TMZ Sports - Page 50

NHL player Paul Bissonnette's plan to pull off the most badass ALS ice bucket challenge ever ... started where most extreme ideas do -- at a bar while throwing back a few rounds -- and he tells TMZ Sports the stunt was actually pretty cheap. Bissonnette says he and 4 other friends came up with the now legendary idea while chilling in a Vancouver bar -- partly because one of his drinking buddies owns a chopper and camera gear.

Bissonnette's heard Internet haters chirping that his caper was a waste of money, and he should have just donated the production cost to ALS research -- but turns out it was way less expensive than you'd think.

According to Paul ... he only dropped $175 to fill the chopper with gas, and a few other supplies.
He and his friends also donated $1000 to the cause.

Ray Rice won't ever have to revisit the scene of his infamous domestic violence incident ... that's because the Revel Casino Hotel in Atlantic City, NJ is closing down.

The casino will close by September 10, making it the fourth casino in AC to shut down this year. Revel only opened in April 2012, at a cost of $2.4 billion.

Ultimately, the casino's legacy might end up being the place where Rice was caught on surveillance cameras dragging his seemingly unconscious fiancée out of an elevator ... before they were both arrested for domestic violence.

Rice struck a deal and served no jail time for the incident. He was suspended by the NFL for two games.

Steve Ballmer's purchase of the L.A. Clippers is already paying off -- huge sponsor State Farm is jumping back into bed with the team now that the old Sterling regime is dead ... TMZ Sports has learned.

A rep for the insurance giant tells us it reinstated its deal with the Clippers almost immediately after the NBA made the official announcement yesterday that Ballmer's $2 billion deal had been approved.

We broke the story ... State Farm suspended its relationship with the Clips after we posted Sterling's racist audio recordings.

More than a dozen advertisers jumped ship back in April.

The lucky SOB who caught two Chris Carter home run balls in the same game Tuesday night was prepared to give them back to the slugger, but TMZ Sports has learned ... he got to keep them.

In case you missed it ... Tim Pinkard, in his first ever visit to Minute Maid Park in Houston ... snagged home run balls in the third and fifth innings. Even crazier ... both homers were hit by Carter.

Pinkard met Carter before Wednesday's game and he tells TMZ Sports he offered Carter back the baseballs. But Pinkard says Carter refused and autographed them instead ... and even posed for a few pics with Pinkard and his family.

Pinkard won't be in the same seats for Wednesday's game ... the team got him primo seats right behind the dugout instead.

As for the balls, Pinkard has no intention of selling them, telling TMZ Sports, "The memory is more valuable."

Pinkard is from the Washington, D.C. area and said he plans to display them in his house when he gets home.

Philadelphia 76ers rookie center Nerlens Noel had no problem admitting to our photog he listens to Justin Bieber's music, but telling his teammates ... might be a different story.

Noel was in Midtown Manhattan when he volunteered that Bieber is his favorite celebrity baller, and he even copped to liking a few songs ... at home.

Corey Thomas -- the guy War Machine beat up before attacking Christy Mack -- has the distinction of being on a reality show riddled with tales of violent crime -- including murder.

Corey -- who made a fortune in web design -- was one of the stars of VH1's "Megan Wants a Millionaire." You may recall his co-star Ryan Jenkins hanged himself in 2009 ... days after killing his wife, cutting her up, and stuffing her in a suitcase which he deposited in a dumpster.

Corey's now got his own problems ... a broken nose and 2 black eyes. War Machine allegedly also bit him on the face.

As bad off as he is ... it pales in comparison to his porn star girlfriend Christy, who's in the hospital with 18 broken bones and a ruptured liver.

War Machine is still on the run with 7 warrants out for his arrest.

LeBron James and Carmelo Anthony are gonna wear out opponents even more this season… if diet doc Reggie Miller knows what he's talking about -- and he's a Hall of Famer, so we'll assume he does.

Reggie -- one of the skinniest HOFers ever -- weighed in on the NBA trend of superstars trimming down … and told us LBJ shedding LBs means he won't be carried off the court with cramps anymore.

In fact, Reg explained why 'Melo and LeBron's thin-to-win plan will spell trouble for the NBA … for years to come.

