TMZ Sports - Page 50

Peyton Manning and Antonio Brown were huge fans of the way Patrick Mahomes played on Sunday -- praising the QB on the way out of the game and we've got the video.

Manning was all smiles on the way out of Hard Rock Stadium while surrounded by several tough-lookin' police officers ... and told us Mahomes was "awesome."

He was also positive about 49ers QB Jimmy Garoppolo -- insisting we haven't seen the last of Jimmy G at the Super Bowl.

Antonio Brown was stoked about the game too ... we got him leaving Hard Rock Stadium in a sick Lamborghini ... and he talked about possibly playing with the Chiefs next season.

"I would love to go to the Chiefs," Brown told us ... "I'd love to play with Mahomes."

As for where Mahomes ranks on the NFL's top QB list -- "Behind Tom Brady, he's really up there!"

As we previously reported, Brown recently issued apologies to everyone he's wronged over the past few months ... from the Hollywood Police Dept. to the mother of his children.

Colin Kaepernick didn't spend his Super Bowl Sunday watching his old team lose the big game, instead, he gave back to the less fortunate.

Kaepernick went to the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture in Harlem on Sunday, spending over an hour with employees and touring the building. From there, he went over to the SCO Family Shelter in Jamaica, Queens where he teamed up with Eric Reid and 100 Suits for 100 Men.

In video obtained by TMZ, you can see Colin personally helping some of the men try on suits. The group is a non-profit dedicated to helping underprivileged men and women get business-style clothing so they have a better shot to get jobs.

After that, Colin helped serve meals at the Shelter with some help from the LES Girls Club and Know Your Rights volunteers.

TMZ broke the story ... Jay-Z, Beyonce and Blue Ivy were seen sitting during Demi Lovato's National Anthem performance at the Super Bowl. Of course, Kap believes he was blackballed from the NFL after starting his kneeling demonstration back in 2016.

Jamie Foxx is such a good sport for this -- he listened to a guy pour his heart and soul into an impassioned freestyle rap that JF REALLY didn't appear to be all that crazy about.

The awkward moment went down Sunday night after the big game in Miami, where this fella seemingly sidled Jamie up and began rapping while filming himself next to the actor/singer. He goes all in on it too, and no offense to him ... but it's not great.

Looks like Jamie might've felt the same way, 'cause he stoically looked on as the dude kept going and going and going. Eventually, he gave the man a small clap and dipped out.

Gotta give him -- meaning Jamie -- props for being so patient here. Frankly ... a lot of other people might've cut this impromptu MC off and left him in the dust. Not Jamie though -- he sat through that whole dang thing and graciously paid respects afterward. What a guy!

THIS IS AWESOME!!!

The Chiefs lost their minds celebrating their Super Bowl win Sunday night ... with a locker room dance party and a team bus celebration for Andy Reid -- and the video of it all is amazing.

Ya gotta watch the clips of Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce on the team bus ... 'cause when coach Reid showed off the new Lombardi Trophy to the guys -- they lost their minds!!

Of course, it was all preceded by an amazing locker room celebration after Kansas City came back from being down 20-10, to beat the 49ers 31-20.

The scene was incredible ... there was a mosh pit dance circle ... star defensive lineman Chris Jones cutting a rug in the locker room -- and guys partying HARD!!

But, one of the best parts of the postgame? On the team bus to the nightclub celebration ... the dudes gave a hilarious rendition of "We Are The Champions!"

The party continued at the club ... where Mahomes was serenaded by hundreds of people chanting "M-V-P!"

The Chiefs ended up at LIV ... with Mahomes, Tyreek Hill, Mecole Hardman, and more raged with celebs like Kanye West, Odell Beckham and Floyd Mayweather in attendance.

"For damn sure I'm getting back on that field!"

Dez Bryant is GUARANTEEING he ain't done in the NFL yet ... telling TMZ Sports he's working like a mad man to return to the league next season.

... and the former All-Pro wide receiver says a reunion with his ex-Dallas Cowboys squad is the goal!!

"[The Cowboys] are my first choice," Dez told us outside of TAO in L.A. on Sunday night. "If the opportunity is there, I'mma take it!"

