TMZ Sports - Page 50

Dak Prescott says he's healthy and ready to ball out for the Dallas Cowboys in 2021 ... and thanked Alex Smith for giving him hope after suffering his gruesome ankle injury.

The 27-year-old QB was all smiles at his big contract signing event with Jerry Jones on Wednesday -- and for good reason, he just signed a 4-year deal worth up to $164 million!!!

But, the big question on everyone's mind ... will Dak be 100% when he takes the field in September after that horrific compound fracture and dislocation of his right ankle he suffered during the 2020 season???

The short answer ... Dak says he'll be good to go!

"I thought about jogging out here, jumping up on the stage," Dak joked ... "I don't know if y'all ready for that but I'm healthy."

Dak wouldn't say if he's 100% recovered at this point -- but noted, "I'll be ready when it matters."

That's when Dak acknowledged the role Alex Smith played in his recovery -- saying the QB provided hope and inspiration as he worked his way back.

"I have to thank, honestly, Alex Smith because at that moment when you're sitting there with an injury like that or you come out of surgery, to see somebody who's already done it and did it actually in worse circumstances ... that allowed my mind to go straight to, 'Hey I can do this. I'm gonna beat this! It's just a matter of time.'"

Smith's story is well documented -- he also suffered a nasty compound fracture during the 2018 season and the injury was so bad, doctors came very close to amputating his right leg above the knee.

But, after 17 surgeries and hundreds of hours of rehab, Alex returned to the field in 2020 ... and was named the NFL's Comeback Player of the Year after an impressive season with the Washington Football Team.

As for Dak, he's setting big goals for himself -- telling media the plan is to win a Super Bowl so they can get have that long-awaited parade in Dallas.

New York Yankees pitcher Zack Britton says he was ROCKED by COVID-19 ... revealing he lost 18 pounds in 10 days while battling the virus ... and he's still not fully recovered.

The 33-year-old southpaw says he contracted the coronavirus back in January ... and went into detail with reporters about his experience on Wednesday.

"I was surprised," Britton said. "I think I got it at the hospital when we were having our kid, so it was even worse."

"I was not expecting to be hit that hard by COVID. It wiped me out pretty good."

"The weight loss was surprising and just the after-effects I've been dealing with showed me how serious this can be, even for somebody that's healthy and how that can impact you months even after you've gotten over the roughest symptoms."

FYI -- Britton is 6'1" and reportedly usually weighs around 200 pounds ... in other words, he's in pretty good shape.

"It just wiped me out pretty good for about 10 days," Britton said. "Lost about 18 pounds, which could be good, I guess? But, I wasn't looking to lose 18 pounds and it happened quickly, so that's not good on your body and puts pressure in a lot of places."

Britton says the virus prevented him from throwing for about 3 to 4 weeks during the offseason ... but he's finally starting to feel like himself again.

But, COVID isn't the only health issue Britton's dealing with -- the 2-time All-Star is set to undergo surgery to remove a bone chip in his left elbow ... and is expected to miss several months of the season.

Rory McIlroy -- one of Tiger Woods' best friends on the PGA Tour -- says Tiger is "doing better" after his horrific car crash ... and could be discharged from the hospital in the next week or so.

McIlroy made the revelation on "The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon" on Tuesday ... saying he's spoken with Tiger since the 45-year-old was seriously injured in a rollover crash on Feb. 23 -- and is getting positive news from the golf legend.

"He's doing better," Rory told Fallon ... "Hopefully if things go well over the next week or so he might be able to get home and start recovery at home."

It'd be great news for Woods ... Tiger's right leg was severely broken in the accident -- requiring multiple procedures to fix the issues since.

McIlroy, though, said Woods has been in good spirits during his recovery ... even sending Rory encouragement -- and even some friendly trash talk -- over his performance at this past weekend's Arnold Palmer Invitational in Florida.

"Even from the hospital bed," McIlroy said with a smile, "he's still giving me some heat."

