NFL

The Super Bowl's national anthem this year will have a little bit of a twang to it ... 'cause the NFL revealed Thursday it tapped none other than Reba McEntire to belt out the song!!

The league made the announcement just minutes ago ... adding that Post Malone will croon "America The Beautiful" just before the country music legend takes the stage on Super Sunday next month at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas.

The duo's performances will be preceded by a show from Grammy Award winner Andra Day, who's scheduled to sing "Lift Every Voice and Sing" to kick off the pregame festivities.

Of course, the acts will have some big shoes to fill ... as last year, Chris Stapleton's rendition of "The Star-Spangled Banner" was so good, it brought Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni to tears.

As for halftime of this year's Big Game, the NFL announced a few months ago Usher will handle those duties.

El himno nacional del Super Bowl de este año contará con nada menos que Reba McEntire para cantar la canción.

La liga hizo el anuncio hace unos minutos, añadiendo que Post Malone cantará "America The Beautiful" justo antes de que la leyenda de la música country suba al escenario el próximo domingo en el Estadio Allegiant de Las Vegas.

Las actuaciones del dúo estarán precedidas por un espectáculo de la ganadora del Grammy Andra Day, que cantará "Lift Every Voice and Sing" para dar comienzo a las festividades previas al partido.

Por supuesto, los actos tendrán algunos zapatos grandes que llenar, ya que el año pasado, la interpretación de Chris Stapleton de "The Star-Spangled Banner" fue tan buena, que hizo llorar al entrenador en jefe de los Eagles, Nick Sirianni.

En cuanto al medio tiempo del Gran Juego de este año, la NFL anunció hace unos meses Usher se encargará de esos deberes.

Detroit Lions' first playoff win in forever has totally uplifted the city spiritually and financially -- and Icewear Vezzo, one of the town's top rappers, wants to see the underserved regions also reap some rewards!!!

TMZ Hip Hop caught up with Vezzo in NYC on a chilly Wednesday but he still had time to talk about the heat his team has been bringing.

The last game alone was projected to generate $20 million into Detroit's economy and Vezzo tells us he would love for the hoods to get turnt for the better.

Vezzo places responsibility on the city's rap population as well -- he's eager about his upcoming "Live From The 6" album and sneaker drive, where he and his fellow artists will be clearing out their foot lockers for the free.

The man apparently owns over 400 pairs of Nike AF1's alone ... sounds like a win-win for everyone.

This is awesome ... Jason Kelce (you thought the guy couldn't be any more likable?!) hooked a local McDonald's employee up in a supersized way, giving the fast food worker a signed Philadelphia Eagles jersey as a thank you!

36-year-old Kelce, who is mulling his football future, grabbed breakfast Wednesday morning -- 2 sausage, egg and cheese McMuffins with a coffee -- and also found time to spread some serious Brotherly Love!

Jason got to know Danielle Bonham through his repeated trips to the restaurant (hey, lineman's gotta keep on the size!), and with his playing career possibly over, he hooked the woman up with the autographed threads.

“To Danielle. Go Birds! Thank You!” JK wrote on the #62 jersey. The future Hall of Famer also found time to pose for a photo from his driver's seat.

As for Kelce's decision on his football future, while it sounds like he may be done ... it's not a done deal just yet.

In fact, on his New Heights podcast this morning, Jason said it was too soon to make a decision ... despite reports he told his teammates he was done playing.

Jason Kelce no está listo para anunciar oficialmente que se aleja de su carrera por el Salón de la Fama todavía. La estrella de los Philadelphia Eagles optó por no confirmar si va a entregar sus papeles de jubilación, esto después de los rumores de que dijo a sus compañeros de equipo que era un hecho.

El campeón del Super Bowl de 36 años de edad, abordó su futuro en la NFL en el último episodio de su pódcast "New Heights", con su hermano y Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis el miércoles. Explicó que estaba realmente golpeado después de que su equipo fuera expulsado de los playoffs a manos de Baker Mayfield y los Bucaneros de Tampa Bay.

"Simplemente no creo que estés en una posición después de un juego como ese para realmente tomar esa decisión", dijo Jason al novio de Taylor Swift.

