TMZ Sports - Page 50

Alex Rodriguez is finally getting into the owner's box ... he's in the final steps of closing a deal to buy the Minnesota Timberwolves and Lynx for $1.5 BILLION!!

A-Rod had partnered up with former Walmart exec Marc Lore to make a run at the NBA and WNBA teams, both owned by billionaire Glen Taylor.

And, according to multiple outlets including The Athletic and Front Office Sports, the group has a deal in place to close for $1.5 billion.

There are still a few hurdles ... but nothing major.

Before it can formally close, A-Rod and M-Lore need to get approval from the other NBA owners ... but that shouldn't be a problem.

Per the terms of the deal, Lore will continue to operate the team through the 2023 season, according to F.O.S. ... and after that, it's A-Rod time!

The ex-MLB superstar made a serious run to buy the NY Mets with his then-fiancee Jennifer Lopez, but they were ultimately outbid by billionaire Steven Cohen.

Officials have agreed to drop the DUI case against Johnny Damon stemming from a wild arrest back in February ... despite cops claiming the MLB star's blood alcohol content was nearly 4 TIMES the legal limit.

You remember the incident ... Damon and his wife, Michelle, were pulled over in Windermere, Florida around 1:23 AM on Feb. 19 and appeared to be super-duper hammered.

Police video shows Damon admitting to drinking before getting behind the wheel -- and cops say both Damon and his wife got physical with officers during the stop.

The police report, obtained by TMZ Sports, notes Damon's B.A.C. was .30 -- which is WAYYY above the .08 legal limit.

During the stop, Johnny -- who bombed field sobriety tests -- brought up his support for Donald Trump ... saying, "I know people are trying to target me because I'm a Trump supporter."

47-year-old Johnny was ultimately charged with misdemeanor DUI -- and was facing up to 9 months in jail if convicted.

But, despite what appeared to be overwhelming evidence, prosecutors are not trying to throw the book at Damon ... instead, offering him a pretty sweet deal that involves cutting a check and doing some community service.

We spoke with Damon's attorney, Stuart Hyman, who tells us Johnny agreed to enter into a pre-trial diversion program -- which involves making a donation to charity and completing a certain amount of hours of community service. He did not mention the number of hours Damon agreed to.

If Damon successfully completes the terms of the deal, Hyman says prosecutors have agreed to drop the case.

As for Damon's wife, Michelle Mangan-Damon -- her case is much more complicated.

She was charged with 2 felonies for allegedly battering officers on the scene -- and could face years in prison if convicted.

Janet Jackson's brothers are thanking Justin Timberlake for stepping up and taking responsibility for his role in the infamous Super Bowl Halftime wardrobe malfunction, and hanging their sister out to dry.

Tito, Marlon and Jackie Jackson appeared on Andy Cohen's SiriusXM radio show Wednesday and opened up for the first time about JT's apology, saying they appreciated him finally saying something ... albeit, 17 years after the fact.

Marlon said, "First of all, I just want to thank Justin Timberlake. It takes a man to step up and do that, so we do thank him." That being said ... Marlon added they'd like to move on from the negativity that surrounded the Super Bowl XXXVIII incident.

In case you were in diapers back in 2004 ... Justin and Janet were embroiled in controversy when a "wardrobe malfunction" exposed Janet's breast to MILLIONS of viewers tuning in to the highly-anticipated Halftime Show.

It seemed everyone BUT Justin suffered for an incident dubbed "Nipplegate" -- Janet's career took a big hit, and the FCC slapped CBS with a $550k indecency fine.

Two years later, during an interview with Oprah, Janet said she felt Justin left her hanging with all of the emphasis put on her "as opposed to us."

Blake Griffin's newest kicks will have you saying "Chicka, chicka, yeah, fake ID" ... 'cause the Brooklyn Nets star just rocked some awesome "Superbad" shoes -- complete with his own McLovin ID!!

The 32-year-old hooper debuted the dope Jordan "McLovin" 35s against the San Antonio Spurs on Wednesday ... drawing inspiration from one of the most iconic moments of the 2007 teen comedy -- Fogell's hilariously awful fake ID.

Griffin -- a huge comedy junkie -- decided to pay tribute on the tongue of his Js ... by including his own edition of McLovin's Hawaii driver's license.

The "McGriffin" ID is impressively detailed and features Blake's REAL height, weight and birthday ... unlike Fogell's fake ID.

In fact, it even includes Blake's real picture!!

The baby blue and white kicks also feature a rainbow stripe at the top of the tongue ... perfectly matching the Hawaii ID.

