Super Bowl

Shaquille O’Neal and a few of his musician pals kicked off Super Bowl weekend Friday night -- and the party was lit!

TMZ Sports was in the booth for Shaq's Fun House bash at Cow Palace Arena in San Francisco, a party described as part carnival, part circus and part festival.

The legendary big man -- aka DJ Diesel -- was on the decks for his annual event ... which goes down the Friday before Super Bowl Sunday.

J Balvin says a language barrier won’t stop Bad Bunny from dominating the Super Bowl halftime show -- pointing to his own love of hip-hop as proof!

The Latin superstar clearly thinks the language concerns are way overblown ... telling TMZ Sports how his own musical upbringing proves great music doesn’t need translation.

“I learned and grew up listening to hip-hop," he said. "I didn’t know what they were saying. I would just vibe with it.”

We caught up with Balvin outside the Fanatics luncheon on Friday in San Francisco ... when we asked for his reaction to all the chatter surrounding his pal Benito's SBLX headlining gig.

Vegas oddsmakers don't have a clue when it comes to Super Bowl LX ... 'cause the Patriots aren't only on the verge of winning another Lombardi Trophy, according to Mark Wahlberg, but the game ain't even gonna be close!

TMZ Sports ran into the longtime Patriots' superfan in San Francisco outside the Fanatics luncheon on Friday, and we asked him about the game.

"It's gonna be an ass-whooping, Patriots are gonna win big!" Wahlberg told us.

Of course, he's in the minority ... nearly every expert has picked the Seahawks, with some predicting Seattle winning going away.

Green Day kicked off Super Bowl weekend with a concert Friday night ... and to no surprise, they brought politics to the stage as they called out ICE and the current administration.

Check out the video -- the punk rock band has the floor at The FanDuel Party Powered by Spotify 2026 in San Francisco and lead singer Billy Joe Armstrong warns ICE agents that when their duties are over, President Donald Trump, Kristi Noem, Stephen Miller and Vice President J.D. Vance are going to drop them "like a bad f***ing habit." So ... he says they should quit while they're ahead!

At another point, BJA also referenced Jeffrey Epstein -- a week after droves of new docs were released by the Department of Justice. He changed the lyrics in their hit song "Holiday" from "the representative from California has the floor" to "the representative from Epstein Island has the floor."

Anyone lucky enough to score a ticket to Super Bowl LV better not try their luck with sex workers while they're partying and having fun, because you'll probably get arrested!

That's right, fellas ... Josh Singleton, Commander of the Santa Clara County Human Trafficking Task Force, tells TMZ ... his team of federal, state, and local law enforcement officers ain't messin' around when it comes to sex workers -- and if you get caught messin' around with them, you're gonna wind up in handcuffs!

Singleton gives everyone fair warning ... "Come have a good time at the Super Bowl. Don't engage in commercial sex because we're out in force and we're enforcing the laws!"

Bad Bunny is one of the hottest stars on the planet right now -- and yeah, we mean that figuratively and literally -- but according to astrologer Richard James, that heat isn’t translating into a full-on romance just yet!

Richard breaks it down in the cosmic playbook, saying even if Bad Bunny did date right now, it’d be a short drive with no touchdown -- because this chapter is all about him, him, and more him ... and that includes locking in that massive Super Bowl Halftime moment.

So nope, don’t expect a Kendall Jenner reunion anytime soon ... but if there’s one area where Bad Bunny is going all in, it’s his career.

Watch the full clip, 'cause Richard says the guy’s trajectory is straight-up Super Bowl-level, with no ceiling in sight ... and he's pointing out his humanitarian streak ... meaning he’s not just scoring for himself, but doing some real good off the field as well.

Bottom line? It’s solo season for Bad Bunny -- no partner on the roster, and no distractions in the huddle!

These gridiron gods don’t usually go shirtless -- they’re too busy rockin’ tight game pants -- so take ’em while they’re hot, as you scroll and score some PATRIOTS and SEAHAWKS ...

Oh, and keep your eyes off the ball and onto the players ... Rashid Shaheed, Hunter Henry, and Byron Murphy II are comin' for 'ya!

The Super Bowl coming to town isn't just good for local businesses ... it's good for love, too -- 'cause TMZ Sports has learned that Tinder has seen an increase in usage and matches in the Bay Area!!

We spoke with a Tinder spokesperson to get a sense of how their app has been holding up since the sports world descended on Santa Clara ... and some fans don't just have football to look forward to -- there are connections being made!!

