TMZ Sports - Page 50

Bobby Wagner is on the move, but he's staying close -- the future Hall of Fame linebacker is signing with the Los Angeles Rams after he was released by the Seahawks ... inking a 5-year, $50 million deal to stay in the NFC West.

The deal is massive ... and could end up being worth up to $65 MILLION, according to Adam Schefter.

Wagner was a mainstay in the middle of Seattle's defense ... and was one of the premier faces of the "Legion of Boom" as they went to three NFC Championship games and back-to-back Super Bowls.

Bobby finished his career in Seattle playing in 151 regular season games ... where he accumulated 1383 total tackles, 11 interceptions, and 23.5 sacks.

Last season, Wagner started all 16 games for the 'Hawks and had 170 tackles (93 solo, 77 combined), which was good for second on his team behind teammate Jordyn Brooks.

Bobby was a member of the Seahawks team in 2014 that defeated the Denver Broncos, 43-8, in Super Bowl 48 ... winning the franchise's only championship.

The 31-year-old eight-time Pro Bowler was released to free up cap space for the 'Hawks, who are rebuilding, but he's landed on his feet -- finding a new home with L.A.

It's been 12 years since Terrell Owens played in the NFL, but the Hall of Famer is ready to hit the gridiron once again -- this time, with Fan Controlled Football!!

TMZ Sports has confirmed with sources -- 48-year-old T.O. will suit up for the league this season ... joining former Heisman Johnny Manziel, who is returning for his second season.

As we previously reported, Owens has remained confident he could continue to play in the NFL ... telling us in 2021 he was actively pursuing a comeback.

Now, our sources say the legendary receiver will, in fact, be playing this year.

We broke the story -- comedian and social media superstar Druski told us earlier this month he was hoping to get T.O. and fellow ex-NFL superstar Mike Vick to join the league ... and so far, he's 1-for-2.

It'll be interesting to see what happens with T.O.'s participation ... and whether NFL teams will be watching to see if he's still got it.

Games start later this spring ... so, as T.O. would say, getcha popcorn ready.

We reached out to FCF for a comment, but they're not talking.

Emily Bridges -- a British transgender cyclist -- was set to race in a women's event this weekend ... but that has changed after the Union Cycliste Internationale disqualified her on Wednesday.

According to British Cycling, the 21-year-old was eligible for the April 2 race due to the British Cycling Transgender and Non-Binary Participation policy.

But, the UCI informed them since she's registered as a male cyclist -- who started hormone therapy last year -- she could not compete.

"We acknowledge the decision of the UCI with regards to Emily's participation, however, we fully recognise her disappointment with today’s decision," British Cycling said in a statement.

"We believe all participants within our sport deserve more clarity and understanding around participation in elite competitions and we will continue to work with the UCI on both Emily's case and the wider situation with regards to this issue."

Bridges -- who set a national junior men's record over 25 miles in 2018 -- is an example of the ongoing battle between transgender athletes and some people in sports who believe the athletes have an unfair advantage.

"We also understand that in elite sports the concept of fairness is essential," British Cycling said.

"For this reason, British Cycling is today calling for a coalition to share, learn and understand more about how we can achieve fairness in a way that maintains the dignity and respect of all athletes."

Several states in the U.S have banned transgender female athletes from girls' teams. In fact, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis denounced transgender swimmer Lia Thomas for winning an NCAA championship.

WWE legend Ric Flair is heartbroken over Triple H's retirement from wrestling ... saying he was hoping his good friend and mentor had one more match left in him.

Flair got emotional when discussing the end of Triple H's wrestling career on 105.3 THE FAN in Dallas ... reflecting on how HHH played a huge role in rebooting his "Nature Boy" persona.

"I'm sick that he's not going to have that last match, to be honest with you," Flair said. "But his legacy is in place, and he will be highly thought of and highly remembered forever."

"But I do wish he had one more match," Flair added. "I just want him to make an appearance. I think the wrestling fans need a live appearance from him, to hear it in his own words, just in front of 80,000 people, one time."

Flair has a particularly soft spot for Triple H ... because he said after Vince McMahon called and gave him an opportunity following the closure of WCW, Triple H took him under his wing and helped him rebuild his self-confidence.

"It's no secret Triple H saved me," Flair said. "When WCW closed guys, I was at an all-time low. When I think about it I get emotional."

Triple H, whose real name is Paul Levesque, announced last week he'd never wrestle again because of a heart condition that almost killed him.