Bryant is clearly serious about this all ... the 31-year-old has been posting his recent workouts on social media -- and he's looking pretty good for a guy who hasn't played a pro down since 2017.

Remember, Dez had a shot to play for the Saints in 2018 ... but he tore his Achilles in a practice with the squad just hours after signing with them.

Bryant also said he battled anxiety and depression after the injury ... but now, the former NFL superstar clearly feels he's ready for a return.

"You know I gotta stay ready, man," Dez told us. "I gotta stay ready."

Dez also spoke with us about Antonio Brown's recent troubles ... and says he's going to support AB no matter what.

Jennifer Lopez and Shakira just brought Miami to its knees with a Super Bowl Halftime performance for the ages ... one which Shak opened, and J Lo tied up in the end.

The two Latina singers were co-headliners Sunday during the big game, and things kicked off with Shakira taking the stage with a crew of dancers behind her and the color red flooding the space. She ran through a medley of her hits fairly quickly, but with flash to spare.

Some of her songs she touched on ... "She Wolf," "Empire," "Whenever, Wherever" and eventually ... "Hips Don't Lie." Latin rap star Bad Bunny came out to join her at one point.

Then came the big entrance for J Lo, who started at the top of a pole and made her way down to the stage with her song "Jenny from the Block" there to introduce her. She also ran through a bunch of her hits ... "I'm Real," "Get Right" and "Love Don't Cost a Thing."

One super cool moment ... Jennifer's 11-year-old daughter, Emme, joined her mom on stage to help sing "Let's Get Loud," which Shakira came back on to help out with as well.

They closed things out with one of Shakira's songs, "Waka Waka," and shook their booties together when it was all said and done. Tons of dancing, tons of flare ... a fantastic show.

Tom Brady's cryptic photo at the stadium was cleared during the Super Bowl -- he's getting paid by Hulu, and probably not retiring from the NFL ... the latter, we already sorta knew.

TB12 was the star of a new Hulu commercial that was a red herring for his future in the NFL. He plugged the hell out of the streaming service, but ended the ad with a pretty declarative statement ... "I'm not going anywhere," which could be interpreted a couple ways.

So yeah, all that in/out of the tunnel intrigue he sparked turned out to be nothing more than promoting Hulu ... and, at the very least, he'll likely play again next year.

That's not really news though -- tons of folks, including NFL insiders and reporters, suspected he wouldn't hang it up this year. The question now ... where's he gonna play???

The Hulu ad didn't offer much in terms of an answer, and Tom himself was pretty tight-lipped about the subject when we ran into him heading into Hard Rock Stadium Sunday. He was gracious with us, saying he just wanted to watch football today. So be it, G.O.A.T.

Of course, the guy's got options. Reports surfaced this weekend that the Los Angeles Chargers and Las Vegas Raiders would be in the hunt for Tommy if he became a free agent.

Demi Lovato fulfilled her own 10-year prophecy by belting out the National Anthem at Super Bowl LIV -- and she handled it like a pro.

The singer was decked out in all white Sunday at the Hard Rock Stadium in Miami ahead of kickoff and with a line of troops behind her bearing our country's flags ... she let it rip on the mic. Demi did a pretty standard version of "The Star Spangled Banner" ... it was great.

What's funny though is that before her performance, an old tweet of hers surfaced online from 2010, which reads ... "One day, I'm gonna sing the national anthem at a super bowl. Onnnee dayyy...." Welp, she can definitely check that off the list now.

She's got her sights on a bigger Super Bowl gig down the road. Demi followed up with another tweet in the same vein as her old thought, saying ... "One day, I’m gonna perform the halftime show at the super bowl. Onnnee dayyy...." That's a 10-year challenge!

BTW, we gotta give props to DL for her take on the National Anthem ... very Whitney Houston-esq and just a powerhouse performance.

Tons of stars descended on Miami Saturday for the Super Bowl, but first things first -- PARTY!!!

Who wasn't there? Check out Russell Wilson, Ciara, Bill Belichick and GF Linda Holliday having a great time.

