TMZ Sports - Page 50

U.S. judo fighter Nick Delpopolo says he had NO IDEA the baked goods he consumed before the Olympics contained weed. Really, he swears.

Nick was booted from the 2012 Games after failing a drug test ... and now he says he has a perfectly good explanation -- he was tricked into eating pot.

The 23-year-old just released a statement saying his dirty test was "caused by my inadvertent consumption of food that I did not realize had been baked with marijuana."

The International Olympic Committee draws a hard line when it comes to drugs ... they expelled Delpopolo from the games, stripped him of his accreditation, and will change the standings in his event. He had placed 7th in the competition.

In a statement released by the USOC, Delpopolo says, "I apologize to U.S. Olympic Committee, to my teammates, and to my fans, and I am embarrassed by this mistake."

The man who Montee Ball allegedly attacked at a house party on July 27 says the 2011 Heisman Trophy finalist beat him so badly, he split his tongue open ... and TMZ has the gruesome photo of the injury.

TMZ broke the story ... the Madison Police Department is investigating the July 27 incident ... and believe it may be related to the campus attack on Ball which occurred two days later.

Cops initially LIED to the media, insisting they were NOT checking into the fight ... and even blasted a TMZ story in which we said detectives were following up on tips about the melee.

Of course, the MPD later admitted they were completely full of crap ... and now believe they have evidence proving Ball WAS at the house party during the July 27 beating.

TMZ has learned ... the alleged victim met with investigators on Friday ... and told them Ball, along with other members of the University of Wisconsin football team, beat him so badly, he suffered a concussion, bruises and his tongue was split open.

The alleged victim took a cab to the hospital the night of the attack ... but never went to police.

Now, TMZ has learned ... two of the alleged victim's friends were interviewed by police this weekend to see if he ordered a retaliatory strike on Ball.

Ball insists he was not involved in a fight on July 27.

Michael Phelps took three of his closest friends out clubbing in London this weekend -- gold medal, gold medal and gold medal.

Just hours after swimming the last race of his career, Phelps -- the greatest Olympian in the history of the Olympics -- hit the party scene in Soho ... along with 3 of his 18 gold medals ... and a mystery blonde.

Phelps and his medals partied responsibly ... after they partied themselves out, they all piled into the backseat of a waiting SUV and got a ride home.

Current free agent Plaxico Burress could really use an NFL team right now ... because the unemployed wide receiver just had a tax lien filed against him in the State of New York for more than $59,000.

According to legal docs, Burress didn't quite pay all his personal income tax for the year 2007 and now the Empire State is looking to collect on the $59,241 he owes.

Burress was the top receiver for the NY Giants and under a 6-year $25-million contract ... but a stint behind bars after a gun charge put an end to all that. If he doesn't cough up the cash, the state can seize his assets.

Not to worry, we're sure some NFL team will pick him up ... any ... minute ... now ...

Former WWE star Kharma tells TMZ ... she fell into a deep depression after suffering a miscarriage last year ... and put on so much weight, she fell out of wrestling shape.

But now, Kharma says ... she's finally broken out of her funk and is on a renewed mission to shed the fat so she can get back in the ring.

We broke the story ... Kharma's baby died before she was able to give birth on December 31. Kharma says she had put on a lot of weight during the pregnancy and believes the extra pounds caused her health to suffer and may have contributed to the miscarriage.

In the months that followed, Kharma became depressed, put on even more weight and was dropped by the WWE.

But in the past couple of weeks, with the help of some friends, Kharma motivated herself to get back into fighting shape ... and has vowed to reclaim her career.

We're told she's already recruited a team of fitness experts and therapists ... and plans to document the transformation in the hopes of scoring a reality show. In fact, sources tell us ... Kharma has already been in touch with multiple production companies.

The biggest race in track and field just went down at the Olympics.

8/6 -- Hawkins spoke to reporters about her financial history in London yesterday ... saying, "It's my story, it's part of me. I'm not even embarrassed about it."

She added, "It shows that even though I didn't like to have to do it, I'm glad there was something there for me to be able to protect my home."

Just a few months before Gabby Douglas won her gold medal -- and opened the door to countless opportunities that will undoubtedly score her millions of dollars -- her mother filed for bankruptcy ... TMZ has learned

According to documents filed earlier this year in Virginia, Natalie Hawkins filed for Chapter 13 ... which is far less severe than Chapter 7. The docs state Hawkins has assets totalling $163,706.10 and debt totaling $79,754.14.

Her creditors include:
Capital One -- $1,534
Student loan -- $4,350.23
Sprint -- $158.78
T-Mobile -- $413
Orthodontist in Iowa (where Gabby trained when she was 14) -- $408

With the Chapter 13 filing, Hawkins has agreed to a monthly payment plan. She began making payments of $408/month back in February ... to a trustee who will divvy it up among her creditors.

However, with Gabby’s new found fame and the potential to make a bloody fortune, it's likely her mother will never have to worry about bankruptcy or money problems ever again.

Deion Sanders desperately wants to liquidate his 5,000 sq. ft. condo in Dallas -- putting the luxury property up for sale smack in the middle of his bitter divorce proceedings ... for way less than the market value.

