Super Bowl

It's going to be a long afternoon in Los Angeles for Joe Burrow on Sunday ... so says Warren Sapp, who tells TMZ Sports he thinks the QB is going to have a rough Super Bowl.

The Hall of Fame defensive lineman made the prediction to us outside of a S.B. party at Academy in Hollywood on Wednesday night ... saying he believes the Bengals will not be able to block up the Rams' pass rush during the Big Game.

"I'll tell you what," Sapp said. "I love that kid Joe Burrow, but if he can stand up from this rush of Von Miller and Aaron Donald, he'd be the greatest quarterback ever in the history of the league."

"But, I don't see it. I don't see it," Sapp added. "They'll be all over him all game long."

Most pundits believe Burrow is good enough to withstand the numerous sacks that are no doubt coming on Sunday -- because, after all, he won a playoff game against the Titans last month despite being taken down NINE times.

But, Sapp made it clear, he doesn't foresee the same outcome this weekend.

The Super Bowl halftime show is being protected at all costs ... with organizers blaring rock music outside SoFi Stadium during rehearsals to keep the highly-anticipated performance under wraps.

Dr. Dre, Kendrick Lamar, Snoop Dogg, Mary J. Blige and Eminem have been perfecting their 12-minute set with the big game just days away ... and TMZ Sports has learned anyone within earshot isn't hearing any of it, thanks to a pretty clever plan.

We're told the stadium has been playing music like Red Hot Chili Peppers and Bon Jovi over the speakers to cover up the actual tunes that will be performed on Sunday ... in hopes of keeping everything top secret.

Of course, there are several residential neighborhoods right outside SoFi ... and if it weren't for the decoy music, there's a great chance some secrets would start to leak.

One downside -- we're told some folks living close to the stadium aren't too pleased with hearing "Livin' On A Prayer" while tucking their kids into bed ... as the rehearsals have been going on late into the night.

Fans have been hoping for even the smallest of tidbits about the show ... but it sure seems tougher than ever to get anything before the show.

There is one thing we know about the performance -- MJB has been teasing how epic it is ... saying the whole set gave her goosebumps.

Iowa born athlete Kurt Warner was thrust into the spotlight his very first year as a starting quarterback for the St. Louis Rams as he led the offense on what was called "The Greatest Show On Turf" ... which culminated in their win over the Tennessee Titans (23-16) at Super Bowl XXXIV and even scored Warner the honor of being named Super Bowl MVP.

The Lombardi Trophy-winning offense was packed with high-profile platers including running Hall Of Famer Marshall Faulk and the clutch catching wide receivers Isaac Bruce and Torry Holt.

Warner's success was so inspiring his story was made into a film in 2021 called 'American Underdog.'

Snoop Dogg just became the top dog at Death Row Records ... 'cause he now owns the record label that launched his career nearly 30 years ago.

The Doggfather scooped up Death Row from Blackstone investment firm and MNRK Music Group. No word on how much he paid for the legendary label, but it's been passed around a bit since going into bankruptcy in 2006.

Remember, label co-founder Suge Knight is serving 28 years in prison for voluntary manslaughter.

Anyhow, Snoop's homecoming purchase is a great way for him to celebrate the release of his latest album, B.O.D.R., on Friday. Not to mention ... he's got the Super Bowl Halftime show coming up with Dr. Dre, Eminem, Mary J. Blige and Kendrick Lamar.

Snoop says, "I am thrilled and appreciative of the opportunity to acquire the iconic and culturally significant Death Row Records brand, which has immense untapped future value. It feels good to have ownership of the label I was part of at the beginning of my career and as one of the founding members," Snoop said.

Death Row released Dr. Dre's "The Chronic" in 1992 -- which heavily featured Snoop -- and then in 1993 it released his debut solo record, "Doggystyle."

Forget jinxes -- the mayor of Cincinnati is so confident the Bengals will beat the Rams in the Super Bowl this Sunday, he already started planning their championship parade!!

Aftab Pureval joined Harvey and Charles on "TMZ Live" before the city's big matchup against Los Angeles ... and he said he's been in constant communication with fellow mayor Eric Garcetti and having some friendly fun ahead of the matchup.

"We talked about maybe changing the name of Los Angeles to L-O-S-S Angeles," Pureval joked ... adding they even discussed putting a star on Hollywood's Walk of Fame if Cincy pulls off the upset.

