TMZ Sports - Page 50

Ray Rice and his wife Janay Palmer just addressed the media TOGETHER -- both expressing regret for the violent incident at a NJ casino back in February.

Ray spoke first ... apologizing to the Ravens ... and adding, "I also want to apologize to my fans, to the kids, to anyone who's affected by this situation that me and my wife were in."

Scottie Pippen scored himself a ticket to the hottest event on the planet ... the Kim Kardashian, Kanye West wedding ... without any help from Michael Jordan!

Pippen and his wife Larsa are currently in France for the big event ... and Larsa just posted a pic saying they're on the the way to Chateau Versailles for some of the festivities.

FYI -- Larsa is a friend of Kim ... and was even featured on Kim's last televised wedding special back in 2011.

Have fun!!

The Headline News host who was named as a plaintiff in a crazy sexual harassment lawsuit against Johnny Manziel says she's obviously the victim in a cruel hoax and says she's never even met the QB.

TMZ Sports spoke with Samantha Schacher ... who tells us she was shocked when she woke up this morning and learned someone filed a bogus lawsuit against Manziel using her name in Florida.

The lawsuit is truly insane -- with the hoaxster (posing as Schacher) demanding $25 million from Manziel claiming he bombarded her with naked selfies including one pic where he put his penis in between a hot dog bun.

The phony Schacher also claimed in the suit that she has nightmares of Manziel's penis -- claiming he once sent a video of himself "jingling" his wiener to the song "It's a Small World" while on the ride at Disneyland.

Shacher says the claims are so outrageous that she found them funny ... but insists, "It's absolutely 100% bogus and a hoax."

The identity of the hoaxster has not been revealed -- but Samantha says whoever was behind the prank should be ashamed of themselves.

"It's a shame you're taking advantage of the legal system. You're playing with people's reputations and careers and it's hurtful."

Donald Sterling is no longer the controlling owner of the Los Angeles Clippers ... TMZ Sports has learned he just surrendered control to his estranged wife, Shelly Sterling, and she is now secretly negotiating with the NBA to sell the team ... ON HER TERMS.

Sources close to the Clippers organization tell us ... Donald made the decision because he saw the handwriting on the wall -- as long as he remained in control, the NBA would order an involuntary sale of the team.

Our sources say Shelly and her lawyer, Pierce O'Donnell, have been secretly meeting with NBA Commissioner Adam Silver and NBA lawyers to "resolve the dispute amicably." We're told Shelly realizes the NBA wants the team sold, but she has significantly more leverage and credibility with the league than Donald. Her end game is simple -- she won't object to the sale, but SHE wants to call the shots.

Irish soccer legend Robbie Keane says he feels Landon Donovan's pain -- and tells TMZ Sports he'd be PISSED if he were in L.D.'s cleats when he found out he was cut from Team USA.

Keane -- who plays with Landon on the L.A. Galaxy in the MLS -- says he reached out to Donovan when he heard the news ... and believes the U.S. squad will struggle without the U.S. soccer star.

Happy Gilmore ain't got NUTHIN' on Bubba Watson ... at least, when it comes to putt putt golf -- and Bubba shot a crazy video of a trick mini-golf shot to prove it.

The 35-year-old PGA champ was at the Fantasia Gardens and Fairways Miniature Golf at Walt Disney World in Florida when he decided to play one of the holes ... backwards.

Basically, he shot from the tee at one of the holes .... into a cup from a previous hole.

Everyone's jaws are on the floor over the news that Landon Donovan was cut from the Team USA World Cup squad ... including Cobi Jones who tells us plain and simple, "He belongs on the team."

32-year-old Donovan was one of 7 players chopped in the last round of cuts -- and Jones tells TMZ Sports, "My reaction was pure shock."

"Take Landon's skills and abilities ... he belongs on that team. He's above and beyond."

Jones adds, "I wasn't only expecting to see him on the team, I was expecting to see him compete for a starting spot."

Cobi says he doesn't think it's a slap in the face to Landon, who's been a staple on Team USA since 2000 ... explaining, "It's a difficult situation for everyone."

