TMZ Sports - Page 50

Texans running back Darius Anderson's Friday just got a whole lot better ... his felony burglary case has been dismissed -- according to his attorney, Kelly Benavides.

Benavides, in an interview with TMZ Sports, said prosecutors made the decision official on Friday morning ... "because of a lack of evidence."

As we reported, Anderson had been charged with felony burglary of a habitation last month after cops say Anderson's ex-girlfriend told them the football player broke into her Harris County, Texas home at around 7 AM on July 15.

The woman, according to police documents, told cops she had tried to keep Anderson out of her home following a dispute, but he forced his way in through the garage. Cops say the woman told them that while inside of her home, Anderson yelled at her "that he was 'going to beat her up.'" He allegedly left the residence after learning she was calling 911.

According to Benavides, Anderson was at Texans practice Friday morning when prosecutors formally dropped the case. She said she's happy the 24-year-old can now put the case behind him and concentrate on his football career.

Benavides also applauded prosecutors for "doing the right thing -- doing what justice required."

Houston head coach Lovie Smith, meanwhile, said after practice he was "glad" to see the case's disposition as well.

We've reached out to the Harris County District Attorney's Office for comment, but so far, no word back yet.

Anderson -- who initially broke into the league in 2020 after signing as an undrafted free agent with the Dallas Cowboys -- is currently fighting for a roster spot at Texans training camp.

Scary moment yesterday for Kyle Busch ... the 2-time NASCAR champion and his family were at the Mall of America in Minnesota when gunshots erupted, causing chaos, and sending people running for their lives.

37-year-old Busch had been enjoying a day at the country's largest mall with his son, Brexton, and his wife, Samantha, before things took a frightening turn.

In the video posted online, you see Busch, wearing a black and green shirt and white hat, holding hands with Brexton ... as everyone was trying to get to safety amid the chaos.

Soon after, Samantha sent an update to friends, family and fans, writing ... "If you are seeing the news about the @mallofamerica we got out and are safe."

"Praying others inside are too," she added.

"We are currently working an active incident inside Mall of America on the northwest side. Numerous officers are on scene. We will update when we have more information," the Bloomington Police Department's official Twitter account wrote.

Police later confirmed that gunshots were fired ... adding the suspect fled the MOA on foot and officers were investigating the isolated incident.

After some semblance of order was restored, Bloomington PD Chief Booker Hodges addressed the incident in a press conference ... saying his officers heard gunshots near the Nike store at the famous mall.

"After reviewing video, we observed two groups get into some type of altercation at the cash register in the Nike store," Hodges said.

"One of the groups left after the altercation, but instead of walking away, they decided to demonstrate a complete lack of respect for human life. They decided to fire multiple rounds into a store with people."

Auburn quarterback T.J. Finley was arrested on Thursday -- the first day of Tigers football training camp -- after he was accused of eluding cops during two separate traffic stops back in July, TMZ Sports has learned.

According to Auburn PD, the 20-year-old was riding his motorcycle without a helmet near the Jordan-Hare Stadium on July 26 ... when cops tried to pull him over on two separate occasions.

Cops say Finley fled the scene twice and officers "terminated the pursuit on both occasions as a matter of safety" ... but not before they say they were able to identify him as the Tigers quarterback.

A warrant was issued for Finley's arrest ... and on Thursday, he turned himself in for attempting to elude police, a misdemeanor. He was also issued traffic citations.

Lee County Detention Facility tells us he signed for his own bond and was released at 11:16 AM.

Auburn head coach Bryan Harsin confirmed the university is aware of the situation ... and Finley arrived at the Tigers facility after the arrest. He will also be practicing with the team on Friday.

Finley -- who transferred from LSU in 2021 -- started 3 games for the Tigers last season ... and had 827 passing yards and 6 touchdowns in 9 appearances.

Hours after Brittney Griner was sentenced by a Russian judge to 9 years in prison ... Trevor Noah went IN on the foreign country -- dragging Vladimir Putin, while calling Thursday's ruling complete "bulls***."

Noah held nothing back on "The Daily Show," accusing Russia of using Griner and her drug trial as political pawns to gain leverage on the U.S.

"We all know Russia doesn’t care about what Brittney Griner did," Noah said. "This is the same country that’s breaking every human rights law on the planet, but they’re like, ‘That woman has vape cartridge. She’s real criminal.'"

"Get the f*** out of here, man!"

Noah went on to repeatedly call Thursday's ruling "bulls***."

The comedian, though, did say there is a sliver of positive news to come out of Griner's sentence -- the U.S. and Russia can now seemingly begin prisoner swap talks earnestly.

And, Noah's clearly all in favor of giving the country whatever it wants to get the WNBA star back.

