TMZ Sports - Page 50

Andre Johnson and Adrian Peterson, along with other current and retired NFL players tried to take each other's heads off in an intense game of volleyball ... and let's just say Eric Reid is probably sorry he didn't bring his football helmet!

But, it was all for charity ... and that's gotta ease (some of) the pain.

The Ultimate Most Dopest Dodgeball Charity Challenge went down last week in Texas ... pitting 4 teams, captained by Alex Bregman (the MLB star couldn't be there, but his wife Reagan held it down) DeAndre Hopkins, Chester Pitts, and reigning Super Bowl champ Justin Reid.

The captains all played for charities near and dear to their hearts. Cecil Shorts III, Tank Dell, DJ Reader and a bunch of other guys also participated.

Pitts and Reid's team were the last teams alive ... and Eric Reid was the last man standing on his squad. Despite fighting like hell against multiple players from Pitts' team, Eric was taken out by a line drive throw from Andre Johnson.

To add insult to injury, someone on Johnson's team fired another ball a split second later, and it smacked ER directly in the side of the face/head. Thankfully, Eric was okay (you don't play 7 NFL seasons if you aren't tough)!

FYI, headshots are usually illegal in dodgeball, but it technically wasn't the shot that eliminated Reid.

Former WWE star Darren Drozdov -- who was tragically paralyzed after suffering an injury during a match in 1999 -- has died ... the wrestling org. announced Friday.

He was 54 years old.

"There are no words to convey the deep sense of loss and sadness we are feeling right now," Drozdov's family said in a statement. "We would like to extend our deepest appreciation to everyone. All of his fans, teammates, colleagues, and friends for all the love and support he received over the years."

"You all gave him meaning, purpose and something to live for," the Drozdov family continued. "He loved each and every one of you and cherished the conversations, notes and letters he received. His faith in humanity never faltered, so know that for all the love you've shown him, he loved you back."

Drozdov's family added that he passed away due to natural causes.

Drozdov was initially introduced to the sports world through football ... when he played noseguard in the NFL for three seasons.

But, following the end of his playing days, he found his true calling in wrestling ... first appearing in the ECW -- before debuting with the WWE in 1998.

Drozdov initially competed under the pseudonym "Puke" -- a nickname he had previously been given for his affinity for throwing up during football games -- but, he later wrestled as "Droz" ... gaining fame for the way he teamed up with the Road Warriors.

Sadly, in Oct. 1999 -- just as his wrestling career looked poised to take off -- he broke his neck in a match with D'Lo Brown ... and was paralyzed from the neck down.

He eventually gained movement in his arms and upper body -- but he would still require a wheelchair to get around for the rest of his life. He did, though, remain steadfast that Brown was not to blame for the incident -- and the two stayed friends over the years.

Following Drozdov's passing Friday ... Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson penned an emotional tribute to the wrestler, writing on his social media page, "We wrestled on a lot of cards together. Such an awesome dude."

"Great personality and great wrestling talent," he added. "We always talked about football and fishing. Sending love, strength, mana and light to his family. RIP brother."

More alleged financial issues for Kim Zolciak and Kroy Biermann ... Target says she hasn't paid a relatively puny credit card bill, so now they're going after her in court.

According to new legal documents, obtained by TMZ, the bank which handles credit cards for Target claims the former 'Real Housewives of Atlanta' star failed to pay off a $2,482.24 balance.

Target National Bank claims Kim opened a credit card at the retailer way back in 2007, but says she only recently defaulted on the payments ... claiming she hasn't made a payment since September, when she paid $500.

In the docs, the bank says it's demanded payment from Kim ... but she's failed to settle the bill.

Kim and Kroy, who are going through a nasty divorce, allegedly owe tons of money ... including an alleged $1 million to the IRS.

TMZ broke the story ... Kroy was sued just this week for allegedly failing to pay back a line of credit he used at a casino in the Bahamas, and he's also being sued for allegedly missing lease payments on a Rolls-Royce.