"Superbad" writer and star Seth Rogen showed Griffin some (mc)love for the tribute ... giving him a special shoutout on Twitter.

Great news from Ryan Garcia ... the undefeated boxing superstar says he's making serious progress in his struggle with mental health issues ... and seems focused on returning to the ring!

The 22-year-old had called off his big July 9 fight against Javier Fortuna a few weeks ago -- after realizing he was suffering from a serious bout with anxiety and depression.

"I have decided to take some time off to focus on becoming a stronger version of myself," Garcia said back in April.

The fighter spent some time in Hawaii with his girlfriend Drea Celina Garcia and their newborn baby girl ... and now seems to be in a much better place.

"With the help of my support team and my family, I’m making steps forward," Garcia posted Wednesday on social media along with a video of himself in the boxing gym.

"Why anxiety and depression hit me like a truck and why I’m still recovering I’ll never know. But I’m trying to cope with the issues I’m having!"

Garcia then referenced the boxing video and said, "This bag is my anxiety and I’m swinging with my full intent to destroy it!!"

Garcia is getting plenty of support from his famous friends including Canelo Alvarez, who recently told TMZ Sports he's pulling for Ryan to get healthy and return to the sport he loves.

A ticket to see Tom Brady play against Bill Belichick could cost ya a small fortune ... with even nosebleed seats for TB12's return to New England already running for $1,000-plus!!!

The Tampa Bay Bucs and New England Patriots released their schedules Wednesday evening ... revealing the future Hall of Fame QB will come back to Foxboro in Week 4 on Oct. 3.

The matchup is a HUGE one -- it's already slated for the league's Sunday Night Football tilt that week -- and according to ticket experts, a seat at the game could rival Super Bowl prices.

"It could be close to $1,000 just to get into the nosebleeds upstairs," John Higgins, who owns Higs Tickets, told WBZ this week.

"It could be a record for an NFL game that’s not a Super Bowl."

Popular ticket website, TickPick, backs up Higgins' claims ... the cheapest seat available there is currently selling for over $1,400!!

And, demand is only expected to increase as the game draws closer.

Of course, demand for NFL tickets is already through the roof ... after all, most people have been locked out of stadiums since the 2019 season due to the coronavirus pandemic.

But still, Brady coming back to the place where he won SIX Super Bowls is historic ... and will clearly cost an arm and a leg to see in person.

Five months 'til kickoff ... better start saving now!!

Jerry Jones played beer pong with Post Malone, rocked an icy Dallas Cowboys chain, AND made it rain on his team's best players -- and the amazingness was all captured on video!

It was all part of the Cowboys' surprise schedule reveal film on Wednesday evening ... and the cameo Posty made with the Dallas owner for the flick was pretty damn incredible.

The video starts with the singer playing the role of a postman delivering Dallas' 2021 schedule to Jerry ... and then things get wild.

78-year-old Jerry tells Post, "You know, I love this day. Let's go celebrate" ... and then the two hit the BP table!!!

There were shots made, shots blocked, and even some custom "Jerry" Crocs involved!!!

Post then slapped his famous Cowboys drip on the owner ... before the two grabbed some pocket schedules and made them rain all over Dak Prescott and Ezekiel Elliott.

It's hilarious. Seriously.

Of course, it's all fun and games right now ... but the reality is Dallas has to now open its season against Tom Brady and the Super Bowl champion Bucs in less than 4 months.

Horrible news out of the WNBA ... NY Liberty star Asia Durr will miss the entire 2021 season because she's still reeling from the effects of COVID.

The 24-year-old shooting guard -- the #2 overall pick in the 2019 WNBA Draft -- missed the entire 2020 WNBA season due to the effects of COVID. She has previously talked publicly about how the virus wreaked havoc on her body, putting her basketball career in jeopardy.

Now, the NY Liberty has placed Durr on the full-season suspended list, noting it was a "personal decision."

But, Durr's issues are no secret -- she was featured on HBO's "Real Sports" back in January and spelled out how COVID has destroyed her life and career since she tested positive on June 8, 2020.

At the time, Durr said she had lost 32 pounds and experienced massive problems with her lungs.

"I couldn't breathe. I was spitting up blood. It was just lung pain that was just so severe. It felt like somebody took a long knife and was just stabbing you in your lungs each second."

She continued, "I woke up 2 o'clock in the morning, vomiting, going back and forth to the bathroom. I couldn't keep anything down."

