TMZ Sports - Page 50

Michael Sam should be hailed as a hero in the gay community ... even though his football career is in the crapper -- so says activist Esera Tuaolo, the first NFL player to come out after retirement.

"Sugar" Shane Mosley is power-dialing his travel agent right now to get on a flight to Miami ... in a last ditch effort to take down Don King in court -- and save his comeback fight.

TMZ Sports has learned Mosley got bad news from Wednesday's hearing in a Miami federal court -- where King is trying to shut down Mosley's Aug. 29 bout with Ricardo Mayorga. Shane is not only the main event, he's also promoting the fight -- but King claims Mayorga is still one of his fighters.

Our Mosley sources say after today's hearing … Shane is looking to jump on a red-eye in order to make it to Miami in time to get in front of the judge Thursday.

Should be interesting -- we're told the hirsute one will also be in court.

Iggy Azalea is talking so much smack about Nick Young and his teammates ... you'd think she and Swaggy had been married for 30 years already.

Steph Curry is one of the true nice guys in the NBA ... but warning to any fans who get too close for comfort -- he has no problem putting you on blast.

BSO called out a tweet from the league MVP ... who got pissed when someone hounded him on a freeway.

Curry has been on cloud nine for months -- winning the NBA Championship, the MVP award, and the birth of a baby girl -- but this little run-in quickly brought him back down to reality.

Unclear if he contacted police over this incident, but it sounds like he's ready to do so, if necessary.

This is how bad Tiger Woods' golf game has gotten -- even NBA stars are trashing him ... playfully, we think.

Chris Paul was partnered with Woods during the Wyndham Pro-Am in North Carolina on Wednesday -- and as Chris lined up a putt, he asked Tiger for advice.

Woods admitted ... if this were a real PGA tourney he would take a safe, less spectacular shot -- and that confession did NOT sit well with CP3. You gotta hear how he ripped into Tiger.

Kinda hysterical, and very true.

Tom Brady is getting chopped down to size by famed 'Watergate' journalist Carl Bernstein ... who says the Patriots QB can't hold a candle to Richard Nixon.

Beer pong, one of America's greatest frat pastimes, has found its MVP because the guy in this video is easily its Michael Jordan.

His name ... unknown. How he mastered the craft of flying through the air and dunking into a small little cup ... a mystery. Yet, he lands ... unscathed with his head only inches from the ground after a back-bending flip.

He is a professional ... and we tip our hats and Solo cups.

Aaron Hernandez just got a glimmer of hope he could get a new trial -- a judge is compelling a tipster to come forward and testify about allegations one of the jurors in the murder case was biased.

Famous Italian cyclist Vittorio Brumotti was viciously attacked by 3 men during a ride -- and although the suspects escaped, he's trying to downplay the whole brutal incident.

Brumotti suffered nasty facial injuries during the attack which went down while he was cycling in Northern Italy. According to reports, the attackers were identified as Albanians ... something Brumotti considers a sensitive issue.

After posting a pic of his battered and bruised face, and made a plea for fans to avoid turning this into a reason to hate foreigners.

One of Vittorio's friends shot video of the aftermath, and you can see he's totally out of it. Vittorio says he's going to need surgery.

Brumotti is a serious badass in the cycling world ... who holds several Guinness Book records.

9:00 PM PT -- The UFC says a third party law firm has opened an investigation into Johnson's gym incident. For what it's worth ... he eventually deleted the original FB rant, and apologized.

He was suspended last year after the mother of his children accused him of abuse, and he plead no contest to a 2010 domestic violence charge.

Do NOT do yoga in UFC fighter Anthony "Rumble" Johnson's gym -- the guy just went OFF on a woman who did ... throwing her yoga mat, saying she's built like a "bag of dry dog food" and making her cry.

Johnson, a light heavyweight, apparently had a nasty run-in with the woman ... telling her, "To the ugly girl in the gym ... if you get in my way or any other athlete again I'll throw your yoga mat across the gym AGAIN."

Johnson's menacing FB post continues ... "Who in their right mind stretches where ppl are suppose to lift? You need more than stretching to help that beat up body." It appears the woman burst into tears and complained to the front desk ... and Johnson ripped her for that too.

"Rowdy" Roddy Piper died from a blood clot in his lungs ... TMZ has learned.

We've obtained a copy of the death certificate, which shows the wrestling legend had pulmonary embolism (a blood clot) that triggered a heart attack.

The death certificate helps explain the clot ... Roddy suffered from hypertension for years, resulting in chronic high blood pressure. Clotting can occur as a result of high blood pressure.

And the document reminds everyone how much of a force Roddy was in his profession ... his occupation is listed as "PROFESSIONAL WRESTLER ... 45 YEARS."

Dallas Cowboys and St. Louis Rams players are already in playoff form -- squaring off in a sidelines-clearing brawl that included Dez Bryant taking what he calls a "cheap shot" to the face.

The husband of UFC Octagon girl Brittney Palmer just got a HUGE break ... he won't be prosecuted for allegedly brutalizing her so badly he was arrested for attempted murder.

Aaron Zalewski allegedly choked Brittney within an inch of her life after an argument over a cell phone. She says he overheard her talking to a casting agent who called her "babe" and he went berserk.

Law enforcement sources tell us, Aaron Zalewski will not be charged with a crime. The L.A. City Attorney will hold an informal meeting with the two. If he owns what he did and shows contrition, he won't be prosecuted. The City Attorney could force him into anger management in return for dropping the case.

One string will stay attached ... if he does it again before the statute of limitations runs out, the City Attorney would have the right to file charges.

Richard Jefferson likely dropped some of his new Cleveland Cavaliers dough on a craps table in Las Vegas, where he was hanging with his ex-teammate Luke Walton -- and hauling in the chips.

Vegas sources tell TMZ Sports the former U of A Wildcats were doing some serious high rolling at Aria last weekend ... wagering anywhere between $600 and $1,000 on each roll. We're told Luke walked away with about $20k in winnings, and Richard did even better.

Talk about a great guys' weekend -- we got video of the duo boarding a Southwest flight for Vegas, and they told us the real reason for the trip ... their fantasy football draft.

Jefferson's got a good shot at his first NBA championship after signing with LeBron and the Cavs -- and, of course, Walton just won his 3rd title (as a Golden State asst. coach). But sounds like all the weekend smack talk was about their FF championship.

Rihanna needs to check herself -- and her smartphone -- 'cause she damn well has Matt Barnes' digits ... at least according to Matt's old teammate.

Glen "Big Baby" Davis jumped to Matt's defense today in the dispute over just how much of an item RiRi and MB are, or were ... before Matt told us they were "just past the crush stage."

Davis was on ESPN's "His & Hers" and told Jemele Hill and Michael Smith .... "He REALLY knows her." Now, did he mean that in the biblical sense? Check out the clip.

Republican presidential candidate Marco Rubio is losing ground in the polls -- and this video won't help ... not with the diehard football fans.

Rubio was tossing the pigskin with some kids in Iowa -- where every other candidate is hanging this week -- and let's just say he needs to work on his spiral ... or get Odell Beckham Jr. as his running mate.

He made it near impossible for the poor kid going out for the pass -- although, in Rubio's defense ... it did hit him in the hands. Awkwardly.