TMZ Sports - Page 50

NY Giants co-owner Steve Tisch says the AAF ain't competition for the NFL ... in fact, Tisch tells TMZ Sports he thinks it'll only make his league even MORE popular!!!

We got the Giants honcho leaving Madeo shortly after the AAF kicked off its inaugural season Saturday ... and he tells us he FULLY supports the new football league.

And, why?? Steve believes it can put MORE money in his pockets ... and his league's -- 'cause it can only drive up the NFL's popularity.

"If it creates additional interest in the NFL -- which I think it will -- I think it proves Americans want to watch football 52 weeks a year."

Tisch also sees the AAF as a way for the NFL to have a minor league of sorts ... telling us he believes it'll provide a bigger player pool for the NFL to draw from.

Bottom line ... Steve -- who says he's ALREADY watched some of the action -- is one of the AAF's biggest fans.

"I hope it works!"

The fans seem to love the AAF too -- the debut games from the weekend reportedly had better ratings than nationally televised NBA games. And, EVERYBODY is talking about that monster hit on San Diego Fleet QB Mike Bercovici.

Just two Super Bowl champs hangin' out in Hollywood ...

Julian Edelman and Russell Wilson found each other at a pre-Grammy bash at the Beverly Hilton on Saturday -- and seemed to get along really well!

So, what did they have to talk about? Both guys are Super Bowl champs -- Wilson led the Seahawks to a victory over Peyton Manning's Broncos in Super Bowl 48.

And, Edelman has rings from Super Bowl 49, 51 and 53 ... also, the Super Bowl MVP from 53.

Obviously, Edelman was at the Grammys to present an award and Wilson was there to support his R&B star wife, Ciara.

They weren't the only athletes on hand ... Chris Bosh was also at the party. He's got 2 NBA championship rings.

Here's a guy who REALLY misses football already -- Kacey Musgraves' producer Shawn Everett who decided to grab some full WR shoulder pads and rock 'em to the Grammys.

Everett is a stud producer -- he's worked with huge stars like John Legend, Alabama Shakes, The Killers, Weezer and more. He's kind of a big deal (which is why he was onstage while Musgraves accepted Album of the Year).

He's also got an interesting sense of style ... and went full CTE chic to the award show -- dressing up his shoulder pads with a full-length skirt, corset, gloves and boots.

As for the pads -- we found 'em online (in case you're looking to recreate the look) -- Adams VS500 Varsity Football Shoulder Pads ... and you can get 'em for around $80.

Of course, Everett ain't the first star to fuse football pads with fashion -- the WWE's legendary tag team Legion of Doom was rockin' the look back in the '90s!

MMA fighter Josh Copeland -- who just fought (and lost) in the $1 MILLION match at PFL 11 -- was arrested for domestic violence after allegedly punching his wife so hard in the face, he left her bloodied and bruised.

It's all detailed in the police report obtained by TMZ Sports ... law enforcement in Adams County, Colorado raced to the couple's home on Feb. 2 after reports of an attack.

When they arrived at the home, Copeland's wife had "an obvious bruise on her left eye, a cut and was bleeding. There was blood down the front of her face and neck."

Copeland's wife said the two had been arguing -- when 36-year-old Josh pushed her so she pushed him back.

The two continued to attack each other -- with Copeland's wife admitting she slapped him in the face multiple times.

Finally, Copeland's wife said the 6'1", 265-pound fighter "then punched her in the face" and threw her on the bed. She says Copeland also took her phone so she couldn't call for help. Cops say they later found her phone in Josh's pocket.

Cops say Josh had redness and blood on his face -- but did not remember punching his wife.

Copeland's wife was transported to a nearby hospital. Josh was arrested and booked for second-degree assault, obstruction and child abuse ... since the whole incident allegedly took place in front of their child.

Copeland is due back in court next week.

Copeland is 18 and 6 as a pro-MMA fighter -- and even had a stint in the UFC in 2014 and 2015.

Marilyn Monroe and Joe DiMaggio's marriage only lasted 9 months, but the memories of their honeymoon live on ... and you can own the photos!!

Hollywood's "it" couple for a hot minute in the '50s eloped in San Fran in January 1954 and took a plane to Japan shortly afterward to celebrate ... but there was also some baseball business to handle.

Their photo album from the trip features several shots of the couple, but there's also a running storyline of the MLB legend -- who was a few years retired at the time -- and his old baseball buddy, Lefty O'Doul, trying to get baseball up and running in Japan.

Looks like Lefty didn't mind being the third wheel either.

All in all, there are 30 honeymoon pics in the velvet-bound album, with each photo measuring 7x9 inches or larger. It hits the auction block on February 22 at Heritage Auctions with a bid of $5,520 to kick things off, but it's expected to fetch over $10k.

Dr. Oz says his inclusion in the NBA's Celebrity All-Star Game is no fluke because he's got serious game ... which he's modeled after another famous doc.

