Football

Meek Mill doesn't agree with DJ Drama's hot take that "Dreams & Nightmares" has been replaced by Lil Uzi Vert's "Just Wanna Rock" as the Eagles anthem -- instead, he's taking a more inclusive approach.

We got Meek out in Arizona amid the Super Bowl LVII festivities, and he laid out a plan for Philly to use both tracks. He suggests the birds come out amped to Uzi's stadium rocker ...  and then blare "Dreams & Nightmares" when they hoist up the Lombardi Trophy in victory!!!

Meek's hit has been synonymous inside Lincoln Financial Field for over a decade, but sadly, Meek was incarcerated during the Eagles' 2017 championship run -- so, he tells us he's eager to see that kinda moment in-person.

It's a great fix to the dust Drama kicked up when he lived up to his name earlier this month ... proclaiming Uzi's 'Rock' as the new sound of the Eagles.

Uzi's record is currently sitting in the Top 10 of the Billboard Hot 100, but still needs a bit of time before it carves out the same history as Meek's track.

Both songs would definitely extend the celebration in Philly, but Kansas City Chiefs ambassador Tech N9ne is 100% positive his squad will come out on top ... and even challenged Eagles fans Gillie and Wallo to put their dignity on the line with a jersey swap bet!!!

Jeffree Star has finally revealed his "NFL Boo" ... and it's veteran offensive lineman Taylor Lewan ... but despite teasing a romantic relationship, it appears to be strictly business.

The cosmetic mogul has been teasing fans, and upsetting NFL wives and girlfriends, since the season ended ... hinting at a romance with a pro football player ... but ultimately, it's just been promotion for a podcast.

Jeffree and Taylor made the big reveal Friday, two days before the Super Bowl ... and Jeffree hopped on Taylor's podcast, "Bussin With The Boys," which the Tennessee Titans star hosts with former NFL player Will Compton.

In late January, after 28 of the 32 NFL teams had finished the season, Jeffree began making it look like he was seeing an NFL player ... first posting a picture holding someone's hand on a private jet and hinting he was off to Wyoming with his "#NFL boo."

The mystery continued a few days later, when Jeffree posted another picture concealing the man's identity, along with the caption ... "His team didn't make it to the #SuperBowl but he's 6'6 and plays perfect in the bedroom❤️."

Broncos country is going to be riding again in a big way in 2023 -- at least, that's according to Cameron Jordan ... who tells TMZ Sports he's expecting big things out of Denver after it hired Sean Payton this offseason.

Jordan spent nearly his entire career being coached by Payton in New Orleans -- and he predicted on Friday that the guy is going to have the Broncos humming in no time ... no matter how bad their record was last year.

"That man, he's a mad scientist," the Saints superstar said of Denver's new head coach. "What do you think he's been doing? Enjoying color commentary on TV and cooking in the lab!"

Jordan added that he knows Payton's been itching to get back to the field so badly, he's actually "afraid for Denver."

"I don't know what they had in their last head coach," he told us, "but I know what they got in this one."

The quotes are music to the Broncos' ears -- because they gave up a whole lot to get Payton. In addition to handing him a big contract, Denver also had to part ways with a first-round pick and more to pry him from the Saints.

Michael Irvin was pulled from NFL Network's Super Bowl coverage after he was accused of misconduct by a woman in a hotel lobby, but now two alleged witnesses are coming to the Hall of Famer's defense.

TMZ Sports spoke to Phil Watkins, a man from Australia, in Arizona on Thursday, who says he watched and listened to the interaction between 56-year-old Irvin and his alleged accuser, an interaction he described as "positive" and "friendly".

Watkins says he was hanging out with his buddies, taking photos with the Hall of Famer outside the hotel where Michael was staying. As they walked inside, the witness says Irvin was approached by a woman as he was trying to go to the elevator.

Sources close to Irvin say this is the woman who made the allegation against him.

We asked Watkins to describe what he saw.

"It was a positive, friendly conversation. They had a brief interaction, it was 30, 40 seconds, he kept his distance at all times, stood about a meter away from her, they ended with a handshake and he literally turned around and went to the lift."

