Super Bowl

If the Bengals can't find Evan McPherson at halftime on Sunday, here's why ...

Cincy's star kicker tells TMZ Sports he wants to see Dr. Dre, Eminem and everyone else at the halftime show so badly ... he's considering not going into the locker room for the break!!

'"I'll be super bummed if we can't at least watch it on a TV or something," said the 22-year-old, who's kicked two game-winners for the Bengals so far this postseason.

"I hope I get to watch it," he added. "I hope I get to be out there to experience it."

Of course, this year's Super Bowl halftime show is expected to be one of the biggest ever ... with some of the music industry's biggest legends gracing the stage.

Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg, Eminem, Kendrick Lamar and Mary J. Blige are all set to perform ... and there's expected to be at least one special guest joining them.

McPherson tells us there's a chance he might be allowed to stay out and watch it all ... though he's unsure if his coaches will ultimately let him.

As for the game .... Evan tells us if the situation calls for him to kick another game-winning field goal, he'll be ready for that moment.

"I mean, that would definitely be really cool," McPherson said. "If it comes down to a field goal like our last couple of games have come down to, then, you know, I'll be ready to give this franchise its first super bowl."

It's the most wonderful time of the year -- SUPER BOWL SUNDAY!!! -- and what better way to celebrate the big day than by honoring the wives and girlfriends of the Cincinnati Bengals and Los Angeles Rams!!!

Kelly Stafford -- who's been with Matthew since their University of Georgia days -- will certainly be at SoFi Stadium to root for her man ... hopefully, no pretzels involved.

BTW -- Kelly spent more than $200k on tickets for Rams fans to attend the NFC Championship game ... so props to her.

On the Bengals end, Olivia Holzmacher is used to cheering for Joe Burrow in a title game -- the two have been dating since #9 tore it up at LSU, where he won the Heisman and NCAA Championship in 2020.

But, it will be the first (in many ways) for Odell Beckham Jr.'s girlfriend Lauren Wood -- besides it being OBJ's first Super Bowl, the two are also expecting their first child any day now.

We can't forget to mention Erica Donald who married Aaron -- one of the best defensive players ever -- after they met when she worked for the Rams.

Justin Bieber brought a ton of A-listers out to his show for the opening night of Super Bowl weekend ... including Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez, who couldn't get their hands off each other.

JB was the highlight of h.wood Group and REVOLVE's Super Bowl party Friday night at Pacific Design Center in West Hollywood ... an event which also included Leonardo DiCaprio, Kendall Jenner, Khloe Kardashian, Shawn Mendes, Tobey Maguire, Tyga, Logan Paul and a ton of others.

Jeff and Lauren certainly enjoyed the performance, and got pretty handsy during their set as they hung out with her ex, NFL legend Tony Gonzalez in a roped-off VIP section.

Justin performed a variety of his hits in the almost-hour-long set, including "What Do You Mean?" as the crowd of about 1,500 sang along.

Jeff and Lauren were spotted leaving the party around 1 AM, but didn't appear to show up at the after-party where shots rang out more than an hour later.

Wanna bet Eminem rocks the Slim Shady platinum blonde hairdo during the Super Bowl halftime show?!

Or that Mary J. Blige might show some cleavage?!

Well, if you have money to put up, there are a whole bunch of fun prop bets waiting to be made on BetOnline.ag on everything from the coin toss to National Anthem too ... boobies!!

Eminem's hair color?

• Brown/black -300 (risk $300 to win $100)
• White/blonde +200 (risk $100 to win $200)

Will any of the Halftime headliners be smoking?

• Yes +200 (risk $100 to win $200)
• No -300 (risk $300 to win $100)

FWIW, we talked to 2 Chainz this week in L.A. and he said Snoop has to smoke!!

Mary J Blige's earrings?

• Hoop/huggie -125
• Chandelier/Cluster +175
• Teardrop +275
• Stud +750

Mary J. Blige shows cleavage?

• Yes -300 (risk $300 to win $100)
• No +200 (risk $100 to win $200)

The "Queen of Hip Hop Soul" ain't the only one you can place a bet on to show a little somethin' ... you can also wager on whether country singer Mickey Guyton will show cleavage during the anthem.