FYI -- Aftab has been successful in his bets with other mayors throughout the playoffs ... the Bengals defeated the Titans and Chiefs on their way to the Super Bowl, so he's already stacked up some bragging rights so far.

With all that success, it's no wonder Pureval is already figuring out all the details for the city's celebration ... and he ain't worried about potentially cursing the Bengals in the process.

Eminem is headed to L.A. to perform in the Super Bowl halftime show, but he's not coming empty-handed ... he's bringing grub from his super popular restaurant, Mom's Spaghetti.

The restaurant is killing it in Detroit, and now Los Angelenos and people visiting the City of Angels can sample Em's fare at a pop-up shop in DTLA.

The shop opens Wednesday, Feb 9 and shuts down after game day. For folks who don't want to venture to Downtown L.A., they can order exclusively on Postmates with free delivery for orders over $20. Pickup will also be available from Uncle Paulie's Deli DTLA location.

Eminem opened his 'Mom's Spaghetti' brick-and-mortar restaurant in his hometown back in September. The menu is inspired by the rapper's lyrics in "Lose Yourself" ... Spaghetti with Toasted Garlic Bread, Spaghetti with Beef or Vegan Meatball, and a S'ghetti Sandwich (which is literally a piece of Eminem's childhood).

“It’s not the kind of pasta you’d expect if your grandma came from Italy on a boat … it’s more like the spaghetti you’d know if your mom came from Michigan on a bus,” says Mom’s Spaghetti co-owner Curt Catallo.

Wouldn't it be perfect if ya didn't have to worry about school or work after a Sunday filled with awesome playoff football??

Well, if it were up to Congressman Tim Ryan, you wouldn't -- 'cause he tells TMZ Sports he believes everyone should have Mondays off during the NFL playoffs!!

"Every Monday during NFL playoffs we should have federal holidays," Ryan tells us. "I mean, you shouldn’t have to go to work or school after some of these football games. You kidding me?!"

Of course, Cincinnati's public schools announced last week that staff and kids would have the day after the Super Bowl off to celebrate (or mourn) the result of Sunday's big game.

Ryan -- who's a native of Ohio --  is prepared to take that move a step further ... saying that should be the norm for everyone during the playoffs!!

Finally -- some politics we all can agree on ... now make it happen!!

There's more. Ryan -- a representative for Ohio's 13th congressional district -- is a lifelong Browns fan ... and although his team won't be playing in Super Bowl LVI, Tim made it very clear who he'll be rooting for.

“You gotta go with Joe [Burrow]," Ryan said, "1000 percent."

Wanna ball out in Shaq-like proportions?! The NBA legend is offering an incredible "Ultra-VIP" package to his "Fun House" Super Bowl party in LA this weekend ... and it comes with a whopping $1 MILLION price tag!!

TMZ Sports has learned ... Shaquille O'Neal's yearly rage fest is providing a once in a lifetime experience for some super-rich party people ... and it comes with a round trip on a private jet, a VIP table ON the stage, Rolls-Royce Phantoms for transportation to the party and -- of course -- unlimited booze.

Shaq partnered with Wynn Nightlife in Vegas to put the whole deal together ... which means the group will get a dedicated security and host team via the resort.

Of course, there's no way an "Ultra-VIP" would have to wait in any sort of line ... so naturally, there's a special expedited entrance for the group.

But, the best part of the package?? The "Ultra-VIP" group will get the chance to take part in Shaq's DJ Diesel set.

The Fun House ain't only for the outrageously bougie -- everyone in attendance will get to experience carnival rides, food from L.A. hotspots, an open bar and music from Zedd, Lil Wayne, Diplo and Shaq himself.

There will even be fire-breathers!!

Shaq's party has had a ton of celebs attend in the past -- from Migos to Gronk to T-Pain to Patrick Mahomes -- and we're told this year's guest list is even bigger.

Breaking news -- NFL legends Brett Favre and Michael Vick are coming out of retirement and making a huge return to football!!!

Flag football, that is.

TMZ Sports has learned -- the former superstars are dusting off their arms to suit up for a flag football game hosted by the NFL and FaZe Clan ... and the whole thing will help raise some serious cash for youth sports.

FaZe will be going up against creator collective A.M.P. ... with FaZe Temperrr, FaZe Adapt, FaZe Swagg, FaZe Nate Hill, and FaZe Kaysan set to play for the video game giant.

We're told the competition is set to go down at the Super Bowl Experience in L.A. on Saturday, Feb. 12 ... with Favre and Vick slated to play QB for each team.

