TMZ Sports - Page 50

Drake's DM to one dude's wife may have crossed the line, but it's all love and the guy is actually a big fan ... so says the troll himself!

As we reported ... Drake clapped back to a guy named Cedric, by DM'ing the dude's wife. He wrote, "I just followed your girl cause she prob miserable and needs some excitement in her life".

Drizzy followed up by messaging Cedric's wife, Toni saying ... "I'm here for u ma".

It all started after Cedric took a jab at Drake on Instagram on a post where Drake defended Tee Morant -- father of NBA star Ja Morant. Cedric chimed in referencing a rumor that Drake doesn't write his own music, obviously, hitting a nerve for the 6 God.

Of course, the beef sparked lots of reactions from folks on social media, but we talked to Cedric and his wife, Toni, and they were actually in good spirits over the whole thing.

Cedric says, he felt Drake took things a little too far, by messaging his wife ... but he finds the whole situation hilarious. At first, he didn't think the comment would go anywhere, and he was shocked when a little trash-talking escalated into Drake actually DM'ing his wife.

Cedric says he's actually a huge fan of Drake. His wife, Toni, was all smiles over the dustup. She says, she's not interested in going on a date with Drake, because she's super happy with her hubby ... but she insisted they all meet!

Odell Beckham Jr. and Von Miller played huge roles in the Rams winning the Super Bowl ... and, now, TMZ Sports has learned they'll have a big say in how L.A.'s championship rings look, too!

We got celeb jeweler, Jason of Beverly Hills (who's creating the Rams' title bling this year), out in Las Vegas this week -- and he told us he's actually working closely with Beckham and Miller on the drip's design.

Jason said Jalen Ramsey and Aaron Donald have been calling him with input as well ... and he tells us he's expecting the final product to be epic.

"That is going to be a legendary ring," Jason said.

In fact, Jason said with the help of all of the Rams players ... he's anticipating "something that's never been done before."

"I'm from L.A.," Jason said, "so to make the best Super Bowl ring in history is a big deal to me."

Jason tells us OBJ has been great throughout the initial design process ... saying the wideout "is really creative."

But, developing a piece that tops Jason's past works of art won't be easy. You'll recall, the jeweler has created championship rings recently for the Milwaukee Bucks, Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the Los Angeles Lakers.

Still, Jason is gunnin' to somehow accomplish the feat.

Jenson Button, 2009 Formula 1 champion, tells TMZ Sports the popular Netflix show 'Drive to Survive' may not be super popular with all the drivers, but it's a helluva tool to bring American fans into F1.

Not familiar with the racing star? Button won the prestigious title driving for Brawn GP in '09. Jenson had an awesome season ... winning 6 of the first 7 Grand Prix's. Jenson ultimately finished 11 points ahead of 4x champ Sebastian Vettel.

During Jenson's time, there was no Netflix series ... but since the show's inception, Button says viewers have gotten to know drivers better -- and that's mostly a good thing.

"I think it's a great gateway to the sport. But, if the sport wasn't great, it wouldn't work, right?" Button says.

"The good thing is we all love behind the scenes, don't we? We love trying to understand the personalities involved in something. And, you don't get that from racing I guess if you just watch the sport initially cause everybody's got crash helmets on. So, at least you're understanding the personalities that are in those cars, and then you're going, 'Oh, the racing is pretty awesome as well.'"

Jenson added ... "I think it's good."

If there's a downfall ... it's that the show is, well, a TV show, and drama can sometimes be ratcheted up for entertainment value.

"For me, as a purist, and a racing driver for years, there are certain things where I'm like, 'That's not kinda how it happens,' but it's entertainment, and if it's bringing in a bigger audience into the sport, then that's fantastic, and they can really get to the nitty-gritty, what is the sport about."

'DTS' debuted in 2019, and it seems it has already had a positive effect on the fanbase. FIA (the group in charge of Formula 1) added the Miami Grand Prix to this year's slate of races, in addition to the Austin Grand Prix.