Jalen Ramsey is reminding folks he's got skills both on the gridiron AND the hardwood ... putting on an absolute dunk show during a pickup game in Miami this week.

The new Dolphins cornerback was caught on video throwin' down a bunch of impressive rim-rattlers inside of the Florida International University gym -- including one that he needed just one hand for.

Ramsey -- who was traded from L.A. to Miami back in March -- also displayed some ball-handling skills ... and even showcased a sweet jump shot too!

Of course, the athleticism shouldn't surprise anybody ... Ramsey was a two-sport star back in high school, albeit it was in football and track.

The 28-year-old did, however, always have basketball game ... and at one point last month, he compared himself to Russell Westbrook.

"Lotta energy, getting the rebounds, the triple-doubles, all of that," the Super Bowl LVI champ said.

"If I get a chance to get in an NBA game, they give me 30 minutes, I'm gonna be the worst teammate you ever had. I'm shooting every time! I'm getting my 10 for sure!"

Of course, Ramsey ain't the only Dolphins player who's shown off an insane vertical on the basketball court ... Tyreek Hill has proved repeatedly he can throw it down as well.

A huge hammerhead shark circled a couple of paddleboarders off the coast of Florida ... and the terrifying encounter was all caught on video.

The footage -- shot Sunday between the Bahamas and Lake Worth, FL -- first shows a woman on a paddleboard in the middle of the ocean being followed by a shark ... with a fin rising above the surface and getting super close to her board.

The shark appears to circle the paddleboard, then it goes over and checks out another paddleboarder.

Somehow, the woman keeps her cool through it all, paddling to a boat and hopping in the vessel ... and the shark disappears into the depths.

The woman, Malea Tribble of Fort Lauderdale, told FOX 35 News in Orlando she felt a few taps on the bottom of her paddleboard ... but she didn't realize it was a shark until her husband spotted the fin.

Folks on the boat think it was a hammerhead shark ... and it seems to be one curious fish.

Gisele Bundchen hit Costa Rican waters on Thursday for a little morning of surfing ... and she looked goooood -- both on the board, and off of it!

Tom Brady's ex didn't stay in the ocean long -- getting in only about 40 minutes of wave-riding -- but check out the photos from her gnar-shredding sesh ... she sure seemed to make it all count.

Bundchen got up on her ride several times ... cruising into shore with some serious pace over and over again.

She impressed while away from the board as well ... showing off a toned body in a black bikini.

In between it all, Gisele found time to give a little love to her daughter, Vivian ... holding hands with the young Brady as they got out of the water.

As it turns out, the surf spot was a pretty popular one on Thursday ... 'cause Shakira hit it up just a couple hours later as well -- and rode in some whitewash too!!

Unclear if the ladies have linked up while out in Costa Rica this week -- though we know they've gotten close over the last few months ... going on a mid-May dinner date with their kiddos in Miami.

This will blow your mind -- an official from the government of Italy contacted Mark Zuckerberg about staging a UFC fight against Elon Musk at the most legendary battleground in the world ... Rome's Colosseum ... TMZ Sports has learned.

Sources with direct knowledge tell us ... the Minister of Culture reached out to Zuckerberg a few days ago about staging what could be the biggest fight in the history of the world in the most fabled fight theater in history.

Our sources say both Elon and Mark would love for the fight to go down at the Colosseum.

We're told Zuckerberg's people passed on the message to UFC Prez Dana White, whose people contacted the Minister.

As for the venue itself -- one of the 7 Wonders of the World -- there have not been large events held inside the nearly 2,000-year-old amphitheater in hundreds of years, and only a few hundred spectators can be seated in temporary seating within the theater.

Sir Paul McCartney performed inside the Colosseum in 2003 for an exclusive charity show before 400 people who paid up to $1,500 -- but other than that, all other concerts have been held just outside the structure.

It's unclear where a Musk vs. Zuck fight would go down -- inside or outside.

