Football

No shocker that Kim Kardashian locked down a luxury suite at the Super Bowl, and even had it filled with A-listers -- but what is surprising is how NOT lit it was compared to Taylor Swift's.

The photos showing off their respective suites are out, and we gotta say ... the KarJenner box -- at least for some parts of the game -- comes across as a little bit of a snooze fest when ya see the lively scene in T-Swift's area.

Check out the pics for yourself and we'll let you decide which suite feels like the better time.

In Kim's suite, there are people slumped over and leaning on their hands as if they're just running out the clock -- and one dude in there looks like he's about to take a long nap.

The opposite vibe was happening across the way at Tay Tay's suite ... where Blake Lively, Ice Spice, Miles Teller and a few other stars were losing their minds and celebrating a ton. Of course, Taylor herself was leading the charge on the partying ... pounding beers, etc.

Kim's suite was just as star-studded, of course, with Justin and Hailey Bieber and other KarJenner sisters, Russell Wilson and Ciara, La La Anthony, Texans QB C.J. Stroud, Winnie Harlow and Michael Rubin all attending, but things looked sorta quiet.

Now, this ain't a competition or anything -- but the differences are notable because of the history of bad blood between Taylor and Kim ... which, as we recently learned, is still fresh on T-Swift's mind, something she commented on in her TIME Person of the Year cover story.

As we reported ... Taylor said she still feels like Kanye/Kim were wrong over the whole 2016 recorded-convo thing -- and even today, it sounds like she'd appreciate an apology.

Taylor Swift swapped center stage for a Vegas suite ... with all eyes transfixed on her as she cheered on her Kansas City Chiefs BF Travis Kelce to his big win during her first-ever Super Bowl appearance -- and we've got all the highlights right here.

The star came with an entourage for the ages ... she was seated in her suite with Blake Lively, Ice Spice, Lana Del Rey, Miles Teller and his wife Keleigh Sperry, as well as Kelce's family, including his mom Donna, dad Ed, brother Jason Kelce -- and her own dad, Scott Swift.

Like any other girl squad gearing for a night out, the pop idol kicked things off at the Allegiant Stadium with a little alcohol, chugging beer on the big screen for the cheering crowds. Important to note, Taylor's got some skills! She absolutely destroyed her pal Ashley Avignone ... downing the beverage in around 6.6 seconds. Okayyyy T!!!

Now, despite all the fun and festivities, things did get a little intense at the SB ... just ask Tay Tay, she was seen anxiously chowing down on her nails during the fourth quarter -- no doubt hoping the game would unfold in favor of her man Travis. Talk about nail-biting drama both on and off the field!

Thankfully for TS, things did work out with the Chiefs' big win -- and it was the singer herself spearheading the celebrations. Check out the video ... Taylor, Blake, and Ice Spice can't contain themselves, enthusiastically jumping up and down -- and knocking down poor ol' Lana Del Rey as the victory dance got a bit intense.

It wasn't long before she left her suite ... rushing out onto the pitch to plant a kiss on TK. In this angle of the kiss seen worldwide, you can hear Travis asking her: "Was it electric?" Taylor responds: "It was unbelievable. One of the craziest things I've ever experienced!" What a moment!

Of course, the festivities continued long into the evening ... with Taylor's catalog of hits getting everyone on their feet at the after-party.

Just have a look; everyone's boppin' along to "You Belong With Me," ... and "Love Story" gave her a chance to enjoy another kiss with Travis, of course.

It was clearly a night filled with love, music and championship glory -- Until next time, SB!

Usher had a ton of people "caught up" during his Super Bowl LVIII halftime show ... including Ne-Yo -- who tells TMZ Sports the R&B legend's performance was top five of all time!

Ne-Yo made the claim following the Big Game out in Las Vegas ... after Usher wowed the Allegiant Stadium crowd with his singing, dancing and skating skills.

"I liked it!" Ne-Yo told us. "I liked it a lot!"