The news rocked sports fans -- as wrestlers of HHH's caliber usually get a farewell match, something Flair says he desperately wishes Paul received.

"Two years ago, I said, 'God, you've got to have another match, man,'" Flair said. "And he just was so involved in the corporate, in the business end of the WWE."

Flair said Paul's unselfishness and commitment to developing new talent paved the way for wrestlers like Randy Orton, Batista, Sasha Banks, and his daughter, Charlotte Flair, to become stars.

Wrestling fans remember Flair and Triple H were members of one of the greatest factions in WWE history -- a group called "Evolution" -- alongside Orton and Batista.

At one point, all four men held major WWE titles at the same time. Triple H (The Game) World Heavyweight Champion, Randy Orton (The Legend Killer) Intercontinental Champion, and Flair (The Nature Boy) and Batista (The Animal) were Tag Team champions.

"I wrestle with feeling it would be easier to not exist. Many survivors share these feelings, and some of Watson's fans have expressed that they would like for us to be raped, imprisoned, or killed."

That was written by one of the women who has accused Deshaun Watson of sexual misconduct during a massage session, writing a piece for The Daily Beast about the alleged abuse she endured after the star QB (who has adamantly denied any wrongdoing) was not charged with any crimes.

The accuser, Lauren Baxley (she has decided to reveal her name), recalls waiting for the Texas Grand Jury's decision ... and when the word came down the men and women of the jury didn't believe there was enough evidence to criminally charge Deshaun, it triggered a barrage of hate.

"More than that, the choice to not indict Watson on our testimonies -- that were deemed 'highly credible' by prosecutors and the detectives who worked our criminal cases -- opened a floodgate of abuse, slander, and libel toward us on the internet," Baxley wrote.

She continued ... "The worst of the women-haters came out, declaring the no-bills proof that we were 'prostitutes' all along."

FYI, "no bill" means no charges.

And, Lauren says she's offended by the assertion she did anything wrong.

"As someone who has faithfully strived to maintain the highest level of professionalism, and as someone who -- in my entire career -- has never experienced the type of behavior that Watson displayed, comments like that are not only infuriating and untrue, they are wholly shifting the blame from a serial predator onto unwitting and unwilling women."

Baxter doesn't go into detail about her accusations against Watson, but does say it's the first time she experienced such an allegedly traumatic incident at work.

"I have worked with dozens of professional athletes over my decade-plus career as a massage therapist, and no session before Watson ever turned sexual in nature. I have worked with dozens of television and film actors through comic conventions, and no man has ever exposed himself to me, nor assaulted me in any way prior to Watson."

Baxter also goes in on the Cleveland Browns for not only trading for the Pro Bowler, but then rewarding him with a $230 million deal.

"Additionally, a failure to charge or convict a crime does not equate to innocence. Watson, his fans, and the Cleveland Browns pretending it does is not only ignorant, it is evil."

She also took a shot at LeBron James -- pointing out what she believes is hypocritical behavior -- after the NBA superstar tweeted, celebrating Watson's huge new contract.

"I would include a certain NBA player along with the other disappointing excuses of men who in one breath may bring awareness to the struggles of marginalized Black women, and in the next praise the elevation of a man who abused dozens of them."

Baxter addressed other famous people who may feel tempted to stick up for Watson, pleading with them to ... just don't.

"I would never expect a public figure to side with Watson's victims. However, I do ask that anyone with a responsibility to uphold basic morality simply shut their mouths and log off Twitter when they are tempted to show him support."

Barring something unforeseen, Watson will not be charged criminally. However, he still has to deal with the 20+ women who are suing him.

Charles Barkley better keep his head on a swivel -- Shaquille O'Neal says he'll follow Will Smith's lead and slap the hell outta his TNT co-host ... dropping the playful threat in a hilarious freestyle rap.

The Big Aristotle made the comment at his surprise belated birthday party at Steak Market in Atlanta on Wednesday ... when the crowd of about 250 people asked him to get up to the DJ booth and give them a set.

The NBA legend ended up grabbing the mic and spitting off the dome for about 10 minutes instead ... name-dropping his "Inside the NBA" friends and referencing the infamous Oscars moment in the process.

"Tomorrow I'm on TNT, with f***ing Kenny, with f***ing Chuck, I might Will Smith his ass I don't give a f***," Shaq raps.

Unlike the real interaction, everyone loved the reference ... cheering and laughing after Shaq dropped the line.

Now, Shaq and Chuck have had a playful rivalry for years ... with both Hall of Famers going back and forth at every possible opportunity.

