Super Bowl

Move over Tony Gonzalez, Gronk and Shannon Sharpe -- Travis Kelce will go down as the greatest tight end EVER ... so says Raiders star Darren Waller, who tells TMZ Sports the Kansas City Chiefs TE is on his way to G.O.A.T. status.

Of course, the debate has become a hot topic recently ... with 33-year-old Kelce skyrocketing to the top of some lists with his incredible play over the course of his 10-year career.

Waller is definitely Team Kelce -- 'cause he says when it's all said and done, #87 will be the best to ever do it.

"He's that good," Waller told us this week. "I feel like he'll finish as the greatest tight end of all time. I don't think that's farfetched. It's awesome to see what he does."

We also asked Waller about Patrick Mahomes, who lost Tyreek Hill in the offseason to the Dolphins ... and he praised the SB champ for Kansas City's offense remaining at the top of the league.

"It's incredible," the 30-year-old said. "I heard a lot of people saying his job was going to get a lot harder this year with no Tyreek Hill and he wouldn't have the same level of success."

Of course, Mahomes and Hill created magic over the course of the five years they played together in Kansas City, routinely torching opposing defenses in the regular season.

Some thought Mahomes and the Chiefs offense would regress without Hill, but that wasn't the case for #15, who put up MVP-caliber numbers all season en route to the Super Bowl.

Speaking of the SB ... Waller says the game is a toss-up, but he predicts the Eagles will get a lot of pressure on Mahomes when they need it most and believes Philadelphia will win.

Waller got into some non-football talk ... telling us he has some new music on the way.

Rob Gronkowski's pre-Super Bowl party wasn't your run-of-the-mill shindig with some dancing and drinking ... several mascots rushed the stage, havoc was wreaked, and people were slammed by two former WWE Superstars!

Gronk Beach, which was put on by Wynn Nightlife and Medium Rare, went down Saturday afternoon at Talking Stick Resort in Phoenix ... and the day started out relatively normally. Rob took the stage shirtless and shook his ass as the jam-packed ground danced and enjoyed themselves.

Then, like an Allstate commercial, mayhem arrived in the form of a couple of mascots who pushed their way on stage.

Good thing TMZ Sports' own Mojo Muhtadi and Samuray Del Sol, formerly known as WWE Superstar Kalisto, were on hand to restore (😏) order. Mojo and SDS began slamming unicorns and gorillas, as bodies were strewn across the stage.

SDS even hopped up on an elevated platform and hit a backflip ... as Rob looked on, very amused.

Before unicorns started flying around, we talked to Gronk and asked him if Tom Brady's retirement shut the door on any potential comeback. Gronk joked he could come back as a kicker.

"If I make the kick tomorrow for Fan Duel. Jerry Jones is gonna call me and I'm going to the Cowboys."

If you haven't heard, Gronk will attempt a 25-yard field goal (a commercial will air the "Kick of Destiny" in the 3rd quarter), and if the future Hall of Famer can knock down the FG, bettors will split $10 MILLION!

And, the guy looks like he could still play (tight end, kicker, DE) ... Rob's jacked.

Although, he got a little bit of help ... we have photos of Gronk at Emsculpt's booth for some TLC on the ol' six-pack!

Shannon Sharpe says Sean Payton is the perfect fit for the Broncos ... telling TMZ Sports Denver is moving in the right direction with the Super Bowl-winning head coach at the helm.

"I think Sean Payton is the right guy for the job," Sharpe said when we spoke to him at LAX this week ... adding he hopes most players come back and give it another shot with a new coach in town.

The Pro Football Hall of Famer -- who won three Super Bowls with the Broncos -- says he believes Payton will revamp the culture in Denver and get Russell Wilson back on track.

"Sean understands quarterback. [He] had Drew Brees. He's a no-nonsense type of guy. Some of that stuff that flew last year under Nathaniel Hackett is not going to cut it this year."

"His system and the way he conducts business is not for everybody. You're either gon' do it his way, or you're going to hit the highway and I love that."

Sharpe, though, knows the Payton hire won't result in an easy road to the Super Bowl ... he admits the Broncos will have their work cut out for them in the star-studded AFC West when they go against Patrick Mahomes and Justin Herbert.

As for Russ, the former tight end told us he doesn't think Wilson is broken ... and is optimistic the union with Payton can result in success for his former squad.

Super Bowl Sunday is finally here ... but before we get to the big game and Rihanna's must-see halftime show, let's meet the wives and girlfriends of the athletes taking the field!!

