TMZ Sports - Page 50

Rihanna got lots of compliments for her Super Bowl halftime performance, but there was one glaring, predictable exception ... the man who famously holds grudges -- Donald Trump.

The ex-Prez went on his social media platform, Truth Social, and had nothing but bad things to say ... "EPIC FAIL: Rihanna gave, without question, the single worst Halftime Show in Super Bowl history — This after insulting far more than half of our Nation, which is already in serious DECLINE, with her foul and insulting language. Also, so much for her 'Stylist!'”

As for why the grudge ... well, in August 2020, in the heat of the election Trump ultimately lost, Rihanna posted a photo on Instagram, featuring a car littered with graffiti, with the words "F*** Trump" spray-painted on it.

Rihanna is back, taking the Super Bowl by storm and reminding everybody what they've been missing for 6-plus years ... and, according to some, she might've even just made a BIG announcement.

The singer/fashion mogul hit the stage Sunday after the 2nd quarter of the game came to a close -- and right from the jump, you could tell this was going to be something else ... with RiRi making a grand entrance to kick off an epic 13-minute set chock-full of hits.

Rihanna's show featured her and her dancers on multiple elevated platforms, which she gradually came down from to continue the show. Of course, she touched on a ton of classics of hers ... singing everything from "Work" and "Bitch Better Have My Money" to "Rude Boy" and "Diamonds" -- and just about every other fan fave we all wanted to hear in between.

Of course, the one thing almost everyone noticed immediately ... Rihanna looked to possibly be pregnant -- and she even seemed to acknowledge she may be, rubbing her belly. No official word yet ... but all signs point to her potentially having another bun in the oven.

By the end of it all, Rihanna had just about everybody at State Farm Arena on their feet ... and the place was roaring when she took her final bow. Indeed, it was awesome.

This marks the first time Rihanna has performed live since 2018 -- when she hit the Grammys alongside DJ Khaled. She hasn't really picked up a mic since then though, and the anticipation to see her in her musical element again has been at an all-time high.

Of course, she also hasn't released a new album in like 7 years ... but, she has put out new music -- namely, a track for the new 'Black Panther' movie that proved she's still got it.

RiRi obviously put a lot of work into this ... she said she had gone through dozens of set list variations in the build-up to Sunday -- noting it was tough deciding which songs she wanted to include to do justice to her huge catalog. Safe to say, she chose wisely ... pulling it off.

Great show, and hopefully a sign of more to come for her. We know she's been hitting recording studios of late -- and with her going out on a such high like this, ya kinda gotta follow it up with even more stuff.

Granted, if she is indeed pregnant ... she may be on a hiatus yet again. Remember, she just gave birth this past May -- and while she was out and about a lot, she was also on mom duty.

Philadelphia Eagles fans were heartsick after the Chiefs took home the W at the Super Bowl ... and this guy seemed to take all his rage out on the TV -- although when you look closely it has "staged" written all over it.

The now-viral clip shows some pals watching Sunday night's big game, and when KC kicked the winning field goal ... one of the dudes went BERSERK on the TV, smashing it and yanking it off the mantle.

Now here's the thing -- IG comedian and Streamy Awards nominee FunnyMike is the destructive fan ... he's well known in the IG world with 8.4M followers.

But wait, there's more. The energy guide label is still stuck to the screen ... odd, right, if it's already mounted to the wall.

Thing is ... it wasn't mounted. You see the boob tube comes down way too easily. It seemed propped up on the mantle, for easy destruction.

Patrick Mahomes was being Patrick Mahomes after the Super Bowl win -- and his brother, Jackson, was being ... Jackson.

There's a clip of the Chiefs QB doing a post-game interview Sunday with the NFL Network, and as he was sitting down and answering questions seriously with an anchor on-camera -- Jackson popped up right behind him and busted a move ... or two, more like.

It looks like Jackson didn't realize he was interrupting a live shot, because someone off-camera appears to have told him to scram ... which he then did, seeming apologetic and genuinely surprised. Pat, meanwhile, didn't bat an eyelash.

Jackson is a social media star in his own right -- thanks, in part, to being Pat's little bro -- and this is his style ... namely, stealing the spotlight. He's often popping up on video doing wacky stuff ... including crap he probably shouldn't be doing, especially at games.

The roped-off area comes to mind -- as does that epic water pour during last season ... among JM highlights from his young career.

Philadelphia Eagles fans are not happy, especially those on their own home turf ... and they let everybody within earshot hear about it.

