TMZ Sports - Page 8

The Rams weren't the only ones getting rings on Sunday ... 'cause safety Taylor Rapp proposed to his GF, Dani Johnson, right after L.A.'s huge win!!

The moment happened right on the field ... with the 24-year-old getting down on one knee and asking "Will you marry me?" before presenting Johnson with an engagement ring.

It was incredibly special ... and a few Rams players and supporters of the couple cheered the entire time as the proposal happened.

Johnson -- who was overwhelmed with emotion -- shook her head in acceptance ... and the two hugged and embraced as the picture-perfect ending to the night unfolded.

Rapp and Johnson have been attached at the hip for years now ... and they even attended the prom together in 2015.

The proposal couldn't have been more perfect ... and just in time for Valentine's Day, too!!

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.

The Rams' Super Bowl win was P* -- the champions had a rager for the ages after beating the Bengals on Sunday ... with special guest Gunna!!

TMZ Sports has learned ... the Rams took their celebration from SoFi Stadium to Advanced Air in Hawthorne shortly after the game ... and brought out the "Pushin P" MC to provide the entertainment.

We're told there were 5 open bars for the special event ... as well as tacos, chicken, burgers and hot dogs on a stick.

Rams owner Stan Kroenke and head coach Sean McVay also took to the stage to hype up the crowd ... showing off the Vince Lombardi trophy as the friends and family in attendance cheered on.

The party was decked out in Rams décor as well ... and light sticks and pom-poms were handed out to everyone to show love for the champs.

It was a quick turnaround for Gunna, who was with Kodak Black shortly before the terrifying shooting outside the Justin Bieber after-party on Friday.

We're told there were no issues with this bash, however ... and the good vibes were flowing until 4 AM.

Congrats to the champs!!!

Super Bowl LVI MVP voters got it wrong -- Aaron Donald should've gotten the honor, not Cooper Kupp ... so says Calais Campbell.

The NFL star was adamant about it while leaving SoFi Stadium on Sunday night ... telling TMZ Sports he truly believed Donald deserved the award more than Kupp.

"Cooper Kupp did a great job, he's worthy," Campbell said. "Aaron Donald played an amazing game. He should've been Super Bowl MVP."

Kupp did score the game-winning touchdown -- and he finished the night with 92 receiving yards on eight catches -- but Donald had two sacks and helped force an incompletion on Joe Burrow's final pass of the night.

Campbell clearly believed that was enough to overtake Kupp for the award ... telling us, "He went and earned it today."

In fact, Donald had such a good game ... Campbell said the night put him "in the conversation" for best defensive player ever.

As for the possibility that Donald could retire following the game, Campbell told us he's hoping that doesn't happen ... saying he's not done seeing the Rams superstar yet.

Larry Fitzgerald and Rams fans are all in the same boat following the Super Bowl ... as in, they're all now praying Aaron Donald doesn't walk away from the game after the big win.

The legendary wide receiver told TMZ Sports following L.A.'s victory that he's hoping like hell Donald doesn't now retire ... saying, "That would be a big blow to the league."

Of course, nobody even dreamed it could be a possibility before Sunday ... but Rodney Harrison reported on the broadcast in the leadup to the game that it could definitely happen.

"He also told me this," Harrison said of a conversation with Donald before the Super Bowl, "if he wins a Super Bowl, there's a strong possibility that he could walk away from the game and retire."

Donald sidestepped questions about his future after the win -- appearing to reveal he is, in fact, considering the option -- but Fitzgerald is clearly pleading for it to not go down.

"I hope that's not the case, man," he told us.

Eminem paid tribute to Colin Kaepernick on the biggest of stages at the Super Bowl ... spurring discussion (and some confusion) as to whether the NFL was kosher with the move.

The rapper ended his portion of his set Sunday at SoFi Stadium by dropping down to his knee with his head low, and holding the position for a good while as things transitioned over to Dr. Dre again.

