TMZ Sports - Page 50

Shelly Sterling looked confident as she left a Bev Hills restaurant swinging a Victoria's Secret bag Tuesday, but behind the scenes there's concern that Donald's latest flip-flop could blow up her $2 billion deal to sell the Los Angeles Clippers.

**WARNING -- THE FOLLOWING POST CONTAINS SERIOUS "GAME OF THRONES" SPOILERS ... GOOD ONES, TOO ... PROCEED WITH CAUTION** Atlanta Falcons great Jamal Anderson -- the creator of the Dirty Bird -- is a HARDCORE "Game of Thrones" fan ... like, borderline obsessed. So, when we asked him to put together a Monday morning "GoT" recap, dude was ALL ABOUT IT. Soooo ... without further ado, here's Jamal's breakdown of last night's ep "The Watchers on the Wall."

---------------------------------------------

"Night gathers, and now my watch begins. It shall not end until my death. I shall take no wife, hold no lands, father no children. I shall wear no crowns and win no glory. I shall live and die at my post. I am the sword in the darkness. I am the watcher on the walls. I am the shield that guards the realms of men. I pledge my life and honor to the Night's Watch, for this night and all the nights to come."
-- The Night's Watch Oath

How do you NOT love this show? Of course the writing is great ... the wide and wonderful array of characters. Fine, I'll give you those. But dragons! Giants! Mammoths! You never know which will appear each week, awesome!

What did we learn Sunday night? Don't f**k with giants.

You want death? You want gore? You want blood? Welcome to the battle of Castle Black. Conversations of life, last days, old loves permeate our characters minds as imminent death approaches. Since the begging of the season we have been building toward this battle. The massive Wildling army has marched toward Castle Black killing every person in its path.

Oh, but they were warned. John Snow tried to tell them what was coming on the first ep of the season ... when he stepped in front of the leaders at Castle Black laid out Mance Rayder's plan.

"While we sit here debating which rules I broke, Mance Rayder marches on the wall with an army of 100,000," Snow told the leaders ... "He's united the Thins, Hornfoots, Ice River clans, and he has giants fighting for him."

Yes, they were warned.

Now, the Wildling army is upon Castle Black. As preparations begin to defend the Castle from the realities that John Snow foretold. How about Sir Allister admitting John Snow was right. They should indeed have sealed the tunnel. Too late now, for as Mance Rayder declared, "The largest fire the North have ever seen" was blazing.

For 1,000 years Castle Black stood strong. War, as they say, brings out the best and worst in men. The siege at Castle Black was no different. But instead of a blow-by-blow recap of the crazy episode-long battle, let's discuss two main characters from this ep.

John Snow, one of my favorite characters, is of course noble, courageous, honorable. And lucky. Seriously, could Ned Stark have produced a more similar child? In a show where one should not get attached to characters, well....

Let's just say I always hope for the best for Lord Snow. He proved himself once again at this battle. One of the highlights of the episode was his one-on-one battle with the leader of the Thins. Dude was twice his size, and John literally put the hammer down on his a**! Is it weird that after the kill scene I kept hearing the song, "Place Hammer Don't Hurt Em" in my head???

Let me get back to these Thrones ... and Snow.

You had to know some sort of confrontation was coming with Ygritte, Snow's star-crossed lover. She had John in her sights -- it was a wrap, but like before she couldn't pull. And the hesitation got her killed. A painful goodbye to Ygritte ... clearly Snow still felt for her. See, the show has heart too. BTW -- Nice to have a humongous wolf on your side. Ghost is awesome!

How about Samwell Tarly?! Fat Sam has come along way from the cowering wimp we first met. I'm not saying he's a warrior, but he stepped up when things got tough. Of course, Sam has added incentive now that he is once again joined by the luckiest character on the show. If you were watching the episode closely, you'll notice Gilly and lil Sam sneaking past the Wildling encampment.

It took an entire season, but Sam finally got a kiss! Is more in store for Sam and Gilly? You couldn't pick a worse place for a happy union, the siege at a Castle Black has just begun.