"Yeah, it seems like they win, but don’t forget, that person now has to live in Russia," Noah said. "Yeah, yeah. They’ll get there and be like, 'This whole country is prison. I miss food in Alcatraz, no!'"

Griner's Phoenix Mercury teammates, meanwhile, honored their star center with a 42-second moment of silence before their game against the Connecticut Sun on Thursday night.

Players from both teams linked arms during the pregame ceremony -- and at the tail-end of it all, an arena-wide "Bring Her Home!" chant broke out.

The woman involved in the heated dispute with Terrell Owens in a Florida neighborhood on Wednesday night told cops the NFL legend "threatened" her after nearly running her over -- new police audio, obtained by TMZ Sports, reveals.

In the 911 call, you can hear the woman tell dispatch that around 10:30 PM, Owens was driving "aggressively" through her neighborhood street in Broward County and "almost hit me."

"And then [he] got out of the car to threaten me," the woman said in the call.

The woman -- who authorities have not identified -- described the former Dallas Cowboys star as "an African-American individual" who was driving a four-door, green Genesis.

"He got out of his car and started threatening me," the woman said ... before adding, "He was literally speeding and then got mad at me because we were crossing in the sidewalk and he nearly hit us."

Of course, Owens' description of the event differs significantly -- on a social media live stream during his confrontation with the woman, he said he was not driving erratically at all.

And, Owens claimed he only got out of his car to speak with the woman after she had been hurling profanities his way.

Cops told us they did respond to the scene -- but no arrests were made, explaining, "The parties were separated, and the situation resolved."

Elon Musk says he fell under a government microscope after smoking weed with Joe Rogan ... claiming the feds randomly drug tested him.

The world's richest man sat down for a podcast Tuesday with the Nelk Boys, recalling the backlash he got from Uncle Sam over what he says was one measly rip from a blunt while on Rogan's show.

Remember, Elon blazed it up with Joe back in September 2018, sparking up on camera while talking about Tesla's plans for an airplane. The video went viral and then Tesla's stock briefly plummeted on the heels of the smoke sesh.

Elon says the federal response was "pretty nutty" ... explaining the problem is ganja is still illegal federally, and because he runs SpaceX -- which holds lucrative government contracts -- the feds tested him for a range of illicit drugs.

It's interesting ... Elon claims the real driving force behind the random drug tests were his SpaceX competitors, who he says pressured the feds to test his urine.

Roger Goodell could be on Aaron Rodgers' Line 1 very soon ... 'cause Shannon Sharpe says he expects the NFL commish to call the Packers star after the QB admitted to using psychedelics earlier this week.

"I'm sure the NFL is probably going to give him a call and say, 'That's not a good look,'" the Hall of Fame tight end said Thursday.

If you missed it, Rodgers said on the most recent episode of the "Aubrey Marcus Podcast" that if he hadn't had a psychedelic experience in South America after ingesting the ayahuasca plant -- which contains DMT -- he might not have won the NFL's MVP award the past two seasons.

Rodgers raved over the plant brew's psychoactive effects ... saying he "had a magical experience" that helped lead him to become a better person and football player.

Sharpe says he has no issues with Rodgers' trip -- though he told us out at LAX he's fairly confident the NFL probably ain't feeling the same way.

"I don't know the NFL is too happy about him taking hallucinogenics," Sharpe said ... before adding, "I'm sure the commissioner is going to reach out and have a conversation with him."

Sharpe says it's unclear to him if the NFL could ultimately punish Rodgers over it all.

But, again, the former Broncos star reiterated he's glad it all worked out for A-Rodge.

Former Patriots O-lineman Rich Ohrnberger was so afraid of being cut by Bill Belichick ... he intentionally rear-ended a van while on his way to practice after running late to a team meeting!!

Ohrnberger -- a fourth-round pick in the 2009 NFL draft -- made the confession Thursday on the "The Hartman And Rich O Show" ... saying he purposely got into a fender bender so he wouldn't have to face the wrath of the future Hall of Fame head coach.

"I was driving a Chevy Tahoe, and it says I'm late already," Ohrnberger recalled, continuing, "Or, I'm gonna be. I'm like 5 minutes to being officially late, and I've got a 15-minute drive ahead of me."

Rich -- who only spent two seasons with New England -- said he was terrified of what the notoriously strict coach might do.

"I had this sinking feeling in my stomach," and the entire time, he kept thinking to himself, "I'm gonna get cut."

Ohrnberger said he noticed a beat-up van and came up with the idea that if he got into an accident, that would be the perfect excuse for why he was late for the team meeting.

"And I'm cruising down this slight sloping hill that brings you to the first traffic light," Ohrnberger said, "that I have to turn right to get to the stadium for the morning meeting."

"I see a church van in front of me that's all dinged up, and it's got the black smoke coming out of the exhaust pipe, and I'm just like, 'I'm gonna hit this car.'"

