TMZ Sports - Page 50

J.J. Watt is landing in Arizona -- the defensive end confirmed the move Monday in a deal reportedly worth $31 MILLION!!

The 31-year-old recently parted ways with the Houston Texans -- the team that selected him in the 1st round of the 2011 NFL Draft.

But, the Texans are a mess and Watt was clearly looking for an opportunity with a team built for immediate success.

There were rumblings J.J. was interested in signing with the Pittsburgh Steelers, where his two brothers T.J. and Derek Watt are currently playing.

But in the end, Watt has agreed to a 2-year, $31 million deal with the Cardinals with $23 million guaranteed, according to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport.

The Cardinals confirmed the move on social media -- "We have agreed to terms with J.J. Watt on a two-year contract."

The move brings J.J. to a team with a high-powered offense led by quarterback Kyler Murray and superstar WR DeAndre Hopkins.

Hopkins and Watt's were teammates in Houston for 7 years before DeAndre was shipped to AZ in one of the most puzzling trades of all time.

Now, Watt will bolster a defense that already includes stars like Chandler Jones and Budda Baker.

J.J. is already showing off his new team colors -- rockin' Cards swag in a gym session Monday morning.

Congrats!

The King of the Hail Mary is answering prayers in Northern California ... Aaron Rodgers just donated $1 MILLION to help struggling small businesses in the area where he grew up.

80 restaurants and retail businesses in Butte County, CA -- including Chico (Aaron's hometown) -- will receive funds from Aaron's massive 7-figure donation to help cover rent and other operating costs.

The goal is to float the businesses for the next 3 months -- and maybe even longer -- while the COVID-19 pandemic continues to rage on.

"Small, locally owned businesses are the heart and soul of a community," Rodgers said in a statement Monday.

"In the applications and the videos, it was heart-wrenching to hear about all the obstacles facing restaurants and retail establishments. So many of them are struggling just to stay in business but remain hopeful that there’s an end to this."

Rogers made the donation in association with the North Valley Community Foundation -- which says the NFL star initially pledged $500k ... but DOUBLED his contribution "after seeing the need" in the community.

"Aaron is such an incredible person," NVCF President and CEO Alexa Benson-Valavanis said.

"He looked at everything, decided he wanted to do more, and doubled down on his original $500,000 commitment. He is such a champion for his hometown."

Aaron personally called 9 of the businesses to inform them about the donation -- which must have been a thrill in so many ways!!

Rodgers -- who has reportedly banked more than $240 million in contract money in his 16 NFL seasons -- has come through for Butte County in the past.

He donated $1 mil to help recovery efforts after the Camp Fire of 2018 -- and has also been involved in coronavirus and North Complex Fire relief efforts, according to the NVCF.

Here's a video that'll hit ya right in the feels ...

In his first game back after a lengthy battle with colon cancer ... Baltimore Orioles star Trey Mancini got an epic ovation from fans, teammates and opponents -- and the footage from the scene is amazing!!

Mancini -- who fought and beat the horrific disease after being diagnosed in March 2020 -- took the batter's box in the 1st inning of a spring training game against the Pirates on Sunday ... and, quickly, applause rained down on the diamond.

Fans began clapping, then Mancini's teammates joined in ... and then even Pittsburgh players jumped in -- with the Pirates catcher even standing up to praise the Baltimore slugger.

In a classy move by the umpire, he went to dust off home plate to allow the ovation to last even longer ... and then Mancini got a base hit!!!

After the game, Trey admitted it all nearly brought him to tears ... saying the ovation "meant the world to me."

"It was a really, really cool moment," the 28-year-old said, "and one of my favorite moments of my baseball career."

Mancini was forced to undergo surgery back on March 12, 2020 ... and he had very long and tough road to get through before he could return to the Orioles.

But, Trey -- after vowing to come back better than ever from the disease -- faced it all with class, and finished cancer treatments back in September.

