TMZ Sports - Page 50

Forget jewelry, cars and fancy booze ... top NFL draft prospect Ikem Ekwonu tells TMZ Sports he's gunnin' to buy a dope new pad as the first big purchase with his rookie money!!

The former N.C. State offensive lineman -- who's projected to be a top-five pick on Thursday night in Las Vegas -- says once the cash hits his bank account following the draft, he'll be looking to spend some of it on a new place.

"I'll find a nice place to stay," "Ickey" told us out in Vegas on Wednesday night. "Apartment, condo -- something."

Ekwonu will certainly have a lot of grandiose homes to choose from when the shopping begins ... because, after all, top-five picks in the draft make around $30 million on their initial deals.

As for where Ekwonu will be buying the land -- no one's sure yet ... some experts have him going to the Jacksonville Jaguars at #1 overall, and some have him going to the Houston Texans at #3.

Mino Raiola -- agent to soccer's biggest superstars like Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Paul Pogba -- is putting an end to rumors he passed away on Thursday ... tweeting he's definitely not dead, and "pissed off" at anyone reporting otherwise.

There were erroneous reports claiming the 54-year-old superagent passed away from a lung illness just hours ago ... the same story that started circulating back in January.

But, Raiola put an end to all speculation on Twitter ... saying, "Current health status for the ones wondering: pissed off second time in 4 months they kill me."

"Seem also able to resuscitate."

The journalist responsible for the initial report going viral has since apologized for the mistake ... and has suspended his Twitter account.

According to reporter, Fabrizio Romano, Raiola's doctor said his patient is, in fact, dealing with a medical issue ... but as Raiola stated -- he's NOT dead.

"I'm outraged by the phone calls from pseudo-journalists speculating on the life of a man who is fighting to survive," Dr. Alberto Zangrillo said, according to Romano.

ESPN is reporting Raiola was admitted to San Raffaele Hospital in Milan in January ... and his business partner told the outlet he remains in serious condition.

"It's not true. He is not dead, but he is fighting for his life."

Officials looking into the tragic death of James Madison Univ. softball star Lauren Bernett suspect she died by suicide ... TMZ Sports has confirmed.

Rockingham County Sheriff Bryan Hutcheson tells us ... "We are in the process of conducting a death investigation into the incident and it is currently classified as an apparent suicide."

Hutcheson declined to release further details of the probe on Wednesday ... saying an official report from the Medical Examiner's Office is still pending.

"Out of respect for her family and friends," Hutcheson said, "there is no other information to release at this time."

As we previously reported, JMU officials announced on Tuesday that Bernett -- a sophomore catcher for the Dukes -- had died at the age of 20. She had just earned Colonial Athletic Association Player of the Week honors on Monday for her performances in games earlier this month.

"College athletics is great because of the people with whom we get to interact every day," JMU officials said in announcing the tragedy on Tuesday. "We are a tight family. We are grateful that Lauren has been part of our JMU Athletics community and will always consider her to be a Duke. We will miss her dearly."

"Our thoughts are with her family; her coaches, teammates and friends; the rest of our department staff and student-athletes; and the entire JMU community. JMU Nation is a close community, and we grieve together."

JMU canceled its softball doubleheader on Wednesday against Longwood following the news ... and later canceled its weekend series with Delaware as well.

Deebo Samuel should backpedal on trade requests and stay in San Francisco ... so says Dez Bryant -- who's advising the wideout to reconsider his future with the 49ers.

Dez explained his thoughts on the situation to TMZ Sports at Planet Hollywood in Las Vegas on Wednesday night ... saying he believes Samuel might regret it if he is ultimately traded this offseason.

Bryant tells us he's concerned Samuel won't be used well in a system outside of San Francisco's -- and he's hopeful Deebo will see that and mend the fences with the Niners before they jettison him.

"If we strictly talking about football," Dez said, "I think the 49ers is a great place for him. Kyle Shanahan, he is a genius. He knows how to get you the ball. And, a lot of organizations don't know how to do that."

Don't get it twisted ... Dez says Deebo still deserves a massive contract -- and he tells us if he were runnin' the Niners, he'd have no problem cutting that fat check for the superstar receiver.

"Pay him what he wants," Bryant said. "Go ahead and pay him, because he deserves it."

Deebo, though, seems to be firm in his demands to leave the Bay Area -- in fact, over the weekend, he was seen making an "it's over" gesture regarding his Niners career while partying at a nightclub.

A sex worker in Nevada tells TMZ Sports she's so grateful for the revenue that the NFL Draft has brought her this month ... she wants to give Thursday's #1 overall pick a free "sex romp."

