TMZ Sports - Page 50

Former NFL running back Lorenzo Booker shocked college scouts back in 2002 when he bailed on Notre Dame to play for Florida State ... and now TMZ Sports has learned, it was all about chasing tail.

Booker -- who was widely considered the #1 high school running back in the country -- had his pick of college programs back in the day ... and, after making a verbal commitment to play for the Irish, he stunned everyone by announcing he was going to FSU on live TV.

And now Lorenzo tells us why he had the sudden change of heart ... the girls at ND are just flat out ugly and the girls at FSU are a bunch of tan smoke shows. Basically, it was a no-brainer.

Case in point ... that blonde chick who left the club with Johnny Manziel this weekend is an FSU alum. See the proof below ..

Ex-NFL star Takeo Spikes is famous for an unusually large part of his body ... and he tells TMZ Sports, the ladies go crazy when they get their hands around it.

The former Auburn linebacker was at the LASEC event in the Pasadena Convention Center ... and we asked him just how big his enormous, veiny neck really is.

Spike told us it's about 20 in. around ... and if you're feeling a little self-conscious, Takeo says he's thinking about making a self-improvement video so you can increase your size too.

Antonio Cromartie tells TMZ Sports ... rumors be damned, he has no plans to leave the NY Jets anytime soon ... and wants to stay on the team for the rest of his career.

There have been rumblings that Gang Green is set to release the 29-year-old defensive star because his salary is just getting way too high (he's set to make $15 mil next year).

But Cromartie -- who was in L.A. to watch FSU play for a BCS title -- says the team hasn't sent him packing yet ... telling us, "Until I'm told otherwise, I'm a Jet until my career's over with."

Johnny Manziel hasn't officially declared for the NFL draft -- but he's definitely looking like an NFL superstar after bagging TWO chicks at a Hollywood nightclub! We got the video that proves Johnny Football is ready to turn pro.

Plus, if Jameis Winston wins the BCS National Championship tonight -- thank the burgers. Is In-N-Out the best pre-game meal? There's evidence fast food actually works.

Johnny Manziel hit the clubs in L.A. last night to party with some Florida State alums ... but the real story is that he went home with TWO super hot chicks ... and TMZ Sports has the footage.

The Texas A&M quarterback was leaving an FSU alumni event at Emerson nightclub in Hollywood Sunday night ... and on his way out, he talked to our guy about the BCS title game.

And while Manziel was mum when asked if he's going pro (even though it's obvious), there was one more topic he addressed -- his teammates.

As we previously reported, Johnny jetted to Miami the day after his Bowl victory to party with Drake ... and there are people who are saying Johnny's fast exit shows he was never that committed to his teammates in the first place.

But Manziel says that's all BS -- saying, "I love my teammates ... always and forever."

As for Johnny's lady friends ... no word on who they are ... but dude, nice work.

8:49 AM PT -- Turns out one of the women partying with Johnny is a model named Lauren, who's been featured on BarStoolSports.com.

Yeah, she's attractive ...

Bet you didn't know ... Taylor Hicks was booked to perform at a BCS Championship pre-game event today.

Bet you ALSO didn't know ... the guy almost missed his flight due to a national weather crisis that's grounding planes across the country.

But the most shocking part ... Hicks says the only reason he was able to catch a flight is because he has super powerful airline connections that pulled some strings for him.

So, in conclusion ... Taylor Hicks still has star power.

Paulina Gretzky has some great genes -- and she was putting them all on display while on vacation in Hawaii yesterday ... rocking a tiny yellow bikini and showing off a whole lot of ass.

The Great One's progeny showed off her slamming body while sporting a Acacia bikini in Lahaina, HI ... where she's vacationing while her pro-golfer fiance -- Dustin Johnson -- plays in the Hyundai Tournament of Champions.

Of course, Dustin found some time to get away from the links to spend a little quality time with his woman ... because ... well ... wouldn't you?

Evander Holyfield may think homosexuality is wrong ... but his son says the heavyweight boxer's got nothing but love for gays -- and even had a great relationship with a gay in-law.

Ewin Holyfield tells TMZ ... Evander is no bigot -- despite being bashed for expressing his opinion on homosexuality during last night's "Celebrity Big Brother" in the UK.

Ewin says, "My dad is the most loving and caring person you will ever meet. He treats everyone like a human being ... even if they are homosexual."

In fact, Ewin says he has a gay uncle ... and Evander treated him like a brother.

Ewin adds, "My dad feels that being gay is a choice ... and naturally that's how things work. You cannot procreate and make a baby with two women, or two men. But at the same time, my dad is not going to judge someone for their sexual orientation."

LeBron James is a helluva shot off the court ... so say the folks at a Miami gun range, where LBJ went all Rambo with a machine gun last week, TMZ Sports has learned.

We know ... James and his wife Savannah went for a little his & hers target practice at Lock & Load Miami on New Year's Eve, where they sprayed bullets from multiple guns, including an MP5 (that's the one featured in the video).

We're told both LeBron and Savannah were "very good shots" ... but LeBron had a slightly better aim.

