TMZ Sports - Page 50

Draymond Green says his mid-practice attack on Jordan Poole was not the result of one single comment ... claiming his former teammate was pushing his buttons way before the altercation.

The Golden State Warriors star addressed the October 2022 incident on Barstool Sports' "Pat Bev Podcast" this week ... and he explained he isn't the type of guy to just unleash at the drop of a dime.

"I don't just hit people," Green said. "Dialogue happens and dialogue happens over the course of time. You usually ain't just triggered by something like that fast to that degree. This is a team, ain't nobody on my team triggering me in an instant."

Green didn't disclose what was said prior to the punch, but insinuates Poole crossed the line.

"We know stuff that you don't say amongst men," he added. "We know things that you have to stand on. As I've admitted before, I was wrong in the way I handled it for the situation where we were."

Draymond went on to say he has no hard feelings toward Poole ... and wishes him well at his new home with the Washington Wizards.

Despite the olive branch, Poole's dad didn't seem to care for his comments on the altercation ... going off on Draymond in a fiery tweet late Tuesday night.

"I'm stand on this that's is some bs," Anthony Poole said. "Jp was his guy and he avoid me all last yr."

"He is a soft as bitch and I'm standing on this and he didn’t apologize to me and my wife. So he lame and me and him can meet anytime he want."

Conor McGregor rushed away from a funeral in the UK on Tuesday evening following an incident at the gathering ... and now, cops say they're trying to figure out what exactly happened.

Footage shot from outside The Saddle Club in Birkenhead shows the UFC star, flanked by two security guards, made the swift exit after he had been inside the venue for services for a late family member.

The 35-year-old fighter looked perturbed in the clip ... as he urged some of his fans to move away from his car so he could bolt from the scene.

Club officials said McGregor had actually been jovial earlier in the day -- even sharing several photos of him smiling with other guests at the event -- but they said he "was upset by the actions of certain people attending the funeral" and left.

"Mr. McGregor's security detail decided it necessary to leave to avoid unnecessary speculation and attention," they added.

Merseyside Police, meanwhile, said they were called to the club at around 7:50 PM ... following reports of an altercation. No further details surrounding the allegations were released, however.

"Officers attended the pub and spoke to a number of people," cops said in a statement. "Further enquiries are being carried out to establish what has taken place but at this stage no complaints have been made and nobody has been arrested."

We've reached out to McGregor's for comment on the situation, but so far, no word back yet.

The Cleveland Browns are parting ways with defensive tackle Perrion Winfrey ... just hours after a woman claims he threatened her and flashed a gun.

According to local reports, Winfrey is accused of getting into an altercation with a woman at a downtown Cleveland hotel Tuesday night.

The woman -- who claims to know Winfrey -- said she and a friend saw the former Oklahoma star in the hotel lobby ... and one of them hurled an insult at him when they were ignored.

The two women say Winfrey then got pissed and approached them ... making a threat and showing he had a weapon.

Winfrey reportedly left the scene by the time cops arrived. He has not been arrested or charged.

The alleged incident is currently under investigation, but the Browns wasted no time washing their hands of Winfrey ... cutting him early Wednesday morning.

Winfrey was arrested back in April for assaulting a woman he was seeing at the time ... but the charges were later dismissed after he completed a pretrial diversion program.

Winfrey played in 13 games for the Browns during his rookie season ... earning 22 tackles and 0.5 sacks.

Marshawn Lynch is going from putting defenders in a blender to SELLING them -- the ex-NFL superstar just released his very own kitchen appliance!

TMZ Sports has learned -- Beast Mode has teamed up with Beast Health to release a limited edition blender ... which is being dubbed "the baddest blender on the planet."

The thing is pretty comparable to Lynch's playing style during his career -- it features a 1200-watt motor, making it one of the most powerful blenders on the market to date ... and comes in a forest green colorway.

The partnership may sound random ... but if you recall, Marshawn famously said to "take care of yo' bodies" during one of his most iconic media sessions in his career -- so now, he's making it much easier for folks to do just that.

