TMZ Sports - Page 50

Chick-fil-A is punting on the opportunity to score LOTS of potential cash by refusing to open up one very important location for Super Bowl Sunday.

Sources connected to the fast-food chain tell us the Chick-fil-A stand inside Atlanta's Mercedes-Benz Stadium -- where Super Bowl LIII will be played in a couple weeks -- will, in fact, remain closed on Feb. 3 ... just like every other Sunday before it.

We're told that although the MBS location won't be open, Chick-fil-A is still one of the corporate sponsors for the Atlanta Super Bowl Host Committee ... and our sources say CfA is happy to be there in spirit and through its donation to JFK Park.

Much to the chagrin of foodies everywhere, Chick-fil-A notoriously closes up shop on Sundays to give employees a much-needed day off to be with family or go to church.

That's why folks were thrown for a loop back in 2017 when a location sprung up inside MBS, where the Falcons play on Sundays. The operator has said there's tons of other events happening at MBS throughout the year -- enough so, apparently, to make it worth their while.

Just to give you a sense of how much of a cash cow Chick-fil-A is ignoring for this upcoming game -- it could be in the ballpark of half a mil, more or less. Probably more, though.

This guy says they've sold as many as 5,000 sandwiches in one night. Considering Super Bowl stadiums have hit 100,000-plus attendees in recent years ... that's a potential $409,000 Chick-fil-A is losing out on if everyone bought just one of their basic sandwiches.

Move over Jay Cutler and Kristin Cavallari ... there's a new king and queen of the bare-ass game -- Brooks Koepka and his smokin' hot model GF!!!

The PGA star and Jena Sims did their best Cutler-Cavallari impression in Maldives on Tuesday ... flashin' their asses for the camera in some tiny swimwear.

The caption? "Who wore it better??"

So far, Jena's leading the votes ... but it's close -- and yeah, easy to see why!!!

It's been a hell of an offseason for Koepka -- a two-time U.S. Open winner -- the dude's been hoppin' around with Sims in Vegas, Santa Monica, Abu Dhabi and now South Asia.

In fact ... it was a great REGULAR season for the guy too -- remember when Trump congratulated his "powerful mind" AND "powerful game" after winning the PGA Championship in August??

Bottom line ... it's GREAT to be Brooks.

Manny went for the handshake.

Floyd went for the dap.

The result was ... well, it was a mess.

Once again, Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao came face-to-face at the Lakers game -- in what seems to be more shameless promotion for an upcoming rematch.

Floyd was sitting on the court at Staples Center in L.A. to watch the Lakers take on the Warriors (they lost) ... when Manny came up from behind to say "What's up."

The handshake greeting was a disaster -- but they got the point across.

The big problem ... Manny reportedly suffered an eye injury during his victory over Adrien Broner this past weekend -- which could throw a huge wrench in the rematch plans.

According to reports, Manny feared he suffered a detached retina in his left eye. Later, his manager said the eye was "fine" and he'll be okay.

Manny was wearing shades at the game -- so you can't see if the eye looks damaged on the surface.

As we previously reported, Manny and Floyd have been teasing a rematch for months ... and with both fighters looking pretty solid in their last fights, it seems a deal could be close.

The two originally fought back in 2015 -- with Floyd winning a unanimous decision in a pretty boring fight.

We recently spoke with Manny who told us he had a bad shoulder at the time -- and now that he's fully healed, he's confident he would whoop that ass.

No deal has been made at this point -- but we're guessing it's just a matter of time ... considering the money these guys could rake in.

There were other big stars at the Lakers game too -- including Halsey, Alexis Ren, Mahershala Ali, Jack Nicholson and LeBron James ... who was a spectator Monday night due to injury.

Get well soon!

Seems Ben Simmons is getting more serious about Kendall Jenner -- because he sat his girlfriend with his MOTHER at the 76ers game on Monday!

Check out Kendall rubbing elbows with Julie Simmons at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia -- where Ben and the 76ers beat up on the Houston Rockets in a 121 to 93 victory.

Ben's stat line wasn't spectacular -- only 9 points, 6 assists and 6 rebounds. And, he only hit 3 of 12 shots, which is bad for him (he usually shoots well over 50%).

