TMZ Sports - Page 50

Terrell Owens has some sage advice for Jerry Jones -- PAY EZEKIEL ELLIOTT!!! Cause da 'Boys need Zeke, not the other way around.

We got the ex-Cowboys wide receiver early Monday morning outside Delilah in WeHo and we straight-up asked him if he had any advice for the Dallas Cowboys owner as he navigates a contentious contract negotiations with his star running back. The two sides reportedly had "fruitful" talks over the weekend but they're still not close to striking a new deal.

Terrell makes zero bones about it ... Jerry's gotta write Zeke a fat check. And while Cowboys brass has been frustrated with Zeke holding out for a new deal ... TO's all about it.

Ezekiel's been holding out since the start of training camp in July. The 2-time Pro Bowler would make $3.85 million this season and $9.1 million in 2020 if he doesn't get a new deal. But, Zeke's put up some massive numbers since entering the league in 2016 ... with 4,048 yards rushing since the Cowboys selected him with the 4th overall pick.

Last year alone ... Zeke rushed for 1,434 yards and 6 touchdowns. Not to mention his 567 yards and 3 touchdowns receiving.

Cedric The Entertainer damn near lost his mind when he feasted his eyes on Magic Johnson's floating mansion.

The comedian was cruising on a small launch boat in St. Tropez ... and as he got closer and closer to the Hall of Famer's super-yacht you can hear Cedric get giddy. Now that's one helluva first impression. The yacht -- called the Aquila -- is a 281-foot ship that costs nearly a MILLION BUCKS per week to rent.

Magic and his wife, Cookie, kicked off their annual yacht vacay in early August. LL Cool J, Rodney and Holly Robinson Peete and others were some of the early invitees. Some of his past rotating group of super famous and wealthy friends have included Samuel L. Jackson and Steve Harvey.

As we've told you ... Magic's vacations usually last around 6 weeks. That makes for one baller $6 million vacation. The boat itself's practically a hotel ... featuring a dining room area, movie theater, hot tub and massive outdoor deck. The ship can host 12 guests with a crew of 28.

If Conor McGregor's keepin' it 100 about wanting a Frankie Edgar fight, he's got a willing dance partner, 'cause the UFC superstar from Jersey tells TMZ Sports he'll literally fight Conor at "any weight, any time."

Remember, last week The Notorious told ESPN's Ariel Helwani that he admired Frankie ... and was interested in a bout with the former 145 pound champ.

But, is Frankie -- who declared he was going down to 135 pounds after losing to Max Holloway -- down for that fight?

Hell yes!

"I'm game, he knows I'm game. I'm supposed to go down to bantamweight, but I will obviously delay that for the McGregor fight."

Edgar says Conor's interview actually made him optimistic the fight could finally happen ... after years of talk.

"It gave me hope that maybe I could get a fight with him. I've been trying to fight this guy for a really long time."

McGregor said he was targeting an Octagon comeback before the start of next year ... and Frankie says he wants to fight once more before 2020 rolls around.

So, what's Edgar's message to Conor?

"Hey, lets stop faking the funk, man. Don't just say it. Lets follow through on it and get it done. I'm game. Like I said, any weight, any time. We could really do it anywhere. That's a fight you get remembered for."

Sorry, Chipper Jones ... Tom Glavine says Ronald Acuna Jr., Freddie Freeman and this year's version of the Braves' offense is BETTER than the 1995 Atlanta team that won it all!!

"They're good," Glavine says ... "They're pretty good."

Of course, the bats on the '95 squad were awesome ... Chipper, Fred McGriff, Javy Lopez and Ryan Klesko helped power the team to its third-ever World Series championship.

But, when we got Glavine -- who was a star pitcher on that roster -- out in NYC this week ... he told us he believes this year's team has more pop!

As for this year's Braves pitching staff ... Glavine wasn't about to go crazy with the praise -- he says him, Greg Maddux, John Smoltz and the rest of the 'pen definitely had the edge there.

"We had a good rotation," the Hall of Famer says.

Carmelo Anthony is all in on joining forces with Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving in Brooklyn ... telling TMZ Sports he considers the 2 NBA superstars "family" ... and teaming up would be "bigger than basketball."

