TMZ Sports - Page 50

Tiger Woods might've been way more seriously injured had he been driving anything else, because the SUV was top of the line in terms of safety.

A lot of attention has been paid to what kind of car Tiger was in Tuesday when he rolled over in Rancho Palos Verdes, and though it was totaled ... the 2021 Genesis GV80 has all the bells and whistles of 21st-century road safety you'd want in a car retailing for $47k to $60k, depending on the model. It's a fair guess Tiger's was fully loaded.

The whip comes in all-wheel-drive ride by default ... so torque is sent to all four wheels instead of just 2, giving the driver more control on the road. That's assisted with a built-in Electronic Stability Control and Traction Control System.

Perhaps most important is what's featured inside ... namely 10 standard airbags, that essentially turn the car into a pillow in the event of an accident. There's also an extra airbag up front that sits in the center console, between driver and passenger.

From the looks of the aftermath, it sure looks like most of those airbags went off ... something that almost certainly lessened the damage to Tiger's body.

Granted, he's still dealing with a gruesome leg injury -- but it could've been so much worse.

Now, as crunched as the GV80 appeared yesterday ... you could argue the structure actually held up pretty well considering the impact. That's not a surprise once you know it uses high-strength steel for the roof, transmission tunnel, front chassis extensions and parts of the rear structure.

Tiger Woods continues to get support from all over the world -- including a beautiful sand art tribute in a bunker at the St. Andrews Links in Scotland.

Of course, St. Andrews is considered the oldest golf course in the world -- dating back to the 15th century.

Tiger has famously won the Open Championship at the Old Course at St. Andrews twice -- first in 2000 and again in 2005.

So, to pay tribute to the former champ ... Robert Lloyd, one of the staffers at St. Andrews, decided to bust out his tools and create a piece of art for Tiger.

The final piece included the famous TW logo and the words, "Thoughts & Prayers."

Lloyd -- an American living in Scotland -- tells TMZ Sports the project took him around an hour to complete.

He's never met Tiger personally, but says he's a big fan and hopes the golf legend can fully recover and compete again.

Woods was seriously injured in a Feb. 23 car crash -- and required emergency surgery to stabilize a badly broken right leg.

GIGANTIC news in pro wrestling -- the man known as "Big Show" has officially signed a long-term contract with AEW ... ending his 22-year run with WWE.

Big Show -- real name Paul Wight -- will have an "extensive role" with AEW as a wrestler and a commentator on AEW’s newest show, "AEW Dark: Elevation."

The 7-foot tall, 49-year-old superstar says he's excited to begin the next chapter of his storied career.

"It’s been amazing to watch what AEW has built in just a couple of years," Wight said in a statement.

"AEW Dark is an incredible platform to hone the skills of up-and-coming wrestlers, but I also love that established AEW talent can build out their personalities and showcase themselves in new ways on Dark. It’s no exaggeration when they say that AEW is boundless."

Wight signed with WCW back in 1995, using the ring name, "The Giant" -- where he won the WCW World Heavyweight Championship twice.

Wight moved to WWE in 1999 where his popularity exploded -- taking on opponents like Brock Lesnar, The Rock, Kurt Angle ... basically the biggest names in the biz.

Remember when he took on Floyd Mayweather at Wrestlemania 24 in 2008?

During his 2 decades with WWE, he won just about every single belt and championship available ... he's a surefire Hall of Famer.

Ben Roethlisberger's run in Pittsburgh may not be over yet -- the QB met with team owner Art Rooney on Tuesday and both sides insist they want to get a deal done to bring the QB back for an 18th season.

"Ben Roethlisberger and I met yesterday morning and we had a productive meeting, Rooney said in a statement.

"Ben assured me that he is committed to coming back to help us win, and I told Ben that we would like to have him back to help us win a championship."

So, what's the problem? Ben's contract -- it's too damn big.

Under his current deal, 39-year-old Roethlisberger is set to make around $19 mil in salary and bonuses in 2021 ... but the team would take a $41 million salary-cap hit.

The Steelers are reportedly about $30 million over the cap, according to ProFootballTalk, which means they can't bring Ben back without restructuring his contract to lower the cap hit.

"We both understand the next step is to work out Ben’s contract situation," Rooney said.

Look, it's good news for Ben that his team wants him back -- that's a positive thing -- but it's worth noting that Rooney is NOT guaranteeing they'll get a deal done.

The big question ... is Ben willing to take less money or restructure his deal to less favorable terms in order to remain with the Steelers, the only team he's ever played for?

