TMZ Sports - Page 50

TMZ Sports has obtained the full, unedited video of that terrifying brawl at a youth baseball game in Colorado ... and it's even worse than we thought.

The person who shot the June 15 footage at Westgate Elementary School in Lakewood tells us the violence began when a woman walked onto the field brandishing a baseball bat as a weapon ... and a male parent tried to take it away from her.

During the struggle over the bat (captured on video), some parents began attacking the man, beating him down to the ground.

The violence continued for several minutes while little kids -- terrified -- tried to run off the field for safety.

The parents continued to attack each other ... while scared parents in the stands begged the combatants to stand down.

At one point, the woman recording the brawl begins to pray to Jesus to send angels down from the heavens to stop the violence.

Eventually, the fighting stops -- but the arguing continues -- with parents from both teams screaming at each other to leave the field.

Other parents are shouting that the police have been called ... but it doesn't seem to scare anyone.

You can see other parents pacing around the field holding bats while they wait for cops to arrive.

Eventually, police did show up and issue citations to multiple people. They're still on the hunt for the man who threw a violent sucker punch to an unsuspecting parent, sending him down to the ground.

We're told from witnesses that the whole thing exploded from a dispute over the rules.

Long story short, one team showed up with 13 players -- the other with 8 ... and parents were unhappy with how the game was playing out.

Arguments broke out in the stands and, eventually, parents asked the 13-year-old umpire to put a stop to foul language being thrown around. It was NOT over a bad call by the ump.

But, things only got more heated from there ... and we're told when the woman walked onto the field with the bat, all hell broke loose.

Cops say between 15 and 20 adults were involved in the incident.

The Lakewood Police Dept. is especially upset at the dude in the white shirt and teal shorts who blindsided a man with a pretty violent shot to the head.

Cops say several people have already been cited in this fight for disorderly conduct and fighting in public -- but they're clearly not done yet.

Officials also say at least one of the injuries is being classified as "serious."

So far, it doesn't appear any children were injured in the fight.

Carrie Underwood is accused of being a "Sunday Night Football" theme song stealer -- another singer claims Carrie straight jacked her hit, "Game On" ... and used it without permission.

The woman behind the suit is Heidi Merrill -- a singer who had success with the sports-themed song "Cornhusker Strong" back in 2015.

Merrill says she wanted to ride the wave and make more sports-themed music so she came up with the song "Game On" in 2016 and posted it to YouTube in March 2017.

In her suit, Merrill says she met Carrie Underwood's producer, Mark Bright, at an event in Nashville in August 2017 and asked if Carrie would be looking to create a new song for the 2018 NFL "Sunday Night Football" show open.

Merrill says she submitted the song to Bright -- but was eventually told Carrie's camp passed on using "Game On."

Fast forward to Sept. 2018 ... Merrill says she was shocked to see Underwood and NBC promoting a secret new theme song for 'SNF' ... which ended up being called "Game On."

Merrill says Carrie's version is "substantially -- even strikingly -- similar, if not identical" to her own song ... and she's pissed!

She's now suing Carrie, Mark Bright, NBC, the NFL and more for copyright infringement -- but she has not listed an amount she's looking for.

Kevin Durant is expected to miss the entire 2019-20 season with a ruptured Achilles ... but one wrestling star says he can help KD get back to the court in HALF THE TIME!!

NXT superstar Riddick Moss -- who also ruptured his Achilles last year and returned in "record" time -- says he can have Durant back on the court in 5 months. And, how can he prove it??

'Cause he did it himself!!

"This talk about KD being out for an entire season, missing next season, I don't like it," Moss says. "I don't wanna hear it."

"I wanna shut up all these people that are saying an Achilles rupture's gonna put you out for an entire season. Wherever you go, I wanna see you hoisting hardware at the end of the season in June."

Moss -- who is one-half of the Outliers in NXT, managed by Robert Strauss -- says he didn't miss a beat when he returned to the squared circle after his injury ... and is the guy to help KD get back to normal.

"Don't call Kobe Bryant for help. Kobe Bryant did not set a record coming back from an Achilles tendon rupture like Riddick Moss did. Kobe can't help you."

So ... maybe it's time to hit up this Moss fellow, KD??

4:10 PM PT -- Scherzer wasn't kiddin' when he said he was gonna try to pitch just ONE DAY after breaking his schnoz. He just took the mound against the Phillies on Wednesday.

Oh yeah ... and he's got a nice shiner to go with it.

Here's how you DON'T bunt a baseball ...

