TMZ Sports - Page 40

Dabo Swinney is clearly torn up about the sexual misconduct allegations directed at his former Clemson QB Deshaun Watson -- saying he's "disappointed" by the accusations but still supports the guy.

Swinney coached Watson at Clemson for 3 seasons -- from 2014 to 2016 -- and they became pretty close during their time together.

Swinney was asked if he was surprised to see so many women making accusations about Watson ... and when it came time to answer, Dabo kept it real.

"Yeah ... I mean, certainly [I was surprised]," Swinney told reporters during a Monday news conference.

"[I was] disappointed to see his name in the news and all that's going on .. but hey, look, I love Deshaun Watson."

Swinney continued to explain why he's supporting Watson throughout the situation.

"He’s like a son to me. That's how I love him. As far as the legal stuff and all that ... that will take its course. Certainly can't speculate or comment on any of that stuff, but all I can tell you is I've known Deshaun since the 9th grade and he's been nothing but exemplary in every area that I've ever known him in."

He continued, "In the 3 years that he was here as a player, I think I had a chance to yell at him one time. He was 5 minutes late to a team meeting that he overslept for. That's it."

"That's the Deshaun I know. I can only base my thoughts on my experiences with him, which have been wonderful."

"Again, I love him like a son, and we'll just have to see where everything else goes from there."

So far, 14 women have filed lawsuits against Watson -- with attorney Tony Buzbee claiming there are still 10 more women who could also take action.

"I just felt an emptiness in my stomach."

Colorado Buffalos head basketball coach Tad Boyle said coaching just hours after the tragic shooting in his school's Boulder hometown was VERY difficult ... explaining Monday, "It puts basketball in its proper place."

Boyle broke it down for media members after the Buffs lost their NCAA tournament second-round matchup to Florida State ... saying win or lose, the game didn't feel as significant as it should have after the "senseless act of violence" near campus.

"It puts this game in perspective," Boyle said. "It certainly puts losing in perspective."

"But even if we would have won this game and celebrated going to the Sweet 16, it would have put a damper on it. So my heart goes out to the families that were affected and those that lost their lives."

Ten people in total -- including a first-responding police officer -- were shot and killed when a gunman opened fire at a local Boulder, Colo. supermarket Monday afternoon.

Boyle said he didn't discuss the tragedy with his team prior to tip-off... noting he thought it was best to address it afterward.

"We've got to figure out a way to stop this stuff," Boyle said of the shooting. "I don't know the answer, but we've just got to figure out a way."

Colorado's other major sports teams sent condolences to victims in wake of the shooting ... with the Rockies, Broncos and Avalanche all issuing statements.

"Our heart breaks for the lives needlessly lost and our thoughts are with everyone affected by this shooting," the Rockies said, adding the team is "devastated."

The Broncos wrote, "Our hearts go out to the innocent victims, grocery store associates & families of those affected by today's shooting at a King Soopers in Boulder, Colo. We are grateful for the law enforcement & medical professionals who bravely responded to yet another senseless tragedy."

Added the Avalanche, "We are all deeply saddened by the events in Boulder today. Our thoughts and prayers are with all those impacted by this terrible act."

Bad Bunny has another hit on his hands -- meaning, he hit The Miz with a frickin' guitar during "Monday Night Raw!"

Somewhere, the Honky Tonk Man is smiling!

The two have been beefing ever since the Puerto Rican rap star made his wrestling debut at Royal Rumble back in February when Bad Bunny helped eliminate Miz and his partner, Morrison, from the match ... and hit 'em with a frog splash in the process.

There's been a tremendous amount of trash talk ever since ... which continued on Monday night.

After The Miz warned Bad Bunny to stay the hell out of pro wrestling FOREVER ... the music superstar sneaked up from behind and smashed an acoustic guitar right on Miz's back!

That's when Bad Bunny picked up the mic -- called Miz a "bitch" -- and accepted his challenge to square off at WrestleMania!!

Remember, The Miz told TMZ Sports ... if Bunny grew the stones to get in the ring with him, there would be serious consequences.

