TMZ Sports - Page 50

Billy Bob Thornton is concerned about his St. Louis Cardinals ... telling us they're playing like crap lately ... and he knows why.

BBT is a die-hard Cards fan -- and even though they've won their past couple of games, Billy Bob knows they just haven't been playing good baseball lately.

Michael Sam's reality show is officially "on hold" -- after the linebacker's agent met with the Rams and realized it's a huge distraction that could seriously jeopardize his chances of making the team.

DUUUUHHHHHHHHH.

UFC superstar Mauricio "Shogun" Rua was robbed at gunpoint -- by 4 scumbags with shotguns -- during a recent trip to Brazil ... taking his car, cash and even his CLOTHES.

Rua's manager Eduardo Alonso told Brazilian media ... Rua was driving back to his hotel following a dinner with friends in Niteroi when he was stopped by 4 gun-toting bad guys.

"They took his clothes, money and his friend’s car," Alonso said ... "They said ‘I know who you are, you’re a fighter. Don’t try anything.' It was a sad situation."

"They took everything, even his shirt. He was shoeless and shirtless. Imagine a guy at his size asking for a ride in the middle of the night."

Alonso continued, "Nobody stopped to help him. He had to walk one mile to get to the police station. It was tense, but it’s all good now."

NY Jets defensive coordinator Dennis Thurman is under investigation for allegedly SLAPPING a woman at a New Jersey restaurant earlier this week ... this according to a police report obtained by TMZ Sports ... and we obtained photos taken during the heated exchange.

They're 5'6" and 125 lbs ... but the WWE's Bella Twins are a helluva lot stronger than they look -- and they've got the numbers to back it up.

TMZ Sports shot Brie (white top) and Nikki (looooow top) out in NYC yesterday when we asked what kind of weight they're pushing around in the gym.

When it comes to deadlifting, Nikki's a beast -- dropping a number that's close to TWICE her own body weight.

It makes sense, considering her BF is John Cena -- who's known for being a beast himself in the gym.

8:44 AM PT -- Wes just responded to the story ... telling Churchill Downs if they want the money back, "Get in line!"

Welker made the comment on "The Dan Patrick Show" -- explaining that he heard about the overpayment, but didn't have any sense of what he should have been paid out at the time of the transaction.

"They could have underpaid us and we wouldn't have known."

Wes Welker left the Kentucky Derby with nearby $15,000 more than he should have ... thanks to a machine malfunction ... and now Churchill Downs is demanding he give the money back, stat ... TMZ Sports has learned.

Ex-NBA star Joe Smith -- the #1 overall pick in the '95 Draft -- is spittin' hot fire at Donald Sterling ... hitting the disgraced Clippers owner with a brand new rap verse ... and TMZ Sports has the footage.

Ever since Smith called it quits from the NBA in 2011, he's been focusing on pursuing a rap career -- and even started his own label, Nova Unit Records. He's also got a rap name, "Joe Beast."

So, when we saw the former Lakers player out in L.A. yesterday -- he flexed his skills by droppin' a verse about the NBA's biggest villain ... complete with a dis involving the most famous sorcerer of all time ... and it's pretty damn awesome.

19 years after he enrolled as a freshman, NBA star Jason Terry FINALLY graduated from the University of Arizona ... and he's got the cap and gown to prove it!

Terry -- who was a general studies major during his initial 4 years in Tucson -- never got his degree before jumping to the NBA in 1999. But the 36-year-old has been taking classes in his spare time, and racked up the credits to finally get a diploma.

Terry went to his old stomping ground to participate in the graduation ceremony and tweeted, "Man 15yrs but through hard work, dedication,family support, and GODs blessing I am a College graduate."

Underneath his gown, Terry rocked the trademark UA high socks he wore during the school's championship run in 1997 -- saying, "Still superstitious."

FYI -- the average starting salary for a U of A grad is reportedly $48,400. Terry is slated to make $5.4 million next season.

