TMZ Sports - Page 47

Elon Musk and Mark Cuban are far from friends, but they are united on one front, that's NOT betting on Super Bowl Sunday ... because, as you might've figured, they're not big on burning money.

TMZ reached out to both mega billionaires days leading up to the big game, and we got shockingly similar responses from each guy -- no, they won't bet on the Super Bowl ... and, in fact, they say they don't bet on sports at all.

Elon tells TMZ there are "plenty of other risky things going on" ... so it sounds like he might be taking other risks with his cash -- he did gamble $44 billion on X (née Twitter) after all.

As for Mark ... he told us he's not allowed to bet on NBA games because of his ownership stake in the Dallas Mavericks. While he doesn't know if that betting extends to the NFL, he'd rather skip any "potential hassle" altogether. Smart move.

Cubes noted that betting money, IF you can afford to lose it, can be fun and the uber-competitive billionaire does love to win ... it's just not something he'll be doing on Sunday.

MC also tells us he's not attending the Super Bowl, but he'll be watching and rooting for the Chiefs ... unsurprising, given how complimentary he was of Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce's relationship when news of it first broke.

BTW ... Elon and Mark being aligned on anything is pretty wild news in and of itself -- they've been in a very public feud, with Elon calling Mark a "racist" last month for supporting diversity, equity, and inclusion hiring practices and challenging him to a MMA fight.

Cuban defended his stance on DEI, and called X Elon's "little echo chamber" ... a savage blow, considering Musk touts the platform as a paragon of free speech.

Bottom line, Musk and Cuban are saving their money this Super Bowl Sunday -- bad news for bookies, no doubt.

Rick Harrison and his "Pawn Stars" crew are looking to capitalize on the Super Bowl coming to town -- their shop's hawking some championship rings from recent Super Bowls.

The good folks at Gold & Silver Pawn Shop, featured on the reality show, tell TMZ ... they're selling a Super Bowl ring from the 2007 New York Giants for $77,500.

The '07 Giants beat Tom Brady and the New England Patriots in Super Bowl XLII ... ruining the Patriots' undefeated season. This SB ring was owned by a team staffer, and it's made by Tiffany & Co.

Gold & Silver Pawn shop also has a ring from the 2021 Los Angeles Rams in its possession ... and it's going for a much more affordable $20,000. The Rams beat the Cincinnati Bengals in LVI on the strength of a touchdown pass from Matthew Stafford to Cooper Kupp in the final minutes.

The Rams championship ring is also from a team staffer, and we're told it's on sale for less than the Giants ring because there are way more NYG fans than Rams fans ... and Giants SB rings historically sell for higher prices than Rams rings.

Rick tells TMZ ... they get a lot of inquiries about their sports championship rings, but interest in Super Bowl rings is always higher around the Big Game.

With Super Bowl LVIII going down in Vegas, Rick is hoping Giants and Rams fans win big money gambling this weekend. He says, "I'm guessing we might find them at our door once they wake up from celebrating Sunday night looking to own a ring from their favorite team."

Gold & Silver Pawn is also selling AFC Championship rings previously owned by NFL players ... including one from the 2011 Patriots for $32,500, and another from the 1989 Denver Broncos for $40,000.

It's worth noting ... player rings are a little different than staff rings, and player rings are more valuable, and thus, come with higher price tags.

Brett Favre says he was concerned for his good pal Toby Keith in the days leading up to the country music star's death ... telling TMZ Sports that after speaking recently with the musician, he could tell the guy was simply exhausted.

The former Green Bay Packers quarterback said he gave Keith a ring just two weeks ago to check in on him ... after he noticed the 62-year-old didn't look so hot following some December performances in Las Vegas.

Favre -- who told us he would call Keith every three-or-so months following his stomach cancer diagnosis -- said the "Red Solo Cup" crooner complained about the damage chemotherapy had done to his body during ... before adding that Keith seemed fatigued.

"I think in the end," Favre said, "he was just tired."

"He did say that to me when we had our conversation," the Hall of Famer continued. "He said, 'Brett, whatever happens, I'm OK with it.'"

Keith ended up passing away days later, on Feb. 5, while surrounded by his family.

Favre -- who first befriended Keith at a concert near Lambeau Field back in the 90s -- was heartbroken over the news ... though he was clearly proud of how Keith battled in his final days.

"He handled it with grace and faith and family," Favre said, "and stood up to the cancer about as good as you can."

Favre then recalled some of his favorite memories with Keith -- which included several fun trips around golf courses.

