TMZ Sports - Page 41

Robert Kraft ain't bitter Tom Brady won a Super Bowl while his Patriots sucked this season ... in fact, he's HAPPY for his former QB ... saying TB12 deserved to win it all in 2021.

Of course, both sides took the high road following their breakup ... with Kraft publicly rooting for Brady in SBLV against the Kansas City Chiefs last month.

Now that some time has passed, New England's owner was asked what he REALLY thought of Brady winning ring #7 as his Pats went 7-9 and missed the playoffs ... and Kraft remains adamant there's no bad blood.

"Well, I was really happy for him," Kraft told Sports Illustrated. "He’s a great guy and he gave us 20 wonderful years, and he made the choice to do what he wanted to do."

Kraft admits he "wasn't that happy" to watch his superstar of 20 years walk out the door ... but understands that's what happens in the industry.

Since the Pats basically had ZERO chance of winning the SB in their first season sans TB12, Kraft explains he had to root for the guy.

"... If we’re not going to win, and someone’s got to do it, I’m happy for him. He deserves it."

"I’m not normally that polite," he joked.

The Pats have been busy in free agency in hopes of returning to the playoffs -- they're shelling out $130 MILLION in guaranteed money to 8 new signings -- and Kraft makes it clear last season's struggles can't happen again.

"We gotta win," he added. "And I think we’re in a better position than we were two weeks ago to do that. But we’ll let things play out."

"Childish ... They know they messed up."

Deion Sanders was PISSED after his opponent trolled him after beating his Jackson St. football squad over the weekend ... slamming Alabama St. officials in a scorched earth rant.

The Pro Football Hall of Famer -- who took over JSU's football program just a few months ago -- suffered his first loss of the season on Saturday in a 35-28 nail-biter.

And, after the game, ASU decided to jab at Prime over the L ... posting a throwback photo of the NFL legend on its scoreboard.

Turns out ... Deion did NOT find it funny at all -- and ripped his opponent for the move.

"We’ve got to keep it on the field and make it about the kids, make it about the fans," Deion said. "It’s not about me.”

Deion had Jackson State at 3-0 heading into Saturday's game ... and nearly pulled off the comeback win over ASU -- but the storyline afterward was clearly his postgame disdain for the Hornets.

Prime was not only upset over the scoreboard bit ... he also said ASU refused to sell tickets to his JSU fan base. The 53-year-old added ASU officials did not let his team into its locker room until just a few hours before the game's kickoff as well.

"I’m going to call them out on it,” Sanders said.

For ASU's part, its head coach, Donald Hill-Eley, said after the game he had no say in the scoreboard trolling ... explaining, "I'm only in charge of the guys with the helmets."

It's good to be Michael B. Jordan!

Not only did the "Black Panther" star sit courtside when the Washington Wizards took on the Brooklyn Nets on Sunday ... but Russell Westbrook also gave him the jersey off his back!!

... and turns out, Russ has an 8-pack!

Brody's Wizards didn't get the win -- but they played well ... cutting a 14-point Nets lead down to 1 with just 3 minutes to go in the game.

Ultimately, the Nets emerged victorious in a 113 to 106 win -- thanks to 28 points from Kyrie Irving and 26 from James Harden.

Westbrook racked up 29 points, 13 rebounds and 13 assists -- and after the final buzzer ... he walked over to a masked-up Michael B. Jordan, dapped him up and gave him his jersey.

Russ also signed a personal message for the actor -- pretty cool moment.

Of course, Michael B. Jordan is also in pretty insane shape -- famously transforming his body for his roles in "Creed" and "Black Panther."

Terrible news for LaMelo Ball ... the 19-year-old broke his wrist over the weekend which will most likely end his 2020-21 NBA season.

The Charlotte Hornets star rookie -- the #3 overall pick in this year's NBA Draft -- suffered the injury Saturday night while trying to make a spectacular shot against the L.A. Clippers at Staples Center.

