TMZ Sports - Page 50

X League star running back Tamika Robinson taught her teammate a very valuable lesson this week -- GET LOW OR GET RAN OVER!!!

The best part -- the lesson was all caught on video at Chicago Blitz mini-camp!!!

Check out the footage from one of the reps of the violent Oklahoma-style drill ... Robinson read her block, met her teammate in the hole, and then lowered a shoulder that would make Earl Campbell proud!!

Don't worry, her teammate appeared to be fine ... but watch her coach's celebration of the hit afterward!!

Sidney Lewis, the guy in charge of leading the Blitz in the X League's inaugural season this year, was so pumped, he tripped, but casually somersaulted his way out of the fall!

FYI -- the X League, which has tapped Mike Ditka to be its chairman, begins on June 12 ... and it's promising to be one of the best women's tackle football leagues in the U.S.

Meyers Leonard is wasting no time making good on his vow to educate himself about the Jewish community in the wake of his anti-Semitic incident ... TMZ Sports has learned the NBA player has already been in contact with multiple Jewish organizations and Jewish leaders.

We've spoken with multiple people connected to Leonard and reps from several high-profile Jewish orgs. and everyone is essentially saying the same thing ... nobody wants Leonard to be "canceled," they want to help him learn and grow from this experience.

As we previously reported, Leonard was live-streaming during a 'Call of Duty' video game sesh on Monday and used the anti-semitic K-word to insult an opponent. Video of the incident surfaced on Tuesday and things escalated quickly.

Leonard issued an apology saying he was "deeply sorry" -- and insisting he was "committed to properly seeking out people who can help educate me about this type of hate and how we can fight it."

We've learned the people who have since been in contact with Leonard are leaders in different parts of the Jewish community from rabbis to Holocaust survivors ... even NFL star Julian Edelman, who publicly reached out to Leonard on social media and invited him to a Shabbat dinner.

The impression Leonard is leaving on people so far is that he is genuinely sorry and is committed to doing the work to educate himself about why the K-word is offensive and dangerous.

... and yeah, we're told Leonard is seriously considering taking Edelman up on his Shabbat dinner offer.

One important point ... all of the people we've spoken with are telling us the focus is on getting results, not publicity, which is why we're not naming the orgs. he's been in contact with.

Dana White is CONVINCED Jake Paul is gonna get his ass whooped when he steps in the ring to fight Ben Askren ... and he's willing to put his money where his mouth is!

“I hope you can bet on this thing because I will bet ONE MILLION DOLLARS that he loses this f**king fight," White said on the "Hotboxin' with Mike Tyson" Podcast.

"I bet a million dollars that he loses this fight!"

White just simply ain't convinced Jake has what it takes to beat an accomplished professional fighter like Ben Askren ... who's 19-2 as an MMA fighter.

Askren's strength is his wrestling -- not his striking -- but White doesn't think it matters ... he's predicting a massacre when they finally clash on April 17.

"Let’s be honest, Jake Paul isn’t a f**king boxer. This guy is a fucking YouTube kid," White added.

Paul is 2-0 in his boxing career with a violent KO over ex-NBA star Nate Robinson ... and he's been training with ex-boxing star Zab Judah, who defended Jake on the podcast.

"Dana I watched him, he’s been working hard, Dana. I have seen him put it together," Zab said.

Judah added ... "He’s got hands. I am not joking.”

The clip went viral almost immediately and ended up in front of Jake who was VERY amused and is now challenging White to INCREASE the bet to $2 MILLION!!!

"Dana let’s double the bet up! $2 Million," Jake said.

"We wire the money into escrow. $4 million total. Winner takes all. My team will be in touch to make a contract."

Meyers Leonard is getting an olive branch from at least some in the Jewish community -- a group called "Jew in the City" wants to work with the Heat player, instead of canceling him.

We got "Jew in the City" founder Allison Josephs in NYC Wednesday during a protest in front of NBC, which we'll get to in a moment -- but right off the bat, we asked her about Leonard's anti-Semitic slur incident.

Allison's actually pretty merciful, saying the guy should get a second chance, as long as he's willing to learn what the epithet he used really means to Jews ... and to learn more about Jewish people, in general.