"I can't remember a good or a bad shot he hit," Favre said of one of their outings, "I can just remember him smiling, and had everyone hooting and hollering and having a lot of fun."

We're almost at the finish line in the week, but we're just getting started at TMZ -- including on the TV front ... where the topics are only getting better by the day. Take a look!

Right off the bat on 'TMZ Live,' Harvey and Charles tackled something Travis Kelce's mom said on the 'Today' show this week ... namely, that she didn't know where she'd be sitting at the Super Bowl come Sunday. That's what she claims anyway -- nobody's buying it.

Fact is, her son(s) are incredibly wealthy ... but there's a new billionaire in her orbit who probably has covered for a private suite seat -- despite what Mama Kelce's saying.

Over on the 'TMZ on TV' side of things ... we opened up about our feelings, but not nearly as much as Kumail Nanjiani -- who recently revealed what sent him to therapy recently.

As it turns out, some bad movie reviews for a film he was in did the trick ... and the staff wasn't all that nice about it. Tough crowd, indeed.

Finally, we get to 'TMZ Sports,' where Mike and Mojo discussed the fact that 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy bears a passing resemblance to the guy who killed JFK.

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

NFL player and 49ers running back Ricky Watters was 25 years old when he led his fellow 49ers to winning Super Bowl XXIX against the San Diego Chargers back in 1995. His running style and stellar receiving skills earned him the nickname Ricky "Running" Watters.

After playing in the NFL for 10 seasons ... Today Watters is a proud dad of 2 and is still very active in the sport of football. He's got quite the fan base, and you can find him signing autographs at meet and greets. He also attends the games and supports his team on the sidelines.

The owner of the only Chiefs-inspired bar in San Francisco is clearing up whether 49ers fans are actually "banned" -- as has been suggested -- and he's saying they're not, but also noting ... it might be hard to get in come game day.

Here's the deal ... Vlad Cood -- who owns the sports bar Buzzworks in SF, which has come to be known as a Chiefs-friendly haven for Kansas City diehards -- tells TMZ that recent reports he and his staff weren't letting San Fran fans into the establishment are false.

There were a lot of headlines locally that ran with that narrative, but Cood says his words were taken out of context -- although, he does admit ... it could be difficult for the 49ers faithful to actually get into the building, especially around Super Bowl weekend.

While he tells us his doors are open to any and all -- regardless of team affiliation -- Cood says that his bar tends to get packed with Chiefs fans on football Sunday early and often ... and that's just how it's gone for a while.

Cood says 49ers heads can certainly swing by anytime they want, but by the time kickoff starts -- he tells us Buzzworks is usually stuffed with Chiefs people ... and he doesn't expect that to change for the SB. In other words, come as you are ... but come with time to spare!

He also says this ... if 49ers fans are truly interested in coming to his business, he's got an alternative for them where they can congregate and pound booze among their brethren. As it turns out, Cood owns another bar across the street there called Butter, which he says has more than enough room for anyone who wants to file in and catch Super Bowl LVIII.

Here's the irony in all this ... Cood tells us he himself is actually a longtime 49ers fan -- so even though Buzzworks caters to Chiefs lovers, it sounds like he'd love to be with his own kind.

Heat player Haywood Highsmith was involved in a car accident following Tuesday night's game in Miami ... a crash that reportedly left one man in critical condition with a partially amputated leg.

The Heat say 27-year-old Highsmith -- an undrafted free agent out of Wheeling University in 2018 -- got in the wreck heading home from their contest against the Orlando Magic, in which he recorded three minutes of action in the 121-95 win.

According to local reporter Andy Slater, Highsmith hit a man who was helping another driver who was stuck in the middle of the road.

The man who was struck remains in critical condition, the report added.

The Heat released a statement on the incident ... saying, "Our hearts go out to those who were injured."

Highsmith will sit out Wednesday's matchup against the San Antonio Spurs due to "personal reasons."

Highsmith -- who has also suited up in the G League and overseas -- has appeared in 37 games this season ... averaging 5.8 points and 2.8 rebounds so far. It's unclear when he is expected to rejoin the team.

Tech N9ne is gearing up for his Kansas City Chiefs to play in the Super Bowl ... by hosting a party at a famous Las Vegas strip club across the street from the football field!!!

The Strange Music co-founder is working with Crazy Horse 3, kicking off their Super Bowl party lineup Thursday night at a special event -- and they're making sure he's all set to do his thing for the big weekend ... and yes, the specifics are very stripper-friendly.