Multiple sources with direct knowledge tell us if you're gonna bet on whether this fight goes down ... wager that it's happening. We're told both Musk and Zuck are "all in," and have been negotiating with Dana about the details of a fight daily ... multiple times each day for more than a week.

The biggest obstacle is height and weight disparity, although both men have no issue with it. The question ... if the fight were to go down in Vegas -- which was the goal until the Colosseum offer surfaced -- the Nevada Athletic Commission would have to sign off. Given that Zuck is 5'7" and weighs 145, and Elon towers over him at 6'2" and weighs 230, it's a little problematic. Nevertheless, this would be an exhibition fight, so the rules might bend.

Now that Italy is interested, it opens up so many more possibilities.

Originally Published -- 6/29 9:39 PM PT

Two University of Buffalo football players have been charged with animal abuse ... after prosecutors say they were seen on video earlier this month beating a 4-year-old miniature Poodle with a leather belt.

According to the Erie County District Attorney's Office ... the incident happened at around 9 PM on June 13 inside an apartment in Amherst, N.Y.

Authorities allege 19-year-old Blake Hiligh, a cornerback, and 20-year-old Zachary Pilarcek, a tight end, filmed themselves striking the dog repeatedly ... in what was an apparent attempt to discipline the animal. Prosecutors say the two then uploaded the footage to social media.

On June 14, prosecutors say they hit both men with one misdemeanor charge of overdriving, torturing and injuring animals.

Officials also say the poodle, named Kobe, was seized and transported to a local Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals ... where it received treatment for abrasions and bruises.

Both Hiligh and Pilarcek appeared in court for their arraignment on Thursday ... and pleaded not guilty to the charges. Following the proceedings, Hiligh's attorney told a group of reporters, "My client regrets the actions."

"We love our dogs," the lawyer added. "We love our pets. Sometimes they do frustrate us. Sometimes we do discipline them sometimes. I don't believe it was in a cruel manner."

Both Hiligh and Pilarcek have been dismissed from the UB football team over the allegations.

"The UB football program has zero tolerance for this type of behavior,” UB football head coach Maurice Linguist said.

"After learning about this incident, I immediately suspended the two young men from all team activities before permanently dismissing them from the program earlier this month. At UB, not only do we expect our student-athletes to excel on the field and in the classroom, but we also expect them to be outstanding citizens in our community."

It was a rough day to be a Golden State Warrior on Thursday ... while Klay Thompson and Steph Curry were bad on the golf course, Draymond Green showed he's got ZERO skills when it comes to chugging beer!

The comically awful showing from the NBA stars all went down during the eighth iteration of The Match at the Wynn Golf Club in Las Vegas ... when the Splash Brothers were trying to beat Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce in the annual charity golf event.

Thompson and Curry struggled mightily against the Kansas City Chiefs superstars ... losing the contest in just 10 holes.

But, perhaps the bigger story happened earlier in the evening ... when Kelce gave Green a booze-slugging contraption and 12 ounces of Coors Light.

The tight end tried his best to get Green to pour it out properly down his throat -- but check out the video ... Green was awful!!

The 33-year-old got more of it on his shirt than in his mouth -- and Kelce was cracking up over it all!!

To his credit, Green was a good sport about the snafu ... though he did try to blame Kelce's device for the mishap.

For Kelce's part, he showed he had absolutely no issues with the thing just a few minutes before Green's debacle ... slamming a Silver Bullet in less than four seconds.

The day -- despite the Warriors' worst efforts -- was still a good one nonetheless ... it showed Mahomes is truly good at everything, AND it raised a ton of cash for various charities.

Good work, guys!

Nike is gearing up to relaunch Kobe Bryant's line with the Swoosh, the sportswear giant's CEO announced to investors on Thursday ... and fans won't have to wait long, products are expected to drop before the end of August!

CEO John Donahue spoke on an earnings call this week, where he announced some seriously awesome news ... "It's going to be an exciting summer as we set the stage to relaunch the Kobe brand in advance of Kobe Day on 8.24," JD said.

