TMZ Sports - Page 45

Jason Kelce is ready to follow in his lil' bro Travis' footsteps ... telling TMZ Sports if "Saturday Night Live" wants to make him a host, he's giving an emphatic HELL YEAH!!

The elder Kelce bro is no stranger to Studio 8H -- he famously made a cameo appearance during Travis' debut back in March 2023, even lending his talents during a skit.

So when we caught up with the Philadelphia Eagles great out in Las Vegas during Super Bowl week, we asked if he'd ever want to get his own shot at headlining the sketch comedy show ... and the dude couldn't be more on board.

"Of course, I love 'SNL,'" 36-year-old Jason said. "It's one of the shows I grew up watching, an iconic show of great proportions and hilarity. Yeah, I would obviously do it."

"I was fortunate to watch Travis do it last year and really see what all goes into it. I came away beyond impressed with all the people involved in making that show work and all the talent that was there."

The billing would make a ton of sense -- the Kelces are household names (partially thanks to the Taylor Swift effect and shirtless antics on gameday) and are some of the most charismatic players in the NFL.

We reached out to our 'SNL' sources ... and they couldn't say enough good things about Jason, and would love to have him back in some capacity in the future.

In fact, we're told that could even mean giving him the hosting gig ... which is something he wouldn't take lightly.

"It would be beyond an honor to participate in something like that, for sure," Jason added.

Tyreek Hill and Keeta Vaccaro have clearly put their divorce case drama in the past ... the two packed on the PDA on their way to NFL Honors on Thursday -- looking more in love than ever.

Of course, the relationship looked like it was coming to an end just a couple weeks ago ... after Hill submitted a petition for the dissolution of his marriage in Broward County.

But, the Miami Dolphins wideout said it was all filed in error ... and, eventually, the case was dismissed earlier this week.

Now, the couple is putting on quite the united front, getting cozy before, during, and after the NFL's annual awards ceremony in Vegas.

The two shared a kiss in a car -- before Hill got a little bit handsy during a dance backstage. They also shared an embrace at the event's red carpet -- documenting it all on their Instagram pages.

"NFL honors with the wife," Hill said in a caption recapping the event.

Taylor Swift is having trouble lately finding her footing ... 'cause she just nearly took a spill onstage at her Tokyo concert.

Taylor hit the stage for performance #2 at the Tokyo Dome as part of the new leg of her international "Eras" tour through Asia, Australia and Europe. Video has now surfaced on Instagram showing the pop star suffering another snafu like she did the previous night.

Check out the footage ... Taylor was walking down a flight of stairs when she tripped and almost tumbled down to the floor. But, thankfully, Taylor caught herself and kept moving down the stairs. Nice recovery!

It doesn't look like Taylor was injured ... but we'll keep you posted.

Taylor was performing onstage Wednesday at the same venue as she plunked down on a chair, missing her mark on the seat cover and having to adjust her rump for the save. Of course, Taylor carried on as if nothing happened and finished the show.

Yet, her back-to-back mishaps might be attributed to all the drama surrounding Sunday's Super Bowl extravaganza in Las Vegas.

Taylor's boyfriend, Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce, will be front and center playing alongside his team against the San Francisco 49ers.

Will Taylor rip herself away from her busy concert schedule to make a cameo at the big game to cheer on Travis?

Tech N9ne's not worried about his bank account ... 'cause he just tossed up a small fortune to show appreciation to a few exotic dancers for their moves.

All eyes were on the rapper at the pre-Super Bowl party he hosted in Las Vegas Thursday night at Crazy Horse 3 -- a very popular strip club just across the street from Allegiant Stadium.

Sources tell us ... T9 made a fashionably late entrance, pulling up to the club at around 2 AM early Friday morning -- and he quickly made up for lost time, walking onstage with an absolute bag and chucking bills up in the air as the ladies danced to his song "Hood Go Crazy."

It didn't take long for the entertainers to realize where the money was at ... and soon we're told 11 dancers were all shakin' their asses near Tech.

