NFL

Shaquille O'Neal just went scorched Earth on everyone bashing Rihanna's Super Bowl halftime performance Sunday ... saying people need to "shut the f*** up!"

"All you people disrespecting Rihanna, shut your face," O'Neal said on his The Big Podcast with Shaq featuring Nischelle Turner and Candace Parker, passionately defending the 9x Grammy winner.

Many people have been critical of Rihanna's performance on Sunday ... but Shaq isn't one of them. The Big Fella believes RiRi did her thing, adding we live in a world where people have too much freedom to criticize others.

"She did a wonderful job," Shaq said. "She's pregnant. She blessed it. She didn't fall. Just leave it there. All you superstars that's disrespecting and causing beef ... shut it up."

O'Neal said it was the first time he ever saw the "Umbrella" artist perform live ... adding, if he were in A$AP Rocky's shoes, he'd be defending her.

"If she was my woman and I seen one of you superstars do that," Shaq said, "I'm gonna have to get at you." "Rappers. Presidential candidates. I'm gonna have to get at you. Leave her alone."

Shaq didn't mention which rappers or presidential candidates he's calling out ... but it's worth noting former President Donald Trump ripped Rihanna's performance.

Trump wrote ... "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!'”

DT wasn't the only high-profile name who wasn't a fan of Rihanna's 13-minute set at the SB -- WWE legend Goldberg was "disgusted" by the show and thought it was "horrible."

Travis Kelce proved yet again to be a genius on the microphone -- belting out a rendition of "Fight For Your Right" in a karaoke sesh with Jimmy Fallon on Thursday ... and it was, as it always is, EPIC.

The Super Bowl champ was Fallon's guest on "The Tonight Show" -- and after the two talked about the Big Game, Patrick Mahomes, the Chiefs, the Kelce family and the post-win celebration ... Jimmy asked if the star tight end would hop on a mic with him.

Never one to turn down the spotlight, Kelce obliged ... and it was awesome.

For 90-or-so seconds, they sang the Beastie Boys' 1986 classic -- and the crowd ate it up!!!

Of course, Kelce's had a ton of practice with the tune the past few weeks, particularly the song's chorus, as he's been yelling it into postgame mics throughout K.C.'s playoff run.

It might not be the last time we hear him sing it this winter, either ... Kelce revealed to Fallon he's going to host "Saturday Night Live" on March 4 -- and it seems to be a good bet there will be a musical bit or two then.

Sorry, Tom Brady ... Green Bay Packers star Allen Lazard is giving the G.O.A.T. title to Aaron Rodgers -- telling TMZ Sports the QB is the best pigskin-thrower ever!

"The greatest of all time," the 27-year-old said of his quarterback out at Super Bowl festivities last weekend. "Not might, no might. Drop the might. He's the G.O.A.T."

Of course, most consider Brady to be the best ever -- dude has seven Super Bowl rings, played until he was 45, and owns just about every passing record ever -- but Lazard told us he's going with his signal-caller over anyone else.

"The best person to ever pick up a football and throw the ball," he said. "I'll leave it at that."

Lazard might be a bit biased, he's been catching passes from Rodgers since 2018 -- and gushed over the QB's pinpoint accuracy when we asked him about playing with the signal-caller.

As for their future together, though, it's murky -- Lazard is a free agent ... and Rodgers is rumored to be a trade candidate this offseason.

Regardless, AL says he'll always be Rodgers' biggest supporter.

"Catching passes from him has, you know, it's been a highlight of my life, my career, and everything," Lazard said.

The wideout's teammate, Aaron Jones, however, told us at the SB LVII festivities he doesn't like the idea of Rodgers playing anywhere else, especially if it happens to be with the Las Vegas Raiders.

"He's my quarterback!" the running back said. "I don't want him to go nowhere."

Michael Irvin just scored a win in court ... a judge has ordered that an Arizona hotel now must turn over any video it has of an interaction the Hall of Famer had with a woman that ultimately led to his removal from NFL Network's Super Bowl coverage last week.