The "Miss Independent" crooner wasn't the only one who loved what Usher did while singing alongside Alicia Keys, Ludacris and Lil Jon ... Janelle Monae also said she was a big fan of the spectacle.

In fact, she said the act should put Usher squarely in the discussion when it comes time to talk about music's GOATs.

"So proud of him," the 38-year-old singer said. "I love you, Usher!"

Of course, there were some haters ... including boxing star Gervonta Davis, who wasn't pleased with the way Usher caressed Keys during their rendition of "My Boo."

Kim Kardashian and Odell Beckham Jr. made contact this weekend in public -- although, it does seem they're still trying to maintain somewhat of a low profile as a new item.

The rumored couple was spotted in the same vicinity Saturday night at the Fanatics Party at the Marquee Dayclub in the Cosmopolitan -- and TMZ obtained new video that shows them briefly going in for a hug ... albeit, one from which Kim seemed to quickly pull away.

Check out the clip ... you see them go in for a quick, friendly hello -- and Kim almost wraps her right arm around Odell's neck, but quickly yanks it down and away before she can fully wrap her arms around him.

What's interesting about that is ... that same evening Khloe was trying to block cameras from recording KK and OBJ as they all boarded an elevator -- as seen in other footage we also got. So, it feels like they're trying to keep things on the DL.

The weird thing about this is ... if they're really trying to hide their relationship, why even show up in Vegas together at all??? Everyone saw them this weekend, and they were kinda trailing each other all over the place Saturday night, very conspicuously.

If Kim and Odell are, in fact, trying to throw people off the scent of them being together, they're not doing a very good job. Rumors of them dating have been swirling for months.

Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce are on top of the world after a photo finish at the Super Bowl -- and they celebrated their love in epic fashion afterward, including with a song.

The couple hit up a private party at Zouk inside Resorts World Las Vegas Sunday night -- where the Chainsmokers were handling music duties for a packed club -- and one of the highlights was Tay Tay and TK singing one of her most famous songs to one another from afar.

Of course, we're talking about "You Belong With Me" ... which the DJ duo started playing/mixing into an EDM-inspired track -- and which caused Travis to jump into their booth immediately.

Check it out ... the dude was more than happy to start belting out the well-known tune, and he even turned to Taylor -- who was out in the crowd behind him -- to serenade her from where he was at. She was singing back to him too BTW ... they were singing to each other.

It was pretty sweet ... and they actually kept the lovey-dovey vibes going by dancing together to the same track later on. And yes, there was a lot of smooching going on between them as well. Taylor and Travis were locking lips all night, and tied at the hip coming and going.

Other highlights from their wild night out ... Post Malone came onstage to perform, which is timely considering the guy is one of the only features on her upcoming album, "The Tortured Poets Department."

Tyga and Ludacris also performed at Zouk -- and the place was absolutely bumping the entire time.

Taylor and Travis didn't just hit up Zouk, BTW -- although, they did seem to start the night there. They were also spotted at XS Las Vegas a little later... smooching there as well.

Indeed, it's the real-life love story everyone's been watching ... and it came to a fairy tale conclusion this weekend. Like we said, TS and TK are head over heels, and it shows.

The obvious question now is ... what happens between them now??? Love ... marriage?

They're officially a dynasty ... the Kansas City Chiefs just won Super Bowl LVIII in THRILLING fashion, thanks to a Patrick Mahomes game-winning drive in overtime!

60 minutes wasn't enough to decide the NFL season ... and with the Chiefs down 3 after the Niners kicked a field goal in the opening possession of OT, the legendary K.C. QB got the ball, and drove down the field, culminating in a Mecole Hardman touchdown pass.

25-22 Chiefs, game over, Super Bowl over, immortal status achieved for Mahomes and head coach Andy Reid ... who now both have 3 rings apiece, putting them in rarified air.

Mahomes is also a 3x Super Bowl MVP.

It also marks the first time a team has repeated since Tom Brady's New England Patriots did it in 2004 and 2005.