She suggests Meyers actually meet with some Jewish folks. As we reported, Patriots star Julian Edelman's already reached out to him, and Allison believes that's the right approach in these situations.

Speaking of educating the masses ... the group was demonstrating at 30 Rock as part of its campaign to correct inaccurate depictions of Orthodox Jews on NBC shows like "Nurses" and 'Law & Order: SVU.'

You might've heard about the "Nurses" fiasco recently -- which forced NBC to yank the episode in question entirely after it was accused of rehashing anti-Semitic tropes. Welp, Allison says that's nothing new, and points to a Season 9 SVU episode that's just as cringeworthy.

"You know I contracted COVID a little over a week ago ... and uh, s**t ain't been going f**king good for me."

That's UFC rising star Jamahal Hill explaining why his main event fight against Paul Craig has been postponed -- detailing a bloody bout with COVID-19.

The 29-year-old undefeated fighter (8-0) is coming off a big victory over Ovince Saint Preux and was slated to headline the big UFC on ESPN card on March 20 against the #14 ranked light heavyweight Paul Craig (14-4-1).

But, Hill revealed he was recently diagnosed with coronavirus -- and it's taking a heavy toll on his body.

"I started out with a fever and I've been dealing with all types of symptoms ever since then," Hill said in an emotional video posted Wednesday ... "Chest tightness, chest congestion, my breathing is off."

"Even as recent as yesterday, I was coughing ... I coughed up blood. I coughed up, spit some mucus out and it was blood inside of it."

Despite his condition,  Hill sounded off on Craig for the way he broke the news to his fans on social media ... when Craig said, "Fight has been cancelled due to Hill pulling out."

Hill felt Craig's description made it seem like he had a choice -- when in fact, the decision was out of his hands the moment he tested positive for the virus.

"It's my health," Hill said in his video ... "My health is in question. That's gonna get my undivided attention. That's my work. That's my job. My job is to make sure my body is okay and my body is good and able to perform and do what it does."

"So for Paul Craig to even sit up and say I pulled out and even make it seem like that like its any type of fear in my heart. That's disrespectful as f**k to me and you gonna feel that s**t. Real talk."

Broadcasting legend Joe Tait -- voice of the Cleveland Cavaliers for 39 seasons -- has died after battles with kidney failure and liver cancer. He was 83 years old.

Tait joined the Cavs radio team for the inaugural season in 1970 ... and stayed on the mic nearly every year until his retirement in 2011.

Tait was known for his signature calls over the years -- including the Miracle in Richfield in 1976, when the Cavs won their first playoff series.

He was also known for his classic opener and sign-off -- "It's basketball time at ..." and "This is Joe Tait. Have a good night, everybody!"

Tait was recognized by the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame in 2010, when he received the Curt Gowdy Media Award ... which is given to outstanding writers and broadcasters.

Cleveland also honored Tait with a commemorative banner at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse prior to his departure from the team ... which hangs in the rafters alongside the retired jerseys.

The Cavs released a statement Wednesday afternoon ... saying, "The Cleveland Cavaliers mourn the passing of one of our beloved founding fathers and the original, long-time voice of the franchise – Joe Tait."

"A friend and mentor to many over the years, Joe Tait wasn’t just a member of the Cavaliers family; he was a part of the Cavs story like no one else and his voice and unique, candid perspective reverberates throughout the team’s history. He will be dearly missed."

Tait spoke about his life in an interview published just days ago ... saying, "I’m not afraid to die," he told The Plain Dealer.

"I do wonder what happens after you die. If anything does. I’m curious to find out. I do know I’ve had a good life. Lots of people have been great to me."

RIP.

Dak Prescott says he's healthy and ready to ball out for the Dallas Cowboys in 2021 ... and thanked Alex Smith for giving him hope after suffering his gruesome ankle injury.

The 27-year-old QB was all smiles at his big contract signing event with Jerry Jones on Wednesday -- and for good reason, he just signed a 4-year deal worth up to $164 million!!!

But, the big question on everyone's mind ... will Dak be 100% when he takes the field in September after that horrific compound fracture and dislocation of his right ankle he suffered during the 2020 season???