"He makes a lot of money being a musician," Miz told us back in January ... "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."

THIS IS CRAZY VIDEO!!!

The fighting spilled into the stands at an MMA event in Florida over the weekend -- with punches and chairs thrown everywhere -- and culminated with someone firing a GUN twice!!!

... and TMZ Sports has the unbelievable footage.

Here's the deal ... the Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office is investigating the incident at the RIZE Fighting Championship event which went down on March 20 at the Bamboo Room in Lake Worth Beach.

The event was promoted as a bantamweight championship match between Alexis Fernandez and Filipe Valentim -- but there was more action in the stands than inside the cage ... when fans started to attack each other!!

Unclear how the brawl started ... but as several groups of people engaged in fighting, one man opened up a bag, pulled out a handgun and fired it into the air -- apparently hoping the gunshot would scare everyone into behaving.

But, watch the clip ... there are people watching the fights on the balcony, directly above the shooter -- and it's a miracle no one was hit!

We heard at least one shot -- but cops say at least TWO shots were fired into the air.

Former Bellator middleweight champ Hector Lombard -- who also fought in the UFC -- was in the crowd at the event and captured the shooting on video.

"This guy just shot his handgun in the middle of a melee at an amateur show," Lombard posted on IG ... "Shameful and pathetic cowardly behavior ruined a great night of fights."

When officials arrived on-scene, paramedics treated multiple individuals who were injured in the brawl portion of the incident.

So far, no arrests have been made -- but officials say they've launched an investigation in hopes of identifying the shooter and finding out why the hell he thought it would be a good idea to pop off a couple of rounds with so many people in close proximity!

Boxing superstar Gervonta Davis just got socked with 14 criminal charges stemming from a Nov. 2020 hit-and-run crash that injured FOUR people -- and now he's facing more than 7 YEARS in prison.

The undefeated knockout artist is suspected of being the driver of the 2020 Lamborghini Urus which allegedly blew through a red light and slammed into a Toyota on Nov. 5 ... just days after Gervonta's huge knockout win over Leo Santa Cruz.

Davis -- who turned 26 on Nov. 7 -- was reportedly celebrating his birthday at a nearby nightclub in South Baltimore before the incident.

Now, the Baltimore City State’s Attorney’s Office announced it's moving forward with 14 counts against Davis, including 4 counts of "failure to immediately return and remain at scene of accident involving bodily injury."

He's also facing charges for failure to report an accident, driving on a suspended/revoked license, failure to stop at a red light and more.

If convicted of all charges, Davis faces a potential maximum of 7 YEARS and 55 days in prison.

Prosecutors say they've obtained surveillance footage from a nearby store that shows the Lamborghini "collide directly into the store’s fence and the driver, was allegedly identified by witnesses as Gervonta Davis."

And, what's worse ... officials say witnesses say Davis and his passenger were seen gathering items from the Lambo and moving them to a getaway car that drove them away from the crash scene.

Officials say they have footage that backs that up too!

"The defendant and the unidentified female passenger were captured on camera leaving from the scene in the Camaro," prosecutors say.

State’s Attorney Marilyn Mosby says four people were hospitalized as a result of the crash ... but they're expected to be okay.

"Fortunately, the victims in this case were able to survive this alleged hit and run collision with recoverable injuries despite the potential for a far worst scenario," Mosby said.

"My office will continue to do our part to hold reckless drivers accountable when their harmful actions put innocent lives in jeopardy."

Davis -- who was Floyd Mayweather's protege -- is considered one of the top boxers in the sport at the moment ... racking up an impressive 24-0 record as a pro with victories over guys like Yuriorkis Gamboa and José Pedraza.

But, outside the ring, he's had a ton of legal problems ...

Remember, Davis was arrested back in February 2020 for roughing up his ex-girlfriend at a celebrity basketball game in an incident captured on video.

He was also arrested for assault back in 2017 after allegedly punching a friend. The charge was later dropped.

Bracket busted and need a new one?? President Barack Obama's autographed entry from the 2012 NCAA men's tournament is hitting the auction block ... and it's got a $10,000 starting bid!!

