Super Bowl

Gear up Swifties -- Taylor Swift could be this season's Super Bowl halftime show act ... at least, that's what the musician's fans are thinking after the NFL appeared to drop a big clue into it all on Thursday night.

Here's the deal -- back in May, Pepsi pulled out of its longstanding partnership with the league and its Big Game's halftime show ... and on Thursday night, the NFL announced it's finally replaced the soft drink company with Apple Music as the new sponsor.

In its announcement, the league made no mention of a potential halftime performer for Super Bowl LVII ... but, according to Swift fans, it didn't need to -- because the timing of the release said it all.

The league curiously dropped the news at midnight -- something that's been associated with Swift for YEARS. She's put out albums twice since 2020 that were released at that time, and she's sung the word "midnight" hundreds of times in her tracks.

Swift is also set to release a new album next month ... titled "Midnights."

Taylor has never done an SB show before -- with many believing she wouldn't take the gig due to being locked in a sponsorship deal with Pepsi's biggest competitor, Coca-Cola.

With Apple Music now in, though, it seems Swift would be free and clear to belt out "Shake It Off" to millions during the Super Bowl's break on Feb. 12 without issue.

If the Bills end up winning Super Bowl LVII, get a table ready for Ryan Fitzpatrick in Buffalo ... 'cause the ex-QB tells TMZ Sports he'll jump through it to celebrate the title!

Fitz -- who played four seasons for the Bills from 2009 through 2012 -- made the promise this week ... saying he'd personally fly to Buffalo for the occasion if his old team got the job done.

"There's no doubt," he said. "I will be there in Buffalo to do that if that happens, yes."

Seems there's a good possibility it all goes down ... because the Bills are currently the betting favorite to win it all. In fact, after they dismantled the Rams in the NFL's opener on Thursday night ... it'd be hard to see ANYBODY else winning it.

Fitz, though, did reveal he thinks the Ravens actually might be the ones who get a ring this year instead of the Bills -- telling us he's a big believer in Baltimore's quarterback.

"I think Lamar [Jackson] is going to do it this year," Fitzpatrick says. "Stay healthy and get a big ol' contract out of it."

Parting ways with his Super Bowl ring just got much easier for Hakeem Nicks ... 'cause TMZ Sports has learned the former NY Giants star's bling fetched a whopping $117,000 at auction this weekend.

The gavel officially dropped on Saturday -- netting Nicks around $40K more than what Heritage Auctions officials had initially expected it to sell for.

It's great news for not only Nicks ... but charities as well -- as we're told the former wideout had planned to donate a portion of the proceeds to those in need.

Nicks initially put the piece up for sale earlier this month ... after he helped Eli Manning and the G-men win it back in 2012.

Nicks piled up 10 catches and 109 yards in the SBXLVI win over Tom Brady's New England Patriots.

A piece of NFL history can now be all yours thanks to Hakeem Nicks ... TMZ Sports has learned the former NY Giants star has decided to part ways with his Super Bowl ring -- putting it up for auction this month.

Bidding on the bling -- which Nicks helped Eli Manning and the Giants win in an epic game against Tom Brady and the Patriots back in 2012 -- is currently at $25,000, but officials at Heritage Auctions tell us it could ultimately get up to over $80,000.

The ring is massive, it's a size fifteen piece that's so loaded with diamonds and blue sapphires, it weighs in at a whopping 95 grams.

It also has plenty of history attached to it -- because Nicks was a huge reason why NY was able to upset Brady in the SBXLVI game.

The former first-round pick totaled 10 catches for 109 yards in the contest -- and had some huge grabs for Manning in the team's fourth quarter, game-winning drive.

It's unclear why Nicks is selling the piece -- but according to Heritage Auctions, the ring comes with a letter of provenance from the former wideout and we're told a portion of the proceeds will go to charity.

Neither Jay-Z or Nas took the stage for Dr. Dre's iconic Super Bowl LVI halftime show, but the legendary producer is crediting them BOTH for saving the event.

On Wednesday, a clip from Dolvett Quince's "Workout the Doubt" podcast surfaced, with an interview with Dr. Dre. The legendary producer admitted he had reservations about looking like a Super Bowl sellout in the aftermath of the Colin Kaepernick protests.