Mahomes threw for 333 yards with 2 touchdowns and an interception ... and was perfect when he needed to be on the last drive of the game -- when his Chiefs needed a field goal to extend the game, or a TD to win.

Travis Kelce had a big second half ... after a slow start to the game, catching 9 balls for 93 yards, including a huge run and catch in overtime.

During the Lombardi Trophy presentation, Kelce said the team wanted 3 straight Super Bowl wins ... so, it's clear they're not done yet.

As the superstar tight end spoke, Taylor Swift and mom Donna Kelce watched in front of the podium ... before Travis came over and shared a lengthy hug and kiss with his GF.

As for the 49ers, they put up a helluva fight ... and Brock Purdy -- who threw for 255 yards and a touchdown -- made some nice plays, especially during his team's lone OT possession.

Unfortunately for San Francisco, Mahomes and the Chiefs were ultimately too much.

Shawne Merriman is furious his good pal and former teammate Antonio Gates didn't make the cut for the Hall of Fame on Thursday ... and now, he's demanding an explanation from the committee.

Lights Out didn't hold back when TMZ Sports spoke with him about the Chargers legend's HOF snub ... saying point blank, "This is pretty much an embarrassment, man."

"This one needs an explanation," he said. "Because if you watch football, in the last two decades, there's no way in the world that Antonio Gates is not a first-ballot Hall of Famer."

Instead of Gates, the committee chose to put in Dwight Freeney, Devin Hester, Andre Johnson, Julius Peppers and Patrick Willis.

Clearly, Merriman thinks Gates got robbed ... adding, "I was shocked just like every other football fan was."

The sad part ... Merriman -- who played with Gates from 2005 through 2010 -- said he knows Gates is feeling down about it all.

"I know this has to bother him some," Merriman said.

Of course, Shawne is confident Gates will get his gold jacket sooner rather than later ... but in the meantime, he really wants to know why it didn't happen this week.

Travis Kelce was FUMING on the sideline after the Chiefs fumbled the ball in the red zone, bumping Andy Reid and screaming in his face ... nearly knocking the coach on his ass!

The incident went down during the 2nd quarter of the Super Bowl after K.C. star RB Isiah Pacheco turned the ball over deep in Niners territory ... a play Kelce watched from the sideline.

The NFL superstar was none too pleased -- and expressed his frustration, yelling inches away from his coach's face -- as girlfriend Taylor Swift watched from her suite.

Trav also slammed his helmet.

Of course, Kelce and Reid go way back to 2013, when both men joined the organization. Both guys are future Hall of Famers.

It's not the first time Kelce has lost it on the sideline. Remember back to the Christmas Day game vs. the Raiders when Travis blew his top on the sideline.

Through a quarter and a half, the game has been incredibly tense ... with star players on both teams making mistakes.

The 49ers, however, lead 10-0 ... after Christian McCaffrey scored a touchdown late in the 1st half.

Kelce has been relatively quiet (besides all the screaming), catching just one ball for one yard. We'll see if the sideline incident gets him going.

2:26 PM PT -- NFL commissioner Roger Goodell just had a one-on-one chat with Taylor ... hopefully he remembered to thank her for all the new fans she's brought to the sport!!!

1:39 PM PT -- Taylor's giving out hugs left and right ... with Travis' brother Jason Kelce wrapping her up in a short embrace before introducing himself to Ice Spice with a courteous handshake. Ever the gentleman, Jason!

1:30 PM PT -- Taylor Swift is in the building!!! CBS' broadcast just showed the pop star pulling up to Allegiant Stadium along with several close/famous friends including Ice Spice who appears to be hugging Swift's mom Andrea and Blake Lively who'se decked in a bright red jacket.

Taylor Swift is on the move -- she just took off in a private jet headed to Las Vegas ... and just in time too, 'cause the Super Bowl is low-key about to start pretty damn soon!