A bloody first battle at Castle Black! But as John Snow walked out of the tunnel, you had to wonder ... when is the second attack coming. And will Snow be around to help?

A few things you should be asking yourself. Why have tribes who live apart -- and are usually at each other's throats -- joined together? Why have those tribes of Wildlings started marching South after all of these years?

You good at cornholing??

Well, then former New England Patriots lineman Matt Light wants YOU at his massive cornhole party in Massachusetts next weekend ... TMZ Sports has learned.

The former Pro Bowler and 3-time Super Bowl champ is hosting his 2nd Annual Cornhole Commotion tournament at Gillette Stadium on Saturday to benefit the Light Foundation, dedicated to help at-risk youth.

Light says he's aiming to break the Guinness World Record for largest cornhole event ever -- so don't let him down!!

Several Pats players are scheduled to attend -- including Sebastian Vollmer, Logan Mankins, Rob Ninkovich, Ryan Wendell and Jimmy Garoppolo.

So, a couple of New York Giants football players walk into a bar ... and what happened next was pretty funny.

Offensive tackle Justin Pugh, Jason Pierre Paul and a couple of their teammates hit up Bounce Sporting Club in Manhattan ... when a group of bros invited the guys over for a shot.

Pugh took 'em up on their offer ... but as soon as he pounded the booze, one of the bros turns to the camera and reveals his true colors ... hunter green and white.

Just days after her spinal cord was severed in an ATV crash, U.S. Olympic swimming great Amy Van Dyken just posted a SMILING photo from her hospital room ... assuring her fans she's "doing great."

This woman is incredible.

As we previously reported, Van Dyken was rushed to a hospital in Scottsdale, AZ for emergency surgery on Friday after her ATV plummeted 5-7 feet off of a sidewalk ... leaving her without feeling in the lower half of her body.

This is cool ... Gilbert Arenas and his reality star wife Laura Govan reacting to the news Derek Fisher got the Knicks coaching job -- and they're genuinely thrilled for their friend.

Ya gotta check out the clip -- it's pretty awesome to see how beloved D-Fish is among his peers.

California Chrome is "one of the best horses ever" ... and is "just as good as [Secretariat] ... this according to CC's jockey Victor Espinoza.

The legendary jockey was out in NYC yesterday when we asked how Cali Chrome ranks in the pantheon of great racehorses ... and Vic says if it weren't for the hoof injury suffered in the Belmont Stakes, Chrome would be at the top of the list.

"I believe he's as good as [Secretariat] ... but when something goes wrong, then it can't go 100%."

BTW, Victor is AWESOME -- and after the Chrome talk, gave us some pretty interesting tips on how to properly bet the ponies.

Turns out, betting on the horse that took the biggest leak before the race isn't the way to go.

Marshawn Lynch definitely had a front row seat for a fistfight between two crews at an S.F. nightclub -- but STAYED OUT OF THE RUCKUS ... at least, that's how it appears in pics obtained by TMZ Sports.

As we previously reported, the Seattle Seahawks running back was at Mezzanine in San Fran with his cousin Mistah F.A.B. -- when F.A.B.'s crew got into it with DJ Mustard's crew.

F.A.B. had previously told us that Lynch was NOT involved in the fight -- and now, these pics seem to back up his story ... because even though Lynch was clearly right in the mix when the fight started, he backed away from madness and security quickly jumped in and broke it up.

Probably a smart move considering Lynch is still on probation stemming from a DUI arrest a few years ago ... AND he's in the middle of a $30 million contract.

The role of "The Mountain" on "Game of Thrones" was ALMOST played by a New York Giants linebacker ... but Mark Herzlich tells TMZ Sports producers felt his face-crushing skills weren't up to snuff.

The 26-year-old -- who's listed at 6'4" 246 lbs -- was out in NYC yesterday when he told us about his push to get on the hit HBO show.

Mark also told us he's a serious GoT superfan -- he knows every character, follows every story line ... and even "emulates" himself after one of the key badasses on the show.

