TMZ Sports - Page 50

Johnny Manziel has officially signed a contract to return to professional football -- inking a deal with the brand new Fan Controlled Football league.

In other words, JOHNNY FOOTBALL IS BACK!

A spokesperson for the FCF confirms the 28-year-old will take the field when the league launches on Feb. 13 -- and he'll be mic'd up with a live camera streaming from his helmet!!

As we previously reported, Manziel was in talks to be the starting QB for the Zappers -- co-owned by NY Mets pitcher Trevor May and sportscaster Bob Menery.

The details about Johnny's contract are still under wraps -- but it seems like it's more about having fun than trying to get rich.

"Football has always been a huge part of my life, and the opportunity to join the FCF was too good to pass up," Manziel says.

"FCF is doing something new and original in Sports, a league that is truly all about the fans and letting them call all the shots. I can’t wait to get started -- this is going to be fun."

The FCF is a 7-on-7 full-contact football league where the fans control everything from the uniforms, logos and the play calling.

The field is only 50 yards long with 10-yard end zones -- which means this game is built for fast action and lots of scoring. All games will take place at a special facility in Atlanta.

Each game runs 60 minutes and will be live-streamed on Twitch. The league says they've already locked in players who formerly competed in the CFL, XFL and Division 1 college football.

Sohrob Farudi -- the CEO of the league -- is clearly fired up about landing Manziel ... saying, "We're excited for Johnny to join the FCF and finally have a chance to be himself both on and off the field."

Vitor Belfort's days as the best athlete in his family are coming to an end, 'cause the MMA legend tells us his 8th grader son is the best quarterback in the nation ... and already has a big-time college scholarship offer.

TMZ Sports talked to the 43-year-old former UFC heavyweight and light heavyweight champion about his 15-year-old son, Davi Belfort ... a pro-style QB who's dominating on the gridiron.

"My son is the number one quarterback in class 2025 in the nation."

Vitor says even though he hasn't played a down of high school football, Herm Edwards' ASU squad has already offered his son -- who reclassified from the class of 2024 to 2025 -- a scholarship.

"[Davi's] an 8th grader, so he already has an offer from Arizona State, and he's class 2025, so next year he goes to high school," Belfort tells us.

"So, we have a lot of high schools wanting him, so he's kind of committed with [St. Thomas Aquinas], but I want him to go to a place he can start or at least compete for the job."

FYI, St. Thomas Aquinas has produced more NFL players than any other high school in the country ... including guys like Giovani Bernard, Major Wright and Geno Atkins.

And, get this, Vitor and 6,' 180 lb. Davi aren't the only star athletes in the fam ... Belfort's says his daughter is a "national champion in volleyball."

How'd they get so good?? Well, busting their asses training.

"I have a rule. I don't wake you up. If you're not awake, if not ready on the time I go to the gym, you're not coming. We wake up every day at 4:45 AM, they go first, train at 6 AM."

Logan Paul's reckless filming of a dead body hanging in a Japanese forest torpedoed a movie he was signed on to star in, and it cost the production company millions ... this according to a new lawsuit.

Planeless Pictures just filed suit against the YouTuber, claiming they inked a deal with him in 2016 to make a movie -- starring Logan as a fictionalized version of himself -- called "Airplane Mode," which was supposed to be a spoof on modern-day trend-setters, like the Paul brothers and other social media folks.

According to the docs, obtained by TMZ, Planeless claims they were all set to have Logan star in, write and help produce the flick, and he'd agreed to help get other influencers on board as well, including Jake Paul, Juanpa Zurita, Nick Bateman, Amanda Cerny and others. The idea was that they'd distribute it through YouTube and other social media platforms -- via said influencers' pages -- in a new, revolutionary way to market and monetize the film.

Planeless even says Google inked a $3 million licensing deal with them for the movie -- but they claim it all came crashing down when Logan foolishly filmed himself in Aokigahara, Japan (otherwise known as the "suicide forest"), where he documented the hanging death of a man up close. You know what happened after that on his end, but according to Planeless' claim, they say his boneheaded move completely destroyed the movie deal.