And, next year, they'll race in Las Vegas ... in a highly anticipated Grand Prix.

Bottom line ... fan interest is clearly surging in the U.S.

There's more ... we also talked to Button about his return to racing. This time, not in Formula 1, but in Travis Pastrana's Nitro Rallycross -- essentially the polar opposite of open-wheel F1 cars.

Jenson's still involved in Formula 1. He's a brand ambassador for Williams Racing ... the team he made his F1 debut in 2000.

BTW, haven't heard of Brawn GP, Button's team when he won the championship? BGP was (partially) bought by Mercedes after the 2009 season ... and in 2010, the team raced under the MB name.

Drake's MMA betting luck might turn around if Justin Gaethje wins at UFC 274 on Saturday ... 'cause the rap icon just put $427K on the Highlight beating Charles Oliveira -- and he could net $1 MILLION!!!

The "Churchill Downs" rapper shared his bet on Friday ... showing off his serious confidence in JG earning the lightweight belt in Phoenix.

"Big Weekend Energy," Drizzy captioned the post.

Now, things didn't necessarily go well for Drake the first time he revealed a bet on a UFC fight -- he put $250k on Jorje Masvidal to beat Colby Covington at UFC 272 ... and of course, Chaos won in a decision.

Drake was recently on the winning side of betting -- he recently pocketed $235k on Drake London being the first receiver picked in the 2022 NFL Draft.

Tammy Sytch -- also known as "Sunny," in the ring -- is behind bars over a fatal car crash from last month that cops say was caused by her being under the influence.

The former WWE star was arrested Friday night and hauled off to the Volusia County Jail -- where she was booked on a number of charges ... including felony DUI manslaughter, the most serious of the offenses. She was also rung up on 8 other charges, most being DUI related.

One charge she was booked on accuses her of driving on a suspended/revoked license, and then causing great bodily harm and/or death as a result. Her bond is set at over $220k total.

You'll recall ... this all ties back to an awful accident police say Sytch caused in late March -- although it's unclear why she's just being arrested for this now, more than a month later.

In any case ... the story is tragic. According to a traffic crash report, obtained by TMZ Sports, cops claim Sytch was traveling down a highway at a high rate of speed when she slammed into the back of another vehicle on the road that was stopped at a traffic light.

The driver was taken to a hospital but died from their injuries. That victim is reported to be 75-year-old Julian Lasseter.

There was a massive party in South Beach Friday night ... and just about every celeb in the 305 was there.

The bash was thrown by Major Food Group and American Express in partnership with The h.wood Group and Sports Illustrated during Formula 1 Grand Prix weekend. The party, called Carbone Beach -- after awesome chef Mario Carbone -- drew tons of stars, including, David Beckham, Derek Jeter, Dwyane Wade, Gabrielle Union, LeBron James, James Corden, Patrick Mahomes, Rich Paul, Wyclef Jean, Jorge Perez and Wayne Boich.

But, wait ... there's more ... Chantel Jeffries, Larsa Pippen, Serena and Venus Williams, Fabolous and Food God.

Wyclef Jean performed "Hips Don't Lie" -- the song he's featured with on Shakira. She was MIA from the party.

Now get this ... the sit-down dinner was $3k a person, and that got you shellfish, oysters, caviar, pastas, truffles, tomahawk steaks, veal parm and LOTS of Lobos 1707 tequila.

The 300 partygoers called it a night at around 3 AM.

Tony Ferguson is NOT fighting for his UFC life this weekend -- despite losing his last three fights -- with UFC boss Dana White telling TMZ Sports "El Cucuy" is still an elite level fighter in the world's top MMA promotion.

"[Tony's] still the number 7 ranked guy in the world," White said. "Still in the top 10. Still in the top 15. Still one of the most elite fighters in the world. If you look at who he's fought, he's fought everybody. So, I wouldn't say he's fighting for his UFC life."

