Super Bowl

Apparently, the NFL is still upset with Janet Jackson for that whole nipplegate thing back in 2004 -- because league reps tell us she's still on the blacklist when it comes to the Super Bowl Halftime show.

TMZ Sports reached out to the NFL to discuss possible acts at Super Bowl XLIX (49) in Arizona next year -- and while the league wouldn't say who's in the running, they did issue the following statement:

"As for potential acts --- we have only ruled out Janet Jackson."

No word on how Justin Timberlake escaped the ire of the NFL -- considering he played a key role in the infamous "wardrobe malfunction" that day -- but if he's NOT banned, BOOK HIS ASS!!!

#JT4XLIX

M.I.A. says the NFL is overreacting big time in their legal war over the middle finger she flipped during the 2012 Super Bowl Halftime show ... and the proof is in Prince's giant penis guitar.

M.I.A. just filed new legal docs saying the NFL's demand for $16.6 MILLION in restitution and damages over the rapper's live 1-bird salute is completely baseless -- since the league already has a reputation for airing risque halftime performances.

Her proof -- M.I.A. says the reputation was built by Super Bowl legends like Michael Jackson who "repeatedly grabbed or fondled his genitalia" during his famous 1993 performance.

M.I.A. says the "genitalia adjustments" were a well-known part of his act at the time and the NFL reveled in the edginess.

There's more ... M.I.A. also points to Prince -- who, in 2007, stroked his guitar like it was "an erect oversized phallus" in what some people consider the gold standard of Super Bowl Halftime shows.

M.I.A. says the NFL knew Prince was planning to get all strokey before the show ... and green-lit the performance anyway.

M.I.A.'s ultimate point is that there is no harm in airing a middle finger -- it won't damage the league or prevent sponsors from paying top dollar for commercial spots.

So far, no comment from Prince or his giant penis guitar.

Richard Sherman would've had "no chance" of stopping T.J. Houshmandzadeh when the receiver was in his prime ... so says T.J. himself.

The former Cincinnati Bengals receiver was outside Greystone this weekend when we asked if he thought Sherman could've shut him down ... like he shut down Michael Crabtree in the NFL playoffs.

But T.J. says his route-running abilities were just too strong for Sherman -- who T.J. also PRAISES as a helluva football player.

The stripper who was fired for taking photos with Katy Perry -- inside a strip club -- is back in the good graces of the stripper gods ... TMZ has learned, after breaking the cardinal strip club rule she got her job back ... but with one G-string attached.

Sources tell us, Cassidy (her stripper name) received a call from Spearmint Rhino honchos, informing her she could have her job back -- but she's not allowed to work at the Santa Barbara location where she was fired.

Instead, we're told Cassidy is now back working at a nearby Spearmint Rhino location in the decidedly less tony Oxnard.

TMZ broke the story ... Cassidy lost her stripper Santa Barbara job last month after management found out she'd been taking pics with Katy inside the strip club ... A HUGE NO-NO. TMZ later posted the pics.

Rob Gronkowski might not be the only athlete with a role in the "Entourage" movie ... 'cause Russell Wilson was spotted on set today and all clues point to cameo.

The Seattle Seahawks quarterback posed for photos with members of the cast -- including Jeremy Piven and Kid Cudi, who's reportedly playing Ari Gold's new assistant.

Piers Morgan was also spotted on set -- no word if he's in the flick or just hangin' out. We already told you Gronk's confirmed to be in the flick.

As for Wilson -- it pays to win the Super Bowl ... first Letterman, then kickin' it with Jay Z, now a possible movie role?!

Nick Cannon suddenly has something in common with 2 Super Bowl champs -- they were all targeted for tens of thousands of dollars by an alleged scam artist who just got slapped with multiple felonies.

As TMZ Sports first reported ... ex-Patriots star Jarvis Green was nearly ripped off earlier this year ... by a man who claimed he could hook him up with Miami Heat season tickets AND partial ownership of the team.

According to the California Attorney General's office ... George French Jones made similar offers to Charles Woodson, Warren Moon, and oddly ... Cannon.

Jones was charged today with 11 felonies ... including grand theft, obtaining money by false pretenses, and identity theft.

What's interesting is how much cash he tried to lift from each victim: $50k from Woodson, and $25k from Green.

Clearly he didn't think Nick's pockets were as deep ... because he only asked for, and ultimately got, $15k from Mariah's husband.

But the biggest fish was Moon -- whose rep wired $200,000 to Jones, according to the docs.

EVIL PEYTON MANNING IS BACK!!!!!

For the first time since 2008, Peyton Manning is rockin' the goatee ... in what appears to be an attempt to find a new identity after that humiliating Super Bowl loss to the Seattle Seahawks.

Evil Peyton and his facial hair surfaced at what appears to be a charity event over the weekend ... where he gave a speech, rocked a tux and even posed for pics with fans.

Somewhere, Evil Spock is laughing maniacally.

[H/T Terez Owens]

One of the strippers who posed with Katy Perry inside a Santa Barbara strip club has been FIRED for violating the Cardinal rule ... taking pics of their encounter and making them public.

Sources tell TMZ ... honchos from Spearmint Rhino's corporate offices marched over to the Santa Barbara location earlier this week and promptly fired Cassidy (her stripper name) in front of all the other girls.

