TMZ Sports - Page 19

The Super Bowl streaker is breaking his silence, explaining why he dropped $42k on front-row tix, only to be tackled on the field half-naked and thrown in the pokey ... revealing it all started with a bet!

TMZ Sports talked to SB streaker Alex Gonzalez on Monday ... just hours after he was released from the local jail.

The question ... why?!

Alex says the plan was to originally place a prop bet at a Vegas sportsbook ... plunking down cash on a fan running on the field during the Chiefs vs. Niners game.

Gonzalez says he was at a UFC event the day before Super Sunday, and he told everyone who would listen, including Dr. Phil and the Nelk Boys, that he was going on the field. So, place your bets.

The only issue? When Gonzalez tried to place the wager, it no longer existed. But, at that point, he says he was already committed ... so despite spending over 40 grand on tickets, Alex decided to go forward with the plan knowing he'd never get to finish watching the game.

"I'm like, 'Damn. I am in too deep at this point where I can't back out anymore.'"

Gonzalez and some buddies headed to a local sporting goods store to buy cleats (we know those Super Bowl fields) and other supplies, and they headed for Allegiant Stadium.

Then, when the third quarter rolled around (gotta watch at least some of the game), Alex and his friend made their move.

Gonzalez ultimately ran around for several seconds before giving himself up to security officers who were closing in, before leading him to a holding cell in the back of the new stadium.

Alex says he was then taken to jail where he spent Sunday night behind bars.

But, if you think he's regretting it all now ... watch the clip -- he certainly doesn't seem to be sweatin' the situation -- even if he is facing at least one misdemeanor charge.

Patrick Mahomes ain't the only Chief workin' on little to no sleep since the Super Bowl ... Mecole Hardman tells TMZ Sports he, too, hasn't gotten a lick of shut-eye since catching the game-winning touchdown Sunday.

The Kansas City wideout made the revelation to us on Tuesday while appearing with CB L'Jarius Sneed at a Missouri-based Raising Cane's ... saying straight up, "I ain't got no sleep yet."

"It's been hectic," he added.

Of course, Hardman isn't exactly complaining ... considering it's been a helluva ride since he caught the touchdown pass that gave the Chiefs the 25-22 win over the Niners in SB LVIII.

He got to talk with Taylor Swift in the postgame, party with teammates at a Las Vegas nightclub ... and then guest star on Monday night's taping of "Jimmy Kimmel Live" -- before he took Tuesday's shift at Raising Cane's.

"I've been enjoying the ride," he said. "Just taking advantage of it."

Mecole told us that because of the way he began the year with the Jets, this title win felt "a little more emotional" than his previous two. He then added that he sure hopes Kansas City will re-sign him for next season.

"That'll be the goal for sure to come back," he said.

Travis Kelce's enjoyed a bunch of professional perks since he started dating Taylor Swift, but it hasn't been all rainbows and butterflies ... the superstar TE was forced to move after overzealous fans camped out in front of his crib.

Kelce's big bro, Eagles center Jason Kelce, told the story on "The Big Podcast with Shaq" this week ... after The Big Fella asked the future Hall of Fame center about their newfound fame since Trav and T.S. hooked up.

"It's crazy what it opens up, opportunity-wise. It's crazy to feel how much joy you bring people or how much you affect people's daily lives," Jason told the NBA legend.

Now here's the but.

Kelce continued, "It has drawbacks, for sure and Travis knows more than I do."

That's when the 7x Pro Bowler revealed the reason behind Travis upgrading homes last October (he moved into a $6 million, 6 bed, 6 bath, 16,000 sq. ft. place), saying fans, who weren't invited, were basically camping outside his house, literally forcing him to move.

"He had to completely move out of his house," Jason said, "People were just staying by his house."

Unfortunately, not even the new place, with added security measures, was enough.

"The first day he moved into the new house, in a gated community, somebody knocks on the back window of the house."

Thankfully, no one has seemingly wanted to cause them harm ... but it's clear the Kelce's are still adjusting to their newfound fame outside of the NFL.