El All-Pro dijo que no está tratando de mantener a la gente en el borde de sus asientos con su poca claridad al respecto, pero admitió que no estaba mentalmente claro como para llegar a una conclusión después de la derrota.

"Hay demasiada emoción en este momento. Hay demasiadas cosas pasando para realmente comprender plenamente esa decisión".

Jason fue inflexible en que no está tratando de ser "dramático", añadiendo: "Es solo algo que creo que, cuando llegue el momento de anunciar oficialmente lo que está sucediendo en el futuro, se hará de una manera que es definitiva y rinde respeto a un montón de personas e individuos que han significado mucho para mí y lo que ha llevado a la carrera que he tenido".

Jason estaba muy emocionado hablando de su conversación con el vestuario de los Eagles después del partido, diciendo que les dijo a los jugadores que abrazaran cada momento.

Jason Kelce isn't ready to officially announce he's walking away from his Hall of Fame career just yet -- the Philadelphia Eagles star elected not to confirm whether he will hand in his retirement papers ... this after reports he told his teammates it was a done deal.

The 36-year-old Super Bowl champ addressed his NFL future in the latest episode of his "New Heights" podcast with his brother and Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis on Wednesday ... and he explained he was really in his feels after his team was booted from the playoffs at the hands of Baker Mayfield and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

"I just don't think you're in a position after a game like that to really make that decision," Jason told Taylor Swift's boyfriend.

The All-Pro center said he isn't trying to keep people on the edge of their seats with his vagueness ... but admitted he wasn't in the right mind space to reach a conclusion following the loss.

"There's too much emotion in the moment. There's too much going down in the moment to really fully grasp that decision."

Jason was adamant he isn't trying to be "dramatic" ... adding, "It's just something that I think, when it's time to officially announce what's happening in the future, it'll be done in a way that's definitive and pays respect to a lot of people and individuals that have meant a lot to me and what has led to the career I've had."

Jason was super emotional talking about his conversation with the Eagles' locker room after the game ... saying he told the players to embrace every moment.

The Colts released a statement on Jim Irsay's health ... saying he is still recovering from his "respiratory illness."

"We will have no further comment on his personal health, and we continue to ask that Jim and his family's privacy be respected."

Jim Irsay was found laying in his bed unresponsive, cold to the touch and gasping for air during a suspected overdose in December ... this according to police in Indiana.

Carmel Police Department documents, obtained by TMZ Sports, show cops were dispatched to Irsay's Carmel residence on Dec. 8 at around 4:30 AM ... after someone said they had found the Indianapolis Colts owner unconscious on a bathroom floor with a blue skin tone.

When police first arrived on the scene, they say Irsay had been moved to his bed ... where he was struggling to breathe and had a weak pulse and constricted pupils.

Police say in the docs an attempt to wake him with a sternum rub was unsuccessful. They added, though, that after administering one dosage of Narcan -- a drug commonly used to revive people in opiate overdose situations -- "he responded slightly."

Cops say they were prepared to attach an AED to Irsay -- but paramedics arrived and "took over lifesaving efforts." Irsay was eventually transported to a nearby hospital via an ambulance.

Officers noted in the documents that a caretaker provided them a list of the medications Irsay had been taking ... though they wrote in the report, "At this time, it is unknown what Mr. Irsay had ingested prior to our arrival." They classified the incident in the docs as both "overdose" and "overdose/poisoning."

Irsay had not been seen around his Colts' team in the weeks following the incident ... and on Jan. 9, the team announced he'd been dealing with a "severe respiratory illness." The Colts explained in a statement that he would miss a scheduled appearance in Los Angeles with his "Jim Irsay Band" while receiving treatment for the ailment.

"He is receiving excellent care and looks forward to returning to the stage as soon as possible," the Colts said. "We'll have no additional information at this time and we ask that you respect the privacy of Jim and his family as he recovers."

We do not know if Irsay's recent hospitalization is related to the December incident at his home.

Irsay -- who's been the owner of the Colts since 1997 -- said in an interview with Andrea Kremer back in November, he's battled addiction to alcohol and pain pills during his life, requiring at least 15 trips to rehab. He also told Kremer he previously suffered an overdose after he "was trying to detox myself."