Marshawn explained his new venture ... saying, "“Can’t be a beast if you’re not getting the right nourishment."

"The Beastmode Blender is hella powerful and makes smoothies with quickness, so no more excuses on not having enough time to eat right, drink right, and get right."

Lynch is also marketing his new item in his own style ... with taglines like "Wake yo' ass up and get to blending," and "Make mine BLENDED blended."

Tiger Woods is no longer being sued for allegedly cooking up a scheme to toss his ex-girlfriend out of his home after they broke up.

Tiger's ex, Erica Herman, recently dropped the $30 million lawsuit she filed against his trust ... this according to new court documents obtained by The New York Post.

Erica's decision to drop the suit comes on the heels of a related legal win for Tiger ... as we reported in May, a judge ordered the case to arbitration, which is what Woods wanted.

Tiger's ex originally filed suit against his trust back in March, alleging he wrongly kicked her out of the Florida mansion they lived in together.

Remember ... Erica claimed she was living with Tiger in his Hobe Sound estate for 6 years while they were dating, with Erica claiming she performed "valuable services" for Tiger in exchange for living rent-free.

Erica claimed they had an "oral tenancy agreement" which was supposed to last 5 years after their 2022 split ... but admitted she didn't have it in writing.

She sued Tiger's trust -- the titleholder on the house -- for $30 mil because she claimed it was the "reasonable rental value" of Tiger's house for the 5 remaining years on their alleged oral agreement.

When Tiger and Erica broke up in the fall of 2022, she claims Tiger cooked up a scheme to throw her out of the home, including alleged false promises and a spontaneous vacation.

She claimed Tiger's people convinced her to pack a suitcase for a vacation without Tiger, allegedly driving her to the airport, where they allegedly told her she'd been "locked out" of the house and couldn't go back.

Lamar Odom is expanding his business portfolio ... his newest venture aims to find affordable living for seniors in California, and he's crediting his grandmother with the assist.

The former NBA star's manager tells TMZ ... Lamar is partnering with Regency Palms Senior Living in Oxnard and Long Beach to start Odom Senior Care, which provide affordable and luxurious care for seniors.

We're told Lamar's inspiration is his 96-year-old grandmother, Florence, who now lives alone in the same Bronx apartment she's called home for a whopping 70 years.

He decided to get into the senior living biz as a way to help folks ... after running into some obstacles earlier this year while trying to find a new home for grandma.

The major issue Lamar sees with the current landscape -- adequate senior living is just too expensive, and he's determined to change the status quo.

He already has the 2 facilities in SoCal, and plans to expand to reach his ultimate goal of providing seniors with pre-negotiated rates in 1,000 communities -- an ambitious aim, for sure, but one he hopes to achieve by year's end.

This move comes on the heels of Lamar successfully launching the Odom Recovery Group to help folks find sobriety.

WWE Superstar Seth Rollins says he's in full support of the writers and actors striking in Hollywood ... but tells TMZ Sports there's a bit of a "silver lining" in the situation, 'cause it gives people a new opportunity to check out wrestling!!

Of course, SAG-AFTRA decided to join the Writers Guild of America on the picket line last week ... effectively shutting Hollywood down after tense negotiations with the studios.

Seth makes it clear he is siding with the talented actors and writers fighting for what they want ... but he welcomes any first-time fans to watch some wrestling in the meantime!!

"I know it's a difficult time for the actors and the writers," Seth said at LAX this week. "I believe they're doing the right thing asking for what they deserve. I stand by them.

"But it is a fortunate part of not being part of a union that we're able to still perform and, for our audiences and people who may not be familiar, now they get the opportunity to tune in and see what we're all about."

Seth added the new fans couldn't come at a better time ... 'cause the current roster of talent is the greatest its ever been.

The best NFL coach ever ain't Bill Belichick ... at least, that's according to his former player, Asante Samuel, who said this week the Patriots head man is "absolutely not" the league's GOAT.

Samuel made the claim during a recent interview with ex-NFL player Bryant McFadden.