Eventually, he got up and took his place among the other performers -- but what only amounted to about 30 seconds or so ended speaking volumes in the NFL’s backyard.

Of course, the question is ... was it sanctioned or not??? Well, depends on who you ask ... and how you interpret the NFL's official response. There are reports saying the move was forbidden by higher-ups, but a rep for the league went on record Sunday ... saying they’d seen Em take a knee during rehearsals, and were well aware it was included.

Whether they ever asked him not to is a different story -- and not necessarily addressed in the guy's statement here. But, it’s irrelevant now -- the dude did it, and by doing so ... definitely invoked the memory of Kap.

As you know, the ex-QB spent his final year or so in the league doing just this before each game, all in the name of social justice.

Eminem has voiced support for the cause, and it seems he wanted to make a point about it during the most important moment of the broadcast.

Author and activist Michael Eric Dyson saw it live at SoFi, and gave Em major props for the gesture.

File this under bizarre, controversial ... Russian figure skater Kamila Valieva has officially been cleared to continue competing in the Winter Olympics, despite failing a drug test that initially resulted in a suspension from competition.

Last week it was revealed that 15-year-old Valieva tested positive for a banned performance-enhancing substance, trimetazidine (aids blood flow), back in December.

The skater -- who won gold in a team skating event -- was suspended.

But, Valieva appealed the suspension ... and the Court of Arbitration for Sport actually sided with the Olympic skater, paving the way for her to continue competing.

And, part of the reason she was cleared?

CAS Director General Matthieu Reeb said preventing Valieva from competing at the Games "would cause her irreparable harm" ... especially considering she's a minor.

Athletes under 16 are held to less stringent doping standards than that of their adult counterparts ... in the eyes of CAS.

FYI, Russia isn't even officially competing in the Olympics because of pervasive cheating. They're officially called the Russian Olympic Committee.

The governing body also said because Valieva failed the test six weeks ago ... and not at the Olympics, it'd be unfair to keep her from skating.

So, Valieva will now compete ... most likely.

There was only one game in town for celebs Sunday night in L.A. ... yeah, you guessed it.

So, let's go through a partial list ....  Jennifer Lopez, Ben Affleck, Kanye, Olivia Rodrigo, Charlize Theron, Kevin Hart, The Rock, Matt Damon, the Biebers and Kendall Jenner were front and center.

But wait, there's more ... Ellen DeGeneres, Devin Booker, Floyd Mayweather, Keke Palmer, Drake, Adam Devine, Sophie Turner, Joe Jonas, Martha Stewart, The Weeknd, Prince Harry, Tyga, YG, Antonio Brown, Will Farrell, Ryan Reynolds, Sean Penn, Chris Tucker, Tracy Morgan, Chip and Joanna Gaines, Mark Wahlberg, Nelly, 2 Chainz, Steph Curry, Michael Strahan and Shawn Mendes. Oh yea, Jay Z and Beyonce also showed.

And, that doesn't even include the Halftime performers.

Check out the gallery ... good luck L.A. Health Dept, which requires masks indoors ... because there wasn't a mask in sight.

Rams wide receiver Van Jefferson's wife wasn't quite able to catch her hubby's thrilling Super Bowl win on Sunday ... 'cause she had to leave the game early on a stretcher to have the couple's baby!

Samaria Jefferson was rushed out of SoFi Stadium just minutes before L.A. beat the Cincinnati Bengals, 23-20, to win Super Bowl LVI ... according to multiple reporters on the scene.

Thankfully, though, Samaria was able to make it to a medical facility without any issue -- and after Van and the Rams pulled off their comeback, he joined her to welcome their new baby.

Van posted a pic with the newborn just minutes after winning his ring, smiling with glee and writing, "X2!!!!!"

Samaria had spoken about the possibility of the situation just days before the Big Game, telling The Athletic that she was "praying" her water didn't break during the middle of the contest.

In fact, in the hours leading up to the game, she posted on her Instagram page that she was "still praying."