38-year-old Ferguson -- the #7 ranked UFC lightweight -- is taking on #5 ranked Michael Chandler at UFC 274 Saturday night in Phoenix.

FYI, Tony's lost his last three fights ... the first to Justin Gaethje by TKO at UFC 249 in May 2020. Next was Charles Oliveira ... who, like Justin, thoroughly beat Tony at UFC 256 in December 2020. His last defeat was against Beneil Dariush ... who beat Tony by unanimous decision at UFC 262 in May 2021.

Prior to the losing streak ... TF put together an impressive win streak, scoring 12 straight against everyone from "Cowboy" Cerrone, Anthony Pettis, Kevin Lee, Rafael dos Anjos, and Edson Barboza.

But, sure, the last three are losses ... but losses to top guys. Oliveira went on to be the champion, and Gaethje is the #1 ranked contender. Dariush is ranked #4.

And, that's why White says Tony is still a high-level fighter.

The days of pursuing a belt may be passed -- or maybe not -- but the dude can still fight in a locked cage.

We also talked to Dana about the other fights on the card ... including two of Ferguson's last opponents fighting each other, Gaethje and Oliveira.

"Charles Oliveira has a 91% finish rate, and Gaethje has an 87% finish rate," White says, believing someone's likely going to sleep.

Fights go down Saturday night ... the fireworks are coming! 💥💥💥💥

Snoop Dogg's son, Cordell Broadus, got his brand new whip jacked ... but the car was recovered pretty quickly ... this according to cops who were hot on the trail.

LAPD sources tell TMZ ... Cordell's 2022 BMW X6 was jacked Wednesday in L.A. We're told a tracking company located it, passed the info on to the LAPD and cops rushed to retrieve it.

Officers found the BMW and took the alleged carnapper into custody.

As for how the car was stolen ... we're told someone left the keys in the car, making it an easy steal.

The alleged culprit already had an active warrant and was booked on a charge from that incident -- burglary of a motor vehicle. Cops say they found stolen items in Cordell's BMW. The D.A. will now decide whether to charge the guy.

LeBron James received a lot of heat for the Lakers' struggles this season, but Magic Johnson tells TMZ Sports he still wants to see LBJ in a Lakers uniform for the foreseeable future.

We spoke with Magic -- who won 5 titles with the Lakers during his career -- out in L.A. this week, and asked him if the Lake Show should trade its 37-year-old superstar after the team missed the playoffs this season.

Magic told us absolutely not ... saying he wants LeBron in the purple and gold "for a long time."

The idea of jettisoning James, who averaged 30.3 points per game in his nineteenth season, has recently been floated by disgruntled Lakers fans and some media personalities ... who think the haul LeBron could get in a trade would make the team immediately better.

But, Magic clearly believes that's nonsense ... telling us he "hopes" to see Bron stay.

As for who will coach LeBron next season after Frank Vogel was just fired ... Magic told us it certainly won't be him, and probably not Phil Jackson either.

But, the Hall of Famer did say Jackson will help in the hunt for the next head man ... something he appears to believe will be good for the org.'s future.

Michael Chandler was seconds away from UFC gold, and despite now being ranked 5th in the lightweight division, the UFC star still believes he's the best fighter at 155 pounds, and because of that, he tells TMZ Sports he deserves a title shot after he beats Tony Ferguson.

But, if he doesn't get that ... Michael's got a Plan B -- Conor McGregor!

"There's not an MMA fan, combat sports fan, TMZ Sports fan, that doesn't want to see me fight Charles Oliveira again or Justin Gaethje again," Chandler says.

"And, if the UFC does have a momentary lapse of judgment and gives the title shot to someone else, Conor's gotta beat somebody when he comes back to make himself into relevant status. So, Conor or some big fights. We'll see!"

Of course, 36-year-old Chandler has lost two fights in a row ... but that doesn't nearly begin to tell the story.

At UFC 262 in May, Michael was on the verge of defeating Oliveira with the UFC belt on the line ... dropping do Bronx with a left hook in the first round. Unfortunately for MC, Charles survived the last two minutes of the round.