As we all know, Super Bowl LVII didn't favor the Birds, and as a result ... the diehard fanbase showed their outrage afterward, taking to the streets of Philly and shouting in protest. Their collective gripe amounted to chants like, "F**k the Chiefs," among other harsh words.

Check out this video of them doing just that ... in addition to the war cry, they were also climbing light poles and bus stop stands and generally being rowdy. Honestly, it's pretty much almost the same scene when they win a big game.

The reason everyone was so pissed ... some felt like the game was one-sided with the referee's calls, especially toward the end of the game -- when Patrick Mahomes was on a drive to win the game, with one crucial play going for the Chiefs.

Eagles cornerback James Bradberry got called for holding KC's star wide-receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster ... even though everyone in Philly thought it was incidental contact, and Mahomes' ball didn't seem catchable.

The announcers even seemed stunned a flag had been thrown, because it sort of ended up deciding the game right then and there ... with the Chiefs deciding to run out the clock and kick a field goal -- giving the Eagles next-to-no chance to come back and score.

Damar Hamlin says he's physically "doing great" in his recovery from his cardiac arrest last month ... revealing he does hope to one day get back on the field.

The Buffalo Bills safety opened up about what life has been like since his Jan. 2 medical emergency during a "GMA" interview with Michael Strahan ... and he said there haven't been many -- if any -- lingering physical issues.

"I'm doing great," the 24-year-old said.

Hamlin, though, did tell Strahan that mentally it's been tough ... saying he's still processing everything and all the "trauma that comes from dealing with a situation like that."

But, despite that, the former 6th-round pick said he still hopes to play football again.

"Eventually, that's always the goal," Hamlin said, "but I'm allowing that to be in God's hands."

Hamlin said he's spoken with doctors about the possibility of being cleared to suit up for an NFL game down the road -- but revealed, "They can't really tell because it's like -- it's a up to me thing, I guess, or it's a long road. They're just worried about trying to get me back to normal as much as they can."

For now, Hamlin -- who received the NFLPA's Alan Page Community Award last week -- is focusing on his recovery ... while continuing to make an impact on communities through his charity work.

Travis Kelce and his brother, Jason Kelce, shared an emotional moment with their mother, Donna, on the field after the Super Bowl ... but for two very different reasons.

On Sunday, Travis and Jason became the first set of brothers to ever play against each other in the Super Bowl ... and their mom was there to witness the historic moment.

After the game, Travis celebrated with his mom on the winner's stage after the Chiefs defeated the Eagles, 38-35, behind some late-game magic from MVP QB Patrick Mahomes.

Donna found Jason on the field during the Chiefs' celebration, and cameras captured the two exchanging words with Donna hugging and kissing her son, Jason, on the cheek.

Of course, Donna couldn't choose a side, and she showed up to the game repping for both her sons, wearing a jacket that was half-Chiefs colors and half-Eagles colors.

In the end, even though her son Jason's team lost, having two sons play against each other in the biggest game of the season is a win for the entire family.

A$AP Rocky must've been on cloud 9 after Rihanna's Super Bowl performance AND her pregnancy reveal ... because he took to the club to party it up after the big game.

The rapper hit up E11EVEN Miami's Big Game Weekend Pop-Up at Maya Nightclub in Scottsdale Sunday night, after the Chiefs took down the Eagles ... clearly in great spirits as the night went on.

Rihanna wasn't with A$AP ... but he was still in good company, spending time with French Montana, Kevin Gates and YG.

FYI -- it seemed like A.R. was on daddy duty during the game, because he left the State Farm Stadium with his baby in tow. And no, A$AP didn't pull up to the club with the kiddo ... sounds like that job was passed to someone else.

As you know, A$AP's boo RiRi stepped back into the music game in AZ ... bringin' some of her classics to the field -- and of course revealing she's pregnant once again.

The Super Bowl gets some of the best commercials of the year, but one was a little too good ... because it had millions of viewers losing their minds, thinking they were missing the big game!!!

The Tubi commercial aired during Sunday night's big game and if you missed it -- consider yourself lucky 'cause it had households across the country reaching for their remotes and freaking out.

The ad, officially called "Interface Interruption", featured Fox sports commentators Kevin Burkhardt and Greg Olsen -- y'know the guys calling the actual Super Bowl -- so, most fans figured they were really welcoming everyone back from a commercial break.

But then, while the 2 guys were talking, the screen looked like someone was messing around with the remote and scrolled to the Tubi app to watch "Mr. & Mrs. Smith".

Of course, the ad made fans everywhere think someone in their house was fumbling with the remote to watch the flick during the intense Super Bowl game😂

By the end, you could tell it was just an ad for the streaming service (owned by FOX, BTW) -- not some kid sitting on the remote -- and fans were returned to the real game with Kevin and Greg really calling the action.