The 2021 NBA All-Star Game is in Atlanta -- so it's only fitting organizers booked the woman behind "Midnight Train to Georgia" to sing the national anthem!

The NBA announced the legendary Gladys Knight will do the honors of singing the Star-Spangled Banner at the State Farm Arena on March 7, as part of a tribute to HBCUs [historically black colleges and universities].

In fact, the NBA notes Knight graduated from Shaw University in North Carolina -- one of the oldest HBCUs in the country.

Knight has experience singing the anthem at high-profile events -- remember when she crushed it at the Super Bowl in 2019?!

As for the NBA All-Star Game, entertainment will also include an original rendition of “Lift Every Voice and Sing” -- known as the Black National Anthem -- to be performed by the Clark Atlanta University Philharmonic Society Choir.

"The rendition will honor NAACP leader and Black national anthem songwriter James Weldon Johnson, who is also a Clark Atlanta alumnus," the NBA says.

The Grambling State University Tiger Marching Band and Florida A&M University Marching 100 will also perform during NBA All-Star player introductions.

And, there will also be a step show!!

"Throughout the game, members of the Divine Nine fraternities and sororities, a prestigious group of nine historically Black Greek letter organizations, will introduce Atlanta’s most reputable step teams from Spelman College and Morehouse College."

How cool is that?!

Tiger Woods suffered comminuted open fractures in his right leg -- meaning the bone was shattered in at least 2 places and broke through the skin -- so doctors used a rod to stabilize it, according to Tiger's medical team.

Dr. Anish Mahajan -- Chief Medical Officer at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center -- just issued a statement describing Tiger's injuries in detail ... and it sounds bad. Note, he only mentions injuries to ONE of Tiger's legs, not both.

"Mr. Woods suffered significant orthopedic injuries to his right lower extremity that were treated during emergency surgery by Orthopaedic trauma specialists," Mahajan says.

"Comminuted open fractures affecting both the upper and lower portions of the tibia and fibula bones were stabilized by inserting a rod into the tibia."

A comminuted fracture is when the bone breaks into several pieces, according to WebMD. And, the fact it's "open" means the bones broke through the skin.

Dr. Mahajan says Tiger also suffered serious injuries to his right ankle and foot -- which were stabilized "with a combination of screws and pins."

He continued, "Trauma to the muscle and soft-tissue of the leg required surgical release of the covering of the muscles to relieve pressure due to swelling."

Tiger is currently "awake, responsive, and recovering in his hospital room," according to Tiger's PR team ... which also added a statement from his camp.

"Thank you to the wonderful doctors and hospital staff at Harbor UCLA Medical Center, the Los Angeles County Sherriff’s Department, and the Fire Department. Your support and assistance has been outstanding."

Dwyane Wade is opening up about the time he spent with Tiger Woods just ONE DAY before the car accident -- explaining how they bonded while talking about their families.

D-Wade had connected with Tiger in L.A. on Monday to shoot some segments for Golf Digest where Tiger essentially served as an on-the-course golf instructor for Wade.

They even made a funny video playfully mocking Wade's skills on the links. Fun stuff.

But, less than 24 hours later, Woods wrecked his SUV and suffered horrible injuries to his leg -- and there's real concern he may never play golf again.

Wade appeared on "Inside the NBA" on Tuesday to discuss his day with Tiger -- and described him as a friendly, nice guy who was acting completely normal on the links.

"He taught me a few things," Wade said ... "Hopefully it will translate!"

"But to be out there with the G.O.A.T in my eyes in that sport and being able to talk to him about Sam and Charley [Tiger's kids] and his father ... It was a great day."

Wade continued, "I woke up to the news [after taking a nap on Tuesday]. Just like everybody out there, my thoughts and prayers go out to his loved ones because we all were shaken and shook at that moment, not knowing what happened with Tiger."

The area where Tiger Woods crashed is known as a dangerous spot, where other vehicles have lost control in the past ... and actually features a safety net to help prevent exactly what it appears happened to Woods.

TMZ spoke with a number of locals who live in the Rancho Palos Verdes and Rolling Hills Estates area -- where Tiger's 2021 Genesis GV80 lost control and rolled over in a nasty wreck -- and we're being told the same thing by all ... it's a gnarly bend, that catches up with you if you're going too fast and unfamiliar with the area.

As for the road's layout -- where cops say Tiger flipped -- it's a massive downhill grade that cuts into a tough turn. There have even been fatal accidents at the same spot.

