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Lindsey Vonn ain't throwing in the towel just yet ... but she's close ... saying she's still holding out hope she won't have to retire from skiing after suffering another major knee injury.

Vonn pulled out of the World Cup super-G run at Cortina in Italy on Sunday due to pain in her knee -- the latest in a spectacular career riddled with injuries.

Now, the 34-year-old Vonn -- the greatest female downhill skier ever -- is opening up about the reality she might have to hang up her skis for good.

"After a lot of physical therapy and time to clearly think things through, we have come to some conclusions about my knee," Vonn said on Wednesday.

"First, we discovered the reason I had so much pain and muscle shut down in Cortina was due to an impact injury to my peroneal nerve."

Vonn says the pain got worse each day and by Sunday "my lower leg was in a lot of pain and my muscles had completely shut down."

"Now that we know the problem the next issue is fixing it. So far we haven’t found a solution and as a result I will not be able to compete in tomorrow’s downhill training run. However, since this is a new 'injury' per say, I remain hopeful that we can fix it."

"I’m taking things day by day and we will see what happens."

If you owned a major sports agency, wouldn't you travel to wherever the hell the #1 player in the country was at??

That's what Jay-Z did on Tuesday night -- flying out to Pittsburgh to watch the Pitt Panthers take on Zion Williamson and Duke at the Petersen Events Center.

For the record, it's not like this was some marquee matchup -- Duke is the #2 team in the country and Pitt isn't ranked.

So, why would Jay -- as busy as he is -- leave Beyonce and the kids to see a college hoops game?

Seems pretty obvious he's making a run at Zion -- like every other major sports agent on the planet.

Zion is expected to be the #1 overall pick in the 2019 NBA Draft -- and it would be a huge score for Roc Nation which already has stars like Kevin Durant, Saquon Barkley and Todd Gurley on the roster.

In typical Zion fashion, he balled out in front of Hov -- dropping 25 points, 7 rebounds and 7 assists in the 79 to 64 victory.

Also, Zion's teammate, R.J. Barrett -- who's also projected to be a Top 3 pick -- did well, posting 26 points, 5 rebounds and 3 assists.

Duke's #3 guy Cam Reddish had a decent stat line -- 15-6-4.

Jay had been planning the trip for weeks, according to Pitt coach Jeff Capel who told reporters, "His people reached out to me a few weeks ago about them wanting to come ... people from Roc Nation."

"Our athletic department and our ticketing people did an amazing job accommodating that. It’s great to have the greatest rapper ever in the arena.”

Guessing Jay can charge this trip to the company account -- like he's always said ... he's a not a businessman, he's a business, man.

5:45 AM PT -- A longtime Parisian criminal defense lawyer tells TMZ, Chris has effectively been arrested. Within 2 days he must either be released or appear in court, where a prosecutor can ask the judge to either keep Brown in custody pending trial or let him go free with "obligations." If Brown's released with obligations, we're told he could be required to surrender his passport to French authorities and would remain in Paris pending trial, which typically takes a year.

The lawyer adds Brown could be required to go to the police station every 2 weeks to ensure he's still in France.

Chris Brown and two members of his team have been arrested by French police after a woman claims she was raped by the singer in a hotel.

French authorities confirm to TMZ Brown has been detained and is in custody for alleged aggravated rape and narcotics offenses. Authorities went on to say he is being processed, which is the French version of being arrested and booked.

The woman says she met Brown overnight between January 15-16 at club Le Crystal and then headed back to the Mandarin Oriental Hotel with the singer where she claims to have been raped.

Investigators have two days to decide to file preliminary charges or to let Brown go.

Chris was spotted at Le Cirque Club in Paris Saturday night -- just three days after the alleged rape -- with Ammika Harris, a woman who he is reportedly dating.

Brown was prosecuted for felony assault and making criminal threats after he brutally attacked Rihanna in Los Angeles. The beating left Rihanna with visible facial injuries to her eyes and mouth which required hospitalization.

Brown later pled guilty to a felony and was sentenced to community service, 5 years probation and domestic violence counseling.

Brown was sued back in May by a woman who claimed she was raped at a party at the singer's home. The woman claimed Brown supplied party attendees with Molly, cocaine and weed and that it was one of his friends who raped her.

The LAPD investigated the woman's claim after she filed a report, but could not determine if the sex was forced or consensual. The lawsuit is ongoing.

Chick-fil-A is punting on the opportunity to score LOTS of potential cash by refusing to open up one very important location for Super Bowl Sunday.

Sources connected to the fast-food chain tell us the Chick-fil-A stand inside Atlanta's Mercedes-Benz Stadium -- where Super Bowl LIII will be played in a couple weeks -- will, in fact, remain closed on Feb. 3 ... just like every other Sunday before it.

