TMZ Sports - Page 50

Alex Rodriguez caught a major break in his war with the MLB -- a judge will NOT hold his publicist in contempt of court for refusing to testify in A-Rod's steroid case ... TMZ Sports has learned.

As we previously reported ... A-Rod's high-powered publicist -- Michael Sitrick -- has been fighting tooth and nail to avoid flying from LA to NYC to testify ... so the MLB wanted the court to slap him with daily fines for being dodgy.

The judge said no dice on Friday ... ruling that holding Sitrick in contempt would be "unseemly" and "inappropriate" while he is appealing baseball's demand for him to testify.

Sitrick's attorney tells TMZ Sports, "We never believed there was any basis for a contempt motion, and we're pleased the court saw it our way."

The decision means Sitrick might avoid taking the stand, because by the time his appeal is sorted out ... A-Rod's fight to get his suspension dropped could be decided.

Peyton Manning is one step closer to JUSTICE ... 'cause Denver cops have arrested the two men suspected of robbing the QB's Papa John's restaurant at gunpoint last month ... TMZ Sports has learned.

Law enforcement sources tell TMZ ... 29-year-old Derrick Ervin and his older brother Jeremy Ervin were taken into custody last week ... after investigators connected them to the Nov. 17 robbery at Peyton's Denver-area pizza joint.

We broke the story ... 2 men entered the pizza joint with guns and demanded cash from the workers while the Denver Broncos were playing the Kansas City Chiefs.

We're told ... police believe the suspects are a criminal duo nicknamed the "Milli Vanilli Bandits" ... a duo suspected of robbing more than a dozen restaurants and other small businesses in the area.

The duo got the nickname because they bare a slight resemblance to the disgraced lip-synchers.

After months of silence, Jameis Winston is personally defending himself on TV ... saying, "I just know I did nothing wrong."

The FSU quarterback went on SportsCenter this afternoon and was asked how he felt about the accuser's lawyer addressing the media this morning and claiming the rape investigation was botched from the start.

Jameis played dumb ... saying, "I have no idea what's going on down there. I just know I did nothing wrong."

He continued, "I have a smile on my face, I’m just glad the whole thing is over."

Bruce Jenner is flattening his Adam's Apple ... TMZ has learned.

Sources familiar with the situation tell TMZ ... the Olympian met with a Beverly Hills plastic surgeon today for a consultation for a procedure called a Laryngeal Shave -- which smooths out the Adam's Apple.

The procedure is typically done on patients who are in the first stage of gender reassignment, but Bruce tells TMZ that is NOT the case with him. He says, "I just never liked my trachea."

We know this is Bruce's second visit to the office.

The doctor took photographs today and sources tell us surgery has been scheduled for early next year, but Bruce insists no surgery has been set yet -- it was just a consultation.

We got video (below) of Bruce earlier today leaving the doctor's office.

5:10PM PDT: Jenner just called TMZ and wanted to add this ... He says he initially went to the plastic surgeon because the basal cell carcinoma that was removed from his nose in September left a large scar that didn't heal well. He wanted plastic surgery for his nose, and says while he was there he consulted the doc on the Laryngeal Shave.

Georges St-Pierre just OFFICIALLY relinquished his title as reigning UFC welterweight champion ... after stepping away from the sport to handle all sorts of issues in his personal life.

The move comes roughly 1 month after GSP defended his title at UFC 167 -- where he made a cryptic announcement about his problems outside the octagon.

TMZ Sports broke the story ... GSP knocked up a woman in Canada and she wants to keep the baby ... and the issue has been driving GSP crazy.

GSP's father is also sick ... and it's derailed him.

Today, GSP made it official ... saying he's stepping away from the sport indefinitely ... saying, "I need to have a normal life for a bit."

He said, "I believe one day I will come back ... I can't put myself through another training camp right now. I don't want to make anybody wait."

Tom Brady doesn't give a CRAP about what his wife thinks when it comes to football ... admitting he IGNORES HER OPINIONS because she doesn't know what she's talking about.

Brady dropped the bombshell during an interview with Jim Gray on WestwoodOne Sports radio Thursday night ... saying lots of people in his life bombard him with opinions about his on-the-field performance, including Gisele, but "none of those opinions matter."

Jim, like most husbands, was in shock at the statement ... saying, "You ignore [your wife's opinion]? You're the only husband in the world that can do that."

Brady retorted -- "I'm sure there's a few others too ... sometimes they speak out of school a little bit."

Jameis Winston's FSU teammate Chris Casher BROKE THE LAW by secretly videotaping Jameis and the accuser engaged in a sex act without her knowledge ... and he admitted it to police ... so says the accuser's attorney.

The accuser's attorney Patricia Carroll clams Casher -- a defensive end for the Florida State football team -- told investigators (on tape) that he was at the apartment on the night of the alleged rape and secretly recorded parts of the sexual encounter on his phone.

He also told investigators he later DELETED the video.

Carroll says ... in the State of Florida, it's ILLEGAL to record someone who's not aware of it. She says the fact he deleted the video is destruction of evidence.

Carroll says she's PISSED at State Officials because they did NOTHING to recognize the pattern of illegal activity committed by Casher.

As we reported, Carroll believes the case was entirely mishandled and wants the Attorney General to investigate just about every agency involved.

The officials who investigated the Jameis Winston rape case NEVER TESTED THE ACCUSER'S BLOOD FOR RAPE DRUGS ... so says the accuser's attorney.

