Football

Philadelphia Eagles fans are not happy, especially those on their own home turf ... and they let everybody within earshot hear about it.

As we all know, Super Bowl LVII didn't favor the Birds, and as a result ... the diehard fanbase showed their outrage afterward, taking to the streets of Philly and shouting in protest. Their collective gripe amounted to chants like, "F**k the Chiefs," among other harsh words.

Check out this video of them doing just that ... in addition to the war cry, they were also climbing light poles and bus stop stands and generally being rowdy. Honestly, it's pretty much almost the same scene when they win a big game.

The reason everyone was so pissed ... some felt like the game was one-sided with the referee's calls, especially toward the end of the game -- when Patrick Mahomes was on a drive to win the game, with one crucial play going for the Chiefs.

Eagles cornerback James Bradberry got called for holding KC's star wide-receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster ... even though everyone in Philly thought it was incidental contact, and Mahomes' ball didn't seem catchable.

The announcers even seemed stunned a flag had been thrown, because it sort of ended up deciding the game right then and there ... with the Chiefs deciding to run out the clock and kick a field goal -- giving the Eagles next-to-no chance to come back and score.

Damar Hamlin says he's physically "doing great" in his recovery from his cardiac arrest last month ... revealing he does hope to one day get back on the field.

The Buffalo Bills safety opened up about what life has been like since his Jan. 2 medical emergency during a "GMA" interview with Michael Strahan ... and he said there haven't been many -- if any -- lingering physical issues.

"I'm doing great," the 24-year-old said.

Hamlin, though, did tell Strahan that mentally it's been tough ... saying he's still processing everything and all the "trauma that comes from dealing with a situation like that."

But, despite that, the former 6th-round pick said he still hopes to play football again.

"Eventually, that's always the goal," Hamlin said, "but I'm allowing that to be in God's hands."

Hamlin said he's spoken with doctors about the possibility of being cleared to suit up for an NFL game down the road -- but revealed, "They can't really tell because it's like -- it's a up to me thing, I guess, or it's a long road. They're just worried about trying to get me back to normal as much as they can."

For now, Hamlin -- who received the NFLPA's Alan Page Community Award last week -- is focusing on his recovery ... while continuing to make an impact on communities through his charity work.

Travis Kelce and his brother, Jason Kelce, shared an emotional moment with their mother, Donna, on the field after the Super Bowl ... but for two very different reasons.

On Sunday, Travis and Jason became the first set of brothers to ever play against each other in the Super Bowl ... and their mom was there to witness the historic moment.

After the game, Travis celebrated with his mom on the winner's stage after the Chiefs defeated the Eagles, 38-35, behind some late-game magic from MVP QB Patrick Mahomes.

Donna found Jason on the field during the Chiefs' celebration, and cameras captured the two exchanging words with Donna hugging and kissing her son, Jason, on the cheek.

Of course, Donna couldn't choose a side, and she showed up to the game repping for both her sons, wearing a jacket that was half-Chiefs colors and half-Eagles colors.

In the end, even though her son Jason's team lost, having two sons play against each other in the biggest game of the season is a win for the entire family.

A$AP Rocky must've been on cloud 9 after Rihanna's Super Bowl performance AND her pregnancy reveal ... because he took to the club to party it up after the big game.

The rapper hit up E11EVEN Miami's Big Game Weekend Pop-Up at Maya Nightclub in Scottsdale Sunday night, after the Chiefs took down the Eagles ... clearly in great spirits as the night went on.

Rihanna wasn't with A$AP ... but he was still in good company, spending time with French Montana, Kevin Gates and YG.

FYI -- it seemed like A.R. was on daddy duty during the game, because he left the State Farm Stadium with his baby in tow. And no, A$AP didn't pull up to the club with the kiddo ... sounds like that job was passed to someone else.

As you know, A$AP's boo RiRi stepped back into the music game in AZ ... bringin' some of her classics to the field -- and of course revealing she's pregnant once again.

The Super Bowl gets some of the best commercials of the year, but one was a little too good ... because it had millions of viewers losing their minds, thinking they were missing the big game!!!

The Tubi commercial aired during Sunday night's big game and if you missed it -- consider yourself lucky 'cause it had households across the country reaching for their remotes and freaking out.