Floyd Mayweather was there in all his glory, enveloped in his TMT security team while grabbing some grub art Prime 112.

And, the OG lifestyle guru and Snoop sidekick Martha Stewart showed up ready to fight in camo.

Gayle King looked great and flashy as she arrived at ... where else, Prime 112.

Paris Hilton sparkled as she left the Rolling Stone Party at the SLS Hotel.

Good times.

Brian McKnight is honoring his late friend, Kobe Bryant, with a new song that's guaranteed to get you crying all over again over the passing of a Los Angeles legend. Be warned ...

The R&B crooner wrote a tune specifically dedicated to Kobe -- and by extension, to the basketball star's daughter, Gianna -- called "Can't Say Goodbye." We got a video of Brian playing it on guitar, and it's incredibly touching and sweet. Check it out for yourself ... but again, waterworks.

In the video, Brian says he wrote the song ... but can't really take credit, because it wrote itself. The lyrics touch on saying other versions of "goodbye" without actually uttering the words themselves because it's just too hard and so final. Frankly, it's beautiful.

We're told, Brian put this together in the hopes that it will help people begin to heal from the loss.

Of course, Brian and Kobe had a relationship. The NBA superstar was once featured on one of Brian's songs back in 1997 called "Hold Me." KB had a rap verse on it toward the end.

He's also a huge Lakers fan in general and included a ton of footage of Kobe in a tribute video he put together to honor the City of Angels. That track's called "I Love LA."

With all that said, it's no wonder the death of Kobe has affected Brian the way it clearly has. No word if this song will make its way onto an album of some sort, but we expect it'll reach the masses eventually.

E-40 has a little treat for the San Francisco 49ers after Super Bowl LIV -- a bottle of his very own tequila for everyone on the staff ... who he thinks are gonna kill it.

We got Forty Water in Miami Sunday just hours before kickoff, and he was decked out in some fresh Niner gear, custom chain included. Our photog asked if he bet on the game at all, and 40 says he didn't ... even though he made a proposition to them right on the spot.

If the team beats the Chiefs, the Bay Area legend's got a bottle of his very own E. Cuarenta tequila for each and every person in the locker room. And, if they lose ... the homie's still gonna hook them up!!! That said, he very strongly feels they're about to take this.

There might be more on the line for the squad if they pull through with a victory ... 40 says he'd even consider putting them in a music video of his. It'd be a lot of heads, but he's got experience with bigger production videos and tons of extras.

Well, this is a big deal ... Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban says he's on board with the movement to change the NBA logo to Kobe Bryant -- telling TMZ Sports, "I would support it."

Not only have MILLIONS of people signed a petition to have the league swap out the current logo which features an image of Jerry West, but a bunch of NBA stars have backed it as well ... from Paul Pierce to Jamal Crawford and more.

Outside of basketball, stars like Justin Bieber, Julian Edelman, Snoop, Usher, Meek Mill and more have joined the #ChangeTheLogo movement.

As for Cuban, he's already honored Kobe by retiring the #24 jersey in the Mavs organization (despite Kobe never playing for Dallas) ... and now he's down for an even bigger tribute.

"I just think it's so much more than basketball," Cuban told us ... "He brought so many people together."

Unclear exactly what it would take to get the league to make the move, but having one of the league's most influential owners get behind the push seems pretty significant to us.

Antonio Brown is adamant his apology letter to the Hollywood PD was sincere -- part of a larger apology mission -- and he's hoping he can get back in the NFL.

We got Brown at one of the hottest restaurants in Miami, Prime 112, and he told our photog he's had an epiphany and he's trying to make amends with everyone he's hurt recently, including the cops.

The Hollywood Police Dept. recently cut ties with Brown, returning a donation he made to the Dept.'s youth flag football league. As we reported, Brown berated cops who responded to an altercation he was having with his baby mama.

AB wrote an emotional letter to the Hollywood PD for being a massive headache the last few months.