Ball landed on his right wrist -- and appeared to be in pain immediately.

Ball clutched his wrist before getting it checked out by a team doc -- and now, ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski says the injury will almost certainly end Melo's sensational rookie campaign.

The Hornets announced an MRI confirmed Melo has a fracture in his right wrist. No official word on how long he'll be out.

But, Woj -- citing sources -- says it's just a matter of time before he's formally shelved for the season.

Woj notes the injury specifically affects "the area of the thumb on his shooting hand" ... and Ball will be following up with Dr. Michelle G. Carlson at the Hospital for Special Surgery in NY to confirm he needs to undergo a procedure.

Melo has been killing it this season -- averaging 15.9 points per game -- along with 6.1 assists and 5.9 rebounds.

He was the frontrunner to win the NBA's Rookie of the Year Award ... we'll see if the voters feel he's done enough in his shortened season to give it to him despite the injury. Seems like a lock at this point.

Shaun Weiss will not be minding the net in the upcoming 'Mighty Ducks' reboot ... but he's still hoping to reprise his role as Goldberg the goalie later on down the line.

Sources close to the OG 'Mighty Ducks' star tell TMZ ... Disney never officially reached out to Shaun about including him in the TV series reboot, even though he heard some rumblings from other actors that director Steven Brill had plans to bring him back.

Ultimately, Shaun never got the call ... and our sources say he doubted he'd be welcomed into the fold anyway, due to his criminal history.

As we've told you ... Shaun has struggled with drug addiction and was dealing with a slew of life-threatening issues, living on the streets at one point and being arrested for meth and burglary -- but he's since cleaned up his act and recently celebrated 1 year of sobriety.

Shooting has already wrapped on the 10-episode TV series, and it was recently revealed most of the stars of the original 'Mighty Ducks' returned for a reunion episode.

We're told Shaun is holding out hope Disney will eventually reach out if the show gets picked up for another season. Fact is, Shaun's character was one of the most popular in the OG movies.

Our sources say Shaun got really emotional when he saw the trailer for the new 'Mighty Ducks' series. We're told it gave him goosebumps and he thought it looked amazing.

Dez Bryant says he's still devastated by the death of ex-NFL star Vincent Jackson -- and wants to do everything in his power to save other NFL players from suffering the same fate.

So, how can Dez help?

The 32-year-old wide receiver tells TMZ Sports he has a plan to become a mentor/life coach for struggling athletes ... with a focus on tending to their mental health.

"Depression and anxiety, all that s**t is real, man," Bryant told us during a recent outing in L.A.

"Look at Vincent Jackson and God rest his soul. Look at some of our brothers we've lost. These young brothers [are] in their early 30s, 40s ... it don't make sense."

Jackson -- a 3-time Pro Bowl WR who played 12 seasons in the NFL -- died alone last month in a hotel room at the Homewood Suites in Brandon, FL.

Hillsborough County Sheriff Chad Chronister said Jackson likely died from issues connected to "chronic alcoholism."

Eric LeGrand is ready to be an inspiration for Shawn Bradley ... the former Rutgers football player tells TMZ Sports he'd love to talk with the NBA legend and let him know life is NOT over despite his new condition.

LeGrand -- who overcame a tragic football injury in 2010 to become one of the most inspiring men on the planet -- says he wants to make it clear to Bradley that the guy can still make a difference even after he was paralyzed in a January bicycle accident.

"People think when spinal cord injuries happen, that life is just over," LeGrand says.

"And, in the beginning, when you go through an adjustment period, you're going to have those moments and it's understandable."

But, Eric says he's willing to help the 48-year-old get through that time ... and learn he can still be as successful at life as he was before the injury.

"As time starts to go on, you start to realize, 'OK, this is my new life,'" LeGrand says, "'this is my adjustments to it, I can still make a difference.' And, that's why I want to offer whatever I can offer."

During this initial period of shock over the injury, though, LeGrand says he has all the empathy in the world for the former Dallas Mavericks superstar.

