TMZ Sports - Page 50

C.J. McMahon -- a decorated horse racing jockey -- was arrested and booked over the weekend for attempted murder, according to officials in Lafayette, Louisiana.

Officials are not revealing specifics about the case -- in fact, one official told TMZ Sports the case is sealed. But, Lafayette Parish Sheriff's Office records show the 26-year-old was booked on 1 count of attempted 2nd-degree murder.

McMahon -- who won the Oklahoma Derby in 2016 -- was also booked on a weapons charge and a drug possession charge.

A note in the Lafayette Parish Sheriff's Office booking records says, "Subject was arrested after traffic stop and drugs were found, also an active warrant."

Again, no word on when or where the alleged attempted murder took place -- or who was targeted. Authorities are being very tight-lipped at the moment.

According to police records, McMahon was initially stopped on Saturday afternoon for a traffic violation -- and when officers ran his name, they noticed an outstanding warrant for his arrest stemming from another incident, presumably the alleged attempted murder.

McMahon posted bond the following day (Sunday) and has since been released from custody.

He's raced everywhere from Lone Star Park to Delta Downs and more -- and has racked up more than 1,000 career victories.

McMahon comes from a horse racing family -- his father was also a jockey.

Attempts to reach McMahon for comment were unsuccessful.

March Madness -- the entire NCAA college basketball tournament -- will take place in the state of Indiana in 2021, officials confirm.

It's the first time in the history of the tournament that all 67 games will take place in the same state -- and, of course, it's all because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The NCAA says it's "partnering with a local health provider to administer COVID-19 testing within the controlled environment for players, coaching staffs, administrators and officials."

"The Marion County Health Department has approved medical protocols shared by the NCAA and will continue collaborating with the NCAA leading up to and during the championship."

The majority of the games will take place in Indianapolis -- with some contests going down in West Lafayette and Bloomington.

Several Indiana-based universities will technically "host" the tournament -- including Ball State, Butler, Indiana University and Purdue, among others. The school will lend their facilities and staffs to assist with tournament operations.

The NCAA says teams will be allowed to use the Indiana Convention Center as a practice facility, with multiple courts set up inside the venue.

Most teams will stay at Marriott hotel properties -- which happens to be an official NCAA corporate partner.

COVID protocols will be in full effect -- "All teams will be housed on dedicated hotel floors, with physically distanced meeting and dining rooms, as well as secure transportation to and from competition venues."

The NCAA says Selection Sunday is still scheduled for March 14 -- with the Final Four games set to take place on April 3 and 5.

The org notes, "The exact preliminary round dates are still to be determined."

"This is a historic moment for NCAA members and the state of Indiana," NCAA President Mark Emmert said in a statement.

Russell Wilson just made his teammate David Moore $100k richer ... by calling an audible pass at the end of Sunday's game to get him a fat bonus!!

Here's the deal ... the Seattle Seahawks were lined up to take a knee and finish off the San Francisco 49ers in a 26-23 win ... when Wilson decided to switch it up and hit Moore with a touch pass with 22 seconds remaining.

The announcers were confused during the broadcast -- wondering why Russ didn't just run the clock out. But, they figured it out ...

Turns out, Wilson knew Moore was 1 catch from hitting 35 receptions on the season, which triggered a $100,000 bonus ... so Russ purposely targeted his guy to get him paid!!

The play was simple -- Wilson stepped back into a shotgun, sent Moore in motion and hit him with a quick touch-pass to secure the coveted catch #35.

Watch the video ... you can see Moore smiling in the huddle after the play, along with his teammates who were clearly aware of the situation.

The superstar QB spoke about the move after the game ... saying, "It's a blessing to help his family and daughter and all stuff, so it was part of the game."

"We wanted to get him that last catch. We were able to dial that up for him on that last play."

FYI, 25-year-old Moore -- a 7th round pick in the 2017 NFL Draft -- was reportedly set to make $825k this season ... so the extra $100,000 is a big deal!

Very cool and inspirational move from NFL star Alex Smith ... the QB transformed his leg-saving brace into a trophy -- and the piece came out AWESOME.

Smith's wife, Liz, revealed the artwork before the signal-caller and the Washington Football Team locked up the NFC East title Sunday night ... saying, "No matter the outcome, Alex has already won."

Liz added praise to the welder who fabricated the piece ... writing, "Special thanks to @coldhardart for transforming a symbol of hard times to a trophy of triumph we can proudly put on our shelves."

Of course, you'll recall ... Smith needed the brace for several months after he broke both his fibula and tibia during a violent hit from J.J. Watt in a November 2018 game.

Alex nearly lost the leg while trying to recover ... ultimately requiring 17 surgeries to fix the break and the ensuing infection it caused.