"Are you crazy?" the ex-New England cornerback said into the microphone when the topic was brought up.

As for why ... Samuel said it has everything to do with how Belichick has performed without Tom Brady.

"Look at his record without Tom," Samuel said. "You've got to win without Tom."

Belichick and Brady were an unreal team together during their 20 years with the Pats ... winning more than 200 total games -- as well as six Super Bowls.

But, after Brady left for Tampa Bay prior to the 2020 season ... Belichick hasn't found too much success, going just 25-25 -- with no playoff wins. Tom, on the other hand, won another ring without Belichick in his first year with the Bucs.

It all, according to Samuel, means Belichick simply cannot be called the best ever.

"One thing I learned about being great is you got to be great in different situations," said Samuel, who played under Belichick for five seasons. "It was all Tom. I was there. I saw it. It was Tom."

"Everybody know it. Tom know it, but he ain’t gonna admit it because he wants to be politically correct. That’s why I’m here, and I’m going to tell the truth."

Samuel hasn't shown much of a filter when it comes to his dislike for Bill ... in fact, the Pro Bowl cornerback even advised Lamar Jackson not to play for the guy when there were rumors swirling this offseason that the QB wanted to play for the Patriots.

NHL player Alex Galchenyuk -- who allegedly hurled racial slurs and made threats toward cops during a hit-and-run arrest last week -- is apologizing for his "deeply disrespectful and despicable behavior" ... saying he's going to seek treatment through the league's player assistance program.

The 29-year-old center was arrested on July 9 in Scottsdale, AZ after appearing to crash his car into a sign. During the traffic stop, cops say Galchenyuk was aggressive and claimed to have connections in Russia who could go after them.

"I'm gonna chop you, your wife, your daughter," Galchenyuk said, according to the police report. "One phone call and you're all dead, your whole family, your bloodline is dead."

Cops say the former No. 3 overall pick also directed racial slurs toward an officer in training during the traffic stop.

The former Coyotes signee broke his silence on the incident on Tuesday ... saying, "I am deeply ashamed of my recent behavior and I am beyond sorry to everyone I offended and hurt."

Galchenyuk lost his contract with Arizona just days after the incident ... and he is now a free agent.

"It was uncalled for, it was horrific and it has ruined this great new opportunity I was given by the Coyotes," Galchenyuk added. "I am beyond embarrassed and disappointed with myself and I feel awful for everyone I have let down."

"My family was counting on me to be better, the Coyotes and the amazing Coyotes fans deserve better and the brave police officers who risk their lives to keep us safe deserve better. I let them all down with my despicable and disrespectful behavior after drinking alcohol."

According to ESPN, Galchenkyuk sent letters to Scottsdale PD and the Coyotes expressing his remorse over the incident ... and he is expected to enter the NHL and NHLPA's player assistance program as early as Tuesday.

DJ Khaled had the best reaction to Michael Block's incredible shot on the golf course on Tuesday ... celebrating like a madman right after the PGA Championship star holed out from a distance!!

The two guys were getting in a warmup round to prep for the musician's inaugural "We the Best Foundation Golf Classic" later this week ... when on the first hole, Block found himself in the rough some 100-yards-or-so away from the green.

The 47-year-old club pro, though, calmly stepped to his ball with a wedge ... launched it high in the air -- before it hit the dance floor and then spun back into the hole.

Khaled couldn't believe his eyes ... and then he lost his mind celebrating with the golfer!!

The "I'm The One" producer jumped into Block's arms -- before screaming "Let's go" over and over again.

When Block wished he had saved the shot for the charity tourney later on Thursday ... Khaled guaranteed there'd be "another one" in his future!!

"It's gonna happen again!" he said.

As for Block -- the golf hero who finished tied for 15th in the PGA Championship back in May -- while he played it all cool on the course Tuesday ... he was pretty thrilled afterward.

"Blessed! by @DJKhaled," he wrote on a clip of the shot on his Instagram page. "Did this really just happen on the first hole?"

