TMZ Sports - Page 50

Taylor Swift tribute artist and "RuPaul's Drag Race" contestant Jade Jolie is calling all Swifties ... for a meet and greet and Swiftie look-alike contest ahead of Super Bowl LVIII.

Jade is hosting the contest at the Cat's Meow in Downtown Vegas the day before Taylor's beau Travis Kelce and his Kansas City Chiefs take on the San Francisco 49ers in the Super Bowl.

There are 3 prizes for Swifties who can pull off Taylor's iconic look -- first place gets a Cat's Meow Party Package valued at $1,500 ... it's 4 hours of karaoke and a premium open bar for up to 20 people.

Second place gets $500 toward a bar tab and third place wins free admission for life to the Cat's Meow ... a famous karaoke joint on Fremont Street.

Jade, a damn good Taylor look-alike, will also host a meet-and-greet with fans.

The event is going down Saturday night from 9 PM to 1 AM ... which should be around the time Taylor is potentially touching down in Vegas after wrapping up her concert in Japan, hopping on her jet and zooming east to catch Travis and the Chiefs play.

Taylor and Jade have crossed paths in the past ... Jade was in her music video for 'You Need To Calm Down' and attended the 2019 VMA's with Tay. It doesn't sound like Taylor's gonna be on hand for this event ... so we're gonna have to settle for a bunch of look-alikes.

Start making those friendship bracelets!!!

It's hump day at TMZ, and we are rolling on the TV front -- where the topics ranged from a tragic death to an uphill legal battle in Chicago ... and just about everything in between.

'TMZ Live' was rife with opinions -- particularly on the topic of Jussie Smollett, who is now trying to have his criminal case appeal heard by the Illinois State Supreme Court ... arguing he ought not have to serve any more jail time after being convicted for the alleged hoax.

While people might be rolling their eyes at the notion he's continuing to fight this, Harvey says Jussie might actually have a point and get his conviction tossed ... time will tell.

Over at 'TMZ on TV,' we honored and remembered the great Toby Keith -- who just passed away after a battle with stomach cancer, which he ultimately succumbed to.

The staff shared kind words about the legendary country star.

Finally, we land on 'TMZ Sports' where Babcock and the team broke down Patrick Mahomes' response to his father's arrest during a Super Bowl presser.

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

Ex-NBA star Stephen Jackson just unloaded on Austin Rivers ... calling him "trash" and a "scrub" for comments he made about Bronny James.

Rivers recently gave his take on LeBron's dream of playing alongside his son in the NBA ... revealing he hopes it doesn't happen, as it could do more harm than good for a young hooper still developing his skills on the court.

Rivers compared the situation to playing for his father, Doc, during his time with the L.A. Clippers ... and claimed Bron and Bronny suiting up together might welcome a ton of criticism directed at the current USC star.

Stak took major issue with Rivers' comments ... teeing off on him in the comment section of an Instagram post this week.

"And your daddy not LeBron," Jackson said. "Shut up."

"Difference is you trash, Bronny not. You can’t compare to him, scrub."

Some folks are upset with the 2003 NBA champion's response ... considering Rivers was a former top recruit and earned a ton of accolades at Duke before going No. 10 overall in the 2012 Draft.

Bronny is still early in his college career ... averaging nearly 6 points and 3 rebounds a game in 14 appearances after suffering cardiac arrest during a workout in July 2023.

Taylor Swift's NFL critics have had bad blood over her presence on the football scene ... but Vegas is more than willing to let her dominate their Super Bowl festivities -- take a look!

As a tribute to the pop star tirelessly coming out to cheer on her boo Travis Kelce, a Vegas venue will be going ahead with a Taylor-themed event for the SB weekend -- serving up a cocktail inspired by her signature makeup look to cheers to the winning football team.

Chéri Rooftop, nestled under the Eiffel Tower at Paris Las Vegas, will be serving up the "Red Lip Classic" cocktail -- which, of course, also references the lyrics to her tune, "Style."

Combining Malibu, Baileys Strawberry Cream and Disaronno, the drink is price-tagged at $20 and will be available throughout Big Game week.

For those hoping for a bit of a T-Swift break ... there'll be plenty of other places to keep you entertained -- including Sin City hot spot HaSalon who's be hosting "The Big Game Soiree" for SB Sunday.

The venue will transform into a plush living room-style setting with TVs dotted throughout for you to kick back and watch the game in peace without having to deal with the crowds at the Allegiant Stadium -- while also chowing down on some fun game day staples.

Swiftie or not, the Super Bowl weekend is a chance for everyone to come together and celebrate -- though, it's been hard to ignore how much of an impact Taylor Swift has had on the game this year.

The music icon's been responsible for more people than ever tuning into the game thanks to her romance with Travis practically playing out on the field. So, it's only fair to celebrate the woman herself this weekend ... that's how these places feel about it anyway.

