TMZ Sports - Page 50

Several Houston Texans players -- past and present -- are banding together today to make sure their local senior citizens don't get screwed out of their right to vote ... TMZ has learned.

Former Texans offensive lineman Chester Pitts has organized a group of his gigantic NFL friends to help shuttle seniors in the Houston area to their local polling place.

We're told Pitts has rented several 15-passenger vans ... and will be joined by several current Texans linemen including Duane Brown (DT), Antoine Caldwell (C), Chris Myers (C) ... along with safety Danieal Manning.

Some of Chester's former Houston teammates are also expected to help out ... including Moran Norris, Travis Johnson and Charlie Anderson.

"I'm a firm believer that everyone has their own voice and has the right to be heard," Pitts tells TMZ.

If you ever wanted to be in Tiger Woods' house, or one of his mistresses ... pay attention, 'cause Joslyn James is punching in at a whore house -- while Tiger overhauls his non-whore house.

Terry Bradshaw is "really upset" he's being accused of racism after comparing a Reggie Bush TD run to someone chasing a "bucket of chicken" ... but tells TMZ there's a simple explanation -- Jimmy Johnson is a freak for chicken!

We just spoke to FOX NFL analysts Johnson and Bradshaw ... who said he was unaware there was any controversy until friends started calling him this morning.

Bradshaw explained it's a Sunday tradition for JJ to order a bucket of KFC after they wrap the pregame show -- and yesterday was no exception. Bradshaw says Johnson "won't share it with anybody" ... and everyone on set rips him for it.

Johnson backed up the bucket tale ... telling us, "Every Sunday I get 4 pieces of fried chicken, dark meat, and I eat it right there on the set."

Bradshaw tells us yesterday's chicken comment was an innocent shot at one of his co-stars ... something he commonly does during highlights.

TB says, "I'm having a hard time with this ... because that's not me. I never put those two things together because I don't think like that."

But Bradshaw adds, "I understand why people are upset because they don't know the inside story."

Plaxico Burress -- the unemployed NFL star who famously shot himself in the leg -- just skated on a speeding ticket because the cop shot himself in the foot!

Plaxico was cited for going 125 MPH in Broward County, FL -- 70 miles over the speed limit in his 2012 Ferrari.

So how, you ask, does someone beat the rap? You hire Bradford Cohen, who showed the judge the ticket, which cited the wrong law. The cop amended his copy of the ticket after the fact, but it didn't match up with Plaxico's copy.

Call it a technicality, but it did the trick.

Terry Bradshaw made the biggest fumble in the NFL on Sunday when he compared Reggie Bush TD run to "chasing a bucket of chicken" -- but the jaw-dropping comment was intended to be an inside joke ... TMZ has learned.

Hall of Famer Bradshaw was describing Reggie's play during yesterday's halftime highlights show on FOX NFL Sunday -- when he spewed, "Look at this Jimmy, like he was chasing that bucket of chicken that the wind was blowing the other day."

Sources who were inside the FOX studio yesterday ... tell TMZ Terry was not trying to insult African-American Reggie -- but instead was taking a shot at fellow FOX analyst Jimmy Johnson.

From the front, 32-year-old super model Gisele Bundchen is pregnant with hubby Tom Brady's baby.

From the back, you'd never know.

Shaquille O'Neal knows ... being rich and buying houses is fun ... so despite living in a GINORMOUS 70,000-square-foot mansion ... he dropped $235k on a second, regular person house 30 miles away.

Shaq -- who is reportedly worth around $250 million -- currently lives in an 11-bedroom, 13-bath PALACE outside Orlando, FL ... which includes a 20,000-square-foot basketball court and garage filled with DOZENS of sports cars!!!

But that just wasn't enough ... 'cause in July the former NBA superstar laid down $235k on a very normal 3,900-square-foot abode ... in a place called Mount Dora, FL.

It's unclear WHY the Shaq-ster bought the spare pad ... Investment? Gift? Kicks and giggles? But we do know the house is pretty nice -- for those of us not sitting on fat bank accounts.

The new pad is rockin' 5 bedrooms, 4 baths ... granite counter tops ... wet bar ... entertainment room ... and cherry cabinets. Which would all be really awesome ... if his other house wasn't WAY MORE awesome.

We reached out to Shaq's people to ask him about the new purchase ... but so far no word back.

It's a make or break week for Harvey (4-4) ... and our fearless leader is predicting a MAJOR UPSET in our Week 9 game Cowboys vs. Falcons.

Heeeeere we go ....

Question: Who ya got?
Harvey: "I'm picking Dallas ... it's really rare for a team to be undefeated ... so something's gotta give, right?"

