NFL

Rihanna shocked the world Sunday by announcing her pregnancy during her Super Bowl performance -- but it was a well-kept secret even among people who were part of the show.

Super Bowl sources tell TMZ ... most of her backup dancers -- upwards of 280, as we came to find out -- had no idea RiRi was preggo before she hit the stage this weekend, and that's due in part to the baggy clothing she'd been rocking during all the rehearsals.

Our sources tell us Rihanna was wearing very loose-fitting outfits both on Saturday and on Sunday as she was practicing her set. It wasn't until showtime that anyone involved saw her final costume, which seemed designed to show off her belly.

In other words ... Rihanna covered her bases here, not letting anyone involved with the halftime production get a whiff of her pregnancy before she could show it off to all.

Remember, Rihanna was also seen publicly a couple days before the Super Bowl, when she did an interview talking about the different setlists she'd created ... and there, too, RiRi seemed to be trying to hide her bump -- wearing a big furry jacket and other fluffy garb.

Of course, you could even trace this cover-up back to the Golden Globes in January ... where Rihanna and A$AP Rocky showed up in person, with RiRi again wearing a loose-fitting outfit and keeping her purse in front of her stomach throughout much of the broadcast.

Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce turned all the way up after winning the Super Bowl, hitting the stage with The Chainsmokers ... and partying with the group until the wee hours of the morning.

The Kansas City Chiefs stars joined the "Closer" crooners at the Hyatt Regency Scottsdale Resort and Spa on Sunday night just after beating the Eagles 38-35 in SB LVII in Arizona ... and by the looks of things -- they had an absolute blast.

In front of hundreds of Kansas City supporters, the guys danced their faces off ... while the musical group played tune after tune after tune.

At one point, the quarterback and tight end were joined by Chiefs head coach Andy Reid, as well as team honcho Clark Hunt, who grabbed the mic to recognize the guys ... and rile up the crowd.

Just before that, DJ Khaled, Jason Derulo and Tech N9ne also performed.

Of course, all of the guys had every reason to party ... they played a hell of a game against Philadelphia, with Kelce logging six catches for 81 yards and a TD -- and Mahomes completing 21 of his 27 pass attempts for 182 yards and 3 TDs of his own.

Pat was ultimately named MVP of the game -- and you can see in the vids of their postgame bash, he rocked a WWE-style championship belt to let everyone know he had just won the second title of his career.

Rihanna got lots of compliments for her Super Bowl halftime performance, but there was one glaring, predictable exception ... the man who famously holds grudges -- Donald Trump.

The ex-Prez went on his social media platform, Truth Social, and had nothing but bad things to say ... "EPIC FAIL: Rihanna gave, without question, the single worst Halftime Show in Super Bowl history — This after insulting far more than half of our Nation, which is already in serious DECLINE, with her foul and insulting language. Also, so much for her 'Stylist!'”

As for why the grudge ... well, in August 2020, in the heat of the election Trump ultimately lost, Rihanna posted a photo on Instagram, featuring a car littered with graffiti, with the words "F*** Trump" spray-painted on it.

Rihanna is back, taking the Super Bowl by storm and reminding everybody what they've been missing for 6-plus years ... and, according to some, she might've even just made a BIG announcement.

The singer/fashion mogul hit the stage Sunday after the 2nd quarter of the game came to a close -- and right from the jump, you could tell this was going to be something else ... with RiRi making a grand entrance to kick off an epic 13-minute set chock-full of hits.

Rihanna's show featured her and her dancers on multiple elevated platforms, which she gradually came down from to continue the show. Of course, she touched on a ton of classics of hers ... singing everything from "Work" and "Bitch Better Have My Money" to "Rude Boy" and "Diamonds" -- and just about every other fan fave we all wanted to hear in between.

Of course, the one thing almost everyone noticed immediately ... Rihanna looked to possibly be pregnant -- and she even seemed to acknowledge she may be, rubbing her belly. No official word yet ... but all signs point to her potentially having another bun in the oven.