The 10-time All-Star has been jobless since November ... but has publicly made it clear he's NOT ready to ride off into the sunset just yet.

KD and Uncle Drew don't want that to happen either, with the new Nets ballers reportedly "pushing" for the team to sign the 35-year-old free agent.

We spoke with Melo out in NYC on Saturday night about being recruited by the pair of NBA champs ... and he seems more than ready to team up.

"That's family," Melo said. "So, that's bigger than basketball. If something happens, something's gonna happen."

Anthony also has a message for everybody campaigning to get him back in the league ... and says he's ready to get to work.

Serena Williams and her husband are worth nearly $200 million, but they still opt for the simplest form of mass transit in NYC -- a dude on a bicycle.

Serena spent part of Saturday, her off-day from the U.S. Open, cruising in a pedicab with hubby Alexis Ohanian and their daughter, Alexis. Talk about pressure on the pedicab rider -- just weaving through crazy city traffic with the G.O.A.T. of tennis hitched to you!

The fam was most likely having an early celebration their little girl's birthday ... she turns 2 on Sunday, but Mom's gonna be busy playing Petra Martic for a spot in the quarterfinals.

We're used to seeing Serena's killer instincts on the tennis court, but it's cool to see her maternal side here. Serena cradled her little girl -- while rocking matching tennis skirts, BTW -- while Dad settled up with the cab rider. Pretty freakin' cute.

Le'Veon Bell is finally replacing the jewelry his girlfriends jacked this past spring ... TMZ Sports has learned he just went on a shopping spree for bling -- AND SPENT $300,000!!!

Bell famously had at least HALF A MILLION dollars worth of drip stolen out of his Florida home on May 25 ... after his two GFs allegedly robbed him blind after he left them naked in his bed.

But, the Jets superstar finally got around to replacing the ice while on the road for NY's preseason game against the Falcons last weekend ... and we're told his shopping sesh was epic.

27-year-old Bell hit up Icebox in Atlanta and came away with a grip of rings, bracelets, earrings, a new chain and watch ... and it all totaled up to $300k.

The complete list of what the running back left the store with is staggering ...

-Two 14 karat white and yellow gold zig-zag style diamond rings, worth $5,000 each

-One 14 karat yellow gold Icebox diamond bangle worth $20,000

-One 14 karat white gold Icebox spike diamond bangle worth $26,000

-One 14 karat white gold Icebox nail bangle worth $22,000

-One 14 karat white gold diamond pinkie ring worth $10,500

-One 14 karat yellow gold diamond star ring worth $18,000

-One Rolex Datejust 41MM wristwatch with 18.82cts of VS diamonds worth $35,000

-One pair of 14 karat white gold diamond stud earrings with one VS diamond in each earring worth  $18,000

-One 14 karat white gold Marina style diamond ring worth $4,500

-One 14 karat white gold Marina style diamond chain with over 50.33 cts of VS diamonds worth $75,000

-One 14 karat white gold Marina style diamond bracelet with over 26.76 cts of VS diamonds worth $31,500

We're also told Bell put down $50,000 toward a new custom piece that the pros at Icebox are specifically designing for him.

As for the big bill ... don't worry, Bell can afford it -- dude signed a 4-year, $52.5 MILLION contract with the Jets this off-season.

Daniel Cormier should NOT hang up the gloves just yet ... not before seeking vengeance in a trilogy fight against Jon Jones ... so says former UFC star Jimi Manuwa.

Earlier this week TMZ Sports talked to Jimi -- a former UFC light heavyweight bad ass who beat dudes like Ovince St. Preux, Corey Anderson, and Jan Blachowicz -- about DC's future in MMA.

Manuwa says DC isn't done and deserves another big time fight ... and the perfect opponent is Jon.

"I don't know if he should f**kin' go out on a loss like that, ya know? I feel he should maybe do 1 more with Jones."

Remember, Cormier just took a devastating L to Stipe Miocic ... and he admitted he's mulling retirement.

It's not only Daniel ... Khabib Nurmagomedov recently told us that he and DC's coaches and teammates also want him to retire.