Tiger rolled over right at the apex of the turn -- for reasons that have yet to be determined -- but it's no surprise to a lot of folks familiar with the roads there ... who tell us it's incredibly easy to pick up speed as you're zooming down, even without accelerating.

As if that's not enough evidence, there's even a runaway ramp built-in right around that section to help vehicles that have lost control and need an emergency slow-down. It's made of thick gravel, but that just goes to show ... the place is perilous, to say the least.

The Sheriff's Office touched on the velocity factor too during their presser Tuesday ... saying they've clocked people going as fast as 80 MPH or higher in the area, the speed limit is 45.

On top of whatever else might've been going with Tiger at the time of the accident -- we broke the story he was allegedly seen speeding out of the hotel shortly before the crash -- it's clear the elements weren't in his favor at this specific location. It's a beast of a street.

TMZ Sports obtained the first video of Tiger driving Tuesday morning on Hawthorne Blvd, minutes before the crash.

This surveillance video shows 2 vehicles heading uphill -- Tiger's Genesis GV80 SUV is trailing behind a minivan at just past 7:05 AM PT. You can see the logo on the door for the Genesis Invitational golf tournament, for which Tiger was in town. He didn't appear to be driving exceptionally fast at this point.

Remember, cops say they got the call about Tiger's accident at 7:12 AM, and where this video was shot is roughly 5 miles south of where he wrecked. You can see there's a big curve in the road -- not unlike the spot where he crashed, except that was downhill where he'd likely be carrying more speed into the turns.

Oliver Konteh, a member of the crew working on the TV show "Grown-ish" recounted to us on video what the director said about Tiger nearly hitting his car just before 7 AM.

TMZ has learned ... Tiger was staying at a hotel where a major network television show was being shot. Production sources tell TMZ, when the director arrived just before 7 AM, Tiger was driving his SUV very fast as he was leaving the property and almost hit the director's car. The director was shaken enough to tell production staff about it after he parked.

A crew member who saw Tiger as he got in his SUV at the hotel tells TMZ, once Tiger got in his vehicle, there was a delay in driving off -- we're told his SUV was blocked by another car that was loading luggage -- and he appeared "agitated and impatient." The crew member says once the delay was over, Tiger "took off fast."

Tiger was scheduled to arrive at Rolling Hills CC at 7:30 AM PT for a shoot ... he was reportedly going to give Drew Brees lessons.

Deputy Carlos Gonzalez — the first person to arrive at the crash scene — says Tiger is lucky to be alive after such a horrific crash.

During a news conference moments ago, Deputy Gonzalez says it was obvious Tiger was badly injured — so he focused on keeping the golfer calm until paramedics arrived.

Tiger was unable to stand on his own due to the serious injuries suffered in the crash — and was put on a stretcher and loaded into an ambulance.

Tiger was wearing a seatbelt during the crash — and officials believe it might have saved his life.

Deputy Gonzalez says Tiger was lucid and could speak at the crash scene — and did not appear to be under the influence of alcohol or any other substance.

Sheriff Alex Villanueva noted there was “no effort to draw blood at the hospital.”

Officials also say it was a quick-thinking neighbor who called 911 — which allowed responders to race to the scene and treat Tiger in a timely manner.

There’s more ... officials also noted the area where Tiger crashed is a “trouble spot” for traffic collisions — with Deputy Gonzalez noting there have been fatalities in that spot in the past

Contrary to the initial release sent out by the L.A. County Sheriff's Department ... a source with the fire department tells us the jaws of life were NOT used to free Tiger from the crash.

Law enforcement sources tell TMZ Woods was alert enough at the scene of the accident to ask first responders to have his manager pick up his stuff. We're told cops have not found anything illicit inside the vehicle.

A photo from the crash scene appears to show blood on the driver's side airbag.

Tiger's good friend, Donald Trump, has issued a statement about the crash ... saying, "Get well soon, Tiger. You are a true champion!"

Tiger and Trump go back years ... with Trump famously awarding Tiger the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2019 to honor Tiger for winning the Masters.

TMZ has obtained the dispatch audio for Tiger's crash, and it sounds like they realized in real time that Tiger was trapped inside ... and were going to need backup STAT.

In the audio, you can hear EMS workers call for surrounding roads to be blocked off ... and discuss the severity of the crash.

Mark Steinberg, Tiger's agent, says he sustained multiple leg injuries and is currently in surgery.

An L.A. County Sheriff's Dept. source tells TMZ Sports they do not believe alcohol was involved but they did not say whether any other substance was possibly involved.