Former Washington star, LaVar Arrington believes longtime NFL owner Dan Snyder will sell the Commanders sooner rather than later ... telling TMZ Sports a fresh start for the franchise is "certainly what's needed."

We spoke to LaVar about the future of the Commanders just days after Synder listed his Potomac home on the market for $49 million ... and he thinks the billionaire's movement on the real estate market means he's looking to ditch the team.

"I would assume that means he's not staying," LaVar said.

The timing of Snyder listing his Maryland home for sale is pretty interesting ... considering the team announced in November he was exploring a sale of the franchise.

Despite a lack of success on the field, Forbes reports the Commanders franchise is valued at $5.6 billion ... and massive names like Jay-Z and Jeff Bezos are interested in buying the team.

So, we asked Arrington who he wants to own the team if Snyder sells, and the former linebacker told us, simply put -- he wants someone who cares about the people within the organization.

"If you're that person, and you can afford that price tag, then I hope and I pray that you're able to get them."

Of course, many have called for Snyder to sell the team for years ... after the franchise was the center of multiple scandals, including workplace misconduct and creating a "toxic" culture.

Chris Stapleton's rendition of the National Anthem was quite emotional -- just ask the Philadelphia Eagles' head coach ... who was shedding literal tears during the song.

Nick Sirianni is going viral right now for his reaction during Stapleton's performance before kickoff Sunday at Super Bowl LVII in Arizona. The reason ... toward the end of CS's crooning, the camera panned to Sirianni for a close-up ... and the dude could be seen visibly crying.

His raw response to the moment is tugging at Twitter's heart strings -- as it seems many felt proud and patriotic while Stapleton carried everyone through the 'Star-Spangled Banner.'

He wasn't the only one welling up ... Jason Kelce could also be seen starting to tear up, as were other players from both sides of the gridiron. Safe to say, it's a milestone for a lot of people there today -- including Sirianni, who's said this has been a lifelong dream of his.

Right before Stapleton took the mic, the FOX broadcast noted Sirianni had been pretty open about watching Whitney Houston sing the National Anthem in '91 -- and made it his mission to get to a Super Bowl himself one day.

Now, he's here ... and his squad has a good shot at taking home the glory against the Kansas City Chiefs -- this after just a couple years on the job.

The Kansas City Chiefs are Super Bowl champions!!!

Behind a hobbled Patrick Mahomes, the Chiefs defeated the Philadelphia Eagles 38-35 in an instant classic -- one of the greatest SB's in NFL history.

27-year-old Mahomes, who was named the games MVP, threw for 3 TDs and 182 yards (131.8 QB rating). Patrick reaggravated his injured ankle late in the 2nd half. Still, the 2x Super Bowl champ drove his team down the field, including a crucial run that put the Chiefs in field goal position late, when the game was tied at 35.

It's Mahomes 2nd Super Bowl win in 4 years.

Things weren't looking great for Kansas City at the half ... Mahomes was injured, and the Chiefs were down 10 points, 24-14. But, they got the ball first, and went right down the field for a touchdown

The game was incredibly tight from that point on ... but really turned on a Kadarius Toney's 65 yard punt return, the longest in SB history. Toney, who was traded to KC from the NYG mid-season, took the ball within the 10 yard line. The Chiefs scored a TD several plays later.

Travis Kelce was also effective, catching 6 balls for 81 yards and 1 touchdown.

As for the Eagles, Jalen Hurts' was unstoppable, minus a huge lost fumble that was returned for a TD in the first half. Hurts threw for 304 yards, and 1 TD, but ran for 70 yards and 3 TDs.

Rihanna is set to hit the stage during the Superbowl halftime show very shortly -- and you'd think NFL officials would already have her backup dancers inside by now ... you would think.

Check out this clip that our photog got about 25 minutes ago -- you see SCORES of people dressed in elaborate white outfits trekking across the parking lot just outside of State Farm Arena in Arizona (where the game is being held). The question ... are y'all with RiRi???

That's exactly what we asked them -- especially seeing how they were trying to cover up with trash bags, attempting to head over on the DL, but sticking out like sore thumbs.

A few of them actually gave us answers ... including when we referred to them as "Rihanna's army." They seemed to confirm that, and one of them even told us how deep they were rolling ... there's about 280 of them, it seems.