Irvin's attorney Levi McCathern had requested the footage from the Phoenix Marriott in a motion filed on Thursday morning, believing it will help exonerate the NFL legend, who had been accused of wrongdoing while he was in Arizona to report on SB LVII for the league's TV station.

On Thursday afternoon, a judge granted the motion ... saying the clips must be sent to Irvin by Feb. 20.

The judge also ordered that the hotel must provide the name of Irvin's accuser ... as well as anyone else who may have filed a complaint against the former football player. In the order, the judge also ruled the hotel must reveal the names of the NFL employees who received the complaints.

In the motion, Irvin's attorney made it clear he believes all of it will help show the ex-Dallas Cowboys wide receiver did nothing wrong when he interacted with a female hotel worker on Feb. 5.

According to the docs, Irvin only met the woman after she had called him over in the hotel lobby to introduce herself ... and "eyewitnesses described the interaction as 'jovial' and completely harmless." Irvin's attorney wrote in the motion that the interaction lasted less than a minute, and Michael then went to his room alone and fell asleep.

Irvin was pulled from the NFLN's SB LVII coverage on Feb. 7 after they had apparently received complaints from the woman over the meetup.

Irvin eventually sued Marriott and his accuser, ID'ed only as Jane Doe, for defamation ... claiming he had done nothing wrong.

Patrick Mahomes may have needed to slow down on the Coors Lights just a tad during the Chiefs' Super Bowl parade on Wednesday ... because he passed off the Lombardi Trophy to a fan -- and then obliviously left it!!

The hilarious blunder was all captured on video as the K.C. star was mingling with Chiefs supporters at the celebration.

You can see in the footage, the quarterback -- holding a beer and appearing to be just a bit tipsy -- was taking selfies ... when he let a fan hold Kansas City's newest hardware.

The problem? After he passed over the trophy -- he walked away, forgetting to take it back!!

Of course, the Chiefs were able to pick up after their QB right away, retrieving the Lombardi before it strayed too far ... but the entire scene was laugh-out-loud funny.

K.C. players went on to have a helluva time at the party -- and so did Mahomes' mom, Randi!!

She posted a video Wednesday showing her having a little dance-off with "Modern Family" star Eric Stonestreet ... and loving every minute of it.

Tiki Barber says Aaron Rodgers would likely struggle in New York if traded to the big city, but it's got little to do with football or the team's roster ... the Giants legend says AR couldn't handle the cold-blooded reporters!

Of course, Barber would know firsthand ... he spent 10 seasons with the G-Men in New York, where the pressure is incredibly high, and he received his fair share of criticism.

With talk of the Jets exploring the idea of trading for the future first-ballot Hall of Famer, Tiki isn't so sure it's a great idea.

"It just made me start to realize that if he is that sensitive, he gets upset that people, reporters, opinion makers, influencers, whoever, wanna talk about him, he is going to struggle in New York," Barber said on his show with Brandon Tierney on WFAN in NYC.

"I don't know if it's the right fit for him. I don't know if I want him in New York if this is going to be his reaction to things that don't matter."

Barber went on to say the Green Bay Packers quarterback brings the attention on himself, talking about isolation retreats and other things most people aren't accustomed to, and then gets upset when people talk about him.

"If Aaron Rodgers doesn't want people talking about him" Barber said, "He needs to stop talking!"

"We're gonna talk about it. you have to. It's our job to and for him to get offended by that, he's not gonna handle the intensity of the New York mediascape."

The New York Jets aren't the only organization interested in potentially bringing in the 4x MVP -- there are several other teams -- though, Rodgers has not even committed to playing the 2023 season.

Move over, Mel Kiper Jr. ... Taylor Lautner's now comin' in hot with the NFL draft advice -- telling TMZ Sports he wants his beloved Lions to go defense in the first round this year!!

We got the "Twilight" actor -- who's a MASSIVE Detroit fan -- out in L.A. on Wednesday ... and he made it clear, when Dan Campbell's guys get on the clock in April, he's hoping for some players who can scare the hell out of opposing offenses.

