Cincinnati Bengals

Ja'Marr Chase might be the son of the decade ... 'cause the Bengals star just revealed he got his mom a new car and paid off her house with the first million dollars of his rookie contract.

The wide receiver got into details on how he spent a milli from his $19.8 million signing bonus on GQ Sports ... saying his first purchase was a $65k black Maserati for his mom, Toeleah, to replace her Audi that was in bad shape.

"The air stopped working in it, so she's not about to try to ride around in no hot car. So, gotta get her a car ASAP," the 22-year-old said.

"She was crying like tears of joy so that was good to see. She made me start crying."

But, that's not all -- the Pro Bowler also paid off the mortgage to her house that they've been living in for years.

"That's officially her house," Chase said. "We own it. That was about 100K."

"Making sure the house is paid for and the bills are straight so we can have somewhere and have the family crib."

Mama wasn't the only family member getting some out of Chase's NFL salary ... he says his brothers and sisters also got $15k each to spend on whatever they want.

When it comes to the rest of the $1M ... Chase says he spent it on jewelry, clothes, tattoos, and a $300k Rolls Royce -- and after all that, he was still able to save $400k!!!

Chase signed a $30.8M contract shortly after the Bengals drafted the former LSU Tiger as the 5th overall pick ... and became the NFL's Offensive Rookie Of The Year after 1,455 receiving yards and 13 TDs.

The Cincinnati Bengals will be without superstar quarterback Joe Burrow as training camp kicks off -- the signal-caller is going under the knife to have his appendix removed.

The news broke just minutes ago ... with Ian Rapoport saying #9 will miss a bit of time due to the procedure.

Burrow showed up at the Bengals facility over the weekend to work out alongside rookies and injured players ... and Tuesday marks the first official day of camp.

The news comes amid contract talks for the 25-year-old ... with team president Mike Brown saying the focus is to give him an extension before his deal runs out.

While it's a slight bummer for Bengals fans, Rap says the decision was made based on the understanding it would be better to get the appendectomy out of the way sooner than later.

Makes sense -- the Bengals are coming off their most successful season in forever ... and are hoping to make another run at the Super Bowl this season.

Cincinnati Reds outfielder Tommy Pham has been suspended 3 games for SLAPPING San Francisco Giants slugger Joc Pederson over an alleged fantasy football beef.

Pham, who admitted to reporters in an interview on Saturday he purposely went after Pederson, received the three-game ban for "inappropriate conduct" and was hit with an undisclosed fine.

The incident went down on Friday as the Reds and Giants were preparing to start their series -- Pham approached and slapped Pederson over a dispute stemming from a fantasy football league.

In the video of the alleged incident circulating on social media, Pham appears to walk up to Joc and slap him in the face.

The Giants outfielder spoke candidly about the encounter with Pham after the Reds' 5-1 victory over his club ... saying the whole thing stemmed from Pham accusing him of cheating in the fantasy league they're in together (you can't make this stuff up).

Pederson said the dustup was the first time Pham ran into him ... and claims there was no argument between the two before the slap occurred.

Giants skipper Gabe Kapler -- who announced Friday his decision to skip the national anthem moving forward due to the current state of the country -- refused to comment on the situation between Pham and Pederson.

Joey B Baby and the "B" stands for baseball??

NFL superstar Joe Burrow isn't just great at throwing the pigskin -- the Bengals QB took the mound to throw the first pitch at the Reds' Opening Day game ... and it was a strike right down the middle!!

The AFC champ was a VIP guest at Great American Ballpark in Cincinnati on Tuesday ... meeting and hanging out with Joey Votto and others before the Reds' matchup against the Cleveland Guardians.

But, it was #9 who displayed his skills first ... as he took the mound to throw the ceremonial toss, with Bengals head coach Zac Taylor lined up behind the plate as his catcher.

Joey looked calm as ever as he prepared for the throw ... and naturally, it was a perfect strike.

The crowd, of course, cheered for their QB ... after all, the dude's got the whole city in the palm of his hand after taking the Bengals to the Super Bowl in just his second season in the league.

Joe Burrow is spending his offseason the right way ... by playing golf with Kendall Jenner's boyfriend, Devin Booker, and his old Ohio State teammates after losing Super Bowl LVI.

Burrow hit the links with D Book in Scottsdale, Arizona recently .... where Joey B's teammate, Sam Hubbard, and 49ers star defensive end, Nick Bosa joined in on the fun.

Hubbard, a defensive end for the Bengals, took to social media to share a few images of the trip as they enjoyed some nice weather out on the course ... followed by a group dinner after.

The Bengals, of course, are still trying to recover from their disappointing 23-20 loss to the Rams in the Super Bowl ... and what better way to do that than having some quality tee time!!

Of course, Sam, Nick, and Joey Franchise all went to Ohio State -- though Burrow would finish his career with the LSU Tigers, where he led them to a national title after defeating Clemson in the 2019 season.

But, it was those OSU and Ohio roots that forged the basis of the foundation for Sam's relationship with Joe ... and it's spilled over into their professional careers.

While the Bengals season is over, the Suns and Booker are still playing ... and with the best record in the NBA, Phoenix looks poised to make a serious run at an NBA championship.

Bengals cornerback Eli Apple is clapping back at all of his haters following his brutal Super Bowl ... vowing to "unleash that demon" and exact revenge next season.

Apple was roasted on social media both during and after Super Bowl LVI ... after he was burnt to a crisp by Cooper Kupp repeatedly in the loss.

In fact, even his NFL peers -- like Chiefs wide receivers Tyreek Hill and Mecole Hardman -- trolled him, especially after he allowed Kupp to score the game-winning touchdown.

But, Apple said on his social media page on Wednesday that the hate is only fueling him ... writing, "Yall ReAwoke A Fire In Me That Will Only Make Me Stronger."

"And Im Beyond Excited To Unleash That Demon Again to Exponential Levels On Any Opp That Lines Up Across From Me Next Season 🖤🐅."

Apple hasn't been shy about talking smack this season -- he's given as much as he's taken. His mom, Annie Apple, has done some chirping of her own on her son's behalf, too.

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.