The pop star boarded her aircraft late Sunday morning -- flying out of L.A. and heading to Sin City to see her boyfriend, Travis Kelce, and the Chiefs take on the San Francisco 49ers at Allegiant Stadium. Everyone assumed she'd be there, and she's on her way now.

Tay Tay was once again being covered by umbrellas (just like yesterday) as she got on her PJ -- and from the looks of it ... she and the peeps she's rolling with are rocking Chiefs gear.

She oughta be landing pretty soon here ... and from the looks of it, her motorcade is already waiting for her in Vegas. She's got a brigade of SUVs all set -- as if she was POTUS! We suppose we wouldn't expect anything less for T-Swift, she kinda is American royalty.

Anyway, it looks like our theory of her crashing in L.A. for the night after a long flight from Tokyo ended up being correct. Rather than just go straight there, she laid low for a night.

It was a whirlwind trip for her, no doubt, and she's probably running on fumes right now.

And yet ... she's being a total trooper and making the trek to Vegas to see Travis, where she'll get a chance to cheer her head off on the biggest stage in American sports. And yes, as we reported -- she'll be in a private suite with her fam and Travis' brood too, no question.

Folks have been glued to their screens to see when Taylor will be landing in Vegas -- and now, it looks like she's pretty much at the finish line. The flight from L.A. is like 45 minutes.

Her being at the Super Bowl is this fairytale story coming full circle ... her NFL journey has been one for the ages -- and it's either gonna end in pure bliss with a W, or something else.

At any rate ... we're all stoked to see how it plays out, and we're sure TK's happy too.

The game is right around the corner -- kicking off at 3:30 PM PT -- and Taylor is about to take Vegas by storm. We're sure it'll be a circus ... but nothing she can't handle. And per usual ... she's sort of arriving at the 11th hour -- but she'll be right on time regardless.

Here we go!!!

2:26 PM PT -- El comisionado de la NFL Roger Goodell acaba de tener una charla a solas con Taylor... ¡Esperemos que se haya acordado de agradecerle todos los nuevos fans que ha traído al deporte!

1:39 PM PT -- Taylor está repartiendo abrazos a diestra y siniestra, con el hermano de Travis -Jason Kelce- envolviéndola en un corto abrazo antes de presentarla a Ice Spice con un cortés apretón de manos. ¡Todo un caballero!

1:30 PM PT -- ¡Taylor Swift está aquí! La emisión de la CBS acaba de mostrar a la estrella del pop llegando al Estadio Allegiant junto con varios amigos cercanos y famosos, incluyendo a Ice Spice, que parece estar abrazando a la madre de Swift, Andrea, y a Blake Lively, que está vestida con una chaqueta de color rojo brillante.

Taylor Swift acaba de despegar en un jet privado con destino a Las Vegas, y justo a tiempo, ¡porque el Super Bowl está a punto de comenzar!

La estrella del pop subió a su avión el domingo por la mañana, volando fuera de Los Ángeles y en dirección a la Ciudad del Pecado para ver a su novio -Travis Kelce- y los Chiefs enfrentarse a los San Francisco 49ers en el Estadio Allegiant. Todo el mundo asumió que ella estaría allí, y no se equivocaron.

TayTay fue una vez más cubierta por los paraguas (al igual que ayer) mientras subía a su vehículo, y se le podía ver con ropa de los Chiefs.

Debería aterrizar muy pronto, y por lo que parece, su caravana ya la está esperando en Las Vegas. Tiene una brigada de todoterrenos preparados. Suponemos que no esperábamos menos de Taylor, ella es la realeza americana.

De todos modos, parece que nuestra teoría de que llegó a Los Ángeles para pasar la noche después de un largo vuelo desde Tokio terminó siendo correcta. En lugar de ir directamente allí, se quedó una noche.

Fue un viaje relámpago y probablemente está corriendo en estos momentos.

Sin embargo, sabemos que su amor por Travis puede más, y tendrá la oportunidad de animar a su novio en el escenario más grande en los deportes estadounidenses. Y sí, como informamos, ella estará en una suite privada con su familia y la de Travis.

