TMZ Sports - Page 5

Multiple first responders rushed to Pensacola Beach earlier this month to tend to Peyton Hillis after the former NFL star nearly drowned while trying to save his children ... new police video, obtained by TMZ Sports, shows.

In the footage, captured on an Escambia County Sheriff's deputy's body camera, you can see Hillis was in bad shape on the Florida sand after he was pulled from the water on Jan. 4.

The ex-Cleveland Browns running back, who did not have a shirt on, appeared to be breathing heavily ... and seemed to be in a great deal of pain.

But, at least four medics on the scene provided him aid ... administering an IV while checking his vitals.

At one point, they even helped him roll over on his side to make him more comfortable -- while providing a beach towel as a pillow. They also urged him to keep talking in an effort to make sure his condition wasn't worsening.

They eventually got the 36-year-old off the beach and into a helicopter ... which flew him to a nearby medical facility for treatment.

Hillis' initial prognosis wasn't good -- his uncle said in a Facebook post he suffered damage to his lungs and kidneys in the swimming accident -- but, thankfully, his longtime girlfriend said last week he had a breakthrough and was "on the road to recovery."

Hillis now seems to be in far better condition -- he was just seen smiling in his hospital bed on Thursday after Dallas Cowboys legend Emmitt Smith popped by his room for a visit.

Anderson Silva wants everyone to stop talking nonsense ASAP ... telling TMZ Sports he did NOT take a dive against Jake Paul last year -- the Problem Child simply beat him fair and square.

Several talking heads in the combat sports community have refused to believe the 26-year-old YouTube superstar beat a legend like Silva back in October ... claiming he faked getting knocked down so Paul would end up with his hand raised.

But, Spider is shutting down all that talk ... saying people need to respect what Paul can do in the boxing ring.

"The people don't give credit to Jake," Silva told us at LAX. "Jake is a very young guy, he's very determined and training hard every day."

Silva says the loss is actually a good thing ... because he can take what he did wrong and improve on it in the future.

"I didn't have the strategy correct and I lost the fight and that's amazing because I continue to learn, continue to accept the new technique with my coach, and that's great."

Silva even has a message for his former opponent ... saying, "Jake, continue to do your job, bro. You're doing amazing. I love you!"

No, a first-round pick ain't too much to give up to acquire the rights to Sean Payton ... so says ex-NFL exec Michael Lombardi, who tells TMZ Sports trading for big-name coaches has almost always worked out for teams in the past -- no matter the cost.

Multiple teams have already lined up interviews with Payton to try to get him on board -- but each will have to send New Orleans something in return if he agrees to come along ... as the 59-year-old retired from the Saints in 2022 with two years still left on his deal.

The price is said to be an expensive one -- the Saints are reportedly asking for at least a first-rounder in a trade -- but Lombardi told us this week teams shouldn't hesitate to make that swap.

The former Cleveland Browns general manager pointed toward the Buccaneers' trade for Jon Gruden, the Patriots' deal for Bill Belichick, and the Jets' bargain for Bill Parcells as reasons he'd give up the precious draft capital for Payton.

"I think anytime that you've gone through these coaches that have gotten traded, the team that made the trade really won," Lombardi said. "So, yeah. Whatever it costs."

Lombardi said he'd expect the fee to vary from team to team ... explaining he thinks the Saints would charge more to the division-rival Panthers than the Arizona Cardinals. But, again, he said he expects it to be worth it.

As for where Payton will ultimately end up ... Lombardi says he believes it'll be the franchise that has an owner that Sean vibes with most.

Don't be shocked if Cincinnati upsets Buffalo in their playoff game this weekend ... ex-NFL star T.J. Houshmandzadeh tells TMZ Sports he's confident his former squad will get the dub on Sunday!!!

The ex-Cincy wideout broke it down for us at LAX this week -- right after Joe Burrow and the guys beat the Baltimore Ravens in their Wild Card matchup last weekend.

"I like the Bengals' chances," he said.

The 45-year-old former Pro Bowler explained that with the way the Bengals looked against the Bills during their brief "Monday Night Football" contest earlier this month -- he's giving the edge to Cincinnati heading into the big AFC Divisional Round game.

"The way that regular-season game was going," he said, "I like the Bengals' chances."

Of course, the experts in Vegas disagree -- calling the Bills a 5.5-point favorite.

We also talked about the matchup with Houshmandzadeh's former Bengals teammate, Chad Johnson, at the L.A. airport -- and while he didn't seem as sure as his pal did about the outcome of the game, he didn't exactly pick Buffalo either.

"I think it comes down to whoever makes the fewest mistakes," Ochocinco said. "And, the offense that executes the best."