Kansas City Chiefs superstar Patrick Mahomes' wife, Brittany, is making her third trip to the Super Bowl ... but this time, their 1-year-old daughter and newborn son will be tagging along to check out the action.

Even though Shane Buechele won't be starting over Mahomes, the backup quarterback's wife, Paige Lorenn, still deserves a big shout-out.

We're sure Orlando Brown Jr.'s fashion influencer GF Holly Luyah, will be dressin' fancy for the big game ... as well as Juan Thornhill's new fiancée, Reagan Elizabeth.

"Fly, Eagles Fly" is something we expect Philadelphia quarterback Jalen Hurts' girlfriend, Bry Burrows, to be yelling when her bae takes the field ... alongside Kelsey Holmer, who hopes her man Lane Johnson protects the QB from the Chiefs defense.

Speaking of defense, Ndamukong Suh's wife, Katya, is gonna be stoked that her man is in his second Super Bowl ... just like Fletcher Cox, whose lady, Kaycee Marchetti, will get her usual pregame smooches.

Steve Young's looks over the years are hands down the MOST valuable!

Here is a 32-year-old version of the pro footballer with his chiseled game face on full display ... ready to take on the Denver Broncos in SF back in 1994 (left). This was the same year he was named MVP (in addition to 1992) and just a few months before he and his fellow 49ers won the Super Bowl XXIX.

And 29 years later ... the NFL Hall Of Famer recently took his winning looks to Vegas and commentated on the Kansas City Chiefs vs. the Las Vegas Raiders game (right).

Whether on or off the field, Mr. Young is still scoring points in the 'looks' department.

The question is ...

Rihanna has A LOT of songs to consider as she finalizes her 13-minute Super Bowl set -- but if she's curious what her peers think she should sing ... she might wanna watch this.

We got Christina Aguilera and Winnie Harlow heading into Drake's SB party Friday in Scottsdale -- and, of course, we asked them about RiRi's many options in terms of tracks she could perform Sunday ... and what exactly they'd like to hear during the Halftime Show.

Check it out ... each of them gives us a response, and they're quite different. CA says she wants to see Rihanna's take on an ODB classic -- while going on to tell us she thinks Ri's gonna kill it.

Winnie had her own pick for a Rihanna song she'd like to see performed -- a fan fave, no doubt -- but she also had a lot to say about the fact that Rihanna is one of the first Afro-Caribbean women to take the big stage. Winnie is of Jamaican descent, BTW.

High praise from Peyton Manning ... the NFL legend says Patrick Mahomes has already done enough in his short career to eventually be inducted into the Hall of Fame.

The former Indianapolis Colts QB seemed to think there wasn't much doubt about it either ... telling TMZ Sports out in Arizona on Friday, "The answer to that question is yes."

The debate is an interesting one ... Mahomes is just 27 years old and has only played for six seasons -- one of which he logged time in just one game.

But, in his five years as a full-time starter, he's made five Pro Bowls, won MVP twice, and earned a Super Bowl win. He'll have a chance for a second title when the Chiefs take on the Eagles in SB LVII on Sunday.

Clearly, no matter what happens in the game against Philly -- Manning believes Mahomes could hang it up afterward and someday have a bust in Canton.

But Manning said he knows Mahomes isn't focused on any of that -- telling us, "That's just not on his radar and it shouldn't be. He should be in the moment and kicking butt for the Chiefs."

Machine Gun Kelly got himself a new hair-do during his performance at PGA ... but maybe not the one he wanted.

The rocker-turned-rapper says he got "electrocuted" onstage as he performed at the Coors Light Bird's Nest in Phoenix ... a Super Bowl weekend bash.

As he's singing, you see his hair go from flat to standing straight up on end. It's unclear if something really did happen or if it's just a stage prank. We're leaning toward prank, because he seems unfazed. Also, no EMTs showed up.

MGK performed for nearly 2 hours and, unsurprisingly, it was sold out. Among the guests -- A-Rod and his GF.

After the show, MGK met up with fiancée Megan Fox to hit up Drake's party.

Drake hit the stage for a pretty spectacular pre-Super Bowl bash, with a little help from Cardi B.

Drake performed at Hanger 1 in Scottsdale Friday night, recreating his show at the Apollo last month in NYC.

Several tons of stars were there to watch, including Machine Gun Kelly, Megan Fox, Cher and BF Alexander Edwards, Lil Baby, Tyga, H.E.R., Serena Williams, Meek Mill, Devin Booker, Odell Beckham Jr., Sauce Gardner, Kyler Murray, Davante Adams, Winnie Harlow, Rich the Kid, Christina Aguilera, George Kittle and Druski.

