TMZ Sports - Page 50

The Miami Marlins have just made a groundbreaking hire -- with the team welcoming baseball exec Kim Ng as the first female general manager in major pro sports history.

The hire makes Ng the highest-ranking woman in baseball operations among all 30 MLB teams.

51-year-old Ng started her front-office career as an intern with the Chicago White Sox in 1991 ... working her way up the ladder and becoming assistant GM to Brian Cashman with the New York Yankees in 1998.

Ng joined the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2001 ... and served as assistant GM until becoming Senior Vice President of Baseball Operations for MLB in 2011.

Ng spoke about the new gig in a statement, saying, "I entered Major League Baseball as an intern and, after decades of determination, it is the honor of my career to lead the Miami Marlins as their next general manager."

"We are building for the long-term in South Florida, developing a forward thinking, collaborative, creative baseball operation made up of incredibly talented and dedicated staff who have, over the last few years, lady great foundation for success."

She continued ... "This challenge is when I don’t take lightly. When I got into this business, it seemed unlikely a woman would lead a Major League team, but I am dogged in the pursuit of my goals."

FYI -- Ng's boss is Derek Jeter ... who, of course, was on the Yanks when she worked as assistant GM from 1998 to 2001.

Ng had interviewed to be GM for other teams like the Giants, Dodgers, Angels and more in the past ... and now she's gunning for ultimate success with her first opportunity.

"My goal is now to bring championship baseball to Miami. I am both humbled and eager to continue building the winning culture our fans expect and deserve."

Congrats!!!

LaMelo Ball may be a Puma guy now, but he's still selling clothes at Big Baller prices -- launching his very own designer lifestyle clothing brand ... and it ain't cheap.

The youngest Ball Bro is one week from becoming a likely top 5 pick in the 2020 NBA Draft ... and he's already making serious business moves.

Dubbed "LaFrancé" -- Ball's middle name -- Melo is expanding his brand with black and white t-shirts, hoodies and socks featuring his name and logo ... and they're expensive as hell.

For instance -- the shirts come with a $70 price tag ... and the hoodies will setcha back $120.

And, if you've ever wanted to rep Melo on the balls of your feet, the socks are currently being sold for $20 a pair.

19-year-old Ball says the "Melo 2020" launch is only available for a limited time ... which might explain the price.

If you think those prices are steep, Melo says he actually LOWERED the cost after some more consideration.

"Outta the kindness of my heart and talkin wit my team I'm gone lower the price on some stuff to show love," Melo said Friday.

"cuz some people been a lil upset and i wanna see MOST of yaw happy ...  i'm playin all of yaw."

FWIW -- the site says each piece is "100% Hand-made with love in Los Angeles, CA, USA" ... and can you really put a price on love?!

Aaron Pico admits he felt bad after OBLITERATING his opponent with a crushing right hand at Bellator 252 on Thursday -- and later apologized to the guy for talking trash after the knockout.

If you haven't seen the video yet ... BUCKLE UP!!

Pico just destroyed John de Jesus with an overhand right in the 2nd round of their featherweight bout -- sending his opponent crumbling to the ground, where Pico continued to fire off shot after shot until the ref stopped the fight.

In the moment after the knockout, Pico was so fired up, he started talking trash to JDJ while he was still laid out on the mat.

But, Aaron eventually cooled down and tells TMZ Sports he had a respectful conversation with JDJ after the fight.

"Yeah yeah, he said good fight, I just apologized, and said that I probably shouldn't say that after the fight, but it's over it is what it is."

"It's a fight," Pico added ...  "That's what people don't realize sometimes. There's so many emotions that go into it that you just can't explain it, especially when you knock somebody out."

"It's a feeling that you can't explain ... that seems like the best drug that you could possibly take, knocking someone out. You feel like on top of the world for a while, and then it wears off."

Aaron says the two men had been beefing all week -- which got him more hyped up than he would have liked to have been in the fight.

"I just knew I had to literally just stay calm and that was the game plan going into the fight -- that he was gonna taunt, he was gonna do a lot of things. But, my coaches just said 'just stay in the process. Be like Georges St-Pierre and don't let anything phase you.'"

Pico is now on a 3 fight win streak -- winning all of his fights in 2020.

Golden Tate is finally apologizing to the NY Giants for that "throw me the damn ball" rant during the Bucs game 2 weeks ago ... telling reporters his actions were "unacceptable."

"I just got caught up in the moment," Tate said on Friday ... "I was wrong to draw attention to myself."

"I take full responsibility for that. I handled it the wrong way ... It was something that won’t happen again."

If you missed it ... 32-year-old Tate has been frustrated with the lack of targets this season, and finally exploded after a critical TD grab during the Nov. 2nd matchup on "Monday Night Football."