"The Taylor World and the pop culture world, that's a whole different level. It's a new demographic that wasn't there before," Jason said.

Sadly, Taylor's no stranger to overzealous fans. She's dealt with over a dozen stalkers, most recently including a man named David Crowe, who showed up to her NYC pad multiple times, despite being arrested.

Surprise!! -- Post Malone will show off his acting chops in the reimagined "Road House" movie ... and judging by what Jake Gyllenhaal had to say about the casting, the dude is a natural in front of the camera.

The Academy Award nominee revealed the "Rockstar" crooner's involvement in the upcoming Prime Video project on Tuesday ... showing Posty all bloodied up on set.

It's an announcement that is catching folks off-guard -- Malone wasn't featured in the trailer that dropped last month ... but he's getting the full treatment now.

In fact, PV released a poster image of Malone -- real name Austin Post -- in a fighting pose for the promo ... featuring the caption, "Come and get it."

Gyllenhaal clearly thinks highly of what his costar did in the movie ... showering him in praise on social media.

"A man of many talents," Jake said minutes ago. "To say it was a pleasure working together is an understatement. Welcome to the #roadhouse @postmalone!"

It won't be the first time fans get to see Posty in Hollywood -- he's also done work with Jason Statham and Mark Wahlberg in the past ... but this seems like his biggest role to date.

The flick is proving to have a ton of star power -- UFC superstar Conor McGregor got a lot of shine in the trailer as his villainous character, "Knox" ... and names like Darren Barnet, Lukas Gage, Jessica Williams and Daniela Melchior landed roles as well.

Kevin Durant's career portfolio is expanding into hip hop music ... the NBA superstar appears to have shot a new music video with rapper Stalley, and he's delivering autobiographical bars!!!

TMZ Hip Hop obtained a video of KD and Stalley vibin' to an audio recording of them while watching basketball highlights on TV ... and the NBA All-Star starter sounds like he's got a lot to get off his chest.

The raps appear to be a classic back-and-forth ... Stalley opens the track by championing his own independent hustle and stress-release practices.

KD eulogizes his late grandmother ... "RIP to Barbara Davis/We hit another layer/When she speak to me, it's like she saying prayers."

He was just named as a starter in the 2024 NBA All-Star Game, his 14th appearance, but but gripes about aging players getting discriminated against ... by comparing himself to Randy Moss during the Hall of Fame wide receiver's time with the Oakland Raiders.

Stalley, the Ohio-born rapper, had stints playing college hoops and was also on Rick Ross' Maybach Music label -- so, it's ideal he and KD would spark up a friendship.

KD's worn his hip hop fandom on his sleeve his entire b-ball career and the love has been reciprocated ... Drake, J. Cole, Freddie Gibbs, Kash Doll and several other rap stars have interacted with him, and name-checked him in songs.

UFC fighter Sedriques Dumas -- who just recently scored an impressive win at UFC 294 -- was arrested on Tuesday in Florida following a tense confrontation with police.

According to Escambia County jail records, the 28-year-old was booked on a charge of battery at around 6:13 AM.

Further details surrounding his arrest were not made immediately available ... although video posted to Dumas' Facebook page late Monday night/early Tuesday morning appears to show him getting into a verbal argument with several law enforcement officers just hours before he was thrown behind bars.

In the footage, it looks like Dumas was clearly upset with at least one member of the Escambia County Sheriff's Office ... who had told him they had been called out over "a disturbance."

Dumas repeatedly asked the officers questions before he told one, "I'm beyond f***ing pissed ... I'm just walking to blow off steam and she want to come at me and tell me I'm disrupting?"

The mixed martial artist and the police then went back and forth for several minutes ... before one of the officers told Dumas they had received a call regarding a woman who had said "her boyfriend was banging on the door and ringing the doorbell."

Ultimately, the video ended after it appears the officers put Dumas in handcuffs.

Dumas most recently fought on Oct. 21, 2023 in Abu Dhabi ... where he beat Abu Azaitar by unanimous decision.

