TMZ Sports - Page 50

Trevor Noah's backing up Taylor Swift ... saying the Grammys wouldn't focus lenses on her like the NFL -- they'd go after a former player.

The comedian just took to the Grammys stage to perform his opening monologue -- during which he stayed real positive and complimentary -- before mentioning the world's biggest pop star and chastising NFL fans for blaming Taylor for the amount football broadcasts cut to her.

Noah said she doesn't control the cameras, so people need to chill out ... before insisting that every time someone mentioned Swift, he'd make sure the cameras cut to an ex-NFL player.

The camera then jumped ... to actor and "America's Got Talent" host Terry Crews, who looked totally surprised by the attention.

If you don't know, TC wasn't always an actor -- he played 32 NFL games for three teams between 1991 and 1995 ... the perfect person for TN to use in his revenge plan.

Terry cracked up ... with Noah continuing to yel; funny/harassing things at the absolutely ripped 55-year-old.

It's all in good fun and an especially topical joke ... 'cause Taylor's probably heading to the Super Bowl in Las Vegas next week -- so NFL fans can expect more Swift on their screen soon enough

BTW ... Taylor looked stunning in a flowing white dress on the red carpet -- which she was left to walk alone because of her man Travis Kelce's practice schedule.

3:49 PM PT -- Mahomes Sr. was released on $10,000 bail ... according to online jail records.

Patrick Mahomes Sr. was arrested for driving while intoxicated for the third time or more ... TMZ has learned.

The 53-year-old father of Patrick Mahomes was arrested Saturday night in Texas according to online booking records. Bond is reportedly expected to be set later today.

This isn't Mahomes' first arrest for DWI ... he was also reportedly arrested back in 2019 for DWI second or more for which he was sentenced to 40 days in jail. He reportedly served the time on weekends to fulfill his requirement.

It's a pretty wild time for Mahomes Sr. to be arrested ... his son is just days away from competing against the San Francisco 49ers for a Super Bowl title.

Pat Sr. made waves earlier this month for joking he wouldn't sit next to Taylor Swift at the AFC Conference Championship game ... now, it's unclear if he will make it to the Super Bowl.

We've reached out to the Mahomes camp for comment ... so far no word back.

Taylor Swift just lost a listener, at least temporarily ... 'cause Christian McCaffrey's mom says she's turning off all Swift tracks until the Super Bowl's in the books.

Lisa McCaffrey jumped on her podcast "Your Mom" Friday to dig into the upcoming NFL championship ... and she said she's ditching the Swifty label in solidarity with her son's San Francisco 49ers.

Of course ... the Niners are taking on Travis Kelce and the Chiefs for the Lombardi Trophy next Sunday, so Swift and her fanbase are all Chiefs, all the time for the next week -- something LM can't abide.

She was complimentary of Taylor, saying how much she loves the singer-songwriter ... but the boycott's very real and Tay is "dead" to her this week.

While we don't know for certain if Taylor's showing up to SB LVIII ... we do know Lisa's gonna be there -- 'cause her soon-to-be daughter-in-law ponied up the cash for a suite after McCaffrey said she couldn't afford one.

As we previously reported ... Olivia Culpo -- who's engaged to CMC -- paid for the suite at Allegiant Stadium seemingly as a birthday get for her future mother-in-law after Lisa joked that "moneybags" Christian and Olivia couldn't even get one. Talk about a huge birthday surprise!

It's an insanely expensive ticket to even get in the stadium this year ... with StubHub revealing early last week that the average ticket price was around $9,300 and boxes going for hundreds of thousands of dollars.

Steph Curry did something Saturday night he's only done one time in his life -- scored 60 points during a game, and Lindsay Lohan was the beneficiary of his achievement.

Steph's Warriors lost to the Hawks in OT -- 134-141, but Steph made a little history -- he's only the 10th player in NBA history to score 60 points at least twice.

As for Lindsay, she and her hubby were right there courtside in ATL watching the game. Afterward, Steph signed his jersey and gave it to Lindsay ... the inscription reads, "Your Godparents love you! To Luai. Warriors" LiLo's one-year-old kid's name is Luai.

In case you didn't know, Steph and Ayesha are indeed the godparents to Luai. As for the connection, Lindsay and Ayesha starred together in "Irish Wish," which will be released March 15 on Netflix.