"My thoughts and prayers definitely go to him and his family and I truly do mean that," LeGrand says. "Because when you suffer something like this, it's life-altering and it flips and turns your life upside down."

Aaron Carter beat Shaq, but could be in big trouble when he boxes Lamar Odom ... 'cause the ex-NBA star sent his opponent to the canvas in a recent sparring sesh, and TMZ Sports has the vid!!!

As we previously reported, AC and LO are training non-stop for their Celebrity Boxing fight on June 12 in Atlantic City ... proving they're serious as hell about the bout.

We're told Odom has been hittin' the mitts with Barry Young at Decatur Boxing in ATL this week ... and it's obvious Lamar's putting in the work -- he even knocked the guy down at one point!!

Remember, we obtained a vid last week of Carter going HAM in the gym ... working with MMA fighter Jesse Strader.

Now, we'll keep it a buck -- these guys aren't gonna be Tyson Fury overnight ... but it's obvious they've got a passion for kickin' ass, and it looks like they'll be ready to go at it come June.

Both guys have guaranteed a victory ... but only one will come away with the dub.

Hidden within this cheeky pic is a professional basketball player who has a lot to learn about the Nets.

This Oklahoma City native entered the NBA draft in 2009 following his sophomore year in college and later has been spotted rocking jerseys for the Detroit Piston and the Los Angeles Clippers.

His life off the court consists of spending time with his two kids and hosting a new reality show on TruTV.

A Chicago Cubs prospect in their farm system got busted with a boatload of drugs -- so say police out of Colorado, who claim he was riding with a stash that would make Tony Montana blush.

25-year-old Jesus Camargo-Corrales was reportedly arrested this past week near Vail, where a sheriff's deputy says he saw Camargo's car speeding and changing lanes erratically. After pulling him over, Camargo and his 2 passengers said they were driving to Denver from Phoenix. They then gave conflicting stories on where they were going -- police then searched the vehicle.

A K-9 unit is said to have been brought in ... and cops say it sniffed something in the trunk. Cops say they discovered a Cubs duffel bag, which they claim contained 21 pounds of methamphetamine and 1.2 pounds of oxycodone pills ... plus other paraphernalia.

An arrest affidavit claims that, at first, Camargo tried playing dumb ... but then later allegedly admitted he'd been contacted by someone in Sinaloa, Mexico to deliver this bag to Denver -- and copped to the fact that he knew there might've been drugs inside, per law enforcement.

As for what his alleged payoff was going to be -- according to Camargo, per police -- for this run ... just a measly $500!!!

He was arrested and booked on drug charges, including unlawful distribution and possession of methamphetamine and oxycodone -- class 1 and class 4 felonies, respectively. Camargo is reportedly still in custody as of Saturday. Unclear if he's been arraigned on the charges yet.

The Tiger Woods crash investigation has unearthed some troubling evidence ... because law enforcement sources tell us they believe Tiger never hit the brakes as he careened off the road and there's no evidence he took his foot off the gas either.

The investigation has been going full steam since the accident nearly a month ago. The Sheriff's Dept. has been looking at the SUV, the crash site and many other pieces of evidence. They are also retrieving data from the SUV's black box. So far, we're told investigators believe Tiger did nothing to prevent the crash once he lost control of the vehicle.

Sources with direct knowledge say investigators have looked at various videos ... from the hotel where he started the ill-fated drive to various surveillance cameras along the way.

We're told before Tiger got to the scene of the crash he had been driving "normal" and not speeding, but the evidence indicates he accelerated and was speeding when he lost control.

As we reported, the Sheriff's Dept. says Tiger told one of the first responders he had no recollection of the accident.

This all leads to the question -- Could Tiger have lost consciousness just before the crash?

The Sheriff said almost immediately after the crash there was no evidence of impaired driving and there was no evidence of alcohol. That said, the Sheriff never attempted to get a warrant to draw blood in order to test for medications.