O'Neal was letting the insults fly on more than just Barkley, though -- he even brought up LeBron James while dissing a dude's hairline ... which was a crowd favorite as well.

The whole bash looked fun as hell -- it was sponsored by D'usse, so you know the adult beverages were flowing.

Celebs like Bobby Valentino and 2 Chainz were also in attendance ... as well as a tiger.

As for Shaq's birthday, it was March 6 ... but hey, better late than never!!

A 19-year-old will now spend time in jail after the teen pleaded guilty to firing off a racist insult at soccer star Marcus Rashford following the Euro 2020 final last year.

Authorities in England announced the sentencing this week ... saying 19-year-old Justin Lee Price has been sentenced to six months behind bars for "sending a grossly offensive message" to Rashford.

As we previously reported, the tweet was one of many that Rashford and several of his other teammates received after they missed pivotal kicks in England's matchup against Italy in the Final last July.

Authorities launched an investigation into it all immediately after the verbal attacks were sent -- as it's illegal to make racist statements or threats toward another individual -- and, eventually, they arrested several people, including Price.

After Price's sentencing on Friday, Senior Crown Prosecutor Mark Johnson condemned the teen in a statement.

"I hope this case sends out the message that we will not tolerate racism," Johnson said, "and offenders will be prosecuted to the full extent of the law.”

Douglas Mackay, a lead prosecutor for the Crown Prosecution Service, added in a statement that he and other law enforcement will continue to crack down on hate crimes relating to sporting events.

A Florida politician is throwing his full support behind Jorge Masvidal ... defending the UFC star over his alleged attack on Colby Covington, saying, "It's not like he beat up some kid on the street."

Manny Diaz -- a current FL state senator -- spoke with news station WPLG Local 10 about the allegations against Masvidal after the fighter appeared at a Ron DeSantis event on Wednesday evening ... and he made it clear, he's in Jorge's corner.

"Jorge is a fighter and, yeah, he ran into another fighter," Diaz said. "It's not like he beat up some kid on the street. I mean, look. It happens."

Masvidal is accused of attacking Covington outside of Papi Steak in Miami on March 22 ... punching him so hard that police say Covington told them the blows actually fractured one of his teeth.

Masvidal was hit with two felony charges over the alleged ambush -- but at DeSantis' event Wednesday, he didn't look like he had too many cares about the criminal case that's looming over his head.

In fact, one of the attendees at the event, Ophir Rahimi, told WPLG Local 10 that Masvidal looked normal and didn't talk about the alleged altercation with Colby. Rahimi, though, did note that it looked like Jorge's hand was damaged.

"You were able to see the hand was a bit swollen," Rahimi said. "There was a cut there. So I'm assuming that's the right hand that was used."

The only fighting star boxer Vasyl Lomachenko will do now for the foreseeable future is for his home country against Russia ... so says his manager, who tells TMZ Sports Loma will remain in Ukraine until the war ends.

Lomachenko has been in the war-torn country since February -- shortly after Russia's initial invasion -- choosing to forego a championship fight with George Kambosos Jr. to stick around and help his fellow countrymen in the war.

And, Egis Klimas, who manages Lomachenko's boxing career, told us out in L.A. on Wednesday the plan is for that to continue until all of the fighting in Ukraine stops.

Klimas, though, did ensure Lomachenko is staying safe while the war rages on.

"He's doing good," Klimas said. "He's in the safe place in Ukraine. He's in the corner. The place where he's at, it's not a war zone. He's not in a war zone."

Lomachenko last fought in the ring in December, beating Richard Commey via a unanimous decision. He was expected to fight Kambosos Jr. in June ... before the war caused Loma to pull out of the bout.

Kamboso Jr. has said he will remake the fight with Lomachenko after he leaves Ukraine -- and wished him the best while he fights for his home country.

Klimas, meanwhile, says Oleksandr Usyk, one of the other star boxers he manages who joined the forces in Ukraine back in February, has left the country and is in the process of preparing for his rematch against Anthony Joshua.

Formula 1 is returning to Sin City ... and the biggest names in the sport can't wait to gamble and party!!

F1 made the massive announcement Wednesday night ... confirming the rumors everyone was hoping to be true -- the Las Vegas Grand Prix will go down in November 2023.

The race will be nothing short of epic -- the 3.8-mile track layout will include the iconic Vegas strip ... with top speeds expected to hit 212 miles per hour!!

