TMZ Sports - Page 50

Rob Gronkowski says he's not closing the door on his NFL career -- saying he's open to strap on the pads again if he starts jonesing for some football action!

Gronk says his body is finally "pain free" after getting into bed with a CBD company called CBD Medic ... and he hosted a media event on Tuesday to announce his partnership.

In short, Gronk says CBD has helped him get right since retiring and he hopes the league and other star players like Tom Brady will help get CBD approved for pain management in the NFL.

And, since he feels good, Gronk was asked about rejoining the Patriots -- and the 30-year-old explained that he's keeping an open mind.

"If I have the desire to play football again, if I feel passionate about football again, if I'm feeling like I need to be out there on the field, I will go back to football," Gronk said.

"But, as of now, that's not the case."

"It could be the case in 6 months. It could be the case in 2 years, could be the case in 3 years, could be the case in 3 months. But, I truly don't see it in the foreseeable future, in like a week or a month."

Gronk says toward the end of his career, "Football was bringing me down and I didn't like it and I was losing that joy."

Now, the future Hall of Famer says he's enjoying life away from the game and hopes the fans will support him.

During the event, TMZ Sports also asked Gronk if he had advice to fellow retired NFL star Andrew Luck ... and the TE delivered a heartfelt message to the QB.

Gronk also talked about Tom Brady and said he's excited to talk to TB12 about using CBD in his health care.

Lindsey Vonn hit the MTV VMAs with a brand new accessory ... her massive new emerald engagement ring!!

The legendary skier just got engaged to her hockey superstar boyfriend, P.K. Subban, last week but she kept the ring on the down low ... until Monday night.

As you can see, the stone itself is BIGGER THAN HER KNUCKLE ... and while the price of the ring is still unknown, safe to say it ain't cheap! Good thing Subban is in the middle of an 8-year, $72 million contract!

Subban previously told Vogue he picked the emerald because green is Lindsey's favorite color -- and it also happens to be his birthstone ... so it all worked out.

Plus, it matches an emerald green necklace he gave her for Christmas.

As for the wedding, Vonn has said the two are in no hurry ... this could be one of those super long engagement things, but both seem to be okay with that.

In the meantime, enjoy that rock!!!

Nick Diaz has a message for Colby Covington -- stop talking, let's fight.

Colby just went off about Nick during an interview with Helen Yee -- claiming he had signed a contract to fight Nick at Madison Square Garden in 2018 ... but Nick wouldn't put pen to paper.

"Nick was on board, he gave his verbal to the UFC that he wanted to fight me," Covington said ... "but when they sent him the contract, he never signed the contract.

He added, "We find out that he's a Stockton soy boy. He's scared. He has Stockton slaps but I got MAGA bombs and he ain't got sh*t on MAGA bombs."

So, when we saw Nick leaving Catch in L.A. on Monday, he disputed Colby's version of the story -- saying, "I'm not gonna sit here and call the man a liar, I never heard about it. I just found out."

But, Nick isn't a guy to dive into the details, he simply made a street offer to Colby instead.

"If you wanna fight man, you know where to find me. I'm not a hard guy to find ... step in my motherf*cking range right here."

He added, "Come at me, bro!!!!"

We also asked Nick about Georges St-Pierre -- and Diaz told us that there's no bad blood, he actually likes GSP ... he just wants the guy to move on with his life.

Doug Gottlieb says his Twitter shot at Andrew Luck's retirement was supposed to be a joke ... and wants to make it clear he's actually a big supporter of the ex-NFL QB.

The Fox Sports Radio personality got a TON of flak for his shot at Luck on Saturday ... when he said, "Retiring cause rehabbing is 'too hard' is the most millennial thing ever #AndrewLuck"

Gottlieb addressed the backlash on Monday ... saying the tweet was supposed to be funny, but people took it WAY too seriously.

"I'm a smart ass. I always have been. I always will be," Gottlieb said on his show. "And, if I can't find something funny with the things in life, well then you know what, strike me down because I like to make fun of things in life."

The tweet caught the eyes of names like Torrey Smith, who quickly brought up Gottlieb's past troubles with the law that famously got the former basketball player expelled from Notre Dame.

"If you wanna go to me stealing credit cards 23 years ago, you're gonna have to deal with the fact that those questions have been asked, that has been answered," Gottlieb said. "We've all moved on."

Gottlieb defends his take by saying Luck's reasoning for hanging it up falls under the "millennial" mentality ... and goes on to make a comparison to Luck's predecessor, Peyton Manning.

"And, the new generation, maybe they're smarter, maybe they don't care as much about the ultimate success, maybe they just get that it's a short-term profession -- get a lot of money and get out."

Bronny James is 14 years old and already cooler than you'll ever be ... 'cause the basketball royalty got an epic shout-out in Drake's newest music video!!!

