TMZ Sports - Page 50

O.J. Simpson is reportedly battling cancer -- but the man himself is somewhat pushing back that he's in poor health ... although, not necessarily denying the notion that he's been diagnosed.

The notorious ex-con -- who was famously acquitted in his double murder trial in the '90s, and who has maintained his innocence -- was recently diagnosed with prostate cancer ... according to Local 10 News.

The publication cites sources for their reporting ... and they go on to say O.J. has been receiving chemotherapy in the area. Unclear when exactly he was given the bad news.

One other bizarre element about this report is that Local 10 News says they're hearing O.J. has been going around and telling friends there are rumors about him going into hospice ... something he's apparently been denying to his closest pals.

Welp, O.J. doubled down on that denial Friday on the heels of this report coming out -- and while he is denying any notion of him being in hospice ... nobody seems to be claiming that.

Again, O.J.'s not saying he doesn't have cancer ... but he is trying to make it seem like everything is just fine and dandy in his world -- and that his focus is on the Super Bowl.

Here's the weird thing about all this ... O.J. appears to have already acknowledged that he has cancer and that he had done chemo. A video he posted in May 2023 -- where he rambles -- briefly touches on the fact that he "caught cancer," without specifying what type -- but in the clip, he also suggested he'd beaten it and that he was doing just fine now.

The ex-RB talked about dropping weight during chemo and how weed helped him get his appetite back -- but this video seems to have completely flown under the radar at the time.

Turns out Patrick Mahomes hasn't actually worn the same pair of nasty red drawers DURING nearly every NFL game of his career, just before kickoff ... according to his mother, Randi Mahomes.

Randi recently joined the "Got It From My Momma" podcast ... when the conversation turned to the infamous underwear Patrick recently revealed he wore for almost all of his career. Mom straightened the record.

“I asked Brittany, it’s not that he wears them in the game. He wears them from point A -- like leaves the house, gets to the game. I don’t think he actually wears them in the game,” Randi explained.

Of course, Patrick made the admission to a stunned Peyton and Eli on the Manningcast earlier this season, saying he'd worn the present from his wife Brittany Mahomes since his great rookie season.

"I love a good superstition, but couldn't you just do something like eat the same pregame meal? Did it have to be the red underwear?" Eli asked Patrick at the time.

Randi, like Manning, wasn't a fan of the tradition when she first heard about it, saying, “I was at work, I went into my co-worker's office like I can’t handle this.”

Mahomes and his Chiefs squad are slight underdogs against the 49ers ... we'll see if Patrick breaks tradition and wears them for the game on Super Sunday.

Usher has been in direct talks with Justin Bieber about sharing the stage during the Super Bowl Halftime show, TMZ has learned.

Sources with direct knowledge tell TMZ ... Usher reached out to Bieber about performing. We're told there were no handlers involved on either side ... they talked directly to each other.

Our sources say they do not know the outcome of the talks, but Usher definitely wants Bieber to join him for what promises to be the most-watched Super Bowl in history.

As you know, Usher mentored Bieber when the latter was 13 years old and helped guide his career, along with manager Scooter Braun. The 2 have been close ever since.

Justin has pulled back from performing on tour. He stopped his "Justice" world tour in 2022 -- officially canceling the tour in March 2023 -- after being diagnosed with Ramsay Hunt Syndrome. He has performed at one-off events, including a performance at NHL All-Star Weekend in Toronto this past weekend.

We know Usher will be joined by Lil Jon and Ludacris. There's some rumblings Alicia Keys will also perform.

Travis Kelce did NOT host a big shindig in Sin City a couple nights before the Super Bowl, despite his name being on the invitation for a house party ... TMZ has learned.

There was an invite going around social media Thursday promoting "The Kelce House Party" later that night in Las Vegas ... with Travis' name prominently displayed above the RSVP. Of course, many quickly wondered ... is TK partying his off just a few nights before the game???

Understandable -- on its face, the invite made it seem like Travis was hosting the party with his brother, Jason, which was billed as an event for their 'New Heights' podcast ... and there were even some reports going around claiming Travis was hosting this thing.

However, sources with direct knowledge tell TMZ … Travis didn't host any parties in Vegas last night, and more importantly ... he isn't hosting any ahead of Super Bowl LVIII, period.

For the non-sports fans out there thinking the players on the Super Bowl teams will be having fun in and around The Strip before Sunday's Big Game, our sources say that's just not the case ... and players are basically having zero fun in Sin City before the SB.

Thing is ... we're told Travis and the Kansas City Chiefs players have some pretty loaded schedules, plus a curfew. They start their days early and the day is filled with meetings, practices and training.

They have a strict curfew at midnight every night ... and our sources say if Travis or any of the players get caught anywhere near The Strip, they aren't going to be playing in the Super Bowl.

By the way, the Chiefs are staying far away from the glitz and glamour ... the team hotel is The Westin Lake Las Vegas Resort & Spa, about a 40-minute drive from The Strip.

Sounds like Travis missed out on a fun party with his brother ... the invite says, "You're invited to come through the Kelce House, grab a beer (or 20, alright nah), kick back in the living room, take in an electric set from Cleveland's own DJ MEEL, play some pong on the deck, and all that. Be cool, have a good time, and above all - DON'T tell mom!"

Now, on the question of whether this 'Kelce House Party' is legit -- our sources tell us it is ... but that Travis himself was never explicitly tied to it. It was basically a bash put together by people who help run his podcast ... and we're told upwards of 400 individuals got an invite.

Unclear if Jason showed up or not -- he's a cohost of 'New Heights,' after all -- but we know for a fact ... Trav was nowhere near this thing on Thursday.

Travis Kelce got asked to finish a Taylor Swift lyric this week ahead of the Super Bowl -- and it sounds like he might not have known it off the top ... which is interesting.

The Chiefs tight end was talking to media members Thursday in Vegas, and yes -- he was getting asked about his girlfriend a lot, including a question from one journo who compared him and Tay Tay to the American version of the Royals. Yep, major sucking up, no doubt.

She then asked why he thinks people are so fascinated with them as a couple -- and he said people love the "values" they stand for, etc. Legit answer, and probably true ... but ya know what else they love? Taylor's lyrics, and that's where this exchange got interesting.

The reporter asked Trav to complete a line from a VERY well-known Taylor song, "Karma," and she lobbed up the lyric even a mild Taylor fan could recite.

And yet ... TK appeared to fumble on the play, as he chuckled and asked the reporter to jump to her next question.

The actual lyric in question is, "Karma is the guy on the screen // Coming straight home to me."

The reporter gave him, "Karma is the guy on the" ... and Travis confidently added, "Chiefs" -- a nod to the lyric change Taylor made while he was in the crowd for one of her Argentina shows last year.

It's unclear if he realizes that's not the OG lyric. BTW, he wasn't able to finish the rest of the lyric either.

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.