Naturally, the drivers are absolutely stoked about the big news ... and F1 released a compilation of everyone's priceless reactions.

"Are we gonna race there?! Noooo," a shocked Esteban Ocon said ... adding, "Hopefully, we can all meet at the casino."

Sebastian Vettel echoed the idea ... saying, "I'm sure that some drivers will spend some money in the casinos and hopefully try and gain it back on Sunday."

Superstar Lewis Hamilton was clearly stoked -- and equally worried -- saying, "It's gonna be a pretty hardcore event."

"Knowing that it's a real party city, it's difficult for a racing driver to ... I don't know how we're going to focus that weekend. There's going to be so much going on."

Valtteri Bottas had a hilarious reaction ... saying, "I've been once to Vegas. When I left, I said, 'Never again,' ... but, I'm coming back. Might need to try and behave better than I did last time."

Reigning champ Max Verstappen joked that there's going to be so much partying, some guys might not make it to the race ... even requesting there be a week break after the race to help everyone recover (or party more).

The Vegas GP will be the third American race added to the schedule ... joining Austin and Miami.

The addition is a result of the booming popularity of the sport ... which has seen an influx of fans in recent years.

David and Victoria Beckham's London mansion was burglarized late last month while the couple and their 10-year-old daughter were still inside the home ... but, thankfully, everyone is safe.

Cops confirmed to TMZ Sports that in the early morning hours of March 1, officers responded to the Beckhams' Kensington home for a report of a burglary that was believed to have taken place between 8:30 PM and 11:30 PM on Feb. 28.

Police tell us "a number of items were reported stolen" ... and, according to The Sun, that included expensive "designer and electric goods."

The Sun reported the break-in was discovered by David's 17-year-old son, Cruz, after he had returned home late in the evening from hanging out with friends.

Cruz reportedly saw broken glass and a ransacked room -- and then helped search the house for the culprit with his father. The alleged thief, though, was believed to have already escaped.

According to The Sun, security video showed the suspect climbing over the Beckhams' gate, then climbing up the couple's home, before breaking into a spare bedroom's window.

The Sun reports that while David, Victoria and the rest of the Beckhams were uninjured in the incident ... the couple is "shaken up" over it all.

Antonio Brown badly wants to play in the NFL again, but the former Tampa Bay Bucs star wide receiver says he'll only have surgery to repair his busted ankle if an NFL team commits to signing him.

AB joined Babcock on the TMZ Sports TV show (airs weeknights on FS1), and dished on everything from a possible reunion with Tom Brady in Tampa, to the status of his injured ankle, and what message he'd send to NFL Front Offices.

33-year-old Brown -- the President of Kanye West's Donda Sports -- sees himself playing in the league, but tells us the idea of reuniting with his once good friend, TB12, and the Bucs org. is almost certainly NOT going to happen.

"I don't think that's a possibility," Brown said. "How things were handled. How I was handled in regards to the injury. [They] just weren't able to use me for my value. My true value."

"But I was grateful for the opportunity and the position that I was in and I made the most out of it."

It's worth noting, we spoke to AB before Bruce Arians stepped down as Bucs head coach.

Antonio is still adamant he never "quit on the job." You'll recall Brown infamously left the field during the Bucs game against the New York Jets ... leading many to believe the star WR was done playing professional football.

"For them [Tampa Bay Bucs] to try to manipulate the narrative or act like I walked away from my job is far from the truth."

Of course, AB says the beef with Arians all goes back to the coach trying to force the All-Pro receiver to play on a badly injured ankle. So, we asked Antonio, who previously said he was getting the ankle operated on, whether he had yet gone under the knife.

"I need to get my ankle fixed, but I just want to make sure I got an obligation or a commitment from a team," Brown told us, adding ... "It's a lot for a guy to go do surgery without an idea of where you gonna work, or who you going to work for."

Despite making 7 Pro Bowls, Antonio says he would not be content if he never played another down in the NFL.

"I'm a player first," AB said. "I couldn't even be in this position without being a football player. So I never want to take that for granted. I would love to continue my career. I got a lot of game left in me."

In fact, Brown says he sees other wide receivers (rightfully) being taken care of with huge contracts (see Davante Adams' new $141-million deal) ... and he can't help but wonder why he hasn't signed a big-money deal.

"I still feel like I can put up big numbers, and I see what these guys are getting paid. I just wonder why my value isn't being upheld as the same."

But, don't take that as shade ... 'cause AB says they deserve it.

