Super Bowl

NBA star Kenyon Martin has picked a longshot to win the Super Bowl ... a reaaaaal longshot.

Martin was leaving a shoe store in Harlem last night when we asked for his pick to win the big game -- his answer? THE COWBOYS!!!

Obviously, there's a bit of a problem with that pick ... since, you know, they're not exactly playing.

Lionel Richie says his performance at the 1984 Olympics was awesome ... but these days Sochi is no match for the Super Bowl

Richie was strutting out of LAX Friday night when he told us his '84 closing ceremony number was huge at the time ... but now the Super Bowl has more eyes than the world games.

His logic is pretty compelling. Check it out.

Dr. Sanjay Gupta is now officially Dr. Buzzkill ... 'cause the CNN correspondent tells TMZ Sports, a "beer coat" will NOT keep you warm at frigid Super Bowl XLVIII -- and could actually mess you up badly.

For most fans ... booze goes hand-in-hand with the big game -- but with it going down outdoors, at Met Life Stadium this year ... we asked the good doc if it's still a good idea to swill alcohol in what's expected to be freezing February temps.

The news ain't good ... 'cause the Gup says even though getting wasted might make you feel warm ... it actually makes your body lose more heat.

Yeah, we know ... goes against everything you've ever heard or done, but watch the clip for the scientific explanation. It's interesting, and a great reason to watch from your couch.

Eminem got an offer he COULD refuse -- an offer to sing at the NFL Owners Party during Super Bowl week that did not meet his price -- $2 MILLION!

Sources connected to the party tell TMZ ... reps from the event were looking for a headline act for the party that followed the dinner, which will be attended by 1,500 lucky folks. When Eminem's agents laid out the financial terms, we're told the owners group passed.

We're also told the owners were interested in Kanye ... but his fee was too high as well. As one source put it, "It was $1 million, plus plus plus a lot of other perks."

There will be a slew of singers performing at various events in NYC during Super Bowl week. We're told DJs are the big thing ... and the big ones are going for between $750K and $1 million.

M.I.A. is refusing to pay the NFL a dime for flashing her middle finger during the Super Bowl last year ... because she thinks a group of crotch-flashing cheerleaders were way more offensive.

The singer posted a video today, claiming the girls -- who shared the stage with M.I.A. and Madonna -- were all under 16 with their "hips thrusted in the air, legs wide open, in this very sexually provocative position."

Watch the video ... M.I.A. kinda comes off like a tool, saying she was just being "punk rock" -- while the girls were really outta line.

If you missed it ... the NFL has been in a secret legal battle with the 38-year-old singer over the bird flip ... with the league demanding she pay $1.5 million for breach of contract.

Doesn't sound like M.I.A. plans to bow -- she referred to the whole mess as a "powerful corporation d**k shaking."

Enough is enough ... Russian President and alleged Super Bowl ring snatcher Vladimir Putin needs to get that ring back on U.S. soil ASAP ... so says Senator John McCain.

Our photog caught up with Sen. McCain in Georgetown Sunday and broke down President Obama's chances of resolving the greatest threat to US-Russian relations since that thing in Cuba.

McCain -- a true American war hero (just sayin') -- says he's outraged and makes it clear ... the SB bling Putin took from New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft ... belongs back in the U.S. of A.

FYI --- Putin denies stealing the ring in 2005, his people say it was a gift. Riiiight.

So, can Prez O -- who's heading to Russia this week -- get it back? Check out JMC's take.

There's confidence. There's overconfidence. Then there's Jerry Jones ... who made it clear, the Dallas Cowboys are WINNING the Super Bowl this year. Period.

The Cowboys owner was leaving Mr. Chow in Beverly Hills last night when he told us how it's gonna be in 2013 ... SB or bust.

The Cowboys haven't looked too shabby in their first two pre-season games -- with Dez Bryant looking especially beastly.

But do they have what it takes to go all the way this year? Or will Tony Romo find yet another way to snatch defeat out of the jaws of victory?

Terrell Suggs is no punk bitch ... and tells TMZ if Vladimir Putin ever tried to jack his Super Bowl ring (a la Robert Kraft) ... he'd MAN UP and get it back.

The Baltimore Ravens badass was leaving Boa in Hollywood this weekend ... when we asked how he would react if he was in Kraft's shoes when the Russian prez reportedly strong-armed the New England Patriots owner out of his ring during a 2005 encounter.

(FYI -- Putin's people swear Kraft offered the ring as a gift. Suuuuure.)

"I would get it right back," Suggs said ... "He would give me MINE back for sure."

When we insinuated that Putin was "kind of a scary guy," Suggs shot back -- "That's OK. I know a lot of scary guys."

San Francisco 49ers QB Colin Kaepernick may not have a Super Bowl ring, but he still managed to get one perk ... courtside seats at the Clippers game on Sunday.

The 25-year-old brought along a few of his burly pals to watch the Clippers destroy the Detroit Pistons, 129 -97.