La gente ha estado pegada a sus pantallas para ver cuando Taylor va a aterrizar en Las Vegas, y parece que está por llegar. El vuelo desde Los Ángeles es de unos 45 minutos.

Su presencia en el Super Bowl es una historia de cuento de hadas llegando a su final feliz.

Todos estamos emocionados de ver cómo se desarrolla esta historia, y estamos seguros de Travis también está viviendo un sueño.

El partido está a la vuelta de la esquina -a las 3:30 PM PT- y Taylor está a punto de llegar a Las Vegas. Estamos seguros de que va a ser una locura... pero nada que no pueda manejar.

Aquí vamos.

It's Super Bowl Sunday, and the field where the Kansas City Chiefs and the San Francisco 49ers are set to face off later this afternoon is pretty much all ready to be trampled on.

Check out these pics of a pretty pristine gridiron over at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas -- where the two teams will file in pretty soon to start warming up for the big game ... not to mention thousands of fans who paid top dollar to be there, nose-bleeds or otherwise.

As you can see, the field has been properly marked and labeled with the Chiefs and 49ers logos on each end ... and workers are adding some finishing touches down there too.

Indeed, it certainly looks Super Bowl ready -- and in about 3 hours, the grass will be totally trashed after a ton of bulky dudes running around and tackling each other. Football, baby!

Anyway, the lockers for each team are also in tip-top shape and all set to be used. The jerseys and helmets are all laid out -- and everyone's got their name above their own locker too. Brock Purdy of the 49ers has his spot already designated, as does everyone else.

It's pretty neat to get a behind-the-scenes look at the quiet before the storm ... right now, it's just personnel people in the building -- but soon, this place is gonna be absolutely packed.

Big day obviously, for a number of reasons. Not only is there a football game to be played -- with a huge halftime show in store -- but everyone's gonna have eyes on Taylor Swift as well.

More specifically ... everyone will be watching to see how she reacts to a potential win or loss, and whether Travis Kelce has any ideas if he's riding high on yet another SB victory.

Donald Trump says he'd be shocked if Taylor Swift endorsed President Joe Biden again ... 'cause Donald says he made her a ton of money -- and implied he expects some loyalty.

The former prez took to Truth Social early Sunday morning and addressed the world's biggest celebrity couple -- as well as rumblings that Taylor would endorse Biden again.

DT started by touting one of his legislative accomplishments ... passing the Music Modernization Act -- a law that basically changed the way songwriters and music publishers are paid certain royalties -- on the whole, it helps artists receive fairer compensation.

The MMA was signed into law in 2018, under 45 ... so he feels he helped make Swift some serious cash -- adding Joe Biden hasn't done "anything for Taylor, and never will."

He then invoked the word "disloyal" ... saying Swift could never turn against "the man who made her so much money."

Trump finished off his post with some complimentary words for Travis Kelce ... saying he quite likes the two-time Super Bowl champ -- even if he is a liberal!

While not outright complimentary of Swift, this seems like a shift away from his campaign's reported strategy regarding the world's biggest pop star.

Remember ... Rolling Stone reported the Trump campaign was preparing for a "holy war" against her. Unclear exactly what that means, but this isn't the blatant condemnation one would expect from holy warriors.

It does seem to draw a line in the sand though ... ex-POTUS expects loyalty -- and it seems like the situation could get messy if T-Swift doesn't kiss the ring.

Taylor endorsed Joe for his 2020 presidential run ... and it seems unlikely she'll back Trump this time, though we suppose anything is possible.

Kickoff is just a few hours away ... but a much bigger battle seems to be brewing on the horizon.

Kim Kardashian and Odell Beckham Jr. have said they're just friends, but there's plenty of smoke that it's more than that ... and this video is adding fuel to what has become a fire.

Kim and Odell were at The Wynn in Las Vegas Saturday night, ahead of Super Bowl LVIII. Kim was shepherded through the hotel with Odell staying close.

You see them both in a crowded elevator, with Kim seemingly hiding in the back.