Tiger was recovering from back surgery at the time of the crash, and had been hosting a golf tournament -- he couldn't play because of his back.

The NCAA delivered on filling in the women's weight room ahead of the start of the big tournament in San Antonio -- but even this isn't quite enough by comparison to the men.

The "upgraded" weight room was revealed Saturday on ESPN's College GameDay show, where correspondent Holly Rowe showed off the new digs. Yes, there are more weights and equipment scattered about ... but it still feels pretty hollow compared to Indianapolis.

Here's another weird thing ... Rowe goes out of her way to point out that the area that Ducks forward Sedona Prince filmed in her now-viral video isn't technically meant to house weights or be a training room, per se -- but rather, a place for players to confer and "loosen up."

Rowe says she'd been told the carpeted space Prince panned across is actually the compliment area to the practice court -- and yet, even that has been littered with more dumbbells, racks and row machines ... albeit sparingly. Rowe then showed off what she described as the actual weight room -- implying that Prince mighta been misinformed.

She says the space Prince was in was always meant to be a complement space next to the court, despite the fact there was a meager set of dumbbells in the middle of the floor to begin with. Weird way to spin it.

The "real" weigh room, as it's now being described, looks super slapped together and about as makeshift as can be -- and doesn't seem much different than where Prince filmed. All these rooms look like conference rooms, so who the hell knows. That said, there is a bit more equipment here ... but again, it's not nearly as robust as the men's facility at all.

It's interesting ... Rowe seems to be saying the actual weight room she's showing off was there all along, but she does say the NCAA upgraded that space too. So the question then becomes ... what's the truth??? In our eyes, it seems the weight room(s) -- whether it was the one Prince thought she was in or the one Rowe's showing now -- both sucked.

The NCAA admitted as much, saying they did, indeed, fall short in providing equitable equipment/space to the men's and women's teams ... and that they'd try to fix it ASAP.

This appears to be a quick Band-Aid fix -- unclear if they plan to bring in even more stuff as the tournament kicks off Sunday. Either way ... this was a complete blunder on the org's part.

Deshaun Watson insists the only reason he contacted massage therapists over social media is because his usual masseuse couldn't work on him due to the COVID pandemic.

Multiple sources connected to Watson tell us ... the NFL superstar is still adamant he did NOT sexually assault any of the women making claims against him.

He's obviously been following the story ... but strongly disputes the claims made by attorney Tony Buzbee, who claims to be talking with 22 women who say they were violated by Watson.

Most of the women who have filed lawsuits claim Watson first contacted them on Instagram to set up a massage -- which they found surprising considering Watson is a pro athlete who should have tons of resources at his disposal to find established therapists.

But, our sources tell us ... Watson didn't just find these women out of the blue -- insisting when his usual therapist was stopped by the COVID pandemic, he reached out to various friends, teammates and associates to get recommendations.

We're told once Watson made contact ... he put an emphasis on privacy and spelled out the areas he wanted the massage to make sure the masseuse was comfortable and to ensure things stayed professional.

Our sources tell us ... Watson insists he never crossed the line with any of the women and still strongly believes they're being led by a money-hungry attorney who's looking for a payout.

There's more ... Deshaun -- who signed a 4-year, $156 million contract extension in 2020 -- obviously has the means to pay the women off if he wanted to, but he doesn't want to give them a cent because he's adamant he didn't do anything wrong.

Of course, Buzbee said during a news conference on Friday that he has personally vetted all of the accusers he represents ... and insists he's moving forward with their cases to hold Watson accountable, not to squeeze him for money.

More quarterback drama for the Seattle Seahawks ...

The guy who backs up Russell Wilson is being investigated by police for allegedly punching a man in the face at a bar on St. Patrick's Day ... TMZ Sports has learned.

25-year-old Alex McGough -- a 7th round pick in 2018 out of FIU -- was allegedly at the Green Parrot Pub in Tampa, FL when an altercation broke out ... and things got violent.