Donahue, nor Nike, expounded further, so specifics surrounding Kobe's brand are still unclear.

A relaunch wasn't always a foregone conclusion. The longtime partnership between Nike and Kobe/KB's estate came to an end in April 2021 when a new contract could not be agreed upon.

Fast forward to March 2022 ... when Vanessa Bryant announced the estate reached a new deal with Nike, restoring one of the most successful partnerships in shoewear history.

At the time, Vanessa said of the new agreement ... "We're excited to announce our partnership with Nike is going to continue! I am so proud that my husband's shoes are still the most worn by players on NBA courts and that the demand for his shoes remains so desired by his fans around the world."

Bryant continued ... "With this new partnership, fans will soon be able to have access to Kobe and Gigi Nike products for years to come and with Nike donating 100% of the net proceeds yearly for Gianna’s shoes to our Mamba and Mambacita Sports Foundation."

Since the reunion, the releases from Nike have been sparse. There were Kobe 4 and 6's released on a limited basis, but there haven't been any major drops.

Lamar Odom is worried for Bam Margera ... worried he's keeping bad company.

As we first reported ... Bam was detoxing in San Diego earlier this month with Lamar's help, but he left early, and given Bam's track record, Lamar is concerned.

Lamar clearly thinks Bam is hanging with the wrong crowd, saying, "Who you surround yourself with is critical. We are the company we keep."

Bam actually stayed with Lamar last weekend after leaving the detox center, but he bounced and Odom thinks that's more than problematic.

Lamar thinks there's a card his friends and family can play that could get Bam's attention ... namely his ability to see is son, Phoenix.

Remember, Bam threatened to smoke crack until he died if he couldn't see his kid, so that could be a pressure point that works.

Lamar says he's going to try and track Bam down and encourage him to go to rehab at the Odom Recovery Group.

Roy Jones Jr. is one of the best boxers ever, but the legendary fighter is stepping back in the ring with an opponent like never before, massive bodybuilder and social media star NDO Champ!

54-year-old RJJ and 39-year-old NDO Champ -- who is 250 lbs. of solid muscle -- are fighting Friday night in the Metaverse (more on that later).

NDO Champ, government name Robert Wilmote, is an IFBB Pro bodybuilder who has over one million followers on Instagram ... and has gone viral a bunch of times. There's a good chance you've seen NDO's videos online.

Much different than Roy's typical opponents ... which he concedes.

"It's much different than I'm used to. It's kind of like Godzilla versus King Kong. You know, King Kong being the gorilla, that's what he kind of reminds me of with all the muscles and he's such a big dark figure," Jones Jr. said.

But, RJJ has a strategy to deal with his powerful foe ... "be smart enough not to run into the foolishness." The "foolishness" being a big power punch.

As for how he sees the fight going, Jones Jr. says he'll win ... it's just a matter of whether it's by knockout or not.

"Depends how good of a punch he can take. He can't take good punch then he goes to sleep. All depends on what happens. I don't know, I've never been in the ring with him. I've never seen him box. There's no film on him. That's what makes it so different."

Roy continued ... "You don't know what he's bringing. You don't know if he's gonna be a Mike Tyson puncher or a guy with a lot of muscle that can't punch at all."

Champ, as you may expect, sees things playing out a bit differently.

"Listen, we don't train to lose. We don't train to come in there and play. If that's the case, I'll go back doin' something else, you feel me. No disrespect, I salute the OG, but it's wartime."

NDO continued ... "I'm not coming in there to congratulate you on all our successes, nah, you shouldn't have gotten in this ring with this man. You shouldn't have gotten in the ring with me. I'm a born stone killer!"

Shaquille O'Neal and Charles Barkley are gonna love this -- Kenny "The Jet" Smith has landed back on the beaches of Miami ... and he brought along the stunning Aline Bernardes for another relaxing day in the sun.