But, who cares about individual stats when your team wins, right?

Plus, the most important question ... did Kendall and Mom get along?! Pretty well actually. The two were seen smiling and chatting. Good times.

It's not the first time they've kicked it together -- Kendall and Julie hung out at a game back in November 2018 and got along great then too.

Ben and Kendall have been dating on and off since May 2018. The next big question ... when does Julie get to come to L.A. to meet the rest of the Kardashians??

Cristiano Ronaldo was ordered to pay a $21 MILLION fine as punishment in his tax fraud case -- but the good news for the soccer superstar, he won't have to serve a 23-month prison sentence.

And, for a guy who reportedly earns around $90 MILLION per year, that's a pretty good deal for him!

The 33-year-old appeared in court in Spain on Tuesday morning smiling and holding hands with his girlfriend, Georgina Rodriguez ... almost like he knew it was not a big deal.

And, the reason? CR7 had previously agreed to a plea deal with prosecutors ... so Tuesday's court date was just a formality to make it official.

CR7 had been accused of hiding around $16.7 MILLION income he made from his image rights in Spain between 2011 and 2014.

He was facing a 23-month prison sentence -- but hammered out a deal to pay the fine and move on with his life.

It also helps that in Spain, a 1st-time offender sentenced to less than 24 months in prison can serve probation instead of being locked up.

The fine is really no big deal for a guy like Ronaldo -- Forbes reports he pulls in around $93 mil from pro soccer and endorsement deals.

Of course, Ronaldo has other legal issues -- he's being sued in the United States by a woman who claims he raped her in a Las Vegas hotel room in 2009.

Ronaldo has denied wrongdoing. Cops are still investigating.

Nick Cannon says he's got beef with Travis Scott performing at SB LIII 'cause the dude hasn't proven he truly cares about black culture ... and Kylie Jenner is one big example.

The 'Wild 'N Out' host was chopping it up with Raquel Harper for a new episode of BET's "Raq Rants," where he explained why he's troubled that Travis was booked to play the Super Bowl halftime show. On the other hand, Outkast's Big Boi getting the gig doesn't bother Nick a bit.

Nick -- who supports Colin Kaepernick -- says BB has proven over the course of his career that he's for the culture ... so, Nick's good with him appearing in his native Atlanta to balance Maroon 5. But, according to Nick, Travis hasn't passed that litmus test.

Check out Nick's rationale on why Trav -- in his eyes, anyway -- doesn't seem to be for black people and black causes ... and what he needs to do to get there. Spoiler ... knocking up Kylie definitely didn't help his cause.

Nyjah Huston jumped a guy at a house party and beat the man's face so viciously he needed surgery to fix a broken nose ... this according to a new lawsuit.

According to legal docs, obtained by TMZ, Ryan Sheehy claims he was at a February 12, 2017 house party in Los Angeles when Nyjah jumped him and started beating the hell outta his face.

In the docs, Ryan claims the pro skateboarder's attack left him with a broken nose, which required reconstructive surgery, and a cut above his left eye, which required stitches and left a noticeable disfigurement. As a result of the injuries, Ryan claims he suffered immense pain and was forced to miss work.

We broke the story ... the L.A. County D.A. charged Nyjah with felony battery after the alleged fight.

Ryan is going after Nyjah for damages.

How did Ezekiel Elliott and the Cowboys get over a devastating playoff loss to the Rams??

VEGAS, BABY!!!

Zeke and a bunch of his teammates took off for Sin City late last week ... and TMZ Sports has learned they hit the craps table almost immediately.

We're told the All-Pro RB, Sean Lee, Connor Williams and other Dallas stars hit up Aria's casino on Friday and gambled away the pain from their playoff loss for most of the day.

We're told the guys got a private table -- and it seemed the casino allowed them to bet whatever they wanted ... but Zeke was throwing down around $500 (and sometimes WAY more) per roll.

Don't worry, won't affect Elliott's bank account too much -- he's currently toward the end of his rookie $24 million contract and will make HUGE money when he renegotiates with the Cowboys.

To put it into perspective, the NFL's highest-paid running back is Todd Gurley who recently signed a 4-year, $60 MILLION extension with the Rams ... with $45 million in guaranteed money.