The short answer ... Dak says he'll be good to go!

"I thought about jogging out here, jumping up on the stage," Dak joked ... "I don't know if y'all ready for that but I'm healthy."

Dak wouldn't say if he's 100% recovered at this point -- but noted, "I'll be ready when it matters."

That's when Dak acknowledged the role Alex Smith played in his recovery -- saying the QB provided hope and inspiration as he worked his way back.

"I have to thank, honestly, Alex Smith because at that moment when you're sitting there with an injury like that or you come out of surgery, to see somebody who's already done it and did it actually in worse circumstances ... that allowed my mind to go straight to, 'Hey I can do this. I'm gonna beat this! It's just a matter of time.'"

Smith's story is well documented -- he also suffered a nasty compound fracture during the 2018 season and the injury was so bad, doctors came very close to amputating his right leg above the knee.

But, after 17 surgeries and hundreds of hours of rehab, Alex returned to the field in 2020 ... and was named the NFL's Comeback Player of the Year after an impressive season with the Washington Football Team.

As for Dak, he's setting big goals for himself -- telling media the plan is to win a Super Bowl so they can get have that long-awaited parade in Dallas.

New York Yankees pitcher Zack Britton says he was ROCKED by COVID-19 ... revealing he lost 18 pounds in 10 days while battling the virus ... and he's still not fully recovered.

The 33-year-old southpaw says he contracted the coronavirus back in January ... and went into detail with reporters about his experience on Wednesday.

"I was surprised," Britton said. "I think I got it at the hospital when we were having our kid, so it was even worse."

"I was not expecting to be hit that hard by COVID. It wiped me out pretty good."

"The weight loss was surprising and just the after-effects I've been dealing with showed me how serious this can be, even for somebody that's healthy and how that can impact you months even after you've gotten over the roughest symptoms."

FYI -- Britton is 6'1" and reportedly usually weighs around 200 pounds ... in other words, he's in pretty good shape.

"It just wiped me out pretty good for about 10 days," Britton said. "Lost about 18 pounds, which could be good, I guess? But, I wasn't looking to lose 18 pounds and it happened quickly, so that's not good on your body and puts pressure in a lot of places."

Britton says the virus prevented him from throwing for about 3 to 4 weeks during the offseason ... but he's finally starting to feel like himself again.

But, COVID isn't the only health issue Britton's dealing with -- the 2-time All-Star is set to undergo surgery to remove a bone chip in his left elbow ... and is expected to miss several months of the season.

Rory McIlroy -- one of Tiger Woods' best friends on the PGA Tour -- says Tiger is "doing better" after his horrific car crash ... and could be discharged from the hospital in the next week or so.

McIlroy made the revelation on "The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon" on Tuesday ... saying he's spoken with Tiger since the 45-year-old was seriously injured in a rollover crash on Feb. 23 -- and is getting positive news from the golf legend.

"He's doing better," Rory told Fallon ... "Hopefully if things go well over the next week or so he might be able to get home and start recovery at home."

It'd be great news for Woods ... Tiger's right leg was severely broken in the accident -- requiring multiple procedures to fix the issues since.

McIlroy, though, said Woods has been in good spirits during his recovery ... even sending Rory encouragement -- and even some friendly trash talk -- over his performance at this past weekend's Arnold Palmer Invitational in Florida.

"Even from the hospital bed," McIlroy said with a smile, "he's still giving me some heat."

Tiger has not spoken publicly since Feb. 28 -- when he thanked the pro golfers, including McIlory, who paid homage to him by wearing red and black during their rounds.

NFL star Malcolm Butler -- the hero of Super Bowl XLIX -- says he's not ready to call it a career after being released by the Tennessee Titans.

The 31-year-old cornerback had signed with the Titans in 2018 following a weird, mysterious breakup with the New England Patriots. Butler ultimately inked a 5-year, $61 million contract with $30 mil in guaranteed money.

But, on Tuesday, the Titans informed Butler they would be moving on without him ... and Malcolm handled the move with class, thanking the organization and making it clear he intends to continue his NFL career elsewhere.