Move over, Jason Kelce ... Shaquille O'Neal tells TMZ Sports he's hoping to score a seat right next to Taylor Swift at Super Bowl LVIII!!

The Big Diesel made his intentions known during a chat with us this week ahead of the Big Game ... saying straight up he wants a premium chair in Swift's suite at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas next Sunday.

"Hey, Taylor!" the NBA legend said with a smile. "Love you!"

Of course, there are plenty of people who are already vying for the spot. Jason obviously has some dibs -- his brother, Travis Kelce, is playing in the game after all -- as does Brittany Mahomes ... and anyone else from Swift's girl gang for that matter.

But it seems Shaq really wants in ... even saying he'll be rooting for Travis and Kansas City during the tilt!

There's more ... we also talked to the former Lakers center about his annual Super Bowl party, Shaq's Fun House, and he said in addition to Diplo and Lil Wayne, he's expecting even more artists -- perhaps even Snoop Dogg -- to show up.

Jarrell Miller is pleading with a judge to remove the ankle monitor that officials placed on him following his carjacking arrest last month ... claiming the thing is hindering his ability to prep for future fights.

The boxing star's attorney filed a motion to amend the conditions of his pre-trial release last week ... stating in the docs Miller "trains as a fighter for a living and having a monitor limits his training."

Miller's lawyer also said the 26-1-1 pugilist's request should be granted because he "has not been in any trouble before and is not a flight risk."

A judge is expected to make a ruling on the motion at a hearing in a Broward County courtroom later Monday.

Miller is facing two charges in the case -- one felony count of carjacking without a firearm and one felony count of burglary with assault or battery -- after prosecutors alleged he beat up an employee on a car dealership lot, before stealing a truck from the property.

In police video we obtained of his arrest back on Jan. 2 ... you can see he was in a jovial mood despite the allegations against him, joking around with cops before they placed him into a squad car.

Brock Purdy has always flown under the radar -- whether as a lightly recruited high school player or a college QB just hoping to get drafted -- the 49ers signal-caller has been overlooked, according to his H.S. coach ... though the collective football world shows signs they're starting to wise up!

"[The recruiters] don't know how to evaluate talent," former Perry High School head coach Preston Jones, wearer of a killer 'stache, told TMZ Sports this week.

"They don't know what's good and they look at all these things about height and speed. They don't look at winners and they don't look at all these things that [Purdy] is."

Before last season's unexpected turn of events (Trey Lance and Jimmy Garoppolo going down), Purdy was just a 3-star prospect in the 2018 recruiting class  ... and outside of Iowa State, he didn't get much attention at all.

Brock chose ISU ... and went off for the Cyclones during his four seasons, throwing for 12,170 passing yards and 81 passing touchdowns. he also ran for a bunch of yards and TDs ... and he broke 32 school records!

Stud ... maybe even a first-round pick with those gaudy numbers, right?

Not so fast. Purdy wasn't taken in the 1st, 2nd, or 3rd rounds ... no, he was the last pick -- selection 262 -- in the 7th and final round of the 2022 Draft ... colloquially known as "Mr. Irrelevant."

He's not so irrelevant anymore ... and Jones thinks a lot of coaches are likely kicking themselves for overlooking Brock.

"There's a lot of guys that missed on him and they're gonna regret this one day," Coach Jones said. "I like to laugh at those guys now."

At the end of the day, Jones is ecstatic it's all worked out for his former QB -- who he calls the greatest offensive player he's ever coached -- believing everything turned out the way it was supposed to.

"It was destiny, it was so cool that it worked that way and it's also kinda been his life's story. Coming out of high school, not getting recruited ... so it was kinda perfect," Jones said.

"It's a great chapter in his book that's not done yet."

And, with a win over Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs, Brock's story may actually end up being a book ... and a movie.

We're wrapping up the week here at TMZ, but we're just getting started on juicy topics to talk about on TV -- which is exactly what we did on Friday.

On 'TMZ Live,' Harvey and Charles dove head-first into the Darius Rucker arrest that goes all the way back to last February, and which landed with him in a jail cell earlier this week.

It's a bit of a convoluted mess, but long story short ... the guy got stopped in 2023 over expired tags -- which ended in cops finding what they say might've been drugs ... and almost a year later, they said they were sure it was drugs, resulting in Hootie posing for a mug shot.