23-year-old Cassidy -- pictured above on the right -- was one of the girls working Super Bowl night, when Katy rolled in with boyfriend John Mayer and dropped stacks all over the place.

Cassidy, Katy, and other dancers posed for several photos ... TMZ obtained the pics and posted them a couple days later -- and management was pissed.

We're told Cassidy -- who has a child -- violated her club's "no cameras" rule by taking the photos and making them public and that's why she got canned.

We're told Cassidy was fired in front of all the other girls to send a clear message ... don't mess with client privacy, or else.

Seattle Seahawks stud Malcolm Smith tells TMZ Sports he won't be taking home the brand new Chevy truck he won for being MVP of Super Bowl XLVIII ... nah, he's giving it to his MOM instead!!

How cool is that?

And it gets better -- mom wants to PIMP OUT her her ride!!!

Smith was leaving P.F. Chang's in L.A. on Sunday along with his MVP celebrity stylist Vick Michel when he told us all about his plans for the $50k vehicle ... "[Mom] says she wants to put black rims on it."

As for Malcolm, don't feel too bad about his driving situation -- he already has a Chevy Tahoe in his garage.

DON'T YOU EVER TALK ABOUT RICHARD SHERMAN'S ANKLE ... 'cause less than one week after injuring it in the Super Bowl, the Seahawks star was partying hard on it during a rager in Vegas!!!

Sherman -- along with fellow Legion of Boomer Kam Chancellor -- hit up the Chateau nightclub in Sin City Saturday night ... and cut loose, despite suffering a high ankle sprain during the Feb. 2nd victory.

Seemed like Sherman was feeling "no pain" that night -- we're guessing the gang of hot chicks following him around that night makes a man forget about a freak joint injury.

Meanwhile, Peyton Manning is still sad somewhere ..

The Dream NY knows where its bread is buttered ... it's now groveling -- BEGGING for forgiveness after its own bar slammed Diddy for stiffing its waitress on Super Bowl Sunday.

Honchos at Dream say they are "embarrassed and offended" by the Facebook post of an employee who works at The Bar inside the hotel. The employee tore the rap mogul a new one, saying, "Thanks Sean Combs aka P. Diddy for leaving no tip on Super Bowl Sunday."

We just found out ... the employee responsible for the post -- like the Broncos -- got sacked.

This is disastrous for the hotel, because Dream is a mecca for rappers, and Diddy is one of their Gods.

The Hotel execs say, 'We look forward to welcoming you back soon."

Diddy and his entourage rang up a $200 tab at a NYC bar during the Super Bowl ... then STIFFED their waitress on the tip ... according to the bar which is now publicly shaming the multi-millionaire.

Employees say on Sunday Sean Combs and his friends were at The Bar located in the Dream Hotel ... and when the bar manager asked Diddy if he was receiving good service ... Diddy said everything was A-ok.

But when it came time to pay ... staffers say Diddy left a giant goose egg for gratuity.

Now The Bar is calling him out ... ridiculing him on its Facebook page -- "Although [Diddy's] Net worth is in the millions, he felt it necessary to stiff a hard working young girl for $40 bucks. What a gentleman....!!!"

Chris Brown made a little pit stop on his way back to rehab Sunday -- after visiting his lawyer -- he dropped by Trey Songz' blowout Super Bowl party ... filled with girls and booze ... and it's possible the shindig could land Chris in some hot water.

Brown was given a pass out of rehab Sunday specifically to meet with his attorney, Mark Geragos, for the singer's court hearing the next day.

After the meeting, Chris decided it would be fun to enjoy a few Super Bowl moments with his pal Trey Songz. There was nothing in the rehab pass indicating partying with chicks and booze was ok.

Sources close to Chris tell TMZ, he was only there for around 10 minutes ... and only because he thought the party was for charity. We can't help but call BS. There's no evidence there was any fundraising going on, and even if there was ... it's irrelevant.

Our Chris sources say he didn't drink and was monitored by a rehab worker at the party.

Calls to Chris' reps weren't returned.

Martha Stewart is coming out swingin' in defense of Peyton Manning ... telling TMZ Sports he did a "good job" in the Super Bowl ... and kept his composure when his team imploded.

Stewart was leaving The London Hotel in NYC when she went off about the Super Bowl -- explaining that she not only watched the game, but she HATED IT because it was so mismatched.

But when we asked about Peyton Manning ... Stewart made it clear she had his back -- saying, "He held it together. He could've cracked. He didn't."

Rapper French Montana was as nonchalant as could be walking the streets of NYC Tuesday ... laughing off his arrest during Super Bowl weekend.

No one knew he had been busted ... but turns out French was popped early Saturday morning in Times Square because of a 5-year-old warrant for driving on a suspended license.

French was taken to the pokey and bailed out soon thereafter.

Flea now admits he pulled a Beyonce at the Super Bowl ... pretending to play "Give It Away" when in fact it was an air guitar performance.

The legendary bassist for the Red Hot Chili Peppers says the NFL made it clear from the get-go -- the vocals would be live but the bass, drums and guitar would be pre-recorded.

Flea says it was super complicated to pull off the half-time show and the NFL didn't want to botch the spectacle with bad sound.

And Flea says they didn't initially jump at the chance to fake play at the game ... but ultimately decided "it was a surreal-like, once in a lifetime crazy thing to do and we would just have fun and do it."