Question: You confident in Tony Romo?
Harvey: "I'm nervous about Tony Romo. The Jessica Simpson thing still bugs me ... he took that boat and then dumped her. It must be weighing on his conscience still. It's distracting. But I'm still going with Dallas because boating season is over."

Question: You're not worried about Atlanta? They've got the best record in the league.
Harvey: "Good for Atlanta ... they got the Falcons, TMZ and now TMZ Live! But I think they're getting a little cocky."

Question: What makes you say that?
Harvey: "I have nothing really to base it on."

It's been 3 years since Tiger Woods' ex-wife Elin Nordegren smashed his SUV with a golf club -- over a massive cheating scandal that derailed his life -- and now, Tiger's finally starting to rebuild ... starting with the Florida mansion where it all went downhill.

Construction is already underway at Tiger's Windermere home -- the same home where Tiger famously crashed his SUV following a blowout argument with Elin over his endless philandering ... and Elin attacked the car with a freakin' golf club.

Neighborhood sources tell TMZ, Tiger's uprooting the pool and replacing it with a brand new outdoor swimming facility. We're told he's also adding a new deck in the backyard, as well as a new spa.

Tiger has already obtained the requisite legal docs to commence building.

It's unclear if Tiger's renovating the home for his own personal enjoyment, or whether he plans to sell the place.

Tim Tebow may be a couple of yards closer to scoring, because he's kinda gone public with his new GF Camilla Belle. Both say they're pure as the driven snow. So we gotta ask ...

Hulk Hogan has no right to sue Gawker for ruining his reputation by publishing parts of his sex tape ... because he had already admitted that he's a lying, cheating bastard ... this according to Gawker.

Gawker has filed a response to Hulk's $100,000,000 lawsuit against the website ... begging the judge to throw out the case because they had a journalistic right to publish the 1 minute 41 second clip.

In the docs, Gawker claims Hulk had already admitted he was an adulterer in a book he released in 2009 ... so the video couldn't have caused any more harm to his already sullied reputation.

Gawker also claims the website shouldn't be on the hook for invading Hulk's privacy because it didn't record the tape ... it just distributed a small amount of the footage, which it believed to be newsworthy because Hulk is a world famous celebrity.

Gawker also says it shouldn't have to reveal the identity of the person who leaked the footage to the website -- despite Hulk's demands -- citing laws that protect the news sources.

Sometimes steroids just don't do the trick ... just ask UFC's Stephan Bonnar, who got crushed by Anderson Silva during last month's UFC fight.

After Bonnar's loss -- which triggered his retirement from the UFC -- he was tested and Drostanolone (an anabolic steroid) showed up in his system ... according to MMAjunkie.com.

Here's the thing ... this isn't the first time this has happened to to Bonnar. He tested positive for a steroid substance back in 2006 after UFC 62. He was suspended and fined.

Wayne Gretzky tells TMZ ... the NHL has GOT to figure out a way to end the lockout and bring hockey back ASAP.

He also made it clear that we can't date his daughter.

Wayne was out in L.A. yesterday ... and told us he doesn't have any solutions to get pro hockey up and running again ... but says, "Hopefully they get it worked out though ... we need hockey back."

"It's disappointing for everybody," Wayne added.

And while he was there, our photog asked for permission to date Wayne's super hot daughter Paulina. Permission was not granted.

And if you're not familiar with her work, enjoy the photo below ...

Alex Rodriguez may be done with New York, because he and his wrestler girlfriend Torrie Wilson were spotted house hunting in Beverly Hills on Thursday.

While he's out shopping for new West Coast digs, the Yankee third baseman is still trying to unload his ginormous Miami palace for $38 million.

Dallas News | myFOXdfw.com

Mark Cuban says Donald Trump's $5 million challenge to Barack Obama was "one of the DUMBEST things ever" ... and now he's responding with a $1 MILLION challenge of his own.

Cuban appeared on Fox4 in Dallas last night ... and made the offer to Trump:

"Donald, you shave your head, $1 million to any charity you want," Cuban said.

Cuban says he's willing to up the offer to $2 million ... if it'll help seal the deal.

"Basketball Wives L.A." star Gloria Govan tells TMZ ... she's convinced VH1 is giving her the chop because her husband Matt Barnes refused to participate on the show this season.

Govan says she has yet to be officially released from the show ... but says the writing is on the wall and knew it was only a matter of time when she didn't let producers film her wedding over the summer.

Govan says she believes producers are waiting to give her walking papers until AFTER the reunion show ... because they want her to show up. Govan says she hasn't decided if she'll go ... but it sounds like she's leaning towards no.