TMZ Sports - Page 50

Notre Dame superstar linebacker Manti Te'o -- a 2012 Heisman Trophy finalist -- may have helped to trick the media into believing he had a girlfriend who died back in September ... when in fact, she never existed ... this according to Deadspin.com.

The tragic storyline captivated the nation during Notre Dame's incredible 2012 season -- with countless stories from dozens of major media outlets detailing how Manti persevered after the death of his GF Lennay Kekua and had the season of his life.

Problem is, according to Deadspin, there is no hard evidence proving Lennay Kekua ever existed ... and no official records confirming a person by the name of Lennay Kekua passed away when Manti claims she died.

According to Deadspin, Manti and "Lennay" communicated through social media sites ... but the report suggests that "Lennay" was not a real person -- her account was controlled by someone purporting to be her.

Deadspin says the photos "Lennay" used to identify herself on social media sites were of a Southern California woman who has never met Manti Te'o.

The article also suggests Manti has a connection with the person suspected of acting as "Lennay" on Twitter -- and even goes as far to suggest Manti was in on the hoax because he knew the sob story would generate publicity.

FYI -- Manti is expected to be a high pick in the 2013 NFL Draft.

So far, Manti has not commented on the story. We also tried to reach out to Manti -- but our efforts have been unsuccessful.

2:26 PM PT -- Notre Dame has released the following statement ...saying Te'o is merely the VICTIM in the hoax and not a participant. Here's the statement:

"On Dec. 26, Notre Dame coaches were informed by Manti Te’o and his parents that Manti had been the victim of what appears to be a hoax in which someone using the fictitious name Lennay Kekua apparently ingratiated herself with Manti and then conspired with others to lead him to believe she had tragically died of leukemia."

"The University immediately initiated an investigation to assist Manti and his family in discovering the motive for and nature of this hoax. While the proper authorities will continue to investigate this troubling matter, this appears to be, at a minimum, a sad and very cruel deception to entertain its perpetrators."

But something doesn't add up ... because Te'o's father had gone on record during the season saying Manti told him he and the GF would often meet up in Hawaii.

So was the father lying? Or was Manti lying?

Nike might reunite with Lance Armstrong after all ... despite terminating its contract with the disgraced cyclist last year -- so says the Nike CEO Phil Knight.

Phil was out in DC yesterday when we asked if Lance and Nike might patch things up after the cyclist admitted to using PEDs -- and Phil responded, "Never say never."

You'll recall, Nike dropped Lance back in October, saying, "Due to the seemingly insurmountable evidence that Lance Armstrong participated in doping and misled Nike for more than a decade, it is with great sadness that we have terminated our contract with him."

BCS announcer Brent Musburger stands by the fire in his 73-year-old loins -- telling TMZ, he's NOT SORRY for showering Miss Alabama USA Katherine Webb with compliments during the big game between Alabama and Notre Dame ... because he didn't do anything wrong.

Musburger was arriving at the airport in Palm Beach, Florida Tuesday when we asked if he thinks his comments about QB A.J. McCarron's GF were inappropriate -- and Musburger made it clear ... the answer is NO.

In fact, it was pretty obvious Brent has a beef with ESPN for issuing an apology for the whole thing -- but he still issued a pretty politically correct statement about the Worldwide Leader.

"Individuals say what individuals say. And corporations do what corporations do," Musburger said ... adding, "Obviously, they felt it was the right thing for them to do."

In case you missed the broadcast last week -- Musburger unleashed a barrage of compliments at Webb when the camera cut to her in the stands, ogling her for a good 30 seconds ... and calling her "beautiful" and "lovely" ... comments people criticized as "creepy."

In Brent's defense ... she's really, really hot.

Carolina Panthers quarterback Cam Newton knows ... he's gotta have a backup plan if the whole NFL thing doesn't work out ... so he's heading back to college.

Newton -- who blew off school to become the #1 overall pick in the 2011 NFL draft -- has re-enrolled at Auburn University for the spring semester to continue working on his sociology degree.

FYI -- Newton signed a 4-year, $22 million contract with the Panthers when he first left Auburn ... and has undoubtedly racked up millions more through various endorsement deals.

Still, it's clear Newton knows you can't put a price on a good education ... and made the decision to go back.