Independent wrestling star Teddy Hart -- the nephew of Bret Hart and Owen Hart -- was arrested last week after cops say he was in possession of ecstasy and steroids.

According to Titusville Police Department documents, obtained by TMZ Sports, the drugs were found in Teddy's rental car during a routine traffic stop on Friday in Titusville, Fla.

Cops say they initially pulled over the 43-year-old wrestler at around midnight ... after they say he ran a red light and traveled at a high rate of speed in a 2022 Mustang.

During the stop, though, police said they smelled an "overbearing odor of burnt marijuana emanating" from the vehicle ... and noticed "an unsealed medical marijuana container with a faded label inside of the glove compartment" as well as "several pieces of loose leaf marijuana shake" on one of the car's seats.

During an ensuing search of the car, cops said they found a baggie of red pills and a baggie of red powder that both tested positive for the presence of MDMA. They also said they found two small vials inside of a bag in the car that were labeled Masteron and Testosterone Cypionate -- which cops say are known anabolic steroids. Cops also claimed they found another baggie during the search that contained a blue powdery substance -- which they said also tested positive for MDMA.

Teddy -- real name Edward Annis -- was then arrested and booked on two felony charges ... possession of MDMA and possession of a controlled substance without prescription. Records show he was released from custody on Saturday.

This is far from the first time the wrestler has had trouble with the law ... he's been in and out of jail multiple times in the last few years -- including back in 2021, when he had also been accused of being in possession of controlled substances. In fact, Teddy has been arrested so many times over the years, a Twitter account called "Is Teddy Hart In Jail" was reportedly created to monitor his myriad legal issues.

The Battle of Ohio is getting an offseason showdown this year ... 'cause the Cincinnati Bengals just went after the Cleveland Browns over their white throwback helmets -- claiming they're a blatant rip-off!!

The Browns announced the bold new look on Tuesday ... revealing players will rock non-orange helmets for several games this season -- something the franchise hasn't done in more than 70 years.

While famous Browns supporters like LeBron James praised the clean combo, the Bengals -- who rocked alternate white domes last season -- were far from thrilled ... calling out the team for jacking their swag.

The Bengals shared old footage of team owner Mike Brown discussing the two teams' similar jerseys and colors back in the day ... saying former Browns honcho Art Modell believed Cincy "ripped off" Cleveland's look.

In other words, the Bengals think the roles have been reversed.

The Browns clapped back with their own tweet ... pointing out the fact the team rocked white helmets from 1946-51 -- way before the Bengals even existed.

The Arena Football League is just months away from relaunching, and now we know the locations the sixteen AFL organizations will call home -- a mix of preexisting markets and brand-new teams.

-Austin
-Boise
-California (will play in Bakersfield)
-Chicago
-Colorado (will play in Denver)
-Minnesota (will play in St. Paul)
-Louisiana (will play in Lake Charles)
-Ohio (will play in Cincinnati)
-Orlando
-Oregon (will play in Salem)
-Philadelphia
-St. Louis
-Tallahassee
-Tennessee (will play in Nashville)
-Washington (will play in Everett)
-West Texas (will play in Odessa)

“We are extremely proud to share the initial markets that will serve as the foundation of the new era of the Arena Football League,” AFL Commissioner Lee A. Hutton III said.

“Fans in each community will have the opportunity to come together and create new identities, new traditions, and new memories to help catapult our league to thrilling heights. We’ve been working diligently to put the league and the respective member teams in the best position to deliver a competitive and entertaining product on the field and we simply can’t wait to return to the original innovators of indoor football in 2024.”

The AFL was originally founded in 1987 as a four-team league ... the Pittsburgh Gladiators, Denver Dynamite, Washington Commandos, and Chicago Bruisers. The league expanded and was successful for years before shutting down several years back.

In February, the AFL announced they were coming back in 2024 ... with a 10-game season.

The league hasn't yet announced team names or ownership groups. If you remember back, the original AFL had several celeb owners, including Jon Bon Jovi.

