NFL

NFL commish Roger Goodell has a message for Marshawn Lynch -- stop being a baby and do your job ... which includes answering questions from the media.

Goodell is clearly not happy with Marshawn's Super Bowl Media Day "I'm Just Here So I Won't Get Fined" stunt -- and moments ago, he took Beast Mode to task in front of the very reporters Lynch snubbed earlier this week.

Goodell explained that talking with the media is part of Marshawn's job, whether he likes it or not.

"There are a lot of things we don't like to do in our jobs, but it comes with the territory ... and it comes with the privilege of playing in the Super Bowl."

We'd call Marshawn for comment, but ... well ... you know.

Brad Pitt's got Drew Brees' stamp of approval -- with the New Orleans Saints QB telling TMZ Sports the guy's not only a solid friend ... but he's pretty damn accurate when it comes to tossing a beer.

Brees was out in Phoenix for an event to promote his Brees Dream foundation and the Super Service Challenge -- when he told us about his famous friendship with the movie star.

Clearly, the two share a strong bond with N.O. -- but Brees says the thing that sealed their friendship was the now famous Bourbon Street Beer Tossing incident back in May.

The two have been close ever since -- in fact, Brad defended Brees when the critics were ganging up on him over his slow start this season.

As for Drew, check out the clip below to hear more about the good work he's doing for charity.

Big day for Leah Still -- because her father told us the 4-year-old starts a new round of chemotherapy this morning that will hopefully crush her disease so badly, she can finally begin stem cell therapy.

Cincinnati Bengals defensive lineman Devon Still is out in AZ -- and told us that while the cancer is still in Leah's body, she's fighting like hell to beat it.

"We're just hoping for the best and just trusting in the doctors to their best for her," Still told us.

Still also told us why he and Leah decided to write a children's book about Leah's battle with pediatric cancer -- and it's truly inspiring stuff.

Ray Rice is a "good man" -- and has proven that he deserves a second chance in the NFL ... so says NFL Hall of Famer Jonathan Ogden, who played with Rice on the Ravens.

Ogden is out in Phoenix for the Super Bowl -- and laid out the case for the running back, telling TMZ Sports:

"We understand that the man made a huge mistake, but he's done everything he could over the past year to make up for it."

Ogden continued, "I think his record before that speaks to the fact that he really is a decent human being ... and hopefully somebody will give him a chance because hes a good running back and a good man."

There will be tons of scoring OFF the football field in Arizona this weekend ... cause TMZ Sports has learned that the dating app Tinder is BLOWING UP with randy pigskin fans looking for some tight ends.

We spoke to our Tinder sources (we have them) and they tell us ... since Wednesday activity in the Phoenix area -- where the game is being played -- has "tremendously spiked."

We're also told ... with 300,000 people expected for the big game some type of upswing is normal -- with other sporting events like the World Cup and Olympics (hello Olympic village) seeing the same thing -- but they can't explain why usage shot up so far ahead of the big event this time.

We might have an idea ...

Tiger Woods happens to be playing in the Phoenix Open this week. #JustAThought.

Stephen A. Smith just UNLOADED on Cleveland Browns receiver Josh Gordon -- saying the letter he directed at Stephen, Charles Barkley and Cris Carter is "pathetic," "small minded" and "ignorant."

As we previously reported, Gordon ripped the media members -- claiming they were out of line for personal comments directed at him in the wake of his NFL and legal troubles. He demanded a retraction.

But Smith just appeared on ESPN Cleveland Radio and tore Gordon (and his letter) apart -- saying, "I'm sad for him. It's pretty pathetic ... the fact of the matter is that it's his actions that got him to this point."

Smith goes on ... "What he's not realizing is that we're not speaking about you as an individual, we're speaking about what you represent" -- a black man who came from poverty and made it to the NFL.

"So for you to be blowing these kind of opportunities not just speaks to you but it speaks to an abundance of individuals out in this world, particularly those from the African-American community that could possibly find themselves in this position but somehow someway blow it."

"That's what we say when we say 'we care' ... when we say we're disgusted with you."

"So the fact that [Josh] took the liberty to write this letter ... just also at the same time heightens your level of ignorance, because you're not getting the big picture."

Another perk of having Peyton Manning as a teammate -- FREE PIZZA!!!

According to Denver Broncos defensive end DeMarcus Ware, Peyton ain't stingy when it comes to his Papa John's hookup ... and often sends pies to the workplace.

As you know, Peyton's not just a spokesperson for the pizza company -- he also owns 21 franchises in the Denver area ... and they all saw a boom in profits after Manning came aboard.

Tampa Bay Bucs superstar Mike Evans has a message for the Cleveland Browns -- stop messing around and give Johnny Manziel the starting QB job already.

Evans -- who played with Johnny at Texas A&M -- touched down in Phoenix moments ago ... and told us he still STRONGLY believes the Heisman winner can still tear it up in the NFL ... despite a rough rookie season.

There's just one catch ... Evans clearly believes the Browns should commit to #2 as the starter from the very beginning of the season -- unlike they did this past season, when Brian Hoyer got the nod.