Taylor Swift not only hit the club with Travis Kelce and co. after the Super Bowl -- but she was there with her parents too ... something she caught on camera and posted online.

The pop star threw up some behind-the-scenes footage Monday night showing off what she had gotten up to the night prior, this after the Chiefs' big win in Vegas ... after which Tay Tay and the team hit the town and painted the town red at after-parties.

As it turns out ... Taylor brought along her mom and dad -- Scott and Andrea -- for at least part of the festivities, something she put on display in an awesome TikTok video.

It's a rare upload for T-Swift (more on this later) and it shows her sitting in a private section of what looks to be Zouk at Resorts World behind the DJ booth ... as she pans to her left and records her parents sitting on the couch next to her, sippin' drinks and taking it all in.

She also recorded Travis who crossed right in front of her ... and he made a goofy face.

Taylor wrote ... "It's a friends and family party they said." She captioned her TikTok further by adding ... "accidentally going clubbing with your parents is something everyone should try at least once in their life." So far, her video has over 18 million views, with lots of likes.

It's interesting for a couple reasons -- for starters, this appears to be the first time Taylor has posted Travis on her official social accounts, so she's 100% claiming him now as the BF.

More importantly, though, this is a major change for Taylor ... as she normally doesn't give much of a peek into her private life. Until now, she'd hardly ever shared something like this.

Just goes to show ... she seems to be a whole new person with Mr. Kelce by her side.

Kendall Jenner was out and about in Vegas this past weekend to enjoy the Super Bowl -- but it looks like one of her exes made it into her suite as well ... and it wasn't Bad Bunny.

Eagle-eyed fans noticed a photo that Michael Rubin's daughter, Kylie, posted on her Insta Story from Sunday ... which shows her sitting next to socialite Will Makris (the dude sleeping in Kim Kardashian's suite) -- and while she was cracking jokes ... others were zooming in on her pic.

The reason for the focus ... Devin Booker was chillin' in the back, seemingly trying to be low-key and enjoy his food -- but certainly sticking out like a sore thumb regardless.

There didn't seem to be anyone else around him in this photo, but the fact he was even there at all -- in the KarJenner suite, no less -- caught the attention of many ... and for good reason. Obviously, he's one of Kendall's many famous exes, and a more recent one at that.

No explicit evidence (yet) that he was hobnobbing with Kendall specifically, but ya gotta figure he was there because of her. Even more fascinating ... Bunny was also in the building.

Photos have been circulating of the Puerto Rican rapper/singer hanging out with Lizzo's crew -- all of whom were rolling with Apple honcho Tim Cook, it seems -- and they were all in a completely separate private suite ... in a completely different part of the stadium too.

On its face, it would appear Kendall might, perhaps, be rekindling things with Devin once again -- whom she broke up with almost 2 years ago -- after her latest romance with Benito.

The interesting thing, of course, is that Kendall was recently spotted hanging with Bad Bunny after their own split a couple months ago. Remember, they'd been seen running with the same crew to ring in the New Year ... and some thought they were getting back together.

If she's chillin' with Devin, though ... that now seems unlikely, especially with BB there in Vegas, but nowhere near her. From this -- you can kinda assume ... they're probably over.

Devin was Kendall's previous boyfriend before Bunny ... so, retracing her steps a bit.

Shaquille O'Neal got his wish by running into Taylor Swift at the Super Bowl ... but he seemed a bit more infatuated with the pop superstar's plus-one on Sunday -- revealing he has a big ol' crush on Ice Spice!!

The four-time NBA champ told TMZ Sports last week he wanted a seat right next to Travis Kelce's girlfriend for the Big Game between the Kansas City Chiefs and San Francisco 49ers ... and while that didn't happen, he still got to rub elbows with her on at least two different occasions throughout the night -- even gifting her a Judith Leiber bag, which comes with a $4,500 price tag.

Shaq made sure to show his appreciation for his run-in with Swift -- who ended up sitting with the "Think U The S*** (Fart)" rapper, Kelce fam and Blake Lively instead -- going to Instagram to share the interactions with his followers ... as well as his a special shoutout to 24-year-old IS.