Over at 'TMZ on TV,' we got into Avril Lavigne's new friend (and maybe love interest?) who went skating with her out in L.A. earlier this week ... in what sure looked like a date.

Of course, we're talking about Nate Smith ... whom we ran into at the airport, and who cleared the air. Take a look ... the guys seems to suggest that AL is ... just a pal.

Finally, we get to 'TMZ Sports' ... where Babcock talked to NFL HOF'er Andre Reed about the Buffalo Bills and Stefon Diggs ... who AR says could take a pay cut to stick around.

Check your local listings for when TMZ is on in your area or catch up on past episodes!

The Rock may be cooking in the WWE once again ... but some fans aren't super happy about it -- 'cause it seems his return has knocked a major storyline off track.

Here's the deal ... last night, Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson got into an intense staredown with current Undisputed WWE Universal champ Roman Reigns at the end of ESPN's WWE SmackDown -- an insane moment seemingly setting up a match between the two wrestlers.

Indeed, rumors have been floating around today that they will fight in the next couple of months -- maybe at WrestleMania in early April -- and the online response ... is a bit lukewarm if we're being totally honest.

Sure, there are diehard Rock supporters who want to see their champ-turned-actor wipe the floor with Reigns ... but a lot of people are pointing to recent Royal Rumble winner Cody Rhodes and asking why it seems his story's now taking a backseat to The Rock's.

See, right before The Rock came out for his staredown ... CR talked about taking RR's title from him -- a right to challenge Cody earned by winning The Royal Rumble just last week -- and then seemingly stepped aside as he introduced The Rock to the crowd as if to indicate DJ's getting the chance instead of him.

That's all kinda shocking for fans ... 'cause Rhodes has been on the road to Roman for a while now while The Rock only recently hopped back into the ring.

As we previously reported ... Dwayne called out Roman Reigns back in early January during a surprise appearance on RAW during which he asked if he should be sitting at the "head of the table."

So it seems clear The Rock wants the title ... and that's where people are starting to voice their frustration -- because it sounds like the WWE's not really interested in furthering Cody Rhodes' journey anymore. Basically, they've backed a different dawg in the ring, and -- based on the X trend -- fans just aren't totally on board.

The major question here ... is it fair for fans to voice their frustration with The Rock at all? After all, the guy's not writing his own storylines as far as we know, and he's a legend in the sport, so it makes sense the WWE wants to use him.

But, Johnson recently joined the TKO Group board -- the governing body of the WWE and UFC -- and he now holds "The Rock" trademark ... so you could say he's got a lot more agency than your average WWE superstar.

Plus, Johnson's got a bit of a rep as someone who gets what they want in Hollywood. When he was working on "Black Adam," for example, he said he worked his magic to make a standalone film instead of first appearing in "Shazam!" ... a departure from the OG plan.

Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce are being courted by a Las Vegas strip club ... not to work the poles, but to party their faces off if his team wins the Super Bowl across the street.

Larry Flynt's Hustler Club in Las Vegas is offering Taylor and Travis what the strip joint's calling a Topless Touchdown Celebratory Package ... and it's valued at $1 million.

So long as Travis and the Kansas City Chiefs beat the San Francisco 49ers in Super Bowl LVIII at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas -- which is being played across the street from the Hustler Club -- the package is theirs for the taking ... and it's on the house.

Here's what $1 million gets ya inside the strip joint ... unlimited access to the $10K per hour Mohney Suite, an Ace of Spades champagne bottle parade, and $50K for Taylor and Travis to make it rain.

Oh, and that's not all ... roundtrip limo transportation is included, plus Taylor and Travis get a VIP Platinum Lifetime Membership to HC ... which gets them free lap dances for life.

Frankly, this is a Hail Mary from the Hustler Club ... it's hard to envision Taylor and Travis taking them up on the offer ... but then again, Travis wore a Vegas strip club shirt after a regular season win over the Las Vegas Raiders.

Brittany Rose, the GM of the club, tells TMZ ... “We are used to catering to a-list celebrities and athletes alike so we can ensure their discretion will be met while partying inside our venue.”

Shooters shoot, right?!?

Even if Taylor and Travis turn 'em down, there's a good chance the Hustler Club is going to have a few Swifties in the house.

The gentlemen's club is currently auditioning Swifties for positions.