Of course, Obama is a huge fan of hoops ... and loves to share his March Madness picks for all to see -- for better or worse.

This particular bracket is from when #44 teamed up with ESPN's Adam Katz to fill out his "office pool" entry back in 2012 ... and the whole thing was recorded for a segment called "BARACK-ETOLOGY."

Barack shared his picks live on the network ... channeling his inner Dick Vitale and explaining why he thought he had the perfect bracket.

Obama's bracket was filled out on a 63 by 36-inch whiteboard (which has since been framed) -- and after he made his picks, Barack signed it with a pen.

FYI, Obama's bracket was anything but perfect -- he picked North Carolina to win it all. Instead, Anthony Davis and the Kentucky Wildcats took home the title that season.

While BO's autographed bracket was busted, it's clearly a collector's item -- and will now go to the highest bidder courtesy of Goldin Auctions ... with bids starting at $10,000.

But, let's get real ... Obama memorabilia is always in high demand and with the sports collectibles market exploding in recent months, this thing could easily hit the 6-figure mark.

Bidding starts Tuesday ... good luck!!

Court Street turned into a rager for the ages after Ohio upset Virginia in the NCAA tourney ... and now, officials are trying like hell to keep fans from becoming COVID super spreaders if the Bobcats win again on Monday.

Folks in Athens flooded the streets, climbed lamp posts and crowd surfed after Jason Preston and the #13 Bobbies took down the defending champs in the first round on Saturday.

It was an insane sight to see ... and one that had to make Dr. Fauci's skin crawl.

The Athens City-County health department is hoping fans stand up and cheer responsibly if Ohio handles #5 Creighton and reaches the Sweet 16 on Monday ... laying down a list of safety tips to prevent spreading the coronavirus.

Some pointers include staying inside and watching from home, wearing masks and social distancing outside, putting up yard signs to show support, or hosting Zoom watch parties.

In other words, the health dept. is begging fans to do anything but cram together in the streets and breathe on each other without a mask on.

Will it work?? Probably not -- after all, OU used to be the #1 party school in the country -- but ya gotta admire the attempt to keep everyone safe.

Red Sox fans are going to HATE this ...

A group of L.A. Dodgers supporters secured a billboard right next to Fenway Park this week ... trolling the hell out of Boston for trading away superstar outfielder Mookie Betts last season!!

The savage sign was put up just yards away from The Green Monster ... located on the top of a building on Brookline Avenue.

The text? "Dear Boston, THANK YOU FOR MOOKIE BETTS. Sincerely, Dodgers fans and @Pantone294."

Of course, Boston jettisoned Mookie to L.A. just before the 2020 season began ... opting to trade away the former AL MVP instead of signing him to a mega-deal.

Mookie went on to help the Dodgers win the World Series ... while the Sox floundered, finishing in last place in the AL East.

We're sure the Red Sox don't appreciate the reminder ... especially 'cause the team and its fans will have to drive by the sign when they kick off their season at home against the Orioles next week.

Beer isn't just for drinking at Spring Training -- it may also have SAVED A LIFE!!

Check out these incredible photos showing the moment an MLB player smashed a line drive foul ball directly into a fan's beer can during a Spring Training game this weekend -- causing a massive liquid explosion!

It all went down in the 2nd inning of the Angels vs. A's game Saturday at Diablo Stadium in Tempe -- when A's catcher Sean Murphy stepped up to the plate and smacked a laser beam toward 3rd base.

A quick-thinking fan used his beer can as a shield to protect himself and his lady friend from getting hit by the ball -- and photographer Mark Rebilas managed to snap some pics right at the moment of impact!!!

The good news ... the fan and his friend weren't hurt.

The bad news ... those stadium beers are pricey as hell -- and judging by the explosion, it was a pretty full can!

But, more good news ... the Angels did the right thing and sent the fan FOUR MORE BEERS along with an autographed Mike Trout bat.

Bonus points for sending the beers over in a bag of ice to keep 'em cold!