Zeke will make similar money ... which means his $500 per roll is chump change for him.

As for Elliott's luck at the tables, we're told neither the RB nor the rest of his teammates came up big winners on the day.

Hey, there's always next year -- right???

Andy Reid WILL win a Super Bowl with the Chiefs despite yet another championship game heartbreaker Sunday ... so says legendary coach Dick Vermeil.

"I would bet on it!" Dick tells TMZ Sports ... "I would bet that they will win one!"

Of course, Reid's history says otherwise ... his loss to the Pats on Sunday was his 6th championship game L (4 NFC championships, 1 AFC championship and 1 Super Bowl) in his 20-year, ring-less career.

But, Vermeil says Reid WILL get it done sooner than later ... saying K.C. is just too talented.

"There's no question in mind they will get there and there's no question in mind, if he sticks with it long enough, he's gonna win it."

In fact, Vermeil thought earlier this season THIS would be the year for Reid ... and said he was downright ill seeing Reid and the Chiefs fall to Tom Brady in overtime.

"Kansas City, I'm just sick. I woke up three times during the night thinking about that ballgame. I was so disappointed."

2019 season kicks off in 7 months ... could that finally be Reid's year??

Allen Crowder -- the UFC fighter who took a vicious knee to the head from Greg Hardy on Saturday -- says the move was NOT a dirty one ... telling TMZ Sports, "sh*t happens."

Hardy and Crowder squared off in the co-main event of UFC on ESPN+ ... but the match ended in the 2nd round after Greg blasted Allen with a right knee to the temple while he was still down.

Hardy was DQ'd ... and given his troubled past -- many wondered if the ex-NFL player who has been previously accused of domestic violence MEANT to throw the illegal shot.

But, Crowder says he doesn't think Hardy had any malicious intentions with the move ... saying, "it's a fight. It's the heat of the moment."

"There's a lot of people that have made the same mistake. I have no hard feelings against him at all. He was tired, and sh*t happens. I have no hard feelings about it at all."

For his part ... Greg says he didn't know the knee was illegal -- saying, "it was not intentional."

FYI ... Crowder says if officials had given him another 30-or-so seconds -- he woulda gotten up and continued the fight.

As for a rematch ... Crowder says he'd be down -- if the price is right.

Alex Smith ain't out of the woods yet -- the QB is still using crutches and a complex brace around his leg ... 2 months after suffering a gruesome injury against the Texans.

The Washington Redskins star finally surfaced in public Monday at the Wizards-Pistons game in D.C. with his leg wrapped in bandages and what appears to be a Taylor Spatial Frame.

FYI, a TSF is often used by doctors to treat compound fractures. It essentially helps the bone heal correctly with the use of pins, wires and rods.

Smith's right leg was snapped in half in a game against the Texans on Nov. 18 ... with Smith ending up breaking both his fibula and tibia to the point where bone poked through the skin.

In fact, the injury was so devastating ... reports say Alex needed further surgeries to correct an infection he got following the first operation to fix the issue.

But, Smith seemed to be in good spirits as he watched the hometown Wizards from a press box ... even smiling as he spoke with people in the arena.

It's unclear whether Smith plans to play ever again ... releasing a statement just a few weeks ago, saying, "Although this is a serious injury, Alex and his family remain strong."

"We would ask that everyone please honor the Smith family's request for privacy at this time."

Tiffany Haddish gave Adrien Broner's swollen face something to grin about after loss to Manny Pacquaio ... bum-rushing his post-fight press conference and doing her best to lighten the mood.

Broner took to the podium to explain once again how he didn't lose the fight ... and after a couple of regular questions from media, a very familiar voice from "South Central News" started in.

Of course, that reporter was Haddish -- and rather than ask anything about the fight, Tiff wanted to know how and where she could get some Fashionova duds from Broner, who's been rocking the brand lately.

Broner shoulda been ready for questions from Haddish, because she'd turned up earlier in the presser, asking equally amusing questions to light heavyweight champ Marcus Browne.

Now we don't know how Tiffany made it into the event, or why she did it, but we do know this ... it was the most entertaining part of the night.