Roxanne Price -- a 27-year-old licensed sex worker -- tells us that Las Vegas escorts have taken a hit during the COVID pandemic ... but with the NFL draft coming to town this week, big money is finally starting to come back to the industry.

And, Price wants to thank the NFL for it all ... specifically by giving the draft's #1 overall pick this week top-notch service at the Chicken Ranch Brothel just outside of Las Vegas -- 100% free!

"The least I can do is offer the top draft pick the most valuable thing I possess, my premium erotic services at no charge," Price tells us. "It's my way of saying, 'Thank you' to the athletes that inspire us all."

Roxanne -- the 2017 Lover of the Year winner -- tells us her offer comes with a complimentary limo service and a promise to "cater to his fantasies."

And, if the #1 pick doesn't have time this weekend, Roxanne tells us he can schedule it for a future date.

FYI ... according to most mock drafts, the Jaguars will likely pick either Georgia pass rusher Travon Walker or Michigan defensive end Aidan Hutchinson with the top pick.

Chaotic scene during the Mets vs. Cardinals game in St. Louis on Wednesday ... a wild brawl broke out during the middle of the game -- and NY superstar Pete Alonso was thrown to the ground by a Cards pitcher and coach.

The crazy moment went down in the bottom of the 8th inning at Busch Stadium ... after St. Louis third baseman Nolan Arenado was pissed following a pitch that nearly beaned him.

Arenado turned his body to avoid being hit by the Yoan López heater ... then nodded and motioned to Lopez as if to say "come get some."

The catcher and umpire tried to restore peace, but it was too late -- because both benches cleared in order to restrain Arenado from going after Lopez.

The two teams collided near home plate ... and, at one point, Alonso was dragged to the ground by Cardinals pitcher Génesis Cabrera and coach Stubby Clapp.

Thankfully, the melee was quickly broken up ... and Alonso and no one else was injured in the fracas.

But, afterward, Pete was pissed ... and told reporters that if he really wanted to, he could have "put someone in the hospital."

"I easily could," the Mets first baseman said, "but I was just out there trying to protect my guys."

Of course, the bad blood had been boiling between the two teams for a while ... especially after Tuesday night's game, when Alonso got drilled in the helmet by pitcher Kodi Whitley.

In fact, beanball drama happened earlier in Wednesday's game, when J.D. Davis was hit in the foot by a pitch from Cabrera in the top of the eighth inning.

A Massachusetts family was awarded almost $5 MILLION after their home -- which sits on a country club -- was trashed after it was repeatedly hit with golf balls, smashing 26 windows ... the family's attorney confirmed to TMZ Sports.

The Tenczar family lives near the fairway of the 15th hole of the Indian Pond Country Club in Kingston, MA. They've lived there for about 4 years.

And, it's been an absolute disaster, according to the family lawyer, Robert Galvin, who tells us the home has been pelted with nearly 700 golf balls.

The damage? Galvin says 26 windows needed replacement ... in addition to the entire siding of the home.

"It's really a safety issue for them," Galvin told us. "They're literally sitting inside their home and golf balls are smashing through their windows."

The family eventually decided to go to court and won BIG.

A Plymouth County judge ultimately awarded the family $100K in damages ... and $3.4 million for distress.

Indian Ponds argued it wasn't their fault ... essentially believing the Tenczar family should've known living on a golf course came with certain hazards.

But, the judge clearly wasn't buying that argument ... and the family was awarded a fortune.

A viral video of Call of Duty players going scorched earth after a win has resulted in some big consequences for one man -- he says he's now been banned from his college Esports team.

The moment happened at a Contender Gaming Network event in Destin, FL on Sunday ... where ColdFront faced off against Valence in the tournament.

As it turns out, TMZ Sports is told there's been beef brewing between both teams for months ... with ColdFront's Qpan claiming owners of the Valence organization accused him of abusing Adderall.

Fast forward to Sunday's event, where we're told the bad blood spilled into the rematch ... with Qpan claiming Valence's owners continued to run their mouths and make comments about drug abuse.

Once ColdFront pulled off a wild come-from-behind win over Valence, Qpan tells us he decided to clap back at the opposing team's owners ... and video of the insane shouting match spread like wildfire on social media.

Both sides talked tons of smack ... and naturally, folks went nuts providing commentary of the moment.

Worth noting -- Q says his team was actually cool with the players on Valence ... and their only issue was with the owners.

Unfortunately for Qpan, his passionate moment cost him a spot with his college Esports team at Miami (OH) University ... which notified him he was permanently banned -- with no chance of coming back.

"Just got banned from my school's Esports program and [College Call of Duty League] team for talking trash at a local," Q tweeted Tuesday morning. "ggs no more CCL for me"

Q says he was twice punished for unsportsmanlike conduct in the past ... but was shocked when he was told he was flat-out kicked off the team, instead of being suspended.