Raiders pass rusher Janarius Robinson was arrested in Las Vegas on Tuesday morning -- right in the middle of the NFL's Super Bowl week.

Cops said in a statement the 25-year-old was booked on a charge of driving under the influence after he was stopped on The Strip at around 5:59 AM.

Further details surrounding the matter were not made immediately available.

Robinson initially began his career with the Vikings in 2021 after they selected him with a fourth-round pick ... but he was placed on injured reserve just before his rookie season began.

He spent time on Minnesota's and Philadelphia's practice squads in 2022 ... but he didn't see any regular-season action.

In 2023, he signed onto the Raiders' practice squad ... and in December, he was finally promoted to the active roster -- and he was able to flash some big potential in his limited snaps.

In six games -- two of which he started -- Robinson logged eight combined tackles and one sack ... leading many in Vegas' org to believe he could be a key player for the team next season.

Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce will be in Vegas this weekend -- and with love in the air and their romance at an all-time high ... one venue's offering to make them man and wife for free!

With visitors flocking to Sin City for the Super Bowl this weekend, you'd figure there's no better time than Saturday/Sunday to say "I do" ... which is exactly what the Little White Wedding Chapel is thinking, and why they're extending an invite to Tay Tay and TK.

The wedding venue tells TMZ they're offering Taylor and Travis a comped marital service if they're feeling like tying the knot at some point this weekend ... and their doors are open for business, even though they'll completely cover the cost.

LWWC says, "Taylor and Travis – you two have enough on your plate so let us take care of you! Taylor just bring your lucky, and Fabulous Grammys gown and we can handle the rest! We have our florist on standby for the bouquet of your dreams, our ministers and Elvis are ready too. Whatever you want, our chapel is ready to take care of you!!

BTW, their offer here doesn't just extend to T-Swift and Travis -- it actually applies to all the football players and their significant others who might be in town in the next few days.

We're told Little White will cover the costs for any of the San Francisco 49ers and the Kansas City Chiefs team members, including coaches -- anyone affiliated has the chance to get married there ... for free. From the aisle to the pitch ... that'll be one tight turnaround!

A complimentary confetti canon will be incorporated into the celebration for members of the winning team. Talk about scoring big on and off the field. Both SB teams will get specially created bouquets for the occasion, which will make it an even playing field for everyone.

LWWC also notes that while wedding days are traditionally all about the bride ... they wanna show some love to the SB men, 'cause the sporting event is one of the most exciting and important things happening in Vegas now. So yeah, they wanna show the dudes love!

They also tell us they hope the offer can serve as an added promo for the venue ... with football fans coming to the chapel to get married in a spur of the moment kinda deal after the game. Don't expect them to cover those weddings though -- just SB heads, y'all.

Not that the chapel really needs it ... with the likes of Ben Affleck and Jennifer Lopez, Britney Spears and Jason Alexander, and more celebs exchanging vows there -- with an Elvis impersonator as a witness, of course.

Gina Carano is suing Disney over her firing from "The Mandalorian" -- claiming she was punished for not toeing the political party line ... and Elon Musk's backing her.

The actress -- who got canned by the Mouse House in 2021, right in the thick of COVID -- just filed suit against her former employer ... alleging she was wrongfully terminated from her job over posting her political views on social media ... something she claims didn't happen to her male co-workers who made similar posts.

In the docs, obtained by TMZ, Carano claims she was fired for not conforming to "progressive orthodoxy" that was being espoused at the company and in the general public, especially as pertained to COVID policies at the time.

Specifically, Gina says a message she reposted that referenced persecution of Jews during the Holocaust -- comparing that scenario to what was going on with folks who spoke out about COVID and other conservative-leaning positions -- was what pissed Disney off.

While the company came out at the time to slam her for what they said was "denigrating people based on their cultural and religious identities" ... GC says her social media post wasn't meant that way whatsoever, and that the context of what she was getting at got lost.

More importantly, Gina claims Disney didn't fire her over performance -- but simply for expressing political views that were considered unpopular and antithetical to Disney's ... and Gina says that was a legal no-no.

What's more, Gina says other male costars of hers also made politically inflammatory comments online at the time -- including when Mark Hamill was accused of liking a transphobic tweet -- but Disney accepted their explanations and moved on.

Bottom line ... Carano says her career was negatively impacted, and that she lost out on boatloads of cash considering her work was going swimmingly before things took a political turn. She's suing for unspecified damages ... but we're guessing it'll be a lot.

Jim Irsay says he's getting over his recent health issues ... revealing Tuesday he's officially "on the mend."

The Indianapolis Colts owner suffered multiple medical scares in the last few months -- including a suspected overdose at his Indiana home followed by a respiratory ailment -- but, thankfully, he said on his X page he's now doing better.