We don't know for certain these are Rihanna's dancers, but the odds seem high based on what we're seeing/hearing right in front of us. If they are, it's a big old SMH to the people who planned this. There's gotta be some backdoor entrance/route they could've taken. 😅

Hollywood took flight Saturday in Arizona -- partying their faces off in none other than a loading dock for airplanes ... seriously, think "Top Gun."

We're talking about Tao X Maxim Big Game Party: an unKommon events production, which hosted tons of celebs in none other than an airplane hangar -- as in, the giant warehouses where jetliners and other aircraft are stored. Seems someone felt this would be a good setting for a get-together. 😅

Anyhoo, the night kicked off with performances by Migos rapper, Offset, and world-renowned DJ, Zedd. Just about anyone who's anyone who was in town probably swung by.

The aviation-inspired bash brought out celebs like Tyga, Gordon Ramsey, and Wanda Sykes. Cher and Alexander Edwards even made an appearance!

This wasn't the only pre-Super Bowl celebration popping off last night, though. Not too far away, another one was going down ... and on the verge of Valentine's Day, it was appropriately selected.

Travis Scott headlined yet another star-studded Super Bowl bash Saturday night, at Scottsdale's 40 Love -- which is a sports bar there, but it looked more like a club Saturday.

Partygoers included Odell Beckham Jr, Devin Booker, G Herbo and his pregnant fiancé Taina Williams.

BTW, We caught P. Diddy's son, King Combs leaving the 40-Love bash ... and he hinted at some upcoming releases ... but also made sure to shout out Rihanna too.

Meanwhile, TMZ Sports's Mojo Muhtadi also partied hard on Saturday ... with the legendary tight end, Rob Gronkowski in Phoenix at Gronk Beach, which was put on by Wynn Nightlife and Medium Rare. They were joined on stage by some enthusiastic sweaty guys in mascot costumes - including an absolutely ripped unicorn, an eagle, and a panther ... doing flips into... and onto the crowd!

The Grammys wanted to honor Janet Jackson in a big way last weekend, but TMZ has learned those talks fizzled after discussions on how to address the way CBS treated Jackson after her infamous Super Bowl Halftime performance.

Sources connected to The Grammys tell us ... the Grammys wanted to bestow Janet with a Global Impact Award, but there was a snag. Recording Academy honchos wanted Janet to attend a pre-Grammy event with the Black Music Collective days before the main event to accept the award, but her schedule wouldn't allow it.

From there, we're told discussions pivoted to a way Janet could receive the honor during the actual broadcast, but that presented another problem ... CBS never made amends with Janet for making her persona non grata after the wardrobe malfunction.

It was Super Bowl XXXVIII, broadcast on CBS, when Justin Timberlake ripped Janet's top, revealing her breast. The network received a ton of flack over the incident, and CBS CEO  Les Moonves pulled Janet's invite to the Grammys that year.

Our sources say Janet's team and Grammy organizers began talking about ways CBS could either apologize or figure out a way to acknowledge how she was treated by the network, but things just got too complicated and talks ended.

Since Janet couldn't attend the Black Music Collective event, she didn't get the Global Impact Award. She also did not attend the Grammys ... fact is she hasn't been there in years.

Move over Tony Gonzalez, Gronk and Shannon Sharpe -- Travis Kelce will go down as the greatest tight end EVER ... so says Raiders star Darren Waller, who tells TMZ Sports the Kansas City Chiefs TE is on his way to G.O.A.T. status.

Of course, the debate has become a hot topic recently ... with 33-year-old Kelce skyrocketing to the top of some lists with his incredible play over the course of his 10-year career.

Waller is definitely Team Kelce -- 'cause he says when it's all said and done, #87 will be the best to ever do it.

"He's that good," Waller told us this week. "I feel like he'll finish as the greatest tight end of all time. I don't think that's farfetched. It's awesome to see what he does."

We also asked Waller about Patrick Mahomes, who lost Tyreek Hill in the offseason to the Dolphins ... and he praised the SB champ for Kansas City's offense remaining at the top of the league.

"It's incredible," the 30-year-old said. "I heard a lot of people saying his job was going to get a lot harder this year with no Tyreek Hill and he wouldn't have the same level of success."

Of course, Mahomes and Hill created magic over the course of the five years they played together in Kansas City, routinely torching opposing defenses in the regular season.

Some thought Mahomes and the Chiefs offense would regress without Hill, but that wasn't the case for #15, who put up MVP-caliber numbers all season en route to the Super Bowl.

Speaking of the SB ... Waller says the game is a toss-up, but he predicts the Eagles will get a lot of pressure on Mahomes when they need it most and believes Philadelphia will win.

Waller got into some non-football talk ... telling us he has some new music on the way.