Gronk's Dad Rob's Ready to Go But Check Out My Dance Moves!!!
Rob Gronkowski's dad isn't concerned about his son's head or health heading into the Super Bowl, telling TMZ Sports ... Gronk's fine, focused and ready to go!!!
He also put on a one-man dance show with wild friends chanting his name -- standard Gronk family swagger.
We got Gordon Gronkowski -- aka "Big G" -- heading into the Leather and Laces Party in Minnesota Friday night more than ready to have a good time ... and he doesn't even hint there's any reason to think his son's not going to have a great game
Patriots Nation's been uneasy all week about Gronk's status for Sunday -- since he just got medically cleared Thursday following a concussion in the AFC Championship -- but Big G says there's no reason to worry.
As he tells us ... Gronk's the best.
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Justin Timberlake First Super Bowl Sneak Peek!!! (SPOILER ALERT)
Justin Timberlake's been rehearsing his ass off for the Super Bowl LII halftime show, and TMZ has the first video ... which gives you a sneak peek of what's about to go down.
Sooo, HERE'S YOUR LAST WARNING ... SPOILERS AHEAD!!!
Sources inside rehearsal tell us JT did 4 run-throughs, just on Thursday. We're told one was a dress rehearsal that was taped for emergency ... just in case anything happens to JT and he can't perform.
This video is from one of his Thursday sessions, and one thing's for sure ... there's gonna be a TON of fireworks inside the U.S. Bank Stadium.
Our sources also reveal there are no 'NSYNC or Janet Jackson cameos planned ... so anyone hoping for a reunion or redemption ... you can pretty much abandon all hope.
HOWEVER, we're told Justin does have one pretty cool trick up his sleeve -- a hologram to honor ... wait for it ... Prince, in his hometown.
Of course, plans and strategies can change ... but an overhaul at this point seems unlikely.
Our source says the Prince appearance will involve video projected on a sheet behind JT ... and not so much a hologram. So, it won't be all that high-tech, but we're told it will still be pretty moving.
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Al Pacino Gives TMZ Photog Thumbs Up ... For Scarface Impression!!!
Al Pacino, one of the great actors of all time, was IMPRESSED by our photog's homage ... seriously!!!
Dante spotted Al Friday leaving E Baldi in Bev Hills, and he surrendered his camera to someone and put it all out there ... first doing a bit from "Any Given Sunday" and then doing a more-than-respectable "Scarface." Check it out ... Al gave his seal of approval.
Speaking of this given Sunday ... Al seems pretty damn unimpressed by the Super Bowl.
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Super Bowl Prop Bets P!nk's Boobs, Trump's Tweets ... Can Win You Big $$$
P!nk's cleavage and Donald Trump's Twitter fingers can both get you PAID during this year's Super Bowl ... if you're willing to throw down some bread on prop bets!
There are a ton of wild wagers on the big game ... and, like they've done in the past with Lady Gaga, Beyonce and Katy Perry, BetOnline.ag is letting fans risk it all on whether P!nk's girls show up during the national anthem.
Right now ... the chances that they make an appearance aren't great.
Yes +260
No -350
Want better odds? Trust in POTUS... it's almost even money Trump fires off 5+ tweets on Sunday!!
Over 5 1/2 tweets +100
Under 5 1/2 tweets -130
Some other gems ...
-- Which quarter the announcers first mention Trump
-- Whether or not Justin Timberlake rocks a beard
-- The color of Bill Belichick's shirt (read: hoodie)
If ya still ain't sure where to put your money ... we also got some tips from Sportsbook Review betting experts Jimmy the Bag and Peter Loshak.
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Joey Fatone Doubles Down ... Timberlake WON'T Perform with 'N Sync
Joey Fatone is itching to collect $1k from our photog, who bet him that 'N Sync will take the stage with Justin Timberlake during the halftime show at the Super Bowl.
We got Joey Friday night at the Leather and Laces Party in Minneapolis and he's stickin' with his story that Justin will perform solo, although he's not ruling out a surprise appearance by Janet Jackson.
Joey offers evidence ... singers who perform for a billion people typically don't go out and party 2 days before the big game.
Joey might have a point ... we got video of Justin's rehearsal, and he's on stage like a lone wolf.
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Lonnie Ali Tom Brady's No Muhammad Ali ... Yet
Lonnie Ali flew into Minnesota Friday, presumably for the Super Bowl, and as good as Tom Brady is ... she clearly thinks the title "The Greatest" belongs to her late husband Muhammad Ali.