Dre recalls when pondering his decision, he hopped on the phone with Nas, who was able to convince his longtime friend the SB performance would be monumental for the culture.

Together with Snoop Dogg, Eminem, Kendrick Lamar and Mary J. Blige, the halftime show was nominated for 5 Primetime Emmy Awards -- with massive viewership.

Dre says Jay-Z, whose Roc Nation company produced the halftime show with Jesse Collins, also gave him advice on the stage design.

Future Hall of Famer Rob Gronkowski is out of Tampa ... but future Hall of Famer Julio Jones is in -- and Tom Brady's wasting no time using him, already throwing TD passes his way!!

TB12 and his new wideout hooked up for six for the first time ever at Buccaneers practice on Thursday -- and video from the field shows the duo sure made scoring look easy.

Jones, rocking #85 after signing with Tampa on Wednesday, ran a slick corner route, and Brady dropped him a dime that Jones eventually snagged while deep in the endzone.

Even though defenders weren't on the field yet -- fans in attendance went crazy, 'cause Jones' raw athleticism -- and Brady's pinpoint accuracy -- oozed during the play.

The 33-year-old receiver reportedly picked Tampa over a slew of other teams this week due to the big-time odds of winning a Super Bowl this season.

Patrick Mahomes is getting inky ... the Kansas City Chiefs superstar just unveiled a giant new tattoo on his left leg -- and he hinted that it's only the beginning of an even bigger piece.

Mahomes showed off the body art on his social media page Friday afternoon ... revealing he got three separate tats put together just above his ankle recently.

One of the drawings appears to be the footprint and handprint of his baby daughter, Sterling. The others feature a rose and a religious symbol.

"Work in progress," Mahomes said in the caption of the artwork.

The 26-year-old quarterback made sure to rock shorts to Chiefs training camp on Friday so everyone could get a good look at the new-and-improved leg.

Eminem's been in the game so long, it's getting hard to recall some pretty epic moments ... and Shady's slim memory was on full display during a recent hang with Snoop Dogg.

The 2 legendary Super Bowl LVI performers were chilling in a studio to promote their recent collab “From The D 2 The LBC” … when Snoop brought up Eminem’s cameo in Dr. Dre’s “Still D.R.E.”

The single was famously written by Jay-Z, and the video directed by Hype Williams featured a pre-superstar Em chasing a flock of groupies. While that might sound like a precious memory to most of us … Em totally blanked.

It’s also one of the few rap videos with a billion views on YouTube …so, it’s a big deal!

Snoop kept trying to jog Em’s memory … and eventually, his brain did get up and running. Hey, considering the insane career run he's had since 1999 when the video was shot, it’s okay for him to have a few lapses every now and then.

Both Em and Snoop have been collaborating for years, and recently helped Dre cement their legacies with the Super Bowl halftime show performance in L.A.

Mary J. Blige, Kendrick Lamar, 50 Cent and Anderson .Paak were there too and the performance earned five Primetime Emmy noms.

Their latest joint is locked in for Em’s “Curtain Call 2” -- his second greatest hits collection -- and he’s going with an arcade game theme for the project’s rollout.

Aaron Donald asked to be ringed following his Super Bowl-winning sack in February ... and on Thursday, the Rams sure as hell delivered him what he requested -- unveiling some insane bling for the championship victory!!

Nearly six months after L.A. beat Cincinnati to take home the Lombardi Trophy at Super Bowl LVI -- the Rams finally got their rings ... and they're flashy!!!

The ice features one Lombardi Trophy, two palm trees and a GRIP of diamonds. Underneath the removable top, there's a replica of SoFi Stadium, with a piece of a Super Bowl game ball tucked into it.

The team touted the bling as the "most carat weight in history of a sports championship ring."

The rings also have the players' names and numbers on them ... and feature the team's rallying cry this year, "We not me."

Rams players and coaches received the keepsakes at a private ceremony in L.A. on Thursday night -- and it ain't hard to see the guys LOVED them.

And, yes, Donald did come full circle with his "ring me" celebration at the party.

The Game felt some type of way after he was excluded from the Super Bowl halftime show in his city ... the L.A. rapper saying he was "hurt" Dr. Dre didn't hit him up to perform.

