TMZ Sports - Page 17

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.

Patrick Mahomes might not have gotten a wink of sleep last night, but that didn't stop the 3x Super Bowl champ from linking up with Mickey and Co. at the Happiest Place On Earth!

Just hours after the post-game festivities wrapped, Mahomes hopped aboard a jet and flew to Disneyland on Monday -- a tradition for the big game's MVP.

While the Kansas City Chiefs superstar once again led his team to a game-winning drive in overtime vs. the Niners, the more impressive feat may be the NFL superstar actually making it to the parade following a night of partying.

Wifey, Brittany, was there, too ... though the newly minted Sports Illustrated Swimsuit model didn't hitch a ride on the float.

As we previously reported, the after-party was insane ... Patrick and his bestie Travis Kelce had an all-time rage fest with Taylor Swift, The Chainsmokers, and Post Malone at Zouk at Resorts World before finishing the night at XS.

In fact, Mahomes was seen chugging Coors Lights at the party ... here's hoping he also sprinkled in a few bottles of aqua.

3:33 PM PT -- Usher didn't go to the Little White Wedding Chapel in Vegas to get hitched -- as so many celebs before him have done -- but he did another quick-wedding spot nearby ... and his mother on hand to watch it all go down.

TMZ has obtained the full marriage certificate ... and it shows Mr. Raymond married Jenn at Vegas Weddings, which is literally right down the street, and only slightly lesser known.

It confirms he got hitched Sunday ... and his mom, Jonnetta Patton, served as his witness. The ceremony was officiated by Rev. Ronald Joseph Pokrywka. One other interesting tidbit -- Usher seems to be claiming Sin City as his permanent home for right now ... whereas Jenn is still claiming Atlanta. The cert lists Usher as ... Usher Raymond IV of Las Vegas, NV.

Melody Willis-Williams, president of Vegas Weddings, tells TMZ … "Congratulations to the Newlyweds! What a great game and Usher’s performance was phenomenal! We were beyond thrilled to host in this epic day for Usher and his new wife. As much as we love, love, this is the couple’s news to share any further details on. We’ll always be fans of Usher! Yeah!"

Usher and his longtime girlfriend, Jennifer Goicoechea, did in fact get married this weekend -- and did so on the same day he performed for the Super Bowl halftime show.

The singer said "I do" Sunday in Sin City ... according to Usher's marriage records, obtained by TMZ. The wedding date is listed as Feb. 11, 2024 -- and for now, no other details were immediately available.

No word on when exactly Sunday they got hitched ... presumably, it was after the show.

Remember, Usher had actually obtained a marriage license with Jenn on Feb. 8 -- just a few days before the Super Bowl -- and while they technically had a year to get it done from then ... it's now clear their hearts were set on walking down the aisle sooner than later.

Usher and Jenn have been an item since 2019 ... and they've welcomed 2 kids together.

The newlyweds were getting a lot of praise and congratulations at his Super Bowl after-party -- and as it turns out, they hit up the shindig as a newly-minted bride and groom.

At first, it was hard to see whether they were rocking their wedding bands then and there, but he eventually flashed some fresh hardware on his left ring finger later on in the evening while posing next to his bride, and there it was front and center -- all gold, too.

This marks Usher's third marriage ... he's been hitched twice before, to Tameka Foster and Grace Harry, respectively ... and he shares children with the former.

Nothing left to say here other than ... congratulations!!!

Dunkin' Donuts has clearly found a sweet spot with their Ben Affleck partnership ... 'cause their clothing merch has flown off the shelves following his SB commercial.

As everyone saw Sunday, Ben repped his beloved donut company in their latest Super Bowl ad wearing their outrageously orange signature tracksuits alongside Matt Damon and Tom Brady as they hilariously debuted their band, The DunKings.

As it turns out, the SB spot worked -- because we're told Dunkin' sold out of their new tracksuits in just 19 minutes after going up on sale on their site Monday.

In addition to the DunKings track jacket and track pants, the DunKings bucket hat was also in high demand ... and is currently sold out on their site -- with the sales marking a record-breaking milestone as the fastest collection to sell out in Dunkin' history.