Then, in the second, Oliveira hurt Chandler ... and ultimately ended the fight via TKO from strikes.

You could argue Chandler was one punch from being the champ.

Then, MC squared off against Gaethje -- now the #1 ranked contender -- at UFC 269 in November 2021 ... a fight that was guaranteed to be amazing.

The fight -- one of the greatest ever -- somehow surpassed expectations ... and although most fans and experts declared no one the loser, Chandler's record says different.

Two losses ... against two beasts, in incredibly close fights. So, a title shot is certainly not out of the equation.

If that's not the direction Dana White and the UFC go, Michael's down to welcome McGregor back to the Octagon.

Conor hasn't fought since July 2021 when he snapped his leg against Dustin Poirier in their trilogy fight. Dana previously told us he expected "The Notorious" to make his Octagon return sometime toward the end of 2022.

Whether it's McGregor or another top fighter, Michael tells us he still believes he's destined for greatness ... not to simply have come close.

"The number one weapon that you can have is not the X's and the O's and the punches and the kicks or the wrestling -- it's self-confidence. I believe in the calling on my life, I believe I got into this sport in 2009 not just to be good, but to be great, not to be great but to be extraordinary and do some extraordinary things. I think UFC gold is still very much in my future."

First things first, Michael has to beat "El Cucuy" at UFC 274 Saturday night. Then, we'll see ... Gaethje? Oliveira? McGregor? Someone else?

An arrest warrant has been issued for ex-NFL star Earl Thomas ... TMZ Sports has confirmed.

Court records show a judge in Austin, Texas signed the warrant on April 27. The document, per the records, alleges the former Seattle Seahawks safety violated a protective order two or more times in the last 12 months.

Trey Dolezal, Thomas' attorney, told the Austin American-Statesman on Friday that it all relates to Thomas "reaching out to his wife to see their children."

"They were consciously and collectively working together to see his kids," Dolezal said. "I don't really understand how he could be in violation by working together to visit with his children."

The protective order had been issued back in 2021. The Austin American-Statesman reports court documents show a woman told cops that Earl violated the protective order by sending her threatening text messages.

Jail records show Earl has not yet been booked.

Jerry Jones is fortunate to have avoided serious injuries in his car crash on Wednesday ... because TMZ Sports has obtained video of the accident, and it shows the Dallas Cowboys owner T-boned a car while traveling at a relatively high rate of speed.

The crash, according to the video's timestamp, happened at around 6:10 p.m. It went down at the intersection of Wolf St. and Harry Hines Blvd. in Dallas -- roughly 20 miles away from the Cowboys' team facility.

The video appears to show that as a silver car was attempting to make a left turn from a right lane on a one-way road, Jones -- driving a dark-colored sedan -- slammed into the side of it.

Somehow, Jones was able to get out of his car and walk toward the other vehicle and its passengers.

You can see in the clip, captured by Allen Roberson Jr., Jones seemed to have a slight limp -- and at one point, he rolled up his pant leg to check out his knee area. His car, meanwhile, was left disabled in the middle of the road.

As Jones approached the silver car on foot ... an occupant from the vehicle appeared to be complaining of some kind of head pain.

Ultimately, medical personnel arrived on the scene and transported Jones to a local hospital with what's been described as minor injuries. Jones' son, Stephen Jones, told multiple media outlets late Wednesday night that Jerry had already returned home a short time after being checked out at the medical facility and is doing fine.

No word on if the other car's passengers suffered any significant injuries.

Snoop Dogg and his Mt. Westmore groupmate Ice Cube are about to be a lot closer … now that Snoop is a part-owner in Cube’s Big3 basketball league … TMZ Hip Hop has learned.

Snoop and PayPal co-founder Ken Howery dropped $625,000 together to purchase a 40 percent stake in BIG3 team “Bivouac” that went winless last season due to injuries.

