New England Patriots

Matt Damon is in NFL denial ... 'cause the guy honestly believes the New England Patriots would NEVER have been defeated by the Baltimore Ravens if they weren't riddled with injuries.

Problem is ... the Pats weren't as injured as Damon made them out to be.

Matt -- a Boston-native -- had just arrived at LAX last night when someone asked why his team folded in the AFC Championship this past Sunday.

"Lotta injuries," Damon said ... "They couldn't beat us full strength."

Obviously, the Pats were missing Rob Gronkowski going into Sunday's game ... but that's really their only big-time guy who was sidelined with an injury (forearm).

A couple of important Pats players were hurt DURING the matchup -- including CB Aqib Talib and RB Stevan Ridley ... but hey, that's part of the game, right?

But when Damon was asked who he's rooting for in the Super Bowl -- the Ravens or the 49ers -- he still refused to acknowledge defeat ... saying, "I'm going for a healthy New England team, that's the best team in the country."

Wes Welker's wife should NEVER have said a peep about Ray Lewis ... this according to another famous (ex-)wife of the sporting world ... Linda Hogan ... who tells TMZ, it's never okay for an athlete's lady to be such a sore loser in public.

In case you missed it ... Wes' wife -- Anna Burns Welker -- went off on Lewis via Facebook after the Ravens dashed the Pats' Super Bowl chances. She later apologized ... but not before the personal jabs were already delivered.

Now Linda -- a former athlete's wife herself (kind of) -- is dishing out some jabs of her own ... calling Anna's outburst "way uncool."

According to Linda, Anna can say whatever she wants behind closed doors ... but "in a public situation, [athletes' wives] don't really have a place to make an opinion."

12:00 PM PT -- Anna just posted an apology ... "I apologize to Ray Lewis and his family for my comments. In no way did I mean for them to be mean or hurtful. I'm embarrassed for being a sore loser. I wish Ray and the Ravens good luck. Lesson learned!"

Wes Welker's wife hates Ray Lewis ... and not just because the Ravens beat the Patriots yesterday ... it's 'cause she thinks he's a terrible human being ... and she made her feelings known on Facebook.

After Sunday's AFC Championship game ... Anna Burns Welker went to her Facebook page and posted the following message:

"Proud of my husband and the Pats. By the way, if anyone is bored, please go to Ray Lewis' Wikipedia page. 6 kids 4 wives. Acquitted for murder. Paid a family off. Yay. What a hall of fame player! A true role model!"

The post has since been deleted.

FYI -- Lewis was charged with murder back in 2000 for his involvement in a fight that resulted in two deadly stabbings ... but the murder charge was dropped as part of a plea deal.

Oh yeah, the four wives thing ... Lewis has never been married -- but he does have six kids with four different women.

And you don't want to get on his bad side.

Fact is, Anna should've known better -- because last year after the Super Bowl, Tom Brady's wife Gisele Bundchen blasted Wes Welker for dropping a key pass ... and people trashed her for it.

New England Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski is out with a broken arm, but luckily for him he can recover in sunny Florida ... because he recently dropped $1.6 million on a new beachside party pad.

The NFL superstar -- who has a serious reputation for getting loose -- inked a deal to buy the 4,781-square-foot mansion in Tampa just a few months after signing a $54 million extension contract with the Pats.

Gronk's new 4-bedroom, 5-bath crib is a partier's dream. It sports custom built-in fish tanks, primo surround sound for the whole house, three outdoor entertainment areas, infinity pool, spa, and ocean views ... which are sure to impress the ladies.

Of course, Rob needs to do a lil recovering before he can take full advantage -- he just had surgery last Monday to fix his broken forearm.

NBC may be in hot water with the FCC ... after the network aired a seemingly never-ending, crystal-clear "bullsh*t" chant that erupted in the stadium during the Ravens vs. Patriots game on "Sunday Night Football."

In case you were watching the Emmys last night ... things got pretty insane during last night's prime time NFL matchup ... when the crowd in Baltimore was convinced the replacement refs blew another call and unleashed the most perfectly executed "BS" chant we've ever heard.

Even announcer Al Michaels commented, "It's the loudest manure chant I've ever heard."

The FCC often declines to punish networks when a "fleeting expletive" makes it to air during a live sporting event ... and it's unclear if they're even legally allowed to do so. But since this "BS" chant was so clear and went on for several minutes, it's possible the FCC could drop the hammer on NBC for failing to cut the sound out of the broadcast.

We've reached out to the FCC -- and a rep told us they were "looking into the matter."

A rep for NBC had no comment.

Tom Brady suffered a gigantic blow to his prettiness Sunday when he busted his nose on the field ... but teammate Wes Welker thinks he'll be fine 'cause Tom is "the toughest metrosexual I've ever come across."

In case you missed it, Tom may have broken his perfect honker when Tennessee Titans behemoth Kamerion Wimbley smashed him in the face during the Patriots' 34-13 victory.

After the game, Welker told the Boston Herald, "[Tom is] such a good-looking guy ... obviously, he gets banged up, and he's probably the toughest metrosexual I've ever come across."

As if being a gorgeous, buff, rich NFL QB wasn't enough, Tom Brady further proved he's living the ultimate life by getting a hot wet kiss from his gorgeous pregnant supermodel wife Gisele at New England Patriots training camp in Boston on Wednesday.

Did we mention his two adorable sons were there too?

Tom Brady loves to put the future of the New England Patriots in jeopardy -- because last week, he partook in some extremely risky behavior for an NFL quarterback ... jumping off a MASSIVE waterfall in Costa Rica.

