TMZ Sports - Page 50

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.

Tennis star Alexander Bublik absolutely lost his mind during a match this week -- destroying THREE of his rackets in a wild outburst that was all captured on video.

The epic temper tantrum went down in the third set of Bublik's Open Sud de France match in Montpellier against Grégoire Barrère ... when he blew a gasket over the way he was playing.

The 25-year-old -- a heavy favorite in the match -- slammed his racket to the court's surface over and over and over again after a losing a point ... leaving it in pieces.

Clearly unfulfilled by that, Bublik went to his bench and destroyed another one. Seconds later, he grabbed one more and, you guessed it, beat the hell out of that one too.

The crowd cheered loudly as Bublik went off -- and even one of the match's announcers was over it by the third racket smash, saying, "Well, this is getting out of hand now."

Bublik, the No. 50-ranked player in the world, eventually stopped the tirade -- and went on to lose the match, 6-4, 6-7 (12), 7-6 (3).

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.

Michael Irvin filed a scathing $100 million lawsuit against the woman who accused the NFL legend of misconduct, alleging he's being "railroaded" with false accusations that are ruining his career.

The lawsuit, obtained by TMZ Sports, was filed Thursday afternoon ... after Irvin says the hotel where he was staying concocted a plan to turn him into the next victim of "cancel culture" over something he says never happened.

"Rash and thoughtless actions can have severe consequences. Marriott [parent company of Renaissance Hotels] apparently did not appreciate these simple truths when, in a rush to judgment, its employees and management inaccurately and inflammatorily accused Mr. Irvin of misconduct to the National Football League," the lawsuit reads.

According to the lawsuit, witnesses (in the above photo) backed Irvin's initial claim that he "casually exchanged pleasantries" with the employee ("Jane Doe"), "shook her hand, and went to his room alone."

However, once Irvin and his team became aware of the allegations, they say they attempted to provide witness accounts to the hotel in an effort to rectify any misunderstanding, but they say the Renaissance refused to listen.

In fact, the lawsuit accuses the hotel manager of reporting the alleged incident to the NFL "with the intention of damaging that relationship and canceling [Irvin]."

Levi McCathern, Michael's attorney, says his client's reputation has not only been damaged, but he's also lost out on money -- canceled appearances -- as a result of the false allegations.

Irvin is seeking in excess of $100,000,000.

The Hall of Famer's attorney tells us ... "It is clear Michael is the latest victim of our cancel culture where all it takes is an accusation to ruin a person’s life. Michael looks forward to clearing his name in court and hopes the Court of public opinion will see the truth come out as well."

Of course, 56-year-old Irvin was yanked from NFL Network's Super Bowl coverage after a hotel employee complained about Michael's alleged behavior during a brief interaction Sunday night.

The specifics of the accusers allegations are still not known publicly.

Irvin, one of the most popular media personalities in sports, was set to be one of NFLN's and ESPN's faces of their Super Bowl coverage.

Seems Patrick Mahomes' is Rihanna's favorite quarterback, after all ... 'cause just one day after former NFL star Brandon Marshall clowned the NFL MVP, RiRi made it clear she's a huge fan of Patrick!

"I am so sorry you went through that [Patrick]. I still think you're great. [Brandon's] a hater!"

27-year-old Mahomes was at a Super Bowl media event on Wednesday when the Marshall, a 6x Pro Bowler, grabbed the mic and asked Patrick how he felt about Rihanna saying he was her favorite QB.

The only problem ... she never said it. 😂

Rihanna's reaction to the prank ... "That is so mean. [Brandon] is mean, ok? I am so sorry you went through that, okay."

Of course, it's not just Mahomes who will be busy come Sunday night.

Rihanna is performing during the highly anticipated SB halftime show ... and as PM said, there are lots of people, including his own family members, who are more pumped for RiRi than the football game.

Derek Carr out ... Aaron Rodgers in?

If No. 4 is definitively on his way to being traded from Vegas this offseason ... Raiders star Darren Waller is making it clear, he wants Rodgers to replace him.