The 6 God somehow got his hands on LeBron James Jr.'s Strive For Greatness AAU team jersey ... and decided to wear it in his new "Money In The Grave" video with Rick Ross, which dropped on Monday.

Of course, Aubrey is no stranger to rockin' rare threads -- he had a Zion Williamson Spartanburg Day School jersey when the baller was still a 16-year-old H.S. phenom.

Drake also trolled Steph Curry during Game 1 of the NBA Finals by wearing his dad Dell's Raptors jersey, so the guy is clearly looking to make a case for toughest jersey collection out there.

Wearing the jersey for a music video is a MUCH bigger deal, though ... and King James took notice, commenting "So Tough!!!" with a bunch of fire emojis.

Bronny's gotta run for class office with all this clout.

By the way, Bronny's only a FRESHMAN at Sierra Canyon High School in L.A. -- where he's teammates with Dwyane's Wade's son, Zaire, and a bunch of other high school phenoms.

Pictured: Jacoby Brissett (#7). P.J. Walker (#5). Chad Kelly (#6).

Not Pictured: Andrew Luck (#12).

The Indianapolis Colts kicked off their first practice since Andrew Luck's sudden retirement on Saturday ... with 3 QBs all vying to take his spot.

Of course, Brissett has a tremendous advantage ... not only did he start when Luck was injured last year, but he's a pretty solid quarterback.

Remember, back in 2017 (when Luck was injured) Jacoby stepped up and threw for more than 3,000 yards with 13 TDs and 7 INTs in 15 starts.

As for the rest of the QBs, the war is on for that backup spot ... and NFL legend Jim Kelly thinks it's a hell of an opportunity for his nephew, Chad.

In fact, Jim told Greg Vorse he's excited for Chad to be able to compete and thinks CK has the talent to be a real successful NFL quarterback.

Chad has had several off-the-field issues over the years, including a bizarre arrest last year that led to the Broncos cutting him ... but Jim says he thinks Chad has moved past all of that.

"I think he's got his head together," Kelly said ... noting that he's spent a TON of time working with Chad this offseason.

So, what's the deal with P.J. Walker? He's been on the Colts practice squad for the past couple of years after playing his college ball at Temple ... he's got the most to prove on the field.

Conor McGregor's PR tour has touched down in Italy -- where the UFC superstar is still trying to prove he's just your average family man ... and not a violent maniac.

Just days after Conor went on ESPN to apologize for punching a man in the face at a pub, McGregor and his girlfriend, Dee Devlin, flew over to the Amalfi Coast for some R&R.

Conor also brought along his personal photographer to Italy to capture some lovey-dovey pics of the couple ... which we're sure they'll post on social media shortly.

Of course, Conor is desperately trying to push the narrative that he's not a bad guy ... telling Ariel Helwani last week his violent outbursts are a result of being "baited" by troublemakers.

The problem, obviously, is that video evidence doesn't seem to jive with Conor's explanation ... the guy at the Irish pub was just SITTING THERE when Conor punched him in the face.

And, the phone-smashing incident in Miami also seems to have been more about Conor being a jerk than the other guy antagonizing him.

And, don't forget about the 2018 bus attack ... when Conor chartered a plane from Ireland to New York to try and jump Khabib Nurmagomedov ... injuring several innocent people in the process.

The good news ... Conor is using his injured left hand to lift weights during his Italian vacation which is a good sign if he's REALLY hoping to fight again in 2019.

File Under: Moguls Stick Together!!!

Diddy is throwing his support behind his friend, Jay-Z -- and clapping back at the haters who have been blasting Jay for getting into bed with the NFL.

As we previously reported, Jay and NFL commish Roger Goodell announced a partnership earlier this month -- where Roc Nation will head up music, entertainment and social justice efforts for the NFL.

Some went after Jay saying he turned his back on Colin Kaepernick after publicly supporting the QB in the past. Jay explained that he's trying to turn Colin's kneeling protest into a tangible change for people affected by police brutality.

Now, Diddy is going to bat for Jay too -- while continuing to show support for Colin as well.

"Hov is one of the greatest to ever do it, he has been there more than anybody from the hip hop culture, including me," Diddy said on social media.

"He always has been so selfless and fights for other people. We as a people can not be divided and conquered at this time!!"

As for Kap, Diddy said he's proud of the QB -- adding, "I’ll continue to support him in every way possible."

Diddy says he believes Jay will do some incredible things in his partnership with the NFL -- explaining, "It’s time to play chess not checkers."

Diddy also spelled out why he cares so much about Jay-Z's success.

"I was just watching everything last week but it hurt me to my heart because I know this man personally. He’s one of the most genuine and intelligent black leaders we’ve ever had. We cannot go against each other, there’s not enough of us. I applaud Jay Z and I applaud the NFL for bringing him in."