As for the guy who got the role of "The Mountain" -- he's an Icelandic powerlifter named Hafthor Bjornsson ... who stands 6'9" 419 lbs ... and can bench press 500 lbs.

Oh, and Mark tells TMZ Sports if the guy wants to play in the NFL, he knows just the position.

Check out the clip.

Happy wife, happy life ... so says UConn basketball coach Kevin Ollie who tells TMZ Sports the smartest guys in the NBA are the ones who let their wives call the shots.

Ollie was out in D.C. on Monday ... and since he spent so many years playing in the NBA, we had to ask how the players decide where to vacation when the season ends.

Brittney Palmer won't let a fractured wrist keep her from ring girl duties at UFC 174 in Vancouver later this month -- refusing doctors orders to wear a cast because ... well ... it's not hot.

Brittney says she was riding her skateboard through the Hollywood Hills last week and crashed hard -- fracturing her wrist in the process.

An orthopedic surgeon wanted to put the wrist in a hard cast -- and that's when Brittney put her foot down, telling the doc it simply wasn't gonna happen.

And why not? Simple ... Brit's gotta hold the cards at 174 and doesn't want a clunky cast on her arm to clash with her tiny bikini.

Or as she puts it, "No one wants to see an octagon girl sporting a dorky cast."

Call him Vlade Divac, 'cause Donald Sterling has flip-flopped once again ... now the disgraced Clippers owner says he WILL sue the NBA for one billion dollars because "I must fight to protect my rights."

Sterling's attorney released a statement saying Donald never wanted to sell the team ... though he never explained why he ever changed his mind in the first place.

"I have decided that I must fight to protect my rights," Sterling said in the statement

"While my position may not be popular, I believe that my rights to privacy and the preservation of my rights to due process should not be trampled. I love the team and have dedicated 33 years of my life to the organization. I intend to fight to keep the team."

So, you know how California Chrome owner Steve Coburn threw around the C-bomb after his horse lost the Belmont?

He's not the only who likes to call people "cowards" -- right Walter from "The Big Lebowski" ... and Harry Potter ... and guy from "Back to the Future III???"

Check out this clip made by the grandpa from the CW show "Famous In 12" -- who bears an uncanny resemblance to Coburn (and Wilfred Brimley).

A University of Miami superfan LOST HIS MIND at his wedding -- when the school mascot AND the starting running back crashed the party during the 1st dance ... and the whole thing was caught on video.

It went down like this... Pedro, the groom (and UM season ticket holder) called up the school and asked if he could get Sebastian the mascot (and aggressive looking White Ibis) to be a guest at his wedding.

The 'Canes shot him down ... or so he thought.

Behind the scenes, his fiance was secretly organizing the ultimate surprise -- and got Sebastian AND star football player Duke Johnson to show up at the reception.

Needless to say, Pedro went crazy ... and Sebastian lit up the dance floor.

Olympic swimming legend Amy Van Dyken severed her spinal cord in her ATV accident this weekend -- and doctors performed emergency surgery to repair her spine ... this according to her family.

According to a witness, Van Dyken "launched" over a curb Friday afternoon in an ATV area in Arizona known as Torreon ... and plummeted 5 to 7 feet ... before crashing into the ground.

Paramedics raced to the scene and found Amy conscious but unable to move her toes or her feet. She also could not feel anything touching her legs.

According to the crash report, obtained by TMZ Sports, Amy's husband told officials Amy was NOT consuming any alcohol that evening.

Her husband, Thomas Rouen, also told officials "just a couple days prior he had switched the throttle mechanism on the ATV from a thumb accelerator to a twist accelerator. [He] was unsure if that may have caused a problem in how Amy was used to operating the ATV."

The report notes Amy was not wearing a helmet at the time of the crash.

Now, Amy's family has released a statement saying her husband Tom was by her side when a helicopter arrived to transport her to a hospital in Scottsdale where "an amazing team of doctors performed emergency surgery to repair her spine and stabilize her."

The family says, "Amy's spinal cord was completely severed at the T11 vertebrae, but, miraculously, a broken vertebrae stopped within millimeters of rupturing her aorta, and she did not suffer any head trauma."