Deion listed the condo -- located in the swanky celeb-filled Azure building -- back in March ... soon after his divorce from estranged wife Pilar went nuclear, when Pilar claimed Deion's aunt had attacked her in her own house.

Deion listed the home for $4.8 million -- but according to a realtor for Azure, the property is valued at roughly $6.5 million. In fact, Deion's neighboring unit is currently listed for exactly that amount.

And not only is he lowballing his own property, we're told Deion's doing some last minute renovations to speed up the sale -- such as re-plastering the pool.

Good thing too ... because this week, a judge ordered Deion to pay $10,000-a-month in child support and cough up another $275,000 for Pilar's attorneys' fees.

The oldest son of Philadelphia Eagles coach Andy Reid was found dead this morning in a dorm room at Lehigh University, this according to several reports.

The Lehigh University Chief of Police confirmed that Garrett Reid, 29, was found dead at Eagles training camp after a 911 call was placed at 7:20 AM ET. Reid was in camp assisting strength coaches.

Police said that at this point there is no evidence of foul play and the coroner’s office said that an investigation is ongoing.

Eagles GM Howie Roseman announced the news to the press this morning, saying of Reid, "He's been strong for us, we’re going to be strong for him right now."

Reid had a troubled past which included multiple drug-related arrests.

Michael Phelps received his 19th Olympic medal by winning gold in the 4 x 200m Freestyle with the help of his fellow ripped and shaved smooth teammates Conor Dwyer, Ryan Lochte and Ricky Berens.

Question is ...

UFC president Dana White doesn't think a guy with a prosthetic limb can compete in UFC -- a la Olympic sprinter Oscar Pistorius -- but he does think it's time for his sport to become an Olympic one.

Last night outside Mr. Chow, White talked about whether or not an amputee could make it in the UFC ... since Nick Newell, who has no left hand, is undefeated in the XFC and South African sprinter Pistorius, a double amputee, competed in the Olympics.

White wasn't sure that could happen ... but he did make his case to make UFC an Olympic sport.

So we ask ...

If you like shoes ... especially RARE Air Jordans (and you happen to be a Size 15) you're in luck, 'cause Warren Sapp's ENTIRE collection is up for auction ... as part of his bankruptcy case.

The collection is INSANE -- a total of 240 pairs of Jordans ... some worn, some untouched.

TMZ broke the story ... Sapp filed for Chapter 7 Bankruptcy earlier this year ... claiming he's racked up millions of dollars in debts since he retired from the NFL. Warren's expensive shoe habit probably didn't help the situation.

Nancy Kerrigan is an American ice princess.

Here's the 24-year-old Olympic figure skater back when she won the silver medal in 1994 (left) -- and 18 years later, the 42-year-old at an event in Boston earlier this year (right).

She's gold.

The Madison Police Department straight up LIED to the media about its investigation into the Montee Ball attack ... and tried to throw TMZ under the bus ... but their plan has backfired ... big time.

TMZ broke the story ... the Madison Police Department HAD launched an investigation into tips that Ball and several of his UW football teammates beat up a man at a party on July 27 ... several days before Ball was attacked on campus. Cops told the media that the TMZ report was not true.

They lied.

After cops made their false statement, TMZ broke another story -- cops had interviewed the person who claimed he was brutally injured by Ball and others on July 27... and wanted to know if the alleged victim had ordered a retaliatory strike on Ball.

Today, cops released a NEW statement .... finally admitting what we had already told you -- that investigators were indeed looking into the July 27 event.

Cops have now said ... "Through information developed by detectives, [The Madison PD has] determined that there was a fight that occurred Friday night which involved UW students, members of the UW football team, and other individuals that were not affiliated with the University of Wisconsin's Athletics Department."

The statement continues, "We have also determined that Montee Ball was present at the location of that fight, but we have no information that leads us to believe that he had any involvement in that particular event."

The 2012 Summer Olympics are just about at the halfway point and there has been no shortage of storylines. From Michael Phelps' slow start to a cheating scandal in badminton, these Olympics have been getting HUGE television ratings ...and track and field hasn't even begun yet.

So after a week of action, we ask you ...

US Olympic swimming champion Ryan Lochte might have to parlay his newfound fame into a quick payday to help out the folks ... because TMZ has learned, his parents are allegedly buried in debt ... and could lose their home.

According to a lawsuit filed in Volusia County, FL ... CitiMortgage claims Steven and Ileane Lochte took out a mortgage loan for $258,000 back in 2007 and they were to pay $1,609.58/month.

But according to the bank, the Lochtes stopped making payments in February 2011 -- and now owe $242,239 (plus interest) on the home. The bank is suing to foreclose on the house in order to get its money back.

But there's a lot on the line -- according to the lawsuit, if the sale of the Lochtes' home doesn't satisfy the couple's entire debt ... the bank wants the Lochtes to pay the difference.

Mrs. Lochte filed a motion to dismiss the case last month, but a judge has yet to rule.

Attempts to reach the Lochtes were unsuccessful.