TMZ Sports - Page 50

Imagine the greatest quarterback of all-time handing off to one of best running backs ever in 2021 ...

That's a scene Adrian Peterson is trying to make happen for real ... 'cause the future Hall of Fame RB tells TMZ Sports he wants to play with Tom Brady in Tampa Bay in 2021!!!

"That would definitely be something I'm interested in," Peterson says ... explaining "If they want me to be a part of it, I'll be a part of it for sure. Because I'm definitely trying to add a trophy to my resume."

Peterson is slated to be a free agent this offseason after his 1-year contract with the Detroit Lions expires ... and there could be some interest from the Bucs in him.

After all, Bruce Arians did trade for A.P. back in 2017 when he was the Arizona Cardinals' head coach -- and Peterson performed well there in limited playing time.

Now, Peterson tells us he really wouldn't mind running it back with Arians in Tampa ... saying "Playing with Tom Brady, that by itself is enticing."

The two would be a hell of a backfield duo ... Tom at age 43, has 14 Pro Bowl selections, while Peterson, at age 35, has seven.

Also, for as good as Leonard Fournette and Ronald Jones were in the Super Bowl ... neither has fully established themselves as Tampa's bell cow, leaving the door wide open for Peterson touches next season.

So, what do ya say, Bruce?!

By the way, in between preparing for the offseason and trying to link up with Tom next year ... Adrian is doing some amazing charity work, putting on an auction to help former NFL player Chester Pitts give back in Houston.

Peterson and his wife, Ashley, are donating gowns, sports memorabilia and so much more to help out Pitts' Carson Parke org. that was put in place by the ex-NFLer to assist underserved and at-risk foster youth.

Kansas City Chiefs linebackers coach Britt Reid has been suspended from the team ... as police investigate his involvement in a bad car accident that left a 5-year-old girl fighting for her life.

As we previously reported, cops say Reid admitted to consuming alcohol and Adderall before a bad 3-car crash around 9 PM Thursday night that left a child in critical condition.

The child's family members say the girl suffered major brain damage in the accident ... including swelling and internal bleeding. She has not woken up since the crash.

Reid -- who did not travel with the Chiefs to Super Bowl LV in Tampa this past weekend -- has officially been placed on administrative leave, the team announced Tuesday.

"We remain in the process of gathering information on the incident, and we will continue to assist local authorities as requested," the team said in a statement.

"Our focus remains on Ariel Young and her family. We have reached out to the family to offer our support and resources to them during this difficult time, and we will continue to pray for her recovery."

WWE Superstar The Miz says Bad Bunny better think twice before entering the ring at WrestleMania ... telling TMZ Sports he will straight-up BREAK THE DUDE'S JAW if he even tries!!

There's major beef between the two after the Puerto Rican rap star made his wrestling debut at Royal Rumble earlier this month -- BB helped eliminate Miz and his partner, Morrison, from the match ... and hit 'em with a frog splash in the process.

We spoke with The Miz about rumors BB could team up with Damian Priest to continue his feud with M&M at WrestleMania ... and the dude has some advice for the newcomer.

"Let's put it this way," Miz tells us. "Bad Bunny is an amazing artist, right? He has a ton of people, a ton of fans. He has like 1.1 billion views on his YouTube videos, all his music videos have so many people watching."

"Stay in your lane! Like that's what you do! I'm a WWE superstar! That is what I do, that is my job! You are a musician! Be a musician!"

He didn't stop there -- "Look, he makes a lot of money being a musician. So, go do that. Keep on making that money because the fact is, if you come into the WWE ring, I'm gonna break your jaw and when I break your jaw, you're gonna need a lot of money."

Miz says the ship has sailed for BB's chances at being a WWE Superstar ... and he simply hasn't put in the time to deserve a shot at WrestleMania.

"It takes years upon years to be a WWE Superstar, to get into a WWE ring and WrestleMania. These are moments that we have that we worked for."

Miz has A LOT more to say ... and explains what happens when he first asked Bad Bunny to collab in the studio. Here's a preview:

"You don't come to my house and put your dirty shoes on my carpet. You just don't. You get thrown out the house."