"All of a sudden I started slurring my words and then code blue, I stopped breathing," he told Kremer of the OD. "And they revived me, and the doctor goes, 'Jim, you're one lucky man because I had signed, virtually, the death certificate.'"

We've reached out to Irsay, but no word back yet.

Ryan Clark tells TMZ Sports if the Atlanta Falcons are looking to get better quickly ... acquiring both Justin Fields and Bill Belichick would be a heck of a place to start.

Of course, the Falcons appear to be exploring the idea of bringing both guys on board this offseason ... and Clark made it clear to us this week he'd have no qualms with either addition.

"I could see that being a match in Atlanta that would work not only for a coach," the 44-year-old ex-Steelers defensive back said, "but also a player."

As for how possible it'd be ... it seems it could very well go down. After all, the Falcons have already interviewed Belichick for their vacant head coaching role ... while Fields appears to be available via trade in Chicago after the Bears locked up the No. 1 overall draft pick through the Carolina Panthers.

Clark seems confident Belichick would want Fields under center, too ... knowing the coach loves to acquire talent that's previously performed well against him.

"Justin Fields played absolutely out of his mind against Bill Belichick last year," Clark said.

As for the rest of the coaching carousel around the NFL, Clark said he could envision Jim Harbaugh landing in L.A. ... and he told us he could also see big shakeups coming in Dallas and Philadelphia too.

Tom Brady and Irina Shayk are still seeing each other when they can -- 'cause they just grabbed dinner last night ... and wouldn't you know it, the G.O.A.T's a true gent.

TB12 and Bradley Cooper's ex got together Monday evening in NYC -- where they chowed down at a fancy shmancy place in Lower Manhattan ... kinda by the water, in fact. It's a French restaurant called Brasserie Fouquet's New York -- and they had a table to themselves.

Now, in terms of what went on and whether they were showing any PDA -- we're told they didn't put on explicit signs of affection during the meal ... but they were definitely cozy.

Tom and Irina were there for a total of 2 hours -- and we're told TB said something about the burger and how it good it was. If he did, in fact, grub on that ... he dropped a cool $30 for that bad boy, 'cause that's how much this joint charges for ground beef in a bun!

Anyway ... they walked out of there together, we're told, and lo and behold -- Tom paid.

Couple things ... nice to know Tom isn't one to go Dutch, even with somebody who's as loaded as Irina and who could presumably cover herself. They're both wealthy -- but when it comes down to it ... Tommy's old-fashioned, and willing to pick up the tab for his lady.

Also, this just goes to show Tom and Irina are still in one another's orbit -- not only evidenced in this outing ... but the fact they got together last month in Miami during Art Basel.

Remember, Tom and Irina were first spotted hanging out last summer ... and it seems they're keeping each other around as we go into 2024 -- suggesting they got a good thing.

Tom Brady e Irina Shayk siguen viéndose cuando pueden. De hecho, cenaron anoche y por si no lo sabían, el mejor de todos los tiempos es un verdadero caballero.

TB12 y la ex de Bradley Cooper se reunieron el lunes por la noche en Nueva York, para comer en un lugar elegante de Lower Manhattan, cerca del agua, de hecho. El lugar se llama Brasserie Fouquet, es francés y ambos tenían una mesa para ellos solos.

Ahora, en términos de lo que pasó y si se pusieron cariñosos en público, nos dicen que no hubo signos explícitos de afecto durante la cena, pero estaban definitivamente amorosos el uno con el otro.

Tom e Irina estuvieron allí 2 horas y nos dicen que Tom Brady dijo algo sobre la hamburguesa y lo buena que estaba. Si lo hizo, de hecho, le costó unos $30 porque eso es lo que cobra el restaurante por un beef en el pan.

De todos modos, nos dicen que salieron de allí juntos y que Tom pagó.

Un par de cosas. Es bueno saber que Tom no es de los que prefiere que cada uno pague, incluso con alguien tan forrado como Irina, quien presumiblemente puede cubrirse. Ambos son ricos, pero cuando se trata de eso, Tommy es un hombre chapado a la antigua y dispuesto a pagar la cuenta de su dama.