The ad, officially called "Interface Interruption", featured Fox sports commentators Kevin Burkhardt and Greg Olsen -- y'know the guys calling the actual Super Bowl -- so, most fans figured they were really welcoming everyone back from a commercial break.

But then, while the 2 guys were talking, the screen looked like someone was messing around with the remote and scrolled to the Tubi app to watch "Mr. & Mrs. Smith".

Of course, the ad made fans everywhere think someone in their house was fumbling with the remote to watch the flick during the intense Super Bowl game😂

By the end, you could tell it was just an ad for the streaming service (owned by FOX, BTW) -- not some kid sitting on the remote -- and fans were returned to the real game with Kevin and Greg really calling the action.

Former Washington star, LaVar Arrington believes longtime NFL owner Dan Snyder will sell the Commanders sooner rather than later ... telling TMZ Sports a fresh start for the franchise is "certainly what's needed."

We spoke to LaVar about the future of the Commanders just days after Synder listed his Potomac home on the market for $49 million ... and he thinks the billionaire's movement on the real estate market means he's looking to ditch the team.

"I would assume that means he's not staying," LaVar said.

The timing of Snyder listing his Maryland home for sale is pretty interesting ... considering the team announced in November he was exploring a sale of the franchise.

Despite a lack of success on the field, Forbes reports the Commanders franchise is valued at $5.6 billion ... and massive names like Jay-Z and Jeff Bezos are interested in buying the team.

So, we asked Arrington who he wants to own the team if Snyder sells, and the former linebacker told us, simply put -- he wants someone who cares about the people within the organization.

"If you're that person, and you can afford that price tag, then I hope and I pray that you're able to get them."

Of course, many have called for Snyder to sell the team for years ... after the franchise was the center of multiple scandals, including workplace misconduct and creating a "toxic" culture.

The Grammys wanted to honor Janet Jackson in a big way last weekend, but TMZ has learned those talks fizzled after discussions on how to address the way CBS treated Jackson after her infamous Super Bowl Halftime performance.

Sources connected to The Grammys tell us ... the Grammys wanted to bestow Janet with a Global Impact Award, but there was a snag. Recording Academy honchos wanted Janet to attend a pre-Grammy event with the Black Music Collective days before the main event to accept the award, but her schedule wouldn't allow it.

From there, we're told discussions pivoted to a way Janet could receive the honor during the actual broadcast, but that presented another problem ... CBS never made amends with Janet for making her persona non grata after the wardrobe malfunction.

It was Super Bowl XXXVIII, broadcast on CBS, when Justin Timberlake ripped Janet's top, revealing her breast. The network received a ton of flack over the incident, and CBS CEO  Les Moonves pulled Janet's invite to the Grammys that year.

Our sources say Janet's team and Grammy organizers began talking about ways CBS could either apologize or figure out a way to acknowledge how she was treated by the network, but things just got too complicated and talks ended.

Since Janet couldn't attend the Black Music Collective event, she didn't get the Global Impact Award. She also did not attend the Grammys ... fact is she hasn't been there in years.

Michael Rubin never disappoints, and his party the day before Super Bowl Sunday was no exception.

The CEO of Fanatics threw a bash that drew the likes of Travis Scott, Lil Baby, J Balvin and The Chainsmokers ... and the performances were amazing!

It went down at Phoenix's Arizona Biltmore, a Waldorf Astoria resort.

Travis Scott performed for a pretty famous crowd, the likes of which included Paul Rudd, Jay-Z, Quavo and Shaq. Travis cautioned the audience, "Put your phones away! This is a rager."

But wait, there's more! Kevin Durant showed up, along with Devin Booker, Chris Paul, Deandre Avton, and Phoenix Suns owner, Mat Ishbia.

Here's what a hot ticket this was ... more than 2,000 folks without an invite were turned away.

Still not done! Meek Mill got on stage and, get this ... even Robert Kraft hopped on the stage for some fun.

Move over Tony Gonzalez, Gronk and Shannon Sharpe -- Travis Kelce will go down as the greatest tight end EVER ... so says Raiders star Darren Waller, who tells TMZ Sports the Kansas City Chiefs TE is on his way to G.O.A.T. status.

Of course, the debate has become a hot topic recently ... with 33-year-old Kelce skyrocketing to the top of some lists with his incredible play over the course of his 10-year career.