Brown wrote an emotional letter to the police, asking for forgiveness ... "To everyone who I may have offended or Disrespected at the @hollywoodflpd Of the state of Florida, I would like to sincerely give you all my apology from the top and bottom of my heart."\

The P.D. made it clear ... "We will not take money from a donor that we cannot have our youth be proud of or represent the organization."

As for the NFL, Brown suggests there are teams he's targeting who might be interested -- but he stopped short of naming names.

Lady Gaga lit up Miami Saturday night with a spectacular performance.

Gaga hit the stage at the AT&T Super Saturday Night concert on the eve of SB 54. She was slick as hell, glittering up the venue with a bunch of costume changes during her set.

She strummed the guitar with her boot, played piano while standing on a bench ... the works.

Judging by the encore ... Gaga did not disappoint anyone.

Descending from the air, Gaga mimicked the entrance to her Super Bowl halftime performance three years ago.

And, this is pretty hilarious ... she sent a message to J Lo and Shakira -- “I better hear no lip-syncing tomorrow!” But, then she recanted with some love ... "I love you J Lo. I love you Shakira."

She went on ... “I wish so much love and so much luck to everyone that’s doing the halftime show, to both the teams that are playing each other in the Super Bowl,” she said. “They’re all champions.”

Teary-eyed, she thanked the audience for their support and for allowing her to perform at the halftime show in 2017 -- “Thank you so much for believing in me. I remember when I played the halftime show and it was one of the most special, beautiful things that’s ever happened to me. So, thank you,” said Gaga, who also wowed audiences at the 2016 Super Bowl when she sang the national anthem. “And once again, all my love to everyone that’s performing and playing tomorrow. I hope they all feel as lucky as I do right now.”

Gaga performed a 2-hour set, which included “Just Dance,” “Poker Face,” “Born This Way,” “Bad Romance” and “Telephone.”

One fan threw a letter onstage, which Gaga read to the crowd ...  “In 2014 I fought for my life due to mental illness that stemmed from my own insecurities and life experiences. Without your radiant positivity and encouragement, I don’t know if I would have had the strength to continue to fight to recover my life back,”

She invited the fan up on stage and hugged her.

Andy Reid could punch his ticket to Canton this weekend ... so says Brett Favre, who tells TMZ Sports the Chiefs coach is "certainly" a Hall of Famer with an SB win Sunday.

"He's one of the great guys and definitely a Hall of Fame coach," Favre says. "Certainly, if he wins this game."

Of course, Favre's biased ... Reid was Brett's QB coach with the Packers in 1997 and 1998 -- but Favre clearly thinks the guy is a legendary head man regardless.

"Wherever he's gone, he's won," Favre says. "That's hard to do."

As for the one criticism of Reid -- aka his lack of a Super Bowl victory -- Favre says that shouldn't weigh in when it comes to people's opinions of him.

And, why? Favre says Reid's like Dan Marino and Jim Kelly -- who are both considered legends, despite never locking up a Super Bowl win.

Regardless, Favre says he'll still go to bat for the coach no matter what happens in Miami.

Miami is overrun with celebs for the Super Bowl ... which means the city's top hotels will be filled to the brim, and we got a peek into how the rich will live it up for the big game.

The Versace Mansion -- now called Casa Casuarina -- is an iconic Miami landmark ... the designer's former home -- where he was murdered back in 1997 -- was converted into a hotel with 12 suites for guests to choose from.

You can hit up the famous restaurant, take a dip in the pool or simply mosey around the grounds. A typical night costs upwards of $1,000 ... but SB weekend runs MUCH higher than that. The hotel staff won't say what they're charging, but it's a pretty penny.

Fontainebleau is the perfect choice for party people. LIV Nightclub -- one of the hottest in the country -- is located inside the hotel. There's also a legendary pool. A basic room will run you around $1,500 a night.

A-listers looking for something a little more chill can check out The Four Seasons Surf Club. The hotel is only steps from the beach, with a beautiful pool and plenty of ways to relax. The stay doesn't come cheap -- secondhand sites are hawking rooms for $2k to $3k a night.

1 Hotel South Beach has become a celeb hot spot too ... located right on the beach with an incredible rooftop pool. The joint will set you back up to $15,000 a night.