You can also bet on Joe Burrow ... not in regards to the game (well, you can bet on the game, too), but as to whether he'll be compared to his "look-alike" Macaulay Culkin.

There's more ... you can also bet on the commercials. Or, which Hollywood landmark will be shown first on the broadcast.

What will be shown first?

• Hollywood sign -300 (risk $300 to win $100)
• Hollywood walk of fame +200 (risk $100 to win $200)

Tom Brady hung up his football cleats and slipped on some sneakers for a romantic walk in the sand with Gisele.

TB12 and Gisele are on their annual beach vacation down in Costa Rica ... and locked hands Friday as they strolled along the sand ... with a cute pup in tow.

Seems retirement is suiting Tom well ... they both look super happy. It's only been a few weeks since he gave up football after 22 years in the NFL, saying he wants to spend more time with the fam.

Tom and Gisele are about to celebrate 13 years of marriage ... when you can smile broadly after that amount of time, something's clearly working!

The Brady bunch is down in Costa Rica a little bit sooner than Tom probably would have wanted ... the family always jets down after football season, but the Super Bowl is just 2 days away.

Celebs are officially out and about to kickoff Super Bowl weekend, flooding the streets of Beverly Hills to get hyped up before the big game ... and scarf down some breakfast, too.

Spago was the spot for Michael Rubin's power brunch Friday ... with a guest list that included Shaq, Meek Mill, Kevin Hart, A-Rod, Lil Baby, Steve Aoki and J Balvin!

Certainly an impressive group of A-listers, but should be expected for one of the biggest weekends of the year in such a celeb-heavy city.

Move over Bengals and Rams fans ... Drake now might be the most nervous person on the continent watching the Super Bowl this weekend -- 'cause he revealed he's betting more than $1 MILLION on the Big Game.

The "Hotline Bling" singer disclosed his bets on his social media page Thursday evening ... showing he's laying down serious cash on the Rams and Odell Beckham Jr.

In screenshots of his wagers -- which appear to be placed in Bitcoin -- Drake showed he's got nearly $500K on the Rams to beat Cincy outright.

Drake also revealed he's betting nearly $800K on Odell catching a touchdown and logging more than 62.5 receiving yards.

In total, if Drake hits all three bets, he stands to make over $2 MILLION.

Of course, the bets aren't too surprising -- Drake's rich after all, but he's also good buds with Beckham. In fact, along with his betting slips, Drake showed a photo of what appeared to be gloves given to him by OBJ.

2 Chainz has a suggestion to help Snoop Dogg take his Super Bowl halftime performance to a higher level ... burn one on stage!

The rapper flew into LAX Thursday, he's in town to open up Pineapple Express, his new biz, and to take part in some of the many SB festivities this weekend.

Speaking of weed -- we asked his thoughts on fans wanting Snoop to smoke a blunt during the halftime show. Clearly entertained by the question, 2 Chainz started to crack up ... saying it would be "legendary" if Snoop actually pulled it off.

2 Chainz stated his case, bringing up the fact marijuana's legal in CA, and told our cam he'd try to call Snoop to convince him to do it.

As you know, Snoop is performing in LA for the big game's halftime show ... and will be on stage with Dr. Dre, Eminem, Kendrick Lamar and Mary J. Blige.

We don't yet know a whole lot about what'll happen during the performance, but one thing Dr. Dre promised on Thursday was no nudity from Snoop or Eminem.

Jerry Jones is so disappointed over the Cowboys missing out on this week's Super Bowl -- he said he'll be yelling into his pillow in Los Angeles this week lamenting it all.

The Dallas owner dropped the incredible line to TMZ Sports outside of Craig's in L.A. on Thursday night ... comparing the sounds of his upcoming sobs to an animal that's been caught in a trap.

"When ya'll hear what sounds like -- over these Los Angeles hills -- when you think they got one of these mountain lions with its tail caught," Jones said, "that's me screaming into my pillow for not being in that Super Bowl."

Jones was smiling and laughing when he said the quote, but watch the clip -- it ain't hard to see the 79-year-old is truly bummed about not playing the Bengals for the title this weekend.