Tiger has not spoken publicly since Feb. 28 -- when he thanked the pro golfers, including McIlory, who paid homage to him by wearing red and black during their rounds.

NFL star Malcolm Butler -- the hero of Super Bowl XLIX -- says he's not ready to call it a career after being released by the Tennessee Titans.

The 31-year-old cornerback had signed with the Titans in 2018 following a weird, mysterious breakup with the New England Patriots. Butler ultimately inked a 5-year, $61 million contract with $30 mil in guaranteed money.

But, on Tuesday, the Titans informed Butler they would be moving on without him ... and Malcolm handled the move with class, thanking the organization and making it clear he intends to continue his NFL career elsewhere.

"I want to thank the Tennessee Titans, Ms. Adams, John Robinson, Coach Vrabel & the Coaching staff for giving me an opportunity after I left the New England Patriots in free agency in 2018."

"I also want to thank the Tennessee Titan fans who supported me from the beginning, and through my return from my injury last year to have my best season as a Titan this year."

As Butler points out, he led the Titans in interceptions and pass break-ups in 2020.

"I still feel I have a lot of gas left in the tank, and look forward to helping another team make it to the Super Bowl," Butler added.

"After going to 3 Super Bowls in my first 4 years in the league I know what it's like to play at a high level and help a team win it all."

"I will continue to give 100% on and off the field wherever I play next year."

Butler became an overnight celebrity when he intercepted Russell Wilson in the final seconds of Super Bowl 49 back in 2015 ... sealing the victory for the Patriots.

Tom Brady was named MVP of the game -- but everyone knows that specific play was the difference-maker.

Butler's relationship with the Pats seemed to sour at the end of the 2017 season when Bill Belichick chose to bench Malcolm for Super Bowl LII in January 2018 for unspecified issues.

Cleveland Browns WR Ryan Switzer says his 9-month-old son was discharged from the hospital Tuesday night following a major health emergency which required 3 blood transfusions and a major surgery.

Switzer says his baby boy, Christian, was initially hospitalized on March 6 after he "woke up in his blood."

To make matters worse, Christian also tested positive for COVID.

A team of doctors (which included a pediatric gastroenterologist) feverishly searched for the source of Christian's bleeding -- and ultimately decided to perform emergency surgery on March 7.

During the procedure, doctors found "several sites of bleeding" -- but couldn't identify the specific issue at the root of the situation.

Unfortunately, Christian continued to experience bleeding episodes after the surgery -- and his parents asked the public to "pray for our baby."

Christian lost so much blood during the ordeal, he required 3 infusions to stabilize his hemoglobin levels.

But, things finally took a turn for the better on March 8 -- "There were no more bleeding spells overnight and all of [Christian's] labs remained normal," Ryan said.

Finally, on March 9 ... doctors concluded Christian was stable enough to continue his recovery at home and he was formally discharged from the hospital!!!

Many questions about Christian's condition remain -- but it seems he's trending in the right direction and on Wednesday morning, Ryan shared a video showing his son smiling and happy at the family home.

"We didn’t get any clear answers on why what happened, happened but, to see him sleep through the night with no bleeding and wake up in a playful mood this morning means our prayers are being answered."

Jewish NFL star Julian Edelman says the anti-Semitic slur uttered by Meyers Leonard is the result of "casual ignorance" ... and he's offering to educate the NBA player on Jewish history so he doesn't make the same mistake twice.

Edelman says he's never met Leonard before -- but he's clearly caught up on the scandal surrounding the Miami Heat player, who used the anti-Semitic K-word to attack an opponent during a video game live stream this week.

Leonard later issued an apology -- claiming he was not aware of the hateful history of the word and vowed to educate himself about it.

"I'm sure you've been getting lots of criticism for what you said," Edelman said in an open letter to Leonard ... "Not trying to add to that, I just want to offer some perspective."

"I get the sense that you didn't use that word out of hate, more out of ignorance. Most likely, you weren't trying to hurt anyone or even profile Jews in your comment. That's what makes it so destructive."

