TMZ Sports - Page 50

Beyonce -- last year's Super Bowl performer -- surprised the crowd at Jay Z's concert last night in New York ... when she hit the stage to jam out with her husband on their latest song.

The whole thing went down at DirectTV's "Super Saturday Night" party on the eve of the big game -- and last year's halftime entertainer pulled off the surprise performance without a hitch.

The halftime show this year will be put on by Bruno Mars and the Red Hot Chili Peppers.

This is AWESOME ... TMZ Sports has obtained a highlight reel of some of Marshawn Lynch's most impressive high school football plays ... and it was obvious back then he was destined for greatness.

Lynch -- who graduated from Oakland Tech HS in CA back in 2003 -- was one of the top recruits in the country back in the day. Oh, he also racked up 20 interceptions on defense.

Warren Sapp better get on his knees and PRAY for Peyton Manning to have the game of his life, 'cause the guy who declared BANKRUPTCY in 2012 just made a $100,000 bet with Rick Ross that the Broncos will win the Super Bowl ... and TMZ Sports has the video proof.

It all went down at the Hudson Hotel in NYC ... when the Hall of Famer made the bet with Rick in front of a ton of people. They also tweeted about the wager, so neither side can try to Aaron Rodgers their way out of this one.

As for the $100k wager -- it's PRETTY DAMN SHOCKING considering Warren has serious financial issues. It was just back in 2012 that he filed for BANKRUPTCY ... and due to his brokeness, Warren's giant collection of Nike shoes were auctioned off in Sept. 2013.

As for Rick, the guy just bought the biggest house in Georgia ... so, we're guessing he can afford it.

Maybe Sapp knows a little something about the game that we don't.

Stay tuned ...

He may have moved on to a better QB ... a much, much better QB ... but Demayrius Thomas tells TMZ Sports he still keeps in touch with his old quarterback Tim Tebow.

Of course, Thomas was on the receiving end of the greatest play in Tim's career -- when he took a Tebow pass 80 YARDS on the first play in overtime to lead Denver over the Steelers in a 2012 playoff game.

"It was a great moment at the time," Thomas says ... "It's a new year and I have a new team now, but me and Tim do keep in touch."

"It's not like we don't speak anymore because he's not a Bronco."

As for the big game, D.T. says he's preparing with a solid pre-game dinner -- pasta with meat sauce and ground turkey.

And now you know.

Bad news for anyone hoping to make a bet with a guy who doesn't pay up ... 'cause Aaron Rodgers says his days of making friendly wagers on football games are officially OVER.

The Green Bay Packers QB was leaving Benjamin Steak House in NYC (he likes his steak "medium" btw) ... when we asked him if was planning to take any "friendly" action on the Super Bowl.

You know ... like the jersey bet he made with the guys from Boyz II Men last season (Aaron lost the best but refused to wear a 49ers jersey, as he had agreed to do ... cluck cluck cluck).

But last night, Aaron shut down the idea of making any more bets on football EVER AGAIN.

Holly Robinson Peete has no problem with the sniper security team protecting the Super Bowl ... in fact, the ex "Talk" star says it's a NECESSITY because the world ain't a safe place anymore.

Peete was hightailing it out of a pre-Super Bowl party Friday night ... and told our photog just how important she thinks it is to have our best sharpshooters protecting MetLife Stadium.

This year's Super Bowl will reportedly have the biggest police presence ever ... including snipers in helicopters above the stadium.

ESPN badass Linda Cohn HATES people like Michelle Beadle ... telling TMZ Sports women who get into sports-reporting with an agenda to be on shows like "Access Hollywood" make her blood boil.

Cohn never mentioned Beadle by name when we ran into her in NYC this week ... but it's obvious she was talking about M.B. since Beadle was a sideline reporter for the Nets, worked for ESPN and then left to become the co-host of "Access."

Here's the backstory ... we were asking Linda about the ongoing battle that female sports journalists face in the workplace when Linda broke it down for us:

"I've been very outspoken I always tell young women they should aim HIGHER than being sideline reporter if they really love sports and have a passion for it."

"And if they're knowledgeable about it, do your homework ... show us how knowledgeable you are and go out there and kick some butt."

"But if you're just using it as a stepping stone to be on 'Access Hollywood' then you're not needed here."

Boom.

11:04 AM PT -- Beadle just responded on Twitter ... and essentially blew the whole thing off.

Fun Fact: In the NFL, it's perfectly LEGAL to tackle an opposing player by the hair if it's hanging out of the helmet.

Funner Fact: Players who pull hair deserve to get their ASSES KICKED because they've made things "personal" ... so says LaVar Arrington.