The duo had just left Michael Rubin's Fanatics Super Bowl party which had tons of stars, including Ice Spice, Khloe Kardashian, Tiffany Haddish, Karrueche Tran and many others.

K&O have never confirmed the relationship, but the dating rumors have been circulating since the Summer ... after his breakup with LoLo Wood.

They were also spotted at a pre-Grammy party last weekend thrown by Jay-Z.

5:49 PM PT -- Taylor’s journey is nearly at an end ... ‘cause she just hopped off the plane -- though her entourage did her best to hide her.

Here’s a snap of the pop star hopping into an SUV ... almost completely covered by a light blue umbrella held by one of her team members and a car door, but we're assured that's her.

The SUV she’s getting into appeared to pull up to the airport not that long ago ... followed by a couple more cars with completely tinted windows -- almost certainly Tay’s motorcade.

Unclear what the next destination might be ... though it seems pretty clear she’s headed to her Bev Hills mansion.

4:00 PM PT -- The plane believed to be carrying Taylor Swift has landed in Los Angeles -- and people were watching far and wide on livestreams that captured the momentous touchdown.

The L.A. Flights YouTube Channel was documenting the whole thing, and captured the moment it hit the ground to the moments it started coming down the taxiway as it went toward a private hangar at LAX. Good angles on the private jet too ... you could totally see it.

One notable thing about the jet was the fact that all the windows were closed as it came in for a landing ... which is interesting. If TayTay's on there, seems she didn't wanna be seen.

Unclear if anyone's gotten off yet ... but everyone's waiting on shots of her leaving the airport at some point -- assuming she doesn't refuel and take off again. Everyone's watching.

We should note ... the scene at LAX is crawling with cops and extra security. Sounds like someone big is in town -- and most everyone believes it's the Princess of Pop herself.

Welp, Taylor Swift's taken off from Tokyo ... and super fans are tracking a plane they're pretty sure she's on -- and from the looks of it, she's headed for Los Angeles, not Las Vegas.

Here's the deal ... a ton of Swifties are tracking a flight that left Tokyo's Haneda Airport at roughly the same time it seems Swift did. Its current destination -- L.A., specifically LAX ... and it's expected to touch down later today.

Let's be clear, we don't know for certain if this is Taylor's jet or not -- this isn't the one she normally uses, it seems -- but all signs point to this being an aircraft carrying the superstar back stateside ... closer to her Bev Hills home, as opposed to Vegas ... where Travis Kelce and co. obviously are right now. So the question ... why would she be landing in L.A.?

Well, frankly ... there are a number of reasons Taylor might be stopping in the City of Angels before heading on to Sin City -- but some theories make a lot more sense than others.

First and foremost ... the issue of customs has been raised by some as a possible reason she's stopping off in L.A. first. Taylor's coming back from a foreign country, and even mega pop stars need to have their planes checked by customs agents -- something a handful of fans are theorizing she needs to do in L.A. ... y'know since it's a big airport and all.

Turns out, that's unlikely. We've looked up official FAA guidelines, and they state you only have to land at a point of entry to get back to the U.S. after flying in from a foreign country -- and turns out, Las Vegas' Harry Reid International Airport fits the bill -- it's listed as one of those points of entry she could use. Customs could easily check her if she landed in Vegas.

A more feasible reason she ain't going straight to Vegas ... the airport in Vegas is running out of parking spots for private planes -- possibly the biggest first-world problem in history.

Check out this pic from a local Vegas social account ... the airport's packed to the gills, and The Athletic reports spots for private planes were all snatched up at least several weeks before Super Bowl weekend ... so, any procrastinating jet setters are out of luck.

Now we know Taylor's team isn't like that -- she may well have secured her spot a while ago -- but there's still a major parking issue for PJs at the airport ... tons of NFL players, execs and other celebs are flying in, so they're taking up a lot of space.