Gun range staff tells TMZ ... LeBron was assigned a specialist to help him on the range -- and the guy is a legit badass ... an ex-police officer who's currently a military reservist.

Mr. and Mrs. James spent roughly two hours firing weapons ... and we're told they were very cool to fans, signing autographs and taking pictures.

No one was harmed in the making of this post.

The Southern Illinois University basketball team was forced to think on their sins after getting crushed by Illinois State last night ... 'cause they had to take refuge in a CHURCH after their bus broke down in the snow, TMZ Sports has learned.

The team bus got stuck on I-57 on its way back to Carbondale, Ill. ... after attempting to make the 248 mi trip back home in a blizzard.

We're told the team tried to tough it out and sleep on the bus for the night ... but the freezing cold temperatures made it impossible to get any rest.

Luckily, a tow truck was finally able to drag them to a local church ... after the team spent 6 HOURS waiting on the bus.

The SIU players were forced to snuggle up on the floor between the pews in the church house ... which was already packed to the brim with stranded travelers.

All this came after a historically bad loss to Illinois State ... where the 4-11 Salukis put up a measly 17 second half points (just two short of the school record low).

The big-breasted bombshell who partied it up with Johnny Manziel last night is smoking hot for a reason -- TMZ Sports has learned, she sells marijuana for a living.

Model Lauren Hanley recently posted a photo from her day job on Instagram, showing off some fat nugs from The Root Cellar, a weed dispensary located in Sherman Oaks ... and she really seems to like the work, writing, "Come visit me at work! Best collective in Los Angeles!"

Our weed sources tell us Lauren's only been in the pot game for roughly a month ... but she's already become one of the dispensary's best employees.

As we reported, Lauren got down with Manziel last night at an FSU event in Hollywood and left with him and another girl in a car.

#Nofilter

Flo Rida wanted his youth football team to take on the Snoop Dogg All-Stars so bad ... he flew his entire squad out to L.A. yesterday for the first annual "Flo Rida Youth Snooper Bowl," TMZ Sports has learned.

The pee-wee football battle went down at L.A. Southwest College ... after Flo shelled out to fly his group of +75 kids -- plus coaches and staff -- from Florida to L.A..

We're told both teams ended up winning trophies in different age groups ... and after the event, Flo took his kids for a tour of the city before heading home.

We're told the rappers also put together a tribute for Trayvon Martin.

In the end, we're told it was a great experience and both Snoop and Flo considered it a rousing success.

Ultimately, Flo's team stayed in L.A. for 3 days. We're told next year it will be Snoop's turn to fly his team to Miami

Football -- gotta love it.

Robert Griffin III's recovery seems to be going well ... 'cause the Washington Redskins QB is stomping around the beaches of Hawaii with his smokin' hot wife.

Since his team didn't make the NFL playoffs, RG3 and his wife Rebecca jetted to the islands for a little R&R ... even playing a little grab-ass on the sand.

Of course, Robert was benched toward the end of the season to avoid re-injuring his already tender left knee.

Ex-UFC fighter Tito Ortiz was arrested for DUI in L.A. this morning after crashing his Porsche on the 405 Freeway ... TMZ Sports has learned.

Law enforcement sources tell us ... the 38-year-old crashed his 2012 Porsche Panamera into a concrete median around 4AM.

Cops performed field sobriety tests on Tito ... and we're told he blew a .12 on the breathalyzer ... more than .08 legal limit in California.

We're told Tito had two passengers in his car at the time of the crash.

Earlier in the evening, Tito was partying at a BCS Football party at the Playboy Mansion.

Ortiz was hauled to a nearby station where he was booked and bond was set at $15k.

Tito was released on his own recognizance at 8:14 AM.

With the BCS National Championship game tonight in L.A., Florida State QB Jameis Winston prepared his body with a solid pregame meal ... a DELICIOUS In N Out burger!!

Famous Jameis and the rest of the Seminoles spent most of their Sunday at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, where they posed for photos, signed autographs and hung out with fans.

They also ATE like crazy ... 'cause the In-N-Out truck was on the premises handing out Double Doubles to everyone on the team.

Sources at the stadium tell TMZ Sports Jameis was very cool to everyone ... couldn't have been nicer ... and took a bag of chips to go along with his burger.

An MMA fighter from New Mexico is being hailed as a hero after fighting off 4 men who tried to break into his home ... killing one of the bad guys in the process.

According to police, the 4 men went looking for 27-year-old lightweight Joe Torrez on New Year's Day after an altercation on New Year's Eve.

When the men arrived to Joe's home, Torrez was inside with his fiancee, son and his fiancee’s sister.

According to cops, the guys tried to force their way inside the home ... so Torrez unleashed the fury.

Cops say ... someone in the house called 911 and when authorities arrived, they found one of the men suffering from multiple stab wounds to the torso and blunt force trauma to the head. The man died at the scene.

Another one of the bad guys was transported to a nearby hospital with "severe facial injuries."

The other 2 men arrested a short time later and all 3 survivors are facing a whole bunch of charges including aggravated burglary, conspiracy to commit aggravated battery and criminal damage to property.

FYI -- Torrez is a 155-pound lightweight fighter with a record of one win and five losses.