"and @icespice is so dam fine thanks @taylorswift," Shaq said on social media ... which undoubtedly sounds like shooting his shot.

His comment section was flooded with similar takeaways ... with one user joking, "Shaq shot his shot… but it was a free throw 😞"

Another added ... "The last thing I’d expect on my page is Shaq saying ice spice is fine."

Unclear what Ice thought of the gesture ... but gotta respect Shaq's courage to throw it all out there, even if it goes over like a "fart" in a windstorm.

Micah Parsons threw some huge praise Patrick Mahomes' way after the QB locked up his third Super Bowl title on Sunday ... telling TMZ Sports he believes the Chiefs star should now "undoubtedly" be considered one of the greatest to ever play.

The Dallas Cowboys pass rusher fired off the compliments as he was leaving Allegiant Stadium following Kansas City's thrilling win over the 49ers.

He told us that while Mahomes should have been considered a legend even prior to Sunday's Big Game ... now that he's won his third ring, he's on a "whole 'nother level" now.

Of course, it's tough to argue otherwise ... Mahomes' resume through just six years as a starter is unmatched. In addition to his three titles, the signal caller's also a two-time MVP, a six-time Pro Bowler and a two-time All-Pro.

Clearly, Parsons -- who's played against Mahomes just one time in his career -- thinks it's all enough to put him in Tom Brady territory.

Super Bowl LVIII was not JUST the most watched Super Bowl in the history of the game -- it was the most watched television show, period -- with an astonishing 123.4 MILLION fans tuning in for football, Taylor Swift, or both!

CBS and the National Football League just touted the ridiculous rating, announcing the Chiefs vs. 49ers game toppled last year's Chiefs vs. Eagles game (115.1 million) as the most viewed of all time.

It wasn't even close ... with 120 million people watching on CBS, and the remainder watching on Nickelodeon or streaming on Paramount+.

The NFL says if you factor in all avenues, over 202 million fans watched at least part of SB 58.

It's no surprise given Swift's proximity to the game. The Super Bowl, pop star or not, is always the biggest night in American television. Fold in the biggest star on the planet ... perfect ratings storm.

FYI, Super Bowls make up 29 of the top 30 most-watched TV programs in history -- and all of the top 10.

The ratings were also helped by the superstars playing in the game ... Patrick Mahomes, Travis Kelce, Christian McCaffrey, etc. -- and stars are a big factor when it comes to ratings.

Usher also put on an awesome Halftime show ... which presumably brought in many viewers.

Swift's effect on the NFL has been sizeable ... as even commissioner Roger Goodell admitted in the days before the game. How big of an impact has she had? TS has reportedly garnered the Chiefs and the league with over $330 million in free coverage.

That's manifested in a massive boost to the Chiefs fan base and a huge rise in popularity for Kelce ... and you can now add the most-watched Super Bowl ever to the list.

Brittany Mahomes' Sports Illustrated Swimsuit debut might just be the beginning ... 'cause two big-time models tell TMZ Sports the Kansas City Chiefs superstar's wife could use the opportunity to launch a modeling career!!

Camille Kostek -- who graced the popular magazine's cover in 2019 -- said she's always loved how women use the platform to showcase themselves to the world ... and that's something Brittany can do now, too.

Despite being in the S.I. fam for years, Rob Gronkowski's girlfriend said folks kept things under wraps right up until the announcement ... so she found out the big news just like everyone else.

But now that the cat's out of the bag, Camille is welcoming Brittany with open arms ... and thinks there could be more time in front of the camera moving forward for Mahomes -- if she so wishes.

As for anyone hating on Brittany's moment, fellow model Lindsey Pelas has a bit of advice for the mom of two.

"There's gonna be haters in every job and any industry, but who gives a s***. F*** haters!!"

As we previously reported, Mahomes was named an S.I. Swimsuit rookie for 2024 last week ... something she said was a wish come true.

"I want people to know that they can accomplish anything, even things you never thought would be possible in your wildest dreams," Brittany said after the reveal.