Reports have suggested Taylor could still fly in and land at Harry Reid if she was dead-set on doing so, but her jet might not be able to stay if she didn't lock down a parking spot already -- so it'd potentially have to be a quick drive-by/drop-off type deal if she was insistent on it.

But let's be real ... it's Taylor freakin' Swift, y'all -- if she wants a spot at the Vegas airport, she's getting one, so we don't think a parking situation is truly keeping her outta town.

Now, for a much more likely explanation for why TS might skip heading to Vegas tonight ... TMZ has confirmed the existence of a particular rule in the NFL -- namely, players are NOT allowed to stay with wives/GFs the night before games -- any games. And you bet your ass that goes double for Super Bowl week ... and we're hearing in its full effect this week.

We don't know if this is a league-wide mandate, if it varies from team to team, or even if it's just an unwritten rule passed down over time -- all we know for certain is that when it comes to Super Bowl Sunday, the players are basically on lockdown for the wee hours of the night.

As it pertains to Taylor Swift ... flying hours and hours to see her man, Travis, play seems to be the bigger deal here -- and while we're sure she'd love to see him as much as possible beforehand, there's not much of an incentive to rush to Vegas with such strict restrictions.

Now, Taylor's got a house here in town (L.A.) ... so if she isn't heading straight to Vegas from L.A. later this afternoon -- which is when she's expected to land -- she can presumably rest up after a tiring journey and make the easy hour-long flight to Vegas tomorrow AM.

She'll still be able to land way before kickoff, meet up with her and Travis' families at the suite he paid for and probably feel a whole heck of a lot better before cheering her head off.

T-Swift's a woman of mystery when it comes to travel ... and she could surprise us all by actually going to Vegas tonight -- so we'll just have to wait and see what Taylor decides.

Brett Favre has been a bit of a good luck charm for the Kansas City Chiefs -- they're 2-0 when he's attended their recent Super Bowls -- but he can't make it to the big game this weekend ... and now, he's hoping that doesn't jinx Patrick Mahomes and Co.

The NFL legend tells TMZ Sports ... because of his close relationship with Andy Reid, he's previously gone out to two of K.C.'s three most recent SB appearances to give a championship pep talk to the team.

Both times, he said, they won ... so, naturally, Reid invited him out to Las Vegas this week to keep the streak going.

However, Favre says he's not going to be able to be in attendance this year -- and he's nervous about the juju it might bring to Chiefs Kingdom.

"Knock on wood!" the ex-Packers quarterback said.

Superstitions aside, Favre tells us he's super proud of what Reid has accomplished since the two worked together in Green Bay way back in the 1990s ... telling us he could see even then that Reid had this in him.

In fact, he says he's never seen Andy happier ... and he can't fathom Big Red retiring after Sunday no matter what happens against the 49ers.

"He's enjoying -- maybe more so than any other time in his career -- what he's doing," Favre said. "He seems to be in a really good place."

You can catch Sam Hartman on a football field, in a weight room, or in a quarterback meeting ... but one place you won't find the former Notre Dame superstar is a barbershop -- 'cause he tells TMZ Sports he knows he simply cannot cut his luscious locks.

The Fighting Irish star spoke with us while out in Las Vegas for Super Bowl week ... and he explained that one thing he's learned since he's risen to stardom -- both on the field and off of it -- is that his hair has to be here to stay.

"People are adamant about that," Hartman said with a laugh. "And my mom likes it."

Of course, the 'do has certainly opened up a lot of doors for the 24-year-old in the past year or so. While his play on the field has obviously garnered him a lot of attention in the sports world -- his looks have turned him into an internet sensation.

In fact, an ad he just recently appeared in has already gained over 20 MILLION views on TikTok ... with most of the watchers droolin' over his mane in the comment section.

Hartman is clearly aware of it all ... telling us jokingly, "Shoutout to Mom for giving me the hair and giving me the good genetics."

But, the signal-caller has his eyes slated on far more than being a heartthrob ... he's gunning to make the NFL -- working his tail off this offseason so a team will select him in April's draft.