We're told that although the MBS location won't be open, Chick-fil-A is still one of the corporate sponsors for the Atlanta Super Bowl Host Committee ... and our sources say CfA is happy to be there in spirit and through its donation to JFK Park.

Much to the chagrin of foodies everywhere, Chick-fil-A notoriously closes up shop on Sundays to give employees a much-needed day off to be with family or go to church.

That's why folks were thrown for a loop back in 2017 when a location sprung up inside MBS, where the Falcons play on Sundays. The operator has said there's tons of other events happening at MBS throughout the year -- enough so, apparently, to make it worth their while.

Just to give you a sense of how much of a cash cow Chick-fil-A is ignoring for this upcoming game -- it could be in the ballpark of half a mil, more or less. Probably more, though.

This guy says they've sold as many as 5,000 sandwiches in one night. Considering Super Bowl stadiums have hit 100,000-plus attendees in recent years ... that's a potential $409,000 Chick-fil-A is losing out on if everyone bought just one of their basic sandwiches.

Move over Jay Cutler and Kristin Cavallari ... there's a new king and queen of the bare-ass game -- Brooks Koepka and his smokin' hot model GF!!!

The PGA star and Jena Sims did their best Cutler-Cavallari impression in Maldives on Tuesday ... flashin' their asses for the camera in some tiny swimwear.

The caption? "Who wore it better??"

So far, Jena's leading the votes ... but it's close -- and yeah, easy to see why!!!

It's been a hell of an offseason for Koepka -- a two-time U.S. Open winner -- the dude's been hoppin' around with Sims in Vegas, Santa Monica, Abu Dhabi and now South Asia.

In fact ... it was a great REGULAR season for the guy too -- remember when Trump congratulated his "powerful mind" AND "powerful game" after winning the PGA Championship in August??

Bottom line ... it's GREAT to be Brooks.

Manny went for the handshake.

Floyd went for the dap.

The result was ... well, it was a mess.

Once again, Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao came face-to-face at the Lakers game -- in what seems to be more shameless promotion for an upcoming rematch.

Floyd was sitting on the court at Staples Center in L.A. to watch the Lakers take on the Warriors (they lost) ... when Manny came up from behind to say "What's up."

The handshake greeting was a disaster -- but they got the point across.

The big problem ... Manny reportedly suffered an eye injury during his victory over Adrien Broner this past weekend -- which could throw a huge wrench in the rematch plans.

According to reports, Manny feared he suffered a detached retina in his left eye. Later, his manager said the eye was "fine" and he'll be okay.

Manny was wearing shades at the game -- so you can't see if the eye looks damaged on the surface.

As we previously reported, Manny and Floyd have been teasing a rematch for months ... and with both fighters looking pretty solid in their last fights, it seems a deal could be close.

The two originally fought back in 2015 -- with Floyd winning a unanimous decision in a pretty boring fight.

We recently spoke with Manny who told us he had a bad shoulder at the time -- and now that he's fully healed, he's confident he would whoop that ass.

No deal has been made at this point -- but we're guessing it's just a matter of time ... considering the money these guys could rake in.

There were other big stars at the Lakers game too -- including Halsey, Alexis Ren, Mahershala Ali, Jack Nicholson and LeBron James ... who was a spectator Monday night due to injury.

Get well soon!

Seems Ben Simmons is getting more serious about Kendall Jenner -- because he sat his girlfriend with his MOTHER at the 76ers game on Monday!

Check out Kendall rubbing elbows with Julie Simmons at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia -- where Ben and the 76ers beat up on the Houston Rockets in a 121 to 93 victory.

Ben's stat line wasn't spectacular -- only 9 points, 6 assists and 6 rebounds. And, he only hit 3 of 12 shots, which is bad for him (he usually shoots well over 50%).

But, who cares about individual stats when your team wins, right?

Plus, the most important question ... did Kendall and Mom get along?! Pretty well actually. The two were seen smiling and chatting. Good times.

It's not the first time they've kicked it together -- Kendall and Julie hung out at a game back in November 2018 and got along great then too.

Ben and Kendall have been dating on and off since May 2018. The next big question ... when does Julie get to come to L.A. to meet the rest of the Kardashians??

Cristiano Ronaldo was ordered to pay a $21 MILLION fine as punishment in his tax fraud case -- but the good news for the soccer superstar, he won't have to serve a 23-month prison sentence.

And, for a guy who reportedly earns around $90 MILLION per year, that's a pretty good deal for him!

The 33-year-old appeared in court in Spain on Tuesday morning smiling and holding hands with his girlfriend, Georgina Rodriguez ... almost like he knew it was not a big deal.