Max Scherzer -- arguably the best pitcher in the MLB -- was working on his bunting game in Nationals' batting practice Tuesday ... when he popped a pitch straight into his face!!

The ball flew into his nose and right eye ... and the 3-time Cy Young winner had to leave the field as a bloody mess.

Bad news for Washington ... x-Rays revealed he broke his nose -- and he even needed a CT scan to determine if his brain was okay.

Good news for Washington? Scherzer is reportedly doing much better Wednesday ... and wants to make his scheduled start Wednesday night against the Phillies!!!

Who said hockey players were the only tough guys left in sports?!?

L.A. Lakers forward Moe Wagner says he didn't intentionally "like" a pro-George Zimmerman tweet earlier this week ... and now he's apologizing to "anyone I hurt."

The 22-year-old German-born NBA player came under fire when people noticed he "liked" a tweet that essentially justified Zimmerman's 2012 killing of Trayvon Martin.

The tweet also said, "The black community [Zimmerman] had volunteered his time to help prior to the incident tried to ruin him."

Yeah, it's bad.

Zimmerman was found not guilty of 2nd-degree murder and manslaughter in the Martin case -- but most people still believe the guy is a scumbag.

In fact, Wagner's Lakers teammate, LeBron James, was one of the most vocal critics of Zimmerman during the hearing.

But, Wagner -- L.A.'s 1st-round pick in 2018 -- is now making it clear he is NOT a Zimmerman supporter -- and says the "like" was a genuine mistake.

"I’d like to apologize and say I genuinely have no idea how that tweet was liked from my account," Wagner tweeted.

"I would never purposely like something so terrible, and I’m sorry to anyone I hurt."

Heavyweight boxer Jarrell "Big Baby" Miller says the failed drug test that forced him out of his fight against Anthony Joshua cost him around $30 MILLION!!!!

... and yeah, he still thinks about it all the time!!

Remember, Miller was the guy ORIGINALLY slated to fight AJ on June 1 at Madison Square Garden -- but when "Big Baby" failed the test, Joshua's people signed Andy Ruiz as a last-minute replacement.

And, we all know what happened next -- Ruiz beat the dog snot out of Joshua ... and now Andy is trying to lock up a $50 million rematch deal.

So, when "Big Baby" joined the guys on the "TMZ Sports" TV show (airs weekdays on FS1) -- we asked if he ever thinks to himself, "That shoulda been me!"

"It was gonna be a massacre," Miller says ... "But, sometimes God has plans for you."

Miller ain't mad at Ruiz -- in fact, it's the opposite -- the two have been good friends for years and Miller says he couldn't be happier for the boxer.

But, when we asked how much cash he thinks the drug test ultimately cost him, Miller dropped some REALLY BIG numbers ... and explained, "You know how many cheeseburgers that is just now!?!!

Don't worry, Miller says he's getting his career back on track and plans on fighting later this year as soon as his suspension is up.

Austin Rivers tells TMZ Sports ... the reported rift between his Houston Rockets teammates, Chris Paul and James Harden, is nothing but a LIE ... saying, "It's just made up news, fake news!"

The NBA world went crazy Tuesday after Yahoo Sports reported the relationship between Paul and Harden has become "unsalvageable"-- with CP3 demanding the Rockets either get rid of "him or me."

So, when we saw Rivers at Craig's in L.A. on Tuesday ... we had to ask if he saw any of the reported drama in the locker room during the 2018-19 season.

"I know NOTHING about any of that," Rivers said ... "I don't know where that's coming from. A lot of fantasy tales being told right now"

He continued to shoot down the report -- "It's definitely not true. I didn't see any issues between any of them. It's just made up news, fake news like most of the stuff you see on these Instagram pages."

When asked if he'd like to play with both guys again, Rivers said ... "Yeah. I'd love to. Both Hall of Fame players."

We also shot James Harden in L.A. on Tuesday night leaving Bootsy Bellows -- but he definitely wasn't in the mood to talk about the alleged drama in Houston.

As for Rivers ... there's more cool stuff -- he gives advice to his old teammate, Anthony Davis, about how to be successful in Los Angeles.

Don't rule out a Justin Bieber vs. Tom Cruise fight in the UFC ... so says Dana White who tells TMZ Sports there's a very REAL chance the two could actually throw down in the Octagon.

After 25-year-old Bieber tagged the UFC president in a twitter post last week calling out 56-year-old Tom Cruise, White says he blew it off initially ... until he got some phone calls from "real guys" connected to the superstars.

