Super Bowl

Why did the Falcons call PASSING PLAYS in the final minutes of the Super Bowl instead of running the ball and kicking a FG that would have put the game out of reach?!?!

That's exactly what we asked ATL head coach Dan Quinn.

Coach Quinn -- who couldn't have been nicer -- essentially says that drive is NOT why they lost the game. They blew other chances to ice the Patriots, too.

The good news ... he's staying positive and says, "Hopefully we get a chance to battle for one again. We'll be ready."

CBS honcho Les Moonves reportedly makes $60 MILLION per year!!!!

And even HE thinks $500,000 for Tom Brady's Super Bowl jersey is an INSANE number.

Interesting thing is Les would probably be a real contender to buy the jersey if it's ever recovered and put up for sale ... he's a huge Patriots fan who loves Tom Brady.

Tom Brady -- or someone in his camp -- came up with the $500,000 value for the QB's missing Super Bowl jersey ... this according to the Houston PD.

TMZ Sports spoke with an HPD rep who tells us the $500k value listed on the police report was NOT determined by some fancy police property assessor ... it's the complainant who offers up the number.

In this case, the complainant on the report is Tom Brady ... and a Houston PD spokesperson tells us it was either Tom "or one of his people" who gave the $500k figure.

We're told if/when someone is arrested, the PD will kick the case over to the DA’s office which will work on determining its real worth.

Cops also note that if Brady filed an insurance claim, the insurance company would also tap their own people to assess the value.

For the record, the guys on the "TMZ Sports" TV show on FS1 spoke with Rick Harrison from "Pawn Stars" who said the value is closer to $200k.

Inflategate, anyone?

Tom Brady's Super Bowl jersey is still missing and presumed stolen, so say Houston cops, and it's valued at at HALF A MILLION BUCKS ... this according to the police report obtained by TMZ Sports.

The document lists the victim as 39-year-old Tom Brady -- a 6'4", 225 pound white male whose missing property is described as a "NFL New England Patriots Football Jersey" ... valued at $500k.

Of course, Brady famously noticed his jersey went M.I.A. while in the Pats locker room moments after beating the ATL Falcons at Super Bowl LI. Police confirm the case is still open with no new developments.

One interesting note ... the case is being investigated by a unit called Major Offenders - Police Impersona/Swindle.

Cops are listing the crime as a 1st degree felony.

It seems the Houston PD may be rubbing salt in the wounds of Falcons fans, because the report states Brady noticed his jersey was missing "shortly after winning the game."

Good news for Genie Bouchard ... the complete stranger she agreed to go on a date with after an online bet wasn't a complete weirdo -- in fact, she's down for a 2nd date!!

As we previously reported, the tennis superstar made a bet with the guy during the Super Bowl -- saying she'd go on a date with him when the Pats came back from that impossible 25 point deficit. They did.

The two met in NYC for the first time Wednesday night and went to the Brooklyn Nets game -- and judging by the video, things went about as well as they could've gone!

Props to tennis star Genie Bouchard ... who's paying off the Super Bowl bet she made with a fan by GOING ON A DATE WITH THE GUY!

Back when the Falcons were up big on the Patriots, Bouchard bet a Pats fan that she would go on a date with him if the Pats came back and won.

They did.

Moments ago, Bouchard met up with the guy in Brooklyn -- where they're going to the Nets game together!

Earlier Wednesday, Bouchard said she's a woman of her word -- and hoped the whole thing wouldn't be too awkward.

Good luck!

Atlanta Falcons legend Roddy White says he's spoken with players on the team who are still frustrated with the play calling at the end of the Super Bowl ... and says, "The City of Atlanta needed [that win]."

Roddy obviously loves the organization but says facts are facts ... several players were just as confused at the play calling in the 4th quarter as the fans at home.

White says "you don't have to be a football genius" to realize the team should've run the ball 3 times and kicked a field goal instead of trying to pass when they were up by 8. Dumb.

Ed Sheeran was the bait in a successful plot to swindle a charity out of 4 primo tickets to Super Bowl 51 ... according to cops trying to track down the scammer.