Why do so many people HATE the New England Patriots -- the greatest dynasty in the history of pro sports?

That's the question we posed to Rob Gronkowski's smokin' hot girlfriend, Camille Kostek -- and her answer was simple ... JEALOUSY!

"You hate us 'cause you ain't us," the former Pats cheerleader told us at LAX.

Kostek -- who's also a Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Edition model -- just got off the plane from Kansas City where she battled freezing temperatures to support the future Hall of Famer ... and told us how the couple celebrated the big win.

So, how does Gronk feel about going to ANOTHER Super Bowl??

"He's amped, he's so pumped," Kostek said while admitting the constant winning NEVER gets old!

As for the big game, Kostek says she's friends with Rams QB Jared Goff -- but that goes out the window on February 3 ...

"All I gotta say is, good luck! I think it's gonna be a great game ... Patriots coming out with a W."

Ex-Dallas Cowboys running back Darren McFadden was arrested in Texas early Monday morning after officials say he was driving drunk at a Whataburger ... TMZ Sports has learned.

Sources tell us the 31-year-old was asleep behind the wheel of a 2019 GMC Yukon in the drive-thru at a Whataburger in the Dallas-Fort Worth area.

During the incident, cops say McFadden was resisting officers. Multiple sources tell us McFadden's driver's side and passenger windows were smashed during the incident.

Cops responded to the scene and arrested McFadden. He was taken to a nearby station where he was booked for DWI and resisting arrest. He was released on bond a short time later.

McFadden was a star during his college days at Arkansas and was selected by the Oakland Raiders with the #4 overall pick in the 2008 NFL Draft.

After spending 7 seasons with the Raiders, McFadden later signed with the Dallas Cowboys, where he played until 2017. He retired after that season.

Despite never making a Pro Bowl, McFadden got PAID during his 10 seasons in the league -- reportedly earning roughly $50 MILLION during his career.

Story developing ...

Ex-NFL star Tiki Barber made his Broadway debut in "Kinky Boots" this weekend -- dancing and singing in a pair of red thigh-highs ... and he slaaaaayyyyyyed.

The former New York Giants running back played Don the foreman in the Broadway play, which required him to flex his vocal range and hit a high note in one of the songs.

Look, he's no Celine Dion -- but he was pretty good ... and the crowd loved it. Dude even got his own bouquet of roses at the end of the performance.

Don't fret if you missed the show -- Tiki's run on Broadway goes until March.

And, get this -- the music and lyrics for the show were written by Cyndi Lauper!

Barber isn't the first NFL star to take his talents to the stage ... Eddie George has become a big-time actor and even starred in "Chicago" a few years back.

Harry Connick Jr. is so pissed off over that non-pass interference call at the end of the NFC championship game, he wrote a letter to Roger Goodell saying he's boycotting the Super Bowl.

The Grammy-winning crooner is a HUGE Saints fan (he was born and raised in New Orleans) -- and while he's usually a chill guy, his blood was BOILING when his team got screwed by the refs in the waning minutes of the game.

So, Connick decided to pen a letter to the NFL boss -- telling the Commish he's mad as hell at the officiating and he ain't gonna take it anymore.

"Until changes are made, specifically, booth review of outcome-altering no-calls, you can count me out," Connick Jr. wrote in his letter.

"I'm not watching the AFC championship game and I won't be watching the Super Bowl."

So far, no response from Goodell.

Here's Harry's letter in full ...

"Dear Commissioner Goodell,

Please know that I would've written this letter regardless of which teams were playing in the NFL championship.

I love the game of football so much -- the NFL gives me great joy and has for many years. To not call the pass interference/helmet-to-helmet penalties at the end of the game was one of the most disgraceful no-calls I have ever seen.

The officiating this year has been, for the most part, mediocre, in my opinion. But for a game as important as the NFC championship, it sickens me to know that the people who are assigned to fairly officiate the game seemingly had no regard for not only a dangerous penalty but one that would certainly have changed the outcome of the game.

Until changes are made, specifically, booth review of outcome-altering no-calls, you can count me out. I'm not watching the AFC championship game and I won't be watching the Super Bowl.

Thank you for taking the time to read my letter.