Ohrnberger said he figured it's better to deal with the consequences of the collision -- banging up his car, etc. -- than dealing with Bill scolding him for being tardy.

Little did Rich know ... the church van he hit had an elderly man inside, but luckily, the old guy didn't sustain any injuries during the minor collision, and his van was okay, too.

Move over, Backstreet Boys, there's a new boy band in town -- introducing the Backstreet Bills!!!

Rookies on Buffalo's offensive line ripped their shirts off and gave a heartfelt rendition of "I Want It That Way" as part of their introduction to the team on Thursday ... and honestly, we're impressed!!

Tanner Owen, Alec Anderson and the guys alternated the classic lyrics as superstars Josh Allen and Co. watched the performance ... with the QB even turning on his iPhone flashlight to replicate a lighter.

There was also a bit of dancing going on -- proving the guys were truly giving 100% out there, even if they didn't have an empty airport to use for the big performance.

Rooks have been showing off their pipes recently as part of the yearly tradition -- as we previously reported, Eagles top pick Jordan Davis wowed the crowd with his cover of "Mary Jane" by Rick James just a few days ago.

Brittney Griner’s 9-year prison sentence for flying in Russia with a cannabis cartridge is drawing lots of disbelief and outrage within hip hop, but perhaps no one's reacting as aggressively as Boosie Badazz.

The Louisiana rapper couldn’t contain his anger as he unloaded on America, in general -- but especially on Vice President Kamala Harris ... for not doing more, in his eyes, to help a fellow Black woman.

He screamed the Veep should be on the "front lines" assisting the embattled WNBA star, and claimed Harris' silence sets a bad example for women of color.

Boosie also speculated if it were Taylor Swift in Brittney’s situation, the U.S. government would have launched a massive strategy to secure the pop star’s freedom.

Similar comparisons have been made regarding BG’s international trial, with LeBron James being the most famous example.

After Thursday's verdict, Justin Bieber seems down for the cause too.

Now, no one's gonna confuse Boosie with an expert on international geopolitics -- but, for what it’s worth, both President Biden and VP Harris called for Russia to return BG to the U.S. ... and they've said negotiations are actively going on as you read this.

A hockey player from an adult league in Canada straight-up kicked an opponent in the face with his skate during a mid-game scuffle ... and the incident was so reckless, police now tell TMZ Sports they're investigating it all.

The scary scene happened during an Adult Safe Hockey League game on July 29th at Scotia Barn in Burnaby.

You can see in the video from the arena, two players from opposing teams were fighting each other in the 3rd period ... when, suddenly, one of the guys appeared to intentionally kick the other with the blade of his skate.

The player wearing a #90 jersey immediately fell onto the ice and covered his face. His teammates, meanwhile, went after the kick suspect before refs ultimately intervened. The guy was issued a penalty, and ejected from the game.

The Burnaby Royal Canadian Mounted Police tells us the victim received medical treatment for injuries he suffered from the kick -- adding that they've since launched an investigation.

"Burnaby RCMP is continuing to investigate the circumstances and actions that led to the player’s injuries," the officials said.

"Burnaby RCMP is in possession of video showing one angle of the incident, which has been collected as evidence. Investigators are still in the process of speaking with players and witnesses."

In addition to the ejection, the kick suspect also received an indefinite suspension from the ASHL, which said in a statement, "The conduct and on-ice behaviour depicted in the video in no way aligns with the values of our league and the rules of the game."

Kliff Kingsbury clearly ain't happy that his star wideout spent the day in jail on Wednesday -- telling reporters on Thursday that Marquise "Hollywood" Brown has "got to be better than that."

Brown was arrested at around 7:05 AM in north Phoenix after officers say he was speeding. Jail records show he was booked on a charge of exceeding 85 MPH in a 65 MPH zone -- and according to multiple media outlets, cops said he was actually traveling at 126 MPH.

Speaking with media members for the first time since the arrest, Kingsbury made it known he was not pleased with the 25-year-old, and expected more from the Cardinals receiver.

"Obviously he knows he's got to be better than that," the Arizona head coach said, "and he will be moving forward."

Kingsbury added Brown has "never" given him or the team "any issues" prior to Wednesday.

The U.S. government says it's doing everything it can to get Brittney Griner home ... but now there's a Justin from Canada looking to help out, too -- and it ain't Trudeau.

Justin Bieber is reacting to Griner's 9-year sentence for bringing cannabis oil into Russia ... saying it "hurts" to hear the news, but he doesn't want to sit around and do nothing.

"If anyone knows of anyway (sic) I can help please let me know."

Bieber is just one of many notable figures furious over the sentencing -- Kyrie Irving called on President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris to provide more info about Griner's status.