"Defense was lacking a little bit this year," the Grand Rapids, Mich. native said.

Lautner clearly knows his stuff (he has been, after all, a Lions supporter since he was a kid) -- Detroit had statistically one of the worst D's in the league in 2022 ... giving up the third-most points in the NFL, and the most yards.

The good news? The Lions have two first-round picks this year thanks to the Matthew Stafford trade with the Rams in 2021 -- and most mock drafts have them going with defenders at both picks.

In fact, in ESPN analyst Todd McShay's most recent mock on Wednesday, he had Detroit going with a Clemson pass rusher and a Georgia cornerback.

Jason Derulo sees big things happening for women's pro volleyball after the star musician launched a brand new volleyball franchise in Nebraska ... and the org will be part of a league founded by Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow!

Derulo joined Babcock on the "TMZ Sports" TV show (airs nightly on FS1) ... where the "Trumpets" singer broke the news, announcing his new team will play in the Pro Volleyball Federation -- a league founded in part by the star QB.

"I'm excited because volleyball is on a crazy trajectory."

The league, PVF, will launch in February 2024, and they plan to play across the country in some of the biggest arenas.

FYI, volleyball's huge in the Cornhusker state. In fact, since 2013, the University of Nebraska's squad has led the nation in attendance, even setting a record last year when nearly 16K fans packed their arena to watch a match.

That's to say, Derulo, who has 57 million followers on TikTok, wholeheartedly believes the sport is on the come up in a big way.

"It's on the way up and to be a small part in what these ladies created is pretty incredible to me. I think it's gonna change sports forever."

And, unlike in a sport such as basketball, where the men's game is more popular, women run volleyball.

"Women's volleyball is actually leading. It's not the guys this time that are leading. I'd like for real pro volleyball to be the platform that just changes women's sports forever."

FYI, Jason also teamed up with his business partner, Danny White, who is from Omaha.

"The trajectory just seems so bright," 33-year-old Derulo said, adding ... "It's just been growing year after year after year and if it continues on this path, especially with this platform, I think it can absolutely be the next big thing."

Jason says he also wants to be the owner of the team with the "happiest players in the world," saying "I wanna make sure everybody is living their dream."

Travis Kelce just delivered an impassioned speech at the Chiefs celebration parade ... calling out all the team's doubters and telling fans, "let's run this s*** back."

The star TE hit the stage wearing an all-white outfit and a massive Bud Light chain around his neck ... as his squad celebrated their massive 38-35 win over the Philadelphia Eagles.

Kelce got emotional while talking to the crowd during the rally after the parade ... as he reflected on how some people predicted the Chiefs would take a step back with the changes they made to their roster.

"In all reality, this was the best season of my life," said Kelce, who finished the regular season with 110 receptions, 1,338 yards, and 12 touchdowns ... thanking the fans and his teammates for helping make it happen.

Patrick Mahomes spoke as well ... the two-time Super Bowl MVP took aim at people who thought Kansas City was "rebuilding" before the season started.

"I'mma be honest, I don't know what rebuilding means," 27-year-old Mahomes said. "In our rebuilding year, we're world champs!!"

"I just wanna let y'all know that this is just the beginning. We ain't done yet."

Chiefs LB Nick Bolton -- the man who recovered Jalen Hurts' fumble and returned it for a touchdown in the second quarter of the Super Bowl -- shared his thoughts in an interesting way as well.

The players ended the rally by dancing their asses off -- possibly trolling the Eagles by playing, "Just Wanna Rock," a Philly anthem throughout the playoffs.

Damar Hamlin is breaking his silence on his controversial Super Bowl jacket ... saying he never meant to offend anybody by wearing it -- and calling it simply "abstract art."

Hamlin rocked the coat -- which featured a crucifix with an altered Jesus head on it -- to the Chiefs vs. Eagles game at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Ariz. -- and a day later, Adrian Peterson ripped him for it.

The future Hall of Famer called it blasphemous and disrespectful. He said he later spoke to Hamlin to explain his opinion.