A rep for the school told the Associated Press Cam won't be talking to the media about his decision because he just "wants to focus on school and be a normal student."

Here is a photo of surfer/model Anastasia Ashley catching a MASSIVE 35-40 foot wave at Phantoms on the North Shore of Oahu.

Couple of fun facts:
-- Ashley is super hot and her ass was featured in Playboy.
-- The area where she was surfing is known for having huge, dangerous surf.
-- She's in negotiations to appear on a reality show with a major network.

Meantime, it's 50 degrees and freezing in L.A. ... and the surf's flat too.

Oprah Winfrey is already talking about her 2-and-a-half hour "confession" interview with Lance Armstrong ... except she's not exactly revealing what he said to her.

Oprah appeared on "CBS This Morning" to talk about the sit-down ... but nobody on the set -- including anchor Gayle King -- really pushed her about what Lance said.

Oprah DID say Lance confessed about using performance-enhancing drugs during his cycling career ... but added, "He did not come clean in the manner I expected."

But nobody followed up with questions about WHY Lance's answers were so unexpected.

Here's what we do know:

-- Oprah says she prepared 112 questions for the interview, and got through most of them.
-- Oprah says "there were times" Lance got emotional, but she didn't drop details.
-- Oprah says she was so tough with her questioning, that Lance asked her to lighten up.
-- After the interview, Oprah says both she and Lance were exhausted and satisfied.
-- Lance's lawyers were NOT in the room during the interview.
-- Oprah suggests Lance's people leaked details about the interview to the AP.

The Oprah vs. Lance interview is set to air Thursday -- no word if Oprah plans to release any clips of the meeting before then.

It was supposed to be the wrestling match to end all wrestling matches -- Hulk Hogan vs. John Cena in a battle royale -- but it was all dashed to pieces thanks to some bogus back surgery ... according to Hulk Hogan ... and it cost him $50 MILLION.

TMZ broke the story ... Hulk filed a $50 million lawsuit against the Laser Spine Institute of Florida -- claiming its doctors duped him into undergoing multiple procedures in 2009 that were completely useless and damaged his career.

Hulk doesn't explain why he's suing for $50 million in the lawsuit -- but Hulk's legal team (headed by Wil Florin) tells TMZ, the reason for the massive sum is a lucrative "phase out contract" that was torpedoed by the bad surgeries.

According to Hulk's team, the contract outlined a blowout match between Hulk and Cena -- a match that was supposed to be Hulk's career ender -- but thanks to the surgeries, it never happened.

Hulk's claiming the contract -- along with subsequent appearance opportunities -- was worth $50 million.

Do you have a spare $2.2 million lying around? GREAT ... 'cause 7x NBA champion Robert Horry is unloading his Texas mansion and now it can be all yours ... yeeeeeeehaw!!!!

"Big Shot Rob" bought the 8,440-square-foot pad back in 2007 -- the same year he scored his 7th NBA championship -- and now he's finally ready to let it go.

It's a pretty sweet deal for the price ... the house is rockin' 5 bedrooms, 6 baths, gym, study, master suite with a fireplace and best of all 2.4 acres of lush oasis living -- we're talking palm trees, gazebo, resort-style pool, spa, tennis courts and a fully-equipped outdoor BBQ.

Lance Armstrong ADMITTED to Oprah Winfrey ... he DID use performance-enhancing drugs during his pro cycling career to win the Tour de France ... this according to the Associated Press.

Lance wrapped up his one-on-one interview with Oprah just a few hours ago ... and according to the report, Lance finally 'fessed up to cheating ... the first time he's ever admitted wrongdoing during his professional career.

Earlier in the day, Lance apologized to the staff at Livestrong, choking up and saying he was sorry for letting down the organization.

The way Lance worded his admission could have serious legal ramifications -- considering he's facing possible criminal prosecution and civil liability for allegedly lying about his PED use in a number of legal proceedings.

After getting screwed in New York, Tim Tebow has touched down in the Grand Canyon State ... and spent his Monday training for hours at an Arizona community college ... and TMZ has the proof.

We obtained pics of Tebow working out with a personal trainer on the track at Paradise Valley Community College in Phoenix.

Sources at the scene tell us ... Tebow trained for about 2-and-a-half hours ... running sprints and drills like he's actually gonna see the field next season.