The women accusing Deshaun Watson of sexual misconduct will NOT accept a financial settlement to drop their lawsuits against the QB, so says their attorney Tony Buzbee.

22 women are still moving forward with their cases against the Houston Texans superstar -- most of which allege Watson got sexually aggressive during what was supposed to be a routine massage therapy session.

Watson has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing, through his attorneys -- though admits he did engage in consensual sexual encounters with some of the accusers.

Many feel Watson's admission has all but sunk his case ... and there are rumblings he's aggressively looking to strike a settlement agreement with the remaining accusers, in the hopes they will drop their cases so he can move on with his NFL career.

But Buzbee, who represents ALL of the women who have filed against Watson, told FOX 26's Mark Berman ... they are not considering a settlement, period. Instead, the accusers want the cases to play out in court.

"When asked about a settlement for each case, Buzbee said that is not happening," Berman reports.

Buzbee also claims 4 of his clients have met with NFL investigators but expressed concern about the way the league is handling the probe.

"Some of the women did not feel like they were being respected," Buzbee told Berman.

Buzbee says there are more women who want to meet with the NFL to tell their stories -- but he's not sure if he'll allow it because of the concerns of the first 4.

Buzbee also says between 8 to 10 of his clients have met with the Houston Police Dept. -- and praised the cops for the way they are handling the situation.

Jaguars legend Jimmy Smith says his former squad should NOT have given Colin Kaepernick the same opportunity it gave Tim Tebow ... telling TMZ Sports, "We don't need Colin Kaepernick on our team."

Smith says his reasoning is simple ... telling us he has a fear that Kaepernick could "divide our locker room."

"We need a guy like Tim Tebow," the ex-Jacksonville wide receiver says, "who's a hometown hero who has love for the city anyway."

Urban Meyer and his Jags squad have come under heavy criticism this week after it was reported they're going to sign Tebow (who's now a tight end) to a 1-year contract, despite the former Heisman Trophy winner not having played in a regular-season NFL game since 2012.

Big names like Eric Dickerson and Dez Bryant have openly questioned the move ... wondering out loud why Jacksonville was willing to sign Tebow after his long NFL layoff, but not Kaepernick.

Smith tells us there's nothing racist or sinister about the decision ... explaining he believes Tebow's just quite frankly a better fit for the team's young locker room.

"He's going to be a great support for Trevor Lawrence," Smith said of Tebow. "Whatever capacity that is, it's going to be a positive rather than a negative."

Smith continued, "I pray that he makes the 53-man roster, because we need all we can get."

A U.S. Senator is accusing LeBron James of promoting extreme violence in America -- the NBA superstar's controversial "You're Next" post was a hot button issue Wednesday in a Senate hearing.

Sen. John Kennedy called out LeBron during the hearing on domestic violence extremism, referencing his infamous tweet about the cop who shot and killed 16-year-old Ma'Khia Bryant in Columbus, Ohio.

As you know ... LeBron published and then deleted the tweet last month, but not before explaining that he meant the officer should be prosecuted like Derek Chauvin. His explanation fell on many deaf ears, as he's catching heat from politicians, like Sen. Tom Cotton, former President Trump ... and now Kennedy.

The Senator from Louisiana asked the Secretary of Homeland Security, Alejandro Mayorkas, if LeBron's post "contributes to domestic violence in America." Mayorkas balked at the wording of the question, but eventually gave Kennedy an answer.

LeBron's tweet came on the heels of a violent incident outside a home in his native Ohio. Body cam footage showed Bryant in a physical altercation, and it appears she was trying to lunge with a knife at another girl. The officer shown in LeBron's post pulled his gun and fired 4 shots, killing Bryant.

Sen. Kennedy's beef seems to be LeBron's words promoted violence against police before all the facts of the case came out. Kennedy said, "All we had at the time was the video, and we had nothing else."

Kurt Warner says even though it's been nearly 5 years since Colin Kaepernick last threw a pass in the NFL ... he still believes the ex-49ers star deserves a shot at an NFL roster.

"I do," the Hall of Famer told TMZ Sports out at LAX on Wednesday. "I think that he should have an opportunity."

Kaepernick has not played a down since the 2016 season -- claiming he's been blackballed ever since due to his kneeling demonstrations during the national anthem -- and Warner clearly believes it's time for that layoff to end.

"When he got out of the game," Warner said of Colin, "he was as good as a lot of quarterbacks in this league. And, that's the bottom line."

Of course, the discussion is all coming back to the front and center of NFL talks this week after it was reported that Tim Tebow would be signing a contract with the Jaguars, despite not playing in a regular-season NFL game since 2012.