Of course, Jones' Cowboys really didn't even get close ... they were bounced in the first round of the playoffs last month by the 49ers in a disappointing fashion.

Jones, though, doesn't seem too upset at his QB for the early exit ... he told us he believed Dak Prescott got snubbed for Comeback Player of the Year honors on Thursday night when he lost the award to Joe Burrow.

Don't fret, Cowboys fans ... Dallas legend Michael Irvin says despite Dak Prescott's playoff struggles, he's 100 percent sure the quarterback will win a ring for his former team.

"Oh, absolutely, my brother!" Irvin told TMZ Sports outside of Academy Nightclub on Wednesday. "Absolutely!"

A few years ago, that prediction was a popular one ... the quarterback won Rookie of the Year in 2016 and looked like an elite signal-caller.

But, Dak faded toward the end of the 2021 season ... and really struggled against the 49ers in the playoffs, causing many to question if he is, in fact, capable of getting Dallas its sixth Super Bowl title.

Irvin, though, clearly ain't sweating yet ... telling us he still has plenty of faith in the 27-year-old QB.

"Other people don't know what it takes," The Playmaker said. "I've ran that race. I know what it takes. And Dak has what it takes."

Everyone can breathe a sigh of relief knowing the Super Bowl halftime show will be penis-free ... 'cause Dr. Dre says he convinced Eminem and Snoop Dogg to NOT whip out their junk during the performance.

Yes, he really said that!! 😂

The legendary rapper made the revelation while speaking at a press conference on Thursday ... and it's safe to say you can cross "dong exposure" off your list of prop bets for the show.

Dre says there WILL be a few surprises ... but no sort of wardrobe malfunctions will be happening on his watch.

"I had to talk Snoop and Eminem out of pulling their penises out," Dre said. "It's just actually Eminem."

Snoop -- who will be performing alongside Em, Dre, Kendrick Lamar and Mary J. Blige -- says he might still show a lil' somethin' somethin' ... but calm down, he's only talking about taking his shirt off.

Of course, SB halftime shows have had their history of racy moments ... from Janet Jackson's wardrobe mishap in 2004 to J Lo and Shakira's dancing routine that ramped up 1,300 FCC complaints in 2020.

Cincinnati's Super Bowl practice definitely hit different on Wednesday -- 'cause the Bengals took the field to prepare for the game right in the middle of SoCal's rare wintertime heat wave.

Mother Nature is bringing the heat with 80 to 90-degree temperatures with the Super Bowl just days away -- prompting a heat advisory until Sunday evening.

By the way, it's damn near freezing in Ohio ... but you can see Joe Burrow, C.J. Uzomah and the rest of the Bengals squad appear to be handling the higher L.A. temps well as they hit the field for the first time in Cali.

They better get used to it -- this Super Bowl might be the hottest EVER ... as forecasts predict temps close to 90. Sheesh!!

Worth noting -- SB VII in 1973 holds the record at 84 degrees ... and coincidentally, that game was held at the L.A. Memorial Coliseum.

Thankfully for the players and fans, SoFi Stadium has roof panels that can be unlatched to let the heat out.

Ed Orgeron is like a proud dad leading up to the Super Bowl ... telling TMZ Sports he's pulling for Joe Burrow and Ja'Marr Chase to win it all on Sunday.

"Proud of Joe," Ed said outside an S.B. party at Academy in L.A. "But, you know what, Joe meant a lot to LSU. Him and Ja’Marr and all those players, we're very proud of them."

Orgeron coached both Joe and Ja'Marr on the 2019 undefeated LSU Tigers team that beat the Clemson Tigers in the championship game ... so he's very familiar with what the dynamic duo can do on the biggest stage.

Despite all the success, Joe and the Bengals are not favored to win against the Rams ... but O says that's how the QB likes it.

"He's been an underdog all his life," Orgeron said. "Just like I’ve been and fought. He likes being an underdog."

As for whether Burrow can add a Lombardi trophy to his collection, O is pretty confident.

"He’s eventually gone do it," said Ed. "He may do it this Sunday. I hope he does. He’s got all the talent in the world."

He added ... "I think this is only the beginning for him, I think he’s going to have a great career in Cincinnati."

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.'