Apparently, N9ne was loving the attention so much, we're told he had a member of his entourage running to bring him more ones -- which Tech threw in the air for the next 15 minutes.

All told, our sources say Tech unloaded $25,000 ... a pretty nice payday for the ladies working the club last night who we're told took nearly half an hour to count and divide all the catapulted cash.

We broke the story ... Tech coordinated with the club to turn the venue into a money snowglobe -- a deal that included about $20,000 in singles to throw as well as 10 magnum bottles of 10 tequila with 5 bottles of Clase Azul and 5 bottles of Don Julio 1942.

BTW while this was a particularly big day for the entertainers ... our sources say they've been absolutely raking in the dough recently with so many tourists in town for the big game.

Tech's a Chiefs fan -- with a popular KC anthem to boot -- and he seems to have bucks to burn, so we'll see if he shows up to the Super Bowl at Allegiant on Sunday. Lord knows, those tickets are pricey.

WWE's WrestleMania Kickoff was nothing short of bonkers ... with The Rock straight-up slapping Cody Rhodes in the face in a wild on-stage confrontation!!

The whole event went down in Las Vegas on Thursday ... with Roman Reigns addressing the crowd and announcing he will face off against Dwayne Johnson in Philadelphia -- claiming it's his decision and there's nothing Cody can do about it.

Rock then showed up and hopped on the mic ... saying no matter what people think of the controversial matchup, they WILL respect it -- as Rock and Roman come from The Bloodline, the Samoan families with the richest history in professional wrestling.

Everything seemed set in stone as both guys shook hands -- but Cody wasn't having it ... taking the stage and calling the whole thing "bulls***," as he won the Royal Rumble and earned the right to enter the squared circle with Roman.

The guys traded nasty insults about each other's families ... and when Cody said Roman and Rock's grandparents would be ashamed of what they have become, The People's Champ lost it -- rocking Rhodes right in the mouth.

All sides needed to be separated and escorted off the stage ... but it didn't stop there, as a livid Rock confronted WWE chief content officer Triple H afterward, telling him to do something about Rhodes' disrespect -- or he'd handle it himself.

After it all died down, the WWE apparently sided with Rhodes in the whole ordeal ... revealing Cody would get his wish and take on Roman at WrestleMania 40.

Suites for Super Bowl LVIII ain't cheap (no kidding, right) ... but how expensive are they?? Floyd Mayweather revealed he spent over $1.1 MILLION for a sweet box for him and 34 of his friends to attend the first SB in Las Vegas!

The legendary boxer even shared receipts on Instagram, just days before the 49ers take on the Chiefs at Allegiant Stadium.

"I don’t kiss ass and I never have to beg for nothing especially not to get a Super Bowl suite," the 46-year-old wrote.

"I don’t mind accepting invites at times, but one things for sure...The person that’s paying does all the saying. Therefore I get My Own seats and suites so I can do what I want and invite who I want!"

Mayweather -- who has been on the receiving end of many of the highest paydays in sports history -- dropped $1,131,000 on the luxury suite ... and will bring over 30 people with him for the big game.

"I’m blessed to be taking 34 people to experience the 1st Super Bowl in Las Vegas!" Mayweather said.

If you can't make the big game, don't fret, there are a thousand places to party, including at Floyd's gentlemen's club, Girl Collection, in Vegas ... where the boxing legend is already prepping for a wild weekend, loading up with a bunch of $1 bills!

"We had to get the ones to make it rain," Mayweather said, "I need everybody at Girls Collection!"

Mayweather isn't the only wealthy celeb dropping real cold hard cash on a SB LVIII suite ... Olivia Culpo allegedly spent millions on a box for her fiance Christian McCaffrey's mother, Lisa.

Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce are stirring up memories of past high-profile NFL couples -- including one controversial ex-couple -- at least for Keegan-Michael Key.

KMK hosted the NFL Honors -- the league's annual end-of-season award ceremony -- and, obviously, the funnyman had to bring up Traylor.

