Valuable Player award, his All-Star Game selections, and the Gold Gloves he amassed throughout his impressive 17-year career in our organization,” team owner John Henry said in a statement.

“Dustin came to represent the kind of grit, passion, and competitive drive that resonates with baseball fans everywhere and especially with Red Sox fans."

Henry continued, "He played the game he loves in service to our club, its principles and in pursuit of championships. Most of all we are forever grateful to him for what he brought to our club and to our region as an important role model showing all of us how much one can accomplish with determination and hard work.”

Pedroia is so beloved in Boston ... the Red Sox changed their Twitter profile picture to his #15 on Monday, and even put together a sweet highlight package commemorating the guy's epic career.

Rob Gronkowski channeled his inner-Oprah to surprise 4 healthcare heroes -- YOU'RE GOING TO THE SUPER BOWL, YOU'RE GOING TO THE SUPER BOWL ... EVERYBODY'S GOING TO THE SUPER BOWL!!

The Tampa Bay Bucs superstar dropped in on 4 local healthcare heroes (via video chat) to deliver the good news ... that they've been hand selected by the team to attend the big game at Raymond James Stadium in person on Sunday.

The heroes include Mandy Mueske, Belinda Spahn, Woody Nixon, nurses who have been caring for COVID patients.

Heather Stegmeier is an infection control manager at AdventHealth -- who "educates and assists team members in obtaining and properly using personal protective equipment (PPE)."

And yeah, they're all STOKED about going to the game!!

"The first time the home team is the actual home team and I'm going to be there. I can't believe that," Woody Nixon said.

Mandy is pumped too -- especially since she's never been to a Bucs game before!

"I'm so excited! I watch games every Sunday. Go Bucs!"

The NFL says all 4 heroes will have completed their COVID vaccinations before being allowed into the stadium to watch Tom Brady and the Bucs take on Patrick Mahomes and the KC Chiefs.

Move over, Joe Exotic ... Roger Goodell is now Carole Baskin's biggest enemy -- 'cause the "Tiger King" star is absolutely appalled the NFL commish is allowing fans at Super Bowl LV.

"We are right now dealing with life or death on this planet," Baskin told USA Today, "and I think every one of us should be doing our part to stay home."

The NFL has given the green light for Raymond James Stadium in Tampa Bay to host 22,500 fans this Sunday when the Chiefs take on the Buccaneers.

And, the league says it's doing a very cool thing by honoring frontline healthcare workers with 7,500 of those tickets.

But, clearly, Baskin -- whose famous Big Cat Rescue facility is located just 12 miles from the NFL stadium -- thinks it's all VERY unnecessary regardless, given the pandemic is still forging on.

"I just think it’s irresponsible for people to be gathering in large groups, even though I understand they’re saying this is a much smaller group than they’ve ever had," Baskin said.

"But it doesn’t matter that it’s a smaller group. It’s way more people than should be exposed to each other for the purpose of watching a game."

Baskin added she's concerned having that many people in the Tampa area all at once for the Big Game will lead to a huge spike in positive COVID-19 cases.

"There’s no way if you bring 22,000 people to Tampa, from all over the place, that you’re not going to see that same kind of huge uptick in cases here," Baskin said.

"There’s nothing that would justify that sort of risk-taking."

Is there anything a Mai Tai can't fix?!

J.J. Watt says he initially dealt with rumors he could be traded out of Houston this offseason by heading to Hawaii and getting drunk. Pretty good plan!!

There are rumblings the Houston Texans could ship the 31-year-old NFL superstar to another squad while they try to rebuild their broken franchise.

Watt is set to make $17.5 mil in base salary in 2021 — and unloading that salary could be enticing to Houston.

Watt appeared on 'The Tonight Show' with Jimmy Fallon — and was asked how he handles the trade rumors considering he's played every down of his career with Houston since they drafted him in 2011???

“I process it by going to Hawaii for a week,” Watt said with a smile … “And I probably should have stayed there.”

“It was great! I had some Lava Flows with some rum floating on top!”

Watt explained he chose to relax and booze with his wife in paradise -- sipping Mai Tais by the pool -- instead of freaking out over his NFL future.

"So, that was a good way to cope with it. And I might just head back there!"

As for talk he could head to Pittsburgh and play on the same team as his 2 younger brothers T.J. and Derek ... J.J. says don't hold your breath!