We're told Tebow wasn't exactly incognito ... several kids and adult fans approached him for pics and autographs ... and, per usual, TT obliged with a smile.

There are rumors that Tebow will be traded to the Jacksonville Jaguars during the off-season ... but it's possible the Arizona Cardinals could also bite ... it's not like they could get any worse.

Right?

Lance Armstrong reportedly issued an emotional apology to several staff members at his Livestrong organization in Texas ... amidst rumors that he's finally going to admit that he cheated.

According to the AP, Armstrong met with staffers right before he headed to an interview with Oprah Winfrey ... an interview in which he's rumored to finally admit he doped during his cycling career.

During the meeting with Livestrong staff, Armstrong reportedly choked up ... and said "I'm sorry" for letting everyone down.

Armstrong's apology was vague at best -- at no point did he ever admit to using any performance enhancing drugs ... or cheating in any way.

It's the first time the disgraced cyclist has acted remorseful since the cheating saga began several years ago.

After the apology, Armstrong met with advisers and his legal team before going face-to-face with Oprah at a nearby hotel.

Hulk Hogan claims the Laser Spine Institute in Florida is a total sham ... and it's doctors DUPED him into undergoing multiple bogus procedures that were completely useless and damaged his career to the tune of $50 MILLION ... this according to a new lawsuit.

Hogan filed the suit in Pinellas-Pasco Circuit Court, claiming he turned to the LSI in 2009 when he seeking treatment for multiple lumbar spinal abnormalities including scoliosis and multiple bulging discs.

In his suit, Hogan claims he fell for a sales pitch which masqueraded as "medical advice" and allowed the LSI to perform multiple surgeries on his back.

Hogan claims the procedures actually made him feel worse in the long run -- and blames the institute for not advising him that the laser treatment is only a temporary solution, not a permanent one.

Hogan claims he eventually had to undergo major back surgery with a different set of doctors -- and they actually fixed his back.

Now, Hogan says he wants LSI to pay for screwing him up -- and for causing him to miss out on employment opportunities in the entertainment world that would have netted him tens of millions of dollars.

And to add insult to injury, Hulk says LSI used his name and image to promote their business without his permission.

He's suing for more than $50 mil in damages. So far, no comment from LSI.

The LSI released a statement saying they "acknowledge" the filing of the lawsuit ... but add, "To protect patient privacy as well as the legal process, we do not discuss the details of litigation matters."

Kobe and Vanessa Bryant launched their reconciliation tour last night by hitting up the Warner Bros. Golden Globes after-party together ... just a few days after Vanessa called off the split.

The on-again, off-again, on-again couple announced last week they were pulling the plug on their divorce, which seemed like a foregone conclusion after they were seen together at the 12-12-12 concert and on New Year's Eve.

Rebounding has always been a strength of Kobe's game.

Plaxico Burress is thanking his lucky stars an NFL team picked him up because he's using that freshly earned green to pay off a debt to Uncle Sam ... to the tune of $100,000.

A federal tax lien was filed against Plaxico and his wife last year, claiming the duo failed to pay income taxes for the years 2007 and 2009. All totaled, they owed $98,064.76.

Plaxico didn't sign with an NFL team until late in the season. But once he did, he was finally able to pay off the lien, which the IRS officially released on January 8.

As TMZ previously reported ... the no-longer-unemployed football star has been racking up the bills lately ... he still owes $159,000 from a car accident lawsuit and another $59k for alleged unpaid taxes to the State of NY.

Michael Phelps is a 27-year-old, newly-single Olympic hero ... so it should be surprising to no one that he's flirting with hot chicks less than two weeks after his break up.

As TMZ first reported, Phelps split from the super-hot Megan Rossee just before the New Year.

According to our sources, Phelps (still sporting the porn stache) was hanging poolside on Friday, smoking cigars with his friends and macking on the girl in the yellow shirt.

Lance Armstrong is gearing up to admit that he was doping throughout his illustrious cycling career ... and he will make the admission to Oprah Winfrey this week ... so says a new report.

Armstrong will not go into great detail, says USA Today, but will make the admission during an interview that tapes Monday and airs on Thursday.

The seven-time Tour de France winner has adamantly denied any wrongdoing for years, often attacking anyone who accused him.