BIG3 opened the floodgates for people to grab a stake in the franchise team through NFTs... which is exactly what Snoop and Ken did.

They weren't the only ones, either. Popular NFT hubs DeGods, Gary Vaynerchuk and VeeFriends, Bill Lee and MyDoge/DogeCoin, and Krause House all got in the spending spree, copping all 25 Fire-Tiers of the Killer 3’s, Trilogy, Aliens and Ball Hogs, respectively.

Snoop has become one of the space’s most avid NFT collectors … even touting his newly re-bought Death Row Records will be a 100 percent “NFT Label”

Snoop and Howery reportedly purchased all 25 Fire for Bivouac priced at $25,000 each. In other words, the team’s stock was divided into blockchains for sale. Remaining editions will be available come Saturday, May 7 for hungry Discord members.

Shawne Merriman tells TMZ Sports he believes Antonio Brown did make some "valid points" when he went off on a rant against Colin Kaepernick in a recent interview.

If you missed it, Brown called the ex-49ers star a "trash" QB in a sitdown with "Cigar Talk." He also said he believed the 34-year-old sold out when he settled his lawsuit with the NFL. And, he questioned just how big of an impact Colin was really having in the community.

Merriman clearly doesn't believe all of the above is true ... but he said on Friday there were some things he did agree on with Brown.

"He makes some valid points about Colin Kaepernick, saying that, you know, he took the money from the NFL. The settlement. The Nike commercials -- all these things," Merriman said.

"Well, I think a lot of people think that way about all the other stuff that Colin Kaepernick has going on, and his opportunities that he's had to get back in the NFL, and just hasn't."

Merriman says he believes if Brown hadn't already become such a polarizing figure -- he thinks more people would be agreeing with him.

"We get the message," Merriman said, "but people aren't trying to listen to the messenger."

There was at least one NFL star who agreed with Brown fully ... Saints wideout Michael Thomas tweeted Friday afternoon, "he isn’t wrong wrong lol."

An absolutely insane fight broke out at a card room in California this week ... and it all appeared to start because a man dropped a "Yo Mama" insult on another man.

The wild scene reportedly went down at HUSTLER Casino in L.A. ... after two guys got into a verbal argument at a poker table inside the venue for unknown reasons.

Video from the casino shows the two screamed at each other ... and escalated into a full-on fistfight when one of the men fired off a jab about the other man's mother.

In the clip, you can see the guy was so upset over the quip, that he spit on his rival's face ... and then tried to punch him in the head.

That's when the man in the grey shirt retreated, grabbed a small table and then beat the other man with it.

Security eventually stepped in and tased the dude who was wielding the table. As the guy was on the ground, he said, "He hit me first!"

According to poker news website CardsChat, HUSTLER Casino has banned all of the combatants, saying "any form of violence is not tolerated."

Stoolies rejoice -- Dave Portnoy is promising the full "Barstool experience" when he takes the mic for the Canelo Alvarez fight this weekend ... and by the sound of it, viewers will undoubtedly be entertained.

Pres and Big Cat are slated to give their expert analysis on an alternate PPV broadcast of Canelo's bout against Dmitry Bivol on DAZN on Saturday ... a move that Portnoy called "one of the great no-brainers in the history of Earth."

Of course, the gang has experience calling their "Rough N Rowdy" fights over the years -- as well as some work for the Jake Paul fight in August -- but this is the first time they get to provide commentary for one of the world's greatest.

Dave says it's a great idea to get the younger audience to tune in to the champ's fight in Vegas ... and despite going big time, they're not going to lose sight of what makes them unique.

"We're going to be ourselves," Dave added. "DAZN hired us to be ourselves, so we're going to be ourselves and do it how we'd do it if was on Barstool."

The guys are going to look the part and don suits for the bout ... but as Big Cat points out, his might be a bit tight.

"The last time I wore the suit was for the Jake Paul fight in August ... put it on for the first time last night, your boy's gained about 20 pounds. So, you also get to see me squeeze into a suit tomorrow."