The wideout yelled into the camera, "Throw me the ball!" He reportedly also screamed toward his sideline earlier in the game, "Throw me the damn ball!"

To make matters worse, Tate's wife, Elise, publicly called out the team on IG -- saying "Ain't no way this BS gonna hurt his stats this yr bc he doesn't get targets. FEED HIM THE BALL."

Giants head coach Joe Judge punished Tate for the public criticism -- demoting him to the scout team and benching him for the Nov. 8 game against the Washington Football Team.

People were wondering how Tate would react to the discipline -- but it appears he's taking the high road now and accepting responsibility.

"My actions were unacceptable," said Tate, who added he was NOT trying to force a trade with his tirade.

"I apologized to the team, the GM, the coaches, the offense. I’m excited to move forward. I want to be here."

The Cleveland Browns are the latest NFL team to run into COVID troubles ... with the team announcing it has shut down its facility after a player tested positive for coronavirus.

The Browns -- who are set to host the Houston Texans on Sunday -- did not disclose which player contracted COVID, but stated he was immediately sent home to self-isolate, according to the team spokesperson.

The team will also conduct contact tracing in hopes of preventing a potential spread throughout the organization.

"The team will continue to hold meetings remotely (part of the NFL-NFLPA intensive protocol) and will consult with the league and medical experts on the appropriate next steps as the health and safety of our players, coaches, staff and the entire community remains our highest priority," the team said in a statement.

The Browns ran into issues when a staff member tested positive last week. Baker Mayfield was placed on the reserve/COVID-19 list as a result ... but the QB never personally tested positive.

Cleveland joins a growing list of teams forced to temporarily shut down -- including the 49ers, Titans, Vikings and more.

Paul Hornung -- a man Vince Lombardi once deemed maybe "the best all-around back ever to play football" -- has died, the Pro Football Hall of Fame just announced.

He was 84 years old.

Hornung had battled dementia for years, according to the Louisville Sports Commission, and passed away in Kentucky on Friday.

Paul is one of the most legendary football players EVER -- the guy is the only person on earth to win a Heisman Trophy, an NFL MVP award, be selected first overall in the NFL draft, AND be inducted into both the College Football Hall of Fame and the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

Hornung first made a name for himself at Notre Dame in the '50s ... where he was nicknamed "The Golden Boy" for his blonde hair and incredible game.

He was the team's star quarterback --- and ultimately won the Heisman Trophy in 1956.

Hornung went on to play for the Green Bay Packers and Lombardi ... and he was a superstar there as well -- winning the NFL's first-ever Super Bowl in 1967 and four other league championships prior to that.

Hornung was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1986 ... and later, college football named its award for the most versatile player in the game after him.

"The entire Pro Football Hall of Fame family mourns the passing of Paul Hornung," Pro Football Hall of Fame President and CEO David Baker said in a statement "He was an outstanding player and an incredible man."

One of the most famous cleat artists in the world says he's lucky to be alive after a bad car crash in Miami this week ... and his ultra-famous clients are offering their support.

"SolesBySir" -- real name Marcus Rivero -- has designed cleats for superstars like DeSean Jackson, Terrell Suggs, Reggie Bush, Marshawn Lynch and more for years ... and is widely regarded as one of the best in the business.

But, tragedy struck Thursday in Miami when his vehicle collided with another car, forcing his Mercedes-Benz to veer off the road and slam into a tree.

We spoke with SolesBySir who says he went to a hospital to get checked out -- but the injuries were relatively minor considering how bad things could've been (the crash photos are BRUTAL).

"Words can’t express how THANKFUL I am to be able to have walked away from [Thursday's] accident with just a few injuries. Luckily, the person who caused it was unscathed. Please be careful out there."

Several of the artist's top clients have already reached out to show their support -- including Dwyane Wade, Warren Sapp, Jameis Winston and more.

Kobe Bryant is still a titan of industry -- even in death -- so says Forbes which just ranked him #6 on its "Highest-Paid Dead Celebrities of 2020" list.

The NBA legend passed away on Jan. 26 in a helicopter crash -- but in the months that followed, his estate pulled in an estimated $20 million in earnings, Forbes says.

The main source of income is from shoes and apparel -- with Nike reportedly raking in around $250 mil annually from Mamba items.

In addition to sneakers, Kobe's 2018 autobiography, "The Mamba Mentality: How I Play" sold more than 300,000 copies this year --TEN TIMES the number of copies it did in 2019, Forbes says.

There's more ... after the Lakers won the NBA championship in October, Bryant's jersey was the #2 seller for the organization, behind Finals MVP LeBron James.