"I'm happy for those guys. I'm really grateful for those guys who pioneered the game. They take it further, and made their prices go up. So I'm grateful for those guys to get what they deserve," Antonio says.

"My situation is never about anyone else. It's just all about getting what I deserve because I know what I am and what I stand for, and you can't play with me, the numbers are the numbers."

In closing, Brown sent a message to prospective teams who might be on the fence when it comes to signing him.

If Chris Rock is looking to serve up a dish of revenge on Will Smith, a Slapfighting organization is willing to provide everything the legendary comedian needs to smack the hell out of the A-list actor.

SlapFIGHT Championship puts on slap fights (like the name sounds -- there are 5 weight classes, and competitors slap each other until someone quits or goes to sleep) ... and the org. tells TMZ Sports they're offering a safe and controlled place for the two entertainers to slap each other silly in an exhibition match.

JT Tilley, the CEO, says he'd like to see Rock seek revenge on Smith after the incident at the Oscars.

"I made an offer," Tilley tells us, adding, "I would love to host an exhibition match between them two and make it safe as possible."

Tilley says SlapFIGHT fans definitely want this fight to happen ... with many declaring Rock would win if it went down.

"Our fans (via social media) think Chris Rick would be the winner," Tilley says, "because he obviously has a strong chin."

That doesn't mean Will -- who is about 6'2", 200 lbs.-- won't be good at the sport ... in fact, Tilley says the 53-year-old's slap technique is similar to their top fighter, middleweight champ Wolverine.

If they're not interested in competing, Tilley says he'd like to host Chris and Will at one of their fights. But of course, a rematch sounds better.

"I would like to give them a chance to settle their differences," Tilley says.

Here's further proof that Tiger Woods might actually be competing in next week's Masters ... his good buddy, Rory McIlroy, just said the golf legend "looked great" in his practice round at Augusta on Tuesday.

Tiger flew into Georgia to get some hacks in at the course just a few days before the event kicks off next week ... and according to Rory, Woods has made significant strides since the last time he saw the 46-year-old.

"He looked great," Rory said. "But he was still pretty -- you know, he was just like, 'I'm just seeing what's going to happen here. I'm going to see if I can make it around 18.'"

Tiger has yet to commit to playing in the prestigious golf event -- which he's won five times in his career -- reportedly using this week to see if his surgically repaired leg can hold up for a weekend of competition.

Rory said Tiger appeared to be undecided about it all on Tuesday ... explaining to the Golf Channel, "He's being very conservative."

Tiger still has several days left before he needs to make a commitment.

As we reported, Tiger broke his leg in a car crash in February 2021, and needed several surgeries to repair the damage. He's only golfed at one big tournament -- the PNC Championship with his son -- since the accident.

Shocking scene at a high school track meet in Florida over the weekend ... when an athlete sucker punched a runner in the head during a race.

The incident went down at the Tohopekaliga Tiger Invitational in Kissimmee on Saturday ... when witnesses claim the athlete in a black uniform was standing on the track as the runner in white and red was circling around and leading the pack.

Witnesses say the runner in first place yelled at the athlete in black to move ... but when the next lap came around, the guy appeared to purposely get in the way of the runner by standing on the track.

According to witnesses, the runner in first then pushed the athlete in black to get him out of the way. In response, the athlete chased down the runner and punched him from behind.

The runner who was attacked then fell to the track ... but it's unclear if he suffered significant injuries or if he finished the race.

We reached out to the host school for comment ... but it claims no Osceola County students were involved.

However, we're told law enforcement and the Florida High School Athletic Association were notified of the incident.

We reached out to cops, but they've yet to provide us any further information.

A-Rod's baseball talents clearly didn't rub off on his ex -- Jennifer Lopez came up to bat, with Ben Affleck and daughter Emme watching, and struck out. Frequently.

The couple took J-Lo's 14-year-old daughter to the cages Tuesday in L.A. ... while Emme stepped in for some swings, Ben and Jen were doing some PDA in the background.

Eventually, it was Mom's turn to step up, but it didn't go smoothly. First of all, Jen tried swinging while still rocking her purse. Not to worry ... Ben held it while she got back in the box.

Made absolutely no difference, though ... still a whole lot of striking out. Gotta admit, though -- no one's ever looked this good, while looking so bad at a sport.

Ben and Jen are in escrow for a massive estate as of a few weeks ago -- putting around $55 million down for the compound! Ben, days after entering escrow, was longingly looking at Jen during her acceptance speech at this year's iHeart Music Awards, likely excited for their future.