Lindsey Vonn will not be walking down the aisle with P.K. Subban after all -- they've called off their engagement ... and their romantic relationship, altogether.

The sports power couple -- who've been together since at least 2018 -- made a joint announcement Tuesday afternoon ... both posting the same photo with similar captions.

Lindsey writes, "Over the past 3 years PK and I have had some incredible times together. He is a kind, good man, and someone I respect a great deal."

She goes on to add, "However, after much consideration we have decided to move forward separately. We will always remain friends and love each other immensely. We ask that you please respect our privacy during this time."

The NHL star expressed a similar sentiment ... saying he will always treasure the time they spent together as a couple and the many laughs they shared.

It's a surprising breakup -- Lindsey and P.K. were one of those duos who looked very much in love, and never had any public signs of turbulence since linking up. You'll recall, he popped the question in the summer of 2019, and she returned the favor in December.

They vacationed all over together too ... always looking super lovey-dovey, and posting tons of cheeky pics along the way. Lindsey was especially proud of the engagement ring he got her as well -- she even wore it prominently at events with him.

It's crazy -- they were actually supposed to get hitched this year but postponed it due to the pandemic. As recently as November, Lindsey told us on "TMZ Live" they were looking forward to rescheduling it sometime in 2021.

Well, that's off the table now. 😟

WWE Star Shad Gaspard's widow claims the Venice Beach lifeguards on duty the day her husband died left him to fend for himself ... and she wants L.A. and California to pay for her loss.

Siliana Gaspard filed a wrongful death suit ... alleging the lifeguards weren't up to snuff in protecting Shad from drowning, which she says happened on the government's watch.

In her docs, obtained by TMZ, Siliana claims there wasn't sufficient signage on Venice Beach the day Shad died to warn him of the dangers of strong currents with the potential to take him under.

Not only that, but she claims the lifeguard towers that day were significantly understaffed and the lifeguards negligently opted to only save their 10-year-old son ... and left Shad "in the water to die."

You'll recall ... Shad had apparently instructed lifeguards to focus on saving his son, but had gone under the surface when they returned for him.

He was missing for a few days before his body washed up onshore -- but he was, deservedly, hailed for his heroism and sacrifice to save his child.

It's interesting ... after the tragedy, Siliana praised the lifeguards and divers who attempted to save and locate Shad, saying ... "We’d like to once again thank the lifeguards, coastguard, divers, fire and police departments for their efforts."

Based on the lawsuit, it seems she's had a change of heart.

A Russian sumo wrestler who used to be known as the "world's heaviest boy" has reportedly died at a very young age ... this after years of concern about his extreme weight.

Dzhambulat Khatokhov recently passed away, per Betal Gubzhev -- president of Sumo and Mass Wrestling Federation in Kabardino-Balkaria ... that's where Khatokhov had lived and grew up wrestling. A cause of death is unknown, but word is he'd lately had kidney problems.

The guy was a worldwide phenomenon for a couple reasons -- for one, he competed on the mat, but also other strength challenges (like arm wrestling) and proved to be successful at a young age. Second ... he was absolutely enormous size-wise, especially for his age.

At birth, reports say he only weighed in at around 6 lbs -- but by his first birthday ... he already clocked in at over 28 pounds and continued growing heavier and heavier. By the time he was nine, they say he weighed well over 300 pounds.

Khatokhov became the subject of much speculation, and the focus of several documentaries over the course of his life. Different experts examined him, and most expressed worry his life expectancy would be drastically shorter than normal kids his age.

You might think there was some sort of genetic defect he was dealing with that was causing his excessive weight gain and growth, but according to his mom there was nothing doctors could find to explain it.

She reportedly said this is just how God made her boy, and she, apparently, believed he was fully healthy.

Khatokhov was just 21.

Washington cutting Dwayne Haskins has ESPN's Booger McFarland in a bad mood, and he's essentially blasting the NFL's young Black stars for throwing away multi-millions ... over TikTok.

Booger dropped this hot take Monday night, claiming the Washington Football Team dropping its former first-round pick before he completed his 2nd season is symptomatic of a bigger issue -- players focusing on brand building instead of the game.

