TMZ Sports - Page 50

Manti Te'o has been the butt of jokes since the fake-dead-girlfriend hoax was revealed this week ... but now even an NHL team is getting in on the act.

The Dallas Stars flashed an empty seat on the big screen during their opening night game on Saturday, with the caption, "Manti Te'o's girlfriend -- Welcome to the game!"

Former NBA star Allen Iverson finally struck a deal in his bitter divorce battle with his estranged wife and all it took was a cool $3 MILLION to bury the hatchet, TMZ has learned.

We're told Iverson and Tawanna -- who married way back in 2001 -- informed a judge last week they had reached a financial settlement outside of court in their ongoing divorce case ... just days before the two were set to go to trial.

Sources connected with the couple tell TMZ ... as part of the deal, the NBA legend agreed to pay Tawanna $3 million, paid out as a large lump sum. We're told Iverson also agreed to fork over various assets and a percentage of his future Reebok endorsement deal checks. He'll pay up child support payments for the duo's five kids.

On the bright side for Iverson, we're told he scored the couple's GA mansion (which is currently facing foreclosure ... so not so bright) and gets to keep his primo ride, a Maybach, as well as other personal belongings.

Count Matthew McConaughey among those who were upset to learn Lance Armstrong had been lying all these years about doping ... saying he was mad at his close friend, but then eventually felt sad for him.

McConaughey and Armstrong have been BFFs for years -- both call Austin, TX home and the two have been known to work out together often.

But McConaughey says he was as surprised as anyone when Lance came clean, saying he took the news personally at first, but realized it was wrong to do so.

He told MTV News, "What was he supposed to do? Call me to the side and go, 'Hey man, I did it but don't tell anybody.' Then I would have really had a reason to be pissed off at him, going, 'You want me to walk around holding this?'"

Colin Kaepernick's meteoric rise hasn't just been great for the 49ers ... it's also been HUGE for his longtime tattoo artist ... who tells TMZ business has exploded ever since the inked up QB led SF into the playoffs.

We spoke with tat artist Nes Andrion -- who's been working on Colin for years at his shop in Reno where CK played his college ball.

Andrion tells us ... ever since Colin started winning games in November -- when starting QB Alex Smith got a concussion -- customers have been pouring in, asking for 49ers-themed ink.

Nes tells us, "People come in and ask if I am the artist that does Colin’s tattoos, and ask when I think I am going to tattoo him again.”

Nes adds, “People want to get their tattoos done by the same artist as Colin Kaepernick."

According to Nes, Colin will be coming back in the off-season to finish his enormous angel-demon-themed chest piece.

It's pretty hilarious though, considering Nes is a proud Patriots fan -- but now that Colin's winning, he secretly hopes the 49ers can bring home the Lombardi trophy this year.

"To be honest I want [Colin] to take it even though the Pats are my team. He puts money in my pocket."

Bode Miller's wife, volleyball champ Morgan Beck, is no longer pregnant ... announcing on Twitter that she lost the baby this weekend.

Morgan announced the miscarriage Saturday, tweeting "Pretty hard morning. We lost the baby. Pretty broken hearted, but getting through it."

FYI -- Morgan and Bode married in October and only recently announced the pregnancy in December.

Manti Te'o has broken his silence ... admitting he knew having a relationship with a "girlfriend" solely online was "crazy," insisting he was a victim, and revealing that the culprit has now apologized.

Manti gave an audio interview to ESPN -- the photo was taken in the middle of the chat -- in which he acknowledges Ronaiah Tuiasosopo tweeted him a full confession two days ago. You gotta love it ... even the confession was online. ESPN says it was followed up by a phone call.

Manti says, "I wasn't faking it. I wasn't part of this."

Manti says he now knows -- presumably from Tuiasosopo -- "Two guys and a girl are responsible for the whole thing." He says he doesn't know the identity of the second guy or the girl. He adds he didn't know for sure until Wednesday that it was all a hoax, when Tuiasosopo admitted it to him.

Manti explained why he lied to his dad and others, when he said or intimated he had seen the fictitious Lennay Kekua in the flesh. "I knew that -- I even knew that it was crazy that I was with somebody that I didn't meet, and that alone people find out that this gir who died I was so invested in, and I didn't meet her as well ... So I kind of tailored my stories to have people think that, yeah, he met her before she passed away so people wouldn't think I was some crazy dude."

As for one of the big questions -- why didn't he at least Skype -- he says he tried to speak with Lennay through Skype or FaceTime several times, but the person on the other end was in a "black box" and couldn't be seen. He says he also tried meeting her a few times in L.A. and Hawaii, but she kept canceling.

And this is a little weird ... Manti says Lennay once asked him for his checking account number so she could send him money. He did not provide it. Still, no suspicion.

Manti says the fictitious relationship was not a full four years -- they would take breaks, but it got intense after she said her father had died.

He says things got crazy after Lennay's fake car accident when she was in the hospital, and he could only hear her breathing over the phone -- "I slept on the phone with her every night ...the only thing that could help her sleep was if I was on the phone."

As for why he didn't visit her in the hospital, he says, "It never really crossed my mind. I don't know. I was in school."

As for why he didn't attend her "funeral," he says, "Her mom told them [Lennay's family] they did not want me to come," adding, "I didn't want that to be the first time that I saw her was laying in a coffin."