It all went down in Montezuma July 16 -- Tom, Gisele, and some buddies went swimming ... and subsequently decided to tempt fate by throwing themselves off a giant rock face.

Thankfully for Pats fans, Brady wasn't injured -- but we're guessing his coaches won't be pleased by the photographs.

Bald is not beautiful ... it's embarrassing ... and men should do whatever it takes to hide their hairless shame ... so implies Wes Welker -- the new face of hair transplant surgery.

The 31-year-old New England Patriots wide receiver has revealed ... he underwent hair transplant surgery back in July after noticing his hair was starting to thin.

In fact, Welker is enjoying his new thickened mop so much, he's agreed to star in an ad campaign with the man who re-populated his melon, Dr. Robert Leonard of Leonard Hair Transplant Associates.

According to the LHTA, Welker's procedure went down in July -- with doctors "transplanting follicles to an area of Welker’s scalp where his hair had started to thin."

5 hours later, Welker's dome was good to go ... and according to LHTA, Welker was "immediately able to resume his regular activities, including training for the football season and even wearing a helmet."

It's hard being teammates with Tom Brady ... that beautiful sonofabitch.

New England Patriots wide receiver Wes Welker was kicked out of a fancy restaurant in Aspen, CO Friday night -- after his posse allegedly got into a physical altercation with the bouncers.

According to the NY Post, Welker and a few of his pals hit up the Patron-sponsored Summerology event at Above the Salt restaurant -- part of the Aspen Food & Wine Classic.

Welker and his boys reportedly tried to rush inside the event without checking in with the door people ... so security stepped in and physically restrained the Super Bowl scapegoat.

Welker's crew was pissed -- and sources tell the Post, tensions were running so high, a fight nearly ensued.

According to the Post, cops responded to the scene and booted Welker's group from the property.

OK, so HE was the one who went topless ... but DAMN.

New England Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski ditched his shirt ... and donned a pair of d-bag shades ... to host the Hot 100 party at Wet Republic on Vegas this weekend.

Of course, Rob isn't shy about his ridiculous physique ... dude tore off his shirt at a Super Bowl after-party back in February ... a move that was highly scrutinized 'cause his team had just LOST.

Gisele Bundchen knows ... the best way to get your husband to forgive you for publicly trashing his butterfingery teammates ... is by prancing around in a tiny bikini.

Gisele and Super Bowl XLVI loser Tom Brady were spotted in a beachfront lip-lock/ ass-grab in Central America this weekend ... during a family vacation with their son Benjamin.

As TMZ previously reported, several of Tom's New England Patriots teammates were "disappointed" when Gisele vented after the Super Bowl ... saying, "My husband cannot f***ing throw the ball and catch the ball at the same time."

Despite the fact the Patriots LOST ... and her hubby threw for a SAFETY ... Gisele Bundchen tried to comfort Tom Brady in the moments after the Super Bowl ... by LYING TO HIS FACE.

TMZ obtained video shot inside the stadium as Tom was on his way to address the media ... in which Gisele chases down Tom ... embraces him ... and whispers, "You played the best game of your life ... you were amazing."

Tom says a few words back ... and seems to appreciate the intent ... but then sends her away to talk to the press ... promising he'll only take a few minutes.

As for the REAL best game of Tom's career ... so many options:

Super Bowl XXXVI -- MVP
Super Bowl XXXVIII -- MVP
Jan. 14, 2012 -- throws for 6 TDs in a playoff game.
Oct. 18, 2009 -- throws 5 TDs in ONE QUARTER!
Jan. 12, 2008 -- completes 92.9% of his passes in a playoff game.

Just when you wanted to hate the guy for winning $50,000 on a freak Super Bowl bet -- Giants fan Jona Rechnitz tells TMZ, he's donating every last cent to multiple charities ... INCLUDING one of Tom Brady's choice.

In case you didn't know, Jona -- who runs a successful real estate company in New York -- hit the JACKPOT yesterday, betting $1,000 on the Giants to score the first points in the big game with a safety. The odds were 50 to 1.

Jona tells us, he plans to donate $5,000 to Tom's charity of choice -- in the hopes Tom and the Pats will match it -- and $5,000 to the charities of choice for the Giants defensive linemen who made the safety play. Jona also wants to take Tom out for an all-expenses-paid falafel dinner.

As for the rest, Jona says he plans to divide up the balance after taxes ... and donate it to a bunch of charities benefiting the less fortunate.

Jona says he only makes one bet a year -- on the Super Bowl -- and this year, it finally paid off.

Gisele Bundchen should have kept her perfectly-shaped mouth shut last night -- this according to multiple sources inside the Patriots organization, who claim the supermodel violated a "code of brotherhood" by bashing Tom Brady's receivers.

Sources tell TMZ, the teammates are "disappointed" Gisele decided to air her grievances after the game last night -- when she said, "My husband cannot f***ing throw the ball and catch the ball at the same time. I can't believe they dropped the ball so many times."

According to sources, Tom's teammates feel betrayed by Gisele's behavior -- the Pats organization is a brotherhood and Gisele's pot shot violated the code -- which is basically ... win as a team, lose as a team.

As one source put it, "It's like knocking someone when they are down."

The New York Giants CELEBRATED THEIR FACES OFF on the plane ride home from the Super Bowl ... singing and dancing like crazy ... and it was all captured on tape.

Linebacker Mark Herzlich posted a video on his Twitter page ... featuring running back Andre Brown leading a chant in which he screamed, "I GOT A RING!" ... and the guys would respond, "WE GOT ONE TOO!"

Herzlich tweeted a note with the video that read, "I'd say we are pretty excited."

It's safe to say the New England Patriots flight was quite different.