We talked to Oz about his name showing up on the home team of the celeb roster, and he says there's a perfectly good explanation for why he was tapped ... his history with the game. Oz says he played ball for his high school and even balled up a bit during his college days at Harvard.

As we reported, 2 Chainz was pissed his name was left off the roster of celebs hitting the hard court ... especially because he actually played college hoops at Alabama State.

But, from the sound of it, Dr. Oz is a natural-born athlete, and he says he'll prove it on All-Star weekend. We pushed for how exactly he'll contribute, and he told us his value might not necessarily be scoring.

Check out the clip ... he even compares himself to another famous Dr. in the game.

Dr. Oz wasn't aware of Chainz calling out the NBA for allegedly blacklisting him, but he offered some advice for how to get into the game. The rapper says he's gotten the cold shoulder ever since 2013 when someone in his camp insulted a woman at the game.

Sometimes it's GOOD to defy your parents -- just ask Patrick Mahomes Sr. who says he REALLY tried to get his son to give up football back in the day to pursue other sports.

THANK GOD HE DIDN'T LISTEN!!!

Pat Mahomes Sr. made the shocking revelation to us ... saying he was convinced Pat had a better shot at going pro in baseball and basketball -- especially since the Univ. of Texas was recruiting him to play DEFENSE!!

"They were recruiting him as a safety. And, I was telling him, 'Why don't we quit this and let's just concentrate on the other two?'"

"I said, 'We're just wasting time with this football thing.'"

Pat's suggestion wasn't exactly misguided ... the elder Mahomes was an MLB pitcher for more than a decade -- and says his son showed clear talent to be a future pro in BOTH baseball and hoops.

But, the QB didn't listen to Sr. ... and said, "Dad, I want to be out there with my teammates. I want to be out there with the guys I've been playing with forever."

Turned out to be a pretty good decision ... Mahomes starred at Texas Tech -- and is the best young quarterback in the NFL right now.

BUT ... it does make ya wonder -- what IF Mahomes had decided to step off the gridiron and focus solely on the other two sports??

Something tells us we'd be seein' a whole lot of this in the NBA right now ...

How much does Adrien Broner hate Jim Gray??

"F*ck Jim Gray. Jim Gray a bitch. You a bitch!"

Yeah, that much.

The boxing star famously got into it with the broadcaster after a loss to Manny Pacquiao last month ... and it's clear -- their beef ain't going anywhere anytime soon.

ICYMI ... Broner got the snot beat out of him against Pacman on Jan. 19 -- and when Gray tried to interview him about it afterward -- Adrien got testy.

"I'm 3-3-1 in my last seven [fights], but I'd be 7-0 against you!"

The clip went viral ... with tons of people blasting Broner for the comments -- and Adrien STILL hasn't forgiven Jim for the whole incident.

In fact, when we got A.B. out at LAX on Friday and asked if an end to the beef was anywhere in sight ... he responded simply, "F*ck Jim Gray."

Broner also seemed to threaten the guy ... telling us he can't "talk about on camera" what he would do to Gray if he saw him out on the streets.

For his part ... Gray still seems to think the whole altercation was insane -- telling TMZ Sports when we got him out Craig's earlier this week, "He was way off in his assessment."

Brandon Moore -- the man who created the viral "what are those" meme -- died after a night of ingesting a bunch of drugs, including cocaine and ecstasy ... TMZ has learned.

According to the Contra Costa County Coroner's report ... the exact cause of death was polypharmacy -- meaning he died as a result of ingesting multiple drugs. The coroner says Moore's blood tested positive for cocaine, morphine, codeine, methamphetamines and ecstasy.

What's more ... the report says Moore's wife, Noonie, told authorities he drank and possibly ingested cocaine the night before he was found dead. According to the report, there's no evidence to suggest Moore ingested the drugs with the intent to harm himself ... and lists the death as an accidental overdose.

As we reported ... Brandon's wife told us his heart stopped while he was sleeping in their Northern California home ... and now we know why.

The internet comedian, known as Young Busco, made a huge splash in 2015 after mocking a police officer's shoes as a joke. You'll recall, while his friend was being arrested, Brandon joked about the cop's clunky boots, saying, "What are those?"

The meme caught fire online ... and the catchphrase even appeared in "Black Panther." Michael Jordan was also jokingly asked, "What are those?" during a Q&A session at a basketball camp.

Brandon, who was a father of 9, was 31.

Lamar Odom is joining a TON of big athletes getting into the green industry -- he's launching his own line of CBD vape pens, TMZ Sports has learned.

The ex-NBA star credits marijuana and CBD for helping him recover from the 12 strokes and 6 heart attacks he suffered after his 2015 drug overdose in Nevada ... and feels other people can benefit too.

Hence the new Odom pen.

The marijuana/hemp biz is becoming hugely popular with celebrity investors -- big stars like Joe Montana, Al Harrington and Mike Tyson are making big moves in the space.

Odom clearly sees real opportunity and we're told he's already getting solid feedback resulting in huge pre-orders.