Hard to argue. Reggie Miller knows skinny. And 3s … and Knick-killing.

Robin Williams did some of his finest work on a football field ... while wearing high-heeled boots and a bedazzled vest for the Denver Broncos cheerleaders -- and TMZ Sports has learned how he charmed the entire squad.

If you loved Shaquille O'Neal's "Kobe, Tell Me How My Ass Tastes" -- don't lose your copy, 'cause there will NEVER be a follow-up track ... according to Shaq himself.

We got the Diesel in NYC and told him about Russell Simmons' high praise. The Def Jam co-founder recently told TMZ Sports he wished he'd signed Shaq back in his heyday. We were hoping the news might coax him out of lyrical retirement.

War Machine has until 7 PM Tuesday to turn himself in to cops ... or else the most famous bloodhound in the US -- Dog the Bounty Hunter -- will be gunnin' for him.

TMZ has learned ... a member of Christy Mack's family reached out to Dog through a mutual friend with MMA ties, hoping the mulletted one will succeed where the cops haven't.

Dog's told us he's already made contact with War Machine and given him the ultimatum -- 24 hours, and then you're mine. We're told War Machine was not receptive.

We're told Dog's entire crew will rock immediately after the deadline passes.

War is facing 7 criminal charges after using Christy as a punching bag during the 3-person altercation in her home Friday. She was left with 18 broken facial bones and a ruptured kidney.

Cops say he choked Christy's new BF, then licked his finger ... then rubbed Christy's genitals.

Jon "Bones" Jones will not defend his light heavyweight belt at UFC 178  -- he just had to bow out of the fight with an injury he suffered during training.

Jones was supposed to take on Daniel Cormier as the main event at UFC 178 in Las Vegas on September 27 -- but the bout will now move to UFC 182.

Jones reportedly hurt either his leg or ankle while sparring.

This is the 2nd big change for this fight. Jones was originally supposed to fight Alexander Gustafsson ... but he got injured, and Cormier stepped in to get his shot against Jones.

UFC 182 is set to go down in January.

Of course, Jones and Cormier already scrapped at a media event to promote their fight. Guess, we'll have to be happy with that footage for the next few months.

The San Francisco Giants will honor the memory of comedian Robin Williams during Tuesday night's game against the Chicago White Sox ... and TMZ Sports has learned what the team has planned.

We're told the team will observe a moment of silence before the game in memory of WIlliams. They've also planned a highlight video -- which will be played sometime between innings later in the game -- of various highlights of Williams' appearances at Giants games.

Back in 2010, Williams appeared on the field before game one of the National League Championship Series to rile up the crowd. They went on to win the World Series that year.

Ex-Phoenix Coyote winger Paul Bissonnette didn't just take the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge ... he took it, multiplied it by a million, and then called out some of the biggest names in sports.

The challenge that's all over social media was designed to raise money and awareness for research into ALS. When challenged, you're supposed to dump anything ... from a pitcher to a Gatorade bucket ... filled with ice water over your head, or make a donation.

Steve Ballmer is now the owner of the Los Angeles Clippers.

Ballmer completed the deal with Shelly Sterling for $2 billion. After several attempts by Donald to block the sale failed ... the deal closed on Tuesday.

Shelly Sterling's attorney, Pierce O'Donnell, tells TMZ, "Shelly is confident he will bring a championship to the city of L.A. in the very near future. We wish him and his family every success."

NBA Commissioner Adam Silver just reminded Donald Sterling that his ongoing battle to block the sale of the Los Angeles Clippers is costing the league a ton of money, and ultimately ... it's coming out of his ass.

The league filed a countersuit against Sterling yesterday, and in the docs -- obtained by TMZ Sports -- it points out Sterling's initial agreement to sell the team to Steve Ballmer included a provision that indemnified the league from future claims brought by him, Shelly Sterling, or the Clippers.

In other words, if the sale went awry, and anyone wanted to block it -- the league would not have to foot the bill for legal fees. The countersuit makes it clear ... the league expects Donald to pay up.

Interesting that the league included that provision in the sale. League Commissioner Adam Silver obviously expected a fight from Donald.