The "Inside The NBA" cohost and his lady first made waves back in May when they were spotted out in Florida together ... which, naturally, had his TV buddies cracking jokes left and right for the next few days.

Luckily for Smith, the NBA season is over ... so he can enjoy his free time with the model without worrying about the guys cracking jokes in front of a national audience.

Smith and Bernardes appear to be really into each other -- they were closer than ever as they rocked their swimsuits and went for a soak in the water on Thursday.

While their first trip to the beach was pretty chill, there was more PDA this time around -- Aline wrapped her arms around the NBA champ as they walked deeper into the ocean.

It looks like the return to the beach was entertaining for both ... they smiled from ear-to-ear throughout the day.

Domingo German received ALL of the love after throwing a perfect game Wednesday night ... getting a hero's welcome at the Yankees' team hotel -- and TMZ Sports has video of it!!

The star pitcher showed up to the swanky San Francisco spot just minutes after making history in an 11-0 win over the A's at the Oakland Coliseum -- and you can see in the footage, a TON of fans showed up to celebrate his moment with him.

As soon as he stepped off the bus, Pinstripes supporters cheered loudly ... and showered him with "Perfect game!" chants.

German was so grateful for the warm responses -- he spent a few moments signing autographs for those who lined up.

One of the fans who was there tells us ... German appeared super happy the entire time, thanking everyone there for their support.

Of course, the 30-year-old deserved all of the praise after his performance on the mound ... his nine flawless innings marked just the 24th time in MLB history that a pitcher has been perfect throughout a night at the ballpark.

No word yet on how the party was when Domingo got inside the hotel ... but the Yanks had a day game Thursday afternoon -- so it probably wasn't too rowdy.

Saquon Barkley isn't letting feisty contract negotiations with the Giants keep him out of the gym ... he just showed he's lifting more than ever -- box squatting somewhere near 600 pounds for reps!!!

Despite currently being in a back-and-forth with New York brass over his pay ... Barkley made it clear he's still prepping for the 2023 season nonetheless -- showing video of him Thursday getting busy in the weight room.

Barkley posted the footage to his Instagram page ... and the strength he displayed while doing box squats in the clip truly looks superhuman.

It's unclear how much exactly it all is -- but if the plates are the standard 45-pound ones ... it's 585 total LBs!!!

And, check out the video ... he got it up and down four times!!!

It all might just be a message to his team ... as both he and the Giants are currently at odds over the running back's contract. He wants a boatload of cash over a multitude of years -- while the Giants seem like they'd be happy if he'd just play on the franchise tag this season for right around $10 million.

Things have gotten so testy between the two ... Barkley told reporters earlier this month he'd contemplate sitting out the season if a deal isn't reached by the NFL's July 17 deadline.

Isaiah Rodgers will be away from an NFL field for the foreseeable future ... the league just suspended the Indianapolis Colts defensive back indefinitely for violating its gambling policy.

NFL officials announced the ruling on Thursday morning ... adding that two other players -- Colts tight end Rashod Berry and free agent defensive lineman Demetrius Taylor -- were also hit with the same punishments.

Titans offensive lineman Nicholas Petit-Frere, meanwhile, was banned six games for gambling policy violations as well.

Rodgers' punishment had been looming for weeks ... after he admitted earlier this month that he had broken the league's betting rules.

It's unclear exactly what all of the guys' violations specifically were -- the NFL didn't say when making its announcement -- but it did reveal Rodgers, Berry and Taylor will only be able to return to the gridiron if they petition for reinstatement at the end of this season.

While Berry and Taylor were viewed as more of role players ... the loss of Rodgers is a big one -- he's played in 45 games for the Colts the last three years, and has been a special teams ace in addition to a productive cornerback.

"I am very sorry for all of this," Rodgers said in a statement earlier this month.

Thursday's bans for gambling violations are hardly the first the NFL has doled out in the last year or so -- stars like Lions wideout Jameson Williams and Jaguars receiver Calvin Ridley have also been punished recently over the betting policy.