Tiger Woods was hospitalized following a bad single-car accident in L.A. County on Tuesday morning -- with officials requiring the jaws of life to free him from the vehicle.

"On February 23, 2021, at approximately 7:12 AM, LASD responded to a single vehicle roll-over traffic collision on the border of Rolling Hills Estates and Rancho Palos Verdes," officials say.

"The vehicle was traveling northbound on Hawthorne Boulevard, at Blackhorse Road, when it crashed. The vehicle sustained major damage."

"The driver and sole occupant was identified as PGA golfer, Eldrick 'Tiger' Woods," officials confirmed.

"Mr. Woods was extricated from the wreck with the 'jaws of life' by Los Angeles County firefighters and paramedics, then transported to a local hospital by ambulance for his injuries."

Unclear what caused the accident. Cops are investigating.

45-year-old Tiger was in the area for his annual Genesis Invitational golf tournament at the Riviera Country Club in the Pacific Palisades.

Just this week, he took photos with stars like David Spade and Dwyane Wade -- and announced his recent back surgery could keep him out of the upcoming Masters tournament in Augusta, Georgia.

It's not the first time Tiger Woods has been in a high-profile car accident -- he crashed his SUV in a 2009 incident at his home in Florida.

In 2017, he was arrested after cops found him passed out behind the wheel of his car. Tiger said he had taken prescription medication before driving, and didn't realize the effect the meds would have on him.

Justin Thomas -- one of the best golfers on the planet and Woods' good friend -- got emotional when commenting on the accident Tuesday ... saying he's praying for Tiger's kids and family.

John Harbaugh was feelin' saucy on Tuesday night -- so he broke out his wallet and paid for dinner for EVERYONE dining at Jimmy's Seafood Restaurant in Baltimore.

The Ravens head coach and his wife Ingrid hit up the famous seafood spot for a charity event to benefit the Famous Fund, which helps local businesses hit hard by the pandemic. The Famous Fund has already raised more than 450k!

People instantly recognized the 2019 NFL Coach of the Year -- and he couldn't have been nicer about it ... taking pics and chatting up fans.

Afterward, Harbaugh went to restaurant management and paid for dinner for EVERYONE who was dining at the spot that evening.

The final bill reportedly broke the $2,000 mark!

People in the restaurant were stoked -- including patron Kreghan Rebstock who tweeted about the situation!

"John Harbaugh was just sitting across from my friends and I at @JimmysSeafood we didn’t wanna bug him, he ended up secretly picking up our tab and we wanted to thank him, hopefully he see this! @Ravens (also fangirling hard)."

Harbaugh later told ESPN ... his wife should get the credit!

"It was 100% Ingrid's idea," Harbaugh said ... while praising the restaurant owner.

"[Restaurant owner] John Minadakis is the hero for the fund he's doing for local businesses hit by the pandemic."

We know what you're thinking ... how much money is Harbaugh making these days?

If JuJu Smith-Schuster had it his way, he would NOT leave Pittsburgh in free agency this offseason ... the star receiver tells TMZ Sports he wants to be a Steeler for life!

"At the end of the day, I want to have my legacy in Pittsburgh and retire there," the 24-year-old says. "I don't want to leave."

Smith-Schuster's rookie contract is expiring this offseason ... and he's expected to test the open market, even if the Steelers make him a preliminary offer.

The wideout could command HUGE dollars from teams like the Jets, Patriots or Dolphins ... but he made it clear to us while shopping out in L.A. this week he's hoping the Steelers come close to matching a big deal from other teams.

In fact, when we asked if he could see himself in a Chargers or Rams jersey in 2021 ... JuJu told us straight up, "Not right now. Until I actually get let go, other than that, I'm Pittsburgh for life."

Smith-Schuster started his career with a bang with the Black and Yellow ... recording over 2,300 yards and 14 TDs in his 1st two seasons.

But, injuries, diminished play, a public feud with former teammate Antonio Brown and controversy surrounding pregame dancing TikToks have most believing Pittsburgh will let him walk in the offseason.

As for if his QB could be out in Pitt as well ... Smith-Schuster says he's hopeful both he and 38-year-old Ben Roethlisberger find a way to return to the Steelers.

"Devin Booker is the most disrespected player in our league!!! Simple as that."

LeBron James is FURIOUS about Devin Booker's snub from the All-Star Game ... saying the Phoenix Suns star was more than deserving to make the team in 2021.

The Western Conference reserves were just announced Tuesday ... and while huge names like Damian Lillard, Anthony Davis, Chris Paul and Zion Williamson were picked, 24-year-old Booker didn't make the cut.