The 36-year-old, though, has miraculously shown no signs of deteriorated play in his return this season ... and it seems staring at the twisted metal that used to be affixed to his leg has helped in all of that.

The piece is clearly inspired by the Lombardi Trophy -- which is awarded each year to the winner of the Super Bowl.

For the artist's part, Cold Hard Art wrote of transforming the brace, "Might be one of the most unique projects to be part of turning a leg stabilizer into a symbols of strength and determination."

UFC fighter Mike Perry is on the mend after slicing himself open during a bizarre incident late Sunday night -- posting footage showing doctors stitching up his wound.

The 29-year-old initially posted video showing him lying in a pool of blood Sunday next to a shattered glass door. It appears as if Perry opened a massive gash while trying to smash through the glass.

While on the ground, Perry says to himself, "F*ck am I supposed to do about this?"

Fans on social media expressed concern for the fighter who seems to be in a downward spiral -- following allegations of domestic abuse and a separate violent incident at a steak restaurant back in July.

But, early Monday morning, Perry posted video from what appears to be a hospital room -- showing a doctor treating the wound on his lower right leg.

A few hours later, Perry posted more footage showing himself walking his dog -- so, all better?

Perry has fought in the UFC since 2016 and has flashed real potential -- earning multiple fight of the night and performance of the night bonuses along the way.

But, losses to guys like Cowboy Cerrone, Geoff Neal and most recently Tim Means (in Nov.) have kept him from reaching that next level.

Hatchet buried?!

Myles Garrett and Mason Rudolph shared a handshake and exchanged pleasantries in a post-game moment Sunday -- something no one expected to happen roughly 13 months after the infamous helmet attack incident!

Remember, it was in Nov. 2019 that Garrett swung a helmet at Rudolph's head during a nationally televised Browns vs. Steelers game -- with some calling for the Browns star to be criminally prosecuted.

The situation got super nasty between the NFL players -- Garrett claimed Rudolph had used the n-word on the field, something Rudolph had vehemently denied. Ultimately, Myles was hit with a 6-game suspension that ended his 2019 season.

The two teams clashed again on Sunday night -- with Rudolph filling in at QB for Ben Roethlisberger ... and the big question, is there still bad blood???

No helmet swinging this time around as the Browns beat the Steelers -- but after the game, cameras caught Myles and Mason dapping each other up.

"Myles came over and said, 'good game,' postgame and that's all it was," Rudolph said. "I told him 'good luck' and that I had a lot of respect for him."

Added Garrett, "I just told him good game -- he played a hell of a game -- and we’ll see you all in a week," Garrett said. "He played tough. He had 300 yards and a couple of touchdowns. He played very well, and he kept them in it to the very end."

"Had to show a little praise that he did well in this game and he was able to make some big plays for them."

So, friends? Not exactly ... but the situation is 1000000 times better than it was last year.

And, get this ... Myles and Mason will have a chance to continue their chat on Sunday when the Browns face the Steelers AGAIN in the AFC Wild Card game.

It's finally over.

The NY Jets have officially fired head coach Adam Gase after one of the worst seasons in team history.

The Jets only won 2 games in 2020 -- after starting off the season 0-13 -- finishing up with a pathetic 2-14 record.

The Gase-era -- which started with a bizarre press conference in 2019 -- ended with a sad 9-23 record. Not great.

"This evening, I informed Adam Gase he will no longer serve as the Head Coach of the Jets," NY Jets CEO Christopher Johnson said in a statement Sunday night.

Johnson praised Gase and his family but ultimately said moving on is the right thing to do. No kidding!

"While my sincere intentions are to have stability in our organization -- especially in our leadership positions -- it is clear the best decision for the Jets is to move in a different direction."

Johnson added, "To our fans, it is obvious we have not been good enough. We are committed to building a strong organization, on and off the field, and will continue to provide the necessary resources to field a team that you can be proud of."

The 2020 campaign was the 2nd worst season on NY Jets history -- following an infamously terrible 1-15 season back in 1996.

Gase was just bad all the way around -- he was hailed as a QB whisperer who could help out Sam Darnold ... but Darnold looked terrible this season and the Jets finished the year with the 32nd ranked offense in the league.

MMA star Anthony Pettis says that he's 100 percent down to fight Jake Paul ... and he's willing to do it in the boxing ring -- a place where he has no experience.

But, Jake does -- he's 2-0 as a professional boxer.

TMZ Sports talked to the 33-year-old fighter before his unanimous decision UFC Fight Night win over Alex Morono in Vegas ... and Pettis was crystal clear -- he wants to box before he retires, and Jake Paul would make for a helluva opponent.