Kevin Love has found forever love ... he proposed to his model GF, Kate Bock, over the weekend -- and she said yes!!!

Love and Bock shared the news Sunday ... posting adorable pics from just after the NBA star popped the question -- and check out the ring, it's huge!!!

Sources close to the couple tell us ... the proposal went down Saturday night at a private outdoor dining space at Lilia restaurant in Brooklyn.

As for the ring ... we're told it's a vintage diamond cut from the 1930s for Cartier and it’s set in a chic vintage Cartier setting. Kevin worked with a jeweler out of London to get it done.

"'Souls tend to go back to who feels like home,'" Love wrote alongside the engagement announcement on social media. "My fiance. The Joy of My Life."

Bock, who was celebrating her 33rd birthday when Love asked her to marry him, added, "Well, this was the best birthday surprise I could have ever imagined."

"I couldn't be happier to have been asked to be a Love by my love. Heart bursting all day & night."

Bock and 32-year-old Love have been dating for about five years now ... and they've been one of the most precious celeb couples.

The two have gone on all kinds of romantic trips together -- and have even shared a love for a Vizsla dog named Vestry, who's become one of the most famous pups on the internet.

Several NBA stars commented on the couple's engagement Sunday, with Love's former teammate, LeBron James, writing, "Congrats my brother!!!"

Cheers!!!!

Shawn Johnson -- the 2008 Olympic gold medal gymnast -- is not only dealing with the normal challenges of pregnancy, but she's also tested positive for COVID-19.

The former Olympic star -- who's expecting her second child with husband, football player Andrew East -- revealed she has coronavirus Sunday evening, saying her results came back positive and, "Not going to lie... I'm nervous."

Shawn added ... "my body is just exhausted." She's especially concerned about the virus because she's had asthma her entire life -- plus, she says a very close family member fought off a serious case of COVID-19 just last month.

So far, she's dealing with a cough, severe sore throat and a headache. She's also super tired, but chalks a lot of that up to pregnancy.

Shawn's family already had a rough stretch, as she says their 15-month-old daughter, Drew Hazel, just got over having RSV -- a different respiratory virus that can be incredibly scary for little kids.

Her husband had previously tested positive for COVID ... something the couple revealed last month when they announced they were expecting baby #2.

"Deontay Wilder, I’m gonna outbox him, I'm gonna outclass him, if I ever get that opportunity."

That's former NFL great WR Brandon Marshall talking about beating up arguably the greatest heavyweight knockout artist of all-time.

TMZ Sports talked to the 36-year-old, 6'5", 230 lb., 6x Pro Bowler turned boxing enthusiast about his desire to step in the ring ... and his friend Evander Holyfield comparing BM to the 42-1-1 (41 KO's) Bronze Bomber.

"You can't compare me to Deontay Wilder, I'm not Deontay Wilder. Deontay Wilder, obviously, we know him for his power. he's a freak athlete," Marshall tells us.

"But what I'd say, I would challenge Deontay Wilder to dive a little deeper into the sweet science, and that's where I think I separate myself from a lot of these heavyweights."

Brandon is serious ... and says just because he doesn't have a bunch of pro fights under his belt, you shouldn't sleep on his skills in the squared circle -- 'cause he's been boxing for over 30 years.

"You haven't seen me on Pay-Per-View. No, I don't have a win under my belt, or a loss, or a knockout. But at the end of the day, I know how to fight, I know how to box, I know the sweet science."

Marshall -- who says he likes Wilder and has learned from watching him box -- needs to fight this fall ... or he won't fight at all.

"If it doesn't happen before September, I'm gonna retire. I'm retiring from boxing. I'm retiring before I even step foot in the ring."

"If it doesn't happen, I'm just gonna move on to other things because I'm tired of chasing these guys."

Of course, Wilder hasn't fought since losing to Tyson Fury in February 2020 ... and has a list of potential big-time opponents he could face in his return.

Shaquille O'Neal thinks the Patriots did Tom Brady dirty at the end of his run in New England -- and he LOVES that TB12 stuck it to his old squad by taking his new team to the Super Bowl!

Shaq, who's hosting "The Shaq Bowl" next weekend, was raving about the 43-year-old QB's incredible career when he brought up Tom's exit from NE ... and he didn't exactly mince his words.

