Cincinnati Bengals

Rams big DT A'Shawn Robinson -- who wreaked havoc against the Bengals -- tells TMZ Sports he still can't believe he's a Super Bowl champion ... and the pure joy on his face is pretty awesome.

We talked to the 26-year-old Ram Monday afternoon, less than 24 hours after securing the SB victory.

"I was telling my friends. I don't know if it hit me. I just keep saying it's crazy. I don't even know how to explain this to people," Robinson says while trying to describe his emotions.

"It's hard to explain. I'm in the history books forever. My family. My great-grandkids will forever see this. Von called this football heaven, now I know why."

Robinson -- a 2nd round draft pick out of Alabama in 2016 -- was great Sunday ... racking up 6 tackles and a sack. A'Shawn was a nuisance to Burrow and the Bengals' run game all day.

"We knew it was gonna be on our shoulders and we had to finish. Me and AD talk about it all the time. Just talk about finishing. I'm glad I could get one for [Donald]."

Speaking of the future first-ballot Hall of Famer ... we also asked Robinson whether his D-line counterpart could retire ... something AD mentioned to the broadcast crew before Sunday's game.

"I don't know if he's gonna retire or not. But, he's done everything statistically. He's done everything. I don't know. I hope not. We can run it back again next year," A'Shawn says.

It wasn't all sad times for Joe Burrow on Sunday night -- because after losing the biggest game of his life, the Bengals star at least got to live out one of his dreams.

Burrow hit the stage with his childhood idol, Kid Cudi, after losing Super Bowl LVI ... and video from the scene shows that while he was somber, he was still enjoying the moment.

Check out the footage from Cincinnati's after-party, Joe was spotted in the background on stage as Cudi -- who was wearing a Burrow jersey -- performed for a packed crowd in attendance.

Of course, Burrow and Cudi have grown close these playoffs -- Joey Franchise shouted out the rapper on Cudi's 38th birthday after defeating the Chiefs to advance to the Super Bowl a few weeks ago.

Burrow took the bromance a step further a short time later ... personally sending the jersey he wore in the AFC Championship Game to Cudi as a gift.

Cudi -- who's a native of Ohio and a big supporter of 25-year-old Burrow -- loved the present, saying he was "geeked" over it.

If the Bengals can't find Evan McPherson at halftime on Sunday, here's why ...

Cincy's star kicker tells TMZ Sports he wants to see Dr. Dre, Eminem and everyone else at the halftime show so badly ... he's considering not going into the locker room for the break!!

'"I'll be super bummed if we can't at least watch it on a TV or something," said the 22-year-old, who's kicked two game-winners for the Bengals so far this postseason.

"I hope I get to watch it," he added. "I hope I get to be out there to experience it."

Of course, this year's Super Bowl halftime show is expected to be one of the biggest ever ... with some of the music industry's biggest legends gracing the stage.

Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg, Eminem, Kendrick Lamar and Mary J. Blige are all set to perform ... and there's expected to be at least one special guest joining them.

McPherson tells us there's a chance he might be allowed to stay out and watch it all ... though he's unsure if his coaches will ultimately let him.

As for the game .... Evan tells us if the situation calls for him to kick another game-winning field goal, he'll be ready for that moment.

"I mean, that would definitely be really cool," McPherson said. "If it comes down to a field goal like our last couple of games have come down to, then, you know, I'll be ready to give this franchise its first super bowl."

Wanna bet Eminem rocks the Slim Shady platinum blonde hairdo during the Super Bowl halftime show?!

Or that Mary J. Blige might show some cleavage?!

Well, if you have money to put up, there are a whole bunch of fun prop bets waiting to be made on BetOnline.ag on everything from the coin toss to National Anthem too ... boobies!!

Eminem's hair color?

• Brown/black -300 (risk $300 to win $100)
• White/blonde +200 (risk $100 to win $200)

Will any of the Halftime headliners be smoking?

• Yes +200 (risk $100 to win $200)
• No -300 (risk $300 to win $100)

FWIW, we talked to 2 Chainz this week in L.A. and he said Snoop has to smoke!!

Mary J Blige's earrings?

• Hoop/huggie -125
• Chandelier/Cluster +175
• Teardrop +275
• Stud +750

Mary J. Blige shows cleavage?