Mancini is now fully recovered and is expected to be one of the Orioles' best players again in 2021 -- and that's something he says he's super grateful for.

"[Sunday] was a huge day for me personally," Mancini said. "Getting back in a game -- just another kind of milestone that I can check off here."

UFC star Paulo Costa is blaming the a-a-a-a-a-alcohol for his loss to Israel a-a-a-a-a-Adesanya at UFC 253 ... saying his decision to crush a bottle of wine the night before cost him the fight.

"I was kind of drunk [when] I fought," Costa said in Portuguese (subtitled in English) on his YouTube channel ... "Maybe, on hangover."

29-year-old Costa was on a 13-fight win streak before his main event throwdown with Israel ... and was coming off an impressive victory over MMA legend Yoel Romero.

But, Izzy smashed Costa in just 2 rounds in an unexpectedly one-sided beatdown on September 27 ... leaving many fans asking the question, what the hell happened!?

Now, Costa is finally opening up about the loss -- claiming he simply boozed too hard the night before the fight.

"I had wine, too much wine, a bottle [of wine] to try to blackout," Costa said on his YouTube channel.

And, why would he want to get blackout drunk before the biggest fight of his life?

"I couldn’t sleep because of the [leg] cramps."

In other words, Costa claims he was using the wine for pain management so he could try to get some sleep that night.

"I had a glass and didn’t work. Two glasses, it didn’t work. Half bottle, didn’t work. I had it all."

Costa continued, "Keep in mind that the fight happens at 9 a.m., we have to wake up at 5 to get ready, stretch, wrap the hands. The UFC told us to wake up at 5 in the morning to go to the arena to fight. I hadn’t slept until 2:30."

We all know what happened next ... Israel pummeled Paulo so badly, the ref stopped the fight in the 2nd round.

Costa is set to return to the Octagon in April to fight Robert Whittaker.

Did you know Jodie Foster and Aaron Rodgers are quickly forming a very wacky and fun friendship!?!

It's true ... 'cause just a few weeks after the Packers star thanked the actress in his NFL MVP acceptance speech -- Jodie did the same for the QB after winning a Golden Globe!!

The shout-out was wild ... Foster earned Best Actress in a Supporting Role on Sunday -- and toward the end of her acceptance speech, she name-dropped A-Rodge!

"I love my wife, thank you, Alex," Jodie said. "And [my dog] Ziggy. And Aaron Rodgers!!!"

As for why this is all happening ... it's all super unclear -- but it's hilarious nonetheless.

Rodgers thanked the "Silence Of The Lambs" star out of the blue after winning MVP honors in early February, and when Jodie was asked about it on "Jimmy Kimmel Live" a few days later, she said she didn't even know the guy personally.

But, Jodie is a massive Green Bay fan ... AND she co-starred in "The Mauritanian" with Rodgers' fiancee, Shailene Woodley -- so there is a connection there.

And it's clear the two have talked it all out since ... 'cause after Jodie's call-out Sunday, she said Rodgers sent her a video message with a challenge!

"I just got a very cute video from Aaron Rodgers," Jodie said after winning her award, "where he says he’s going to get me back. So I’m looking forward to this. We’ll see who wins.”

Ex-NHL Todd Bertuzzi -- one of the most controversial hockey players of all time -- was arrested for drunk driving in Michigan over the weekend, TMZ Sports has confirmed.

The 46-year-old was pulled over just after midnight Saturday morning in Auburn Hills after motorists called 911 to report a car swerving all over the road.

Cops responded to the area and claim they saw Bertuzzi's car blow through a red light, so they stopped his vehicle immediately.

During the stop, officers believed he was under the influence of alcohol -- though Bertuzzi refused a breathalyzer test.

We're told he DID perform other field sobriety tests and showed obvious signs of impairment, according to our law enforcement sources.

The responding officers ultimately arrested the former Vancouver Canucks star and booked him at Oakland County Jail on suspicion of DUI.

We're told cops later got a warrant for a blood draw -- no word on the results yet.