In fact, the tight end is downright recruiting the Packers star to Nevada while under the assumption that Carr's a goner ... saying at Jay Glazer's Super Bowl party in Arizona this week, "If you come, it's gonna be lit!"

Waller added in his pitch that Las Vegas is a better place to be than Green Bay "in most cases."

"If he comes," Waller said of Rodgers, "I'd be a happy camper."

Of course, there's a lot of pieces that would have to fall into place to make Waller's wish come true. First, Carr would have to be traded. Then, Vegas would have to make a swap with the Packers for Rodgers.

But, Carr already appears to be on the verge of being moved -- he just met with the Saints this week. And, all signs seem to be pointing toward Rodgers being jettisoned from Green Bay too (that is, if his isolation retreat leads him to one more year of football).

American actor Isaiah Mustafa was 35 years old when he first started playing the main character in the "The Man Your Man Could Smell Like" campaign back in 2010.

During the 2010 Super Bowl XLIV (New Orleans Saints vs. the Indianapolis Colts), Isaiah obtained instant fame after millions saw him parading around in nothing but a towel -- with his rockin' bod on full display -- promoting Old Spice products.

In 2011, Italian actor and model Fabio Lanzoni accompanied Isaiah in the Old Spice ads, and Terry Crews followed suit in 2015 ... now that's a muscle showdown!

"Hello ladies, look at your man ... now back to me!"

Jerry "The King" Lawler continues to make positive strides on his road to recovery ... the WWE legend is no longer in Intensive Care after suffering a "massive stroke" this week.

A rep for Lawler provided an update on the 73-year-old's condition Thursday ... saying, "Jerry is out of ICU & will return to his Florida home for outpatient rehab."

Lawler's doctors are hopeful the Hall of Famer will make a full recovery with proper rehabilitation ... which is great news for fans concerned with his health.

As we reported Wednesday, Lawler, who had a near-death experience during Monday Night Raw in 2012, gave a thumbs up from his hospital room ... signaling to fans he was in good spirits.

WWE icon Jimmy Hart visited the legendary commentator while he was in the hospital ... and the two took a picture together while they bonded over wrestling history.

Lawler was rushed to the hospital after he suffered the stroke earlier this week ... but his friend and former announcing partner, Jim Ross, did his best to quell any concerns about his health.

Native American activist Amanda Blackhorse -- a social justice leader who helped force Washington's NFL team to change its name -- is now calling for the Chiefs to switch their moniker ... and she's urging Rihanna and Patrick Mahomes to join the cause this week.

Blackhorse and other Indigenous advocates have scheduled a protest at State Farm Stadium on Sunday during the Super Bowl ... in an effort to get the ball rolling on ridding K.C. of its longstanding team name.

Blackhorse and other leaders have said it -- as well as the org.'s "Tomahawk Chop" and "Big Drum" traditions -- appropriate their culture ... and they want changes ASAP.

She tells TMZ Sports ... she's hoping Sunday's boycott will raise awareness for the cause, adding that if K.C.'s star QB and the Big Game's halftime show performer pitch in, it could make a big difference.

Of course, Blackhorse was successful in her crusade to get Dan Snyder's team to make changes -- she was a key plaintiff in a lawsuit that helped pave the way for their switch to the "Commanders."

She's now clearly hopeful she can repeat that in Kansas City.

For the Chiefs' part -- they've made changes at Arrowhead Stadium in 2020 in wake of some of the cries ... banning headdresses and Native American-style face paint. They also said at the time they were looking into imposing further restrictions.

Months after best buds Ben Affleck and Matt Damon hit the set of their new movie, AIR, portraying Phil Knight and Sonny Vaccaro, the trailer for the highly anticipated biopic documenting the rise of Nike just dropped!

The upcoming movie, also starring Jason Bateman, Viola Davis, Marlon Wayans and Chris Tucker, is based on Knight and Vaccaro -- who brought Michael Jordan to the Swoosh.