And, he thinks it's a problem plaguing Black players more than white.

Booger said, "They come in saying 'How can I build my brand better? How can I build my social media following better? How can I work out on Instagram and show everybody that I'm ready to go?' But, when I get to the game I don't perform."

It was a not-so-subtle dig at Haskins getting in hot water for video of him partying at a strip club without a face mask or social distancing.

Booger also singled out another former 1st rounder, JaMarcus Russell, whose career went bust after getting a $40 million contract -- but his focus on African-American stars is kinda controversial, because white players bomb too. Johnny Manziel, Jake Locker and Ryan Leaf anyone?

However, as Booger pointed out, Black players make up roughly 70 percent of the league ... so, the fact is there are more Black players getting the financial opportunity. As he put it, "They play a child's game to get paid a king's ransom."

Washington Football Team running back J.D. McKissic is showin' some California love on his newest pair of cleats ... by honoring Tupac and Nipsey Hussle with an awesome design.

TMZ Sports has learned ... that the 27-year-old NFLer wanted to pay tribute to the two rap legends on his Nike kicks ... so he hit up California artist Joe Castro to make it happen.

Castro -- who also did J.D.'s teammate Chase Young's cleats -- came though with an incredibly detailed finished product ... from Tupac's nose ring to Nip's famous "Prolific" tattoo.

Of course, that kinda detail takes a lot of time ... and we're told it required a total of 12 HOURS from start to finish.

BTW -- Castro is also responsible for the incredible King Von cleat tribute for Chiefs WR Tajae Sharpe.

Dwayne Haskins has been released by the Washington Football Team ... this after he was caught partying it up without a mask.

The announcement was made Monday following the team's loss to the Carolina Panthers. The poor record this season -- plus Dwayne's on-camera COVID-risky screw-up, we imagine -- were the final straw for upper management.

Bottom line, the former first-round draft pick is out.

The 2nd year QB released a statement saying, "My time with the WFT has unfortunately come to an end. I thank the team & fans for the opportunity to play for the team I grew up rooting for."

He adds, "I take full responsibility for not meeting the standards of a NFL QB & will become a better man & player because of this experience."

Of course, Dwayne is probably talking about the fact he was recently caught raging with strippers (sans masks or distancing) on the heels of his team's loss to the Seahawks.

Not only that, but Dwayne simply wasn't living up to expectations after Washington made him its top pick in 2019.

For its part, WFT management says they talked to Dwayne, and basically said ... it'd be best if they went their separate ways.

Legendary Saints OL Willie Roaf says he's confident Taysom Hill can take over for Drew Brees in 2021 if necessary ... telling TMZ Sports the QB has all the tools to be great.

"Taysom Hill has looked good," Roaf says. "He's played well. He's got a lot of potential."

Brees just took the starting reins back from Hill last Sunday after returning from his rib and lung injuries ... but he didn't look sharp in a loss to the Chiefs, and now, the questions about his future in New Orleans are swirling again.

Many are wondering if the 41-year-old will hang it up after this season ... and if so, would Sean Payton be comfortable going into 2021 with Hill under center?

Roaf thinks it's all certainly possible ... telling us 30-year-old Hill has similar traits to star QBs like Lamar Jackson and Kyler Murray.

"He's in the mold of the young guys," Roaf says. "He uses his legs. He's a big guy. He's like a running back. But, he can throw the ball."

Roaf added he doesn't believe the Saints need to draft any signal callers this offseason.

Hall of Fame pitcher Phil Niekro -- famous for his wicked knuckleball that allowed him to pitch as an older guy -- has died.

The Atlanta Braves made the announcement Sunday, saying Niekro passed away Saturday in his sleep at his home in the ATL suburb of Flowery Branch. They say he'd been battling cancer for a while.

The Braves heaped praise on Phil ... "Knucksie was woven into the Braves fabric, first in Milwaukee and then in Atlanta. Phil baffled batters on the field and later was always the first to join in our community activities." They add that he was a longtime presence in their clubhouse and community for years to come after finally retiring from baseball in 1987.