"This isn’t just about the NFL, it’s about how black and brown people are treated daily across this country. We have to come together and make the hard decisions, nobody is going to do it for us."

"I believe in taking action, taking steps towards the right direction and I support all my brothers that are out here taking ACTION."

DeMarcus Cousins didn't let a torn ACL hold him back on the biggest day of his life ... so says Matt Barnes, who tells TMZ Sports the NBA superstar was dancing and in great spirits at his wedding over the weekend!!!

The 29-year-old Lakers center married his longtime girlfriend, Morgan Lang, in Atlanta on Saturday -- just 2 weeks after seriously injuring his left knee in a Vegas training sesh.

The event looked like NBA All-Star Weekend with huge stars like Barnes, Anthony Davis, Draymond Green, Andre Iguodala and more in attendance.

As for the dancing, Boogie didn't do anything stupid -- he was cautious -- and left the wild dance moves to his new wife!!!

You can see in the footage ... Cousins was moving nice and slow during his first dance with his wife. There will be plenty of time for Boogie to boogie after he gets healthy.

We talked to Barnes about DC's morale during his big day ... and while Matt says he's sure the guy is frustrated about the recent bad luck, Cousins didn't show it on Saturday.

"He's been through a lot of late, so I'm happy to see him smile, be able to take his mind off his injury and enjoy his day," Barnes told us at LAX.

BONUS -- Matt Barnes had a BIG problem on the day after the wedding ... he had a bunch of weed but didn't want to take it to the airport.

What ensued is one of the funniest scavenger hunts we've ever seen -- and Barnes posted a road map to his stash on social media!!!

Good luck!!!

If you stay ready, you don't have to GET ready ... and Colin Kaepernick looks ready!

The quarterback hit up a gym in New York City on Sunday to get his pump on ... just in case that phone rings from an NFL team.

Kap was sporting Nike head to toe -- the company has not only stuck by Colin, but has featured him in ad campaigns over the years.

Our Kap sources tell us Colin's been hitting the gym DAILY and working out with a QB coach regularly ever since he last stepped foot on an NFL field back in 2016.

Now, with Andrew Luck announcing his retirement on Saturday ... and other teams trying to figure out their quarterback situations, seems the timing could finally be right for a Colin Kaepernick comeback.

In fact, Colin's pal, Eric Reid, recently said he'd like to see Kap get a shot with the Carolina Panthers if (and only IF) Cam Newton is too injured to play after suffering a foot injury during a preseason game.

Reid stressed that he supports Cam and is rooting for Cam -- but says Kap would be an excellent Plan B.

Kaepernick has made it clear to friends and fans that he wants to keep playing football -- and recently debuted a counter on his social media pages showing the days he's been out of work.

Patriots safety Patrick Chung won't be in court Wednesday to face his cocaine charge ... he waived his arraignment hearing and had his attorney plead not guilty for him on Monday instead.

The New England defensive back was indicted by a grand jury in Belknap County, NH earlier this month after officials say Chung was found in possession of coke back on June 25.

Chung was slated to appear in court later this week to fight the charge ... but according to court officials, that hearing has been canceled after Chung's attorney entered a not guilty plea on the 32-year-old's behalf.

Chung is now slated to head back to court on Nov. 8 ... just 5 days after the Patriots play the Ravens on Sunday Night Football.

Chung's cocaine charge is a serious one ... the guy is facing 7 YEARS behind bars if he's convicted.

Chung -- who's helped New England win 3 Super Bowls -- has not played in the Patriots' 3 preseason games this month.

Head coach Bill Belichick has declined to comment on the safety's status ... and the team said in a statement last week, "We will not be commenting while his judicial proceedings take place."

NBA star De'Aaron Fox is shedding some light on why he parted ways with Team USA -- telling TMZ Sports it's NOT because he's injured!!!

The 21-year-old withdrew from Team USA earlier this month -- joining guys like Trae Young and Kyle Lowry who also recently backed out.

There have been questions surrounding Fox's move ... some people think he was nursing a secret injury, others say he wants to focus on the next NBA season. There's even a theory he was cut.

So, when we saw the Sacramento Kings star at LAX, we had to ask for the REAL reason he left.

"That's for me to know," Fox coyly told us ... adding, "I'm completely healthy."

So, the mystery continues ...

Nick Turturro went NUCLEAR on Dodgers star Joc Pederson over the weekend -- with the actor claiming Joc FLIPPED HIM OFF during the game ... and now they're enemies for life!!!

FYI, the "NYPD Blue" star is a HARDCORE Yankees fan -- and was sitting front row at Dodgers Stadium on Sunday to watch his Bombers take on the Blue Crew at Dodgers Stadium.