"Bro, I would love to box. I haven't boxed yet, so I'm 0-0. Boxing is something I grew up watching my whole life. That's why I got into fighting, honestly. Watching Chavez, De La Hoya, Mayweather, all these guys up and coming."

Of course, Paul knocked former NBA star Nate Robinson out cold over a month ago. There's been debate about how good JP actually is in the squared circle ... but Pettis believes Jake has skills.

"I think he's definitely getting better. He prepared for a boxing match. You could tell he was in boxing shape, he was in a stance at least. It's going to be interesting to see how far he can go with it."

Even if it's not against Jake Paul, Pettis -- a former UFC champ with wins over guys like "Cowboy" Cerrone and "Wonderboy" Thompson -- says he's gonna give boxing a shot before he retires from fighting.

"Man, I'm only 33, and I've been doing this MMA thing for so long. 12 years with Zuffa. So as a pro, I think I've been like 14 years. It's a crazy life I live. I'd love to go in there and try something new," Pettis tells us.

Bottom line ... "I definitely think before I retire boxing will be something I do."

Could T.J. Watt one day be the NFL's all-time leader in sacks???

Bruce Smith -- the current sack record-holder -- certainly thinks so ... telling TMZ Sports the Pittsburgh Steelers star is "the one we want to watch now because he's young."

Smith has held the all-time sacks mark since 2003, when he logged his 200th career QB takedown ... and nobody has come close to the number since.

Guys like J.J. Watt and Von Miller -- two of the best of this generation -- barely have over 100, and their careers are winding down.

So, we had to ask ... does Smith think anybody will be able to get to his mark eventually??

Smith says it's certainly possible -- telling us the rules of the game will change enough for players to have a shot -- but he says everything has to break the right way for a player to hit 200.

"You have to understand there has to be a level of consistency that will last for 14, 15 years," Bruce says. "So, there are a lot of factors that go against you from being able to, heck, even reach 130 sacks or 140 sacks."

"The number one factor is health," Smith added.

Bruce says guys like Myles Garrett and Aaron Donald could do it ... but the Buffalo Bills legend believes T.J. Watt might possibly have the most realistic shot.

FYI -- T.J. has 47.5 sacks through his first 3-plus seasons ... which Smith says he's impressed by.

DeMar DeRozan is honoring Malcolm X with some brand new ink ... tattooing an iconic image of his hero on his left bicep.

We're told the San Antonio Spurs star wanted the piece done before the NBA season kicked off ... so he hit up Canadian artist Steve Wiebe -- who has worked with a ton of NBA stars like Kevin Durant and John Wall.

Wiebe was in L.A. tattooing some other hoopers ... so he linked up with DeRozan at his house.

DeMar picked a very well known image -- taken for Ebony magazine at Malcolm X's Queens home in 1964  -- where the icon is holding a rifle.

Wiebe tells us the whole piece took about 5 hours to complete.

The 31-year-old guard -- a free agent after this season -- had an eventful (to say the least!) off-season. DD's house was broken into ... and the hooper was forced to confront the intruder.

They don't call him "The Great One" for nothin' -- Wayne Gretzky managed to end the year on a high note ... by smacking a hole-in-one on New Year's Eve.

The hockey legend had more reason to celebrate the end of 2020 than everyone else, because he hit his first ace on the golf course ... on the signature par-3 6th hole at the Sherwood Country Club in Thousand Oaks, CA.

Gretzky hit a 9-iron on the 140-yard hole, and though COVID restrictions kept onlookers away from his big moment ... word traveled pretty fast.

We're told the world's #1 golfer, Dustin Johnson, called him from Hawaii afterward to congratulate him. Johnson, of course, is engaged to Wayne's daughter, Paulina.

So, there ya go ... the man who holds the NHL records for goals, assists, points and hat tricks -- along with countless other records -- is also as good at golf as his future son-in-law.

At least for one hole.

Another Asante Samuel is on his way to the NFL ... and this one could better than the previous one -- so says the original Asante Samuel!!

Here's the deal if you ain't aware ... ex-NFL star Asante Samuel Sr. has a college-aged son, Asante Samuel Jr., who's an absolute BALLER for Florida State.

So much so, the Seminoles defensive back just announced he has intentions of entering the 2021 NFL Draft!!

And, when we asked Dad about his son's potential ... the 2-time Super Bowl champ told us the kid could be an even better player than he was!

"It's definitely possible," Samuel Sr. says. "He can go to the right team, right situation and get a little technique things knocked off, get it worked on a little bit -- he definitely can rise up the ranks and have a great career."

Samuel has been a regular in FSU's defensive backfield since arriving on campus in 2018, playing in 31 games and recording 4 career INTs.

And while it's still early in the draft process ... many have labeled the 5-foot-10, 184-pound corner a possible first-round pick.