He pointed out Kelce isn't the first NFL baller to date a pop star ... name-dropping Russell Wilson and Ciara and Tony Romo and Jessica Simpson before cracking a joke about Brad Paisley and Peyton Manning's friendship.

While Russ and Ciara are still going strong nearly a decade into their relationship, JS and TR didn't make it nearly that long ... with their relationship causing constant drama for the pair.

You'll recall ... Romo and Simpson started dating in late 2007, and just like T-Swift, Simpson became a huge staple in the crowd at Dallas Cowboys games.

Dallas struggled in 2008 though -- the first full season Simpson and Romo dated -- missing out on a playoff spot by one measly tie to the rival Philadelphia Eagles.

Some fans, rather unfairly, blamed the team's issues on Romo and Simpson's relationship ... the couple broke up the following year after Tony found out Jessica was still in contact with her ex, John Mayer.

Worth noting ... Romo's been very supportive of Swift and Kelce since they took their relationship public in September -- recently saying he's rooting for the couple to marry after accidentally referring to Swift as Kelce's wife back in December.

BTW, Key made a few more jokes involving Swift and Kelce though none at the couple's expense ... instead poking fun at the Carolina Panthers and ex-Pats head coach Bill Belichick.

Michael Irvin is stoked his Cowboys are planning to bring back Mike Zimmer to their coaching staff ... telling TMZ Sports he thinks the move could finally get his former squad over the hump.

Mike McCarthy reportedly made the decision to hire Zimmer as his new defensive coordinator on Thursday after Dan Quinn bolted for Washington earlier this month ... and when we got Irvin at the "A Night Out With Legends" bash in Las Vegas on Thursday night, he was clearly pumped for the addition.

The playmaker said he believes the Cowboys were a little too boom or bust under DQ -- but that should change with Zimmer running the show in 2024.

"Mike Zimmer will bring a more calm approach," Irvin said outside the Tommy Gucciardo party, which was presented by Ticketbash.com, "and he'll make every team walk the ball down the field."

Irvin said that should be a game-changer for the Cowboys -- as they already have one of the best units in the league on the other side of the ball.

"If you've got an explosive offense," Irvin said, "and the other team has to walk the ball down the field, it gives you a better chance at winning."

Irvin, of course, knows firsthand what Zimmer can bring to a team ... the coach was actually with Dallas during Irvin's playing days in the 90s.

However, Michael obviously doesn't think the hire will lengthen McCarthy's leash one bit in Big D ... telling us the head coach's seat isn't getting any colder no matter what happens this offseason.

"I ain't feeling sorry for Mike McCarthy or any other man with pressure," Irvin said.

Ben Affleck's definitely getting the last laugh over his undying love of Dunkin' ... after thousands of memes mocked him for reppin' the coffee and donut shop so hard.

Turns out the Oscar winner raked in a staggering $10 MILLION for his Super Bowl commercial last year, according to CNN. Remember, Ben appeared as a Dunkin' drive-thru worker in the 30-second clip, and his star power was a major treat for Dunkin'.

The company reportedly sold more donuts the day after the Super Bowl than any other day in its history. Capitalizing on that smash hit, Ben then signed on as an official spokesperson -- and will appear in another commercial for them during this year's SB.

But, it ain't just Ben who made major bucks on Super Sunday -- Larry David also snagged $10M for his now-controversial FTX ad ... and CNN says at least 2 other A-list celebs are making $5M this year for appearing on-camera for less than 20 seconds in ads.

Keep in mind, companies are also dropping $7M just to air a 30-second spot!

As for Ben's new SB spot ... Dunkin's ad men have him trollin' himself for his "miserable" expression at last year’s Grammys.

Prince Harry flew back to the U.S. and made a surprise appearance at the 2024 NFL Honors -- after a short visit with his cancer-stricken father King Charles III in England.

The Duke of Sussex strolled out onstage at the Resorts World Theatre in Las Vegas Thursday evening to present the Walter Payton Man of the Year award to Pittsburgh Steelers defensive tackle Cameron Heyward.

Heyward seemed totally awestruck by Harry as the NFL star accepted his statue and stepped up to the mic to make a speech.