TMZ Sports spoke with the alleged victim, 24-year-old Anthony Albino -- who tells us he was reconnecting with an old friend at the bar when McGough approached him and accused him of shooting his shot at his girlfriend.

Anthony says the NFL player got heated -- and all of the sudden, McGough socked him in the face out of nowhere.

In video taken after the alleged incident -- and obtained by TMZ Sports -- you can see Anthony with red marks on his face ... surrounded by bloody paper towels he used to clean himself up.

Anthony says he suffered minor injuries from the incident ... including a bloody nose and a gash to his elbow.

We're told Anthony went to cops the following day and filled out a report with the intention of pressing charges.

So far, McGough has neither been arrested nor charged with a crime -- but our law enforcement sources confirm the incident is under investigation and officers are hoping to speak with McGough soon

We've reached out to McGough's camp for comment ... so far, no word back.

The Seahawks signed McGough to its practice squad back in December 2020 -- and he's currently listed as the #2 quarterback on the team depth chart.

Brian Ortega says he might not be fighting for the title if not for the beating he took from Max Holloway ... 'cause the L opened his eyes to some major holes in his game.

TMZ Sports talked to the 30-year-old fighter -- the #2 ranked UFC featherweight -- days before he'll take on champ Alex Volkanovski at UFC 260 on Saturday ... and we asked if he's changed since his last title shot.

"I feel like I’m finally learning how to fight more, ya know. I feel like before, I was kind of just stuck with my old ways, and if it ain’t broken don’t fix it," T-City told us.

Remember, Ortega lost to Holloway at UFC 231 in December 2018 ... and it was a bloodbath. The Octagon-side doctor stopped the fight in the 4th round ... after Brian ate 290 significant strikes (244 to the head).

T-City -- who broke his nose and thumb in the match -- took nearly 2 years off after the fight. He returned to face the Korean Zombie -- Chan Sung Jung -- in October 2020.

Ortega won by unanimous decision ... and looked AWESOME.

So, did the dominating loss to Holloway actually help Brian?? Absolutely, according to Ortega.

"That was the best thing about it because [losing] showed me that there’s a flaw in your system. So now we have to fix that," Ortega said.

He added ... "The fact that you saw and notice that there is a flaw in the system, and luckily I was able to have a team, a new one, surround me and help me kind of cover all those holes, and guide me now on the right track."

Speaking of Max, the former champ recently told us he's "the cloud over [the Ortega-Volkanovski] fight" ... and Brian actually agrees.

"He's right. Alex wins, he has to fight [Max]. I win, I have to fight [Max]. Us three are a pain in each others’ asses that are going to keep being there."

Erik Spoelstra -- the only Asian-American head coach in the NBA -- ain't buying the notion that the massacre in ATL wasn't racially motivated ... and he's really pissed off about it.

The Miami Heat head coach -- who's of Filipino descent -- sounded off during a media session Friday ... saying the shooting incident which claimed 8 lives is nothing short of "sickening."

"Look, I’m Asian-American, I’m proud to be Asian-American, and seeing what’s happening with another outright form of racism and hatred really is sickening," Spoelstra said ... "It breaks my heart.”

There is some controversy over the suspected motive -- officials say 21-year-old Robert Long has admitted to opening fire at 3 Asian-run spas in the Atlanta area, killing 8 people ... but he told authorities the incident was more about his "sex addiction" than racism.

6 of the 8 victims are Asian -- and leaders in the Asian community are saying the attack was CLEARLY racially motivated.

Add Spoelstra to the list of people not buying what Long is selling.

"You have to see that this is wrong. It’s heartbreaking and this shows you where we are," Spoelstra continued.

"There is hatred abundantly still out there and people feel empowered to attack the Asian community ... and I just pray in my heart that this can stop."

As we previously reported, the L.A. Lakers and the Atlanta Hawks honored the victims with a moment of silence before Thursday night's games.

LeBron James has also spoken out against the shooter -- calling him a "coward ass young man."