"The way he came in ... this is his 10th Super Bowl and [to] play with a franchise and then the franchise kinda [says], 'Oh, you're old, bye!' and he said 'Okay, you don't wanna take care of me, after all, I did for this city? Watch this!'

"[Then he] goes to another a city, promises them a Super Bowl and delivers??? Wooo!!!"

Tom's not the only Bucs star who left his team in messy fashion -- Shaq says he personally counseled Leonard Fournette after the Jacksonville Jaguars waived the running back in August.

"They did him kinda dirty in Jacksonville," Shaq says ... "I had a conversation with him. I told him to keep his head up. So, when he was going to Tampa I said, 'Hey, man, this is your chance to let everybody know they were wrong about you.'"

"He's been playing fabulous."

The Bucs have their work cut out for them -- with young superstar Patrick Mahomes leading the K.C. Chiefs ... and Shaq can't wait for the matchup!

"This is what I like to see in championship games -- the old versus the new. Is it gonna be the old guy to continue to dominate? Or will the young guy finally come in to say, 'Hey, I know you're Tom Brady but this is my time to shine?!'"

"I used to watch these type of karate movies growing up because at some point, the student must kill the master to become the master."

In the meantime, Shaq's keeping busy -- running his own Super Bowl pre-game show called, "The Shaq Bowl" ... featuring stars like Tim Tebow, Ezekiel Elliott, Diplo, The Miz, Anthony Anderson, Nelly, Offset and more competing in various crazy events at a custom-built Shaq Bowl stadium in Tampa on Feb. 7.

San Francisco, New York and Indianapolis get excited ... Warren Moon tells TMZ Sports he believes the 49ers, Jets and Colts are the frontrunners to land Deshaun Watson!!!

The Texans QB officially wants out of Houston ... according to multiple reports, the 25-year-old is done with the team after feuding with execs, and has demanded a trade.

It's unclear if the Texans will give into the request -- considering, you know, the QB is awesome -- but if they do, Moon says he believes the Jets, Colts and 49ers are the most likely trade partners.

As for why, Moon says with the Niners, Watson could be a big upgrade if the team moves on from Jimmy Garoppolo.

With the Colts -- Moon says replacing Philip Rivers with Watson is a no-brainer ... though he wonders if the Texans would be open to an inter-division trade.

As for the Jets, Moon tells us Watson would fit in great there ... given the New York media market and the promise of new head coach Robert Saleh.

(We know Brandon Marshall certainly agrees with that one!!!)

Moon says he's hopeful that once a trade is completed, Houston will learn from this and realize if it gets another star QB, it needs to build around him and make him the team's centerpiece right away.

"Hopefully the organization will get a hint from this that we've got to do a better job going forward," Moon says. "We've got to go out and look for another top-flight quarterback and we've got to build a team around that guy so we don't end up losing him the next time."

Tom Brady is getting a pat on the back from one of the Buccaneers' greatest ever ... with Derrick Brooks praising the hell out of the QB for helping Tampa Bay on its Super Bowl run!

TMZ Sports spoke with the legendary Bucs linebacker this week ... and the guy told us straight-up he's been in awe of what Brady's been able to do for TB this season.

"You're talking about a man that's going to his 10th Super Bowl but still treating it as his first in terms of the words he's used, the preparation that he's using going into it and leading this team," Brooks said.

"It's something that I, honestly, you learn to appreciate as a fan of the game and even as someone who's played the game at a high level, I still say that I can appreciate that."

Derrick says Tom's ability to stay calm and poised when the Bucs struggled at times this year really helped elevate the squad ... telling us, "Tom's presence and his experience has definitely meant a difference."

Don't get it twisted, though ... Derrick says for as good as Tom's been this season -- he's still jacked that EVERYONE on the team played their role well enough to advance this far in the postseason.

By the way, Derrick has been a key piece in preparing Tampa Bay for its role as Super Bowl host city this year ... and he tells us it's been a hell of an experience trying to plan the event in the middle of a pandemic.

Too pretty to bare-knuckle fight, not talented enough to win ... that’s what Paige VanZant's heard for months, but now the combat sports star is finally CLAPPING back at the haters.

TMZ Sports talked to the 26-year-old Bare Knuckle FC fighter days before her fist-fighting debut against Britain Hart at Knuckle Mania on February 5 ... and 12-gauge -- who until now has bit her tongue -- had a message for the doubters.