Sam Darnold not only can win a Super Bowl for the Jets ... he can do it VERY soon -- so says NFL legend Darrelle Revis, who tells TMZ Sports, "I think he's the future of the Jets."

We got the future Hall of Famer out at the Super Bowl this past weekend ... and we had to get his take on his ex-team's young signal-caller.

That's when Revis told us he's so impressed by what he's seen from Darnold so far ... he thinks Sam can lead the Jets to a ring within the next couple seasons!!!

"I think he has a ton of potential. I think he's the future of the Jets ... I think he can bring a Super Bowl in the near future for the Jets."

Of course ... Darnold and NY have a long way to go to get to that mountain top -- they just went 4-12 and fired their head coach.

Oh ... and Darnold posted a 77.6 quarterback rating with a 17-15 TD-INT ratio.

But, Revis ain't concerned, saying, "It's going to take some time, but I feel like he's capable of doing it."

Ed Reed sees no QB controversy in Baltimore -- he says the Ravens are Lamar Jackson's team now -- but he does think Joe Flacco needs a new home.

"Flacco might be in Jacksonville, man, if he want to win another Super Bowl."

It's not a diss on his ex-teammate ... Reed says it's just apparent to him the Ravens have moved on to LJ -- and he doesn't want to see Flacco be a backup QB ANYWHERE.

It'll be complicated for the Ravens to pull off sending Joe to the Jags ... his contract creates a BUNCH of dead cash on their salary cap if they let him go.

But, Reed seems to think it'll go down regardless ... and says some of the money they save by jettisoning the QB can be used to buy Lamar more weapons!!!

BTW ... remember when Ray Lewis laughed at the notion that Terrell Suggs was the best Raven ever???

The wife of the retired soccer player who has been locked in a bitter divorce just got a restraining order against her estranged husband, after claiming he's been stalking and harassing her.

Sarah Jones claims in legal docs Jermaine Jones has been following her around town, despite an agreement they struck last December to stay away from each other.

Sarah filed for divorce last month ... this after he accused her of having a sexual relationship with David Charvet. David denies they had such a relationship, saying they were just friends.

Sarah claims in the docs, Jermaine has followed her to a market where she was shopping and then followed her car after she left, showed up at the Soho House where she was having lunch and sent her numerous "inappropriate, antagonistic and degrading messages."

Sarah says in the docs, "I believe Jermaine has acted this way to harass me, control me, intimidate me and disturb my peace of mind. I am scared of Jermaine's stalking behavior, Jermaine's monitoring my movements, Jermaine's harassing messages and Jermaine showing up at locations right when I am there."

You barely EVER see a Mayweather get knocked down in a boxing ring -- but that's what happened when Floyd's 66-year-old dad strapped on the gloves this week ... and it was all caught on video.

Floyd Mayweather Sr. -- a former pro boxer who became one of the top trainers in the world -- was at his son's TMT boxing gym in Vegas this week, where he decided to spar with one of the younger guys.

It started off great ... with Floyd Sr. stickin' and movin' and throwing some pretty quick shots -- but, when the other guy started to fight back, it didn't go well for the old man.

Floyd took a few clean shots to the head -- sending him flying backward ... and ended with the elder Mayweather lying flat on his back with his feet up in the air.

Don't worry ... he's tough -- he'll be fine.

Great news for people who wanna see Jake Paul and Soulja Boy beat the snot outta each other ... Big Drako says their boxing match is 100% going down!!!

TMZ Sports spoke with Soulja about his back-and-forth with the YouTube megastar ... and he says he's dead serious about setting up the celeb fight.

"Jake Paul can't beat me in no fight, you know that," Soulja says. "It's really gonna happen though. It's for real."

Of course, both dudes have offered to put $20 MILLION on the fight ... and, although Jake told us he has serious doubts about Soulja being able to cough up all that dough ... the rapper doubles down.

We also asked Drako what he thinks of Jake's skills ... and he's got one message for him.

Jon Jones. Brock Lesnar. Stipe Miocic.

If Dana White gets his way ... Daniel Cormier will fight all three of those monsters before he rides off into the sunset.

Cormier has been adamant that he's gonna hang it up on his 40th birthday on March 20 -- but, White says DC would be crazy to quit while he's at the top of his game.

"Cormier shouldn't hang it up, Cormier's the best in the world right now," White says ... and points to the fact he's never been afraid to tell a fighter to retire.

Case in point ... Chuck Liddell.

Fact is ... Cormier is in his prime as an athlete and as a draw -- and he stands to make a FORTUNE if he's down to fight Jones, Lesnar and Stipe ...

... a fortune that Dana seems happy to pay out.

"I could see those being the last 3 fights of his career," Dana says, "He's going out with a bang."

Right now, Cormier is dealing with an injury -- but it's clear, White is hoping like hell Cormier will heal up and sign on the dotted line.

For his part, when we spoke with Cormier back in November, he insisted his mind was made up -- he's out at his 40th -- and said he was "at peace with it."

Then again, Dana can be very persuasive ...