TMZ Sports - Page 50

He may seem guilty as sin ... but in America, Aaron Hernandez is supposed to be presumed innocent until PROVEN guilty ... a point solidly made by NFL rookie Eric Ebron.

The Detroit Lions tight end -- the 10th pick in the NFL Draft -- was at LAX yesterday when we asked if he'd be afraid of going to nightclubs knowing there are people out there like Aaron Hernandez who are willing to kill over a spilled drink.

And that's when Ebron made a great point ... Aaron pled NOT GUILTY to the charges -- and in our criminal justice system, he's afforded the presumption of innocence.

NBA Commissioner Adam Silver tells us ... making the decision to ban Donald Sterling from the league for life was "very difficult" ... but it's business -- and it had to be done.

Silver was out in NYC yesterday when he began talking to TMZ Sports -- which he says has consistently shocked him.

Guitar legend Tom Morello is pissed ... telling TMZ Sports he's sick and tired of the Chicago Cubs perennially sucking ass -- especially because the future doesn't look bright either.

Morello -- a founding member of Rage Against the Machine -- grew up in Chi-town and says it makes him sick to his stomach that his Cubbies are having yet another terrible season ... but it's par for the course.

FYI -- the Cubs lost AGAIN last night ... bringing their record to an abysmal 19-32.

The woman who won Chad Johnson's VH1 dating reality show was arrested this week -- after cops say she stabbed her boyfriend in the chest with a knife ... TMZ Sports has learned.

32-year-old Rubi Pazmino -- who beat out 84 women on "Ochocinco: The Ultimate Catch" back in 2010 -- was taken into custody at their Chicago apartment on May 25th after a verbal argument with her boyfriend allegedly turned violent.

Officials believe Pazmino grabbed a kitchen knife and plunged it into her BF's chest -- causing a 3 centimeter puncture wound.

The boyfriend was rushed to a nearby hospital in critical condition. Pazmino was arrested for domestic battery. She was later released after posting bond, which had been set at $90k.

With his "Basketball Wife" filing for divorce, Charlotte Hornets guard Jannero Pargo hit up a famous L.A. chicken joint this week with a brand new lady friend ... a chick who's been connected to a bunch of high profile NBA stars ... and TMZ Sports has the footage.

Pargo strolled into Roscoe's Chicken N' Waffles with Sandrina Smith -- who's reportedly hooked up with huge basketball stars like Dwyane Wade and Lamar Odom.

You may also remember Sandrina as Andray Blatche's "not" girlfriend when they hung out at Crustacean a few months ago (hilarious, btw).

TONSIL HOCKEY IS A NO-NO when it comes to the big wedding kiss ... so says engaged MLB superstar Andrew McCutchen who tells TMZ Sports he'll be following Kim & Kanye's tongue-less lead when he takes the plunge.

The reigning National League MVP was out in NYC Tuesday when we asked him about kissing etiquette at the altar -- which, apparently, is a super-controversial topic (people in the TMZ newsroom are pretty fired up about it).

But Cutch says there's no debate about it -- when it comes to swapping spit, ya gotta save it for AFTER you head down the aisle.

WHAT WILL THE RELATIVES THINK!?!?!?

Detroit Lions superstar Calvin Johnson had to do some serious downfield blocking when his girlfriend allegedly threatened to "molly wop" a supposed baby mama earlier this week ... this according to a police report obtained by TMZ Sports.

Aaron Hernandez decided to KILL TWO PEOPLE because he was mad one of them bumped into him at a nightclub and spilled his drink ... this according to prosecutors.

He may have only had a few brief encounters with her, including the time she visited him in prison -- but Mike Tyson says Maya Angelou had a profound impact on his life ... and he'll always be grateful.

After learning of Angelou's death, Tyson told TMZ Sports ... "We lost one of the greatest constellations to the human universe."

"I had the pleasure to meet Ms. Angelou on a few occasions and each time was very enlightening. I was intrigued and would ask her about the greats from her era such as Billie Holiday, Malcolm X and Fats Waller. These people were just book novels, interesting reading to me but real people to her."