As for the rest of the Forbes list ... Michael Jackson is still #1 with $48 mil in earnings in 2020. Dr. Seuss is #2 with $33 mil. Peanuts creator Charles Schulz is #3 with $32.5. Arnold Palmer is #4 with $25 million. And #5 is Elvis with $23 mil.

Elvis' estate has lost a ton of money this year because of the COVID pandemic -- tourism at his legendary home Graceland is a big moneymaker, but it's been hit hard by the shutdowns.

"Your opinion can eat sh*t."

Emily Cave -- the widowed wife of late Edmonton Oilers center Colby Cave -- does NOT want to hear your complaints about COVID-19 protocol ... explaining the alternatives to the safety measures are so much worse.

"My 25 year old husband died alone," Emily said in a powerful statement Thursday.

"I have no clue what his last breath was like. I have yet to have a funeral because of this global pandemic. So for goodness sake, wear a mask. Wash your freaking hands."

As we previously reported, Colby tragically died back in April after emergency surgery to remove a colloid cyst from his brain was unsuccessful.

Emily was devastated over it all ... and says the coronavirus pandemic made everything infinitely worse.

She wrote Thursday that she couldn't be with Colby during his post-operation period ... saying, she had to get a phone call that he had died rather than "being there holding his hand."

Now, she's BEGGING people to just simply follow COVID-19 restrictions ... insisting they'll help others avoid a tragic situation similar to hers.

"Today I hit my breaking point with Alberta making new restrictions," Emily said. "I personally see and hear so many people complaining. I understand a lot of people feel that they won't get it and if they did they would survive it."

"However, what would happen if your loved one became sick very fast with something else, was in a car accident, or was dying ... and then because of the COVID restrictions you weren't allowed to be with them?!?!"

Mohamed Salah -- one of the best soccer players in the world -- has tested positive for coronavirus, the Egyptian Football Association confirmed.

The 28-year-old Egyptian superstar will now begin a self-isolation period -- where he must remain until he's cleared to return to action by medical officials.

"The medical swab conducted on the mission of our first national football team showed that our international player, Mohamed Salah, the star of Liverpool, was infected with the Coronavirus," the EFA said in a statement,.

Officials say Salah is not showing any symptoms -- and no other members of the Egyptian team have tested positive.

Salah is a beast on the pitch -- he's won the Golden Boot for leading the Premiere League in scoring in two separate seasons ('17-'18, '18-'19) and was the BBC African Footballer of the year in 2017 and 2018.

Less than a week after he was hospitalized in a bad car crash, Alabama running back Trey Sanders returned to the team locker room Thursday ... and TURNED UP!

The team threw an impromptu dance party Thursday following a work out where different players showed off their moves ... and when Sanders rolled in, everyone went wild!

Amazing to watch considering the redshirt freshman was injured so badly in the wreck, he was life-flighted to a nearby hospital for emergency treatment.

As we previously reported, Sanders was in a vehicle with his brother in Clarksville, Florida last Friday when they got into an accident that left Sanders in bad shape.

No word on his specific injuries -- but he seems to be recovering well.

Earlier this week, coach Nick Saban told reporters Sanders is expected to make a full recovery -- but noted there is no timetable on his return.

"He’s going to be okay but [this is some] pretty serious stuff."

Bama was supposed to play LSU this weekend -- but that game has been postponed due to COVID concerns.

Super emotional scene in the Titans' game Thursday ... Corey Davis played despite his older brother's death Wednesday -- and cameras caught the WR in tears at one point in the evening.

Davis' bro, Central Michigan football legend Titus Davis, tragically died Wednesday at the age of 27 after a lengthy battling with a rare form of kidney cancer.

Corey decided to play a little more than 24 hours later ... because he said that's what his big bro would have wanted.

And, at times during the night, the 25-year-old's heavy heart was apparent.

"As he was laying there all he kept telling my sister was to tell me to play, regardless of what happens," Corey said after the game. "He just kept telling me to play, throughout the whole process. That's my biggest fan."

Corey balled out considering the circumstances ... catching 5 passes for 67 yards in Tennessee's 34-17 loss to Indianapolis -- and afterward, he explained just how much Titus meant to him both on and off the field.

"Since I was a little kid I was always chasing after him and trying to be like him," Davis said. "I wore his number every year to copy him. He thought it was annoying, but I looked up to him tremendously."

"That was my idol, my hero. I tried to honor him tonight."

Davis continued, "I obviously miss him and wish he was here, but I know he's in a better place and that he was with me today."

Heartbreaking stuff.

He may not be happy in Houston, but Russell Westbrook was all smiles in L.A. on Thursday ... where he celebrated his birthday at one of the swankiest spots in town.

Russ turned the big 3-2 on Thursday -- and hit up Delilah with his wife, Nina, and some close pals (No, James Harden wasn't there).