Nike was launched in 1972 (Knight started another running company in the 60s), and was the opposite of the powerhouse it is today. The business began to grow, but really exploded when Vaccaro, played by Damon, got Jordan to sign with Nike.

Davis plays Michael's mom, Deloris Jordan.  Tucker plays Howard White, a Nike exec.

It's not the first time we've seen the guys in character ... back in June, we got photos from the set. Jennifer Lopez was even there supporting her man, Ben.

Back then, the guys received a mixed reaction ... but now that the trailer's out, fans seem excited about the movie!

But, they're not alone. We spoke with the real life Sonny Vaccaro last year, and he was pumped for the film.

"I'm 83 years old. It was complete surprise to me. It's an unbelievable honor and I believe in what they're going to do is going to be the truth on the film," Vaccaro told us last October.

"This is the best thing that I could have ever imagined."

It's obviously not the first time Damon and Affleck have teamed up together for a movie ... they've done it a bunch, including in the critically acclaimed "Good Will Hunting."

Cole Tucker clearly spared no expense when he asked Vanessa Hudgens to marry him ... 'cause the actress was seen rockin' her new engagement ring this week -- and it's HUGE!!

Hudgens was spotted with the bling while out grabbing a bite to eat with her family in Los Angeles on Wednesday -- and it ain't hard to see her MLB player beau picked out some fine jewelry for his future bride.

Sporting an oversized sweatshirt, sweats and slippers ... the diamond on the "High School Musical" actress' left hand stood out like a sore thumb -- appearing to be nearly the size of her knuckle!!!

Hudgens has only had the ring for a few months now -- the couple only got engaged at the end of 2022 -- but check out her smile, she's clearly loving it and the engagement life.

Hudgens and Tucker initially began dating in 2020 -- and have become inseparable ever since ... with Hudgens attending plenty of his baseball games, and Tucker spending most of his offseasons with her.

Just recently, Hudgens glowed about Tucker ... saying in a sappy Instagram post, "I'll stop the world and melt with you."

She added two emojis ... "❤️🥰."

The signed, game-worn jersey from Kobe Bryant's 2007-08 NBA MVP season -- the only year he won the award during his career -- just sold for $5.8 million at an auction!!

Sotheby's tells TMZ Sports ... the Bryant jersey set a new record for Kobe-related sports memorabilia sold at auction, and is the second-most valuable basketball jersey to ever hit the market.

Bryant wore the jersey for 25 games in '07-'08 ... averaging 28.3 points, 6.3 rebounds and 5.4 assists while leading the Lakers to the NBA Finals for the first time since Shaquille O'Neal left.

Kobe also wore the jersey the same evening he was awarded the regular season Most Valuable Player Award on May 7, 2008 ... and during Game 2 of the Western Conference Semifinals.

"This jersey is iconic in a way we seldom see in sports artifacts," said Brahm Wachter, Sotheby's Head of Streetwear and Modern Collectables.

Experts initially expected the jersey to sell for anywhere between $5-7 million.

Sotheby's recently sold LeBron James' 2013 Game 7 NBA Finals jersey for $3.7 million in January -- and Kobe's MVP season jersey is in that same rarefied air.

Rihanna wants to make sure she gets her Super Bowl LVII halftime performance 100% correct ... working through 39 different setlists to get it right.

The music superstar discussed her everchanging plans on Thursday during an Apple Music press conference to pump the big show.

Rihanna told panel moderator Nadeska Alexis she hasn't been afraid to take charge, as there's a lot riding on this performance, including her own reputation.

The singer says trying to condense hours worth of musical greatness into a 13-minute set has been damn near impossible, but Rihanna says there are a lot of people who are involved working to make it successful.

She says her bossy side has surfaced on several occasions -- making small changes such as where her guitar players should stand.

We spoke to Rihanna about her pregame jitters back in October and it appears she still has them.

She openly admitted she had some hesitation taking the gig after giving birth to her baby back in May, and lamented over the lack of work/life balance to spend with her child.