Bertuzzi played close to 1,200 games in the NHL but he's perhaps best known for a violent incident on the ice where he sucker-punched an opposing player.

During a 2004 game between the Vancouver Canucks and the Colorado Avalanche, Bertuzzi skated up behind Steve Moore and punched him in the jaw and slammed his head into the ice.

Moore was knocked cold -- and was rushed to a hospital to be treated for 3 fractured vertebrae, cuts on his face and a concussion.

The incident ended Moore's pro hockey career. Bertuzzi was hit with criminal charges and ultimately plead guilty to assault in a plea deal.

Moore later sued Bertuzzi in civil court. The two sides reached a private settlement in 2014.

Bertuzzi was drafted by the NY Islanders in 1993 and played pro hockey until 2015.

"Tiger means everything to me."

That's 24-year-old golf star Collin Morikawa getting extremely emotional about his idol, Tiger Woods, in the moments after winning a huge PGA event on Sunday ... and it's powerful stuff.

Morikawa had just won the World Golf Championships-Workday tournament in Bradenton, FL -- putting together a monster final round to hold off a stellar field of the PGA Tour's biggest stars.

During the post-match interview, he was asked about Woods ... and things got so emotional, Morikawa could barely hold back the tears.

"Yes, you know, he had the crash and thankfully he's all right and hopefully has a quick and great recovery," Morikawa said.

"But I don't think we say 'Thank you' enough. So I want to say thank you to Tiger. Because sometimes you lose people too early and that's -- Kobe. I lost my grandpa about a month ago. And you don't get to say thank you enough. So thank you, guys."

Morikawa's post-round conversation was one of many ways Tiger was honored during the event over the weekend ... with huge stars like Tony Finau and Rory McIlroy paying homage to the 45-year-old by dressing like him.

The guys rocked red shirts with black pants -- Tiger's signature Sunday look -- and Woods appreciated the gesture so much, he released a statement over it all late Sunday evening.

"It is hard to explain how touching today was when I turned on the tv and saw all the red shirts," Tiger said. "To every golfer and every fan, you are truly helping me get through this tough time."

You're looking at the most expensive basketball card ever sold -- and it ain't Michael Jordan or LeBron James.

It's an ultra-rare Luka Doncic rookie card -- a 1-of-1 that features the NBA Logoman patch from a game-worn Dallas Mavericks jersey PLUS a perfect signature with blue ink.

And, it just sold for $4.6 MILLION!!!!

Here's the deal ... the card was originally pulled from a box of 2018-2019 Panini National Treasures Basketball in May 2019 during a live pack break at the Layton Sports Cards shop in Altamonte Springs, FL.

The card was later sold to collector Bolillo Lajan San (unclear what he paid, but more than $400k) who had a feeling the card could explode in value.

Well, he was right because on Sunday night, Bolillo confirmed the sale of the card to high-end collector Nick Fiorella for $4.6 million.

Here are the specifics ... it's a 2018-19 National Treasures Luka Doncic rookie autograph with the "Logoman" patch, #127.

The sale is the 2nd highest purchase of a sports trading card EVER -- just behind a 1952 Topps Mickey Mantle card that recently sold for $5.2 million!

Clocking in at #3 is a 2009 Mike Trout Superfractor that sold for $3.9 mil.

Max Holloway says a rematch with Conor McGregor was a real possibility just 1 month ago ... but after The Notorious took an L from Dustin Poirier, he's shifted his focus away from the Irish star.

"[Holloway vs. McGregor] was on a very short list for UFC if everything went well in [Conor's] last fight and it didn't," the 29-year-old Hawaiian told TMZ Sports in L.A.

"And I don't wanna kick a dog when it's down. At the end of the day, we'll see what happens."

McGregor defeated Holloway in a 3 round unanimous decision when they first clashed back in 2013 -- but Max has developed into one of the best fighters in the UFC and currently seems to be at the height of his powers.