Dana wouldn't say who he spoke with but was clear they're legit -- and they told Dana both Tom and Justin "really wanna do this fight and they believe that Tom Cruise would do the fight."

"I told them that if that's true -- and everybody involved really wants to do it -- we can talk."

In fact, White says if there's real interest from both stars "I'd be an IDIOT not to make this fight!"

And, to all the doubters, Dana says he didn't think there was a chance Floyd Mayweather vs. Conor McGregor would ever evolve into a real fight ... but that happened, right?!

Remember, Justin Bieber has trained with Floyd -- who once said the singer has enough fighting talent to be a pro boxer.

And, Tom Cruise was a star wrestler in high school -- and has a reputation for being one of the toughest actors in Hollywood who's been doing his own stunts for decades.

So, if they do agree to a fight ... it could be very interesting.

White adds, "That would be the easiest fight to promote in the history of my career."

After sending the tweet, Bieber said the whole thing was a joke ... but hey, people can change their minds.

Here's all the proof you need to know Manu Ginobili is lovin' retirement ... riding a bike through Manhattan Beach with his family and a big ol' smile on his face!!!

TMZ Sports spoke with the San Antonio Spurs legend while he breezed by our camera guy on Tuesday ... and he told us he's enjoying life with his wife and children off the hardwood.

FYI -- the 4-time NBA champ called it a career just before the start of the 2018 season ... saying "It's been a fabulous journey. Way beyond my wildest dreams."

It's a good sign for Ginobili's ex-teammate Tony Parker ... who just joined him in the retirement life after 18 seasons in the Associaton.

3:19 PM PT -- ROD SMART HAS BEEN FOUND SAFE!!

Family and police sources tell us Smart has been located and he's safe.

We're told Smart is surrounded by family and in the process of getting professional treatment.

Story developing ...

Rod Smart -- who shot to fame in the XFL using the nickname "He Hate Me" -- has gone missing and his family is extremely worried for his safety.

The Lancaster County Sheriff's Office in South Carolina has issued a Missing Person Advisory -- noting 42-year-old Smart was last seen on June 12 around 10:30 AM.

Cops say his family is "worried about his safety and well-being" -- adding, "It is unusual for him to be out of touch for this long."

He was last seen driving his silver 2016 Nissan Maxima with North Carolina tags.

Rod Smart -- real name Torrold Smart -- was a star running back at Western Kentucky back in the day ... and joined Vince McMahon's XFL football league when he wasn't selected in the NFL Draft.

In 2001, Smart was signed by the XFL's Las Vegas Outlaws -- which encouraged players to select a fun WWE-style nickname to rock on their jerseys ... and Smart famously picked, "He Hate Me."

Why the nickname? Smart told reporters at the time, "Basically, my opponent is going to hate me. After I win, he's gonna hate me."

Smart was so good in the XFL, he got looks from NFL teams and eventually signed with the Carolina Panthers ... where he played from 2002 to 2005.

After his football career, Smart reportedly worked as a personal trainer and a high school guidance counselor.

Sorry to crush the dreams of everyone hoping to see 49-year-old Brett Favre unretire (again) and suit up for 2020 ... the Gunslinger tells TMZ Sports his Instagram was HACKED.

Football fans lost their minds after Favre's verified IG account posted a throwback pick from Super Bowl XXXI with the caption "A true champion sticks to his or her calling. I will be coming out of retirement and making my return to play in the NFL for the 2020 season."

The post was deleted minutes later ... leaving people to speculate whether Favre was really coming back again.

Look, we've seen Favre throw passes recently and the guy still has a cannon for an arm. In fact, in late 2017 Favre told TMZ Sports he was confident he could still make NFL throws but didn't want to take the hits anymore!!!

So, when we saw the new Instagram comeback post, we had to call him up to see if he was REALLY trying to get back in the league ... but alas, it was not meant to be.

Favre says the explanation is simple -- someone hacked his social media account -- he's not trying to pull a Rafael Palmeiro and play pro ball into his 50s.

Now, Favre says the phony post was deleted and his team is scrambling to find the culprit.

Adam Silver is vouching for Toronto Raptors President Masai Ujiri -- saying the guy is a good dude ... but the NBA commish tells TMZ Sports he's still investigating Ujiri like he would anyone else.

Of course, Ujiri is facing some stiff allegations after shoving a cop after Game 6 of the NBA Finals ... with the officer's attorney saying his client suffered a concussion and a jaw injury in the altercation.