• Yes -300 (risk $300 to win $100)
• No +200 (risk $100 to win $200)

The "Queen of Hip Hop Soul" ain't the only one you can place a bet on to show a little somethin' ... you can also wager on whether country singer Mickey Guyton will show cleavage during the anthem.

You can also bet on Joe Burrow ... not in regards to the game (well, you can bet on the game, too), but as to whether he'll be compared to his "look-alike" Macaulay Culkin.

There's more ... you can also bet on the commercials. Or, which Hollywood landmark will be shown first on the broadcast.

What will be shown first?

• Hollywood sign -300 (risk $300 to win $100)
• Hollywood walk of fame +200 (risk $100 to win $200)

Celebs are officially out and about to kickoff Super Bowl weekend, flooding the streets of Beverly Hills to get hyped up before the big game ... and scarf down some breakfast, too.

Spago was the spot for Michael Rubin's power brunch Friday ... with a guest list that included Shaq, Meek Mill, Kevin Hart, A-Rod, Lil Baby, Steve Aoki and J Balvin!

Certainly an impressive group of A-listers, but should be expected for one of the biggest weekends of the year in such a celeb-heavy city.

Move over Bengals and Rams fans ... Drake now might be the most nervous person on the continent watching the Super Bowl this weekend -- 'cause he revealed he's betting more than $1 MILLION on the Big Game.

The "Hotline Bling" singer disclosed his bets on his social media page Thursday evening ... showing he's laying down serious cash on the Rams and Odell Beckham Jr.

In screenshots of his wagers -- which appear to be placed in Bitcoin -- Drake showed he's got nearly $500K on the Rams to beat Cincy outright.

Drake also revealed he's betting nearly $800K on Odell catching a touchdown and logging more than 62.5 receiving yards.

In total, if Drake hits all three bets, he stands to make over $2 MILLION.

Of course, the bets aren't too surprising -- Drake's rich after all, but he's also good buds with Beckham. In fact, along with his betting slips, Drake showed a photo of what appeared to be gloves given to him by OBJ.

Everyone can breathe a sigh of relief knowing the Super Bowl halftime show will be penis-free ... 'cause Dr. Dre says he convinced Eminem and Snoop Dogg to NOT whip out their junk during the performance.

Yes, he really said that!! 😂

The legendary rapper made the revelation while speaking at a press conference on Thursday ... and it's safe to say you can cross "dong exposure" off your list of prop bets for the show.

Dre says there WILL be a few surprises ... but no sort of wardrobe malfunctions will be happening on his watch.

"I had to talk Snoop and Eminem out of pulling their penises out," Dre said. "It's just actually Eminem."

Snoop -- who will be performing alongside Em, Dre, Kendrick Lamar and Mary J. Blige -- says he might still show a lil' somethin' somethin' ... but calm down, he's only talking about taking his shirt off.

Of course, SB halftime shows have had their history of racy moments ... from Janet Jackson's wardrobe mishap in 2004 to J Lo and Shakira's dancing routine that ramped up 1,300 FCC complaints in 2020.

Cincinnati's Super Bowl practice definitely hit different on Wednesday -- 'cause the Bengals took the field to prepare for the game right in the middle of SoCal's rare wintertime heat wave.

Mother Nature is bringing the heat with 80 to 90-degree temperatures with the Super Bowl just days away -- prompting a heat advisory until Sunday evening.

By the way, it's damn near freezing in Ohio ... but you can see Joe Burrow, C.J. Uzomah and the rest of the Bengals squad appear to be handling the higher L.A. temps well as they hit the field for the first time in Cali.

They better get used to it -- this Super Bowl might be the hottest EVER ... as forecasts predict temps close to 90. Sheesh!!

Worth noting -- SB VII in 1973 holds the record at 84 degrees ... and coincidentally, that game was held at the L.A. Memorial Coliseum.

Thankfully for the players and fans, SoFi Stadium has roof panels that can be unlatched to let the heat out.

Ed Orgeron is like a proud dad leading up to the Super Bowl ... telling TMZ Sports he's pulling for Joe Burrow and Ja'Marr Chase to win it all on Sunday.