Lonnie acknowledges Tom's kind of the shiny bright object of the moment, but putting him in a larger context -- he's not at the level of Ali.
She does acknowledge ... the book isn't closed yet on Brady, and he could ascend to greater heights, especially if he does great things outside football.
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Swae Lee My Super Bowl Wish? 'A Titty Comin' Out Like Janet Jackson'
Rae Sremmurd doesn't give a damn about watching football -- so what's the one thing Swae Lee wants to see on Sunday??
"A titty comin' out like Janet Jackson!"
We got Swae and Slim Jxmmi touching down in Minny for the Super Bowl -- or maybe just the halftime show ... 'cause when we asked about SBLII, they seemed WAY more hyped on Justin Timberlake's set.
Specifically, a Nipplegate sequel.
"That was like the most epic Super Bowl, in my lifetime at least," Swae -- who was 10 when JT famously exposed Janet's breast on live TV -- told TMZ Sports.
Good news for Swae -- the NFL told us JJ is NOT banned from the Big Game.
Ya never know ...
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Kevin Hart Watch Out for That Train!!!
Kevin Hart pulled a great escape Friday ... narrowly dodging a passenger train!
For one scary second, it looked like Kev might become the first casualty of the Super Bowl LII events in and around Minneapolis. We got him leaving Cowboy Jack's in downtown, and started talking about the "Martin" reboot. Kevin was so excited to talk about it ... neither he, nor our photog, noticed the light rail train coming down the tracks.
Watch his security team spring into action, but really ... you gotta watch for the look on Kevin's face when he hears the train's horn sound.
Happy to report, crisis averted.
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Minneapolis Mayor Trump At the Super Bowl? ... I'm Not a Fan
If President Donald Trump decides to take a last minute trip to the Super Bowl -- don't expect Minneapolis mayor Jacob Frey to lead the welcoming party!
For those unfamiliar ... 36-year-old Frey has made headlines for speaking his mind -- most recently when he made a video in which he asked if the city was really welcoming "f**king Eagles" fans to Minnesota.
So we asked if he would welcome Trump, too ... the answer? Not so much.
Frey did, however, say his dream celebrity meet-and-greet would be Snoop Dogg -- saying a Gin and Juice session with the rapper is on his bucket list!
... Unless Snoop suddenly becomes an Eagles fan.
Jacob Frey, the mayor of Minneapolis, sends a warm welcome to the NFL and their fans ... well, almost everyone (sorry, Eagles fans) pic.twitter.com/u6E7TIswgw
@theMMQB
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Le'Veon Bell Tired of Steelers Contract BS ... Let's Get it Done!
Le'Veon Bell says he doesn't wanna play anywhere but Pittsburgh ... but he wants a long-term deal ASAP 'cause the whole process is wearin' him out.
"I just wanna get a deal done. I'm tired of having to deal with this every year," Le'Veon told TMZ Sports at EA Sports' Pre-Super Bowl party in Minny.
Remember -- Bell skipped the entire preseason 'cause he wanted the Steelers to pay him what he's worth. Ultimately, he ended his holdout and signed the franchise tag for $12 mil.
But good news for Steelers fans -- the superstar RB told us they're "in a better spot" with negotiations than last offseason ... so stay tuned.
Le'Veon also spoke with us about his teammate, Ryan Shazier, who was just discharged from the hospital ... and explained why he thinks Shazier can make it back onto the field one day.
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Tom Brady Was the Son Kiss Weird?! ... NFL Stars Weigh In
Some of the biggest stars in the NFL are weighing in on Tom Brady's father/son smooch ... the smackaroo that made a lot of people go "oh, ummm ok," when they saw it.
The PDA went down on Brady's Facebook show, "Tom vs Time" when TB planted one on his 10-year-old son, and the duration of the kiss for a lot of people watching was frankly ... weird (sorry, Tom).
We talked to both Travis Kelce and NFL Hall Of Famer Willie Roaf, and when we asked each man about the father-son kiss, they protected Brady like he was in the pocket for their squads.
Kelce did give Tom a little advice though, and it's pretty hilarious.
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Anthony Scaramucci to T-Mobile I'm a Gay Rights Activist!!! ... Can Ya Hear Me Now?!
Anthony Scaramucci says T-Mobile has his politics all wrong ... Exhibit A -- he's a gay rights activist.