According to the numbers, this week's matches are up 30-40% year over year, with swipe activity increasing by about 10% in the region.

More legal trouble for Stefon Diggs ... he's getting slapped with a lawsuit a couple days before his New England Patriots play in Super Bowl LX.

The Patriots star wide receiver is being sued for defamation and more ... according to a new lawsuit obtained by TMZ.

In the docs, a man who claims he used to work for Stefon says in July 2024, Stefon requested he arrange for Stefon's Ferrari to be transported from Miami to New York and then to Houston ... but he says the Ferrari was stolen in Houston.

The guy claims law enforcement concluded the Ferrari was stolen by third parties in a sophisticated theft ... but he says Stefon started telling people in their circles that the guy stole the car.

Quinton Aaron is still in the hospital ... but it sure sounds like things are looking up, as TMZ just got a great update from his family.

As you know ... "The Blind Side" star is recovering in the hospital from a spinal stroke ... and for a while there, it was sounding not so good. But, it seems he is on the mend.

The Aaron family tells TMZ ... “Quinton is in a jovial mood, now laughing and smiling and is communicating to the best of his ability while he continues to recover. He’s watching tv and is excited to watch the Super Bowl from his hospital bed this weekend."

There is also an update on the woman by his side, previously making medical decisions for him, who claimed to be his wife -- but his family has called BS on all that.

The most dramatic event in sports -- with top-notch athletes, big-time plays and tons of anticipation behind it -- returns Sunday ... and it's certainly got our tails wagging!

That's right -- the Puppy Bowl is back for its 22nd edition -- and we had a pair of the puppies taking part join us on "TMZ Live" ... as well as beloved PB referree Dan Schachner.

Harvey and Charles ask Dan why they should tune into the Puppy Bowl ... and he says that "pound for pound" -- no pun intended -- the game offers more drama than the Super Bowl, and the puppies leave it all out on the field when they go and compete.

Druski and Tiffany Haddish had folks talking after the 15th annual NFL Honors Thursday night in San Francisco, but for the wrong reasons ... 'cause both had some brutal mispronunciations of Jaxson Smith-Njigba and Mike Vrabel -- with Druski even drawing the ire of one of JSN's teammates.

Druski -- alongside NFL Hall of Famer Barry Sanders -- was on stage to present the NFL's Offensive Player of the Year award ... which Smith-Njigba ended up taking home.

The comedian was close on the Seattle Seahawks wide receiver's name on the first go-around ... but then tried again, which sparked some fierce backlash online for the way it came out.

Travis Kelce's fiancée might've skipped the NFL Honors and Super Bowl parties on Thursday, but Taylor Swift's presence was still felt ... with the Kansas City Chiefs superstar vibing to her biggest song right from the DJ booth!!

The tight end was nominated for the league's Walter Payton Man of the Year at the awards show ... and even though he didn't leave with a trophy, he was still in great spirits at the "'Tight Ends & Friends' Presented by Cash App and VISA" bash in the Bay Area hours later.

Kelce's "New Heights" podcast X account shared vid of him in a Loud Luxury sandwich ... with him positioned between Andrew Fedyk and Joe De Pace on stage.

Bad Bunny refused to spill even a single bean ahead of his Super Bowl Halftime Show ... remaining super tight-lipped about whether anyone will join him on stage on Sunday.

Benito held a press conference prior to the biggest performance of his superstar career ... and during the Q&A, he said while he might have joked about it on "Saturday Night Live," folks don't even have to learn Spanish to enjoy his set -- they just gotta dance.

Considering BB was a surprise appearance six years ago during Jennifer Lopez and Shakira's gig, Ebro Darden and Zane Lowe asked if he's enlisting anyone for that same role at Levi's Stadium ... and he wasn't budging.

Super Bowl Sunday isn't just about football, it's also about the food ... and TMZ Sports has obtained the menu for this year's big game -- and it's sure to leave your mouth watering.

Levy Restaurants -- the hospitality team over at Levi's Stadium -- gave us a look at what their team has been working on ahead of the matchup ... and it justifies the price of admission alone.

If anyone in attendance is craving a burger, the LX Hammer Burger might be just what they're looking for. It features a fall-off-the-bone, braised bone-in beef shank, roasted mirepoix demi-glace and Point Reyes bleu cheese fondue on a house-baked brioche bun.