"Proud of Joe," Ed said outside an S.B. party at Academy in L.A. "But, you know what, Joe meant a lot to LSU. Him and Ja’Marr and all those players, we're very proud of them."

Orgeron coached both Joe and Ja'Marr on the 2019 undefeated LSU Tigers team that beat the Clemson Tigers in the championship game ... so he's very familiar with what the dynamic duo can do on the biggest stage.

Despite all the success, Joe and the Bengals are not favored to win against the Rams ... but O says that's how the QB likes it.

"He's been an underdog all his life," Orgeron said. "Just like I’ve been and fought. He likes being an underdog."

As for whether Burrow can add a Lombardi trophy to his collection, O is pretty confident.

"He’s eventually gone do it," said Ed. "He may do it this Sunday. I hope he does. He’s got all the talent in the world."

He added ... "I think this is only the beginning for him, I think he’s going to have a great career in Cincinnati."

It's going to be a long afternoon in Los Angeles for Joe Burrow on Sunday ... so says Warren Sapp, who tells TMZ Sports he thinks the QB is going to have a rough Super Bowl.

The Hall of Fame defensive lineman made the prediction to us outside of a S.B. party at Academy in Hollywood on Wednesday night ... saying he believes the Bengals will not be able to block up the Rams' pass rush during the Big Game.

"I'll tell you what," Sapp said. "I love that kid Joe Burrow, but if he can stand up from this rush of Von Miller and Aaron Donald, he'd be the greatest quarterback ever in the history of the league."

"But, I don't see it. I don't see it," Sapp added. "They'll be all over him all game long."

Most pundits believe Burrow is good enough to withstand the numerous sacks that are no doubt coming on Sunday -- because, after all, he won a playoff game against the Titans last month despite being taken down NINE times.

But, Sapp made it clear, he doesn't foresee the same outcome this weekend.

Forget jinxes -- the mayor of Cincinnati is so confident the Bengals will beat the Rams in the Super Bowl this Sunday, he already started planning their championship parade!!

Aftab Pureval joined Harvey and Charles on "TMZ Live" before the city's big matchup against Los Angeles ... and he said he's been in constant communication with fellow mayor Eric Garcetti and having some friendly fun ahead of the matchup.

"We talked about maybe changing the name of Los Angeles to L-O-S-S Angeles," Pureval joked ... adding they even discussed putting a star on Hollywood's Walk of Fame if Cincy pulls off the upset.

FYI -- Aftab has been successful in his bets with other mayors throughout the playoffs ... the Bengals defeated the Titans and Chiefs on their way to the Super Bowl, so he's already stacked up some bragging rights so far.

With all that success, it's no wonder Pureval is already figuring out all the details for the city's celebration ... and he ain't worried about potentially cursing the Bengals in the process.

Super Bowl party season is right around the corner ... and one of the most hyped events of the weekend is looking to one-up itself -- with a nearly $3 million budget!!

TMZ Sports spoke with David Spencer of Talent Resources Sports, which helps put on the annual Sports Illustrated bash during Super Bowl Weekend ... and he tells us the S.I. bash will live up to its reputation this year -- especially after COVID-19 prevented the party from happening in 2021.

"We've been known to throw some premiere events in our 15-year history, and super honored to be back in L.A. and doing something bigger than ever," Spencer tells us.

This season, the event is slated to have names like Kygo, Jack Harlow, Frank Walker and more on board to get the vibes going ... and the crowd will be filled with the biggest celebs, athletes and models like years past.

With all that being said, tables for the party come with quite the price tag -- we're talking 5 figures -- but it's for good reason.

"It's an expensive event to produce," Spencer adds. "We're almost up to the $3 million mark for that event alone, so it's a tough ticket."

On top of the S.I. party, Spencer tells us about the Super Bowl viewing party at Jimmy Goldstein's iconic L.A. mansion ... and he says the event (which comes with a $1,500-$2,000 ticket) will be super COVID-19 safe ... and catered by local hotspot Craig's!!

The man whose right foot sent the Bengals to the Super Bowl on Sunday tells TMZ Sports he told his holder just before the game-winning kick over the Chiefs, "Let's just be legendary."