The former NFL defensive stud -- who has some luscious dreadlocks of his own -- says there's an unspoken code among players regarding the "mane" ... and violators NEED to be dealt with.

Of course, Arrington must REALLY hate guys like Jason Babin (JAX) ... who ripped Andre Ellington's (ARIZ) dreadlocks out of his skull during a game earlier this season ... and then displayed it to the crowd like a trophy.

No, LaVar doesn't like that one bit ...

We've never seen Kate Upton do a dance we didn't instantly love -- but her attempt to pull off a Super Bowl TD celebration actually sparked a debate.

Love it or hate it ... we all agree it's fun to watch her try it.

Seattle Seahawks legend Walter Jones just SLASHED the asking price for his Alabama mansion ... and it's the perfect spot for a serious fan looking to play more than just fantasy football.

The 9-time Pro Bowler bought the 8 bed, 9 bath, 13,450 square foot pad back in 2005 ... and first tried selling the place for $3.5 million back in 2011 -- but now he's knocked half a mil of the price.

The house is an athlete's dream palace -- there's a full football field (with NFL sized FG posts) ... a basketball court, tennis court, swimming pool, workout room ... and a detached "sports house."

Non-sports nuts will have to settle for a home movie theater, game room, spa-bath ... and an ELEVATOR.

Jones is considered a shoe-in when the new Hall of Fame inductees are announced tomorrow ... so the 'bama spread could be a legit piece of NFL history.

Former middleweight boxing champ Kelly Pavlik was rushed to a hospital today after PASSING OUT in the middle of a court hearing in Ohio ... TMZ Sports has learned.

Courtroom sources tell us ... Pavlik was in court to face charges in a theft case (stemming from an incident where he allegedly stiffed a cab driver) ... when he suddenly collapsed.

We're told 31-year-old Pavlick was loaded up onto a stretcher and taken to an ambulance ... which transported him to a nearby hospital.

Sources say Pavlick was awake and alert inside the ambulance.

Officials have not released any information about what caused Pavlick to collapse ... but it's known he suffers from seizures -- which played a large role in his retirement from boxing.

Stone Cold Steve Austin just threatened to open a can of WHOOP-ASS all over Justin Bieber ... warning the pop star that if he doesn't straighten up, he's gonna catch a Size 13 in his ass.

The former WWE champ was on "The Arsenio Hall Show" last night when he issued the ultimatum -- shape up ... or else.

Stone Cold says he loves kids ... and just wants to make sure Justin gets on the right path before it's too late -- but he thinks an ass-kickin' is the only thing that'll get through to the Biebs.

Justin Bieber isn't letting 3 criminal investigations in 2 countries cramp his style ... he's just gone wheels up -- with the Super Bowl as the final destination ... TMZ has learned.

Bieber chartered a private jet Friday from Canada for the big game on Sunday. He's in the air right now.

We're told Justin's planning to attend some pre-game parties, and he brought along some friends for the ride ... and his dad.

The white powder scare affecting several hotels located right near the site of the Super Bowl was nothing more than a prank, officials tell TMZ Sports ... and no one is in danger.

Law enforcement sources tell us ... officials believe the white powder is corn starch and NOT anthrax or any other dangerous substance.

Maurice Jones Drew is winning the battle of the bulge ... 'cause the Jacksonville Jaguars running back tells TMZ Sports he's dropped 15 POUNDS in the past 2 weeks ... and plans to keep it off.

A slimmer, trimmer MJD was out in NYC last night ... and told us why he deserves to be back in the running for top fantasy football RB next season -- and a lot of it has to do with this physique.

Maurice acknowledged that his 2013 season rubbed a lot of fantasy owners the wrong way ... but says, "It's a brand new off-season. Started working out ... I've lost 15 pounds in the last 2 weeks."

You can already see the difference -- it was just last May that MJD was out partying in Florida while smuggling what appeared to be a spare tire under his tank top.

Take THAT, Jenny Craig!

Drew Brees tells TMZ Sports ... he's COMMITTED to the famous birthmark on his face and has no plans to remove it ... EVER ... unless doctors tell him it poses a threat to his health.

This video is AWESOME ... Brees was at a NYC event for the Super Service Challenge -- an organization that encourages people to do positive things in their communities -- when he opened up about all sorts of stuff.

Besides the mole talk, Brees (who's from Texas) set the record straight about which movie more accurately portrayed his high school football experience in the Lone Star State -- "Varsity Blues" or "Friday Night Lights."

His explanation actually makes a lot of sense.

As for the Super Service Challenge -- Drew also tells us why he believes the organization is so important to him and his organization, The Brees Dream Foundation.