Drakes got skin in the game for sure ... he's betting nearly a million bucks total on the game and prop bets. That includes $700k on the Chiefs, $50k that Mahomes and Smith-Schuster would score the first Chiefs TD, and $50k the Chiefs would score in both halves of the game.

Justin Bieber and Kodak Black are being dragged to court over a shooting that occurred following Justin's concert after-party during last year's Super Bowl weekend ... two men who claim they were struck by bullets are suing.

According to the lawsuit, obtained by TMZ, Mark Schaefer and Adam Rahman say they were shot and severely injured in the February 2022 shooting outside The Nice Guy in L.A. ... and they're blaming Justin, Kodak and the venue.

TMZ broke the story ... three people, including Kodak, were shot outside the party... and Kodak's camp says when he was leaving the venue someone in his crew got jumped by an unidentified assailant, with the rapper throwing himself into the mix to help his pal out before shots rang out.

In the docs, the alleged victims claim Kodak was a major catalyst in the shooting ... they say he was trying to cause harm and escalate the situation and they're laying the blame for the shooting squarely on his shoulders.

What's more, the alleged victims claim security at the venue was lax ... they say the security guards who were hired couldn't handle the job, and the venue, promoters and performers, therefore, bear some responsibility, too.

The alleged victims are going after Kodak, Justin, The Nice Guy, The Hwood Group and Revolve Group, plus the City of Los Angeles, the City of West Hollywood and Los Angeles County for damages ... and they're being repped by Gloria Allred.

Kodak's attorney, Bradford Cohen, tells TMZ ... "I have seen a lot of bad complaints in my day. This is the most poorly drafted complaint I have seen in 26 years. I expect Kodak to be dismissed from this suit fairly quickly."

Cohen continues ... "There is zero specificity in the complaint and Ms. Allred groups the defendants all together instead of making specific allegations against each. It's law school 101. I am embarrassed for Ms. Allred that she actually signed her name to that complaint."

Tech N9ne is feeling mighty confident his Kansas City Chiefs will take Super Bowl LVII, and he's willing to put his colors on the line in an intense wager with proud Eagles fans Gillie and Wallo!!!

TMZ Hip Hop spoke to the Strange Music co-founder ahead of the big game ... and he had already landed in Glendale, AZ where he'll be assuming his team ambassador duties behind the Chiefs' bench on Sunday inside State Farm Stadium.

Tech tells us if his team's victorious on Sunday, he wants Gillie and Wallo to appear in the official music video decked out in Chiefs gear with egg on their faces!!!

If Jalen Hurts and the Eagles win ... Tech says he's willing to make the trip to Philly and do the "Dirty Bird" dance on the "Million Dollaz Worth of Game" podcast in Eagles' colors -- but he admits he hasn't given it much thought, because he doesn't believe it'll happen!!!

Tech's "Red Kingdom" track has been the Chiefs' fight song for years ... he performed the track at halftime of last year's AFC Wild Card game, and he's anticipating hearing it blare during the game.

There's money to be made when Rihanna takes the stage during the Super Bowl Halftime Show on Sunday ... with prop bets waiting to be placed on the superstar's outfit and stunts -- and of course, whether she shows skin.

The folks at BetOnline listed a ton of bets, and there's an opportunity to rake in some serious dough ... making the singer's performance even more exciting for viewers.

Will Rihanna expose butt cheek on stage??
-- Yes -120 (risk $120 to win $100)
-- No -120 (risk $120 to win $100)

Will Rihanna expose cleavage on stage??
-- Yes -400 (risk $400 to win $100)
-- No +250 (risk $100 to win $250)

Will Rihanna use a phone/tablet/computer??
-- No -1500
-- Yes +600

And get this one -- Will Rihanna pull a Janet Jackson and show nipple on stage??
-- No -2500
-- Yes +800

There are a ton more prop bets for the actual game ... like the result of the coin toss, the color of liquid poured on the winning coach, what tweet will happen first -- Joel Embiid talking about Rihanna or Eli Apple going off about the Chiefs, and what swear word Travis Kelce will say in his postgame interview.

Drake is gearing up for Super Bowl Sunday -- which means, per usual, he's playing high stakes and throwing down some serious cash on the game.

The rapper posted receipts to Instagram Thursday showing 7 bets he placed on the Kansas City Chiefs-Philadelphia Eagles matchup.