Super Bowl LVI was basically L.A.-themed -- going down at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, CA -- with the Rams repping the NFC. Most Los Angeles of all, the halftime performers ... including L.A. rappers Dre, Snoop Dogg, and Kendrick Lamar.

But, The Game -- an L.A. native who always reps for the city -- was not included in the lineup ... something the 46-year-old rapper said wasn't right while appearing on the "I Am Athlete" podcast.

"The f****** Rams was in the Super Bowl, bro!" The Game said, "L.A., L.A., L.A. all around the Super Bowl and I don't get the call. I was hurt by that.”

"Dre should've called and said why. I would've understand that 'cause I talk to Dre. I talk to Dre often and I just know if I was Dre and he was Game, then he woulda been up there. That's just it. It's L.A. and I am L.A. I'm in the streets."

What made Game even more upset was the fact that Eminem and 50 Cent got to perform ... when they're not even born and raised L.A. rappers.

"Snoop is icon. Dre is icon. Em is an icon, but Em is not from L.A. 50 is not from L.A," Game said.

"I’m not taking away from the fact that they were on the Super Bowl, but L.A. n***** wouldn’t have been in the Detroit Super Bowl or New York Super Bowl. It just wouldn’t have happened."

Even though Game's feelings were hurt, he gets why he didn't get the call -- he's "not a safe artist."

"You don't know what Game gon' do when he get up there," Game said, "They went with the safe artists."

Jennifer Lopez was apparently not happy to share a stage with Shakira -- and now, their respective fan bases are having a debate ... who's the bigger superstar between the two?

The question was posed through a statement on Twitter, which has since taken off and gone viral -- with tons of people chiming in with their own takes. The OG opinion read, "Shakira was never bigger than J Lo EVER in her career 😂😂😂😂😂😂 and I love Shakira."

The reason this is being discussed is due to this new J Lo doc, 'Halftime,' which premiered at Tribeca ... where Jenny expresses serious sour grapes about her Super Bowl gig.

According to reports, the BTS film documents what went into the Halftime Show that both Jennifer and Shakira co-headlined in 2020 ... and Jen is quoted as saying, "This is the worst idea in the world to have two people do the Super Bowl ... worst idea in the world."

She's further described as having some flare-ups with Shakira herself -- who, during rehearsals, stressed the importance of weaving their songs into the performance, per NFL guidance ... to which Jennifer reportedly says, "If it was going to be a double-headliner, they should have given us 20 minutes. That's what they should've f***ing done."

Her manager, Benny Medina, hits the point home in the film -- saying, "It was an insult to think that you needed two Latinas to do the job that one artist historically has done."

And that's where Saturday's convo picks up ... with LOTS of people arguing that Shakira is actually the real global icon that Jen and her team seems to think she is -- at least that's what users on the bird app appear to be suggesting with some pretty fiery memes.

If you hop into the "J Lo" trend right now ... you'll see people coming out in full defense of Shakira, pointing out the accolades and record sales (globally) she has over Jen.

Some are even saying that the Jen isn't even all that famous here in the States for her music, but more so ... her beauty, body and/or significant others. Which is ... interesting.

At any rate, there's a bit of backlash toward Jennifer's brutal honesty over how she felt about being paired up with Shakira ... some are seeing it as Jen coming off as a bit entitled, and sort of a diva (in a bad way). Meanwhile, others are giving Jen props for keeping it real.

Rejoice, Rams fans ... Aaron Donald is coming back!

Arguably the best defender in the NFL has re-worked his contract with the Rams, putting him in line to come back for his ninth season in 2022.

According to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport, Donald's new deal with L.A. contains a $40 million raise. A.D. is now set to make $95 million between now and 2025.

The staggering figure is a record for non-quarterbacks, Rapoport reported.

Of course, Donald is worth every penny, he's a three-time NFL Defensive Player of the Year who played a huge role in the Rams' Super Bowl win in February.

Through 127 career games, Donald has logged 98 sacks and 448 combined tackles -- both extremely impressive totals, considering he plays defensive tackle.

Donald had been pondering retirement after the Super Bowl -- but it's clear, the Rams' elite roster and the new loads of cash have drawn him back to the game.