Check out the vid ... Heyward addressed the audience while motioning with his arm to Harry, saying, "That's freakin' Harry. Oh my god, I'm in shock. That's Prince Harry."

Harry smiled, taking it all in stride while shaking hands with Heyward on the stage and posing for photos with him after the event.

As you know ... Harry hopped a Tuesday flight to London from L.A. to visit King Charles after his recent cancer diagnosis. When he arrived in the UK capital, Harry went straight to the royal residence, where he reportedly stayed with Charles for about 45 minutes before taking off.

While his exit appeared abrupt, it's no secret Harry and his wife, Meghan Markle, have been estranged from Charles and the rest of the Royal Family for quite some time. And the world has had a front-row seat to all their drama.

Too Short is living up to his lyrical billing by throwing dollar bills at Vegas exotic dancers, and covering the floor with greenbacks ... all while his strip club anthems are blaring.

The "Money On The Floor" rapper hit up Crazy Horse 3 in Las Vegas Wednesday night into Thursday morning, rolling up with a crew of 20 people, including fellow rappers Tech N9ne and X-Raided ... and if ya thought it was raining hard in L.A., ya gotta see what went down on The Strip.

Our strip club sources -- yep, we got those too -- tell us Short requested a table in the VIP section right next to the main stage and, naturally, he was immediately swarmed by more than 30 strippers. As they say, game recognize game!

His crew ordered 2 magnum bottles of Don Julio 1942 Tequila, nothing but top shelf, and they threw $15,000 in singles ... and as you can see, the club brought him the first $5k in singles in a lighted-briefcase as Short had 2 strippers on his lap.

Naturally, Too Short took the greenbacks up to the main stage and started throwing money everywhere ... spreading it over a dancer's back as she twerked in front of him. Textbook move.

The most baller part ... Too Short's "Money On The Floor" is playing while he drops fat stacks on, and above, the stage where a dancer's flashing her pole skills to his jam.

Crazy Horse 3 seems like the place to be leading up to Super Bowl LVIII, which will be played just across the street at Allegiant Stadium.

Tech N9ne was back Thursday night to host and rain $20K on the performers. While several NFL players were expected, too -- it's a safe bet they were NOT the centers of attention.

Even though 49ers wideout Ray-Ray McCloud has deep roots in the music industry, he won't try to rub elbows with Taylor Swift at the Super Bowl ... telling TMZ Sports, "This is football."

Many have wondered if the receiver would attempt to get in TayTay's ear at some point at Allegiant Stadium on Sunday ... because, after all, the guy's a musician who just recently became the CEO of entertainment agency Legend Tribe Entertainment.

But, he said out in Vegas this week there's no chance he fraternizes with Travis Kelce's girlfriend at the Big Game ... saying flat-out, "Hell nah!"

"I'm a big fan of greatness," he told us. "She's great at what she do. She big time. But, hey, this is football. We don't care about no album coming out. We don't care about none of that."

"Congrats to her on the Grammy thing she did, but we don't care about none of that, man."

Instead, Ray-Ray says he's locked in on the game ... although he did at least tell us he'd try to have some kind of ear on Usher's halftime show.

While the 27-year-old will absolutely not sneak out of the locker room to catch it -- "I'm trying to get a ring first," he said -- he told us he hoped the "Let It Burn" crooner would play "Superstar" and "Confessions" during the performance.

It's Friday, and as we head into the weekend ... TMZ is firing on all cylinders, especially on TV -- where we covered a helluva lot of juicy topics.

On 'TMZ Live,' we broke a story about a special tribute that Super Bowl LVIII organizers are planning to launch during Sunday's broadcast ... which essentially amounts to a tip of the hat to Sin City itself.

There's a particular song that'll be played throughout -- and it'll get kicked off by the most famous rendition of the tune known to date ... sung by one Frank Sinatra, no less!

Over at 'TMZ on TV,' the gang talked about a new claim Britney Spears is floating -- namely, that she allegedly made out with Ben Affleck back in the day ... in the year 1999.