NBA legend Elgin Baylor -- one of the greatest basketball players of all time -- has passed away of natural causes, the Los Angeles Lakers announced Monday. He was 86.

Baylor was selected with the first overall pick to the Minneapolis Lakers in 1958 ... and spent his entire 14-year career with the franchise.

The 6'5" forward won Rookie of the Year in 1959 ... and was named All-Star Game MVP that same year.

Baylor was an 11-time All Star and 10-time First Team All-NBA selection for the Lakers. He was inducted into the Naismith Hall of Fame in 1977 ... and his #22 jersey was retired in 1983.

Baylor was also honored with a statue outside Staples Center in 2018.

Baylor ranks as one of the greatest to ever don the Purple & Gold -- he's ranked 4th in points scored, 1st in total rebounds and 6th in assists.

Baylor went on to coach the New Orleans Jazz from 1974-1979 after his playing days ... and later spent 22 years as GM of the Los Angeles Clippers, earning Executive of the Year honors in 2006.

Elgin's wife, Elaine, released a statement on his passing ... saying, "Elgin was the love of my life and my best friend."

"And like everyone else, I was in awe of his immense courage, dignity and the time he gave to all fans."

Lakers governor Jeanie Buss added ... "Elgin was THE superstar of his era - his many accolades speak to that."

"He was one of the few Lakers players whose career spanned from Minneapolis to Los Angeles. But more importantly he was a man of great integrity, even serving his country as a U.S. Army reservist, often playing for the Lakers only during his weekend pass."

"He will always be part of the Lakers legacy. On behalf of the entire Lakers family, I’d like to send my thoughts, prayers and condolences to Elaine and the Baylor family."

Baylor is survived by his wife, children and sister.

The awkwardness in Detroit is dead ... Michael Brockers says he's smoothed things over with his teammate, Jared Goff, after shading the QB during a chat with TMZ Sports earlier this month.

So, here's the backstory ... back in January, the Rams made a deal to send Goff to the Detroit Lions in exchange for Matthew Stafford.

Brockers -- who was still under contract with the Rams at the time -- told TMZ Sports in early March he LOVED the move because Stafford was a "level up" from Goff and the Rams would be better off.

"Is it a level up?" Brockers asked. “In my heart, deeply, just understanding what [Stafford] brings, it’s a level up [over Goff]. It’s a level up."

But, shortly after Brockers made the comments, the Rams traded HIM to Detroit ... so yeah, AWKWARD, RIGHT!?!

Well, Brockers was asked about the situation during a media session Monday -- and explained he's already spoken to Goff ... and they're good.

"I have so much respect for him and just understanding that, you know, that wasn't any shot against him," Brockers said.

"It was just trying to pump up the Rams fanbase as I was on the Rams team."

He continued, "I didn't know I was going to be dealing with free agency. I was really just trying to boost up the move that I felt like the team was doing."

"Just trying to boost up the fan base. I don't think it was anything against Jared. I even had to go text Jared away from the camera. Just as man-to-man -- I did not mean for it to go like that. I didn't mean what I said."

"As a man, I respect you as a player. You took me to the Super Bowl, it wasn't like that ... I respect every player and every player's ability in this league."

For his part, Goff said Monday he accepted Brockers' explanation ... saying on 97.1 The Ticket that he and MB are "all good" now.

"Brock's obviously one of my good friends and teammates. Obviously, I get it," Goff added.

Losing frickin' sucks ... and if you need any proof, just check out Rockets head coach Stephen Silas ... who had an equally sad and hilarious reaction to Houston's 20th-straight loss on Sunday.

The Rockets have become one of the worst teams in the league over the past 2 months ... and haven't won a game since before Valentine's Day(!!!)

After losing a close 114-112 contest to the OKC Thunder on Sunday, Silas was asked if he thought the weight of the losing streak was building and affecting how the Rockets play.

Visibly frustrated, Silas rubs his forehead and goes completely silent for an awkward 10 seconds to gather his thoughts ... before muttering one subdued, "Yeah."

You have to feel for the guy -- Silas is in his first season as an NBA head coach, and he was placed in an extremely tough situation to succeed.

