NFL

Flavor Flav says people need to get off Bad Bunny's case ... 'cause he's a terrific artist who deserves the Super Bowl stage -- and people who watch Turning Point USA's counterprogramming are going to miss out!

We caught up with the hip-hop legend at LAX on Wednesday ... and, we asked him about whether he's interested in this alternative halftime show, and he's pretty much thumbs-down on it -- sharing his confusion about why people wouldn't want to listen to a powerful artist like BB.

Bad Bunny lifting up Puerto Rico's economy and his other good works for the U.S. island territory is enough reason for him to get the Halftime Show spot, Flavor adds ... and, Flav himself is a big fan of the guy.

50 Cent couldn't help but gush over Taylor Swift mentioning him on her song "Ruin The Friendship" from her blockbuster "The Life of a Showgirl" album ... and sent a backhanded shot to Travis Kelce's ex-GF!!!

During his sit-down with "Extra," 50 Cent dissected his shout-out on the track, basking in the fact that Taylor was using him as a ubiquitous reference for what was lit in pop culture at the time her song reflects upon.

50 admitted the All-Pro tight end made him a Chiefs fan before quipping he preferred seeing Taylor and Travis together ... as opposed to that "last thing" he was with.

Sean Payton saw the not-so-subtle jab Russell Wilson made toward him on social media on Tuesday ... but the Broncos head coach is adamant he wasn't shading his former quarterback with the comments he made after Sunday's game -- insisting he was simply complimenting Jaxson Dart.

Payton raised eyebrows after the Broncos pulled off an unbelievable comeback against the Giants ... when he told reporters postgame he had hoped Dart would remain the backup until after their Week 7 matchup -- which some saw as shade to Wilson.

Wilson -- the current New York Giants backup after losing the gig to the rookie -- sent a rare shot at his old coach on Tuesday ... and while he didn't mention Payton by name, it was clear who he was referring to in the post.

Roger Goodell is standing by the NFL's decision to have Bad Bunny perform the Super Bowl LX Halftime Show ... saying the star musician "understands the platform that he's on" -- and there are no plans for a replacement.

The commish met with reporters during the league's annual fall owners meeting in New York ... where he explained the process of selecting the halftime performance is "carefully thought through."

"I'm not sure we've ever selected an artist where we didn't have some blowback or criticism," he said. "It's pretty hard to do when you have literally hundreds of millions of people that are watching. But we're confident it's gonna be a great show."

Mark Sanchez's attorney said the former quarterback is "still recovering" from wounds he sustained in a stabbing earlier this month.

The ex-NFLer's counsel, Tim Delaney, informed a Marion County, IN judge of Sanchez's condition during a pretrial conference on Wednesday.

Delaney told the court he was grateful the judge excused his client from attending the proceedings, noting Sanchez "is still recovering from the injuries he sustained" as well as the "medical intervention" he required to fix the damage.

Travis Kelce just revealed what he orders when he's at his and Patrick Mahomes' new steakhouse ... and the dishes are a lot like the way his fans would describe him -- rich and buttery!

The food topic came up during Wednesday's episode of "New Heights" -- when Jason Kelce announced he'd be heading to 1587 Prime for the first time next week ... while he's in Kansas City to cover the Chiefs' "Monday Night Football" matchup with the Commanders.

Jason asked Travis what he should order once he plops down into one of the swanky joint's booths ... and the younger Kelce gave him some recommendations.

Joey Fatone offered up some great advice to Bad Bunny this week ... and he did it all while on the TMZ Sports Live Stream!!

The *NSYNC band member joined Edward Lewis, Lucas Widman and the rest of the newsroom guys and gals on Monday to talk music, sports ... and the upcoming Super Bowl halftime show.

Fatone said he really liked the NFL's pick for SB LX -- explaining that while he knows the Bad Bunny selection divided some people, he's actually in favor of the Big Game rotating performers from all kinds of genres.

Russell Wilson took aim at Sean Payton on Tuesday ... blasting his former coach for some postgame comments he made on Sunday -- all while referencing "Bountygate."