Evan McPherson broke down the conversation with us on Monday ... saying it happened just seconds before he booted the 31-yard field goal to give Cincinnati the 27-24 win in the AFC Championship game.

"Before I took my steps back, I was just like, 'All right, man. Let's just be legendary,'" McPherson said he told holder Kevin Huber. "I said this is where legends are made."

"And so I was like, 'Let's just be legendary. Let's put this ball through and let's go to the Super Bowl.'"

Huber got the hold down clean and McPherson launched the ball through the uprights -- and McPherson tells us the party was on afterward.

The 22-year-old kicker says he and his teammates had a blast on the plane ride back to Cincy ... and then the guys celebrated through the night at local bars.

The NFL, the Cincinnati Bengals and the L.A. Rams are all suing potential Super Bowl ticket and merchandise counterfeiters ahead of the big game ... hoping to stop any such activity in its tracks.

The league and its two teams filed the lawsuit on Monday, TMZ Sports has learned, suing to get a court order authorizing them to seize any counterfeit merch it finds in the leadup to the matchup on Feb. 13.

In the docs, the plaintiffs say counterfeiting is a huge problem at the Super Bowl ... calling it a "multi-billion dollar" business that hurts both the NFL and its consumers.

The league, Rams and Bengals said in the suit they're anticipating "widespread" counterfeiting in Los Angeles the next two weeks ... and want the court order to help protect their brands and their fans from ending up with bootleg tickets and merch.

The league made it clear in the docs, though, that it does not know the names of the counterfeiters at this time ... but they'll amend their complaint to add the names as soon they find any culprits.

It's been an incredible 24 hours for Joe Burrow -- after defeating the Chiefs to advance to the Super Bowl, the Bengals star QB says his childhood idol, Kid Cudi, hit him up to congratulate him on the victory.

"One of my idols growing up, Kid Cudi, reached out to me yesterday," Burrow told reporters after the huge win.

"You’ve got LeBron [James] tweeting at me or whatever you said it was ... That part is surreal. The football part, not so much. That stuff is crazy."

Cudi -- who was celebrating his 38th birthday on Sunday -- tweeted at Burrow saying, "Man this has to be the illest s*** ✌🏽❤️😭 beautiful f***in' game today brother!!"

BTW -- Joe says he listens to "New York City Rage Fest" -- one of Cudi's Songs -- to get himself ready mentally every game day. But, Burrow likes too many of Cudi's songs to pick a favorite.

Of course, Cudi is a native of Ohio (shoutout Shaker Heights) ... so it's not hard to see why he's so fond of the former LSU standout and #1 overall draft pick in 2020.

Speaking of the NFL draft ... the seeds for the bromance between Burrow and Cudi were planted when the Bengals selected Joe with their first-round pick.

"Congratulations on being the number 1 draft pick," Cudi said at the time. "That's wild. That's crazy. You on your way. You just gettin started brother."

Joe Cool even said Lakers star LeBron James tweeted about him, calling him a "generational talent" and saying we all knew and saw that he'd be special.

High praises coming from one of the greatest players in NBA history ... and a figure familiar with the sports landscape in Ohio. After all, Joe did just beat Patrick Mahomes when he erased an 18-pt deficit on the road.

Bengals star Joe Mixon went all out for his first playoff game ... ordering more than $400k worth of jewelry to commemorate the big day!!!

TMZ Sports is told ... the Pro Bowl running back wanted to do something extra special for his first postseason appearance, so he hit up his go-to guy Gabriel The Jeweler last week to whip something together.

We're told the order -- a special made Cuban link chain, iced-out Audemars Piguet, and diamond ring -- would usually take about a month to complete ... but Gabriel's team worked late for 8 straight days to come through for Mixon.

The finished product is incredible -- the chain has 170 carats of VVS diamonds (including emerald cuts), and the rose gold AP has 36 carats of diamonds with emerald cuts on the band.

And, check out how the diamonds dance on the ring!!!

We're told the order was finished early Saturday morning and was flown to Cincinnati just in time for the game. No word on how much Mixon shelled out for the bling, but we're told the 3 pieces are worth a total $400k!!

Gabriel tells us he'd do anything for his guy, Joe ... and he definitely proved that with the speedy delivery.