Edelman continued, "When someone intends to be hateful, it's usually met with great resistance. Casual ignorance is harder to combat and has greater reach, especially when you command great influence."

"Hate is like a virus. Even accidentally, it can rapidly spread."

Edelman ended his letter with an offer to Leonard -- "I'm down in Miami fairly often. Let's do a Shabbat dinner with some friends I'll show you a fun time."

Melvin Gordon pleaded guilty to a reckless driving charge Wednesday -- stemming from a DUI arrest back in October, TMZ Sports has confirmed.

The 27-year-old running back was initially arrested for drunk driving and speeding during an Oct. 13 incident in Denver.

But prosecutors have formally dropped the two DUI charges against Gordon, who ultimately pled guilty to a lesser charge of reckless driving.

A rep for Gordon tells TMZ Sports the DUI charges were dropped due to "a lack of evidence."

A Denver County court official tells us Gordon appeared before a judge via a video conference call on Wednesday to close out the case.

Per the official, Gordon agreed to pay a $478.50 fine and to complete 12 hours of community service.

The Denver Broncos running back was facing jail time after investigators had initially said he was driving drunk and speeding late at night on Oct. 13, 2020.

In police documents, cops claimed Gordon was clocked doing 71 MPH in a 35 MPH zone ... and reeked of booze during ensuing questioning.

Cops also said Melvin had slurred speech, watery eyes and trouble maintaining his balance.

Here's Ben Simmons' best assist of the season so far ...

The Philadelphia 76ers star gifted his brother a brand new Audi for his birthday Tuesday ... and the pass off was so sweet, it brought big bro to tears!!!

Simmons recorded the whole thing on Instagram Live ... surprising his brother, Sean, in front of around 10,000 people who were watching on the live stream.

The video is super adorable ... Simmons walked toward his garage and told Sean, his older half-brother, "I got to show you something."

He then flipped around the camera -- and BOOM, brand-new Audi SUV!!!

"So, that's your car!" Ben told Sean. "I got you a car! It's yours, man! It's all yours, man!"

Sean was in complete shock ... and started laughing -- but a short time later, the tears started flowing!!!

"Why would you go and do something like that?!" Sean said, before thanking Ben over and over again.

The cutest part of the vid? Ben said he considered buying Sean a two-door, but got the bigger version to be "baby-friendly."

Simmons then joked about Sean's tears of joy ... screaming, "He's crying on the live!"

As for why Ben didn't hand-deliver the car himself -- the NBA point guard is currently under quarantine after he and teammate Joel Embiid reportedly came into close contact recently with someone who was COVID-19 positive.

Don't worry, Ben appears to be all good -- he's reportedly producing negative test results -- and could be back in time for Sunday's game against the San Antonio Spurs.

If you ditched the Tuesday lecture at Florida International University ... YOU MISSED DAVID BECKHAM!!!

The international soccer superstar dropped in as a special guest lecturer at the Chaplin School of Hospitality & Tourism Management ... and offered up his recipe for success to the students. And, the video is awesome!

The class -- "The David Grutman Experience" -- is led by hospitality guru David Grutman ... where students learn directly from the hospitality icon himself about "how to succeed in a competitive, constantly changing marketplace."

A big part of the course is teaching students about how to build and sustain a successful brand -- and since David Beckham is doing just that as the co-owner of the new Inter Miami CF pro soccer team, Grutman called him in to share his knowledge.

The 45-year-old talked about the importance of hard work and dedication to one's craft -- but also focused on surrounding yourself with a solid team.

"I try to work harder than everyone else," Beckham told the students ... "But, I also surround myself with great people that also are hard workers."

Beckham also spoke about the importance of giving back to the community and working with young kids.

After the lecture, Beckham said he hoped he inspired some of the students ... especially those who braved the cold 70-degree weather (gotta love Miami!).

Oh, one more thing about the class ... NO BOOKS REQUIRED!

The class outline on the official school website says, "This experiential course will take students from the classroom to Grutman’s clubs and restaurants. No books will be required, but students will need to research topics discussed."