"My idea was if you talk s*** about somebody then you should be willing to say it to their face and not a single person who has said anything negative about me publicly has been willing to say it to my face," VanZant tells us, continuing ... "And I've seen people in person."

Paige parted ways with the UFC last year ... before signing with BKFC in August.

Some fans and "experts" were super critical of the move, saying VanZant was risking her looks -- and future in the entertainment industry -- to fight BKFC.

FYI, bareknuckle fighting tends to open up cuts -- especially on delicate facial skin -- leading to some brutal fights (awesome to watch if you like blood!!)

But, VanZant's entertainment career is already booming ... she'd done everything from modeling in the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue to being a contestant on Dancing With The Stars -- and she clearly isn't concerned about her looks.

"'Oh my face' like, grow up! It's a face and it's mine and I can do whatever I want with it! And guess what? I'm still gonna be beautiful even if I get cut open. It's not a big deal."

If you needed a reminder of how excited the people of Tampa are to be back in the Super Bowl after almost 20 years, take a look at how they rang in the week before kickoff.

A pirate ship in downtown was lit up Friday night with fireworks and a light show on the City's riverfront in Julian B. Lane Park -- where folks gathered for the "Super Bowl Experience" ... a makeshift amusement park with games and attractions fans can enjoy ahead of SB LV.

The ship's decked out with all the NFL team flags, but Tampa Bay and Kansas City -- who are facing off on the gridiron -- were the ones that stuck out most. The vessel will stay illuminated nightly, so people can come back and watch if they missed it the first time around.

Oh, and did we mention the Lombardi Trophy sits aboard too -- yeah that's there ... so pretty neat for football aficionados in general.

Unfortunately, tickets for this thing sold out on NFL's OnePass app -- but apparently, there's another park nearby where you can still get a taste of the fun ... they say there's gonna be DJs, food vendors and other not-as-cool-but-still-kinda-cool things at Curtis Hixon Park.

As we reported ... the Bucs haven't been in the Super Bowl since 2002. Now, almost a full two decades later, they're back -- all thanks to Tom Brady, who came over from the Pats.

WNBA star Layshia Clarendon has undergone successful surgery to have her breasts removed -- and is now going public about it in hopes of inspiring other trans athletes.

Clarendon -- who identifies as non-binary -- uses all pronouns (she/her/they/them/he/him).

In other words ... by society's standards, Layshia is comfortable being referred to as a woman ... but personally, doesn't identify solely with one specific gender.

Sources close to Layshia tell us the 29-year-old NY Liberty star underwent breast removal surgery (also known as "top surgery") in early January and is recovering well.

"I’m feeling free & euphoric in my body & want Trans people to know and see that we’ve always existed & no one can erase us," Layshia said in a statement.

You may be wondering ... are there any issues with the WNBA, which has the "W" for "Women" right there in the name of the league?

The short answer is no.

We're told Layshia has been in contact with the league and there are ZERO issues with her status as a player.

As one source close to Layshia explained to us, "Layshia does not identify as a man. They're not journeying to a destination. Gender is actually a spectrum."

One of the main reasons Layshia is going public with her story ... we're told Layshia wants to initiate a "very real, inclusive, sensitive conversation about how to INCLUDE trans people in sports, instead of how to exclude them."

"Trans youth want to participate in sports ... let's have the conversation."

Jon Jones is gonna love this ...

We did a little rapid-fire round of questions with Dana White the other day -- asking him everything from "Who's the greatest UFC fighter ever?" to "Who's the best UFC fighter right now?"

Of course, Dana answered everything.

Spoiler: Dana says Jon Jones is the G.O.A.T. -- but noted Khabib Nurmagomedov is the greatest "right now."

It's hard to argue against Jon Jones being the best ever -- he's 26-1 as a pro with wins over everyone from Daniel Cormier to Rampage Jackson, Alexander Gustafsson, Ryan Bader and more.

Most people, including White, don't even acknowledge his 1 loss -- a DQ to Matt Hamill for illegal downward elbows.

Dana explained at the time Jones should have been docked a point instead of being DQ'd -- "It shouldn't have happened that way. He shouldn't have a loss, so it's unfortunate."

As for Khabib ... you probably know, Dana is trying to convince the Dagestani to come back for one last UFC fight -- but it doesn't sound too promising at the moment. Fingers crossed.