If you don’t remember, James Harden forced his way out of Houston in January to go play in Brooklyn ... and Russell Westbrook was traded before the season even started.

On top of that, emerging star Christian Wood -- who was dominating so far this season -- missed a month due to an ankle injury.

Ever since Wood went down, the Rockets have been awful ... posting an 11-30 record so far this season.

Former 49ers RB Jarryd Hayne -- who was also a massive international rugby star -- was convicted of sexual assault Monday ... and he's now facing serious time behind bars.

A jury in Sydney, Australia found the 33-year-old guilty of two counts of sexual intercourse without consent ... after a woman had accused Hayne of getting violent with her in bed in Sept. 2018.

The woman claimed Hayne had performed sexual acts on her without her consent ... and caused her serious injuries.

Hayne -- who was ultimately charged with aggravated sexual intercourse without consent as well as two counts of sexual intercourse without consent -- had denied the allegations, insisting it all was consensual and explaining the injuries were caused by accident.

A jury was hung on the charges at a trial last year ... but a second jury convicted Hayne of the two counts of sexual intercourse without consent Monday after an 18-hour deliberation.

The jury found him not guilty of aggravated sexual intercourse without consent.

Hayne -- who will have his sentencing hearing on May 6 -- is now facing up to 14 years in prison.

Jarryd spoke with media members outside of the courthouse after the verdict Monday ... and said he'd appeal the decision, insisting once again he was innocent.

"I'd rather go to jail knowing I spoke the truth than be a free man living a lie," Hayne said ... "It’s unfortunate, it’s disappointing. But at the end of the day, they’ve come to the decision. I respect that."

Hayne is a huge celeb in Australia -- gaining fame for his accomplishments on the rugby pitch.

Welp, sounds like Mike Tyson vs. Evander Holyfield is dead ... Evander's camp says negotiations for a 3rd fight between the boxing legends have fallen apart.

"We thought this was a done deal but it quickly fell apart when Tyson’s people declined all offers,” Kris Lawrence said.

"We were negotiating in good faith all along and it appears we just ended up wasting our time."

As we previously reported, 54-year-old Tyson announced on his podcast last week that he'll be returning to the ring on May 29 in a massive event at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami.

Tyson didn't name his opponent -- but all signs pointed to his old nemesis, 58-year-old Evander Holyfield.

Now, Evander's camp confirms the two sides were in serious talks -- "intense negotiations for several months" -- but the deal ultimately went south.

"Team Holyfield sincerely believed a deal was imminent, especially after the Hard Rock threw its support behind the project, and there were multiple other offers conveyed to Team Tyson," Holyfield's camp said in a statement.

"However, Team Tyson’s demands recently became untenable, and not what Mike Tyson had originally agreed on in direct conversations with Holyfield."

Our sources tell us ... Evander claims he personally spoke with Mike on the phone early on in negotiations and they agreed to a 50/50 split on profit.

But, things changed ... with Evander's camp claiming Team Tyson simply wanted a bigger cut.

Holyfield's team says they tried to make a deal in which Tyson would get a guaranteed $25 mil for the fight -- but Mike turned it down.

Now, it seems both sides are at loggerheads -- and willing to walk away from the deal.

Our sources on the Holyfield side tell us Evander still wants to fight -- if Mike's people will come back to the table with a better offer.

So, there's still hope ... but right now, it's not looking good.

Two more female massage therapists have filed lawsuits against Deshaun Watson ... with one accuser claiming the NFL star was so aggressive with her, she was "scared for her life."

TMZ Sports has obtained the two new suits -- bringing the official number to NINE total against the Houston Texans QB -- and in them, Watson is accused of more disturbing actions against women -- though he's denied ALL of the allegations from all of the accusers and said he's the target of a baseless money grab.

In one of the new lawsuits, a female masseuse -- identified as Jane Doe to protect her identity -- says she was first introduced to Watson in June 2020 after the NFL player had booked her through her manager.

Doe says she showed up to Watson's hotel in the Houston, Texas area to administer the massage ... but claims things quickly went sideways.