Niekro was one of the rare knuckleball pitchers who could seemingly wield an uncontrollable and unpredictable pitch ... a rare skill that helped him stay on the mound well into his 40s, which isn't all that common in baseball (for pitchers, anyway). And, yes, his stuff was nasty.

He had a cumulative ERA of 3.35 over the course of his 23-year career, with a total of 3,342 strikeouts and a win record of 318. Phil got his start in the big leagues with the Braves in '64 and played for them until 1983, at which he began to bounce around a few different teams.

The man played for the Yankees, the Indians, the Blue Jays ... and finally, circled back to his first love and ended his career in Atlanta. During his final outing on September 27, he received a massive standing ovation from the crowd as he bid them and baseball adieu.

Phil was a five-time gold glove winner and a five-time all-star, plus the recipient of tons of other accolades ... including the MLB ERA leader at one point, the National League strikeout leader and more. PN was inducted into the MLB HOF in 1997 as fifth ballot candidate.

He's survived by his wife, Nancy, his three sons and grandchildren. He was 81.

Brodie Lee -- the former WWE Intercontinental champion -- died Saturday after battling a non-COVID related lung issue, his family announced. He was only 41.

Lee -- real name Jon Huber -- was a superstar with WWE from 2012 to 2019 before jumping over to AEW in 2020 ... and was a fan favorite with both organizations.

"He passed surrounded by love ones after a hard fought battle with a non Covid related lung issue. The [Mayo Clinic in Florida] is literally the best team of doctors and nurses in the world who surrounded me with constant love."

Jon and Amanda were married back in 2008 and have 2 children together.

"My heart is broken," Huber's wife Amanda said in a statement ... "He was my best friend, my husband, and the greatest father you would ever meet."

"The world saw him as the amazing [Brodie Lee] (formally known as Luke Harper) but he was my best friend, my husband, and the greatest father you would ever meet."

Amanda has credited the leadership at AEW with helping her through this tough time -- and the org. has since issued a statement saying "the All Elite Wrestling family is heartbroken."

"In an industry filled with good people, Jon Huber was exceptionally respected and beloved in every way -- a fierce and captivating talent, a thoughtful mentor and simply a very kind soul that starkly contradicted his persona as Mr. Brodie Lee."

WWE honcho Triple H also weighed in ... saying, "Amazing talent ... Better human being, husband and father."

Matt Hardy -- "I'm shattered over Brodie’s passing. He was full of life with a wife & young children he loved. A devastating reminder of how fragile life is. Rest well, friend."

Huber first became a star with the WWE as Luke Harper, a member of the Wyatt Family -- and won the NXT and WWE SmackDown tag team championship.

He left the Wyatt Family in 2014 and wrestled Dolph Ziggler for the Intercontinental belt -- but Ziggler won it back a short time later.

In the years that followed, Huber re-joined the Wyatt family and also formed the tag team "Bludgeon Brothers" with Erick Rowan.

Once Huber left WWE and signed with AEW, he won the AEW TNT Championship -- and held it for 46 before losing the title in a match that aired on Oct. 7th.

After that, Lee took a leave of absence from pro wrestling for an undisclosed medical issue. Clearly, it seems that's he learned about his lung situation and unfortunately, never made it back to the ring.

Tyreek Hill says Eric Bieniemy will be the next huge name in the NFL head coaching world ... telling TMZ Sports the current Chiefs OC has everything needed to lead a franchise.

Bieniemy has been a hot name for general managers and team owners looking for a new head coach the past few offseasons ... but he's yet to officially land a gig.

Most believe that'll change in 2021, though -- because Bieniemy has been CRUSHING it as the offensive coordinator for Hill, Patrick Mahomes, Travis Kelce and co. this season.

And, Hill tells us whoever ultimately lands EB will be getting a superstar ... with the wide receiver saying, "Besides coach [Andy] Reid, I've never seen a guy who comes into work each and everyday who wants to get better."

"Everything that he says on the sidelines or in meetings, guys are going to go out and do it because all of us, we want to fight for him because he's a great coach."

Hill continued, "I wouldn't mind playing for him anywhere because our relationship off the field is amazing. He cares about the player that much."