Too $hort is all for setting great examples for younger rappers and hopes his recent trip to the White House offers some inspiration to whoever needs it!!!

We linked with Short Dog in D.C. this week fresh outta the Oval Office and as expected, he said the experience was nothing short of greatness.

Short, along with E-40, Mistah F.A.B. and Sway Calloway got to meet their fellow Oakland native, Vice President Kamala Harris ... and the rap legend says he couldn't be more proud of his hometown.

The Golden State Warriors broke their boycott of the White House in light of Donald Trump no longer being the commander-in-chief and $hort says, as a lifelong fan, he was happy to support the team in person.

He has nearly 40 years in the rap game so Short knows a thing or two about perseverance ... so, we switched gears to football to ask him about Tom Brady possibly, finally retiring. Maybe.

Too $hort is in the camp of folks who say TB12 isn't hanging up his cleats just yet.

Brady and the Buccaneers just got embarrassingly bounced outta the NFL playoffs by the Dallas Cowboys -- but, Short says Tom will give us another pump fake "retirement" and be back on the field for next season.

Jamahal Hill's fighting Glover Teixeira for the UFC light heavyweight title Saturday night ... but he's already got an idea of who he wants to scrap with once he's the champ -- Jiri Procházka.

TMZ Sports talked to 31-year-old Hill ahead of his UFC 283 main event fight against the legendary Brazilian fighter ... when we asked the 11-1 striker if he was bothered by people saying he doesn't deserve to fight for the strap.

"From the consensus that I've been hearing a lot of, it's I 'don't deserve the title shot.' I think even Jiri said that which is crazy as hell to me because he only had like 2 wins and he got a title shot. That's weird, know what I'm saying?" Hill asked, making his point.

"Not just that, it's all love and all respect to Glover and everything like that, but at the same time, bro, if you lose your title and don't defend your title, why do you deserve a title shot? Why do you deserve an immediate rematch for a title shot? It's just funny."

Jamahal, who is in the midst of a 3-fight win streak (Jimmy Crute, Johnny Walker, Thiago Santos), is particularly interested in 30-year-old Procházka.

"I've wanted the Jiri fight for years. I'm hearing his shoulder isn't as bad as they thought it was. He can be back by the summer. S**t, run that. That's a thousand percent what I want," Hill told us.

"I've been ready to show him the levels to even the style that he thinks he's good at."

We also talked to Glover ... who won the belt in October 2021, taking it from Jan Blachowicz, before himself losing to Procházka in June 2022.

Let's just say Glover isn't content with having been champ once ... he may be 12 years older than Jamahal, but he's hungry as hell!

Flyweight champ Deiveson Figueiredo and interim flyweight champ Brandon Moreno are also on the card ... fighting for a record 4th time.

#5 ranked welterweight Gilbert Burns and #12 ranked Neil Magny will also battle in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil ... home country of Glover, Gilbert, and Figgy.

It might be cold in Kansas City, but Gracie Hunt is on fire ... 'cause the Chiefs heiress showed support for her beloved team by sporting a bikini in the snow ahead of their big playoff game!!

Gracie -- daughter of K.C. Chiefs chairman and CEO Clark Hunt -- shared the steamy pics on Friday via Instagram ... a day before Kansas City faces the Jacksonville Jaguars in the Divisional Round at Arrowhead Stadium.

The 23-year-old was clearly enjoyin' the snow with her Chiefs-themed bathing suit on ... and considering the temps, she threw on some moon boots and a metallic jacket so she didn't freeze to death.

"Thinking warm thoughts and hoping for a Chiefs WIN!❤️‍🔥," Hunt said. "Who’s ready for game day?!🏈"

Of course, Hunt isn't camera shy -- she's been in several beauty pageants in the past ... and was named Miss Kansas USA in 2021. Gracie also finished in the top 15 in the Miss USA contest that same year.

FYI, it's supposed to rain and snow for the Jaguars-Chiefs playoff game, with temps in the 30s.

Allen Lazard's wallet won't be 10 Gs lighter after all ... the NFL rescinded the $10,609 fine it hit him with after he appeared to taunt Dolphins players in a Christmas Day game -- and the Packers star couldn't have been happier about it.

The league initially forced Aaron Rodgers' favorite target to shell out the big bucks after he counted to three following a vicious block that took out three Dolphins defenders on one play back in Green Bay's 26-20 win over Miami on Dec. 25.

Lazard delivered the hit -- which allowed his running back, Aaron Jones, to get loose -- and then celebrated afterward, pointing out how many bodies he knocked to the ground. The NFL didn't like it, and fined him days later.