52-year-old Favre last played in 2010 ... and Vick, 41, walked away from the game in 2015. Needless to say, folks are gonna LOVE to see these two guys toss the pigskin again.

In fact, just a few years ago, the Gunslinger showed he's still got an arm!!

Each team will donate $25,000 each to youth sports ... with FaZe's contribution going to Snoop Dogg's football league.

The NFL and FaZe linked up to help gain fans in both sports and gaming ... with plans to continue the partnership moving forward.

Think the Browns are jealous of Odell Beckham Jr.'s shot at a Super Bowl?? Think again ... 'cause Jarvis Landry says he's pulling for his bestie to win a ring this year!!

Landry surprised OBJ during a media call on Monday ... saying he had no questions, but a few words of encouragement for his longtime friend instead.

"I've witnessed it all firsthand," Landry said, "You have scars to show for where you are today."

"This is a dream that you actually turned into reality and I wanted to come on here and just let you know I'm proud of you."

Landry added, "I love you! Go get that ring!!!"

Beckham -- who couldn't see his LSU teammate at first -- knew off the rip it was Landry ... and became emotional by his buddy's comments.

"You givin' me chills!" Odell said. "I know that voice, man!"

"Besides pops, there's no man who ever came into my life and has an effect and impact that you have had to make me a better person, player, man, soon-to-be father, brother, lover like you've shown me the light dawg," OBJ said.

"I love you so much, bro! This moment is for us, bro!"

Remember, Landry and Beckham go way back -- starting at LSU football to playing together again on the Browns in 2019 ... before OBJ was cut last November.

Pete Davidson haters are going to love this ...

The comedian was pummeled by ex-New England Patriots star Jerod Mayo for an ad about food waste ... and it's all pretty hilarious.

The spot -- a Hellmann's Super Bowl LVI ad -- was released Monday ... showing Mayo hitting a whole bunch of people who were on the verge of throwing away perfectly usable food.

Mayo sacked a man with bread, a woman with potatoes, an elderly woman with chicken, and then a man with spinach.

Finally, the 6-foot-1, 250-pound former linebacker (who now coaches on Bill Belichick's staff in New England) confronted Pete at a house party.

"Woah, woah, woah!" Pete said to Mayo as the ex-football player charged in ... "Mom's already tackling food waste, Mayo!"

Jerod appeared to leave ... but then he came back and speared Pete to the floor.

"I get it," Pete said while on the ground after Jerod apologized for the hit. "I'm very hittable."

It never rains in Southern California ... but at least one L.A. strip club is expecting huge showers daily in its venue during Super Bowl week -- telling TMZ Sports it believes it's going to be a "mad house" in the buildup to the Big Game.

Seventh Veil -- one of the hottest strip clubs in the Hollywood area -- says it's seen it before -- with its manager, Leo Betancourt, telling us it happened when the NBA All-Star game came to Los Angeles in 2018.

"We had 40 girls a night when we had the All-Star Game a couple years back," Betancourt said. "We were super packed."

"It's going to be busy the whole week before the Super Bowl because it's not like people are going to fly in on Sunday. It's going to be a mad house!"

Because of that, Betancourt tells us he's planning to have "as many girls as I can for that weekend" out of his roster of 100+ dancers.

Popular strip club Crazy Girls, meanwhile, is taking a different route for the busy week ... with a rep there telling us their focal point is "quality over quantity" for their Super Bowl guests.

"We intend to more so focus on giving all of the Bengal fans and NFL supporters a good time and great experience in Los Angeles," the rep said, "and enjoy the Crazy Girls Experience."

For the male strip clubs, Detention Ultra Lounge -- which hosts one of the Hollywood Men Shows in Anaheim -- is predicting an overwhelming weekend despite being located 26 miles from L.A.

The clubs aren't the only ones anticipating a jam-packed week ... entertainment agency Spotlight Strippers -- which provides female and male exotic dancers to private parties -- is also expecting high demand in the leadup to the Rams vs. Bengals tilt.

"We're expecting a higher than average call volume during that weekend," the agency said, "which we are looking forward to."

Odell Beckham came through with an amazing gesture for a man fighting cancer ... by sending a personal message of encouragement during his challenging time.

TMZ Sports is told ... 43-year-old Dominic Tafuri is a former MMA fighter and current officer with the Essex County Department of Corrections in NJ.

Dominic also worked for Odell's go-to guy for bling, Gabriel the Jeweler ... delivering pieces to some of the biggest athletes around the world -- from Aaron Donald to Prince Boateng to Ederson.