Además, esto solo demuestra que Tom e Irina siguen estando en la órbita del otro. No solo se evidencia por esta salida, sino porque también se reunieron el mes pasado en Miami durante Art Basel.

Recuerden, Tom e Irina fueron vistos por primera vez saliendo el verano pasado y parece que siguen en contacto a medida que avanza el 2024, lo que sugiere que tienen una buena cosa.

Odell Beckham Jr. believes the New York Giants were trying to sabotage his career by shipping him to the Cleveland Browns in 2019 ... revealing he felt his old team made the trade just to "f*** me over."

OBJ spoke his mind on his Ravens teammate Marlon Humphrey’s "Punch Line Podcast" earlier this week ... when he opened up on his eventual departure from the organization that drafted him in 2014.

"There’s a semi bit of me that feels like the Giants sent me off, I’ve said it before, sent me off to Cleveland to die," Odell said ... adding he felt there were better deals on the table with contenders, but NY chose the less favorable destination.

"You can't tell me this was the best trade package we could have got for you ... no, your desire was to kind of f*** me over a little bit."

Beckham and defensive end Olivier Vernon were traded to The Land in exchange for safety Jabrill Peppers, guard Kevin Zeitler and a first and third-round pick ... the former eventually becoming Giants defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence, a staple for the franchise.

Beckham Jr. started off hot in the Big Apple ... but things quickly turned sour. He became just as famous for his on-field success as his antics off it, including sideline outbursts.

The current Ravens receiver believes the team didn't like the way he handled himself in the latter part of his Giants tenure ... which is why he thinks they screwed him over when he asked to be traded.

"You feel like I made a fool of you or the organization and that was never truly my intention ... I'm just that competitive," OBJ added. "I wanted to win, I always wanted to win. I’m tired of being 6-10, we haven’t done anything to make changes."

Odell said his urgency to win also had to do with his quarterback at the time, Eli Manning ... who was on the backend of his career.

"Eli's going out, I'm texting Eli like, 'You're 7th on the list for the greatest of all time.' I want to see Eli go out with another Super Bowl. We're not putting the pieces around him ... I feel like I was being wasted as well."

Odell also revealed how he found out he was traded ... saying he was overseas at the time, and the whole situation was "a lot" for him.

"To me, whether that's right, wrong or indifferent, it felt like a move that had a bit of spite a bit of like ... you're not finna go somewhere else and shine and make us look bad."

Former NFL linebacker Ronald Powell -- the No. 1-ranked high school recruit in the 2010 class -- has tragically died at 32 years old.

Powell's former college football teammate, Junior Galette, announced the sad news on his X page ... saying he's heartbroken over the death.

"I Love You Forever till we meet again," Galette wrote on the social media app on Monday night. "An EXCELLENT FATHER. Respected Brother and a Loving Son."

"I am saddened to share with the rest of the world that Ronald Powell Transitioned Earlier today. REST IN POWER RONALD POWELL."

Galette did not reveal a cause of death.

Powell started his football career at Rancho Verde High School in California ... playing defensive end, linebacker and tight end. In his senior year, he logged 13 sacks and 28 tackles for losses ... and became a five-star college recruit who was ranked as the top player in his class.

The California native ultimately committed the Florida Gators ... though injuries -- which included two torn ACLs -- slowed his career down. Still, he was able to log 11 sacks, two pass deflections and a forced fumble in three seasons.

In 2014, the New Orleans Saints selected him in the NFL draft ... but he only went on to play in 14 games.

Powell also recorded time in the Alliance of American Football in 2018 ... playing for the Orlando Apollos.

Title this one "The Gang Ignores The Emmys To Watch The Eagles Lose."

"It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia" star Rob McElhenney wasn't gonna let a silly awards show get in the way of watching his beloved Eagles' playoff matchup against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Monday ... 'cause the actor tuned in to the game from his phone in the middle of the ceremony.

Rob's costar and wife Kaitlin Olson captured the scene in a selfie posted to social media ... with a caption that read, "Who schedules the Emmys the same night as the @eagles #gobirds #FlyEaglesFly."