Manti says on December 6 -- three months after Lennay had supposedly died -- a woman called from the number Lennay had used, saying, "Manti, it's me." He says that was the first time it was apparent to him -- he had been scammed.

Stan Musial -- the Hall of Fame outfielder who played for the St. Louis Cardinals for 22 seasons -- passed away today. He was 92.

The Cardinals announced Musial's passing in a press release. He died Saturday evening at his home in Ladue, Mo., surrounded by family.

Musial won seven National League batting titles, three MVP awards and led the Cardinals to three World Series championships in the 1940s.

Manti Te'o says he's the victim in an outrageous catfishing hoax -- or is he? We gotta ask ...

Manti Te'o is telling close friends he was so badly scarred by the Internet hoax, he doesn't think he can ever trust people again ... TMZ has learned.

Manti is telling his friends he was not only victimized by the person behind the phantom GF, he lost his real girlfriend as a result of the mess.

TMZ broke the story ... Manti started dating 21-year-old Alexandra del Pilar in early November and really liked her. But when Manti realized on December 6 he'd been played -- and he believes by Ronaiah Tuiasosopo -- he became a different person.

Our sources say Manti became "freaked out, angry, upset and withdrawn," and Alexandra couldn't handle it. And we're told ... Alexandra was dealing with a lot, because Manti let her in on his secret that he had been scammed.

We're told Alexandra pulled the plug on the relationship just before the story broke wide. Manti harbors no hard feelings and is sorry the relationship crumbled.

As for the future, we're told Manti's trust in people has been shattered and -- at least for now -- he doesn't think that trust will come back.

Earl Weaver, the Hall of Fame manager of the Baltimore Orioles, passed away early this morning of an apparent heart attack. He was 82.

Weaver, according to reports, was aboard an Orioles fantasy cruise in the Caribbean when he collapsed in his room at around 2:00 AM. Doctors were unable to revive him.

As manager of the O's from 1968-1986, Weaver won six division titles, four American League pennants, five 100-win and one World Series championship. His nickname was "The Earl of Baltimore."

There's about to be a shrimp shortage in the Gulf Coast region ... because TMZ has learned the menu for Super Bowl XLVII includes 10,000 POUNDS of Gulf shrimp on hand for your noshing pleasure.

TMZ obtained the Cajun-inspired Super Bowl menu from the folks at Centerplate and it is MASSIVE:

-- 18,000 pounds of smoked pork
-- 10,000 pounds of Gulf Shrimp
-- 3,000 pounds of alligator sausage
-- 1,200 gallons of chicken piquant
-- 700 gallons of traditional Cajun gumbo
-- 440 gallons of red beans & 6,000 pounds of rice
-- 70,000 Tums tablets (ok, that's just a guess)

In order to pull of the giant feast, we're told Centerplate had to enlist over 100 chefs and 1,000 service staff.

Bode Miller is a pro ... at insemination ... 'cause the recently married Olympic Champ just filed two separate paternity lawsuits with two separate baby mamas -- this right after knocking up his own wife.

According to legal docs, here's how the baby-drama breaks down ...

Baby Mama Suit #1: Bode filed a petition against a woman named Sara McKenna -- who is CURRENTLY pregnant -- claiming he's the soon-to-be father. He's seeking joint legal and physical custody of the kid. He says the date of conception ... is unknown.

Baby Mama Suit #2: Bode filed against a woman named Chanel Johnson, claiming he's the father of her 4-year-old girl. He's asking the court establish joint and physical custody, and child support payments.

FYI ... Bode married Morgan Beck -- the same chick he hit in the eye with a golf ball -- in October 2012 and she recently announced her pregnancy ... with a due date set for August 2013.

San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Michael Crabtree was questioned by police as part of a sexual assault investigation, but he was not detained or arrested.

Police said the alleged assault took place in a hotel room early last Sunday following the 49ers' playoff victory over the Green Bay Packers. Crabtree was interviewed with his attorney present and police say he has cooperated with the probe.

A rep for the team released a statement, saying, "The 49ers take such matters very seriously. We will have no further comment at this time as the legal process is ongoing."

John Cena has a HUGE problem with his stuffed doppelganger ... telling TMZ he spied a major error on his official WWE "Brawlin' Buddies" doll.

The wrestling superstar was out at LAX this week ... chatting with fans ... signing pics ... and of course autographing his wildly popular "Brawlin' Buddies" doll -- manufactured by Mattel -- when suddenly, John noticed something was remiss.

Linda Hogan's "I only had one glass of champagne" excuse isn't flying with officials ... 'cause TMZ has learned she's officially been charged with DUI stemming from her October arrest.

TMZ broke the story ... Linda was popped for DUI in Malibu after cops say she was speeding around town with a blood alcohol level of .084 ... just over the legal limit in CA.

At the time, a rep for Linda said Linda had only sucked down one glass of champagne at a jewelry event that night ... on an empty stomach ... but she also had taken antibiotics, which exacerbated the effects of the alcohol.

Now, the L.A. County District Attorney has charged Linda with 2 misdemeanor counts of DUI. She was also hit with one count of driving on a suspended license -- also a misdemeanor.

All told, she could face up to 18 months in jail ... though it's unlikely she'll spend any time behind bars since she has no prior DUI convictions.

Lance Armstrong and Manti Te'o ... two men dominating the sports headlines for all the wrong reasons. One for cheating ... and one for dating a dead person who never really existed.

Question is ...