Samuel Sr. says watching him grow into that kind of player has been pretty special.

Khabib Nurmagomedov is adamant he's retired, but there's one guy his manager says could entice the UFC superstar to step back in the Octagon ... a fight with Georges St-Pierre!!

TMZ Sports talked to Ali Abdelaziz ... and we straight-up asked Nurmagomedov's longtime manager and friend if he believes Khabib will fight in 2021.

"Honestly, I think if Georges St-Pierre is serious about coming back to fight, I could see it happening, that would get Khabib up."

The issue ... St-Pierre is 39-years-old and hasn't fought since beating Michael Bisping in 2017. In fact, GSP has only fought since the end of 2013.

Khabib's father, Abdulmanap -- who passed away from COVID-19 complications in July -- always wanted his son to fight GSP.

If not GSP, are there any other fights Abdelaziz believes would intrigue Khabib enough to return ... say like a HUGE money fight against Conor McGregor?

Very unlikely, according to Ali.

"I think financially it’s a huge fight. But, we know Khabib, it’s hard to persuade him financially."

Abdelaziz tells us Khabib and Dana White are planning to sit down for dinner in Vegas sometime soon ... and discuss Khabib's fighting future.

And like Ali says, "Dana is really good at getting people to do things."

So ... Khabib vs. GSP, 2021??

Logan Paul's a "fake fighter" who has no business being in the ring with Floyd Mayweather ... so says his own brother, Jake, who tells TMZ Sports the dude is "f***ked" against the 50-0 boxer.

Of course, the YouTube superstar is set to face off against "The Best Ever" in a boxing exhibition on Feb. 20 ... a fight that has been met with mixed reactions.

Jake -- who's fresh off an insane KO of ex-NBA star Nate Robinson -- thinks Logan is pretty much doomed against Floyd ... and believes the fight is doing more harm than good for boxing.

"My brother's f***ed," Jake tells us. "It's bad for the sport. I think it's just for clout."

Paul is echoing what Canelo Alvarez recently told us ... saying he thought it was a "lack of respect" for pros to go up against YouTubers.

Jake goes on to say he's the "real fighter" in the family ... pointing out he's got a 3-0 record ... while Logan still hasn't racked up a win.

There's still a concert in Times Square tonight, but Jennifer Lopez, Pitbull and Machine Gun Kelly won't be performing for drunken revelers ... instead it's all for 2020's biggest heroes.

Like most annual traditions this year, Times Square New Year's Eve is undergoing fundamental changes due to the pandemic. Don't worry, the ball's still gonna drop, but the concert is tailored for frontline workers, essential workers and their families.

For obvious reasons, NYC officials can't have Times Square packed to the gills with screaming partiers. The good news is the heroes of the pandemic are getting VIP perks to see the show live, and Pitbull's planning a special salute to them.

We're told Mr. Worldwide has some special words to share with the workers before he performs his anthem, "I Believe That We Will Win" ... along with other huge hits.

Jonathan Bennett's hosting the celebration, which kicks off at 6 PM ET and runs until midnight, and he says while 2020 really dropped the ball, it's not stopping Times Square from dropping the ball ... COVID-safely, of course.

The "Mean Girls" star's urging folks to enjoy the performances from the comfort of their homes -- the general public won't be allowed in Times Square. Still Jonathan told us why this NYE will still be bring plenty of fun.

Jake Paul's putting the ol' "for sale" sign outside his Calabasas mansion -- he says he's fleeing all the distractions of L.A. so he can become a boxing champ.

The YouTube star and undefeated boxer announced Wednesday he's starting the next chapter of his life -- the biggest prizefighter in the world chapter -- and that means getting away from all the "madness" and parties.

As Jake put it, he's too attracted to all that "chaos" ... which explains some of the epic ragers at his soon-to-be listed crib.

In order to be the best athlete he can possibly be, Jake says he's gotta find somewhere more suitable to train ... pointing out he spent 4 months training in Las Vegas ahead of his knockout of Nate Robinson.

Remember ... Jake's pulling out all the stops, attempting to book a boxing match with Conor McGregor, so the dude better be serious about training.

He's been living in L.A. since he was 17, but says Cali living is no longer a good fit. As for where he's headed -- sources connected tell TMZ Sports, Jake's eyeing places in the Miami area. We're told he's down there now, and staying in a rental. No word if he's found a permanent crib yet.

Arguably, Miami's no better than L.A. when it comes to the party scene ... but it is warmer year-round.

We know this, and so does Jake ... his Calabasas neighbors will fully support his move. He says they were always pissed about his huge parties and wild YouTube shoots on the property.

As we reported ... Jake's after-party for the Nate fight pissed off the Mayor of Calabasas, and city officials were actively looking into ways to punish him.