He's coming off a DOMINANT victory over respect UFC feather Calvin Kattar in January where Max set a record for most significant strikes landed in a fight with 445!!!

McGregor, on the other hand, seems to be a shell of when he used to be. He's coming off a 2 round knockout at the hands of Dustin Poirier.

Max and Conor seem to be on 2 different trajectories -- and Holloway seems to be more focused on fighting for a title than settling an old score.

So, who's next for Max? Most likely the winner of the Brian Ortega vs. Alex Volkanovski fight at UFC 260.

Volkanovski is the reigning featherweight champ -- and has already chalked up 2 victories over Holloway in the past few years.

Guessing Holloway wants a 3rd crack at Alex -- considering he already beat down Brian Ortega in 2018.

Tiger Woods was top of mind in the professional golf world this weekend, and you could tell as much by what everyone on the green was wearing ... Big Cat's colors themselves.

There are a few different tournaments underway Sunday, but at just about all of them ... a majority of the players -- especially the stars -- were decked out in red and black getups ... all just to honor their hero, Tiger, as he recovers from his horrific car crash.

Among some of the players who opted for TW's signature pairing -- Rory McIlroy, Justin Thomas, Patrick Reed, Andrew Putnam, Jason Day, Angel Yin, Nelson Ledesma, Tommy Fleetwood, Tony Finau, Min Woo Lee, Sebastian Munoz, Stacy Lewis and others.

The golfers are participating in competitions like the WGC-Workday Championship, the Gainbridge LPGA and the Puerto Rico Open.

Of course, even before the accident ... Tiger wasn't golfing quite yet, as he'd just undergone his fifth back surgery in January -- and was speculating he could miss the Masters in April as rehabbed. He'd partaken in the PNC Championship with his son, Charlie, in December.

As we reported ... Tiger has been transferred to Cedars-Sinai after intensive surgery on his right leg, which was essentially torn apart in the accident by comminuted open fractures.  He's expected to have several more surgeries.

Tiger told investigators he has no recollection of the crash.

Donald Trump took direct aim at the transgender community at CPAC 2021 -- complaining women's sports were being turned upside down ... and vowing to protect it at all costs.

Trump made the inflammatory remarks Sunday during his first speech since leaving office in January, kind of out of nowhere too. He said Democratic policies were ruining women's sports ... and then he mused that a lot of new records were being shattered like never before, and he hated to break it to the ladies. He talked about weightlifting and how it wasn't even challenging for some new competitors lately.

Then came the transphobic haymaker -- Trump said girls and women are incensed that they're having to compete with individuals who were biologically born as males. He added that if this wasn't addressed, it would end women's sports as we know it.

He then said unequivocally ... "We must protect the integrity of women's sports."

Kobe Bryant’s childhood basketball hoop has sold for a King's ransom!

The hoop fetched $37,200 at Heritage Auctions, and it's truly prized memorabilia. It was attached to the garage at Kobe's childhood home in Pennsylvania ... it's the hoop Kobe used to help perfect his legendary jump shot.

As TMZ reported, the home sold recently for $810,000, but the seller wanted a premium for the backboard and the rim and the buyer wasn't interested. So, it was dismounted and the home seller just scored a sizable bounty.

Mike Trout is the best player of his generation -- and 1 of the greatest baseball players of all-time -- and now you can own the future HOF'ers 1st game-worn MLB jersey!!

Long before the 3x AL MVP was a bonafide baseball great, he made his debut as a teenager playing center field for the Angels in 2011.

The date was July 8, 2011 ... and Trout's Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim took on the Seattle Mariners in SoCal.

Trout started in center field, batted 9th in the order and was 0-for-3 at the plate (the Angels won 4-3).

Those game-worn threads ... they just hit the block at the online auction house, Lelands -- and are available for bidding through April 2.

The sports memorabilia and card collecting biz has exploded. A 2009 Bowman Chrome Draft Prospects Mike Trout Superfractor card sold for $3.93 MILLION last year.