Terrell Owens says he's in SICK shape -- runs the 40-yard dash in 4.3 seconds -- and believes there's NO DOUBT he could still ball in the NFL ... just as soon as a team calls him up.

TMZ Sports spoke with T.O. out in Studio City, CA earlier today -- and the 40-year-old future Hall-of-Famer literally patted himself on the back about his current skills ... saying both he and his boy Chad Johnson could compete on any NFL roster.

But when we asked if he would consider following Chad up north to compete in the CFL -- he didn't exactly say no.

There is one more thing -- when making his pitch to play in the NFL, T.O. made the following statement ... "I've never had any off the field problems. None of that."

Mark Cuban has just issued an apology to the family of Trayvon Martin ... claiming he wasn't thinking to consider Martin's family when he mentioned a black person in a hoodie in a conversation about prejudice.

Ex-NFL wide receiver James Hardy -- a former 2nd round draft pick -- has turned himself in to authorities stemming from an incident where he allegedly attacked and injured multiple police officers ... TMZ Sports has learned.

We broke the story ... cops responded to an L.A. apartment complex on May 4th and used a taser in an effort to take Hardy into custody. But the taser was ineffective and it took several officers to subdue the 6'6", 225-pound athlete.

Hardy had bailed out immediately following the arrest ... but was later charged with felony resisting arrest (he pled not guilty) ... and was ordered to appear in front of a judge earlier this month.

The L.A. Dodgers organization has cut catcher Miguel Olivo ... after the catcher BIT another player's ear during a dugout fight at a minor league baseball game.

The Dodgers made the announcement moments ago ... just 2 days after 2nd baseman Alex Guerrero was hospitalized during the bloody incident in Salt Lake City.

Olivo reportedly went after Guerrero for missing a tag on a play earlier in the game.

Mark Cuban's candid statements about prejudice and bigotry were not only honest but CORRECT ... so says ESPN host Stephen A. Smith.

"I took no issue whatsoever with what Mark Cuban said ... not only because he was forthright, very candid and honest ... but also he happens to be correct," Smith said.

Smith was referring to the hypothetical situation Cuban brought up during an interview at the GrowCo conference in Nashville ... where he said, "I know I'm prejudiced and I know I'm bigoted in a lot of different ways. If I see a black kid in a hoodie on my side of the street, I'll move to the other side of the street. If I see a white guy with a shaved head and tattoos, I'll move back to the other side of the street. None of us have pure thoughts; we all live in glass houses."

Cuban has taken some fire for the comments, but Smith says the people attacking the Dallas Mavericks owner are missing the point.

"Yes he spoke about hoodies and how if he saw a black individual with a hoodie he'd walk across the street because hes uncomfortable with that imagery ... obviously, he also alluded to a white individual with tattoos all over his body, his face and his head, he'd walk back to the other side of the street."

"So if you're gonna have a problem with what he said about the black person with the hoodie on, then you gotta have a problem with the white person he alluded to with tattoos all over."

"I'm sorry, I don't see a problem with that whatsoever. I don't think there's any ethnic group in America that should take issue with it as a personal affront to them as if he was isolating them or talking about them. He was simply being honest, forthcoming and very open about some of the fears and prejudices that he may have."

IT'S TIME FOR THE MAIN EVENT .... UFC ring announcer Bruce Buffer grabbing the mic and doing a fight-style intro at a UFC fighter's wedding ... and it's AWESOME!!!

Buffer was at Michael "The Count" Bisping's wedding -- they've been friends for years -- when he was asked to introduce the happy couple for the first time as man and wife to the crowd.

Of course, Buffer obliged ... and CRUSHED IT!!!

NY Jets rookie safety Calvin Pryor tells TMZ Sports he CAN'T WAIT to finally take on one particular NFL superstar when he takes the field this season ... but first, he's got SHOES TO BUY!!!

Pryor was leaving the famous Flight Club shoe store in NYC yesterday (with THREE bags of kicks) when we he told us how fired up he is to finally play against one of his NFL heroes.

The clip is great -- Calvin seems genuinely fired up about being in the NFL.