Brit doesn't even seem sure of the details herself -- but she posted a pic (and then quickly deleted it) ... which left Harvey and the staff less than convinced it actually happened.

Finally, on 'TMZ Sports' ... Babcock and Lucas talk Baker Mayfield and what sort of new contract he deserves in the wake of a pretty decent season with the Buccaneers.

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

Before this handsome fella lookin' spiffy in his suit turned into a Super Bowl champion, he was just a little New Yorker -- who came from a family of athletes -- playing hockey, basketball, baseball and of course FOOTBALL!

Being one of the greatest tight-ends of all time helped lead his team to Super Bowl wins in 2015, 2017, 2019 and 2021. He may not have played for the Chiefs or the 49ers, but now being an NFL analyst ... he's had plenty to say about this year's Super Bowl.

Need on more clue ... just ask his quarterback BFF TB!

Antonio Gates will have to wait at least 12 more months for his gold jacket ... TMZ Sports has learned the NFL legend did NOT make this year's Hall of Fame cut.

Our sources tell us when officials made calls Thursday morning to inform finalists and their reps if they got the green light or not to Canton ... Gates received bad news.

It's, of course, shocking ... as most pundits believed the 43-year-old was definitely deserving of the first-ballot nod.

After all, the ex-tight end compiled 11,841 receiving yards on 955 catches ... while recording 116 total touchdowns. According to Pro Football Reference's Hall of Fame Monitor metric system, only three tight ends in the history of the league -- Tony Gonzalez, Rob Gronkowski and Travis Kelce -- were more deserving of a bust.

Gates himself certainly appeared to think he was in ... he told us back in November he believed he and Julius Peppers were going to get the call.

It's unclear who got in ahead of Gates this year ... but other finalists included Dwight Freeney, Devin Hester, Andre Johnson, Torry Holt, and Patrick Willis.

Caitlyn Jenner seemed to plead for Elon Musk's legal backing to fight Disney after being dropped from "The Kardashians" -- but she's not actually pursuing it ... TMZ has learned.

Sources with direct knowledge tell us Caitlyn has zero plans to sue the Mouse House and was simply shining a light on her experience with the studio by commenting under the EM's original post ... where he explicitly said he would provide legal support (namely, funding) to those who felt they'd been discriminated against by Disney or its subsidiaries.

Caitlyn's comment under Elon's post read ... "Hulu (Disney subsidiary) never put me on my family's show - I had been on since day 1- when it switched from E!" On its face, it certainly sounded like she was serious ... especially since Elon seemed to be seriously baiting.

Now, while our sources tell us CJ has no plans to take Elon up on his offer to sue right now, if any bombshell information surfaces from the Kardashians' reality show on Hulu that pushes the envelope against Caitlyn ... we're told she would possibly revisit the idea.

You'll recall ... Caitlyn starred in almost all 20 seasons of E! 's "Keeping Up With The Kardashians" alongside her ex-wife Kris Jenner, her stepkids Kourtney, Kim, and Khloé, and biological daughters Kendall and Kylie. Caitlyn never appeared in the revamped series though, "The Kardashians," when it moved over to Hulu in 2022.

Last month, CJ expressed similar frustration over the Disney non-invite when replying to an X post from political consultant Richard Grenell, who blasted the network for its "partisan" stance.

The reality star commented at the time ... "I wonder if that's why they fired me from my family's reality show when it switched over to Hulu (@Disney), from E!. I must not be woke enough."

Cailyn added -- "Too bad… I remember when Bob Iger was a young, hard working, valet, carrying my bags, for me right after I won the Olympics."

ICYMI ... Elon is funding former "Mandalorian" actress Gina Carano's lawsuit ... where she claims Disney+ and LucasFilm wrongfully terminated her from her job after she posted her political views on social media.

That's why this Caitlyn convo is even happening -- because Elon is legitimately putting his money where his mouth is on this issue against Disney.

Back to Caitlyn ... things may not have worked out with "The Kardashians" -- but she's gone from reality TV to FOX, working for the network as a Fox News contributor, which she's really enjoying.