TMZ Sports - Page 50

Odin Lloyd's mother is moving forward with a wrongful death lawsuit against Aaron Hernandez AND the New England Patriots ... hoping to collect on the MILLIONS she claims the team was supposed to pay the former tight end.

Ursula Ward has re-filed docs in state court in Massachusetts that she originally filed back in 2013 ... claiming Hernandez should be held financially liable for the wrongful death of her son.

Of course, Hernandez was convicted of Lloyd's murder -- so, Ward has a pretty solid case against Aaron.

But in the suit, Ward also names the New England Patriots as "reach and apply defendants" -- meaning that if she wins ... she wants to be able to collect her judgment from the Pats.

Now, this is important because Ward claims that Hernandez has a right to collect $3.25 million of a signing bonus that she claims was due back in March 2014.

Charles Barkley has been called a lot of things ... a lot of which we can't publish here ... but now he can add "incredibly good looking guy" to the list ... thanks to NBA commish Adam Silver.

Silver -- who was honored as one of Time Magazine's 100 Most Influential People -- is also a proud follically challenged man ... so we asked him to pick the best bald head on the set of "Inside the NBA."

That's when Silver began to gush about Sir Chuck ... explaining that Barkley is more than just a guy with a GREAT bald head, he's also one of the best looking guys in the sport.

Jameis Winston says he's NO CRAB LEG THIEF -- claiming the only reason he walked out of the grocery store without paying for 'em was because he THOUGHT an employee had "hooked him up."

Winston's explanation was featured on ESPN's "Draft Academy" ... a documentary-style show which followed the QB into a meeting with Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh.

During the meeting, Winston says he wasn't so much stealing ... as much as he was blatantly violating NCAA rules by accepting free stuff.

Odin Lloyd's mother tells TMZ Sports ... she's still deciding whether or not she will file a wrongful death lawsuit against Aaron Hernandez ... a lawsuit that could potentially be worth MILLIONS of dollars.

With Hernandez having been convicted of murdering the former semi-pro football player, the odds are extremely good that Lloyd's family would win a civil case against him.

And since Hernandez was an NFL star who made MILLIONS during his brief career ... there's real money on the line.

But when we spoke with Ursula Ward this week, she told us she had not made up her mind about whether she will go through with the lawsuit.

She's UFC's newest rising superstar ... but Paige VanZant says there's NO WAY she'll ever step into the octagon with Ronda Rousey!

VanZant appeared on "TMZ Hollywood Sports" on Tuesday -- and talked about how she made the transition from being a dancer to a legit wrecking machine.

In fact, the 21-year-old says she owes a lot of her success to Rousey -- who paved the way for women to fight in the UFC.

Shannon Briggs is like Freddy Krueger, Jason Voorhees, and Michael Myers all wrapped up in one ... 'cause no matter what Wladimir Klitschko does ... he just keeps coming for the boxing champ.

FYI -- Briggs has been trying to bait Hayden Panettiere's baby daddy into a fight for MONTHS ... harassing Wlad at restaurants, training sessions, the mall and even crashing a paddleboard ride.

And moments ago, Briggs was at it again ... popping up in NYC to scream at Wlad, who was in the middle of a media event for the big Klitschko vs. Bryant Jennings fight this weekend.

Check out the hilarious video -- Briggs (who's shirtless the entire time) actually gets his chance to plead his case to TMZ Sports saying it's a travesty he's not fighting Wlad in his hometown of NY.

Rick Ross just got out-bawsed ... but he ain't sweatin' it -- 'cause even though he got CRUSHED in a celeb hoops game ... he raised a TON of cash for a local charity.

Ross stepped up to coach a team in the 4th annual Nike South Beach Celebrity Court of Dreams game this past weekend to benefit the South Beach Charitable Foundation for kids.

The hip-hop star coached a team of celebs -- including NFL players Antrel Rolle and the Pouncey twins ... in an effort to beat the "South Beach All-Stars," coached by ex-NFL lineman Bryant McKinnie.

In the end ... Ross' squad just couldn't hang and they lost to Bryant's team 62-38.

But the event raised $35,000 for charity -- so, hard to call anyone a loser after that.

Here it is ... the $1 million emerald-studded WBC championship belt that Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao will be fighting for on May 2nd ... in addition to their $100-million + paychecks!

TMZ Sports broke the story ... the World Boxing Council commissioned the belt when the fight was announced .. and adorned it with 3,000 real miniature emeralds.

The belt was revealed at a WBC event in Mexico -- and will make its way to Vegas this week ... escorted by a private security team.

The party has gotta end sometime ... and for the sport of volleyball, it's LIGHTS OUT ... so says C. Thomas Howell -- who starred in one of the most famous volleyball movies ever!