And, the reason? CR7 had previously agreed to a plea deal with prosecutors ... so Tuesday's court date was just a formality to make it official.

CR7 had been accused of hiding around $16.7 MILLION income he made from his image rights in Spain between 2011 and 2014.

He was facing a 23-month prison sentence -- but hammered out a deal to pay the fine and move on with his life.

It also helps that in Spain, a 1st-time offender sentenced to less than 24 months in prison can serve probation instead of being locked up.

The fine is really no big deal for a guy like Ronaldo -- Forbes reports he pulls in around $93 mil from pro soccer and endorsement deals.

Of course, Ronaldo has other legal issues -- he's being sued in the United States by a woman who claims he raped her in a Las Vegas hotel room in 2009.

Ronaldo has denied wrongdoing. Cops are still investigating.

Alex Smith ain't out of the woods yet -- the QB is still using crutches and a complex brace around his leg ... 2 months after suffering a gruesome injury against the Texans.

The Washington Redskins star finally surfaced in public Monday at the Wizards-Pistons game in D.C. with his leg wrapped in bandages and what appears to be a Taylor Spatial Frame.

FYI, a TSF is often used by doctors to treat compound fractures. It essentially helps the bone heal correctly with the use of pins, wires and rods.

Smith's right leg was snapped in half in a game against the Texans on Nov. 18 ... with Smith ending up breaking both his fibula and tibia to the point where bone poked through the skin.

In fact, the injury was so devastating ... reports say Alex needed further surgeries to correct an infection he got following the first operation to fix the issue.

But, Smith seemed to be in good spirits as he watched the hometown Wizards from a press box ... even smiling as he spoke with people in the arena.

It's unclear whether Smith plans to play ever again ... releasing a statement just a few weeks ago, saying, "Although this is a serious injury, Alex and his family remain strong."

"We would ask that everyone please honor the Smith family's request for privacy at this time."

Ex-NFL star Tiki Barber made his Broadway debut in "Kinky Boots" this weekend -- dancing and singing in a pair of red thigh-highs ... and he slaaaaayyyyyyed.

The former New York Giants running back played Don the foreman in the Broadway play, which required him to flex his vocal range and hit a high note in one of the songs.

Look, he's no Celine Dion -- but he was pretty good ... and the crowd loved it. Dude even got his own bouquet of roses at the end of the performance.

Don't fret if you missed the show -- Tiki's run on Broadway goes until March.

And, get this -- the music and lyrics for the show were written by Cyndi Lauper!

Barber isn't the first NFL star to take his talents to the stage ... Eddie George has become a big-time actor and even starred in "Chicago" a few years back.

Harry Connick Jr. is so pissed off over that non-pass interference call at the end of the NFC championship game, he wrote a letter to Roger Goodell saying he's boycotting the Super Bowl.

The Grammy-winning crooner is a HUGE Saints fan (he was born and raised in New Orleans) -- and while he's usually a chill guy, his blood was BOILING when his team got screwed by the refs in the waning minutes of the game.

So, Connick decided to pen a letter to the NFL boss -- telling the Commish he's mad as hell at the officiating and he ain't gonna take it anymore.

"Until changes are made, specifically, booth review of outcome-altering no-calls, you can count me out," Connick Jr. wrote in his letter.

"I'm not watching the AFC championship game and I won't be watching the Super Bowl."

So far, no response from Goodell.

Here's Harry's letter in full ...

"Dear Commissioner Goodell,

Please know that I would've written this letter regardless of which teams were playing in the NFL championship.

I love the game of football so much -- the NFL gives me great joy and has for many years. To not call the pass interference/helmet-to-helmet penalties at the end of the game was one of the most disgraceful no-calls I have ever seen.

The officiating this year has been, for the most part, mediocre, in my opinion. But for a game as important as the NFC championship, it sickens me to know that the people who are assigned to fairly officiate the game seemingly had no regard for not only a dangerous penalty but one that would certainly have changed the outcome of the game.

Until changes are made, specifically, booth review of outcome-altering no-calls, you can count me out. I'm not watching the AFC championship game and I won't be watching the Super Bowl.

Thank you for taking the time to read my letter.

Detroit rapper Tee Grizzley is pissed at Adrien Broner ... saying Adrien cost him a grip of cash when he got punished by Manny Pacquiao ... a $20,000 grip to be exact.

Broner got his ass handed to him Saturday night, in a fight where he only landed 50 punches and spent most of the match on his bike, running from a 40-year-old.

After the fight, Broner told Jim Gray he believed he won the fight -- and noted his pals in the "hood" were behind him.

"I did this for the hood," Broner said during the post-fight interview ... "You know I beat that boy."

