TMZ Sports - Page 50

Several Cleveland Browns superstars rallied around their teammate Joe Haden to help him open his new sneaker shop -- from Josh Gordon to Johnny Manziel ... and TMZ Sports has the pics.

As we previously reported, Haden opened "The Restock" in Cleveland last weekend ... a store that specializes in rare sneakers.

A bunch of the Browns showed up when Joe opened the doors ... including Josh Gordon, Donte Whitner and Andrew Hawkins. Cleveland Cavs star Tristan Thompson was also on hand.

And we're told the guys weren't just there to browse -- Josh picked up 3 pairs of Jordans ... so did Tristan Thompson. Hawkins ponied up for a pair of Balenciagas ... which ain't cheap.

Other Browns teammates donated signed jerseys to help decorate the store -- including Johnny Manziel, Brian Hoyer, Phil Taylor and more.

Former NFL quarterback Ryan Leaf was released from a Montana prison Wednesday ... more than two years after beginning his 5-year sentence for breaking into a home to steal Rx pills.

But Leaf isn't in the clear yet ... the #2 overall pick in the 1998 NFL Draft may still have to serve time in Texas stemming from ANOTHER prescription drug arrest.

Leaf has reportedly met with a parole officer in Montana while waiting for Texas to decide what to do with him.

Leaf has been arrested several times after his brief stint in the NFL -- and had worked as a QB coach at West Texas A&M until he was accused of burglarizing a player's home in 2008.

Remember when NY Giants receiver Odell Beckham Jr. said the coolest moment in his life was when his hero LeBron James tweeted about his legendary 1-handed catch???

Well, last night ... OBJ got a new "coolest moment" in life -- when he met LeBron in person and they took a picture together!

As we previously reported, Beckham Jr. had called James his "favorite athlete" and talked about how much it meant when LeBron gave him props for that sick grab against the Cowboys.

The two finally met in person at dinner Wednesday night -- and you can by the look on Odell's face ... dude was stoked!!

In fact, James even posted about it ... writing, "Giving the game to my young king @iam_objxiii tonight at dinner! Keep going homie and #StriveForGreatness #RWTW."

Pretty cool, right?

Clippers star Matt Barnes says he LOVES the video of the overzealous 1-legged Nets fan who had be carried out of a recent game -- telling TMZ Sports he wants to buy him tickets the next time the Clips play!

The video went viral ... showing a very intense Nets fan being removed from Madison Square Garden during Tuesday night's match-up with the Knicks ... after reportedly screaming and yelling like a maniac while waving his prosthetic leg in the air during the game.

The fan was BANNED from MSG -- but last night in L.A., Barnes told us he LOVED the guy's passion -- and says he wants the guy to be a part of Clipper Nation.

"When we come to New York, I want him to be my guest to the next game," Barnes said ... "Next time we come out there I'm gonna buy him tickets."

He adds, "Come to the West Coast!"

Jameis Winston says the sexual encounter with his accuser back in 2012 was 100% consensual -- telling the judge he formally requested oral sex when they hooked up ... and she obliged.

Winston described his version of the events -- in great detail -- in a written statement to the judge in his student conduct code hearing at Florida State describing his version of the encounter in question.

Winston says he did NOT buy the woman a drink at the bar they were at before the sexual encounter -- and NEVER offered her any drugs.

But when they got back to Winston's dorm room, the QB says they immediately began hooking up.

"Almost immediately upon our arrival, (NAME REDACTED) and I went into my bedroom. We were standing facing each other, kissing and touching each other's bodies. I eventually asked (NAME REDACTED) if she would perform oral sex on me. She said that she would. The lights in my bedroom were on and (NAME REDACTED) willingly performed oral sex on me. While (NAME REDACTED) was performing oral sex, I was close enough to my dresser to reach over to it, open a drawer, and retrieve a condom."

Winston says he and the woman "also engaged in intense foreplay and heavy petting during the same period that she was performing oral sex. I was with her on the bed during foreplay and I may have ejaculated a small amount of semen onto her clothing."

Winston says things heated up and he grabbed a condom -- and she helped put it on.

Winston says there was "no doubt" the sex was consensual.

At some point during the encounter, Jameis says one of his roommates opened the door to his bedroom "as a prank" -- so she asked if they could go somewhere with more privacy.

Jameis says they went to the bathroom and began to have consensual sex a second time.

Eventually, Jameis says he dropped her off at her dorm ... and she gave him a hug goodbye.

Winston says the woman never said or did anything indicating she didn't want to hook up -- but says, "had she done so, I would have stopped immediately."

Winston concludes by taking a very aggressive shot at the accuser -- saying, "the only thing as vicious as rape is falsely accusing someone of rape."

He says the accuser "and her lawyers have falsely accused me, threatened to sue me, demanded $7,000,000 from me, engaged in a destructive media campaign against me, and manipulated this process to the point that my rights have and will continue to be severely compromised."

8:18 AM PT -- The accuser's attorney issued a statement saying, "After two years all we get is a written statement crafted by Mr. Winston's lawyers. Not impressed."

3:15 PM PT -- The hearing just ended. Jameis said nothing on his way out, but his attorney called the whole process a sham because he feels the accuser is merely trying to set up a civil lawsuit.

Florida State University quarterback Jameis Winston returned to the FSU campus moments ago for Day 2 in his Student Conduct Code hearing ... where several witnesses are expected to be called.

Winston arrived in a suit along with his lawyer -- unlike yesterday, Winston left the pocket square at home this time.

Among the witnesses expected to testify today -- the FSU police officer who first responded to Winston's accuser on Dec. 7, 2012 ... the night of the alleged sexual assault.