The attorney, Patricia Carroll, just TRASHED investigators in her first public news conference ... saying investigators completely bungled the case and sabotaged her client in the media.

Among Carroll's allegations -- she claims the State Attorney failed to interview key witnesses. She also claims the accuser's blood was never tested for rape drugs.

Carroll says the state is still in possession of the blood -- and doesn't understand why officials didn't run it through the proper testing.

Carroll also claims officials never released the correct medical records to the media, which show the accuser suffered several injuries from the incident ... including pain in her lower back, sore muscles, and an injury to her foot. Carroll says the accuser was prescribed prescription medication for her pain.

Of course, the State Attorney ultimately decided NOT to pursue charges against the Florida State QB.

Carroll says, "If this doesn’t strongly ring as an investigation of a rape victim, instead of a rape suspect ... then I don’t know what it is."

Carroll says she wants Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi to launch an investigation into the State Attorney and the Talahassee PD.

Marlon Wayans believes Bruce Jenner's laryngeal shave is the first step toward becoming a woman -- but he's moving too slow -- telling Bruce, "Just get the breasts" already!!"

We broke the story, Bruce already consulted a plastic surgeon about reducing the size of his adam's apple -- though Bruce insists it's NOT the first step of gender reassignment, it's just because he doesn't like the way his throat looks.

Still, Marlon ain't buyin' Bruce's explanation -- and on his way out a "What the Funny" event he told us, "I think slowly but surely he's been turning himself into a woman all these years."

"Why don't Bruce Jenner just go and get the titties now ... just get the breasts."

Jameis Winston's accuser claims she didn't realize the man who (allegedly) raped her was the Florida State QB until she HAD A CLASS WITH HIM the following semester ... so says one of her closet friends.

As we previously reported, the accuser told cops she didn't know the identity of her alleged assailant immediately following the Dec. 2012 incident ... only that he was an FSU football player.

But last month, the accuser's good friend and confidant Monique Kessler told investigators (under oath) that the accuser connected the dots when she went back to school the semester following the incident.

According to Monique, "[The accuser] went to one of her classes and she made direct eye contact with [Jameis], and he looked in shock, and so did she."

Monique says, "She said she just knew right then it was him – and listened for them to call roll in class. [She] listened to him say [his name]."

After that ... the accuser says she went back to police and fingered Jameis as the man who raped her. She dropped out of school a short time later.

Ultimately, Winston was never charged with a crime -- when investigators decided they didn't have enough evidence to get a conviction.

He can barely walk, but Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski says his obliterated knee won't keep him from appearing in the upcoming "Entourage" movie.

TMZ Sports spoke with Gronk's entertainment manager Henry Penzi who tells us ... despite the fact he tore the MCL and ACL in his right knee last weekend, the NFL star is still excited for his big screen cameo. As we previously reported, Gronk will be playing himself in the flick.

We're told Gronk is scheduled to shoot his scene in February -- roughly 2-and-a-half months into his recovery. Usually, it takes about a year to heal from Gronk's injury (unless you're Adrian Peterson).

Tiger Woods' half-brother was arrested in Arizona on Thursday after officials say he called up the government building where he works and threatened to BLOW IT UP ... TMZ Sports has learned.

58-year-old Earl Dennison Woods Jr. -- who has the same father as Tiger -- allegedly called in a bomb threat to the Arizona Department of Economic Security office in Phoenix around 8:30 AM.

Security evacuated the building and conducted a search -- and during the search, Earl allegedly admitted he made the call ... but said it was supposed to be a joke.

Ha. Ha.

Officials weren't laughing and Woods was arrested and booked on suspicion of use of an electronic communication device to terrify, intimidate, threaten or harass.

VP Joe Biden broke the news to us ... he and Pres. Obama don't exchange Christmas gifts -- but they do exchange some pretty cool birthday gifts ... and it's all about golf.

Plus, sexy Olympic hurdler Michelle Jenneke. You've seen her ridiculously hot warm up for races, but how does she look in the off-season? Umm ... judge for yourself.

Alex Rodrigez' powerhouse publicist is taking a strong stance in his fight against MLB -- accusing the league of concocting a public smear campaign ... designed to humiliate him into personally cleaning up its rampant steroid mess.

As we reported, MLB wants to hold Michael Sitrick in contempt for refusing to fly to NYC to testify in its case to suspend A-Rod for using steroids.

Sitrick had previously refused on the grounds it was inconvenient to make the 2,400-mile trip from L.A. to New York ... but now he's filed new legal docs, accusing MLB of playing extra dirty by filing the contempt request.

In the docs, Sitrick claims the contempt request was filed just to gain publicity and nationally shame him into testifying. He now insists he has the right to refuse questioning completely.

But why does MLB want Sitrick so badly? One theory is it's because the league is taking a beating in the media right now -- with reports circulating that MLB acquired steroid evidence against A-Rod through shady means -- and it wants Sitrick to make A-Rod look like the shady one instead.

The Roc was definitely in the building today when Robinson Cano signed his $240 MILLION contract -- Jay Z stood over his shoulder to make sure every last "i" was dotted on the deal that makes Jay way richer too.

Cano and his agent, aka Jigga, were surrounded by Seattle Mariners brass as he inked the contract at Safeco Field this afternoon.

The signing is the first MLB deal for Roc Nation Sports -- and Jay's cut is reportedly $12 million.