The New York quarterback fired away at Payton on his X page ... just two days after the Denver head man told reporters he was disappointed the Broncos had to face off with Jaxson Dart -- and not Wilson while at Empower Field at Mile High Stadium.

Payton seemed to indicate Russ would be a much easier assignment ... and the words clearly ticked off his former signal-caller.

No surprise here -- the New York Giants released kicker Jude McAtamney after he missed two crucial extra points on Sunday ... and Big Blue fans didn't hold back when reacting to the news.

The G-Men made the roster move on Tuesday following their 33-32 loss to the Denver Broncos on Sunday ... with McAtamney's errors proving costly in the result.

This, of course, was just a few weeks after NY activated the undrafted kicker from the practice squad.

Travis Kelce is channeling his inner kid with his latest business move -- the Kansas City Chiefs superstar loves roller coasters so much, he invested in Six Flags!!

Taylor Swift's fiancé revealed the news on Tuesday ... saying it was an opportunity he had to pounce on due to his family's countless trips to Cedar Point amusement park in Sandusky, Ohio growing up.

Kelce -- who grew up in northeast Ohio -- teamed up with JANA Partners to get a piece of Six Flags ... which merged with CP's parent company, Cedar Fair, in 2024.

Bad Bunny might be the most controversial Super Bowl Halftime Show artist ever ... but Shakira doesn't quite see what all the backlash is about.

The Queen of Latin Music told Variety, "It's about time!"

Shakira said she's proud of BB ... not only for representing Latin culture, but also for how universal Spanish-language music has become.

Doug Martin's family is shedding more light on the ex-NFL star's death ... revealing the 36-year-old privately struggled with mental health issues over the years -- and they were actively trying to get him help prior to his passing.

Martin's former agency -- Athletes First -- shared a statement on behalf of the family on Monday ... which explained how Martin's parents had contacted local authorities earlier in the night for "medical assistance."

The family said Doug became "overwhelmed and disoriented" ... which led him to leave the home and enter a neighbor's residence two doors down the street, where he was then taken into custody.

Chloe Kim is trading her Red, White and Blue for Orange and Brown -- the Team USA gold medalist cheered on her boyfriend, Myles Garrett, in Cleveland on Sunday ... rocking team merch on the sidelines ahead of the big win!!

The Olympic snowboarder was all smiles way before the Browns easily handled the Miami Dolphins in a 31-6 result ... and while she didn't have on a No. 95 jersey, it's no secret who she was there to see.

As we previously reported, the two superstar athletes made their first public appearance together back in May ... and have been attached at the hip ever since.

Doug Martin died while in police custody after being arrested following a break-in to an Oakland home ... according to a new report.

The East Bay Times -- citing anonymous sources -- claims the former Tampa Bay Buccaneers running back was taken to a hospital, where he later died, after being contacted by Oakland Police ... who were responding to a reported home break-in early Saturday near the Oakland Zoo.

Oakland Police says officers were simultaneously told the suspected burglar was experiencing a medical emergency. A "brief struggle" followed, and the individual became unresponsive after being taken into custody.

Minnesota Vikings cornerback Isaiah Rodgers was on the receiving end of disgusting messages following his team's 28-22 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday ... with an unhinged individual calling him racial slurs and "a worthless piece of s***."

Rodgers -- who signed a two-year deal with Minnesota in the offseason -- posted the vile DMs on his Instagram Story. In the exchange, the person stated "u f***ing suck" after he got beat on a third-down pass play that ultimately gave the reigning Super Bowl champs the win.

The texts only got worse from there -- on top of the slurs, Rodgers was told he was "waste of air" and "worse than Hitler".

Doug Martin -- a former running back who last played in the NFL in 2018 -- has died ... TMZ has learned.

A source with direct knowledge tells TMZ Martin passed away Saturday morning ... though they did not share any further details.

Martin was a standout RB at Boise State for four years before the Tampa Bay Buccaneers drafted him in the first round of the 2012 NFL Draft.