As you may have heard, Westbrook is looking to leave the Houston Rockets ... where he's reportedly unhappy with the team's "accountability and culture," according to The Athletic.

He apparently wants to play for a squad where "he can have a role similar to his prior, floor-general role in Oklahoma City."

So, Westbrook has reportedly made a trade request with just about a month until the 2020-21 NBA season kicks off. Tick tock ...

Westbrook still has 3 years left on his current contract -- which is set to pay him out more than $132 MILLION.

"They put that money up, hell yeah I'll go over there and fight him!"

That's boxing superstar Terence Crawford -- arguably the best pound-for-pound fighter in the world -- telling TMZ Sports he would seriously consider an MMA match with Conor McGregor.

So, why would the undefeated welterweight champ cross over into Conor's sport? Easy ...

Turns out, Crawford comes from a family of wrestlers and has some legit wrestling experience himself. He's very confident in his skills.

Plus, he doesn't think Conor's that big of a threat on the ground anyway!

"To keep it real, Conor's not a real good wrestler. He may kick the sh*t out of you. You gotta worry about them kicks to the head and them elbows more than him grabbing you."

"It'd be other things that you'd be having to worry about other than wrestling you."

Of course, if Conor wanted to stand up and turn it into a fistfight, the undefeated Crawford believes it would be a slaughter.

There's been talk about a possible Crawford vs. McGregor match for a while -- but Terence says he's seriously open to it.

"Conor is a big talent in the octagon and I'm a big talent in the boxing ring. Money talks. They put that money up, hell yeah I'll go over there and fight him!"

In the meantime, Crawford has a big fight coming up on Saturday -- taking on former champ Kell Brook in a WBO welterweight title bout.

Crawford is a huge favorite -- but we spoke with Kell, and he ain't about to roll over.

34-year-old Brook is 39 and 2 as a pro -- with a win over Shawn Porter in 2014.

Tom Brady is new to Florida ... so how'd the G.O.A.T. handle his first huge storm?! Here's a hint ... he didn't secure his jet skis, and they floated hundreds of yards away.

Brady met with the media Thursday afternoon ... and he was asked how he dealt with Tropical Storm Eta -- which slammed into Tampa early this morning -- wreaking havoc.

"The hurricane, that was a trip last night for me," Brady said.

"I had a dock and it broke, floated away. I had these jet skis on, I saw those things sitting in the middle of the bay and I was going, 'Wow, that's pretty surreal' and I was kinda laughing. 'Well, you'll get the jet skis back.'"

"A lot of people are dealing with a lot worst than that, but just waking up and seeing kinda what happened to the yard, it got pretty messed up. Be really nervous if a big one hit!"

Of course, Eta caused flooding and lots of property damage ... and was even responsible for 1 death, according to reports.

Tom -- who was raised in California and spent his entire professional career in New England -- says he is NOT looking forward to the next one ... but has learned a valuable lesson on storm preparation.

"It happened pretty quick, I thought you had time to prepare for these things but apparently you don't, They're just kinda on you and then you just gotta deal with it so we pushed the schedule back today."

"Fortunate everyone made it safe and sound. Good lesson learned for someone who's been in the northeast for a long time."

So, did Brady get his jet skis back?

"They got fixed. We dragged 'em back. They were about 300 yards away at someone else's house and I got a bunch of messages from people that were like, 'Hey man, are your jet skis...?' Ya know, they floated down and found their way into someone else's dock. They got lodged, so I was very lucky."

How freaky of an athlete was teenage Todd Gurley?? The Atlanta Falcons star ACCIDENTALLY qualified for Team USA Track and Field in high school!!!

The 26-year-old running back explained the whole story to NFL stars Cam Jordan and Mark Ingram on their "Truss Levelz" podcast on The Players' Tribune this week ... and the tale is WILD!!!

Gurley says he taught himself how to run hurdles while he was attending Tarboro H.S. in North Carolina ... and he got so good at it, one of his track coaches asked him to come down to Myrtle Beach, SC to run in a race.

"I'm like, 'All right, cool,'" Gurley said.

Turns out, the race was a qualifier for Team USA Track and Field ... and Gurley ended up winning it with damn-near no prep!!!

"I guess that was like the pre-trial for the USA team," Todd said of the race. "Bro, I did not know! And, I end up winning. And they was like, 'All right, you got your passport? All right, we 'bout to go to Italy for a whole week.'"

"I'm like, 'What?! Why y'all didn't tell me this?!'"

Gurley says he didn't place during his races with Team USA ... but he said the trip was super memorable -- and he's still pals with some of his teammates to this day!

As for his track career after that, Gurley said he got offers from Cornell and Princeton to bail on football and run for their teams -- and he says he SERIOUSLY considered it.