Unfortunately for Rob, the action on the field wasn't a pleasant experience ... as Baker Mayfield led the Bucs to the 32-9 upset win, booting the reigning NFC champs out of the postseason.

The game also had to be a big bummer for Rob, as it appears to be the last one of future Hall of Famer Jason Kelce's stellar career.

While the Eagles won't bring home the Lombardi Trophy in 2024, at least Rob was able to snag some hardware this awards season -- his "Welcome to Wrexham" show received five Emmys off six nominations.

As for 'Sunny,' the gang took the stage to present during the event ... and took the opportunity to bash the fact the show hasn't been nominated in its 16 years on the air -- despite its massive popularity.

The Philadelphia Eagles lost their playoff game Monday night, and then they appeared to lose their Hall of Fame center for good too.

According to ESPN's Adam Schefter, Jason Kelce told his teammates following the defeat to the Buccaneers in their wild card game in Tampa Bay he's retiring.

Kelce has not yet confirmed the news publicly -- he declined to speak with reporters after the loss -- though his emotions on the sidelines as the clock ticked down to zero seemed to say everything for him.

Cameras caught the 36-year-old on the verge of tears as the Birds were officially bounced from the postseason ... and moments later, he was seen emotionally walking back through a stadium tunnel as well.

If it is the end, Kelce's career will officially go down as one of the best ever by a center. He played for 13 seasons and was named a Pro Bowler seven times. He also earned All-Pro honors five times ... and won one Super Bowl championship.

He also developed a persona that transcended football ... becoming a fan favorite off the field -- while recording a podcast, "New Heights," with his brother, Travis Kelce, that has quickly risen to the top of the charts.

Jason, of course, still has time to reverse his mind. You'll recall, he was seemingly done following the Super Bowl loss last year -- and he ultimately came back.

Don't look at Mike McCarthy or Dak Prescott ... the Cowboys' MF'ing problem is none other than Jerry Jones, according to retired NFL star Chad Johnson, and if the organization ever hopes to end its championship drought, the owner has to take a giant leap backward!

Johnson and fellow legend Shannon Sharpe chopped it up Sunday night on their Nightcap Podcast, dishing on the Cowboys shocking loss to the Packers, a game they were favored to win by a TD.

“Guess who the mother f***ing problem is and why they keep losing every single year? 28 years guess who the common denominator is? All the pieces to the puzzle every year the Cowboys play good god d*** football and get sent the f*** home in the first round, guess who the problem is?” Chad asked.

Shannon responded, asking if it was Jerry.

“Say his name loud and clear! That’s the problem, Jerry Jones is the reason why they can’t get past the first round. That’s the problem!”

Of course, 81-year-old Jones isn't just the owner, he's also the president and general manager ... meaning unlike other owners, Jerry's running things.

Johnson believes that's the real issue for "America's Team."

And, it's not that Chad doesn't like Jones ... he does, but he also believes this is something that must happen.

“Jerry I love you, I love the way you conduct business. Go ahead and get in the background and let them boys handle their business from now on.”

CJ continued ... “Let the boys go out there and play ball. We know who owns the team, don’t put no more added pressure than what already comes with the star on the helmet already. Watch the problem be solved, I guarantee the problem be solved when Jerry stops doing that.”

A little bit of snow -- okay, a TON of snow -- wasn't gonna stop Bills and Steelers fans from making their way to the stadium for Monday's Wild Card game ... with diehard supporters trudging to their seats in time for kickoff.

The playoff matchup was originally slated to go down on Sunday ... but Mother Nature had other plans, as a snowstorm forced the N.Y. governor and NFL commish Roger Goodell to push it back a day.

The Bills pulled out all the stops in hopes of getting Highmark Stadium ready in time for the contest ... even offering folks $20 an hour to help clear out the snow.

Despite the efforts, there was plenty left over from the storm ... but judging by videos of spectators walking through knee-deep piles in order to get to their seats, they didn't care one bit.

In fact, when Buffalo tight end Dawson Knox caught the first touchdown of the game, Bills Mafia made use of the extra snow by throwing it up in the air to celebrate.

All things considered, the field looks damn good for the game ... with not one snowflake in sight.