Ultimately, the "Umbrella" singer says it was an honor to be put in a position to represent Barbados, immigrants and Black women alike ... and plans on incorporating plenty of her native Caribbean culture into the show.

A Stars fan was socked in the face by a huge haymaker at Dallas' game on Wednesday night ... with the massive punch coming after the guy said the n-word.

The altercation went down just a few seats from the American Airlines Center ice ... when a man in a Jamie Benn jersey stopped watching the Stars vs. Wild tilt -- and began jawing with another fan behind him.

No word on why their beef initially began -- but the dude in the green No. 14 uni was clearly furious. At one point, he challenged the other fan to a fight ... saying, "How 'bout you step down here and I'll box your ass."

The guy in the black polo didn't respond -- and that's when the Benn fan, who's white, muttered the n-word.

"All right then," he could be heard saying. "Stay the f*** up there. Dumbass n****."

Almost immediately after the word left his mouth, the fan in the black shirt, who's also white, threw a right hand that landed flush. It actually appeared to briefly knock the Benn fan unconscious.

The two scuffled for a few moments following the blow -- before another woman raced in and threw a bevy of punches of her own.

Eventually, other fans stepped in before the altercation became even more violent.

It's unclear how the situation was resolved -- we've reached out to cops to see if any arrests were made, but no word back yet.

As for the game, the Stars were clearly unbothered by the ruckus in the crowd -- they were able to cruise to a 4-1 victory over Minnesota.

There's a super big game coming up, and we're not talking about the Super Bowl ... dozens of puppies will face off in the 19th annual Puppy Bowl and it's all for a great cause!!!

Dan Schachner -- the 12-year Puppy Bowl "Ruff-eree" -- joined "TMZ Live" Thursday, and while we love Dan, we're mostly thrilled that we got a visit from some furry and adorable reps for the upcoming game. Yeah, we're suckers for puppies, but these came on a mission.

Dan tells us, the event is all about raising awareness for rescuing dogs ... because shelter animals will be competing Sunday for the Lombarky Trophy. This year, more than 122 four-legged friends will play for either Team Ruff or Team Fluff ... and they hail from 67 different rescues and shelters across the country.

If you're interested in giving one a home, all the pups are adoptable & from Paw Works.

Look for stars like Tailen Hurts, Jimmy Kibble, and Josh Allenhound -- repping for Buffalo, of course -- come game day. Heck, they even got Tom Barky to come outta retirement!!!

Dan says there's a ton of pets who need homes, and that number only increased when folks returned to work after the pandemic.

This year's bowl is super special ... 11 pups with special needs will be featured. And it's the first time ever a dog from Dominica, West Indies will compete as well as a doggy from a Native American animal org.

If you're more of a cat person, there's even a kitty halftime show featuring cats from 3 different shelters.

Shawne Merriman doesn't quite get Aaron Rodgers' upcoming isolation retreat -- he says it "sounds like jail to me" -- but the ex-Chargers star tells TMZ Sports he isn't going to judge the QB for trying to better himself.

Both Merriman and former NFL star LaVar Arrington weighed in on the Green Bay Packers signal-caller's plans to lock himself in darkness for four days later this month ... and neither guy said it was something they'd get themselves into.

But, both former football players -- who were catching a meal together out at Super Bowl week in Arizona -- had no desire to shade the 39-year-old for it.

"I don't knock how anybody goes and find themselves," Merriman said. "Like, so, if you've got to go to a dark room for four days, go to the dark room. Make it six!"

Added Arrington, "Everybody has their own journeys in life. I'm not one to judge somebody on what their journey of enlightenment and self-understanding is."

Rodgers initially revealed his plans for the isolation trip on "The Pat McAfee Show" on Tuesday ... saying he's going to go to "a little house" in a few weeks and lock himself in a dark room.

The quarterback said the goal of it all is to come out with a more clear picture of whether or not he wants to play football again going forward.

Arrington admitted it sounds like "solitary confinement" to him ... but, again, he said he's all for it if it helps Rodgers.