"When he starts the season off, he'll be good," Evans said.

If you thought Richard Sherman's "Don't Ever Talk About Me" rant was priceless, think again -- 'cause the NFL star's brother tells us it made the family a TON of money!!

Richard's older brother Branton Sherman -- who's also the business manager for the Richard Sherman Family Foundation -- is out in PHX to root for the Seahawks ... when he we asked how he felt about the legendary moment with Erin Andrews last year.

"We made so much money off of that whole deal," Branton says ... "It was a good thing for us!"

Even Branton's mom was able to cash in ... he says the rant helped Richard and their mother lock up a commercial for Campbell's Soup ... and now they get more free soup than they ever could've imagined!

"We got Campbell's Soup up the ass man!"

One last thing ... even though Richard is widely regarded as the best defensive player in the league, Branton still says he could take 'em.

"I'm the big brother."

Justin Bieber woulda had a lot less problems in life ... if his mama woulda dished out a few good ass-whoopings over the years ... so says NFL legend Eric Dickerson.

As you may know, Dickerson is no stranger to Biebs -- they were neighbors in Calabasas and E.D. says he would often see the kid driving dangerously fast around town.

Bieber eventually moved -- and Wednesday night he made a new video explaining that he truly wants to change for the better.

So, does Eric think Bieber has a shot to become a better person?

"It's possible," Dickerson says.

But check out the video -- Dickerson explains why "a good ass whoopin' never hurt nobody" ... and why he believes tough love from a parent made him a BETTER PERSON in the long run.

Richie Incognito has arrived to the Super Bowl -- but he's not there to mess around ... the former Miami Dolphins lineman tells TMZ Sports he's laser focused on getting back in the league.

Incognito was hangin' at the W Hotel in Scottsdale Wednesday night ... where a bunch of huge NFL stars and league bigwigs were hanging out at a celebrity fashion show.

Incognito -- who hasn't played a down in the league since he was suspended for bullying Jonathan Martin -- told us he's still training hard and hoping a NFL team will take a chance on him after missing the 2014 season.

It could be tough sledding for the 31-year-old ... who was admitted to psychiatric care in the wake of the bullying scandal.

But when we spoke with him Wednesday, he seemed to be in great spirits -- even joking around about his eating habits.

Talk about putting your money where your mouth is ... pro athletes are now spending THOUSANDS of dollars to pimp out their mouthpieces with diamonds and gold ... TMZ Sports has learned.

In fact, NBA star Nate Robinson is part of the "pimp your mouthpiece" movement -- and recently picked up a $5,300 customized mouthguard that's chock-full of real gold foil.

The man behind the piece is Dr. Michael Wright of "The WrightGuard" ... who tells us high-end custom protection is becoming a major trend with athletes in a variety of sports ... from hoops to football and boxing.

In fact, Wright says he was recently approached by a NFL star who's playing in the Super Bowl (Wright says he can't reveal the player's ID) ... who requested a mouthpiece with some massive diamonds flanking the front.

"The Super Bowl athlete brought his own diamonds," Wright says ... "I don't know how many carats, but they were huge."

Wright says his mouthpieces are just as functional as they are flossy -- and says he has a special 3-layer process to make sure the gold, silver and/or diamonds are sealed in a way that it won't harm the user.

Wright says he's gotten some crazy requests from some of his athletes -- some people want team logos others want their Twitter handles -- and says team reps sometimes oversee the process to make sure the mouthpiece complies with uniform standards.

With so much customization at the pro level (mouthguards, cleats, etc) ... keep an eye out for the platinum diamond-encrusted jockstrap in the future.

Newsflash -- Marshawn Lynch has a FUNNY side ... and here's the hilarious video that proves it.

The Seattle Seahawks running back teamed up with the enemy (Rob Gronkowski) for a hilarious video game battle on "Conan" ... which quickly turned into a comedy session

The segment is pretty hilarious ... with Lynch crackin' drug jokes ... Gronk making a boner pill joke ... and overall hilarity ensuing.

Unclear when the guys found time to shoot the bit -- which is set to air Thursday on TBS -- but it seems like the two NFL superstars really hit it off.

#RealityShowSpinoff? #Please #BeastMeetsGronk #LethalWeapon5? #ImJustHereSoIDontGetFined

Renowned golfer and occasional saxophonist Kenny G knows how to swing the crooked stick, and in all his golf-playing days ... one NFL star stands out above the rest.

Our photog spotted Kenny in New York City Wednesday afternoon ... and he told us about his favorite course to play. He's got a pretty conventional choice.

But when we asked Kenny to name the best football player he's ever played a round with ... he didn't hesitate.

Not even a Chicago Bears fan could hate this video of Aaron Rodgers paying a surprise visit to four kids ... who lost a parent in the military. Grab the Kleenex.

The Green Bay Packers quarterback met with 3 sisters -- Alexis, Starr and Kylee -- and a young man named Dylan ... to spotlight the great work done by Camp Hometown Heroes in Wisconsin.

The girls didn't seem to be big football fans, but you have to see Dylan freak out when he realizes Aaron Rodgers has shown up.