He told his fans he appreciated all of their support as he went through his recovery process ... writing, "Grateful for all the messages of love."

The Colts first announced 64-year-old Irsay was struggling with his health back on Jan. 9 ... when they said he was battling "a severe respiratory illness." The issue was so dire, it actually forced Irsay to back out of a concert with his band.

To make matters worse for the NFL owner, TMZ Sports learned that just weeks prior -- on Dec. 8 -- cops were called to his Carmel home after they said he had been found unconscious with a blue skin tone.

In police documents, cops said first responders administered live-saving measures before taking him to the hospital ... classifying the incident as both an "overdose" and "overdose/poisoning."

Usher’s Super Bowl Halftime performance on Sunday is so highly anticipated, it's bringing out the inner fan in several of his industry peers ... including Gayle King.

TMZ Hip Hop caught up with Gayle and OG human beatbox Doug E. Fresh as they were both leaving a Grammy shindig -- and both highlighted just how loaded Usher’s catalog is with hits.

In fact, they have 2 different tracks at the top of their wish lists.

Gayle didn’t have much of an opinion on the response to Nicki Minaj’s “Big Foot,” but tells us her top pick for Usher’s SB is "Confessions" ... and even gave us a little of her vocal seasoning to let you know she’s serious!!!

Doug, on the other hand, is confident his pick -- “Yeah!” with Lil Jon and Ludacris -- is what the people want to see the most.

All signs point to Jon joining Usher on stage Sunday in Vegas, because he’s releasing a mediation album a few days later ...  most likely to capitalize on the Super Bowl buzz.

Luda’s been making his interview rounds as well, so seems highly like Doug's music request dreams will come true!!!

Doug and Gayle are also pining for the San Francisco 49ers and Kansas City Chiefs, respectively, to snag the victory.

Rich people are gonna feast like it at the Super Bowl this weekend ... 'cause the luxury suite that comes with a $2.5 MILLION price tag will be fully stocked with the finest grub!!

Some lucky media members got an inside look at the expensive box that'll house 20 wealthy football fans when the San Francisco 49ers and Kansas City Chiefs face off at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas on Super Sunday ... and they certainly won't have empty stomachs by the end of the night.

The spread consists of some bomb-lookin' items ... from a surf-and-turf buffet with wagyu beef and lobster to carne asada fries, seafood stuffed potatoes, bacon-wrapped hot dogs, cheesecakes and your classic souvenir popcorn, according to reporter Luke Sawhook.

There will be plenty to drink, too ... with a full-service bar complete with bartenders.

For those less financially blessed, StubHub says the get-in price is currently $5,300 -- a bargain from last week -- and the average ticket is going for $8,800.

A special week for Lakers fans just got better ... the same night the purple and gold unveil the Kobe Bryant statue outside Crypto.com Arena, LeBron James and Co. will rock Mamba uniforms, designed by the late legend himself!

The Lakers made the announcement Tuesday morning, saying the squad would wear their Black Mamba uniforms vs. the Denver Nuggets on February 8, the same night the team will introduce Bryant's bronze statue in Star Plaza outside of the arena.

Aside from the jerseys looking fresh, they're extra special because Kobe actually helped create them back in 2017 ... borrowing elements from the Lakers uniform he wore during his rookie season in 1996-1997.

The Mamba unis, which the team will wear on 2/8/24 (another nod to the legend), feature a black, snakeskin-like print ... and also include "LA 24" on the belt, with Kobe's number 8 and 24 stitched on the leg of the shorts.

It won't be the first time the Lakers have worn the uniforms ... they debuted them in January 2018. They also wore them again during the 2020 championship season following Bryant's tragic death.

As cool as the uniforms are, the statue is also a huge honor.

Kansas City Chiefs fans seem way more amped up for Super Bowl LVIII than their San Francisco 49ers counterparts ... at least in terms of interest in short-term rentals in Las Vegas.

The good folks over at Airbnb tell TMZ ... searches for rental listings in the Las Vegas region are up by more than 65% for the week of the Super Bowl, and most of the potential renters are flocking in from K.C.

Airbnb says Chiefs fans were in a frenzy looking up places to stay in Vegas after Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce beat the Baltimore Ravens to secure a spot on SB LVIII ... the day after the AFC and NFC Championship Games, total Airbnb searches were 3x higher from K.C. than SF.

The numbers make ya wonder if there's a Taylor Swift effect at play here ... the Chiefs are playing in the Super Bowl for the 4th time in the last 5 years, so it's nothing new to them and their fans, and Taylor's bringing in new fans and tons of extra interest.

No matter which team's fans are booking short-term rentals, Las Vegas looks like the big winner here ... Airbnb says the rental interest is bringing big economic potential to the region.