Tafuri recently found out he had Stage 4 lymphoma after undergoing a routine ACL surgery ... and is now battling the disease head-on.

We're told Tafuri is like a brother to Gabriel, so the jeweler hit up OBJ and asked him to improve Dominic's spirits ... and the Rams star delivered!!

"Dominic, what's going on, man? OBJ here, bro," Odell said in the video. "Just wanted to reach out to you, send some love your way."

"Just stay encouraged, man," he added. "Stay prayed up, man. Just know I'm praying for you, and just wanted to send some love, bro. Stay up."

FYI -- there's a GoFundMe set up to help Dominic and his family during this time ... with a goal of raising $100k.

Gotta hand it to Lindsay Lohan ... she's killed it in a Super Bowl commercial!!!

It's an ad for Planet Fitness, and the theme is that the gym has turned Lindsay's life around from train wreck to the picture of mental and physical health.

The voiceover is hilarious ... Lindsay has gone from DUI to DIY. She's so mentally acute she destroyed on "Jeopardy!" And the turnaround has left the paparazzi in tears!!!

There's a pretty amazing supporting cast in the 30-second ad -- William Shatner, Dennis Rodman, Buzzy Cohen and Danny Trejo ... all touting the virtues of exercise and fitness.

BTW ... NBC said Thursday all the Super Bowl ad slots have been filled, and it ran companies that advertised between $5.8 million and $7 million for 30 seconds of airtime.

Lindsay's been under the radar for a few years now, so the ad is actually more effective because of it. It's kind of like a reveal on "Extreme Makeover" ... except a lot more cerebral. It's actually a great P.R. move for her, because it's believable ... somewhat.

Super Bowl party season is right around the corner ... and one of the most hyped events of the weekend is looking to one-up itself -- with a nearly $3 million budget!!

TMZ Sports spoke with David Spencer of Talent Resources Sports, which helps put on the annual Sports Illustrated bash during Super Bowl Weekend ... and he tells us the S.I. bash will live up to its reputation this year -- especially after COVID-19 prevented the party from happening in 2021.

"We've been known to throw some premiere events in our 15-year history, and super honored to be back in L.A. and doing something bigger than ever," Spencer tells us.

This season, the event is slated to have names like Kygo, Jack Harlow, Frank Walker and more on board to get the vibes going ... and the crowd will be filled with the biggest celebs, athletes and models like years past.

With all that being said, tables for the party come with quite the price tag -- we're talking 5 figures -- but it's for good reason.

"It's an expensive event to produce," Spencer adds. "We're almost up to the $3 million mark for that event alone, so it's a tough ticket."

On top of the S.I. party, Spencer tells us about the Super Bowl viewing party at Jimmy Goldstein's iconic L.A. mansion ... and he says the event (which comes with a $1,500-$2,000 ticket) will be super COVID-19 safe ... and catered by local hotspot Craig's!!

The Super Bowl is just 10 days away and health officials in Los Angeles are warning all you sneaky fans plotting a way around the mask mandate ... don't even think about it!!

L.A. County -- where the game will take place on February 13 -- requires everyone over 2 years old at large scale events over 5,000 people, regardless of vaccination status, to mask up ... except when chowing down.

"That doesn't mean buy a bucket of popcorn and eat it for two hours. Actively eating and drinking," a SoFi Stadium executive said according to Fox 5 in San Diego, adding, "We are on to you."

Officials say they're ready to crack down on any of the 70,000+ fans who will ascend on the $5.5 billion stadium next Sunday ... but admitted it's a monumental task.

"It's a challenge. It's a very large building but we are prepared and ready to go," the NFL's head of live events said, continuing ... "We have had two years of experience of planning under COVID and we're extremely confident in the plans that we have in place."

Now, let's be honest ... this is a rule that is virtually impossible to enforce. How do you determine who's eating slow? What's even considered slow? And, how do you deal with the sheer number of people?

In fact, just last weekend during the NFC Championship Game against the 49ers at SoFi Stadium, California governor Gavin Newsom landed in hot water when he was caught taking a photo with Magic Johnson -- without a mask.

Los Angeles mayor Eric Garcetti also took a maskless photo with the Lakers legend ... but don't worry, he said he was holding his breath (he said this with a straight face).

In addition to requiring the masks, event staff will also require fans to show vaccination proof prior to entering the stadium. The stadium has also been outfitted with hundreds of hand sanitizers.