Talk about a black eye for the football program ... Western Kentucky linebacker Nick Holt is sporting a big, fat shiner this morning after allegedly taking on 2 cops at a house party Wednesday morning ... and losing.

According to police, the 21-year-old was being drunk and rowdy at a house party when cops arrived -- and when officers asked him to leave, he went off ... threatening security guards and screaming at party guests.

But things REALLY got bad when Bowling Green police officers tried to take Holt into custody -- because cops say he not only resisted ... but THREW HIS BACK into one of the cops, knocking the officer into some nearby shrubs.

Another cop jumped into action and took the 6'1" linebacker to the ground face-first ... and he was eventually handcuffed. We're guessing the black eye was a result of the strong takedown.

Holt was hauled to a nearby station where he was booked for drunk in public, resisting arrest and second-degree disorderly conduct.

Donald Sterling has finally found a lawyer who will take his case ... and has fired off a letter to the NBA refusing to pay the $2.5 million fine and threatening to sue ... this according to a new report.

Sterling has hired prominent antitrust litigator Maxwell Blecher, reports SI.com, who has already sent the NBA a letter saying Sterling has done nothing wrong and that "no punishment is warranted."

The report says the letter goes on to say that Sterling will not pay the $2.5 million fine the league levied on him, which is already past due.

Sterling's lawyer, the report claims, says the embattled Los Angeles Clippers owner has not violated any article of the NBA constitution and argues that Sterling's "due process rights" have been violated by the NBA.

It was a little chilly at Staples Center last night ... just ask Rihanna.

While the Oklahoma City Thunder/Los Angeles Clippers game was the main attraction, the real show was going on in the stands ... where a braless RiRi strutted around throughout the game.

With her pink hair and a tight white tank top, she made the night more memorable than Blake Griffin and Chris Paul did.

File Under: "WR Blames QB" -- because Kevin Connolly says it's Russell Wilson's fault he broke his leg on the set of "Entourage" ... due to a bad pass!!

Kev was limping around L.A. the other night -- still recovering after the injury he suffered during a game of catch with the Seattle Seahawks QB in between takes.

And when we asked who's to blame for the break, Kev pointed the finger right at Russell -- "I know he's the Super Bowl champion, but it wasn't a great pass."

Kev says he caught the ball -- because he's a friggin' playmaker -- but says, "It was a bad pass, I'm not gonna lie."

Callin' out your quarterback, huh? How very Terrell Owens of you.

Kevin Durant could have the "eye of the Jew" when he takes on the Clippers tonight in L.A. -- 'cause he received a "Triple Rabbi Blessing" hours before the game ... TMZ Sports has learned.

Durant and the Oklahoma City Thunder were training at the JEM (Jewish Education Movement) Community Center in L.A. before tonight's game ... and clearly rubbed some of the rabbis the right way, because they decided to give him a pre-game blessing.

"MVP Kevin Durant and his team received a triple rabbi blessing from the founder of JEM, Rabbi Hertzel Illulian, Rabbi Yossi and Rabbi Benjamin Illulian," the JEM Center says.

See, Donald Sterling couldn't drive a wedge between black people and Jewish people after all.

OJ Simpson may NOT be the biggest villain in sports history ... so says Norm Macdonald who tells TMZ Sports Aaron Hernandez has him beat -- but there's one guy who stands high above them BOTH.

Macdonald was at LAX when we told him that Hernandez was indicted for two murders for this morning -- to which Norm replied, "GOOD LORD, that's just murdering for murder's sake at this point."

Darren Sharper's lawyer just filed legal docs blasting holes in the multiple criminal cases in which the former NFL star is accused of drugging and raping women. In the legal docs -- obtained by TMZ -- attorney Blair Berk lays out some pretty interesting weaknesses in the cases:

1. Berk says in the legal docs the Miami Beach P.D. has declined to file ANY criminal charges against Sharper and the investigation is closed. Short story, the evidence just wasn't there.