The 24-year-old Buffalo Bills safety finally opened up about the situation on his Twitter page Wednesday afternoon ... saying he had absolutely no intent to disrespect anybody with outfit choice.

"After talking with my parents I understand how my coat could have offended some people," Hamlin wrote.

"It was never my intentions to hurt or disrespect anyone, the coat is abstract art to me. It says Eternal which I am Eternally thankful to my Savior!"

He added, "My beliefs and Relationship with God is not tied to symbolic images."

The NFL player, who's still on the mend after going into cardiac arrest during a "Monday Night Football" game last month, then promised to learn from it all.

The Chiefs just held their second Super Bowl victory parade in four years ... and Patrick Mahomes put on a show for the massive crowd.

The big winners took the streets to celebrate another Lombardi trophy ... and some fans showed up as early as 6 AM to join in on the fun.

Mahomes was slugging beers throughout the parade route ... wiggling around to the music as he donned his customized WWE Championship belt and held a silver "MVP" ball.

Of course, his wife and biggest supporter, Brittany, was there to enjoy her second Super Bowl parade as well.

Travis Kelce had his mom, Donna, right by his side on top of his bus ... pumping up the crowd and having a blast.

Kelce also once again proved why he's got some of the best hands in NFL history ... snagging a Fireball shot from a fan and taking it to the head, much to the crowd's delight.

Frank Clark and Chiefs defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo joined in on the fun ... hopping off the team's buses to shake hands with fans along the parade route.

Fans didn't just pack the streets to show their support for the team -- they also climbed up trees to get a better view of their beloved champs.

Mahomes clearly enjoyed himself ... almost slipping on the team bus as he addressed the crowd. Thankfully, Chiefs QB coach Matt Nagy was there to help the 2x-MVP. 😅

Former Chiefs running back Jamaal Charles was in the celebration spirit early on ... buying Kansas City fans beer at a local tavern before the parade started.

Seven-time Super Bowl champ, three-time MVP, 15-time Pro Bowler ... and now, cat daddy?!

Tom Brady has just officially added that last title to his resume this week ... 'cause TMZ Sports has learned he's adopted two Siamese mix kittens!!

We're told the former Tampa Bay Buccaneers star got the kitties after he and his daughter, Vivian, fell in love with animals while volunteering at the Humane Society Of Tampa Bay this past season.

According to a spokesperson from the Humane Society, Brady and his daughter had been on the lookout for some new cats for the past few weeks ... and the perfect pair ultimately arrived right in time for Valentine's Day this week.

"Vivi wins again," Brady wrote in a video of the two cats playing around his house on Wednesday morning.

"This is what my mornings are like now," he added.

The future Hall of Famer also promised the Humane Society that the newest additions to the Brady household "are in good loving hands."

No word on the names of the cats yet ... but we're told the duo is just 10 weeks old -- and very adorable.

As we reported, Brady and his kids worked at the Tampa animal shelter all throughout his final NFL season -- alongside his former teammate Logan Ryan and his family.

Ryan's wife, Ashley, praised the ex-QB for the work earlier this month, writing, "It wasn’t about publicity, fundraising or recognition, it was about being a human being. It was about Tom taking the very thing his little girl loves the most and turning it into an opportunity to spend time together."

Stanley Wilson Jr. -- a former Detroit Lions cornerback and the son of ex-Bengals running back Stanley Wilson Sr. -- has died after collapsing at a mental hospital earlier this month ... TMZ Sports has learned.

Wilson Jr. had been in police custody following his vandalism arrest back in August ... but according to prosecutors, he was declared incompetent to stand trial and was transferred from county jail to the Metropolitan State Hospital in Los Angeles County on Feb. 1.

But, law enforcement sources tell us during intake at the medical facility -- which specializes in caring for those with mental health issues -- he collapsed and died.

Our sources say foul play is not suspected. Autopsy results are pending toxicology.

Wilson Jr. was just 40 years old.