We doubled down, asking if there was anything that could've been interpreted as being improper.

"Not at all. Not at all. There was a little bit of laughter. Obviously a jovial conversation. Nothing untoward for me to actually take notice of what was going on," Watkins said.

We also talked to a second alleged witness, Bryn Davis from Philadelphia, who echoed Watkins' story.

"We walked back to go into the bar, [Irvin] went straight to go to his hotel room, and I guess somebody that worked there, I don't know if it was a waitress or a bartender I guess came up and said, 'Hey Michael Irvin.' And he said, 'Oh, nice to meet you, I'm Michael' and shook her hand."

"The crazy part was it was like a 30-second interaction. It could've been a minute. I didn't really think much of it 'cause it was just a fan kind of thing."

Davis provided our photog with the photograph he took with his friends and Irvin.

Later in the week, Davis says he was in shock when he read Michael had been accused of misconduct because they'd just taken a photo together. But, then he says he realized he'd witnessed the alleged incident and was shocked.

"I woke up I guess this morning and saw this thing that said, 'Michael Irvin [misconduct]', and I was like, God, I just took a picture with that guy, I can't believe it.' and then I read it and it was from the night I was there and I was like, this is baffling, cause I saw it and I never witnessed something like that happen before."

Asked to describe the interaction again, Davis repeated ... "It was about a 30-second interaction that was jovial, like a fan interaction, and she went back to work."

We asked Davis if anything he saw would explain Irvin being booted from NFLN.

"That's why this morning I felt sick when I saw it because it's the first time I was ever, firsthand experience where something like that happened that was just fabricated. It was a totally normal conversation."

"And the bar was relatively packed. It was a quick conversation in a crowded area. He went on his way and I never thought about it again."

Davis also explained why he's decided to speak out.

"I'll say this, man. I'm from Philadelphia. I grew up and Michael was our enemy. But he's a super, super, super nice guy, and that's why I felt like I needed to say something only because he's a good dude and to have that happen and have your livelihood or career taken is crazy. It's not fair so it was worth coming out and saying something."

As for the specifics of the allegations, virtually nothing is known about what the woman says happened.

We broke the story on Thursday ... Irvin is seeking $100 million from the Renaissance, accusing the hotel of "railroading" him in an attempt to unjustly cancel him.

Michael briefly spoke on the radio earlier in the week and said he was "totally perplexed" by the situation.

We reached out to the police to ask if an investigation had been launched ... and they referred us to the NFL.

Tom Brady is letting everyone know he's dead serious about retiring this time around ... officially submitting his retirement paperwork, seemingly closing the door on a comeback.

Brady doubled down on his February 1 retirement announcement Friday ... by sending an official retirement letter to the NFL and NFLPA, according to Adam Schefter.

Brady's formal letter to the league and the union should answer any questions surrounding the 45-year-old quarterback's future.

With TB12 officially gone from the NFL ... the 7x Super Bowl-winning quarterback is a lock for the Pro Football Hall of Fame once he's eligible in 2028.

Of course, Brady said he was "retiring for good" a couple weeks after the Cowboys defeated the Buccanneers, 31-14, at home in the wild card round of the playoffs.

"I know the process was a pretty big deal last time," Brady said during the big announcement ... "so when I woke up this morning I figured I'd just press record and let you guys know first."

Despite the horrifying images that came out of Vontae Davis' arrest earlier this month ... his older bro, Vernon Davis, tells TMZ Sports the ex-NFL star is now "doing well" and taking steps to remedy a "very tough situation."

Vontae was put into custody in Broward County, Fla. on Feb. 4 after cops say he drunkenly crashed his Tesla into the back of a disabled Toyota truck. In photos and video we obtained from the scene, you can see Vernon's younger brother appeared to be asleep on the highway following the accident -- and then seemed to struggle to stay awake during ensuing questioning.

At one point, a cop grew frustrated with the ex-Indianapolis Colts cornerback ... and told him, "You almost killed somebody."

Vernon told us out at a Super Bowl event in Arizona on Thursday night that he's spoken to Vontae since everything went down ... revealing, "he said he was doing well."

"He's just taking care of everything behind the scenes," the former 49ers star tight end added.