PAY ATTENTION FELLAS ... Super hot UFC superstar Ronda Rousey is about to give you some incredibly valuable information ... about what NOT to do if you ever wanna get with the champ.

Ronda was out at an event in NYC to celebrate the new UFC-Reebok partnership when TMZ Sports did men everywhere a favor ... asking Rousey what she looks for in a potential boy toy.

That's when Ronda revealed one of her biggest DEALBREAKERS.

Michael Sam believes he's not on a NFL roster because of the fact he's openly gay -- telling TMZ Sports he strongly believes he's got the talent to play in the league.

Sam was at LAX this morning when he was asked if he thinks NFL teams are shying away from him because of his sexual orientation ... or if it has to do with the level of talent he faced after college.

"I think I was the SEC Defensive Player of the Year last year ... so I don't think it had to do with talent."

Translation -- he believes he's on the outs because he's out.

Sam says he's still focused on getting back into the league ... and told us the chances of Oprah ever reviving the reality show that was in the works before the draft are slim to none.

Blake Griffin shared a photo of his "man cave" ... and now we have a ZILLION questions.

BG posted the photo Tuesday night with the caption, "Man cave night. 3 games on + several intense ping pong matches."

Where do we begin????

Apparently, LeBron and Drake didn't campaign hard enough ... because Johnny Manziel will NOT start for the Cleveland Browns this weekend ... so says Jay Glazer.

The "NFL on Fox" star says, "The Manziel Era is NOT beginning in Cleveland yet as Brian Hoyer has been informed he will start this weekend vs Indy."

LeBron had told the media his friend Manziel was "ready" to take over if called upon. And after his eyebrow-raising performance last week, it seemed Johnny time was gonna get the nod -- including Drake who flashed the money sign to support his BFF.

Guess he'll just have to wait.

Glazer adds, "Hoyer had widespread support inside the locker room. No brainer according to players in there."

Dr. Drew says he's very concerned about Ray and Janay Rice -- telling TMZ Sports it's "good" they're staying together ... but says they're in major denial about the magnitude of what happened.

Drew says the way Ray and Janay are chalking up the elevator attack to "one bad night" is bizarre -- and it "minimizes a very serious situation."

"For them to stay together is a good thing. But for them to sort of minimize it and be in such denial about the magnitude of what happened? I mean this is a violent attack. "

He's essentially being called a liar by Adrian Peterson, but NFL exec Troy Vincent says he's gonna keep praying for the NFL star ... during their heated legal war over AP's suspension.

Long story short ... Peterson says he has an audio recording of a phone call in which Vincent (acting on behalf of the NFL) promised that the league would only discipline AP based on the old, weak pre-Ray Rice player conduct policy.

Instead, Peterson says he got much harsher discipline -- he was suspended without pay by the NFL until at least April 2015. Peterson's team says the ban is completely unfair and conflicts with what he was told by Vincent.

Peterson is appealing the ban -- and the proceedings began yesterday ... but Vincent was in Washington D.C. at a hearing on domestic violence in pro sports.

On his way out, TMZ Sports asked Vincent about the AP situation -- and he told us, "I just pray for Adrian. I'm just gonna keep praying for him."

Troy has been ordered to testify at the Peterson hearing tomorrow.

There's a reason you've never seen an official Charles Barkley twitter handle ... or Instagram ... or Vine ... because Sir Charles tells us, "I don't want to talk to those idiots."

Barkley says he is 100% AGAINST joining any social media platform ... explaining, "I don't feel the need to talk to every idiot in America."

The "Inside the NBA" star was in NYC when he made the proclamation ... after we asked about criticism he'd been taking for his recent comments on Ferguson ... when he said the people who were looting are "not real black people, those are scumbags."

St. Louis Rams safety Rodney McLeod tell TMZ Sports the majority of the Rams had no idea 5 players were planning on doing the "Hands Up" tribute before Sunday's game ... but says he respects 'em for doing it.

"Nobody knew about it," McLeod says ... noting that it seemed like something the wide receivers worked out the plan amongst themselves in the moments before they ran out of the tunnel.

"It speaks to the character of those guys to stand up and do that in front of the country."

So how did the tribute go over in the locker room? "No tension at all," McLeod says ... "[the other players on the team] realized [the wide receivers] didn't mean any harm."

McLeod says the team has remained tight in the days following the incident -- "It's one of the strongest locker rooms I have ever been in. Our whole team is tight. Our locker room is even tighter."

Time for "TALES FROM A PORN STAR" ... starring porn legend Mary Carey.

Today's topic -- Which pro athlete would make the best adult movie star?

Mary -- an expert in the subject (she's starred in more than 100 films and was recently inducted into the AVN Porn Hall of Fame) -- says only one name comes to mind ... NBA star Dwight Howard.

And why is she so confident? Well, Mary has one great, big, giant, gargantuan reason ...

Tom Brady says his days of raging around Hollywood with pop stars are OVER -- claiming he refused to hit the town with his teammates (and Justin Bieber) last night because he just wanted to SLEEP!!!

The 37-year-old QB called in to WEEI’s “Dennis and Callahan” on Tuesday -- and told the guys the days of partying on a Monday night "have come and gone in my life."

As you know ... Rob Gronkowski -- along with Jonas Gray (RB), Shane Vereen (RB), Akeem Ayers (LB) and Darius Fleming (LB) -- hung out with the L.A. Clippers last night ... with 25-year-old Gronk eventually hitting the Hollywood clubs.

"Those guys should go out and have fun," Brady said ... "They're young guys."