The Kansas City Chiefs offensive linemen arrived in Las Vegas in style ... thanks to Donovan Smith who gifted his teammates brand-new matching fits before their departure!

TMZ Sports is told the OT -- who signed with the Chiefs in May 2023 -- reached out to popular L.A. fashion designer Daniel Patrick last week ... and he wanted jumpsuits that the O-line could wear on the plane as the team traveled to Sin City for Super Bowl LVIII.

Patrick, who has worked with many big stars like Usher, Jimmy Butler, and Deshaun Watson, was able to put it all together overnight ... and the hog molly's got to rock their new Loop Terry sweatsuits on the plane.

"The guys loved it," Patrick told us, "and were super excited!"

We're told 13 sets were made, up to 4XL, with each carrying a $475 price tag.

This isn't the first time Patrick has made something special for the Chiefs ... Travis Kelce hit him up to make custom velour jumpsuits as a team Christmas gift.

Deion Sanders famously said, “If you look good, you feel good, and if you feel good, you play good,” and the Chiefs are lookin' good.

Cody Rhodes was showered with love during "Raw" on Monday ... with fans shouting their support after the WWE Superstar seemingly got shafted out of a major storyline at the hands of The Rock.

The American Nightmare returned to the squared circle for the first time since Friday's controversial SmackDown stare-off between Dwayne Johnson and Roman Reigns ... and the folks in attendance in St. Louis made it known they are on his side.

A bunch of spectators chanted "We want Cody" and "Rocky sucks" during the event ... and after the TV broadcast came to a close, Rhodes addressed his diehard backers.

"For you to want me is special, because I have always wanted you," Cody said on the mic.

"I love you guys so much. I'm sorry I'm an emotional mess."

Rhodes also went to X to acknowledge the outpour of support ... and possibly hinted things may not be as they seem.

"Appreciate the passion, God bless y'all …but Trust me," Rhodes said.

As we previously reported, fans believe Rock jumped the line and will go up against Roman at WrestleMania ... an opportunity Cody earned after winning the Royal Rumble last month.

In fact, San Francisco 49ers star George Kittle -- a massive WWE fan -- addressed the whole ordeal during his Super Bowl presser ... sharing his favorite theories on what might actually happen with Cody's storyline.

Patrick Mahomes says his father is "doing good" following his DWI arrest ... but the Chiefs star didn't want to reveal much further about his dad's legal issues, explaining, "It's a family matter."

The quarterback opened up briefly about Patrick Mahomes Sr.'s situation while he was on the podium at Super Bowl Opening Night at Allegiant Stadium on Monday ... after he was asked twice about his pops' run-in with cops on Saturday in Texas.

He kept things short and sweet ... saying at first, "I don't really want to get into it too much, but he's doing good for whatever the situation is."

Then, he shut down the line of questioning ... adding in a follow-up, "It's a family matter. So I'll just keep it to the family. And, that's all I really have to say at this point."

As we reported, Mahomes Sr. was booked on a charge of driving while impaired over the weekend after authorities claimed he showed signs of being intoxicated during a routine traffic stop in Tyler.

Authorities wrote in police documents that Mahomes Sr. admitted to having "a few beers while watching a game at a local bar" before getting behind the wheel. They added he also had an open 16-ounce can of Coors in his center console.

It's Mahomes Sr.'s third DWI -- and if he's convicted this time, he's facing up to 10 years behind bars.

Great news, Swifties ... Travis Kelce says he's heard some of Taylor Swift's new album -- and so far, "it is unbelievable!!"

The Chiefs star made the revelation while chatting with reporters at Super Bowl Opening Night at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas on Monday ... sharing with the world that he's grown so close to his pop star girlfriend, she's actually allowed him to listen to some of her top-secret, unreleased tunes.

And, Kelce said he's been loving what he's been hearing up to this point.

"I can't wait for her to shake up the world when it finally drops," he said.

Swift revealed at the Grammys on Sunday night that her new project, "The Tortured Poets Department," will be dropping on April 19. On Monday afternoon -- just before Kelce took the podium in Sin City -- she unveiled the titles of the songs ... sending the internet into a frenzy.

Kelce didn't want to say much more about his GF's new work -- adding only "I can't give you anything; I leave that up to her" -- but he did heap a ton of praise on her throughout his Monday evening Q&A regardless.

The Kansas City tight end said he was proud of her for winning her 13th and 14th Grammys ... saying, "She's rewriting the history books herself." He then said he was hoping to add another Lombardi Trophy to match her new honors.

"I told her I'll have to hold up my end of the bargain and come home with some hardware too," he said.

Kelce did not confirm whether or not Swift would be in attendance Sunday ... though he called her the Chiefs' "No. 1 fan" -- implying that she'd somehow make the lengthy trek from Tokyo to watch him in action.