"I want to thank the Tennessee Titans, Ms. Adams, John Robinson, Coach Vrabel & the Coaching staff for giving me an opportunity after I left the New England Patriots in free agency in 2018."

"I also want to thank the Tennessee Titan fans who supported me from the beginning, and through my return from my injury last year to have my best season as a Titan this year."

As Butler points out, he led the Titans in interceptions and pass break-ups in 2020.

"I still feel I have a lot of gas left in the tank, and look forward to helping another team make it to the Super Bowl," Butler added.

"After going to 3 Super Bowls in my first 4 years in the league I know what it's like to play at a high level and help a team win it all."

"I will continue to give 100% on and off the field wherever I play next year."

Butler became an overnight celebrity when he intercepted Russell Wilson in the final seconds of Super Bowl 49 back in 2015 ... sealing the victory for the Patriots.

Tom Brady was named MVP of the game -- but everyone knows that specific play was the difference-maker.

Butler's relationship with the Pats seemed to sour at the end of the 2017 season when Bill Belichick chose to bench Malcolm for Super Bowl LII in January 2018 for unspecified issues.

Cleveland Browns WR Ryan Switzer says his 9-month-old son was discharged from the hospital Tuesday night following a major health emergency which required 3 blood transfusions and a major surgery.

Switzer says his baby boy, Christian, was initially hospitalized on March 6 after he "woke up in his blood."

To make matters worse, Christian also tested positive for COVID.

A team of doctors (which included a pediatric gastroenterologist) feverishly searched for the source of Christian's bleeding -- and ultimately decided to perform emergency surgery on March 7.

During the procedure, doctors found "several sites of bleeding" -- but couldn't identify the specific issue at the root of the situation.

Unfortunately, Christian continued to experience bleeding episodes after the surgery -- and his parents asked the public to "pray for our baby."

Christian lost so much blood during the ordeal, he required 3 infusions to stabilize his hemoglobin levels.

But, things finally took a turn for the better on March 8 -- "There were no more bleeding spells overnight and all of [Christian's] labs remained normal," Ryan said.

Finally, on March 9 ... doctors concluded Christian was stable enough to continue his recovery at home and he was formally discharged from the hospital!!!

Many questions about Christian's condition remain -- but it seems he's trending in the right direction and on Wednesday morning, Ryan shared a video showing his son smiling and happy at the family home.

"We didn’t get any clear answers on why what happened, happened but, to see him sleep through the night with no bleeding and wake up in a playful mood this morning means our prayers are being answered."

Jewish NFL star Julian Edelman says the anti-Semitic slur uttered by Meyers Leonard is the result of "casual ignorance" ... and he's offering to educate the NBA player on Jewish history so he doesn't make the same mistake twice.

Edelman says he's never met Leonard before -- but he's clearly caught up on the scandal surrounding the Miami Heat player, who used the anti-Semitic K-word to attack an opponent during a video game live stream this week.

Leonard later issued an apology -- claiming he was not aware of the hateful history of the word and vowed to educate himself about it.

"I'm sure you've been getting lots of criticism for what you said," Edelman said in an open letter to Leonard ... "Not trying to add to that, I just want to offer some perspective."

"I get the sense that you didn't use that word out of hate, more out of ignorance. Most likely, you weren't trying to hurt anyone or even profile Jews in your comment. That's what makes it so destructive."

Edelman continued, "When someone intends to be hateful, it's usually met with great resistance. Casual ignorance is harder to combat and has greater reach, especially when you command great influence."

"Hate is like a virus. Even accidentally, it can rapidly spread."

Edelman ended his letter with an offer to Leonard -- "I'm down in Miami fairly often. Let's do a Shabbat dinner with some friends I'll show you a fun time."

Melvin Gordon pleaded guilty to a reckless driving charge Wednesday -- stemming from a DUI arrest back in October, TMZ Sports has confirmed.

The 27-year-old running back was initially arrested for drunk driving and speeding during an Oct. 13 incident in Denver.

But prosecutors have formally dropped the two DUI charges against Gordon, who ultimately pled guilty to a lesser charge of reckless driving.

A rep for Gordon tells TMZ Sports the DUI charges were dropped due to "a lack of evidence."