The school claims Qpan was booted for violating his agreement, which states gamers must "Treat all members of the Esports industry with respect, including casters, fans opponents, officials, interns and staff from other programs and at all related events."

Lamar Jackson is showing once again he's got MVP game both on the field and off of it ... surprising kids at his old elementary school on Wednesday with signed jerseys and books.

The Baltimore Ravens star pulled up to his former Cypress Elementary stomping grounds in Florida to deliver the gifts ... and in pics from his visit, you can see everyone was thrilled to hang with the quarterback.

Lamar personalized autographs on some of the Ravens jerseys he brought for the kids ... and he also handed out copies of his children's book, "I Dream, You Dream, Let Us Dream," which he wrote to inspire kids worldwide.

In addition to putting a smile on the kids' faces, Jackson also visited with his former first-grade teacher -- who he shared a warm embrace with.

Officials at the school were pumped over the QB's visit ... tweeting Wednesday afternoon, "It's a great day at Cypress when NFL Quarterback Lamar Jackson comes to give copies of his book to our students!"

Team USA swimming superstar, Caeleb Dressel, was truly down on himself just months before winning 5 gold medals at the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo ... revealing the severely harsh criticism he wrote in his practice journals prior to trials.

The 25-year-old Olympic hero opened up about the dark side of his swimming experience on "In Depth With Graham Bensinger" this week ... listing off the negative reactions to workouts he wrote in his notebooks before trials.

"Yeah, F*** me, f***ing terrible. My body is done,'" Caeleb read from his log during the interview. "Oh jeez ... I know I'm laughing a little bit, but when you're writing this, this isn't as a joke. This is good information."

"'F*** me. F*** my body. F*** swimming,'" he continued. "Jeez. Yeah, there's a totally different side of the sport that a lot of people don't see ... I try to be as honest with myself as I can in these books, 'cause these aren't for -- well until now -- these aren't really for anybody else's eyes."

As it turns out, Caeleb has battled panic attacks and depression as a result of his swimming career ... including when he first became prominently known as one of the best in the country during his senior year of high school.

"I didn't want to do anything," Caeleb said. "Wasn't going to school, wasn't swimming. [I] was pretty much just laying in bed for all hours of the day, for a couple months."

Dressel went on to compete in two Olympic games -- racking up 7 golds.

Police are investigating the alleged attempt to poison a college baseball team by spiking their water jug with paint thinner ... and now cops are trying to get to the bottom of the wild claims.

In police docs we obtained, Kansas Wesleyan University filed an incident report with Lindsborg PD in Kansas ... where multiple unnamed people from the school are listed as victims.

In the report, several offenses are listed: criminal threat; contaminated food/water sources, battery; knowing/recklessly causing bodily harm, criminal damage to property.

On Sunday, a Twitter account (not affiliated with Kansas Wesleyan University or Barstool Sports) posted a picture of a water cooler that appears to show an unknown substance.

"Putting PAINT THINNER in our water coolers to get our baseball players sick and still getting toasted by 31 runs is WILD. Stay classy! Glad all our players are okay #buckfethany," the tweet read.

Important to note ... Bethany College, nor anyone from the school, is named in the police report.

Peyton Manning is helping Demaryius Thomas' legacy live on at Georgia Tech -- the Hall of Famer just announced he's establishing a scholarship program at GT ... all to benefit the hometown of his late friend and teammate.

The Broncos legend shared the news on Wednesday ... saying his family's PeyBack Foundation is partnering up with DT's alma mater to launch the Demaryius A. Thomas Scholarship Endowment.

"An important part of Demaryius' legacy was the way he inspired the next generation to pursue their dreams with the same perseverance and determination that defined him," Manning said.

The scholarships (full and partial) will be for students in Laurens County, Georgia -- where DT was born and raised -- who plan on attending Georgia Tech.

To be eligible, students must have a 3.2 or higher GPA in high school ... and involvement with community service. The scholarship covers students until they graduate -- as long as they maintain good grades.

"Through this scholarship to Georgia Tech, Demaryius will have a lasting impact on deserving youth from his hometown area who can follow in his footsteps and accomplish great things in life."

Manning and Thomas were teammates on the Denver Broncos from 2012 to 2015 ... and won Super Bowl XLI.

"Demaryius Thomas was an incredibly talented and unselfish teammate but more important, he was a special person and friend."

As we previously reported, Thomas was tragically found dead after going into "cardiac arrest" at his Georgia home last December.

NFL star Laremy Tunsil is turning one of the lowest moments of his life into potentially one of the best for someone ... announcing Wednesday he's making his infamous draft day gas mask bong video into an NFT for charity.