Waller is definitely Team Kelce -- 'cause he says when it's all said and done, #87 will be the best to ever do it.

"He's that good," Waller told us this week. "I feel like he'll finish as the greatest tight end of all time. I don't think that's farfetched. It's awesome to see what he does."

We also asked Waller about Patrick Mahomes, who lost Tyreek Hill in the offseason to the Dolphins ... and he praised the SB champ for Kansas City's offense remaining at the top of the league.

"It's incredible," the 30-year-old said. "I heard a lot of people saying his job was going to get a lot harder this year with no Tyreek Hill and he wouldn't have the same level of success."

Of course, Mahomes and Hill created magic over the course of the five years they played together in Kansas City, routinely torching opposing defenses in the regular season.

Some thought Mahomes and the Chiefs offense would regress without Hill, but that wasn't the case for #15, who put up MVP-caliber numbers all season en route to the Super Bowl.

Speaking of the SB ... Waller says the game is a toss-up, but he predicts the Eagles will get a lot of pressure on Mahomes when they need it most and believes Philadelphia will win.

Waller got into some non-football talk ... telling us he has some new music on the way.

Rob Gronkowski's pre-Super Bowl party wasn't your run-of-the-mill shindig with some dancing and drinking ... several mascots rushed the stage, havoc was wreaked, and people were slammed by two former WWE Superstars!

Gronk Beach, which was put on by Wynn Nightlife and Medium Rare, went down Saturday afternoon at Talking Stick Resort in Phoenix ... and the day started out relatively normally. Rob took the stage shirtless and shook his ass as the jam-packed ground danced and enjoyed themselves.

Then, like an Allstate commercial, mayhem arrived in the form of a couple of mascots who pushed their way on stage.

Good thing TMZ Sports' own Mojo Muhtadi and Samuray Del Sol, formerly known as WWE Superstar Kalisto, were on hand to restore (😏) order. Mojo and SDS began slamming unicorns and gorillas, as bodies were strewn across the stage.

SDS even hopped up on an elevated platform and hit a backflip ... as Rob looked on, very amused.

Before unicorns started flying around, we talked to Gronk and asked him if Tom Brady's retirement shut the door on any potential comeback. Gronk joked he could come back as a kicker.

"If I make the kick tomorrow for Fan Duel. Jerry Jones is gonna call me and I'm going to the Cowboys."

If you haven't heard, Gronk will attempt a 25-yard field goal (a commercial will air the "Kick of Destiny" in the 3rd quarter), and if the future Hall of Famer can knock down the FG, bettors will split $10 MILLION!

And, the guy looks like he could still play (tight end, kicker, DE) ... Rob's jacked.

Although, he got a little bit of help ... we have photos of Gronk at Emsculpt's booth for some TLC on the ol' six-pack!

It'd be Brock Purdy in and Trey Lance out if Jeff Garcia were running the 49ers ... the former San Francisco star tells TMZ Sports he's all-in on Mr. Irrelevant in 2023!!!

Purdy took over the QB1 reins after Lance and Jimmy Garappolo got injured during the 2022 season, and he instantly became a hero ... winning nine games, and nearly leading the team to the Super Bowl.

However, the 23-year-old rookie suffered an elbow injury in the NFC Championship Game ... leaving his status as the future starter in question with Lance looming in the same QB room.

But, when we got Garcia out at the "GameOn Super Bash hosted by Babes and Ballers" Super Bowl event in Arizona this week ... he made it clear, if Purdy's healthy, he'd be his hands down main guy under center.

"Purdy runs the offense the way [Kyle] Shanahan coaches it," Garcia said. "They're not trying to fabricate plays and create like they were for Trey Lance."

"You gotta go with the guy that's going to make the right decisions, run the offense the way it's supposed to be run and take advantage of the weapons around you."

In fact, Garcia said he has so much confidence in Purdy ... he told us he thinks the Niners should consider trading Lance, since the 22-year-old is young, athletic, and has value.

"There may be people that are interested in that," Garcia said. "What can you get for him to make your team stronger, more solid? It's something you gotta look into."

Shannon Sharpe says Sean Payton is the perfect fit for the Broncos ... telling TMZ Sports Denver is moving in the right direction with the Super Bowl-winning head coach at the helm.

