Super Bowl

Hollywood took flight Saturday in Arizona -- partying their faces off in none other than a loading dock for airplanes ... seriously, think "Top Gun."

We're talking about Tao X Maxim Big Game Party: an unKommon events production, which hosted tons of celebs in none other than an airplane hangar -- as in, the giant warehouses where jetliners and other aircraft are stored. Seems someone felt this would be a good setting for a get-together. 😅

Anyhoo, the night kicked off with performances by Migos rapper, Offset, and world-renowned DJ, Zedd. Just about anyone who's anyone who was in town probably swung by.

The aviation-inspired bash brought out celebs like Tyga, Gordon Ramsey, and Wanda Sykes. Cher and Alexander Edwards even made an appearance!

This wasn't the only pre-Super Bowl celebration popping off last night, though. Not too far away, another one was going down ... and on the verge of Valentine's Day, it was appropriately selected.

Travis Scott headlined yet another star-studded Super Bowl bash Saturday night, at Scottsdale's 40 Love -- which is a sports bar there, but it looked more like a club Saturday.

Partygoers included Odell Beckham Jr, Devin Booker, G Herbo and his pregnant fiancé Taina Williams.

BTW, We caught P. Diddy's son, King Combs leaving the 40-Love bash ... and he hinted at some upcoming releases ... but also made sure to shout out Rihanna too.

Meanwhile, TMZ Sports's Mojo Muhtadi also partied hard on Saturday ... with the legendary tight end, Rob Gronkowski in Phoenix at Gronk Beach, which was put on by Wynn Nightlife and Medium Rare. They were joined on stage by some enthusiastic sweaty guys in mascot costumes - including an absolutely ripped unicorn, an eagle, and a panther ... doing flips into... and onto the crowd!

The Grammys wanted to honor Janet Jackson in a big way last weekend, but TMZ has learned those talks fizzled after discussions on how to address the way CBS treated Jackson after her infamous Super Bowl Halftime performance.

Sources connected to The Grammys tell us ... the Grammys wanted to bestow Janet with a Global Impact Award, but there was a snag. Recording Academy honchos wanted Janet to attend a pre-Grammy event with the Black Music Collective days before the main event to accept the award, but her schedule wouldn't allow it.

From there, we're told discussions pivoted to a way Janet could receive the honor during the actual broadcast, but that presented another problem ... CBS never made amends with Janet for making her persona non grata after the wardrobe malfunction.

It was Super Bowl XXXVIII, broadcast on CBS, when Justin Timberlake ripped Janet's top, revealing her breast. The network received a ton of flack over the incident, and CBS CEO  Les Moonves pulled Janet's invite to the Grammys that year.

Our sources say Janet's team and Grammy organizers began talking about ways CBS could either apologize or figure out a way to acknowledge how she was treated by the network, but things just got too complicated and talks ended.

Since Janet couldn't attend the Black Music Collective event, she didn't get the Global Impact Award. She also did not attend the Grammys ... fact is she hasn't been there in years.

Michael Rubin never disappoints, and his party the day before Super Bowl Sunday was no exception.

The CEO of Fanatics threw a bash that drew the likes of Travis Scott, Lil Baby, J Balvin and The Chainsmokers ... and the performances were amazing!

It went down at Phoenix's Arizona Biltmore, a Waldorf Astoria resort.

Travis Scott performed for a pretty famous crowd, the likes of which included Paul Rudd, Jay-Z, Quavo and Shaq. Travis cautioned the audience, "Put your phones away! This is a rager."

But wait, there's more! Kevin Durant showed up, along with Devin Booker, Chris Paul, Deandre Avton, and Phoenix Suns owner, Mat Ishbia.

Here's what a hot ticket this was ... more than 2,000 folks without an invite were turned away.

Still not done! Meek Mill got on stage and, get this ... even Robert Kraft hopped on the stage for some fun.

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.