Our sources say Tech N9ne's contract calls for him to get $20,000 in singles to throw in the club. Yeah, it's gonna be raining greenbacks in there ... and Tech's gonna be tossin' cash.

Tech N9ne's deal also includes a supply of 10 magnum bottles of 10 tequila -- those are the big boys -- with 5 bottles of Clase Azul and 5 bottles of Don Julio 1942. Nothing but the best for Tech.

The guy's a massive Chiefs fan and his "Red Kingdom" song has kinda become the unofficial team anthem ... so we're guessing the crowd is gonna favor KC.

NFL players expected to appear include ... Dallas Cowboys wideout KaVontae Turpin, Seattle Seahawks cornerback Riq Woolen, Los Angeles Chargers linebacker Daiyan Henley, Washington Commanders cornerback Emmanuel Forbes Jr. and Pittsburgh Steelers cornerback Joey Porter Jr.

WHEN's unclear, but put the IF question to bed ... 'cause Tyson Fury ain't quitting boxing, and absolutely, positively says he will return to the ring!

The legendary pugilist even laid out a tentative 5 fight blueprint ... and it's got some of the biggest names in the sport.

“I keep hearing talk of people saying that I should retire or that I’m going to retire soon or whatever. I ain’t retiring anywhere!" Fury, directly addressing the camera, told his social media followers.

Of course, 35-year-old Tyson was set to fight Oleksandr Usyk later this month, but was forced to pull out of the title fight after sustaining a wicked cut over his eye during a sparring sesh.

Given all he's accomplished, and with many fans commenting The Gypsy King didn't look like his dominant self against Francis Ngannou last year, some speculated he'd hang up his gloves.

But, not happening.

In fact, Fury has even laid out a road map for himself ... picking his next three opponents.

“I got two fights with Usyk, for the undisputed, twice. Then I’m going to fight [Anthony Joshua] at least once, maybe twice, if there’s a rematch, if he wants one after the first battering I’m going to give him.”

Tyson continued, announcing another major rematch is in the cards.

“Then I’m going to fight Ngannou again and that’s just the start, so that’s five little fights to wet your appetites with. I ain’t going nowhere, nowhere, 35-year-old prime of my life and I’m ready to smash on.”

That'll be music to Francis' ears. The former UFC champ recently told us he wasn't interested in fighting the winner of Fury-Usyk ... no, he just wants a rematch with Tyson!

Taylor Swift's party plans for the Super Bowl in Las Vegas are top secret and a promoter with a close tie to Taylor isn't spilling the beans ... but he's got other party options for ya.

Logan Paulson, a Las Vegas promoter, joined us on "TMZ Live" Wednesday and gave us a rundown of the different weekend parties ... ranging from the free to the super exclusive.

Taylor and Travis Kelce are renting a villa next to the Kansas City Chiefs team hotel, the Westin Las Vegas Resort & Spa, and while Logan's girlfriend, Natalie Peterson, is one of the singer's backup dancers, he played it coy when we asked him if Taylor and Travis were hosting a house party.

The strip is more Logan's specialty -- specifically nightlife at the Wynn -- and he says the property's famous XS club is expecting a packed house Friday with performances from Lil Wayne, Diplo and Shaq.

Logan says Friday is pretty much sold out, and the only way to get in at this point is to buy a table ... it's gonna cost ya, the cheapest table is going for $8,000 ... and it's outside.

For those ballers on a budget, Logan says Hakkasan has a free party this weekend, where revelers will be treated to a Travis Scott gig ... and Logan has other free parties too.

Everyone wants to know where Taylor, Travis and the Chiefs are going to have their postgame bash ... and Logan says history points to XS at the Wynn ... so keep that in mind, Swifties.

Mo'Nique is riding Katt Williams' coattails in talking major trash -- 'cause she basically just did the exact same thing on the same pod ... but her list of names slightly differs.

The comedian sat down for a new episode of Shannon Sharpe's "Club Shay Shay" podcast -- and she took aim at A LOT of big stars in the industry -- airing out grievances and claims against Oprah, Tyler Perry, Tiffany Haddish and Kevin Hart ... just to name a few.

Mo'Nique has been vocal over the past few years about feeling blackballed in Hollywood and she continued to double down on all that here in this chat with Shannon ... once again dragging O and Tyler into the conversation with allegations of them attempting to torpedo her career, something she's alleged in the past -- but there's a new twist to this now.