Several of the league's most notable names -- including Eric Dickerson -- have scoffed at the move, wondering why Kaepernick isn't getting the same opportunity.

Warner isn't so sure the two players have any correlation to each other -- but he did emphasize Kaepernick should be getting looks from NFL GMs regardless.

"I believe Colin should have had or should have another opportunity," Kurt says.

A couple of firefighters on the scene of the Kobe Bryant helicopter crash are getting their walking papers for snapping photos of crash victims ... so claims Vanessa Bryant's lawyers.

Vanessa's attorneys filed legal docs about scheduling the trial in her invasion of privacy lawsuit against L.A. County -- and, in the process, revealed the L.A. County Fire Department was mixed up in the photo taking and sharing.

In the docs, obtained by TMZ, VB's legal team says they received paperwork from the fire department's own internal investigation and found that they'd sent 2 firefighters "intention to discharge" letters because they'd taken pics at the scene.

One of the firefighters, according to the docs, was just a safety officer there to secure the scene that day, but he took graphic shots of the victims' remains. Both firefighters apparently shared the pics with an L.A. County Fire media relations officer ... who then proceeded to send it around to other firefighters.

The media relations officer was reportedly sent a suspension notice. It's unclear if the firefighters have been fired yet ... L.A. County Fire isn't commenting.

Mike Tyson and his family are going to bat for 100 women who spent time in prison ... starting a charitable organization aimed at helping the former inmates reenter society.

Tyson's mother-in-law, Dr. Rita Ali -- along with Tyson and his fam -- created We 2 Matter ... designed to "empower 100 formerly incarcerated women and offer them reentry resources and support."

W2M -- who teamed up with Van Jones' prominent prison reform group, Dream Corps/Cut50 -- will provide a variety of different services to the women.

The program also aims to educate the general public on the challenges mothers face as they attempt to rejoin society.

The Tysons celebrated the We 2 Matter with a fancy Mother's Day brunch over the weekend ... inviting 10 Los Angeles-based mothers who were recently behind bars (and their kids) to Mike's Tyson Ranch in SoCal.

It's a topic that's near and dear to Mike's mother-in-law's heart. Dr. Ali was formerly convicted of a crime (she maintains her innocence) ... and says she knows how difficult it can be for a woman leaving prison.

In addition to the good work that Tyson's non-profit is doing ... the party was also pretty awesome.

Before Kobe Bryant's 33,643 points, 18 All-Star games and 5 NBA titles, he was a star high school hooper at Lower Merrion HS in Philly ... and now the jersey Mamba rocked just hit the block.

... and the auction house selling the threads believes it could sell for over $200K!!

Kobe was an absolute stud in high school in the mid-'90s ... playing varsity as a freshman, and winning just about every award for a high schooler as a senior -- including the Naismith and Gatorade player of the year awards, as well as earning a spot on the coveted McDonald's All-American team.

It's unclear which games Bryant actually wore the white and maroon, size 44 jersey.

Of course, Bryant -- who had offers from Duke and a bunch of other top schools -- followed Kevin Garnett's lead and made the jump from HS to the NBA.

Kobe was selected by the Charlotte Hornets with the 13th pick in the 1996 NBA Draft ... before being traded to the Lakers.

So, who's selling this piece of basketball treasure?? Leland Auctions -- the auction house behind the sale -- says the consignor is actually a former NBA player who got the jersey from Kobe's former sports agent.

We're told the player wishes to remain anonymous.

The jersey is currently on the auction block ... and the minimum bid is $50K.

The auction ends at the beginning of June.

A Florida fisherman is lucky to be alive today ... 'cause the guy was nearly attacked by a giant alligator during an outing in the Everglades last weekend -- and the terrifying scene was all caught on video!!

The drama unfolded on Saturday -- when 22-year-old Tommy Lee was hunting for some tarpon on a large body of water's shoreline.

You can see in the footage ... the dude was minding his own business casting his reel -- when suddenly, a big-ass gator head emerged from the water!!!

Lee knew right away he needed to be alert -- his GoPro camera captured him saying, "You got to be careful here" -- and that's when the scariness began.

The gator climbed out of the water and took off after the guy ... and when it got within feet of Lee, he accidentally fell backward!!

Fortunately, the 11-foot-long animal stopped charging ... and after an intense standoff, it eventually retreated.

Lee was clearly excited to leave the area without gator teeth in his body ... saying on camera, "And I am outta here. Screw that!"