Cameras actually caught Van sprinting out of the stadium following the win ... showing him leaving in a hurry.

The baby is the couple's second child -- they had their first daughter together five years ago.

Snoop Dogg and Dr. Dre did NOT disappoint at the Super Bowl Halftime Show -- and they didn't come empty-handed either ... trotting out none other than 50 Cent.

The two headliners kicked off the star-studded performance Sunday at SoFi Stadium, going through a few of their hits, including 'The Next Episode' and 'California Love,' -- but in the middle of them doing their thing on stage ... Mr. Jackson swung into action down below!

Fitty turned out to be the big surprise guest that had been rumored for weeks now ... and he performed 'In Da Club' on a set piece underneath Snoop and Dre -- this while hanging upside down.

It made for a ton of fanfare ... and folks cheered the trio on. Soon after, Mary J. Blige came on and went through a quick medley as well, before passing the baton on to Kendrick ... who eventually handed things off to Eminem, pumping up the energy with each performance.

Snoop and Dre eventually took center stage once again ... and ended things on a high note with 'Still D.R.E.' -- and were flanked by all the artists by the finale of the song.

Seems like this one was a major homage to the legacy of Dre, and turned out to be pretty damn rad as a result ... living up to the hype and then some.

The Los Angeles Rams are Super Bowl champions ... beating Joe Burrow's Cincinatti Bengals on a late fourth quarter drive, in one of the best SB's in recent history.

The Bengals were leading 20-16 with just minutes to go ... before Matt Stafford led his squad on a 15 play drive that culminated in a Cooper Kupp touchdown.

28-year-old Kupp -- who caught 8 balls for 92 yards and 2 touchdowns -- was named the SB MVP.

It was an incredible game ... close from start to finish.

34-year-old Stafford -- a 13 year NFL vet -- threw for 283 yards and 3 TD's and 2 INT's.

As for 25-year-old Burrow ... he threw for 263 yards and 1 TD.

Aaron Donald was electric. He had 4 combined tackles and 1 sack ... but was a nuisance the entire game.

The Bengals had the ball late, and were driving, with a chance to tie with a field goal or take the lead with a touchdown. The game came down to a 4th and 1. Cue AD ... who pressured JB, forcing the incompletion.

Game over. Super Bowl over. Rams win.

Oh, and the halftime show was awesome. Snoop Dogg, Dr. Dre, Mary J. Blige, Kendrick Lamar, 50 Cent and Eminem killed it!

The Jaguars' hiring of Doug Pederson just got two thumbs up from legendary Jacksonville running back Fred Taylor, who tells TMZ Sports he loves the move.

The former Jag -- who played 11 seasons in Duval -- said he believes the marriage of Pederson and star quarterback Trevor Lawrence could yield huge results.

"Sky is the limit," Taylor said out in L.A. this week. "We’re hoping that. Everybody in Duval hoping it.”

No matter what, things can't get too much worse for the Jaguars -- because, as Fred noted, last season under Urban Meyer was a disaster.

In fact, Taylor actually called it all a "comedy," saying, "It was a big circus, man. Things was all over the place."

But, Taylor is hopeful Pederson can turn things around ... particularly because of the success he had with the Philadelphia Eagles.

You'll recall, Pederson and Philly actually beat Tom Brady and the Patriots at Super Bowl LII in 2018.

Fred, however, did express a desire to see teams hire more Black coaches because "they're more than capable" ... but he said he understands that owners are allowed to make the decisions they deem best for their team.

"The number is the numbers," Taylor said. "I mean, you can’t run from that, and the numbers pretty much show there’s discrimination."

Super Bowl LVI is already off to a bumpy start -- because the folks running the broadcast apparently couldn't tell one of their marquee singers from another ... oof.

Shortly before kickoff Sunday, NBC was introducing R&B singer Jhene Aiko -- who was going to belt out 'America the Beautiful' ... shortly before country singer Mickey Guyton was set to take the mantle for the National Anthem.