In the suit, the woman says a short time into the massage ... Watson became aggressive, and "groped her buttocks and vagina and then pushed her buttocks into his face."

The woman says she then slapped Watson, told him she didn't want that ... and claims the QB then apologized.

Doe says Watson then asked her to clean massage oil off of him because he had to leave for practice ... but she claims the quarterback "began using his penis to touch [Jane Doe's] hand."

She says was "mortified" by his actions ... and covered Watson's private area with a towel so she could finish wiping the oil off and leave.

Doe claims Watson only paid her $100 instead of the agreed-upon $300 ... saying the QB had told her manager that she "had not given him what he wanted."

Two months later, on Aug. 17, 2020 ... the woman says Watson reached out to her over Instagram to get another massage.

In her suit, the woman says she did not realize it was the same Watson ... and scheduled an appointment with the Texans player that same night at the spa she worked at.

Doe claims when Watson arrived ... she immediately recognized him and scolded him for "inappropriate" behavior in their previous meeting.

The woman says Watson apologized and "told her something to the effect that he had never been rejected by a woman before."

Doe claims she told Watson she was a lesbian and was not interested in him ... and says Deshaun "agreed to not be inappropriate again."

But, Doe says a short time later, Watson became aggressive ... made comments about her body.

The woman says she continued the massage in order to avoid trouble with her manager ... but she says at one point Watson pulled her close and said he wanted to ejaculate.

In the suit, Doe says she told Watson to "stop acting like a pervert" ... but says Deshaun continued with the sexual misconduct anyway.

The woman claims Watson asked her to perform oral sex on her ... and then "forced [Jane Doe's] mouth onto his penis." She says Watson's actions were so inappropriate, they made her "scared for her life."

Doe says Watson continued to push for oral sex -- and when she declined ... Watson let her go and then began masturbating in front of her.

The woman is now suing for unspecified damages.

The second suit filed on Monday contains similar allegations ... with another "Jane Doe" female masseuse alleging Watson was inappropriate with her during a March 2021 massage in the Atlanta area.

In the suit, the woman says Watson "put his penis on her hand" during their appointment ... but when she quickly moved away and made it clear she wouldn't go further with him -- she says the quarterback got dressed, paid her and left.

The woman is also suing for unspecified damages.

According to the attorney of the two women, several more lawsuits could be filed against Watson soon ... with Tony Buzbee claiming 22 women in total have come forward to him with allegations of sexual misconduct against the QB.

Buzbee added he's been in contact with both the Houston Police Department and the Houston District Attorney, cooperating in the potential criminal investigation into the claims.

For Watson's part, he's denied any wrongdoing ... insisting the entire thing is an effort by Buzbee to score an unwarranted payday from lying clients.

Katherine Diaz -- one of El Salvador's top surfers -- died on Friday after she was hit in a lightning strike during a training session near her home.

The 22-year-old rising star -- who had been gunning to compete for El Salvador at the Olympics in Tokyo -- was surfing at a spot called El Tunco when the lightning storm hit.

Katherine's uncle Beto Diaz told a local media outlet his niece had gone to hug a friend she spotted at the surf spot when lightening struck.

"She, the friend, was thrown by the force of the lightening strike too, the board threw me back. Katherine died instantly."

Emergency personnel reportedly raced to the scene and scrambled to revive Diaz ... but it was too late.

Diaz was a rising star in the sport and beloved by the surf community in El Salvador.

She was expected to compete in the ISA World Surf Games in May -- the event is a qualifier for Olympics in Tokyo.

The International Surfing Association issued a statement on her death ... saying, "It is with a heavy heart that the ISA has learned about the passing of El Salvador’s Katherine Diaz."

"Katherine embodied the joy and energy that make surfing so special and dear to us all, as a global ambassador of the sport. She excelled at the international competition level, representing her country with pride at both the ISA World Surfing Games and ISA World Junior Surfing Championship."

"We send our heartfelt condolences to Katherine’s family, the surfers of El Salvador, and to all those in the international surfing community whose lives she touched."

"We will never forget you."