The North Carolina Tar Heels basketball team is apologizing for forcing the school to postpone a game after players were caught partying without COVID masks.

Here's the deal ... a bunch of UNC players celebrated Saturday night after beating Duke in a 91 to 87 victory -- and video of the after-party was posted on Snapchat, showing at least 2 star players turning up without masks on.

Obviously, we're still in the middle of a pandemic -- and large, maskless gatherings are strictly prohibited by the team.

The UNC vs. Duke rivalry is one of the most celebrated in all of sports -- and after UNC won this year, students flooded the streets of Chapel Hill to turn up.

UNC's next opponent -- the Miami Hurricanes -- saw the video and clearly felt uncomfortable sending the team out against a bunch of possibly exposed Tar Heels players They were supposed to play on Monday.

The ACC claims both teams mutually agreed to postpone the game because of the incident -- and now, the Tar Heels players are falling on the sword.

"Saturday night, a number of players and managers -- not just the ones shown on the video that was seen -- got together to celebrate our win at Duke," the team said in a statement.

"Our intention was to celebrate privately within our group. Unfortunately, we allowed several friends who are not members of the team to join the gathering. We were inside and not wearing masks, which were mistakes."

Among the players spotted in the video ... Armando Bacot and Day’Ron Sharp -- two of the team's best players, who combined for 27 points against Duke.

"We apologize for not adhering to the University's and Athletic Department's guidelines and apologize to Coach Williams and his staff ... We have worked too hard for 8 months doing the right thing to make those kinds of mistakes at this point in the season."

For his part, head coach Roy Williams says he "appreciated" the apology -- adding, "they realize they did make a mistake, for which they are paying a very significant price."

Okay, maybe the Super Bowl streaker deserves a little more credit than we thought ...

Yuri Andrade -- the man who broke onto the field while wearing a pink thong bathing suit -- says he came up with the idea for the stunt after seeing a prop bet that offered GREAT ODDS if someone actually ran onto the field during the SB55.

Andrade explained the whole thing during an interview with WILD 94.1 -- saying the gambling website Bovada offered +750 odds ($100 bet pays $750) so he decided to take matters into his own hands.

He called up everyone he knew and had them BET on someone storming the field -- then he got tickets to the game and recruited a buddy to serve as a decoy.

Andrade says once security was distracted by his pal -- he ran onto the field ... and the rest is history.

The 31-year-old says he also sent someone to Vegas to make the prop bet at a sportsbook there -- but he didn't identify which book took the action.

Bottom line ... Andrade says he walked away with $370,000 in profit!!

Of course, he was arrested and booked for trespassing -- but chalks the whole thing up as no big deal.

The worst part was he couldn't pick the wedgie that was up his ass while in custody because he was in handcuffs ... but he's clearly over that now.

We know what you're thinking ... is it even legal to make a bet and then personally interfere with the game to get the desired result?? We're looking into it.

But, until someone says otherwise ... tip of the cap to you, sir.

Conor McGregor is so rich, he craps gold!

Well, he probably will after taking down a gold-plated steak at Salt Bae's famous restaurant in Dubai!

The UFC superstar took his family to the Nusr-Et Steakhouse Dubai -- where social media's most famous slicer of meat broke out his sharpest knife to personally serve Conor.

The dish is known as the Golden Tomahawk -- which is a fancy wagyu cut wrapped in a 24-karat gold leaf.

Yes, it's edible. No, we don't know if it will actually make your dookie twinkle.

The steak is reportedly priced right around $1,000 -- but we don't know if Conor was charged the full amount. Hey, they say the wealthiest people get the most free stuff, right?!

Seems Conor has been on a spending spree ever since he took that "L" to Dustin Poirier on Fight Island at UFC 257 back on January 24. He even scooped up a fancy new Rolex, inspired by Tupac.

Dana White wouldn't tell us exactly how much Conor made for the fight -- but did say the final number was HIGH.

McGregor is expected to rake in even more cash in a trilogy fight with Poirier -- that's expected to go down around May (though nothing is confirmed yet).