All seemed to be going just fine ... that is, until they panned to the wrong person entirely while flashing a Jhene name graphic on the screen. Instead of her, they focused on Mickey -- who was looking on from an elevated platform.

Huge blunder, obviously ... but the camera eventually found the right person in Jhene, who gave us a solid, and somewhat subtle, rendition of the tune.

Mickey was up next, and her performance of 'The Star-Spangled Banner' was absolutely spectacular ... getting huge cheers and applause.

Still, everyone noticed the screw-up that started everything -- and some couldn't help but wonder how and why they could've gotten it that wrong. Here's hoping the rest of the program isn't as messy.

Win or lose ... Odell Beckham Jr. is hitting the field in style today -- the Rams star will be rocking a custom pair of $200K cleats featuring diamonds in them for the Super Bowl LVI pregame.

TMZ Sports has learned ... OBJ teamed up with Dominic Ciambrone, aka "The Shoe Surgeon" in L.A., and Jason of Beverly Hills to create "the most expensive cleat ever" for Beckham to wear on Super Sunday.

We spoke with Dominic -- who has over 1 million followers on his social media page -- and he told us Odell's 1-of-1 cleats feature yellow gold (symbolic of the Rams' colors) and 1,494 round brilliant white diamonds on the Nike swoosh sign.

Dominic tells us the connection between him and OBJ formed after he collaborated with one of Odell's teammates, Jalen Ramsey, to make some cleats for the Rams star cornerback.

"I was making cleats for Jalen and a few other guys," Dominic said. "But this year Jalen hit me ... game one of the playoffs and then Odell hit me."

"We just knew we were going to work together. And it just happened to be on the biggest stage for the sport."

FYI, the turnaround time for a project like this is typically 3-to-5 months, but Dominic told us his team spent over 100 man-hours working on the project to ensure the cleats were ready for game day.

Speaking of the game ... we asked Dominic for a prediction, and, well, he couldn't pick against his friends.

"You already know that answer, man," he said. "The Rams are gonna win."

Adrian Peterson is gonna be in a jail cell this weekend, 'cause he was arrested on his way out of Los Angeles ... TMZ has learned.

Law enforcement sources tell us the ex-Vikings running back was arrested and booked for felony domestic violence Sunday at LAX -- this after airport police got a call at about 8:30 AM over a disturbance on an aircraft leaving LAX and attempting to take off en route to Houston.

We're told the plane actually had to turn around and link up with the gate again after an apparent verbal and physical altercation between a man and woman.

After a preliminary investigation -- and after making required notifications to the FBI -- our sources say Peterson was taken into custody ... as the alleged victim was seen to have sustained a small mark from whatever happened. Indeed ... we're told the woman is Peterson's wife, Ashley Brown.

After her husband was hauled off the plane, we're told the flight was able to depart as planned ... which included Ashley, who stayed on board with the rest of the passengers.

The two of them were in town the night prior, attending a Super Bowl event put on by DIRECTV.

We've reached out to Peterson's camp ... so far, no word back.

Joe Montana says he doesn't believe Tom Brady's career is over just yet ... telling TMZ Sports he thinks there's a good chance the quarterback returns.

The original G.O.A.T. explained his theory to us at the Fanatics event in Los Angeles on Saturday night ... saying he believes Brady is "crazy" to hang up the cleats right now.

"Look at the team he's got, why would you want to leave that?" Montana said. "I don't think it's done yet. I don't think that's over with."

Montana says he's pretty sure the way Brady's 2021 season ended with a heartbreaking loss to the Rams will sway him to ultimately come back.

"He's still able to play at a high level," Joe tells us, "and the way his season ended for him, I would think that with the team he has, give it at least one more shot."

Montana did note that Gisele could play a big role in keeping Brady retired ... but he made it clear if he had to put a bet on it, he'd say Tom returns to the Buccaneers eventually.

As for Brady's opinion on the matter, he did leave the door open for a possible comeback ... saying on his podcast earlier this month, "you never say never."