We got the former White House Communications Director at LAX Thursday and asked him about the nixed deal from the mobile carrier. TMZ broke the story ... T-Mobile offered the Mooch a mid 6-figure deal for a surprise Super Bowl ad. But then, the carrier pulled the plug.
Scaramucci's adamant it had everything to do with siding with Trump ... but he insists everyone take a look at his record -- he's been a gay rights activist his whole life. It's true ... his investment company has donated to pro-gay rights groups in the past and he's pushed for workplace equality.
Maybe next year, Smooch.
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Joey Fatone Bets TMZ $1,000 I'm Not Doing Super Bowl Halftime!!!
Joey Fatone is so dead serious Justin Timberlake is NOT reuniting 'NSYNC during the Super Bowl halftime show, he bet our photog $1,000!!!
And the best part ... the bet was made IN MINNESOTA ... just a few miles from the site of the big game!
JT and Joey have been denying it for months, but rumors are swirling and our photog is clearly convinced Justin's getting the band back together on Sunday.
So, when Joey called our guy out Thursday night -- our guy put his money where his mouth is.
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Travis Scott Working A Double Shift Super Bowl LII Weekend
No one can physically be two places at once, but Travis Scott is going to come pretty damn close Saturday before the Super Bowl.
The rapper has 2 gigs scheduled for the same night ... and they're about 1,500 miles apart. First, Travis has a show around 10:30 in Minneapolis, which is then followed by a show at 1:30 AM in Vegas Marquee Nightclub in The Cosmopolitan ... plenty of time for both.
Sources close to the rapper tell us, in order to lock Travis down, promoter Jefferson Agar of Twin Cities Live had to make sure he could attend both gigs. We're told they shelled out around $50k for a private jet that'll take Travis from L.A. to Minneapolis and then to Las Vegas ... all in the span of a few hours.
Tix are still available for Scott's Super Bowl gig ... so if you've ever wanted to see a time traveler -- or the next best thing -- you've still got a chance.
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Bill Belichick's GF Rockin' 4,700 Crystals ... In Super Bowl Outfit!
We all know what Bill Belichick's wearing on Super Bowl Sunday (hoodie) -- but his girlfriend Linda Holliday is going with A LOT more flair ... with a custom crystal outfit, and TMZ Sports has the pics!
Linda hit up Leah Miller at Bella Artistry who makes custom Swarovski crystal fashion items for a TON of athletes and their significant others ... and ordered up some fresh gear for SBLII.
Holliday will be wearing a special blazer with her BF's last name spelled out across the back and his initials on the arm. We're told the blazer has 3,500 crystals that were all hand-placed, one-by-one.
She also got a blinged out purse complete with 1,200 Swarovski crystals!
Bill's boss is a fan of Leah's work as well -- Robert Kraft is getting a special crystalized pair of Nikes ... customized for the Pats owner himself with 13,000 crystals!!!
Now all they need is another ring to match!
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Justin Timberlake 'NSYNC Super Bowl Reunion Buzz It's Building, But ...
Justin Timberlake is saying one thing, but his fans' eyes around Minneapolis are saying there's evidence an 'NSYNC reunion could be going down during the Super Bowl halftime show.
Here's what we know: JT flatout told reporters at Thursday's news conference in Minneapolis, "No" ... his old group is NOT getting back together. However, multiple people claiming to be in Minneapolis say they've seen all the 'NSYNC members, minus Justin, in the downtown area.
Before ya get too excited, here's some more info: Lance Bass was posting pics of himself skiing Wednesday in Jackson Hole, Wyoming.
Joey Fatone was spotted late Wednesday night in Orlando signing autographs for some fans.
Sorry @realjoeyfatone I was cold lol. You were 5 minutes from my job and didn’t wanna drive all the way home and come back so I was early and waited like 2 hours for you. My bad 🤦🏻♀️ pic.twitter.com/lyJ2yiWGdD
@sgrivera324
However, there's the miracle of air travel! Joey's publicist and manager tell us the singer IS now in Minnesota -- but they say he's just doing appearances at Super Bowl events. We know ... halftime would seem to fall under that umbrella.
On the other hand, Joey was in L.A. last week and told us, point-blank, the reunion ain't happening.
1/22/18
Believe him?
As for Lance -- his manager says he's back home in L.A. The only missing links are Chris Kirkpatrick and JC Chasez.
Final tally: 2 members in Minneapolis, 1 in L.A., 2 locations unknown.