Howell -- who starred in "Side Out" twenty five years ago -- was leaving LAX when he told us the sport bit the dust in the '90s ... along with Walkmen and pagers.

BTW, Howell's "Side Out" co-star Peter Horton went on to become a big deal in Hollywood ... producing a ton of stuff ... including "Grey's Anatomy."

Dig that.

FOX Sports announcer Steve Byrnes died Tuesday of cancer ... just 2 days after NASCAR fans, drivers and crew members paid him an emotional track side tribute.

Byrnes -- one of FOX's leading reporters for its NASCAR coverage -- was diagnosed with head and neck cancer in August of 2013. He was forced to take an indefinite leave from the job last year in October.

FOX and NASCAR teamed with Stand Up to Cancer to dedicate Sunday's race at Bristol Motor Speedway to Steve. Before the race people in the stands ... and crew members on pit road held up signs with Steve's name.

Steve watched the race on TV, and afterward tweeted his thanks for the show of love and support.

Byrnes is survived by his wife Karen and their 12-year-old son Bryson. He was 56.

The Clippers aren't trolling the Lakers by turning the team locker room into an owners lounge for the NBA playoffs -- they asked the team for permission and got it ... TMZ Sports has learned.

There were rumblings that the Clips were trying to diss Laker Nation by using their space at Staples Center as Steve Ballmer's personal hangout area ... since the Clips are still playing and the Lakers didn't even come close to the playoffs.

But it just ain't the case -- at least according to Staples Center honcho Lee Zeidman who tells us there was an arrangement made before the 1st playoff game.

"The team inquired about using the Lakers locker room as a space for the Clippers owner. The Lakers gracefully granted use."

He continued, "People are trying to make something out of this, as if the Clippers are pissing off the Lakers by using their locker room. That's not true at all. We'd never use the Lakers space without asking the team."

The Houston Texans have somehow found a way to combine two things guys love -- football and twins -- and they've done it in the best possible way.

The Houston Texans Cheerleading Team is about to head out on location to shoot their new calendar in Puerto Rico, so naturally they snapped a few photos of the girls to get ready.

The team did a photo shoot of the 13 girls chosen for the 12 months, with one lucky month getting extra attention in the form of a pair of redheads who are new to the team.

The Detroit Lions cut offensive lineman Rodney Austin on the heels of his arrest for assaulting a woman and a baby.

According to the police report ... Austin shoved Yvonne Gill-Sadler on April 5th around 2 AM during a dispute in her Charlotte, NC apartment -- and when she went down she was holding a female infant ... less than a year old.

The report also says Austin prevented Gill-Sadler from calling 911 by stealing her phone. The baby and Gill-Sadler were uninjured ... according to cops.

Austin was arrested on April 17 and booked for assault, larceny, child abuse and interfering with emergency communication.

Wladimir Klitschko may be the heavyweight champion of the world, but he's about to get his ass kicked by his 5' fiancee.

Wlad took baby Kaya out into the Miami beach surf, while Hayden Panettiere was doing 'GMA' in NYC.

It looks like fun and games, but we're guessing Hayden will have issues:

-- the baby doesn't have a life jacket

-- Wlad is clowning off balance in the surf, with Kaya in a precarious position

-- she's not wearing a hat in the Miami sun

That said, dad is no ordinary father at 6'6" and 246 lbs. Kaya's in good hands. Of course, Hayden might not see it that way.

Good luck Wlad ... we're rooting for you!.

Eagles fans, stock the bubbly ... 'cause a bunch of local Philadelphia pastors tell us with the signing of Tim Tebow ... the team gained a very powerful ally ... GOD!!

TMZ Sports spoke with 5 church officials who rep 7 churches in Philly... and the sentiment was universal ... Tebow's faith -- and relationship with God -- will have a HUGE impact on the Eagles.

Here are some of the highlights ...

-- Rev. Bill Golderer (Broad Street Ministries) -- "Our legacy [as Eagles fans] has been over 50 years of futility. Tebow's close to God, so we wouldn't have to sell our soul to the devil to win a Super Bowl."

-- Rev. Safford (Christ Church) -- "Having a faith-based person with the Eagles can only help the team."

-- Pastor Kent Jacobs (Epic Church) -- "We love Tim. He's awesome! Everyone needs people to encourage them and he's that type of guy. So he'll help the locker room."

UFC stud Michael Bisping wants to have a Bill Clinton, Monica Lewinsky relationship with Wanderlei SIlva -- and yesterday, he formally invited his former rival to play the role of Monica.

Bisping was out in L.A. promoting his fight with C.B. Dollaway at UFC 186 ... when we brought up his old nemesis Silva -- who was banned from the UFC for life for ducking drug tests.

First, he called Silva a moron.

Then he called him another word for wiener.

And for his finale, he invited Mr. Silva to 3rd base.