Most of Twitter was disgusted with AB's performance, but Tee was especially pissed -- taking to social media to throw major shade at Broner.

"AB, what hood was you doing that sh*t for bro? You shootin' dice and all in the airport playing and sh*t, you shoulda been training. I lost 20 racks f*cking with you."

Baker Mayfield took ANOTHER jab at Hue Jackson ... AND joked about a crotch grab that got him suspended -- and it all went down in a video skit with Peyton Manning's bro.

Baker went on Cooper Manning's "Manning Hour" -- a FOX NFL Sunday skit ... and while he was "cooking" up a cake -- he took a jab at his ex-coach while praising his current one.

Cooper: "Look, if you're not a fan of kitchens, it's OK."

Baker: "No, I love kitchens."

Cooper: "Yeah, kitchens are great. They're better than Jacksons."

Baker: "Anything's better than Hue -- oh, um, you."

Of course, Mayfield and Jackson have had a longstanding beef ever since Hue bolted for the rival Bengals after being fired from Cleveland back in October.

There's more ... Mayfield also mocked a sideline crotch grab that earned him a suspension back when he was a QB at Oklahoma.

Cooper: "Grab the nuts."

Baker: "NFL doesn't really like it when I do that."

Cooper: "No, the nuts!"

Baker: "Oh! Sorry, I have a history with that."

This ain't the first time this month Baker's mocked an issue he's had in the past ... he also laughed off his Arkansas arrest in a Fortnite stream last week.

How's the LAPD celebrating that Rams victory over the Saints? THEY'RE TALKING TRASH!!!

Right after that controversial ending in the NFC championship game, the LAPD reached out to their Nawlins counterparts on social media with some epic smack talk over that non-pass interference call that cost the Saints the game.

"Sounds like our friends at [The New Orleans PD] might be dealing with some robbery complaints after the #LARams⁠ ⁠defeated the @Saints," the LAPD said on Twitter.

"We would help investigate but A) it’s outside our jurisdiction, and B) we just don’t see enough evidence of a crime."

Translation -- SUCKS TO BE YOU!!

That's not all ... some people in New Orleans are so pissed off about the referee situation, that a local optometrist is offering free eye exams to all NFL zebras!

"We will GLADLY provide no cost eye exams to all NFL officials prior to next season to prevent the atrocity that occurred tonight," Louisiana Family Eyecare posted on its Facebook page.

"We would hate for someone else to feel our pain."

President Donald Trump only congratulated ONE of the teams that made the Super Bowl on Sunday -- the New England Patriots -- with a special shout-out to his old friend, Tom Brady.

... and it begs the question -- friendsies again?

Of course, Tom and Trump had a friendship that went back years -- Tom even put DT's "Make America Great Again" hat in his locker during the campaign.

But, the two had a big falling out back in 2017 -- Tom didn't go to the White House with the team that year and Trump made no mention of TB12 during his congratulatory remarks.

As we previously reported, Trump felt betrayed by Brady for not standing up for him publicly. In fact, Gisele has publicly stated she and Tom do not support him anymore.

Tom has also disagreed with Trump's criticism of Colin Kaepernick -- saying the comments POTUS has made about NFL kneelers is "just divisive."

But, despite the fallout, Trump typed out Tom's name on Twitter Sunday night -- saying, "Congratulations to Bob Kraft, Bill Belichick, Tom Brady and the entire New England Patriots team on a great game and season. Will be a fantastic Super Bowl!"

No word from Tom yet. We guarantee he'll be asked about it in the lead-up to the Super Bowl.

As for the L.A. Rams -- no love from Prez.

At least, not yet.

What's better than a hole-in-one in a round of golf??

A HOLE-IN-ONE IN A ROUND OF GOLF WITH BARACK OBAMA!!!

Larry Fitzgerald knows that first hand ...'cause the Cardinals superstar aced the par-3 13th hole at Seminole Golf Club in Florida on Friday in front of the former President.

Golf Channel's Tim Rosaforte reports Fitz and Obama played a foursome at the prestigious course with club prez Jimmy Dunne and Obama Foundation board member Glenn Hutchins.

The story goes like this ... Obama hit his tee shot first -- striking the green about 20 feet from the hole.

Larry hit his tee shot next ... and with an 8-iron from 162 yards out -- HE JARRED IT!!!

Per Rosaforte ... Larry was JACKED, screaming, "I’m playing with the President of the United States and I just made a hole in one! This is unbelievable!”

Larry is no stranger to success on the links ... dude's a reported 10 handicap and has hit the course with guys like Tiger Woods in the past.

But ... bad news for Larry -- the ace means drinks are on him!!!

Something tells us that's a bill he won't mind footing, though.