DD says they're currently working on a restock of the sold-out merch ... but for fans of the new boyband, hurry to stores cause The DunKings Iced Coffee, Munchkins Skewers, and more items are available for a limited time.

Evidently, Ben and Dunkin' is a match made in donut heaven ... and no doubt, the Hollywood star is having the last laugh after thousands of memes mocking his unwavering love for the baked good store.

Ben raked in a whopping $10M for last year's commercial with DD, so his paycheck for his 1 minute SB commercial this year would've obviously been one heck of a sweet deal.

BTW, the sold-out effect was happening on the ground as well here in L.A. -- we sent a photog to various Dunkin' Donuts locations ... and the staff told us, they're busy as hell!

Whether it's on their online shop or in the stores themselves -- people seem to be flipping out for Dunkin' all over again.

Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce look like a high school couple who have fallen in love for the first time ... at least that's the vibe they put out at Super Bowl after-parties in Las Vegas.

Nitish Kannan, a film producer who partied with Taylor and Travis in Sin City, joined us on "TMZ Live" Monday and painted a picture of what it was like celebrating the Kansas City Chief's big win alongside Hollywood's "it" couple.

Taylor and Travis started the postgame festivities with a private party at Zouk inside Resorts World Las Vegas before moving over to XS at the Wynn ... and when they weren't singing her hit songs to each other, they were making out.

Nitish tells us Tay Tay and TK seemed to be having the times of their lives ... and looking like they're in the honeymoon phase of their relationship.

While the singer and football player commanded the spotlight all night, Nitish says Taylor and Travis wanted to just have a normal night out in public with friends, family and teammates.

It's kinda the exact opposite of Taylor's last relationship -- looking at you, Joe Alwyn -- and that might be one reason why this is all working so well.

Travis, Nitish noticed, isn't very clingy or needy ... and Taylor's very into him. The whole night TK would be hanging with Taylor, then suddenly with his teammates ... and was just generally nice to everyone. That's what Nitish here is saying.

Ice Spice pissed off many with her appearance at the Super Bowl -- as some interpreted a pendant she wore as pure evil ... even though, Playboi Carti meant nothing by it.

Here's the deal ... the rapper was seen a lot during Sunday's broadcast of the game, and a good amount of folks noticed the chain/necklace she was wearing in the suite with Taylor Swift and co., which (to a lot of people) looked like an upside-down cross.

Of course, that got some pearl-clutchers up in arms ... with accusations of "devil worship" and "demonic" symbols being shown on TV in front of millions. A hand gesture she made at one point -- quiet coyote -- certainly didn't help either with the unholy accusations.

Welp, as it turns out ... there's nothing un-godly about this pendant at all -- at least that's what we're being told anyway.

Sources with direct knowledge tell TMZ that the piece was designed by celeb jeweler Alex Moss, and it's just a sweet piece of ice with no devil ties behind it whatsoever. We're told the pendant is made from black gold, a new material that's been developed and which Alex is using in a forthcoming collection this cross also has baby pink sapphires all throughout.

Our sources say Ice is the first star of her caliber to have this sort of piece in her possession -- and she has Carti to thank for it ... we're told he actually gifted it to her not too long ago.

While the dude is certainly known for his gothic/vampire vibes these days -- our sources assure us ... there was nothing satanic behind the meaning/design of the piece, which we're told was a collab effort between Alex and PBC.

Hard to tell if people will buy that ... but that's the explanation that's been provided to us.

Whether it leans toward the dark side or not -- 'cause frankly, who the hell knows what's in people's hearts -- what we can gather from this is ... the chain is freakin' dope, and it's rare.

Anyhoo ... it's just the latest star to fight off accusations of dancin' with the prince of darkness.

Bellator champion Johnny Eblen's bank account took a big hit this weekend ... 'cause he treated an OnlyFans model to a day full of luxury shopping -- and the final price tag is wild!!

TMZ Sports has obtained video of the undefeated middleweight fighter's spending spree with Jessenia Rebecca -- who boasts nearly two million followers on Instagram -- and the two were clearly able to find what they wanted ... as they were both holding several bags.