Tunsil said the non-fungible token was minted on Wednesday morning as a 1-of-1 ... adding that a portion of the proceeds that it nets will go toward The Last Prisoner project, an org designed to help those who were jailed for cannabis offenses.

In announcing the NFT, Tunsil said he hopes the sale and subsequent donation officially puts the day and the moment in his rearview mirror for good.

"I'm looking toward and excited for the future," the Houston Texans left tackle said, "and am grateful for all of those that supported me on my draft night and those that have and will continue to support my journey!"

If you're unfamiliar ... the video -- showing Tunsil smoking a substance out of a gas mask bong -- was posted to the football player's social media without his permission just minutes before the 2016 NFL Draft.

Tunsil was projected to be a high pick -- perhaps going as early as the top 5 -- before the video's release ... but after it got out, he tumbled to the Miami Dolphins at pick No. 13.

Tunsil has since gone on to have a stellar career -- he's made two Pro Bowls in six seasons -- but he's said the April 2016 night was one of his lowest moments.

"Probably one of the worst feelings I ever experienced in my life," Tunsil said in 2021 in a rare interview about the moment to Complex. "I don't wish that situation, that experience on nobody else."

Forget dumbbells and plates ... Aaron Donald's clearly found a better way to get jacked -- lift his wife, Erica!

The L.A. Rams star and his sweetheart revealed what a late-night sweat sesh looks like at the Donald household on Tuesday ... and, apparently, it features Aaron bench pressing Erica over and over again!!

Erica posted the footage of the impromptu workout to her social media page ... and it's pretty impressive -- on both of their ends!

In one of the clips, Erica can be seen carrying Aaron on her back. In another, Aaron -- in Fendi designer sweatpants -- can be seen benching Erica more than 10 times from the floor.

The couple then turned the training into a competition -- jokingly slapping each other's arms during a plank-off.

Of course, as impressive as the workout was for AD -- it's hardly the craziest thing we've seen the guy do when it comes to fitness ... remember when he benched 495 pounds?!?

It's apparently like mother, like daughter in the Curry household ... because 9-year-old Riley Curry showed she's got mad skills in the kitchen just like momma Ayesha!!

And, now we officially feel super old.

Steph's wife posted video of her daughter killin' it with the utensils on Tuesday night ... revealing the chef blood apparently runs strong in the Currys.

Little Riley -- who's all grown up since she famously went viral at Steph's playoff games years ago -- whipped up chicken piccata with mashed potatoes and veggies ... and it all looked amazing.

Riley dusted the chicken with flour all on her own and fried it up herself -- with Ayesha saying on the video, "I'm so dang proud! I literally did nothing!"

The meal also included halibut ... and Riley shouted out her mom -- who, if you weren't aware, is a wizard in the kitchen -- for the lessons that led up to the finished product.

"I learned from the best," Riley said on camera as her mom gushed.

Riley topped off the meal with some sparkling grape juice -- and judging by the plates set up on the dinner table, it appears Steph was able to indulge in his daughter's dishes as well.

Travis Scott is going from dipping his toe in the performance pool to getting in waist deep -- the guy's first public show is booked ... and it's going down in Miami next month.

The rapper is scheduled to host on Saturday, May 7 at hotspot E11EVEN -- where he appears to be the headlining act for Race Week. There's a Formula 1 Grand Prix that'll be going down around the same time ... so it's gonna be popping in and around the city.

According to promotional flyers and E11EVEN's own website ... tickets are on sale now at a price point of $150 to $250, depending on whether you're a man or woman. Ladies get in cheaper, obviously. Page Six was first to notice the event. We have been told that it's almost sold out ... and demand is sky-high.

VIP tables are also available for reservation as well ... and those can go for a pretty penny, reportedly upwards of $100k depending on what's happening. Considering this will be Travis' first foray, musically, before a large crowd ... ya gotta imagine the cost will be higher.

This certainly isn't the first time TS has grabbed a mic since the Astroworld Fest tragedy in November, when 10 people died. He's been dabbling in smaller performances in the months thereafter -- including a limited set at a pre-Oscars party, ditto for a Coachella afterparty.

At both events, there seemed to be some enthusiasm around his presence ... but time will tell if a club like E11EVEN can muster a large crowd. The jury's sorta out on how people feel about him these days.

At first, there was a lot of anger directed at him ... as some felt he continued the show despite seemingly obvious signs folks were in distress -- but in the wake of all that, there's been different evidence suggesting he may have, in fact, been in the dark on the severity.

Still, he's in the middle of several lawsuits that have named him as a defendant ... and that'll take years to work through the court system. In the meantime, he's making a comeback -- or trying to, anyway.