TMZ has obtained a photo of San Francisco 49ers player Chris Culliver during his visit to The Trevor Project yesterday -- where he underwent sensitivity training after making homophobic comments before the Super Bowl.

Culliver vowed to educate himself about the challenges faced by the LGBT community after he said he would never welcome a gay football player in his team locker room.

A rep for The Trevor Project tells TMZ Culliver visited the L.A. center on Sunday and Monday ... explaining, "He learned about LGBT, gender identity and how that affects a young person."

The rep adds, "Chris is learning about LGBTQ youth [lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, questioning] suicide prevention, and his role as a gatekeeper in helping to reduce risk and prevent suicide."

After his training, Chris told staff he had a "great experience" with the group and "learned a lot."

We're told the people Chris worked with also had "positive feedback" about the NFL player.

Baltimore Ravens star Ray Lewis KILLED IT in the Super Bowl this year and now we totally (maybe) know why -- just days before the game ... his baby mama DROPPED her lawsuit against him.

As TMZ previously reported, Ray and baby mama Sharnika Kelly have been knee-deep in a NASTY child support battle for over TWO YEARS because Sharnika wanted more money ... and Ray refused.

According to Florida court records, Sharnika voluntarily dismissed the suit on February 1 ... two days before the NFL star suited up for one of the biggest games in his career.

It's unclear if the couple came to an agreement outside of court or if Sharnika simply dropped the case.

Know why it doesn't suck to be the quarterback who lost the Super Bowl? Because hot girls will drink alcohol out of your belly button no matter what.

The photos just surfaced ... showing 49ers QB Colin Kaepernick partying on board a cruise ship in Mexico last year ... letting girls do body shots off his six pack ... and they're so awesome, we couldn't resist posting them.

More impressive ... the pics were shot BEFORE Colin replaced starting QB Alex Smith.

Octomom must live next to a bunch of 49ers fans -- because when she arrived home after watching the Super Bowl at a friend's house ... she discovered one of her windows had been SMASHED!

Sources close to Octomom -- real name Nadya Suleman -- tell TMZ, Octo and her 14 children had spent Super Bowl weekend at a friend's place ... and weren't home from Saturday afternoon to Sunday midnight, so the vandal(s) had nearly 36 hours to attack.

As soon as she noticed the damage, we're told Octo called Palmdale Police ... who showed up 15 minutes later to take pics of the damage ... and make sure no one was lurking inside (the place was empty).

As for whodunit ... sources close to Octo say she has a hunch it's the same person who's allegedly been harassing her and the kids for months now.

Floyd Mayweather says he's no winer ... and that's why he's suing a New Orleans wine bar that he claims used him and Justin Bieber to lure Super Bowl fans in for a pre-game blow-out.

According to the federal lawsuit -- obtained by TMZ -- Mayweather claims The Wine Bistro heavily advertised that Floyd and The Money Team would be hosting the February 1 bash. In case you don't know, The Money Team is a nickname for Floyd's posse, which includes Justin Bieber, Lil' Kim, 50 Cent and Miss Jackson.

Floyd -- who in the lawsuit calls himself "the best pound-for-pound fighter in the world and one of the greatest technical fighters of all time" -- boasts he makes upwards of $100k for a club appearance.

But here's the deal ... Floyd says he never agreed to appear at The Wine Bistro -- nor did The Money Team -- and the bar went crazy advertising on Facebook, YouTube and flyers. Floyd is pissed that the bar profited off his name and worries his fans will be pissed because he was a no-show.

Floyd wants lots of money and wants the bar to stop using his name ... STAT!

Super Bowl sign language guy tells TMZ, his hands are JUST LIKE Dolly Parton's boobs ... J. Lo's butt ... or Tom Jones' chest hair -- so valuable they need their own freakin' insurance policy ... but there's a lot more to sign language than just hands.

John Maucere -- who signed "America the Beautiful" and the national anthem at the big game -- was out in L.A. yesterday with his interpreter when we asked how important it is to take care of your hands as a professional sign language-er.

John raised his hands, joking, "I have insurance."

He added, "Hands are important, but you should know American Sign Language isn't specific just for hands ... There's a lot happening on my face, with my mouth, with my body, the emotions, everything. That makes the entire language."

John also answers the ultimate question -- if he had to choose ... which finger would he chop off???

How do we know Michael Phelps is secure in his manhood? 'Cause he cried in public at the Super Bowl ... WITH HIS MOM ... and TMZ has the pics.

The greatest Olympian of all time -- who happens to be a die-hard Baltimore Ravens fan -- unleashed the waterworks at The Superdome in New Orleans on Sunday ... where he and his mother were cheering on their hometown squad.

The pics were taken right at the end of the game ... as the Ravens wrapped up their victory against the San Francisco 49ers ... and judging from the pics, Michael couldn't quite control his emotions.

Somewhere, Ray Lewis is smiling (and also probably crying).