Jordan Spieth -- one of the best golfers on the planet -- paused his practice round Tuesday to hear a speech about him from a child fan ... and the adorable scene was all caught on video!!

Spieth had been working his way around the TPC Sawgrass course in Florida in preparation for this week's PGA Tour event ... when out of nowhere, a little kid caught the 27-year-old's attention.

"Hey, Jordan!" the child yelled. "I'm doing a report on you at school, do you want to hear my speech?"

Jordan -- one of the sweetest guys on Tour -- obliged ... and then the kid delivered greatness!!

For around a minute, the child recited fact after fact about Jordan ... missing no details and not stumbling a single time -- and Jordan LOVED IT!!!

When the kid finished, everyone clapped ... and Spieth hooked him up with a signed ball and a glove!!

Unclear what the kid scored on his class project ... but we're guessing an A was given.

Because, come on, did you see the Masters outfit he wore for the classroom address???

The only thing Tom Brady might hate more than losing ... BANANA TIPS!!

The 43-year-old NFL superstar was showing off his smoothie skills on TikTok when it came time to add the ingredients.

Blueberries. Protein powder. Pumpkin seeds. Banana.

Great, sounds delicious and healthy. No surprise there.

But, when TB12 prepped the banana for the blender, he ripped off both ends of the fruit like a psychopath -- and declared that he won't eat banana tips!

So, are we ALL off banana tips now?

Look, Tom's got some weird eating habits (avocado ice cream, anyone?) ... but his diet seems to be effective. You know anyone else winning Super Bowls at 43?

Rob Gronkowski will not be riding off into the sunset after his latest Super Bowl win ... the future Hall of Famer tells TMZ Sports he's FOR SURE coming back to Tampa next season.

"I'm back, man!" Gronk says ... "I will be back playing football, man. I love the game of football. I loved playing last year. I had a great time."

In fact, Rob tells us training for 2021 has already begun ... the tight end says he took three weeks off after the Super Bowl, but he just got in 4 straight workouts to begin season prep this week.

"Let me tell you, I was a little bit sore first day of training but it bounced back like that," Gronk says. "I'm feeling good."

The words are music to the Buccaneers' ears ... there had to be at least SOME worry Gronk might hang up his spikes this offseason.

You'll recall, he retired abruptly in March 2019 ... saying his passion for the game just wasn't there.

A soccer journalist was smashed by a falling wall on the set of a live TV show Tuesday ... but somehow, the guy miraculously escaped without injury.

The analyst's name is Carlos Orduz ... and just seconds into his appearance on ESPN FC Radio -- he was blindsided by a piece of the set that clearly hadn't been secured properly.

In video of the incident, you can see the wall fell on Orduz with so much pace ... his face lurched straight into his desk.

His colleagues, who were trying to move on with the show professionally, expressed immediate concern -- and the network cut straight to commercial to check in on Orduz.

Fortunately, the sports reporter says nothing major happened to him as a result of the accident ... in a video update, he explained, "I want to tell you that I'm fine."

"They've already checked me, absolutely nothing happened apart from the scare."

Orduz added after further medical checkups Tuesday night, he suffered no fractures and nothing more than bumps and bruises.

"I must tell you that I am fine," Orduz wrote on Twitter. "Thank God."

Meyers Leonard is in some seriously hot water -- the Miami Heat center appeared to use an anti-Semitic slur during a recent video game stream this week ... and it was all captured on video.

The 29-year-old was playing "Call Of Duty: Warzone" on his Twitch channel -- which has nearly 70,000 followers -- when he seemingly says the following: "F***ing cowards, don't f***ing snipe me, you f***ing k*** bitch."

Yeah ... it's bad.

The comment was met with awkward laughter by other gamers on the stream ... but Leonard seemed to brush off the situation and kept playing.

Leonard has yet to address the incident -- he was actually still streaming on his channel early Tuesday afternoon -- but it's only a matter of time.