But, Manuwa disagrees ... and says the 3rd time could be the charm when it comes to Jones.

Charles Oakley says he's still persona non grata at Madison Square Garden ... telling TMZ Sports he feels "blackballed" by James Dolan ... and he wants the commissioner to get involved.

The Knicks legend was infamously dragged out of MSG and arrested for getting physical with security after an altercation with Dolan at a game in Feb. 2017.

Oak still has hard feelings about how it all went down ... and tells us he wishes the league would've had his back in his fight against Dolan.

"It's been 2 years plus. The league hasn't done nothing to him about it," Oakley says. "Take a stand. They take a stand for everything else. [Colin] Kaepernick took a stand in the NFL. I'll probably take a stand in the NBA."

Even after all this time, Oak says he can't figure out exactly WHY Dolan doesn't like him ... "They just don't like me. For what reason, I don't know."

Oakley says he wants Adam Silver to get involved and make things right ... because "the problem hasn't been solved yet."

Wiz Khalifa had to bail on a concert on the eastern seaboard because of a bad foot injury -- specifically, he got jacked up while putting in serious work ... MMA style.

Sources connected to the Pittsburgh MC tell TMZ ... Wiz fractured his ankle Friday night during an MMA training session, which left him unable to perform during Saturday night's Hot 104.7's Hot Summer 2019 showcase in Westbrook, Maine.

He was one the headliners on the lineup -- performing alongside acts like A Boogie wit da Hoodie, Ally Brooke, YK Osiris, Big Freedia and others -- but because he couldn't make it ... DMX filled in for him last minute. Not a bad replacement.

Wiz took to social media Saturday to apologize to fans who'd purchased tickets in hopes of seeing him hit the stage, but promised he'd make it up to them in the future when he was healthy. He also made sure to thank DMX for stepping in on short notice.

If the MMA thing is catching you off guard, it shouldn't. He's been at this for at least a couple years now ... and he's absolutely taking training seriously. Just ask FOX's Jay Glazer.

Back in 2017, Wiz was filmed getting in an MMA sesh with Jay ... and the dude looks like he can absolutely throw down. He's even toyed with the idea of taking an actual fight.

What's crazy about this unfortunate setback for Wiz is that he appears to wear protective gear on his legs and ankles when he trains -- at least he did in this video here. He must've been kicking some serious ass to splinter a bone down there ... yowza. BTW, it should be noted ... we're told Wiz was NOT training with Jay in this instance.

YBN Cordae says there isn't much he can do to help his girlfriend, Naomi Osaka, prepare for a big tennis tournament ... other than be a supportive BF, that is.

We got the Maryland-based rapper leaving a Puma Store Friday night in NYC, where he's in town for the U.S. Open -- in which Naomi is competing and defending her championship. She's got a huge match Saturday night against up-and-comer Coco Gauff. Should be good.

Seeing how Naomi's got a lot on the table ... we asked Cordae if he does anything in particular to help her get ready for these high-stakes moments. Turns out, he says he mostly gets out of the way and let's her do her thing ... 'cause she knows what she's doing.

One thing he is in charge of though ... getting her to bed on time. Yep, that's good boyfriendin' 101, especially if your girl is an international superstar athlete.

Our camera guy also asks if he was able to glean any knowledge off off Kobe Bryant and Colin Kaepernick this week, as they were both sitting near YBN in the stands on Thursday.

Ryan Russell says he's been getting nothing but support from NFL circles since announcing he's bisexual ... and the pass rusher is hungry for his next opportunity on the gridiron.

We got Ryan and his boyfriend Friday afternoon in Los Angeles, holding hands and heading for a bite at Urth Caffe ... the day after he made his sexual preferences public.

The former Cowboys draft pick tells us he's been hearing from his former coaches and teammates in Dallas and Tampa Bay ... and the feedback on his sexual identity is all positive.

Acceptance and tolerance are good news for Ryan ... sounds like the NFL free agent would be welcomed into a locker room with open arms, no matter which of the 32 franchises takes a shot on the three-year vet.

As for his next move ... Ryan says the plan is still to play football, even though training camps just broke, and he's working out and staying ready in case his phone rings.