As for what he told his bro ... Vernon said, "I just told him I'm going to keep him in my prayers and continue to wish him the best and hope that he continues to do the right thing."

Brett Favre is dragging Pat McAfee and Shannon Sharpe to court ... suing the ultra-popular sports analysts after he says they made comments about him that were false and defamatory.

Favre filed the lawsuits earlier this week in Mississippi -- naming state auditor Shad White as a defendant in one of the suits as well.

The Green Bay Packers legend claims in the suits all three defamed him when talking about his alleged role in a welfare funds scandal in Mississippi.

Favre said McAfee made some of the remarks on his podcast, alleging the former NFL punter said the ex-QB was "stealing from poor people in Mississippi."

The Hall of Famer claimed Sharpe muttered defamatory comments on his FS1 show -- when he said Sharpe called Favre a "sorry mofo to steal from the lowest of the low."

As for White, Favre says the Mississippi official has "shamelessly and falsely" attacked him for months "in a brazen attempt to leverage the media attention generated by Favre's celebrity to further his own political career."

FYI, White and his office were the ones who initially discovered the alleged misuse of welfare funds, claiming over $70 million intended to go toward the needy in Miss. actually went elsewhere -- including to Favre as well as projects closely associated with the Hall of Famer.

Favre, though, has denied any wrongdoing in the case ... insisting back in September, "I have done nothing wrong."

Favre is suing the trio for unspecified damages.

A spokesman for the State Auditor's office said Thursday in response to the suits that "everything Auditor White has said about this case is true and is backed by years of audit work by the professionals at the Office of the State Auditor."

Damar Hamlin is heaping praise on Denny Kellington for performing CPR on him the night he went into cardiac arrest, calling the Bills assistant athletic trainer the "savior of my life."

"I owe Denny my life," Hamlin told Michael Strahan on "Good Morning America" on Friday ... "He loves to say he was just doing his job."

Hamlin said if Kellington didn't show up to work that night with a clear mind ... he might not be here, a reality he doesn't take for granted when reflecting on the moment

The 24-year-old safety acknowledged Denny was acting as any professional should in that instance, but respects the man for rising to the occasion even when things looked dire.

Hamlin was on tap at the NFL Honors ceremony Thursday ... where he delivered an inspiring speech alongside the medical professionals who helped keep him alive.

"First, I would like to just thank God for even being here,” Hamlin said. “Every day. I’m amazed that my experiences could encourage so many others across the country and even across the world, encourage the parade, encourage it, spread love, and keep fighting, no matter the circumstances."

During his speech, Hamlin said he met a doctor in the hospital who went through a similar experience as him, and reminded him that he was living proof Damar would be fine.

"I want to give a big thank you to him and a special thank you to everyone on the stage for everything they did for me," Hamlin said. "And thank you, everyone, around the country and around the world who prayed for me and hoped for me. The journey will continue.”

Earlier this week, the NFLPA awarded Hamlin the Alan Page Award for his charitable work in the community.

There's money to be made when Rihanna takes the stage during the Super Bowl Halftime Show on Sunday ... with prop bets waiting to be placed on the superstar's outfit and stunts -- and of course, whether she shows skin.

The folks at BetOnline listed a ton of bets, and there's an opportunity to rake in some serious dough ... making the singer's performance even more exciting for viewers.

Will Rihanna expose butt cheek on stage??
-- Yes -120 (risk $120 to win $100)
-- No -120 (risk $120 to win $100)

Will Rihanna expose cleavage on stage??
-- Yes -400 (risk $400 to win $100)
-- No +250 (risk $100 to win $250)

Will Rihanna use a phone/tablet/computer??
-- No -1500
-- Yes +600

And get this one -- Will Rihanna pull a Janet Jackson and show nipple on stage??
-- No -2500
-- Yes +800

There are a ton more prop bets for the actual game ... like the result of the coin toss, the color of liquid poured on the winning coach, what tweet will happen first -- Joel Embiid talking about Rihanna or Eli Apple going off about the Chiefs, and what swear word Travis Kelce will say in his postgame interview.