Cleveland Browns stars Rashard "Hollywood" Higgins and Jedrick Wills, Jr. just caught a break in their drag racing incident ... with both players pleading guilty to lesser charges of speeding on Tuesday.

As we previously reported ... 26-year-old Higgins and 21-year-old Wills were cited for drag racing in Westlake, OH on Jan. 5 ... just days before the Browns' first playoff game in nearly 2 decades.

During the stop, police claim they found a marijuana joint in Higgins' pocket ... which the wide receiver was instructed to destroy on camera, as one cop claimed it would be "bad for press."

During Wills' stop, the lineman admitted he and Higgins were "just being d*ckheads."

While the players' attorney initially claimed they would both plead not guilty to the drag racing charges, TMZ Sports has confirmed Higgins and Wills both pleaded guilty to lesser charges of speeding.

Both players paid $250 fines to wrap things up -- which seems like a pretty good deal considering the more serious punishment they could have received if convicted on the drag racing charges.

Minnesota Timberwolves star Malik Beasley was just sentenced to 120 days in jail -- and banned from owning guns for life -- this after he pled guilty to felony threats for pointing a firearm at a family during a bizarre incident back in September.

Prosecutors in Hennepin County, Minn. say Beasley's Plymouth house was accidentally put on a "Parade of Homes" list in the fall -- which is essentially a tourist guide for impressive mansions in the area. The list caused vehicle traffic around Beasley's home to increase -- which really pissed him off, prosecutors say.

Officials say on Sept. 26, Beasley got so frustrated that he walked toward a visiting car that was near the end of his driveway and pointed a gun at it. Prosecutors say he then ordered the family inside the ride to scram.

24-year-old Beasley -- who cops say was also in possession of marijuana at the time -- was later arrested ... and ultimately charged with felony threats of violence and felony drug possession.

At a virtual court hearing back in December, Beasley pled guilty to the threats charge ... and in exchange, prosecutors agreed to drop the drug charge.

At the hearing, Beasley said of his actions, "I was not in my right mind. I’m ready to move on."

Beasley returned to virtual court on Tuesday for sentencing ... and the judge ordered him to spend 120 days at a jail facility known as "The Workhouse" at Hennepin County Adult Corrections Facility.

As part of the sentencing, the judge ruled Beasley will NOT have to serve the time during the NBA season ... setting a tentative May 26 date to report to the jail.

The judge also said Beasley could end up being released on electronic home monitoring if COVID-19 precautions force that move.

Beasley was also ordered to complete an anger management program and was hit with a lifetime ban on owning firearms. Beasley was also ordered to not consume any alcohol or drugs, and complete random drug testing.

Prosecutors say Beasley read a statement at the hearing, telling the court, "I am not that person. I humbly apologize for my actions."

In a statement to NBA reporter Shams Charania, Beasley's attorney, Steve Haney, said, "We are very pleased with this outcome that will allow Malik to continue working on becoming a better person and making better choices."

WNBA superstar Renee Montgomery -- a 2-time champ who sat out the 2020 season to focus on social justice work -- is retiring from pro basketball, she confirms to TMZ Sports.

"This is my 'Dear Basketball' moment," 34-year-old Montgomery said on the TMZ Sports TV Show (which she co-hosts nightly on FS1) ... "I'm gonna hang up my Kobes!"

When asked why she's stepping away now, Montgomery explained, "I just feel like there's so much momentum that I’ve created just with the things going on here in Atlanta … and I don't want to stop it."

Montgomery had one helluva career -- in college, she led UConn to a national championship in 2009 and was such a legend, the University added her to the "Huskies of Honor" (essentially the school's Hall of Fame) while she was still an active player!

She was a 1st round pick in the 2009 WNBA Draft (4th player selected) and won 2 WNBA titles with the Minnesota Lynx.

Montgomery was an All-Star in 2011 and won the league's 6th Woman of the Year award in 2012.

During her illustrious career, Montgomery also played with the Connecticut Sun, Seattle Storm and most recently, the Atlanta Dream.

The federal agency tasked with investigating the helicopter crash that killed Kobe and Gianna Bryant, along with 7 others, will announce their findings in a Tuesday meeting -- including the probable cause of the accident.