A Denver County court official tells us Gordon appeared before a judge via a video conference call on Wednesday to close out the case.

Per the official, Gordon agreed to pay a $478.50 fine and to complete 12 hours of community service.

The Denver Broncos running back was facing jail time after investigators had initially said he was driving drunk and speeding late at night on Oct. 13, 2020.

In police documents, cops claimed Gordon was clocked doing 71 MPH in a 35 MPH zone ... and reeked of booze during ensuing questioning.

Cops also said Melvin had slurred speech, watery eyes and trouble maintaining his balance.

Here's Ben Simmons' best assist of the season so far ...

The Philadelphia 76ers star gifted his brother a brand new Audi for his birthday Tuesday ... and the pass off was so sweet, it brought big bro to tears!!!

Simmons recorded the whole thing on Instagram Live ... surprising his brother, Sean, in front of around 10,000 people who were watching on the live stream.

The video is super adorable ... Simmons walked toward his garage and told Sean, his older half-brother, "I got to show you something."

He then flipped around the camera -- and BOOM, brand-new Audi SUV!!!

"So, that's your car!" Ben told Sean. "I got you a car! It's yours, man! It's all yours, man!"

Sean was in complete shock ... and started laughing -- but a short time later, the tears started flowing!!!

"Why would you go and do something like that?!" Sean said, before thanking Ben over and over again.

The cutest part of the vid? Ben said he considered buying Sean a two-door, but got the bigger version to be "baby-friendly."

Simmons then joked about Sean's tears of joy ... screaming, "He's crying on the live!"

As for why Ben didn't hand-deliver the car himself -- the NBA point guard is currently under quarantine after he and teammate Joel Embiid reportedly came into close contact recently with someone who was COVID-19 positive.

Don't worry, Ben appears to be all good -- he's reportedly producing negative test results -- and could be back in time for Sunday's game against the San Antonio Spurs.

If you ditched the Tuesday lecture at Florida International University ... YOU MISSED DAVID BECKHAM!!!

The international soccer superstar dropped in as a special guest lecturer at the Chaplin School of Hospitality & Tourism Management ... and offered up his recipe for success to the students. And, the video is awesome!

The class -- "The David Grutman Experience" -- is led by hospitality guru David Grutman ... where students learn directly from the hospitality icon himself about "how to succeed in a competitive, constantly changing marketplace."

A big part of the course is teaching students about how to build and sustain a successful brand -- and since David Beckham is doing just that as the co-owner of the new Inter Miami CF pro soccer team, Grutman called him in to share his knowledge.

The 45-year-old talked about the importance of hard work and dedication to one's craft -- but also focused on surrounding yourself with a solid team.

"I try to work harder than everyone else," Beckham told the students ... "But, I also surround myself with great people that also are hard workers."

Beckham also spoke about the importance of giving back to the community and working with young kids.

After the lecture, Beckham said he hoped he inspired some of the students ... especially those who braved the cold 70-degree weather (gotta love Miami!).

Oh, one more thing about the class ... NO BOOKS REQUIRED!

The class outline on the official school website says, "This experiential course will take students from the classroom to Grutman’s clubs and restaurants. No books will be required, but students will need to research topics discussed."

Jordan Spieth -- one of the best golfers on the planet -- paused his practice round Tuesday to hear a speech about him from a child fan ... and the adorable scene was all caught on video!!

Spieth had been working his way around the TPC Sawgrass course in Florida in preparation for this week's PGA Tour event ... when out of nowhere, a little kid caught the 27-year-old's attention.

"Hey, Jordan!" the child yelled. "I'm doing a report on you at school, do you want to hear my speech?"

Jordan -- one of the sweetest guys on Tour -- obliged ... and then the kid delivered greatness!!

For around a minute, the child recited fact after fact about Jordan ... missing no details and not stumbling a single time -- and Jordan LOVED IT!!!

When the kid finished, everyone clapped ... and Spieth hooked him up with a signed ball and a glove!!

Unclear what the kid scored on his class project ... but we're guessing an A was given.

Because, come on, did you see the Masters outfit he wore for the classroom address???