She tells Shannon that she has TP on audio allegedly admitting something to this effect ... and SS himself appears to acknowledge that he might have heard it off-camera.

We should note ... Tyler has denied tarnishing Mo'Nique's rep behind the scenes -- despite her repeated insistence over the years that he has. She also didn't play the alleged audio on Shannon's show. Mo'Nique wasn't done there, though!

She kept the parade of insults and accusations going -- calling out Oprah for "overstepping" with her in many instances ... and even took a shot at Tiffany for something she said about Mo'Nique in a GQ interview. Mo'Nique went below the belt and mentioned TH's DUI arrests, as well as her controversy in regard to the icky lawsuit she was embroiled in.

We will note ... Mo'Nique has been on this campaign for years and years now -- alleging she's been done dirty by so many different people in the industry ... and while she's squashed some of her beef with a few individuals, it sounds like there's still bad blood with a vast majority.

It's pretty crazy to think Mo'Nique's gripes all stem from a movie she did way back in '09 -- a film we're sure she probably regrets now considering how much acrimony it's spurred.

Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce have their choice of Vegas wedding venues if they get engaged at the Super Bowl ... their latest offer is from a weed operation and it's pretty blunt.

Some folks think Travis is gonna pop the question after the Big Game, and while everything we've reported says that's a long shot... one wedding venue is throwing up a Hail Mary.

Las Vegas Cannabis Weddings is offering Taylor and Travis a complimentary weed wedding after the Super Bowl ... trying to sell them on the idea of getting hitched at a grow house.

Now, this isn't any old weed operation ... Las Vegas Cannabis Weddings says they marry people at the world's largest dispensary, Planet 13.

Taylor's favorite number is 13 ... hey, just saying.

LVCW owner Maxine Fensom would officiate the wedding ... she's an ordained minister.

Again, it's a long shot and, as we've told you, Taylor and Travis have already been offered a free wedding at the famous Little White Wedding Chapel ... not that they would accept that offer either.

Couples who aren't the celeb type are getting offered a deal here too ... Las Vegas Cannabis Weddings plans to offer $87 cannabis-themed nuptials for the first 100 couples if Travis' Kansas City Chiefs beat the San Francisco 49ers in Super Bowl LVIII.

The $87 weed weddings, priced after Travis' No. 87 Chiefs jersey, are only for Valentine's Day ... and there's a Taylor connection here too, because T-Swift once starred in a movie called "Valentine's Day."

If Taylor and Travis don't get engaged, they've also got an offer on the table from a famous Vegas strip club.

The parents of a 9-year-old Chiefs fan claim a Deadspin article accusing the young boy of wearing blackface to a Kansas City game earlier this year has made their lives a living hell ... and now they're dragging the media outlet to court over it.

The folks of Holden Armenta -- Raul and Shannon Armenta -- filed the suit against the sports media company on Tuesday in Delaware ... alleging Carron Phillips' story about Holden back in November was flat-out defamatory.

You'll recall, Holden painted one side of his face black, and the other side red in support of his favorite Chiefs team as they took on the Raiders in Las Vegas on Nov. 26. According to the suit, when cameras showed only the black side of Holden's noggin during the game's broadcast, Phillips took to his keyboard to demand the NFL take action against the child.

The Armentas claim the article posted to Deadspin remarked on how face paint made it look like Holden had "found a way to hate Black people and the Native Americans at the same time." The Armentas also said Phillips wrongfully implied that Holden may have been "taught" the alleged "racism and hate" at home.

The Armentas said none of it was true -- writing in the suit that Holden wore his gameday outfit for no other reason than to show his love for Kansas City. They added that Holden is Native American himself.

In the suit, the Armentas said they asked Deadspin repeatedly to retract the story and issue a mea culpa -- but they claim the outlet refused to back down.

They say it's all caused "enormous damage" -- alleging they received death threats and numerous messages containing hateful language. They also said Raul's been forced to consider moving his family out of state -- while Holden's grades have dropped in school. The Armentas claim Holden "has shown emotional damage from the onslaught of negative attention" as well.

They're now suing Deadspin for unspecified damages.

5:42 PM PT -- TMZ has obtained the mugshot for the Sphere climber ... who happens to have a smile on his face.

12:21 PM PT -- A spokesperson for Sphere Entertainment tells TMZ ... "We are grateful to the local authorities for their support in this matter. The individuals involved are currently in the custody of LVMPD."

The Sphere in Las Vegas got an unexpected visitor Wednesday ... an activist-climber scaled the towering 367-foot-tall structure.