Nick was going crazy during the game -- celebrating and cheering so hard, he was featured several times during the broadcast on FS1.

But, after Joc's first at-bat (a solo home run), Turturro claims Pederson looked right at him and shot him the bird ... for essentially no reason!!!

"Can you believe this?! I'm sitting here in the front row, Joc Pederson just flipped me off for nothing! I was just looking at him," Nick said.

"I guess 'cause I got a Yankee jersey??? It's alright, Joc. Now, you're on my s**t list!!! Now, I'm in your head!"

Nick's rant continued ... "I'M OFFICIALLY IN YOUR HEAD!!! I can't wait 'til you come up again!!!"

Yep, the Turturro curse was in full affect ... and it worked!!! Joc didn't get another hit the rest of the game and the Yankees ended up winning 5-1, taking the series 2 games to 1.

This beef is far from over ... with the Dodgers and Yankees killing it right now, it's VERY possible they could meet up again in the World Series, which would be AMAZING!!!

Tom Brady is clapping back at the Andrew Luck haters -- saying, "It's his life. Everyone has the right to choose what they want to do."

Luck was showered in boos from Colts fans on Saturday who were pissed at the 29-year-old for retiring just 2 weeks before the season.

Some ex-NFL players and reporters have also trashed Luck -- essentially saying he's screwing over his teammates, coaches and fans.

But, Tom Brady ain't hearing that crap ... essentially defending Luck during his weekly appearance on "The Greg Hill Show" on WEEI.

"Everybody wishes they could be healthy all the time," Brady said ... "It is a contact sport and he’s certainly had his fair share of injuries, so guys retire at different times."

Don't worry, Tom ain't going anywhere ... the 42-year-old QB made it clear he wants to keep playing as long as he can -- and says his family, friends, teammates and trainer are behind him all the way.

"It feels great when you have that support because a football season is like a marathon. There’s moments where it is very challenging whether it’s physically, emotionally, or mentally -- you need somebody to help you push through the hard parts because it’s not all easy."

Brady added, "It’s a great challenge, but it is very rewarding when you meet the challenge, too."

What's interesting is that Tom's wife, Gisele, has spoken publicly about her concerns for Tom's long-term health ... saying in 2017 he has concussions all the time that "we don't talk about."

She also went on Ellen in late 2018 and suggested she tried talking Tom into retiring ... but "wasn't very successful."

Tom's not the only star QB defending Luck -- Troy Aikman came out swinging at Doug Gottlieb, who tweeted, "Retiring cause rehabbing is 'too hard' is the most millennial thing ever."

Aikman fired back -- "That's total bulls**t Doug. What qualified you to decide how someone should live their life?"

Sore losers?!?

The director of the University of Florida marching band was attacked on the way back to the bus after the football team beat the Miami Hurricanes ... and everyone seems to be pointing the finger at an angry 'Canes fan.

After Florida secured a 24-20 win over their in-state rivals Saturday night in Orlando, Jay Watkins was leading the UF band out of the stadium and to the waiting buses when he tried to block a female fan from cutting through the formation, according to school officials.

Moments later, someone grabbed Watkins from behind and threw him to the ground -- causing a laceration on his head.

The suspect fled the scene -- but most people believe the culprit was a Miami fan who took the rivalry too far.

The good news for Watkins ... he was treated by a paramedics but ultimately traveled home on the bus with the rest of the band.

Watkins spoke with Florida State University band director Patrick Dunnigan on Sunday -- and told him, "he is very sore today and has a nasty bump on his head."

Dunnigan says he's sick and tired of band members being targeted by stupid, violent fans.

"Students in band uniforms are an easy and all-too-common target for disgruntled fans — especially these idiots who attend Miami games," Dunnigan said on Facebook.

The battle continues ...

Shaquille O'Neal is throwing shade at Dwight Howard again ... proving that a Lakers jersey won't protect DH from the wrath of the Diesel.

Shaq and Dwight have been going at it for years -- some people trace the feud back to a 2007 dance battle ... when a young Dwight tried to eat Shaq's metaphorical heart (don't worry, Shaq battled back and took his head).

Over the years, the shots continued ... with Dwight even trying to use Shaq's famous "Superman" moniker at one point. That didn't go over well with O'Neal.

So, when we saw Shaq at Papa John's in ATL -- where he was giving away free pizza to kids -- we had to ask how he felt about the Lakers signing D12 in the wake of Boogie Cousins getting injured.

"Who?!? I don't know him," Shaq cheekily told us ... trying to turn the focus back on the food.

Point is ... Shaq's a Lakers legend with his own statue on the side of the Staples Center -- so if Dwight wants to win back Lakers Nation, he's gotta figure out a way to win over Shaq, quickly.