The Super Bowl has come and gone -- but with it came one of the most well-documented high-profile relationships in modern history ... and the photo finish was one to remember.

Let's start off with the biggest story we covered on 'TMZ Live' -- namely, the fact that the Kansas City Chiefs won Super Bowl LVIII ... but more importantly, Taylor Swift won.

Indeed ... the pop star had, perhaps, the biggest night out of everyone -- not only did her boyfriend, Travis Kelce, help propel his team to a back-to-back victory ... but she got to celebrate every high and low from the game in her sweet suite. Win-win-win!!!

On 'TMZ on TV,' we were also talking Super Bowl ... but only here, as it pertained to Kanye.

Lots of companies bought ad space to run commercials during the big game -- and Ye did too ... only his commercial was a little bare-bones compared to the others. Actually, by a lot.

Finally, over at 'TMZ Sports' ... Mike and Mojo talked about WWE stars at Super Bowl LVIII.

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

Taylor Swift is joining the max exodus in Las Vegas ... flying out of the desert after her boyfriend Travis Kelce's big Super Bowl win.

The singer hopped on her private jet Monday for a short flight to Los Angeles ... and she was joined by good friend Blake Lively. We're hearing there might've been other stars in the mix as well -- but hard to make anyone out specifically ... including TayTay.

Taylor's team was definitely trying to shield her from the cameras behind a wall of black umbrellas as she climbed the stairs onto the plane ... we gotta say, blocking like this would make Jason Kelce proud!

Blake herself boarded the plane in a red outfit without too much fuss ... and one passenger had on a Kansas City Chiefs jacket. Just like how she arrived from Tokyo -- it was a straight cover-up attempt ... and considering everything that's been going on with her lately, we get it.

Anyhoo ... it's been a whirlwind 24 hours for her. Taylor, Travis and co. partied deep into the night after the Chiefs beat the San Francisco 49ers in double overtime in Super Bowl LVIII for Travis' second straight championship ... and it looks like she's had her fill of Sin City.

After a short flight, Taylor and co. touched down at LAX ... where they hopped into a fleet of waiting SUVs and took off yet again. She's been getting dragged here and there a lot these past few days ... and Monday proved no different.

Taylor's travel ain't stopping here, BTW ... she's gotta be in Australia later this week for another string of 'Eras' tour shows -- so she'll be back on a plane in no time.

Grammy sweeper Killer Mike was loving every minute of Usher's Super Bowl halftime show ... because it put his beloved Atlanta's culture on the biggest stage!!!

TMZ Hip Hop caught up with Mike Monday in NYC ... he says he caught the big game during a flight yesterday, but Usher still had him A-town stomping at cruising altitude.

From the Magic City stripper poles and the custom Air Jordans to Ludacris and Lil Jon's inclusion, Usher made sure to represent ATL to the fullest, but it was his steamy duet with Alicia Keys that stole the show.

AK's husband, Swizz Beatz called out trolls who tried to read more into the performance than it was -- and Mike agrees.

The Run The Jewels rapper even gives Ursh the greenlight to dance with his wife nice and slow -- a little jealousy goes a long way in establishing security, at least, according to his logic.

Now that he's secured Rap Album of the Year with his "Michael" LP, he plans on keeping the train full steam ahead ... furthering the album's trilogy

Jermaine Dupri's defending his right to dress up his ankles anyway he sees fit ... after his Super Bowl wardrobe turned into a trending topic coming out of Usher's Halftime show blowout.

Social media relentlessly ribbed JD for his schoolboy uniform getup, complete with the type of ruffled socks that resembled the kind kids wore back in the outhouse days. Some critics suggested all he was missing was an apple for the teacher!!!

On Monday, Jermaine posted proof his footies were certified haute couture ... revealing them to be Louis Vuitton pocket socks worth hundreds of bucks!

The "Money Ain't A Thang" rapper said he was too drunk to combat the jokes in the moment, but has time today ... and also called in for backup from Pharrell, LV's current men's creative director.

The rich flex didn't help JD's case much -- fans are saying this designer drip should have stayed in the closet.