Drake is gearing up for Super Bowl Sunday -- which means, per usual, he's playing high stakes and throwing down some serious cash on the game.

The rapper posted receipts to Instagram Thursday showing 7 bets he placed on the Kansas City Chiefs-Philadelphia Eagles matchup.

Drake's wagering nearly a million bucks on the big game -- $965K to be exact! If he wins each bet, Drake could rake in a whopping $3.57 million.

Drake knows it too ... that's why he captioned his IG post like this ... "My psychotic bets for Sunday are in @stake."

Philadelphia, as you might know, is favored to win by 1.5 points ... but Drake is going with the Chiefs all the way, plunking down $700K on the team.

Drake also made separate bets -- $50K each -- that Patrick Mahomes and Juju Smith-Schuster would score the first Chiefs touchdown. He then bet $50K the Chiefs would score in both halves of the game, and $30K the team would win all four quarters.

What's more, Drake bet $25K the Chiefs star tight end Travis Kelce would be the game's MVP. He also bet $60K the MVP award would go to a tight end, which, by the way, has never happened in Super Bowl history.

As you know  ... Drake likes gambling almost as much as turning a phrase. He wins big and loses big. Last month, Drake took in $2 million on a $1 million bet that the Chiefs would defeat the Cincinnati Bengals in the AFC Championship.

Michael Irvin filed a scathing $100 million lawsuit against the woman who accused the NFL legend of misconduct, alleging he's being "railroaded" with false accusations that are ruining his career.

The lawsuit, obtained by TMZ Sports, was filed Thursday afternoon ... after Irvin says the hotel where he was staying concocted a plan to turn him into the next victim of "cancel culture" over something he says never happened.

"Rash and thoughtless actions can have severe consequences. Marriott [parent company of Renaissance Hotels] apparently did not appreciate these simple truths when, in a rush to judgment, its employees and management inaccurately and inflammatorily accused Mr. Irvin of misconduct to the National Football League," the lawsuit reads.

According to the lawsuit, witnesses (in the above photo) backed Irvin's initial claim that he "casually exchanged pleasantries" with the employee ("Jane Doe"), "shook her hand, and went to his room alone."

However, once Irvin and his team became aware of the allegations, they say they attempted to provide witness accounts to the hotel in an effort to rectify any misunderstanding, but they say the Renaissance refused to listen.

In fact, the lawsuit accuses the hotel manager of reporting the alleged incident to the NFL "with the intention of damaging that relationship and canceling [Irvin]."

Levi McCathern, Michael's attorney, says his client's reputation has not only been damaged, but he's also lost out on money -- canceled appearances -- as a result of the false allegations.

Irvin is seeking in excess of $100,000,000.

The Hall of Famer's attorney tells us ... "It is clear Michael is the latest victim of our cancel culture where all it takes is an accusation to ruin a person’s life. Michael looks forward to clearing his name in court and hopes the Court of public opinion will see the truth come out as well."

Of course, 56-year-old Irvin was yanked from NFL Network's Super Bowl coverage after a hotel employee complained about Michael's alleged behavior during a brief interaction Sunday night.

The specifics of the accusers allegations are still not known publicly.

Irvin, one of the most popular media personalities in sports, was set to be one of NFLN's and ESPN's faces of their Super Bowl coverage.

Derek Carr out ... Aaron Rodgers in?

If No. 4 is definitively on his way to being traded from Vegas this offseason ... Raiders star Darren Waller is making it clear, he wants Rodgers to replace him.

In fact, the tight end is downright recruiting the Packers star to Nevada while under the assumption that Carr's a goner ... saying at Jay Glazer's Super Bowl party in Arizona this week, "If you come, it's gonna be lit!"

Waller added in his pitch that Las Vegas is a better place to be than Green Bay "in most cases."

"If he comes," Waller said of Rodgers, "I'd be a happy camper."

Of course, there's a lot of pieces that would have to fall into place to make Waller's wish come true. First, Carr would have to be traded. Then, Vegas would have to make a swap with the Packers for Rodgers.

But, Carr already appears to be on the verge of being moved -- he just met with the Saints this week. And, all signs seem to be pointing toward Rodgers being jettisoned from Green Bay too (that is, if his isolation retreat leads him to one more year of football).