Video of the individual walking around the top of The Strip's newest concert venue started to crop up online shortly after he began ... and the climber -- Maison Des Champs -- also posted to Instagram confirming he was the one who'd made the daring climb.

Maison explained in the short clip that he was doing the climb to raise money for a homeless woman and her unborn child ... asking his 273k followers to donate to the cause while standing on the sphere.

Reporters spoke with Tim Clement, outreach director for Survivors of The Abortion Holocaust ... who said he was told Des Champs was detained after coming off the top of The Sphere.

BTW ... this is sorta Maison's whole gimmick. He climbed the Chase Tower in Phoenix during Super Bowl week last year to protest abortion and pulled off a similar stunt the year before in San Francisco.

Police have reportedly shut down the streets in the area to traffic and have seemingly detained members of Des Champs' activist group as well.

U2's supposed to perform in The Sphere tonight ... unclear if today's stunt will delay or postpone the show.

Everybody's talking about Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce ahead of the Super Bowl, but they're getting associated with a different kinda bowl -- a toilet bowl, to be exact -- before the Big Game ... with Dude Wipes launching new ads inspired by the superstar couple.

TMZ Sports has learned -- the popular wet wipe company came up with a cheeky way to get in on the Traylor craze while promoting its product in Las Vegas this weekend ... by whipping together some silly slogans to feature on the massive Resorts World display.

Some of the ads include pretty timely Swift-related mentions ... including a nod to her new album, "The Tortured Poets Department," which she announced at the Grammys just days ago.

One sign reads, "If you're living in the Tortured TP Department, welcome to the Wet-Wiping Era" ... with another channeling the singer's "Anti-Hero" hit -- "It's me. Hi. I'm the solution. It's Me. Not TP."

But one in particular addresses the relationship that's taken over the world ... with "We love a clean tight end, too" shown in big white letters above a package of Dude Wipes.

The company teamed up with Max O'Neil at Clear Channel and the Curiosity agency to execute the campaign ... which will be seen by millions throughout Sin City this weekend.

Of course, Taylor has taken over the Super Bowl this year ... with her presence being felt all over -- including countless Swift-related questions during media availability, themed parties, and a free wedding ceremony offer from a local venue.

There's a BIG party going down in Sin City for the Big Game ... a Super Bowl watch party with stars from the 'Little Women' reality franchise mixing up drinks and pouring shots!!!

"Little Women: NY" star Little Jess tells TMZ ... she's bartending a ticketed event at the Nerd Bar on Fremont Street with two other reality stars, and there's an open bar.

Little Jess says the other bartenders include "Little Women: Dallas" star Tiffani and "Little Women: NY" star Jordanna James ... they're calling themselves the "Tiny Tenders," short for bartenders.

With all of the ladies under 5 feet tall -- Jess says they are "hot little people" and "the hottest chicks you will ever meet under 5 foot" -- they are going to use a raised platform so they can be eye-level with customers and reach the bottles.

The ladies are experienced ... Little Jess says they've all bartended in the past and she has 15 years under her belt ... and they'll be wearing black booty shorts with matching black tiny crop tops emblazoned with "Tiny Tenders."

Tickets are going for $60 in advance or $100 at the door ... and Little Jess says 50 tickets have been sold so far and they're expecting several hundred folks to show up to a venue with a 1,000 max capacity.

Doors open at 1 PM on Super Bowl Sunday and the open bar is from 3 PM to 5 PM ... which should cover the first half of Super Bowl LVIII.

Little Jess says the open bar includes well drinks, draft beers, Capri Suns, Jell-O shots and failed drug test shots served in urine cups. The open bar also has discounts on premium booze, like $5 for Jack Daniels.

Once Usher hits the stage for the Super Bowl halftime show, it's back to regular pricing.

Little Jess says they're going for a "Coyote Ugly" vibe ... and they'll be going around serving up body shots and doing some go-go dancing. She says Jordanna James worked at the OG 'Coyote Ugly' bar in NYC.

No good Super Bowl party is complete without food ... and Little Jess says they'll be serving up appetizers like tater tots, pigs in a blanket and pizza nuggets.

An open bar in Las Vegas on Super Bowl Sunday has the potential to get rowdy ... but Little Jess says the ladies will all be wearing whistles which they use if anyone steps out of line and causes trouble.

Be warned ... Little Jess says, "We will blow the whistles three times to indicate there is trouble and then our 6-foot all-male security guards will take care of the situation."