But, the league changed its tune Friday ... saying in a letter to the receiver, "After reviewing the arguments and video presented to me during the appeal, I have concluded that the evidence does not warrant a fine for this violation."

The announcement was music to Lazard's ears ... who tweeted, "Guys, they aren’t going to fine me anymore for counting to 3!!!"

Authorities in Colorado say Derek Wolfe followed all the steps necessary in his hunt of a mountain lion this week ... confirming to TMZ Sports the former NFL player's killing of the animal was legal.

A spokesperson for Colorado Parks and Wildlife tells us ... Wolfe did all that was required of him in order to lawfully take down the big cat in Grant earlier this week.

According to the CPW, Wolfe obtained his mountain lion hunting license and is "in good standing" with the org. It also said Wolfe checked all the boxes necessary -- such as properly reporting the kill -- to make it all above board.

Wolfe himself insisted on his "The Drive" podcast that he did nothing wrong ... explaining, as he did in his initial post about the kill, that the male mountain lion was a menace to neighboring communities prior to its death.

"He was hiding under this lady's porch down the road," Wolfe said of what initially made him set out to kill the beast. "She told us, 'Please get rid of him. He killed my dog last year.'"

Wolfe added, "I love hunting deer and elk, and mountain lions kill deer and elk, and mature male mountain lions kill the cubs of female mountain lions to get them to go back into heat."

"I feel like I am doing my part by taking care of some of these Toms. It is not easy."

Wolfe said after an hours-long hunt for the animal, he eventually shot and killed it with a bow and arrow. He said the big cat was massive -- weighing around 200 pounds ... and spanning the entirety of his 6-foot-6 frame.

"That thing can kill anybody," Wolfe said.

Brazilian soccer star Dani Alves was reportedly detained Friday in Spain ... where he's being held on sexual abuse charges.

Alves, 39, is accused of inappropriately touching a woman under her clothes without consent (in Spain, sexual assault can cover anything from groping to rape) in a Barcelona nightclub on New Year's Eve, according to reports.

The woman filed a report after the alleged incident ... and once local police were made aware of the situation, they took witness statements.

Alves -- a champion with several clubs, including Barcelona, Juventus and Paris-Saint German -- has denied any wrongdoing, claiming he's never even met the alleged victim.

"I would like to deny everything first," Alves said. "I was there, in that location, with more people, having a good time. Everybody knows that I love to dance. Having a good time, but without invading the space of others."

"I'm very sorry, but I don't know who that young lady is. I don't know who she is. I've never seen her in my life."

Peyton Hillis got a special visitor at his hospital on Thursday ... Emmitt Smith stopped by -- and the visit went so well, both former NFL running backs were seen smiling ear to ear with one another.

The Dallas Cowboys legend -- who was born and raised in Pensacola, FL -- made the trek to the Escambia County medical facility to check in on Hillis ... just over two weeks after the former Browns tailback nearly drowned in an ocean rescue effort on Pensacola Beach.

Hillis appeared to be in great spirits -- flashing a grin in a photo with Smith, who called the 36-year-old in an Instagram post following the visit "a recovering hero."

Smith didn't directly provide any updates on Hillis' condition, though he appeared optimistic about the former Madden cover athlete's prognosis.

"Stay strong Peyton!" Smith said. "Praying for you, your family and wishing you a speedy recovery."

Hillis, according to his uncle, suffered damage to his lungs and kidneys back on Jan. 4 ... after he reportedly jumped into the ocean to save his children who were caught in riptides.

Initially, things looked dire for Peyton -- who had to be life flighted to the hospital -- but his longtime girlfriend, singer and actress Angela Cole, said last week he had a big breakthrough and is now on the mend.

Hillis played in the NFL from 2008 through 2014 ... and multiple players, both past and present, have wished him a speedy recovery since the accident.

The wrestling community is stepping up to help Ring of Honor star Jay Briscoe's loved ones after his tragic death ... with some of the biggest names in the sport making donations to the Pugh family.

A GiveSendGo page was set up following Tuesday's fatal car accident ... and more than $194,000 has been raised so far to assist the Pugh family with unforeseen expenses.

All-Elite Wrestling superstar Chris Jericho -- who also made a charitable contribution for Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin after his medical emergency last month -- posted $15,000 for the cause, according to the page.

The Young Bucks -- Nick and Matt Jackson -- contributed $10,000 each.

Adam Cole, Jim Cornette and more also added significant amounts to the fund ... as well as numerous anonymous donations.

As we previously reported, police in Delaware say the driver of a 2019 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 entered Briscoe's lane and slammed head-on into his 2016 Chevrolet Silverado 2500.