Travis Kelce and Taylor Swift clearly have the support of those in Kansas City's locker room ... 'cause Chiefs star Justin Reid tells TMZ Sports he's a huge fan of the pop star and her relationship with his teammate.

The K.C. defensive back said this week he has been able to interact with Swift since she and Kelce went public with their romance earlier this season ... and he had nothing but nice things to say about their encounters.

In fact, he said the 34-year-old "Love Story" crooner paid compliments to everyone he's seen her meet so far this year.

"She's very, very sweet," Reid told us ... "I don't understand why she's getting all the hate. She's an awesome person, awesome artist all around."

As for if Reid, Kelce and the rest of the Chiefs will get a private concert from Swift if they're able to beat the San Francisco 49ers in Super Bowl LVIII next week ... Reid says he isn't exactly holding his breath on that one.

"I'm sure she'll be busy celebrating with her man," he said with a laugh.

Of course, it's not yet for sure if Swift will even attend Kelce's Big Game -- after all, she has a concert in Tokyo just a day before kickoff ... though given the way she's already traveled this year for Travis, it seems likely at this point.

Andre Reed says he could definitely see Stefon Diggs returning to the Bills next season ... but he tells TMZ Sports the star wideout's wallet could be a little bit lighter if that's indeed the case.

Diggs' future in Buffalo appears to be in question this offseason ... as his 2024 cap figure has ballooned to nearly $30 million -- and, at times in his career, he's seemed upset with his role on the team.

In fact, even Diggs himself said at the Pro Bowl on Friday, "I can't tell you what the future holds."

Reed, though, tells us he's sure hoping Diggs comes back ... saying straight up, "They need him."

However, the Buffalo legend is clearly aware that Diggs might have to take a pay cut for it to happen.

"If anything, they'll ask him to do that to save cap space to bring some more guys in," Reed says. "Whether Stefon does that or not, I think he realizes where he is and what kind of team he's on. And, I can see him staying there."

As for Buffalo's head coach, Reed's obviously pleased ownership is sticking with Sean McDermott despite another disappointing playoff loss ... telling us he thinks the 49-year-old has what it takes to get the team over the hump next season.

He added that "these players respond to him" ... and he's now predicting a bounce-back in '24.

Taylor Swift could help put some money in your pockets this Super Bowl ... 'cause there are a ton of prop bets surrounding the pop superstar!!

The folks over at BetOnline revealed their list to TMZ Sports ahead of the big game between the 49ers and Chiefs at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas ... and naturally, Travis Kelce's girlfriend is at the center of attention.

Check out some of the most interesting -- and straight-up silly -- prop bets that fans can drop some dough on in hopes of cashing in:

Which will be higher?

• Taylor Swift live shots   +150
• Travis Kelce catches    -200

Where will Travis Kelce propose to Taylor Swift?

• Vacation                   -200
• Field (non-end zone)    +400
• Podium                    +500
• End Zone                  +600
• After-party                 +800
• Tunnel                     +2000
• Locker Room             +2500

Who will be shirtless first?

• Jason Kelce  -10000
• Taylor Swift   +2000
• Olivia Culpo   +2500

Some other bets will be on the color of Tay's 'fit, if she'll be sitting next to Patrick Mahomes' wife, Brittany ... and if one of her songs will be played during a broadcast break.

There's even post-Super Bowl bets ... like if Swift and Kelce will still be together by the 2024-25 season or if she'll be pregnant before the New Year.

Usher also got some love ... with over 10 options for special guests who could join the R&B sensation during his halftime show -- including Swift (but it may be best to stay away from that one, given TMZ's recent report stating she will not join him during the performance).

Even if the "Cruel Summer" crooner doesn't take the stage, peeps could be feelin' rich if Ursher gives her a shoutout!!

Of course, President Joe Biden will be watching the biggest sports event of the year ... and there are several bets to see if he'll mention Mahomes or Swift in his pre-game interview.

Take a look at all the prop bets and put some money down by Feb. 11!!

We finished the week strong here at TMZ -- and with some tragic news, too, no less -- with a little bit of levity, but a lot of drama ... and we covered it all on our TV shows.

Kicking things off on 'TMZ Live,' we started scorching hot with some tea that resurfaced about Ayo Edebiri -- who was somewhat recently talking major trash about Jennifer Lopez ... with whom she's appearing alongside on 'Saturday Night Live' this weekend. Awkward!!!