By the end of it all, Rihanna had just about everybody at State Farm Arena on their feet ... and the place was roaring when she took her final bow. Indeed, it was awesome.

This marks the first time Rihanna has performed live since 2018 -- when she hit the Grammys alongside DJ Khaled. She hasn't really picked up a mic since then though, and the anticipation to see her in her musical element again has been at an all-time high.

Of course, she also hasn't released a new album in like 7 years ... but, she has put out new music -- namely, a track for the new 'Black Panther' movie that proved she's still got it.

RiRi obviously put a lot of work into this ... she said she had gone through dozens of set list variations in the build-up to Sunday -- noting it was tough deciding which songs she wanted to include to do justice to her huge catalog. Safe to say, she chose wisely ... pulling it off.

Great show, and hopefully a sign of more to come for her. We know she's been hitting recording studios of late -- and with her going out on a such high like this, ya kinda gotta follow it up with even more stuff.

Granted, if she is indeed pregnant ... she may be on a hiatus yet again. Remember, she just gave birth this past May -- and while she was out and about a lot, she was also on mom duty.

Philadelphia Eagles fans were heartsick after the Chiefs took home the W at the Super Bowl ... and this guy seemed to take all his rage out on the TV -- although when you look closely it has "staged" written all over it.

The now-viral clip shows some pals watching Sunday night's big game, and when KC kicked the winning field goal ... one of the dudes went BERSERK on the TV, smashing it and yanking it off the mantle.

Now here's the thing -- IG comedian and Streamy Awards nominee FunnyMike is the destructive fan ... he's well known in the IG world with 8.4M followers.

But wait, there's more. The energy guide label is still stuck to the screen ... odd, right, if it's already mounted to the wall.

Thing is ... it wasn't mounted. You see the boob tube comes down way too easily. It seemed propped up on the mantle, for easy destruction.

Patrick Mahomes was being Patrick Mahomes after the Super Bowl win -- and his brother, Jackson, was being ... Jackson.

There's a clip of the Chiefs QB doing a post-game interview Sunday with the NFL Network, and as he was sitting down and answering questions seriously with an anchor on-camera -- Jackson popped up right behind him and busted a move ... or two, more like.

It looks like Jackson didn't realize he was interrupting a live shot, because someone off-camera appears to have told him to scram ... which he then did, seeming apologetic and genuinely surprised. Pat, meanwhile, didn't bat an eyelash.

Jackson is a social media star in his own right -- thanks, in part, to being Pat's little bro -- and this is his style ... namely, stealing the spotlight. He's often popping up on video doing wacky stuff ... including crap he probably shouldn't be doing, especially at games.

The roped-off area comes to mind -- as does that epic water pour during last season ... among JM highlights from his young career.

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.

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.

Chris Stapleton's rendition of the National Anthem was quite emotional -- just ask the Philadelphia Eagles' head coach ... who was shedding literal tears during the song.

Nick Sirianni is going viral right now for his reaction during Stapleton's performance before kickoff Sunday at Super Bowl LVII in Arizona. The reason ... toward the end of CS's crooning, the camera panned to Sirianni for a close-up ... and the dude could be seen visibly crying.

His raw response to the moment is tugging at Twitter's heart strings -- as it seems many felt proud and patriotic while Stapleton carried everyone through the 'Star-Spangled Banner.'

He wasn't the only one welling up ... Jason Kelce could also be seen starting to tear up, as were other players from both sides of the gridiron. Safe to say, it's a milestone for a lot of people there today -- including Sirianni, who's said this has been a lifelong dream of his.

Right before Stapleton took the mic, the FOX broadcast noted Sirianni had been pretty open about watching Whitney Houston sing the National Anthem in '91 -- and made it his mission to get to a Super Bowl himself one day.

Now, he's here ... and his squad has a good shot at taking home the glory against the Kansas City Chiefs -- this after just a couple years on the job.

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!