National Transportation Safety Board will meet virtually Tuesday -- and it will be open to the public, so we'll live stream the whole thing here.

The NTSB has been working on the case ever since the aircraft -- a Sikorsky S-76 helicopter -- crashed in Calabasas on Jan 26, 2020.

As we previously reported, the NTSB initially said preliminary findings showed no outward evidence of engine failure -- and months into the investigation, officials said the pilot may have been disoriented when the aircraft was caught in deep fog.

Autopsy results showed the pilot, Ara Zobayan, was NOT on alcohol or drugs at the time of the crash ... and NTSB investigators said Zobayan’s girlfriend told them he was in great shape before the accident.

The NTSB said in June it found evidence showing Zobayan thought he was ascending over the fog, when in reality, the helicopter was going downward at a high rate of speed.

In addition to revealing the likely cause of the crash, the NTSB is also expected to make flight recommendations for similar aircraft in the hopes of preventing another tragedy.

Along with Kobe and Zobayan, seven others -- including Kobe's daughter, Gianna, and friends Alyssa Altobelli, Keri Altobelli, John Altobelli, Christina Mauser, Payton Chester and Sarah Chester -- perished in the Jan. 26, 2020 crash.

#RIP

Need further proof hockey players are some of the toughest people on the planet??

Vancouver Canucks winger Nils Hoglander was left a bloody mess after taking a puck to the face Monday night -- BUT HE STAYED IN THE GAME!!!

The terrifying scene all went down in the Canucks vs. Maple Leafs tilt in Toronto ... when in the first period, Jordie Benn threw a puck at the net that accidentally caught Hoglander right in the forehead.

Fortunately, Hoglander was wearing a visor ... but the force of the shot was so strong, it still cut the 20-year-old badly.

Check out the clip, Hoglander was bleeding so profusely from his nose and forehead area ... it covered his entire visor!

But, in true #HockeyGuy fashion ... Hoglander wiped it all away with his hand, and then returned to the game a short time later!!

Bad news ... Vancouver ended up losing, 3-1.

Your friends will be yelling, "Hail to the Chief" if you're rocking the Barack Obamas -- a rare Nike shoe specifically designed for the ex-Prez -- and they'll also know you're rich as hell.

Sotheby's is hosting a one-of-a-kind sale of these Nike Hyperdunks in size 12.5 and designed for 44 back in 2009. Talk about an extremely rare pair of Nikes ... there are only 2 pairs in existence. The others were gifted to Obama.

According to Sotheby's ... these particular shoes -- influenced by the Hyperdunks created for Team USA at the 2008 Olympics -- were not worn by Obama, but they're Nike's only confirmation sample, and in pristine condition.

The price is a modest $25k. If you're inclined to say, "Just do it" ... the sale opens Friday at, yes, 4:44 PM ET.

Is it worth it? Well, the shoe's literally etched in POTUS lore -- official Presidential Seal on the tongue and an embroidered "44" and the insoles include the year "1776."

He told ya he was going to Disney World ... and Rob Gronkowski has already made good on his promise!!

The Tampa Bay Bucs superstar tight end rolled into the Most Magical Place on Earth in Orlando on Monday ... and immediately got into an awesome lightsaber battle!!!

It's all part of Disney's annual Super Bowl celebration -- where they (usually) parade the winners around the theme park just like Tom Brady did in 2002, 2004 and 2019.

There are reports Disney has scrapped the Super Bowl parade this year as part of its COVID protocol -- but Gronk will still get to enjoy the park as a super VIP guest, which is probably super awesome.

Both Gronk and TB12 did the post-game "We're going to Disney World" spot this year after beating the K.C. Chiefs on Sunday ... but Brady is reportedly set to visit the park at a later date.

In the meantime, more theme park snacks for Gronk and his family!!!

Disney World had been shut down for a while due to COVID -- but reopened in July with new safety protocols to keep people safe.

Marty Schottenheimer -- one of the NFL's all-time greatest head coaches -- died on Monday after a lengthy battle with Alzheimer's ... his family announced Tuesday.