Drake's wagering nearly a million bucks on the big game -- $965K to be exact! If he wins each bet, Drake could rake in a whopping $3.57 million.

Drake knows it too ... that's why he captioned his IG post like this ... "My psychotic bets for Sunday are in @stake."

Philadelphia, as you might know, is favored to win by 1.5 points ... but Drake is going with the Chiefs all the way, plunking down $700K on the team.

Drake also made separate bets -- $50K each -- that Patrick Mahomes and Juju Smith-Schuster would score the first Chiefs touchdown. He then bet $50K the Chiefs would score in both halves of the game, and $30K the team would win all four quarters.

What's more, Drake bet $25K the Chiefs star tight end Travis Kelce would be the game's MVP. He also bet $60K the MVP award would go to a tight end, which, by the way, has never happened in Super Bowl history.

As you know  ... Drake likes gambling almost as much as turning a phrase. He wins big and loses big. Last month, Drake took in $2 million on a $1 million bet that the Chiefs would defeat the Cincinnati Bengals in the AFC Championship.

Michael Irvin filed a scathing $100 million lawsuit against the woman who accused the NFL legend of misconduct, alleging he's being "railroaded" with false accusations that are ruining his career.

The lawsuit, obtained by TMZ Sports, was filed Thursday afternoon ... after Irvin says the hotel where he was staying concocted a plan to turn him into the next victim of "cancel culture" over something he says never happened.

"Rash and thoughtless actions can have severe consequences. Marriott [parent company of Renaissance Hotels] apparently did not appreciate these simple truths when, in a rush to judgment, its employees and management inaccurately and inflammatorily accused Mr. Irvin of misconduct to the National Football League," the lawsuit reads.

According to the lawsuit, witnesses (in the above photo) backed Irvin's initial claim that he "casually exchanged pleasantries" with the employee ("Jane Doe"), "shook her hand, and went to his room alone."

However, once Irvin and his team became aware of the allegations, they say they attempted to provide witness accounts to the hotel in an effort to rectify any misunderstanding, but they say the Renaissance refused to listen.

In fact, the lawsuit accuses the hotel manager of reporting the alleged incident to the NFL "with the intention of damaging that relationship and canceling [Irvin]."

Levi McCathern, Michael's attorney, says his client's reputation has not only been damaged, but he's also lost out on money -- canceled appearances -- as a result of the false allegations.

Irvin is seeking in excess of $100,000,000.

The Hall of Famer's attorney tells us ... "It is clear Michael is the latest victim of our cancel culture where all it takes is an accusation to ruin a person’s life. Michael looks forward to clearing his name in court and hopes the Court of public opinion will see the truth come out as well."

Of course, 56-year-old Irvin was yanked from NFL Network's Super Bowl coverage after a hotel employee complained about Michael's alleged behavior during a brief interaction Sunday night.

The specifics of the accusers allegations are still not known publicly.

Irvin, one of the most popular media personalities in sports, was set to be one of NFLN's and ESPN's faces of their Super Bowl coverage.

Seems Patrick Mahomes' is Rihanna's favorite quarterback, after all ... 'cause just one day after former NFL star Brandon Marshall clowned the NFL MVP, RiRi made it clear she's a huge fan of Patrick!

"I am so sorry you went through that [Patrick]. I still think you're great. [Brandon's] a hater!"

27-year-old Mahomes was at a Super Bowl media event on Wednesday when the Marshall, a 6x Pro Bowler, grabbed the mic and asked Patrick how he felt about Rihanna saying he was her favorite QB.

The only problem ... she never said it. 😂

Rihanna's reaction to the prank ... "That is so mean. [Brandon] is mean, ok? I am so sorry you went through that, okay."

Of course, it's not just Mahomes who will be busy come Sunday night.

Rihanna is performing during the highly anticipated SB halftime show ... and as PM said, there are lots of people, including his own family members, who are more pumped for RiRi than the football game.

American actor Isaiah Mustafa was 35 years old when he first started playing the main character in the "The Man Your Man Could Smell Like" campaign back in 2010.

During the 2010 Super Bowl XLIV (New Orleans Saints vs. the Indianapolis Colts), Isaiah obtained instant fame after millions saw him parading around in nothing but a towel -- with his rockin' bod on full display -- promoting Old Spice products.

In 2011, Italian actor and model Fabio Lanzoni accompanied Isaiah in the Old Spice ads, and Terry Crews followed suit in 2015 ... now that's a muscle showdown!

"Hello ladies, look at your man ... now back to me!"