Take a look for yourself to see exactly what she said, and what we're hearing she thinks of J Lo these days. Hard to say things won't be tense between them ... 'cause this was harsh.

Heading over to 'TMZ on TV,' we couldn't help but tip our cap to Tiffany Haddish's lawyer -- 'cause he seems to have scored her a pretty sweet deal in her L.A. DUI case.

Long story short, that case now goes away ... and she just has one DUI case to go!

The sports/entertainment word suffered a massive loss in the sudden death of Carl Weathers -- famous from the 'Rocky' movies and others, not to mention for his time with the Raiders.

Not much is known about the circumstances of his passing -- but Mike and Mojo got into his contributions on and off camera ... and there's a lot.

Check your local listings for when TMZ is on in your area or catch up on past episodes!

Sylvester Stallone is speaking on Carl Weathers' sudden death -- and it couldn't be more emotional and heartfelt .... yeah, this one's a tear-jerker.

The actor posted a video Friday just hours after news broke that his 'Rocky' costar had passed away the day prior -- and you can tell Sly is absolutely torn up about it ... fighting back tears as he honors his longtime friend and companion in the ring.

Sly says he owes so much of his career and success to Carl ... noting the man had a magnetism and energy about him that made him so special -- especially for the 'Rocky' franchise. SS recounts first meeting Carl ... and knowing right away, this guy's a star.

This video was actually filmed with Sly standing in front of the famous painting that was commissioned to recreate the end of 'Rocky III,' where they face off in the ring anew.

Sylvester ends his gut-wrenching remarks here with a special message for his good friend -- "Apollo, keep punching."

He also adds this of the late Weathers ... "We lost a legend yesterday. My life was forever changed for the better the day I met Carl Weathers. Rest in power."

We couldn't have said it better ourselves.

Kayla Harrison's opening up on all things UFC ... from her practice runs making 135 lbs. in the lead-up to her huge scrap with Holly Holm to whether she still has an interest in meeting Amanda Nunes in an Octagon!

33-year-old Harrison chopped it up with TMZ Sports ... weeks after she rocked the MMA world, moving from PFL to Dana White's promotion.

The 2x Olympic gold medalist and 2x PFL champion will fight 42-year-old Holm on the stacked UFC 300 card on April 13. We asked Kayla about signing with the UFC, and her thoughts on her legendary opponent.

"It's been amazing. Honestly, my life is so good. I really do feel like everything is happening at the right time and the right place with the right people," Harrison said.

"To be going to the Olympics of MMA on UFC 300 against Holly Holm, a legend in the sport. I'm so excited, I'm so amped. This is the s**t that gets me going, and yeah, I'm ready!"

When UFC 300 rolls around, it won't be happening at 145 or 155 lbs. ... no, Harrison is fighting at bantamweight. We asked her if she fears being able to make the weight.

"Listen there's this giant misconception about my weight, and I think people think I walk around at like 180 lbs. or something. The reality is I was fighting at 155 lbs. and I was walking into the cage at maybe 160 lbs. I don't get much bigger than 160."

Kayla continued ... "I was always the smaller fighter and usually the less experienced fighter. I don't believe in weight cutting, but now I'm going to do what everybody does and I'm gonna be in the cage and I'm gonna be the bigger, faster, stronger and more experienced fighter."

"Is it gonna suck? Yeah. I'm not gonna enjoy dieting, but it's a chosen sacrifice."

Harrison has long said she wants to be the G.O.A.T. ... a title Amanda Nunes currently lays claim to. We asked KH if she still has visions of fighting Nunes in the future.

"Listen, Amanda is the greatest of all time. That's a fact. So, of course, I would love for that to happen," Kayla told us.

"I've always said that, and not out of a place of disrespect. To me thats the highest compliment I could give her. you're the best, I want to find out what I'm made of with you.t a lot to prove. I've got a lot to do. I've got my work boots on. I'm in the gym, I'm hungry, I'm staying humble, but of course!"

"I've always said that, and not out of a place of disrespect. To me thats the highest compliment I could give her. you're the best, I want to find out what I'm made of with you."

The Lioness is still technically retired ... though it sounds like she could be gearing up for a comeback.

Retired or not, first things first ... Holly Holm, and Kayla has her hands full.