American actor Isaiah Mustafa was 35 years old when he first started playing the main character in the "The Man Your Man Could Smell Like" campaign back in 2010.

During the 2010 Super Bowl XLIV (New Orleans Saints vs. the Indianapolis Colts), Isaiah obtained instant fame after millions saw him parading around in nothing but a towel -- with his rockin' bod on full display -- promoting Old Spice products.

In 2011, Italian actor and model Fabio Lanzoni accompanied Isaiah in the Old Spice ads, and Terry Crews followed suit in 2015 ... now that's a muscle showdown!

"Hello ladies, look at your man ... now back to me!"

Native American activist Amanda Blackhorse -- a social justice leader who helped force Washington's NFL team to change its name -- is now calling for the Chiefs to switch their moniker ... and she's urging Rihanna and Patrick Mahomes to join the cause this week.

Blackhorse and other Indigenous advocates have scheduled a protest at State Farm Stadium on Sunday during the Super Bowl ... in an effort to get the ball rolling on ridding K.C. of its longstanding team name.

Blackhorse and other leaders have said it -- as well as the org.'s "Tomahawk Chop" and "Big Drum" traditions -- appropriate their culture ... and they want changes ASAP.

She tells TMZ Sports ... she's hoping Sunday's boycott will raise awareness for the cause, adding that if K.C.'s star QB and the Big Game's halftime show performer pitch in, it could make a big difference.

Of course, Blackhorse was successful in her crusade to get Dan Snyder's team to make changes -- she was a key plaintiff in a lawsuit that helped pave the way for their switch to the "Commanders."

She's now clearly hopeful she can repeat that in Kansas City.

For the Chiefs' part -- they've made changes at Arrowhead Stadium in 2020 in wake of some of the cries ... banning headdresses and Native American-style face paint. They also said at the time they were looking into imposing further restrictions.

Rihanna wants to make sure she gets her Super Bowl LVII halftime performance 100% correct ... working through 39 different setlists to get it right.

The music superstar discussed her everchanging plans on Thursday during an Apple Music press conference to pump the big show.

Rihanna told panel moderator Nadeska Alexis she hasn't been afraid to take charge, as there's a lot riding on this performance, including her own reputation.

The singer says trying to condense hours worth of musical greatness into a 13-minute set has been damn near impossible, but Rihanna says there are a lot of people who are involved working to make it successful.

She says her bossy side has surfaced on several occasions -- making small changes such as where her guitar players should stand.

We spoke to Rihanna about her pregame jitters back in October and it appears she still has them.

She openly admitted she had some hesitation taking the gig after giving birth to her baby back in May, and lamented over the lack of work/life balance to spend with her child.

Ultimately, the "Umbrella" singer says it was an honor to be put in a position to represent Barbados, immigrants and Black women alike ... and plans on incorporating plenty of her native Caribbean culture into the show.

Shawne Merriman doesn't quite get Aaron Rodgers' upcoming isolation retreat -- he says it "sounds like jail to me" -- but the ex-Chargers star tells TMZ Sports he isn't going to judge the QB for trying to better himself.

Both Merriman and former NFL star LaVar Arrington weighed in on the Green Bay Packers signal-caller's plans to lock himself in darkness for four days later this month ... and neither guy said it was something they'd get themselves into.

But, both former football players -- who were catching a meal together out at Super Bowl week in Arizona -- had no desire to shade the 39-year-old for it.

"I don't knock how anybody goes and find themselves," Merriman said. "Like, so, if you've got to go to a dark room for four days, go to the dark room. Make it six!"

Added Arrington, "Everybody has their own journeys in life. I'm not one to judge somebody on what their journey of enlightenment and self-understanding is."

Rodgers initially revealed his plans for the isolation trip on "The Pat McAfee Show" on Tuesday ... saying he's going to go to "a little house" in a few weeks and lock himself in a dark room.

The quarterback said the goal of it all is to come out with a more clear picture of whether or not he wants to play football again going forward.

Arrington admitted it sounds like "solitary confinement" to him ... but, again, he said he's all for it if it helps Rodgers.