He was 77 years old.

The coach had fought Alzheimer's since 2014 ... but was moved to a North Carolina hospice facility last month after his family said he was suffering from "complications from his disease."

Schottenheimer's wife, Pat, said at the time, "As a family we are surrounding him with love and are soaking up the prayers and support from all those he impacted through his incredible life."

"In the way he taught us all, we are putting one foot in front of the other ... one play at a time."

Pat and the rest of the Schottenheimer family told ESPN's Chris Mortensen Marty passed on Monday ... adding the former coach will have a private family service soon with a public memorial service at a later date.

Schottenheimer was a head man in the NFL for 21 years ... and is 1 of just 8 men to win at least 200 games in the league as a head coach.

He began his head coaching career with the Cleveland Browns in 1984 -- and later went on to coach Joe Montana and Marcus Allen in Kansas City starting in 1989.

Schottenheimer went on to spend 10 total years with the Chiefs -- piling up a 101-58-1 regular-season record. He took the team to 7 playoff appearances -- and even brought them to the AFC Championship game in 1993, where they lost to the Buffalo Bills.

Marty continued his coaching career with Washington before moving to the San Diego Chargers. He was named Coach of the Year there in 2004, when the team went 12-4 and won the AFC West.

The debate is officially over ... Jerry Rice is giving up the claim he had to the NFL's "Greatest of All-Time" label, admitting that honor now belongs to Tom Brady!!!

The legendary receiver -- who had been considered the league's G.O.A.T. prior to Brady's epic 7 Super Bowl wins -- relented on an appearance on 95.7 The Game on Monday that Tom's formally passed him on the rankings after the Bucs' title win Sunday.

“When you have seven rings, you’re doing something right," Jerry said, before adding, "He can have that G.O.A.T. status. I never wanted that status anyhow."

Of course, Rice didn't give away the title without taking at least a little jab ... Jerry said Tom's had the ability to pad his resume in a way he never could because of new player safety rules.

"I don’t have seven Super Bowl rings," Rice said, "but I think I played in an era when football was more of a contact sport. You’re seeing a lot of that now -- players are protected."

In case you were wondering, Jerry's old claim to the "G.O.A.T." label was warranted ... he was a 3-time Super Bowl champ, 1-time SB MVP, 13-time Pro Bowler and a first-ballot Hall of Famer.

Jerry also holds nearly every receiving record ever ... including an all-time receiving yards mark of 22,895 -- which is more than 5,000 (!!!) ahead of second-place Larry Fitzgerald!

But, Tom's got the 7 rings, 3 NFL MVP awards and 14 Pro Bowl honors ... and he still ain't done yet!!

In fact, Jerry said he wouldn't be surprised to see Brady keep going for TWO more years ... explaining, "I think he can do it now in this league because players are so much more protected."

The woman who claims she was brutally beaten by NFL lineman Chad Wheeler is speaking out about the incident -- saying he couldn't care less about her after nearly beating her to death.

The woman, Alleah Taylor, sat down with CBS reporter Jericka Duncan to describe the Jan. 22 incident, which ended with her being hospitalized for serious injuries.

"I had touched my face and I had looked down and there was blood on my hand," Taylor said in the interview (which airs Wednesday) ... "and I remember getting up and running to the bathroom."

"Chad was standing by the bed, by the doorway and he was sipping his smoothie and he was like, 'Wow you're still alive?!'"

Taylor says she's "grateful" the 6'7", 315-pound lineman stopped the attack -- but she says the NFL player acted like it was no big deal.

"I'm grateful he didn't grab me in that moment. I was able to run to the bathroom. He went back to the living room to continue eating."

"I had texted his dad too and told him that Chad was trying to kill me. Chad's dad called him while he was eating and I was in the bathroom. And he answered and he didn't have any worry at all. Chad was like, 'I'm just eating dinner, nothing's going on.' And that terrified me."

Wheeler was later arrested and hit with three criminals charges -- including 1st-degree domestic violence assault -- over the incident. It took 3 cops to subdue him in a wild struggle, documented in the police reports.