ML could now face punishment from Twitch -- the streaming service has a strict policy against hateful conduct and harassment based on race, ethnicity, color, caste, national origin, religion, sexual orientation and more.

Leonard's alleged comments come just months after NASCAR driver Kyle Larson was suspended after using the n-word during an iRacing event in April.

Fellow NASCAR driver Hailie Deegan also faced criticism after using the r-word during a virtual race in January.

FYI -- Leonard was one of the few NBA players who chose not to kneel for the national anthem during the season restart in Orlando.

He explained his decision to stand in a tweet earlier this year, saying, "I STAND AGAINST bigotry, racism, and hate."

We've reached out to Leonard's reps, the Heat, the NBA and Twitch for comment ... so far, no word back.

“[Yan] threw a fight-ending knee and it hit me in the side of the head, a shot I didn’t see, and if you think I’m faking that, let me do that to you. Please let me do that to you."

That's bantamweight champ Aljamain Sterling clapping back at the "clowns" and "jokers" who accused Funk Master of pretending to be hurt during his UFC 259 title fight -- all to steal the belt.

TMZ Sports asked the 31-year-old fighter how he was feeling physically after Petr Yan blasted him with the illegal knee.

"I was a little cloudy, I’m definitely better today. I couldn’t even drink the night of cause I was worried about my head. I felt nauseous. I ended up throwing up later that night."

Sterling went to the hospital the night of the fight -- and has since seen a doctor -- and now must wait to be cleared to begin training again.

As for his future fight plans, Sterling says he's interested in a fight with former champ-champ Henry Cejudo ... but 1st wants to rematch Yan.

And, Aljo says after 4 rounds with Yan -- he's never been more certain he can beat the Russian fighter.

“If anything, I think my confidence got better from this," Aljamain says.

"Everyone made him out to be this guy that was the boogeyman, that he hits super hard, that he’s in your face the whole time, when I was the one backing him up the whole time.”

And, about all those Oscar Award memes on social media ... Sterling sent a closing message to the haters.

“For anyone trying to say I quit, I never quit in anything that I’ve done in my life. Oscar, whatever you guys wanna say, I know who I am. I don’t have to prove anything to nobody."

Johnny Damon got in a scuffle with cops, appeared to bomb field sobriety tests, and even brought up his Trump support during his arrest last month ... and the wild scene was all captured on police video obtained by TMZ Sports.

Damon and his wife were pulled over at around 1:23 a.m. on Feb. 19 in Windermere, Fla. after cops say he was swerving on the road and driving erratically.

Once a cop stopped Damon ... body cam footage captured the 47-year-old ex-Yankee and Red Sox outfielder admitting to drinking before getting behind the wheel.

Then, an intense standoff between the officer, the ex-MLB star and the baseball player's wife ensued.

In the video, you can see the officer ordered Damon and his wife, Michelle Mangan-Damon, to stay in the car, but neither complied ... and a pushing and shoving squabble broke out.

At one point, the officer grabbed Mangan-Damon's wrist ... before Johnny got involved to separate the two.

The bumping and pushing got so heated, the officer's body camera was actually knocked to the ground.

Fortunately for all parties, backup arrived, and officers were able to settle down the scene.

Damon and his wife repeatedly talked about their support for cops, mentioning over and over, "Blue lives matter."

And, at one point, Damon brought up his affinity for Trump to a cop, saying "Hey, bro, I'm a good f***ing guy. I know people are trying to target me because I'm a Trump supporter."

Damon was then asked to complete some field sobriety tests ... but you can see on the video, it doesn’t look like he exactly passed any of them with flying colors.

Damon was ultimately arrested and booked on multiple charges, including driving under the influence and resisting arrest without violence.

A police report later showed cops said Damon's blood-alcohol level was .30, nearly FOUR TIMES the legal limit.

Damon's wife was also arrested after the stop, and booked on charges of battery on a law enforcement officer and resisting arrest with violence.

Court records show Damon pled not guilty to his DUI charge last month. He's due back in court in May.