The former defensive back was taken by the Lions in the third round of the 2005 NFL Draft ... and went on to play three seasons for the team -- before suffering a career-ending Achilles injury prior to the beginning of the 2008 season.

After his NFL career had concluded, Wilson found himself in trouble with the law multiple times.

In 2016, he was charged with attempted burglary after he was shot in the abdomen after he allegedly attempted to break into a home in Portland while completely nude. Months later, in 2017, he was arrested after he was accused of walking around a Portland neighborhood while naked. He was arrested a third time in 2017 after another alleged attempted break-in.

In August, he was arrested once again for allegedly breaking into a home and then taking a bath in an outdoor fountain after ransacking the place.

Wilson Jr. played in 32 games in his pro football career, logging eight pass breakups, a forced fumble and 87 total tackles.

George Kittle's wife revealed on Tuesday she suffered a miscarriage last month ... calling it one of the hardest moments of her life -- and one where she felt like her soul had been ripped from her body.

Claire Kittle made the announcement in an emotional post for Valentine's Day -- saying she and George found out about the pregnancy on Christmas ... just three weeks before the Niners began their run in the playoffs.

Claire showed the couple -- as well as all of their immediate family members -- were stoked for the news ... but less than a month later, four days before George and S.F. played the Seahawks in the Wild Card round, she said a routine checkup at the doctor led to a terrifying discovery.

"The nurse giving my ultra sound went silent for awhile and I asked 'I’m still early there's probably nothing to see yet right?'" Claire said. "She responded with 'I see a pregnancy here it's just not in the correct place, it’s ectopic."

"I felt my soul leave my body," she added.

Claire went into surgery hours later ... and lost the pregnancy.

"The point of sharing this is not for pity but to acknowledge something extremely personal, hard & emotional that has taken place in our life," she wrote in her social media post, which included multiple loving pictures of her and George.

"To simply talk about it because I felt alone when I got the news, I never knew anyone else who had an ectopic pregnancy before. So here's my direct line to you, i've had one, you're not alone. It sucks, It's hard, be strong."

The All-Pro tight end's wife said she leaned on George and family members in the coming days and weeks to get through the difficult time.

George, meanwhile, played in all three of the Niners' playoff games while dealing with the heavy heart -- catching 10 passes ... as S.F. fell just short of making the Super Bowl.

World-famous gamer/YouTuber FaZe Banks says he's out a huge chunk of change after his ultra-exclusive watch got swiped at a Super Bowl party, but he's hoping cops track it down.

The FaZe Clan founder took to social media, telling folks about his stolen, one-of-a-kind Chrome Hearts Richard Mille watch ... which is worth a cool $200,000!!!

Banks says it went down at Scottsdale Hangar One in AZ Friday night ... at the big H.Wood homecoming party where Drake performed and, as we reported, big names like MGK, Cher, Lil Baby, Meek Mill and Odell Beckham Jr. were there tearing it up.

Scottsdale PD confirms a report for the stolen watch was filed, and you better believe the document highlights that approximate 6-figure value. What's really shocking is FaZe says the crook snatched it right off his body.

He says the piece fell off while he was walking through the crowd, but surveillance video shows him picking it up and putting it in one of his pockets ... only to have someone reach in and pick that pocket clean!!!.

Damar Hamlin's incredible road to recovery now includes some new ink ... TMZ Sports has learned the Bills defensive back just got a space-themed hand tattoo to remind him of the healing journey he's currently on.

Hamlin hit up artist Andres Ortega out at Onder Ink in Arizona just a couple days before the Super Bowl to get the piece done ... and it came out amazing.

It covers the entirety of the back of his left hand and wrist -- and features an astronaut hitting a yoga pose in the middle of the Milky Way Galaxy.

Ortega, who tattoos all kinds of professional athletes including Bengals star wideout Tee Higgins, tells us Hamlin wanted the tat to show how he's been mending since he went into cardiac arrest during a "Monday Night Football" game on Jan. 2.

Ortega added that Hamlin was also looking to show how he's been finding peace in the weeks following the medical emergency.