There's more ... Hill also spoke with us about his team's running back situation now that Clyde Edwards-Helaire is out with a lower-body injury.

Tyreek says the team has full confidence in Le'Veon Bell ... and expects zero drop-offs as K.C. tries to seal up the #1 seed in the AFC in the next two weeks.

A Utah football star is dead after accidentally shooting himself.

Ty Jordan, a freshman running back at the University of Utah, died early Saturday ... reportedly the result of an accidental shooting.

Cops responded to a call from someone who reported a gunshot victim. He was rushed to a local hospital where he was pronounced dead. Authorities believe the shooting was accidental.

Head Coach Kyle Whittingham said Saturday, "Words cannot express the devastation and heartache that our team is feeling right now upon learning of the tragic death of our teammate and brother, Ty Jordan. Ty's personality and smile were infectious and he made a huge impact on our program in the short time he was with us." The Coach adds ... "All of us in the Utah Football Family want to say we love you Ty and may you rest in peace."

Jordan was the 2020 Pac-12 Offensive Freshman Player of the Year, after rushing for 597 yards and scoring 6 touchdowns.

The 2020 Pac-12 Offensive Freshman Player of the Year allegedly died overnight in an ‘accidental shooting’ while in Texas.

Jordan was 19.

RIP

NFL star Josh Norman says he expects to split $500k worth of donations ... and give it to hundreds of small businesses in Buffalo who have been devastated by COVID-19.

TMZ Sports talked to the 33-year-old star CB about the fundraiser he created to assist small businesses that have been decimated by the shutdowns associated with the pandemic.

Josh has donated $25k of his own money -- and countless hours of his time organizing the fundraising -- and says he's already received hundreds of applications.

"With Buffalo Business Blitz, what we're doing with that was pretty much helping out small businesses that closed down during the holiday season, during the pandemic time," Norman tells us.

So, in about 3 weeks, how many businesses have asked Josh for help?

"About 650 applications. It's crazy, but the thing is, a lot of people need help. A lot of people are struggling right now and it's pretty sad."

Of course, small businesses across the country have been badly affected by COVID-19 lockdowns ... and many are on the verge of going out of business.

Every dollar matters and Norman says BBB already has a healthy chunk of change in the coffers ... but believes there's a lot more on the way -- courtesy of some larger corporate donors across the country.

"Right now, we're probably at like $80 grand but that's just accounted into the box. There's other things that are coming on -- couple hundred thousand dollars, so we'll probably be at half a mil, probably a little more than that. Depends on if the donors come through."

Come January 1st, Josh will comb through the applications and select hundreds of businesses -- as many as the donations will allow -- and mail out checks.

Jake Paul says fighting UFC superstar Amanda Nunes would be a complete "waste of time" ... telling TMZ Sports he wants a better-known opponent to generate more hype.

Remember, Jake recently called out Dana White to set up a fight with Conor McGregor ...  and the UFC honcho responded by telling us he'd consider letting Nunes "knock his ass out."

Nunes responded by saying she's down to scrap ... so naturally, we asked Jake if he'd entertain the idea.

"Nah, I wouldn't fight her," Jake says. "Waste of time. No one knows who she is."

Worth noting -- Nunes has more than a million followers on Instagram and several major endorsement deals ... but we take it Paul's comment is related to his fan base.

Of course, Jake acknowledges Nunes is one of the best fighters in combat sports ... but says he's looking for 2 things in his next opponent that the Lioness lacks.

"There's not a lot of hype there. Plus, there's no history."

"I wanna knock out Dilon because we've been talkin' s**t back and forth for 2 years, I've hooked up with his girlfriend, he's all butt-hurt about it, there's history there."

Paul even pulled up on Danis last week -- throwing water balloons and toilet paper at him in a drive-by.

Paul adds Danis might help him get closer to his goal of securing his dream fight with Conor ... "So, why would I waste my time doing some bulls**t like [boxing Nunes?]"

While Jake may not want to fight Nunes for those reasons, boxing star Devin Haney also spoke to us against the idea recently ... saying, "men should fight men."