Briscoe -- real name Jamin Pugh -- and the other driver were pronounced dead at the scene ... and his two young daughters who were in the car with him were taken to a nearby hospital in critical condition.

A Michael Jordan 1997 Upper Deck Game Jersey Patch Autograph Card sold for $840,000 at auction Thursday evening ... becoming one of the highest-priced MJ cards ever!

Officials at PWCC tell TMZ Sports the card, which features a swatch from His Airness' 1992 All-Star Game jersey, as well as an MJ autograph, is now the sixth-highest selling Jordan card in card collecting history.

And, it's not hard to understand why ... aside from the patch and signature, there just aren't many cards out there. In fact, only 23 cards were produced (a nod to MJ's jersey #). This card was graded mint/near mint (BGS 8) by Beckett. The autograph received a perfect 10 score.

"It's a piece of history in that it was the very first time you could pull a game-used and autographed Michael Jordan card out of a trading card pack," PWCC exec Jesse Craig said of the rare card.

During the 1992 All-Star Game, Jordan put up stellar numbers ... leading all players in minutes (31) and scoring a team-high of 18 points and five assists.

Magic Johnson, who returned to the court after retiring in 1991, guarded MJ one-on-one ... in one of the most iconic moments in NBA All-Star game history.

In a battle of MJ vs. MJ, it was Magic who got the best of Michael ... his team went on to win 153-113, and Johnson won the All-Star Game MVP, scoring 25 points and dishing nine assists.

But, Jordan got the last laugh ... the Bulls won their second consecutive championship after defeating the Trail Blazers in the NBA Finals.

Paul George needed an assist off the court on Thursday ... asking his 9 million Instagram followers to help identify a young man who allegedly hit his car and drove off.

The Los Angeles Clippers small forward shared a photo of the driver on social media, saying the kid pulled off without providing his information after hitting his brand-new whip.

"This kid hit and run my brand new car today," the 32-year-old said in the since-deleted post, "Then dipped without giving me his driver's license. If you know him, tag him 😩😩😩😩😩"

"Anybody know who this kid is. DM me."

The method might have worked ... George's wife Daniela -- who married the 7-time All-Star last June -- wrote on her IG story hours later, "GOT HIM!!! TY IG."

She has also deleted the IG post.

The location of the crash and whether cops were involved is unknown, but we're working on it.

"Cheer" star Jerry Harris and Julie Chrisley are 2 names you'd never expect to see in the same sentence, but they're now sharing the same address ... in a federal lockup.

Here's the deal ... Harris, an ex-cheerleader from the Netflix hit series, was incarcerated at the Federal Medical Center in Lexington, Kentucky, last August -- and the "Chrisley Knows Best" star checked in there Tuesday.

It's a minimum security satellite camp -- it won't be confused with a SuperMax -- but that doesn't mean Julie and Jerry get to socialize in the yard. For obvious reasons, we're told the feds keep male and female inmates in separate sections of the facility.

As we reported, Julie was convicted last June for bank fraud, wire fraud and tax evasion, and got a seven-year sentence -- and despite the prison's name, she is not in need of any medical treatment.

Same goes for Jerry ... the BOP confirmed inmates are housed at FMC Lexington for both medical and non-medical reasons.

Jerry's attorney, Todd Pugh tells us his client is "doing well for someone who is in prison." He adds, Jerry has "acclimated himself to custodial life and is participating in every type of self-betterment program available."

Andy Murray was so pissed that he couldn't take a piss during a marathon match at the Australian Open on Thursday night ... he unloaded on the chair ump, calling her refusal of a potty break a straight-up "joke."

Murray and Thanasi Kokkinakis battled for over FIVE HOURS at the famed tennis tournament in Melbourne ... and just the before the match went to its fifth set, Murray asked to hit the toilet.

The problem? He had already been once previously during the contest -- so, the ump refused his request.

And, that's when Murray snapped.

"Do you know something?" Murray said as it neared 4 AM in Australia. "I respect the rules. It's so disrespectful that the tournament has us out here until three, f***ing four o'clock in the morning and we're not allowed to go take a piss."

Murray continued, "It's a joke. It is a joke. And you know it as well. It's disrespectful. It's disrespectful to you, it's disrespectful to the ball children. It's disrespectful to the players and we're not allowed to go to the toilet. It's ridiculous."

Former No. 1-ranked tennis player Andy Roddick agreed with Murray ... writing on Twitter during the match, "This is just so dumb."

Murray somehow recovered despite not being allowed to relieve himself ... earning a 4-6, 6-7 (4), 7-6 (5), 6-3, 7-5 win that started on Thursday night and officially ended at 4:05 AM on Friday.