Marc Pollick -- CEO of The Giving Back Fund -- tells TMZ his charity got a call from someone promising to deliver Ed's singing services for a charity concert on the eve of the big game in Houston. Organizers and cops believe the con artist went so far as to forge Ed's signature on a contract.

The deal was Ed would perform 2 songs, and in return he'd get 4 suite tickets to SB51 ... worth $50k. They met the alleged manager before the event and handed him the precious tickets, and never saw him again. Nor did Ed show up at the event.

We're told the charity found out Sheeran was touring in Australia, and got suspicious they'd been screwed. They contacted cops and found out the tickets were re-sold.

Law enforcement tells us it's got all the makings of a classic scam and the guy behind it could face felony charges.

Patriots running back James White -- the guy who scored the winning TD in the Super Bowl -- says he still hasn't made up his mind about visiting Donald Trump at the White House.

So far, 6 Patriots players have said they're boycotting the victory trip, mostly due to political reasons -- and last week, White said he was on the fence.

When we saw him in NYC Monday we asked if he'd made a decision yet. He's still weighing his options.

We even asked how he felt about Tony Gonzalez saying players should use the trip to express their concerns to Trump himself. White didn't sound convinced.

Here's Rick Ross proving that partying with Gronk is almost as dangerous as playing in the NFL ... saying he PUKED HIS GUTS OUT trying to keep up with the Patriots star at a post-Super Bowl turn up.

Ross was on "The Brilliant Idiots" podcast with Charlamagne Tha God & Andrew Schulz when he regurgitated the story of his regurgitation, involving Gronk, a DJ, and too much champagne.

TMZ Sports previously reported The Boss and The Gronk had a MASSIVE turn up at a club in Connecticut Tuesday night ... but we have to admit, we saw no chunks flying from Ross' mouth.

Kudos to not getting any in your beard, bro ...

You'd think plastic surgeons Dr. Paul Nassif and Dr. Terry Dubrow might have something to lose with Lady Gaga's all natural, body-loving message ... wrong.

We got the "Botched" stars at The Palm in Bev Hills Wednesday night, where they dished on her calling out haters who body shamed her for the halftime show -- and they shed some light on their real goal as bosses in the cosmetics game.

The Game booted a bunch of chicks -- who are black -- from his Super Bowl party, but insists he wasn't racially profiling ... they just weren't on the guest list.

Game told us his side of the story that's getting around the Internet, and has some people labeling him a racist. One of the women posted a video saying she was 86'd for being "dark meat."

That's total BS according to Game -- he explained what happened when he started asking if anyone in the party knew the ladies.

He says considering he gave 'em a fresh pair of socks, plus pizza and drinks ... they've got no business trying to twist this into racism.

Think Jeezy regrets leaving the Super Bowl early ... before OVERTIME?? Hell no. He'd do it again.

We couldn't believe our eyes when we saw him leave the game in Houston right before the very first OT Super Bowl game in NFL history ... but Jeezy said he wanted to beat the traffic.

Now that he knows how it went down (historic, unreal finish), Jeezy says he's got no regrets because he knows ATL will be back in the big game next year.

Yeah ... sure.

New info has come to light in the hunt for the Tom Brady Super Bowl jersey ... and could all come down to the search of an 18-wheeler that was packed up right after the game.

TMZ Sports spoke with law enforcement sources involved in the search who tell us they are "hopeful" the jersey was put on a team equipment truck destined for Boston.

We're told the truck was never thoroughly searched before it left NRG Stadium in Houston -- and contains all sorts of team and player equipment.

Our sources tell us the truck is scheduled to be unpacked in Boston on Thursday and cops are crossing their fingers the #12 jersey turns up!

New England Patriots hero James White says he will absolutely NOT hold Tom Brady to that whole "You can have my MVP truck" thing ... unless Tom REALLY wants to buy him one.

You think Gronk's Super Bowl party tear was gonna end after the parade? Hell no!!

The Patriots star raged all night long with Rick Ross -- chuggin' champagne onstage and dancing his face off ... and TMZ Sports has the video.