Sean McVay's June just keeps getting better and better!

Two of the best moments in Sean McVay's 2022 have now featured a Lombardi Trophy ... 'cause just four months after he lifted the prize at the Super Bowl, he ate a cake in the shape of one at his wedding!

The L.A. Rams head coach finally tied the knot with his longtime model girlfriend, Veronika Khomyn, with a gorgeous outdoor ceremony in Beverly Hills this weekend ... and, at one point during the proceedings, he got to munch on a Lombardi cake!

The 36-year-old, wearing a sweet white tuxedo, took a big bite out of the pastry -- and then the crowd around him cheered as he fist-pumped.

As for the rest of the wedding, it looked amazing -- Khomyn walked down the aisle in a beautiful white gown, while dozens of guests looked on.

At the reception, McVay and Khomyn danced the night away ... and the two even jumped onstage and sang with the live band.

The good-looking couple met way back when McVay was working for the Commanders ... and she was a student at George Mason University.

McVay proposed to Khomyn in 2019 prior to becoming the youngest coach to win the Super Bowl in February 2022.

"I've watched this guy grind nonstop. Day in and day out. No breaks," Kohmyn said on IG after the Super Bowl LVI win.

"He always puts everyone else first, and winning this Lombardi trophy for his team, his family, his friends… is a dream come true!!!"

"I love you babe, you deserve this times a million. Victory tastes pretty damn good!"

You only get one shot to guess who lies behind this celebrity scramble!

The Cincinnati Bengals may have lost the Super Bowl this past year, but it was a huge win for this star who stepped onto the stage alongside his buddy Snoop Dogg.

When he is not spending time on his craft, this mystery man prefers to live his life out of the media, in Michigan, and spend time with his three children.

Odell Beckham Jr. and Von Miller played huge roles in the Rams winning the Super Bowl ... and, now, TMZ Sports has learned they'll have a big say in how L.A.'s championship rings look, too!

We got celeb jeweler, Jason of Beverly Hills (who's creating the Rams' title bling this year), out in Las Vegas this week -- and he told us he's actually working closely with Beckham and Miller on the drip's design.

Jason said Jalen Ramsey and Aaron Donald have been calling him with input as well ... and he tells us he's expecting the final product to be epic.

"That is going to be a legendary ring," Jason said.

In fact, Jason said with the help of all of the Rams players ... he's anticipating "something that's never been done before."

"I'm from L.A.," Jason said, "so to make the best Super Bowl ring in history is a big deal to me."

Jason tells us OBJ has been great throughout the initial design process ... saying the wideout "is really creative."

But, developing a piece that tops Jason's past works of art won't be easy. You'll recall, the jeweler has created championship rings recently for the Milwaukee Bucks, Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the Los Angeles Lakers.

Still, Jason is gunnin' to somehow accomplish the feat.

Sneakerheads brace yourselves ... Odell Beckham just put his Ohio crib on the market for $3.3 million -- and the walk-in closet looks just like Footlocker!

Take a look (the awesome video was shot by EZ Media) ... the 13,800-square-foot pad sits on 2.13 acres in Columbia Station -- 20 miles west of Cleveland -- and comes with 4 bedrooms, 7 baths, a huge kitchen and 3 car garage.

The two-story home comes has a whole bunch of entertainment with the club-like bar, movie theatre, golf simulator, game room that's big enough for a hockey rink, pool and Ping-Pong table plus a private one for live-stream gaming.

There's also a swimming pool with a slide and gym with a basketball hoop for outdoor fun.

But, what stood out the most was this insane custom-made walk-in closet that looks like a sneaker boutique with the outrageous amount of room for probably 100 pairs of kicks!

Well, OBJ is considered one of the best-dressed players in the game right now so it makes sense why he had this Footlocker-looking closet made.

This cool pad was listed this week by Megan Pettine of Keller Williams ... and has a $3.3 million price tag.

Of course, OBJ is officially giving O-H the deuces after the 3x Pro Bowler was released by the Cleveland Browns last November.

Beckham ended up signing a one-year deal worth up to $4.25 million with the Rams and won his first Super Bowl this year. He's currently a free agent.