"I'm just very grateful for the times I shared with this phenomenal woman, even though they were brief."

Angelou famously visited Tyson at the Indiana Youth Center in 1994 while he was serving time for a rape conviction.

After the visit, Angelou told people her encounter with Iron Mike had an impact on her life as well -- saying, "it changed the way I thought about a number of things."

Here it is ... PROOF ... that 50 Cent's arm isn't as terrible as it seemed during his legendarily awful first pitch at Tuesday's Mets game.

Just before he took the mound at Citi Field and threw a pitch so terrible, even Gary Dell'Abate had to laugh at it ... 50 was warming up the bullpen and displayed some pretty decent accuracy.

Check out the clip ... sure, he could use some work on his mechanics ... but it's not really that terrible.

Unfortunately, it's not really what you do in practice that counts ...

Chicago Blackhawks goalie Corey Crawford is under investigation by the LAPD after allegedly squirting a heckler in the face with a water bottle during Monday's Game 4 loss to the Kings ... TMZ Sports has learned.

Baltimore Ravens superstar Jacoby Jones -- along with 2 Ravens teammates -- were booted out of a Maryland bar this past weekend for being too hammered ... and TMZ Sports has the footage.

Sources at Seacrets Restaurant & Bar tell us ... Jones had been partying with running back Bernard Pierce and cornerback Jimmy Smith -- when he and Pierce were asked to leave early Saturday evening after a boozing marathon went a little too long.

Multiple sources tell us ... it ain't that complicated -- Jones and Bernard simply got too hammered ... with one person telling us, "They couldn't maintain their composure."

For the record, Seacrets is like a giant beach party -- and it ain't too hard to lose track of your Mai Tai intake.

Eventually, bar staff approached the guys and asked them to leave ... and security escorted them off the property. Smith was actually allowed to stay and hung out a little longer.

We're told the guys were "cooperative and compliant" and are welcome back.

Donald Sterling may now be saying he disavows anything Shelly Sterling is doing to sell the Clippers ... but TMZ Sports has obtained a letter personally signed by Donald giving Shelly control ... and he sent the letter to NBA Commissioner Adam Silver.

In the letter -- obtained by TMZ Sports -- dated May 22, 2014, Sterling's lawyer writes:

"As you know, I have been a long-time attorney for Donald T. Sterling. Mr. Sterling agrees to the sale of his interest in the Los Angeles Clippers."

The letter goes on: "This letter confirms that Donald T. Sterling authorizes Rochelle Sterling to negotiate with the National Basketball Association regarding all issues in connection with a sale of the Los Angeles Clippers team, owned by LAC Basketball Club, Inc."

Below the lawyers signature is Donald Sterling's John Hancock, saying "read and approved."

So ... Sterling's lawyer may now says he's unaware of any deal his client made with Shelly, but Donald did the deed on paper and it was signed, sealed and delivered.

As for Donald, he went to Mastro's Steakhouse in Beverly Hills last night -- but when asked about the sale of the team, his lips were sealed.

The Santa Barbara shooter never would have been able to inflict as much carnage on innocent students if more people were LEGALLY carrying guns ... so says ex-NFL star Lito Sheppard.

The 2-time Pro Bowl cornerback -- who happens to be a staunch 2nd amendment supporter -- tells TMZ Sports he subscribes to the N.R.A. theory that the only way to stop a bad guy with a gun is with a good guy with a gun.

"If you were in a situation like this [Santa Barbara], and you had more legal gun carriers with guns, you could stop it," Sheppard says.

"Like, if you were in a mall and someone started shooting and you had some good people with guns there, you might be able to stop them. Or maybe you would lose only one person or two people instead of like 100.”

When we asked Lito if he believes incidents like the S.B. shooting -- in which 6 people were killed -- should result in tougher gun laws, Lito balked -- saying, "It doesn’t make any sense for them to make it tougher for responsible gun owners to get access."

"Making it tougher to get the guns will just result in a bigger black market for them."