"What is truly happening with our Queen @brittneygriner @POTUS @VP?" the Brooklyn Nets superstar tweeted. "Please give us an Update."

WNBA star Lexie Brown added ... "Anyone that goes back to Russia to play is insane."

"Praying for BG man…this is breaking my heart seeing her right now 😔😔😔."

Ex-NFL star Robert Griffin III's reaction was simple -- "BRING BRITTNEY GRINER HOME!!!"

The NBA and WNBA released a joint statement ... saying Griner's verdict and sentencing was "unjustified and unfortunate," but reaffirmed the organizations will stop at nothing to make sure she comes home.

As we previously reported, the U.S. has made Russia a "very good offer" to bring her back to the States.

Mark Zuckerberg was apparently a baseball star for a very small part of his life, and a signed piece of that history is hitting the auction block.

The card's being sold at auction by ComicConnect.com in September ... it's allegedly been held by one of Mark's old camp counselors all these years.

Allie Tarantino remembers Mark standing out amongst the rest at Elmwood Day Camp in Westchester, NY back in 1992. Allie had an extensive baseball card collection, so when the 9-year-old kid came up to him with one of his own, he knew it had to get signed.

Since Mark's rise to the top, Allie's used the card as a big talking point in conversations, of course -- he decided to sell it off to help with his kids' college funds.

Collectibles expert Stephen Fishler, says it's tough to value because there's nothing like it --they're opening the bid at $1, but it'll be an unpredictable fight to the top. It will also be auctioned as an NFT.

Rookie cards seem to be all the rage right now, at least as far as price points go -- one of Lebron James recently sold for a whopping $5.2M!!!

FYI -- Zuck's stats are great, too ... the 48-pound infielder hit 23 of 25 at-bats that season, cleaning up with an impressive .920.

Brittney Griner was emotional in Russian court on Thursday ... apologizing for "my mistake that I made," while pleading with the judge to hand down a light sentence.

Griner issued the mea culpa at another hearing in her drug case ... telling the Moscow courtroom she was deeply sorry for inadvertently packing hashish oil in her luggage back in mid-February.

"I want to apologize to my teammates, my club, my fans and the city of [Yekaterinburg] for my mistake that I made and the embarrassment that I brought on them," the WNBA superstar said.

"I want to also apologize to my parents, my siblings, the Phoenix Mercury organization back at home, the amazing women of the WNBA, and my amazing spouse back at home."

According to Associated Press reporters on the scene, Griner -- wearing a gray T-shirt and dark pants -- appeared to be very emotional while saying she was sorry.

Griner later urged the judge to take it easy on her when her sentence is eventually handed down ... saying she hopes the ruling "does not end my life.”

Prosecutors, though, reportedly argued in the courtroom Thursday that Griner did intentionally bring the cannabis oil ... and urged the judge to sentence the 31-year-old to 9.5 years behind bars. They also reportedly argued Griner should be hit with a big fine.

The judge is expected to make a ruling in the case as early as Thursday afternoon.

As we reported, Griner pleaded guilty to the drug charges against her last month. She's facing a sentence of up to 10 years behind bars.

U.S. officials, meanwhile, have classified her as wrongfully detained ... and have confirmed they've made Russia a substantial trade offer to ultimately bring her home.

Terrell Owens got into such a heated argument with a woman in his neighborhood on Wednesday night, cops had to get involved ... and when they arrived, the woman quarreling with the football legend screamed at T.O., "You're a Black man approaching a white woman!"

Parts of the incident were captured by Owens on his social media live stream -- after he and one of his neighbors apparently got into a dispute over the way he had been driving around his neighborhood.

Owens began filming the incident moments after cops had arrived on the scene.

In the footage, the woman accused T.O. of driving recklessly, nearly hitting her with his car, and then getting out of his ride to intimidate her. Owens adamantly denied the allegations, saying he was driving safely, and only got out of his vehicle because she was screaming profanities at him.

"You don't yell at me and tell me I almost hit you and I didn't," Owens can be heard telling the woman in the video.

"But, you didn't have to get out of your f***ing car!" she replied.

Owens continued, "You didn't have to talk to me that way, either! Karen!"

That's when the woman yelled back, "You're a Black man approaching a white woman!"

The woman then broke down in tears a few moments later. Owens accused her of hamming it up for the cop on the scene.

The police officer attempted to de-escalate the situation -- separating the two -- but it's unclear how it was all resolved ... Owens signed off before the cops left.

The 48-year-old former Dallas Cowboys star did caption the video by writing, "KAREN IS REAL!!!!"

"Wow!! JUST A NORMAL NIGHT OF BEING A BLACK MAN IN AMERICA 🤷🏾‍♂️😂😂," he continued. "I want to say I can’t believe it but y’all know what it is. #karenonbikes #tears #falseaccusations #hernameiskate"