Russell sat out all of last season with a shoulder injury after playing in a combined 23 games with the Cowboys and Buccaneers in his first 3 years in the NFL.

Check out the clip ... Ryan sounds healthy in mind and body as he awaits his next shot.

Good news, bad news for the Dallas Cowboys ...

The good: Michael Irvin says Ezekiel Elliott will NOT sit out this season over his contract feud with the team!!

The bad: Irvin says the running back will be SUPER PISSED if he has to play on his current deal.

"I don't think he'll sit out the season, but what he will do if nothing gets done is break -- you break the love that he has with this unit," Irvin says ... "Somehow, some way, it will disturb him, and that stuff will fester."

The Cowboys kick off their season next week ... but Zeke is still down in Cabo, and there's starting to be serious concern the guy won't show up this season a la Le'Veon Bell in 2018.

But, Irvin -- who's been close with Zeke throughout the last 3 years in Dallas -- says the 24-year-old WILL show up ... but he's warning Jerry Jones it'll get messy if he's not paid.

As for what Zeke means to the team this year ... Irvin says there's no way in hell the Cowboys will win the Super Bowl without him.

"Jerry needs to make this happen," Irvin says.

L.A. is Dwight Howard's final shot at returning to NBA dominance and he knows it ... so says Matt Barnes, who tells TMZ Sports it's "time to put the bullsh*t to the side" and get back to business.

Of course, it's been over 6 years since Howard's disastrous first stint with the Lakers ... and the guy's career has never been the same.

So, when we spoke with Barnes -- who played with Howard on the Magic in 2009 and 2010 -- about the reunion in L.A. ... he says it could be a new spark in Dwight's career.

"I think he realizes it's his last chance and really need to put all the bullsh*t to the side and just go out there and play basketball," Barnes says.

For his part, Howard says that's exactly what he's trying to do -- even attempting to shut down a beef with Shaquille O'Neal because he wants to focus on basketball.

Of course, Dwight has been considered a disruption in the locker room for most of his career. We asked Barnes if that was a fair rap.

Ric Flair says his wife, Wendy Barlow, is "100 percent" the reason The Nature Boy is alive today ... telling TMZ Sports, "She's responsible for all of it."

Ric's had some close calls when it comes to his health the last few years ... he was on death's doorstep in 2017 and just a few months ago he needed a heart procedure to keep his ticker going.

Flair says the docs obviously did a great job piecing him together ... but tells us Wendy truly deserves all the credit for getting him back to being a jet flyin' son of a gun!!

"Doctors 20, her 80," Flair says of Wendy ... "No, 90-10. She's responsible for all of it."

As for how he's feeling now, after the heart procedure in May, Naitch tells us he's doing great ... saying, "Best I've been in 10 years!"

By the way, we also talked to Ric about Taylor Swift's new song, "The Man," and ya gotta hear why Flair has some issues with it.

Hint: As Wendy says, "Ya gotta beat the man to be the man!"

Jennifer Lopez and Alex Rodriguez were riding in a SUV when it allegedly bowled over a man in an L.A. alleyway ... at least according to a lawsuit he's filed against the superstar couple.

In the docs obtained by TMZ ... Liyanage Perera claims he was walking behind an eatery off Melrose Ave last October when he was hit by the Cadillac SUV in which A-Rod and J Lo were passengers.

He doesn't name the restaurant in the suit, but we believe it was Craig's, because we have this video of their SUV striking a paparazzo.

In the suit, Liyanage claims he was seriously injured and he's going after the singer and baseball player to cover medical expenses, plus damages. The suit makes no mention of Liyanage's profession.

Liyanage admits A-Rod and J Lo were not behind the wheel, but in the suit he claims they failed to instruct their security team to be careful as they pulled away from the restaurant. He also points out they didn't stop to check on him ... or as he puts it ... "they quickly fled the scene."

As we reported at the time, Liyanage had a report with the Sheriff's Dept., but no criminal charges were ever filed. Law enforcement sources told us pedestrians are not allowed to block a vehicle by standing in front of it, and drivers are permitted to creep forward.