Of course, Booker is averaging nearly 25 points, 4 rebounds and 4 assists a game ... with the red-hot Suns sitting at 4th place in the conference standings with a 20-10 record so far this season.

Apparently, that wasn't enough for the NBA coaches ... who each voted for 7 reserves to rep their conference in the game.

King James fired off about the snub on Twitter ... and he wasn't the only one.

Blazers guard CJ McCollum also expressed his dissatisfaction with Book getting left out ... saying, Damn @DevinBook really didn’t make it ? That’s craxy . Bruh really cold too smh. Sick world"

LBJ also weighed in on Lillard not being named a starter for the ASG ... saying he's the second most disrespected player behind Booker.

Now, there's still hope Booker sneaks into the festivities and becomes a replacement for AD, who is dealing with a calf and Achilles injury.

THE KING IS BACK!!

NHL superstar Henrik Lundqvist has made his return to the ice ... less than 2 MONTHS after undergoing a serious open-heart surgery.

As we previously reported, the 38-year-old Washington Capitals goalie opted out of the upcoming NHL season last month ... citing an existing heart condition that would prevent him from playing.

Lundqvist underwent a 5-hour procedure -- an aortic valve, aortic root, and ascending aortic replacement -- and has been on the road to recovery ever since.

Now, the future Hall of Famer has resumed his position between the pipes ... and judging by the vid he posted Tuesday morning, the dude looks GREAT!!

"The best type of workday!" Lundqvist captioned the vid as he makes a quick save.

It's a huge step in the right direction for Lundqvist, who said Tuesday also marked the first time he was allowed to drive since the surgery.

Antoine Winfield Jr. wasted NO time immortalizing the Bucs' Super Bowl win ... the Tampa Bay star just got a Lombardi Trophy tatted on his arm -- and it's awesome.

The rookie safety, who balled out in TB's victory over the K.C. Chiefs on Feb. 7, went under the needle to commemorate the big game this week and showed off the incredible artwork Monday.

The tat goes from Winfield's wrist up to the start of his bicep ... and it features the Bucs' emblem, praying hands and the Super Bowl LV logo.

Winfield Jr. was clearly happy with how it all turned out ... posting vids of the finished piece with a fire emoji.

FYI -- Winfield Jr. might not be the last Bucs star to permanently rock the Lombardi on his skin ... wide receiver Mike Evans promised before the game he'd get inked if Tampa secured the trophy.

George Clooney is so disgusted by the former Ohio State University sports doctor who allegedly committed rape at least 47 times ... he's producing a docuseries about the scandal.

Here's the backstory ... scumbag Richard Strauss was a doctor who was employed by the OSU athletics dept. from 1978 to 1998 and allegedly committed more than 1,400 sexual assaults in those 2 decades.

In fact, OSU commissioned an independent investigation to look into the allegations in 2018 -- which concluded Strauss committed at least 47 rapes and 1,429 sexual assaults on mostly male victims. A large number of victims were members of the OSU wrestling team.

Several athletes reported unnecessary genital and rectal probes under the guise of a typical medical examination -- it's all very similar to the allegations against ex-Team USA gymnastics doctor Larry Nassar.

Strauss died in 2005 by suicide. He left a note, but it did not reference the allegations against him.

There are claims several OSU officials knew about Strauss' conduct -- including Rep. Jim Jordan, who was an asst. wrestling coach at OSU at the time -- but they didn't take proper action.

For the record, Rep. Jordan is adamant he was not aware of Strauss' conduct and did NOT try to protect him in any way shape or form.

As for Clooney, he was inspired to make the docuseries after reading an article about it in Sports Illustrated. His company, Smokehouse Pictures, is teaming up with S.I. and 1010 Studios to make the series.

BARTOLO COLON'S STILL GOT IT!!!

The legendary pitcher -- owner of 1 career home run in his 21 MLB seasons -- showed he actually really does have pop in his bat ... cranking a softball roughly 400 feet in the D.R. on Sunday!!!

Check out the footage of the dinger filmed by MLB insider Hector Gomez ... 47-year-old Colon took a fastball DEEEEEEEEEP to center field before casually rounding the bases.

Of course, Bart was never known for his hitting prowess ... his lone home run in his career in 2016 is still one of the most fun moments in baseball history -- but it's clear the dude can rake if needed.

What isn't clear, though, is if Colon's homer helped his team win over the weekend ... according to Gomez, the game was nothing more than a pickup contest with some buds in his hometown.