Lelands says don't be surprised if this 1-of-a-kind uni also cracks 7 figures (aka a milli plus) when it ultimately sells to the highest bidder.

And, speaking of baseball cards ... if the jersey wasn't cool enough on its own, it's also the uniform MT was rockin' on his '11 Topps Update rookie card.

Since starting his career with the 0-fer, Trout's blasted 302 HR's with 1,380 hits and 798 RBI's, and has won 3 American League Most Valuable Player awards ... and he's still only 29-years-old.

The man who bid $760,000 on a rare signed Babe Ruth baseball card is revealing his identity ... and he's the most famous video game collector on the planet!

Meet Eric Naierman -- who famously dropped $1 MILLION on rare video games back in 2019, snatching up some of the rarest and most sought-after cartridges in gaming.

Naierman -- who's a dentist by trade -- has always enjoyed baseball cards ... and when he saw the 1933 Babe Ruth Goudey #149 card hit the auction block, he rounded up an investment group to make a play for it.

The card -- from the famous "Uncle Jimmy" collection -- has been widely regarded in the industry as one of the most well-preserved Babe Ruth cards from the 1933 Goudey set.

In the end, Naierman's group paid more than DOUBLE the price of a similar version of the same card which sold at auction in 2020 for $325k. But, they believe it's worth every cent and more.

"This is just a part of American history," Naierman tells TMZ Sports ... "It's a part of world history and it's one of the finest examples of the greatest face in baseball as we know it."

"So, we probably just gonna enjoy for a while and make a business plan years down the line for it. It surreal!"

Naierman says his partners live all over the country -- but the card will be kept in South Florida and there are plans in the works for a giant group trip so they can all enjoy it together.

Jacksonville Jaguars receiver D.J. Chark is celebrating his #GirlDad status 3 months early ... by copping a one-of-a-kind diamond chain with his future daughter's name on it!!

The 24-year-old Pro Bowler and his wife, Chantelle, are expecting their first child, Mackenzie, in May ... and we're told Chark is so excited, he wanted to have a special piece ready in time for the big arrival!!

Ari The Jeweler in Manhattan tells TMZ Sports he came up with a custom pendant and diamond chain for the daddy-to-be ... and it's pretty damn adorable.

The iced-out piece features baby feet with hearts, a bow on top and Mackenzie's name engraved in the gold ring of the pendant.

There's also a touching message on the back of the piece ... which reads, "Mommy and Daddy Love You!" -- how sweet!!!

We're told the pendant features 15 carats of VS diamonds and 80 grams of gold ... and the accompanying Cuban chain has 150 grams of gold and 20 carats of diamonds -- altogether estimated to be worth $50,000.

No word on what DJ paid, but the dude's made $3.3 million so far in his young career ... so he can splurge a bit.

Louis Nix III -- former NFL player and Notre Dame football star -- has been found dead at the age of 29 on Saturday, after he was reported missing earlier this week.

Nix -- a 6'3", 330 lb. defensive tackle -- was a star at ND ... before being selected with the 83rd overall pick (3rd rd.) by the Houston Texans in the 2014 NFL Draft. Louis bounced around the league ... spending time with the Giants, Jaguars and Washington.

Louis was reported missing on Wednesday ... with family members saying he was last seen Tuesday leaving his dad's house driving a gray 2014 Hyundai.

Now, their worst fears have come true ... Nix has been found dead, according to his mom.

Details surrounding Louis' death are unclear ... but the Jacksonville County Sheriff's Office was seen pulling a car matching Nix's from a local lake on Saturday.

The JSO announced they "located Louis Nix" -- calling off the missing person search -- but provided no additional information.

Back in December, Nix was shot in the chest during an attempted robbery in his hometown of Jacksonville. He was hospitalized for almost 2 weeks as a result of the shooting.

Nix made the now heartbreaking comment at the time ... "I know it sounds cliche, but more than anything, I'm happy to be alive."

Rest in peace.