In fact, the Alameda County Sheriff's Office says it's pursuing a criminal misdemeanor battery charge against Ujiri ... saying it's set to meet with prosecutors this week.

When we got Silver out in NYC on Tuesday ... he told us he's known Ujiri for years -- but has still launched a full investigation into the allegations nonetheless.

"I've known Masai Ujiri for a long time," Silver says ... "I know he's a very decent person. But, at the same time, we of course respect law enforcement that does a great job protecting our fans in the arena."

"So, there's been an allegation here, so it's our job to look into the facts and make sure that everything's handled appropriately."

The cop who was shoved by Toronto Raptors President Masai Ujiri during a fight after Game 6 of the NBA Finals is blasting racism claims ... with his attorney telling TMZ Sports, "The injured officer's family is African American."

After it was revealed Ujiri and a white cop got into a pushing altercation last Thursday after the Raptors beat the Warriors at Oracle Arena ... some had suggested the incident was rooted in racism.

But, the cop's attorney, David Mastagni, says that's just not the case at all, telling us, "Insult to this injury is invoking race because the injured officer's family is African American."

"This case is credential vs. no credential. The issue is not race."

As we previously reported, Mastagni says his client -- who has yet to be publicly identified -- suffered both a "serious concussion" and a significant jaw injury after Ujiri shoved him.

Mastagni says the cop has NOT been able to return to work since the altercation, which Mastagni says was an "unprovoked" attack.

Mastagni also says they are still considering a lawsuit against the Raptors president.

Ujiri is also facing a criminal investigation ... with the Alameda County Sheriff's Office saying it will meet with prosecutors later this week to pursue a misdemeanor battery charge.

It ain't just the NFL asking bizarre, silly questions to potential draft picks -- NBA teams are hitting prospects with some crazy brainteasers too ... so says projected lottery pick Nassir Little!!

Little was a STUD at the University of North Carolina -- and has been meeting with teams ahead of Thursday's big draft night.

And, when we saw the 19-year-old out in D.C., we asked if he'd reveal the most interesting pre-draft question he got.

So, if you're ready to play ... HERE'S THE QUESTION!!!

You're locked inside of a car with only a hammer to aid you ... how do you get out of the car?!?!

Ya gotta watch the clip and see how Little answered the question -- it's probably the same answer YOU would give.

But, you're wrong ... and so was Little -- and the correct answer is probably gonna make you LOL.

Little definitely had a sense of humor about the situation -- couldn't have been nicer to us ... and told us all about what he plans on buying once he signs that first NBA contract.

Molly Qerim is breaking her silence after the LaVar Ball incident on "First Take" -- telling TMZ Sports she's grateful for the way ESPN execs "had my back" after the way LaVar talked to her on-air.

"ESPN was really supportive," Qerim told us Tuesday morning in NYC ... "All the executives had my back. Much appreciated."

The network quickly condemned Ball's comments to Qerim on Monday as "inappropriate" -- when he told her, "You can switch gears with me anytime."

We asked Molly if LaVar (or anyone in the Ball family) had reached out to apologize -- and she told us, "I haven't heard from anybody, but to be honest with you I shut my phone off after work."

As for her how famous NBA star husband, Jalen Rose, handled the situation -- Molly says, "I think Jalen would have just liked if [LaVar] would have apologized to me publicly."

Does Molly think ESPN should ban LaVar from coming back on "First Take" or any other ESPN show? We asked that too ... check out the clip.

For his part, LaVar is adamant the comments were NOT intended to be sexual in nature -- and he insists he meant no disrespect.

Good news about David Ortiz ... the Boston Red Sox say his condition has been upgraded from "serious" to "good" just 9 days after he was shot in the Dominican Republic.

"This morning, David's condition was upgraded to 'good' by his doctors and he continues to make progress with his recovery in the Intensive Care Unit at Massachusetts General Hospital," the team said in a statement.

"We remain grateful to everyone who has helped David through this ordeal, both in the Dominican Republic and here in Boston."

"David's journey to good health has been bolstered by the many expressions of love that have come to us from across the globe. Your support has lifted his spirits tremendously during this challenging time."

As we previously reported, Big Papi was shot in the back on June 9 while hanging out with friends outside of a hotspot in Santo Domingo.

Ortiz was initially treated in the D.R. -- but was flown to Boston in an air ambulance on June 10 to receive care in the U.S., where his family and personal doctors live.

DR police released the mug shot for the man they say shot Ortiz -- 25-year-old Rolfi Ferreira Cruz -- and at least 9 others have been arrested in connection to the shooting.