Le'Veon Bell says NFL running backs are being treated like a bunch of ants when it comes to contract negotiations ... and unless they team up, they're going to continue to get squashed.

The ex-Pittsburgh Steelers star -- who famously sat out an entire season over his own contract dispute -- went on a Twitter rant to share his thoughts on the league's biggest stars like Saquon Barkley and Josh Jacobs failing to get long-term deals this offseason ... and he used an old Disney movie to explain his take.

Bell says anyone trying to understand what's going on should check out the 1998 flick, "A Bug's Life" ... which is a story of one ant, Flik, inspiring his colony to team up against a bunch of grasshoppers who have been taking advantage of them.

Bell says he's the real-life version of Flik, because he made the bold move to hold out during his career ... and he took all the heat in hopes of improving the market for his position.

"At the time, no one could see my vision or what I was standing for but all I was doing was just preparing to go against the grasshoppers/owners," Bell tweeted on Tuesday. "But as a lone inventive ant/RB, I obviously couldn’t beat the grasshoppers/owners alone .. ‼️"

Now that Barkley and Jacobs are in a similar situation, Bell thinks they could take back control by following his lead.

"In 2017 & 2018 I was the lone ant, I was Flik .. it was literally ONLY ME .. fast forward 6 years later, now you have multiple ants tryin join the fight against the grasshoppers …"

"Once Flik helped the other ants realize that there are more of US (ants) than it is of THEM (grasshoppers/owners) they finally defeated the grasshoppers ... ants are STRONG AS F*** together ‼️ very weak when they are individuals."

Even if more players start to hold out (there are rumors Barkley will), Le'Veon says there's only so much that can be done ... because after all, the running backs will always be ants.

Steph Curry's hot streak rolled right into Monday night ... 'cause just one day after he scored a huge win at a prestigious celeb golf tournament, he got an epic shout-out from Drake!!

The Golden State Warriors star was at Barclays Center in Brooklyn for Drizzy's "It's All A Blur" tour some 24 hours after he nabbed the American Century Championship in Lake Tahoe ... and the rapper actually paused his show to give the hooper love.

Drake called Curry his "brother" and complimented his looks ... before he told the sold-out crowd to "make some noise" for the four-time NBA champ.

Drake also shouted out Ayesha Curry and Sonya Curry -- who had VIP seats right alongside Steph at the concert.

The Currys all seemed to love it -- arena cams caught them grinning ear-to-ear -- before Drake started spittin' on the microphone once again.

The moment was just one of many big ones for Steph in the last few weeks ... he's had a hell of a summer so far -- first appearing on The Match in late June, then hitting a hole-in-one on Saturday ... before earning the ACC crown on Sunday.

Things are only looking up from here too ... Steph revealed Monday his Gentleman's Cut Bourbon is launching worldwide later this month as well.

James Worthy hasn't tuned into "Winning Time" but not because he's against a series on the Showtime Lakers ... on the contrary, the hoops legend says he wanted to be involved, but showrunners never reached out.

"I haven't watched it because I wasn't involved in it," Worthy recently told TMZ Sports.

"And I was hoping that they would come to us and get some really good interviews and some really good one-on-one sit-downs because we were willing to, like, share a lot of stuff. That decade was iconic. And I just wish we could have been involved."

"Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty" is an HBO drama based on the professional and personal lives of the 1980s Lakers squad. The show premiered in March 2022 and was renewed for another season which begins airing in August.

If you're wanting Lakers content, James, a 3x NBA champion, does have a suggestion that isn't "Winning Time ... Legacy: The True Story of the LA Lakers."

"I did the Hulu, the Legacy, which is the real deal. It's real footage with interviews of people who were there. So I understand satire, but I just think [Winning Time] could have been done really, really good. And I was disappointed that it wasn't."

We also asked James if he's discussed the HBO series with any of his former teammates.

"We never talked about Winning Time because we weren't involved in it. We talked a lot about the Legacy. So if you really want to know the truth, go watch Legacy on Hulu. Go watch the Legacy on Hulu, get the real deal."