"I think Sean Payton is the right guy for the job," Sharpe said when we spoke to him at LAX this week ... adding he hopes most players come back and give it another shot with a new coach in town.

The Pro Football Hall of Famer -- who won three Super Bowls with the Broncos -- says he believes Payton will revamp the culture in Denver and get Russell Wilson back on track.

"Sean understands quarterback. [He] had Drew Brees. He's a no-nonsense type of guy. Some of that stuff that flew last year under Nathaniel Hackett is not going to cut it this year."

"His system and the way he conducts business is not for everybody. You're either gon' do it his way, or you're going to hit the highway and I love that."

Sharpe, though, knows the Payton hire won't result in an easy road to the Super Bowl ... he admits the Broncos will have their work cut out for them in the star-studded AFC West when they go against Patrick Mahomes and Justin Herbert.

As for Russ, the former tight end told us he doesn't think Wilson is broken ... and is optimistic the union with Payton can result in success for his former squad.

Super Bowl Sunday is finally here ... but before we get to the big game and Rihanna's must-see halftime show, let's meet the wives and girlfriends of the athletes taking the field!!

Kansas City Chiefs superstar Patrick Mahomes' wife, Brittany, is making her third trip to the Super Bowl ... but this time, their 1-year-old daughter and newborn son will be tagging along to check out the action.

Even though Shane Buechele won't be starting over Mahomes, the backup quarterback's wife, Paige Lorenn, still deserves a big shout-out.

We're sure Orlando Brown Jr.'s fashion influencer GF Holly Luyah, will be dressin' fancy for the big game ... as well as Juan Thornhill's new fiancée, Reagan Elizabeth.

"Fly, Eagles Fly" is something we expect Philadelphia quarterback Jalen Hurts' girlfriend, Bry Burrows, to be yelling when her bae takes the field ... alongside Kelsey Holmer, who hopes her man Lane Johnson protects the QB from the Chiefs defense.

Speaking of defense, Ndamukong Suh's wife, Katya, is gonna be stoked that her man is in his second Super Bowl ... just like Fletcher Cox, whose lady, Kaycee Marchetti, will get her usual pregame smooches.

Vernon Davis says he wouldn't be shocked if Tom Brady goes from hoisting Lombardi Trophies to picking up Oscars ... telling TMZ Sports he was impressed by the QB's role in "80 For Brady."

The former 49ers tight end -- who's turned himself into a super successful actor in his life after football -- told us out in Arizona this week that Brady legitimately showed him something in the new flick.

In fact, Davis said Brady did such a "great job" in the movie about a group of women who traveled across the country to catch him in Super Bowl LI -- he could envision the 45-year-old turning into a real-deal actor someday.

"I could see him having longevity," said the 39-year-old, who just recently worked with Morgan Freeman in the movie "Muti."

"He knows about discipline. He knows about hard work. He knows what it takes to be great at anything. So, with that, he can only go up."

Steve Young's looks over the years are hands down the MOST valuable!

Here is a 32-year-old version of the pro footballer with his chiseled game face on full display ... ready to take on the Denver Broncos in SF back in 1994 (left). This was the same year he was named MVP (in addition to 1992) and just a few months before he and his fellow 49ers won the Super Bowl XXIX.

And 29 years later ... the NFL Hall Of Famer recently took his winning looks to Vegas and commentated on the Kansas City Chiefs vs. the Las Vegas Raiders game (right).

Whether on or off the field, Mr. Young is still scoring points in the 'looks' department.

The question is ...

Rihanna has A LOT of songs to consider as she finalizes her 13-minute Super Bowl set -- but if she's curious what her peers think she should sing ... she might wanna watch this.

We got Christina Aguilera and Winnie Harlow heading into Drake's SB party Friday in Scottsdale -- and, of course, we asked them about RiRi's many options in terms of tracks she could perform Sunday ... and what exactly they'd like to hear during the Halftime Show.

Check it out ... each of them gives us a response, and they're quite different. CA says she wants to see Rihanna's take on an ODB classic -- while going on to tell us she thinks Ri's gonna kill it.

Winnie had her own pick for a Rihanna song she'd like to see performed -- a fan fave, no doubt -- but she also had a lot to say about the fact that Rihanna is one of the first Afro-Caribbean women to take the big stage. Winnie is of Jamaican descent, BTW.