We're told Eblen dropped $30,000 at Alex The Jeweler's shop, $25,000 at Dior and another $30,000 at Louis Vuitton ... totaling a staggering $85,000!!!

No word what inspired it all -- JR isn't even JE's girlfriend, but we're told he's currently in an open relationship with another lady.

Regardless, it's safe to say Jessenia was thrilled ... smiling from ear to ear as she gushed over the gesture.

If ya wanna feel even worse about yourself, Johnny and Jessenia then hop in an expensive-ass whip before driving off.

Seems most fans at Super Bowl LVIII were on their best behavior Sunday ... because TMZ Sports has learned only six people were arrested at the big game in Sin City.

Cops tell us ... one fan at Allegiant Stadium during the Chiefs vs. Niners tilt was thrown behind bars for grand larceny. Another was booked for battery on an officer. Two others, police say, were arrested for obstruction.

Of course, the final two arrestees were the duo of men who stripped off their shirts and ran onto the field during a play in the third quarter.

Both guys, we're told, were put into custody on charges of prohibited acts during a sporting event -- before they were released.

There were also several medical emergencies during the game ... cops tell us they received 56 calls regarding health scares -- adding that nine total people needed to be transported to the hospital for further evaluation.

Super Bowl viewers were quick to pounce on Alicia Keys for botching a note during her Halftime show performance with Usher ... but her voice crack has since been cleaned up.

Alicia was a little off-key Sunday when she started singing "If I Ain't Got You" while playing piano onstage -- something people very much so noticed immediately and mocked her over -- although, you wouldn't know it if you missed the live show on air during Super Bowl LVIII.

The reason ... the official Apple Music Super Bowl Halftime Show video published on YouTube -- which is up right now -- very clearly edited out the minor flub.

Take a listen to the comparisons between the live performance and the version posted on YT ... it certainly seems like editors went back and polished up Alicia's voice. In fact, there's almost no question they did -- as the difference between the two versions is noticeable.

Now, don't get it twisted ... this isn't some huge "conspiracy" involving the National Football League as some have suggested ... it's really just the NFL/Apple Music doing Alicia a solid.

Plenty of folks are already poking fun at Alicia on social media over this, so the bigwigs calling the shots here seem to be throwing AK a life raft. Plus, ya gotta figure they wanna put the best product available in the official version that lives on ... so it's not surprising at all.

With that said, everyone's gonna probably remember ... AK needed a little post-production magic when it's all said and done. No harm, no foul -- she's still an amazing singer!

Usher's moves from the Halftime show seamlessly floated on over to an after-party -- where he kept on skating ... only here, all eyes were on him and his (maybe?) new bride.

Super Bowl LVIII's headlining act hosted a star-studded bash in Las Vegas Sunday night after the big game ... and TMZ has obtained video of Usher cutting a rug on the dance floor, or on the roller rink, rather.

As you can see, Usher has his roller skates on and he's zipping around, doing some break dance moves ... all while looking pretty slick. Remember, Usher incorporated roller skating into his epic halftime performance, and he's keeping the good vibes going here as well.

The after-party went down at Flipper's Roller Boogie Palace inside Encore Beach Club at Wynn Las Vegas, with performances from Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg, Diplo and Hardy.

Usher's party also recognized his new album, "Coming Home," and the 30th anniversary of Snoop and Dre's "Gin & Juice." So yeah, SD came out and spit some bars for his old pal.

Other big-time stars who showed up for the bash included ... Andra Day, Big Boy, Brent Faiyaz, Draymond Green, Flavor Flav, Flo Rida, Gabrielle Union, H.E.R, Jermaine Dupri, Justin Hartley, Leon Bridges, Lindsey Vonn, Luke Combs, Ludacris, Machine Gun Kelly, Maren Morris, Megan Fox, Ne-Yo, Pauly Shore, Ray Ray McCloud III, Speedy Morman, TANK, Tiffany Haddish, Too Short, Tim Cook, Victoria Monet, Ying Yang Twins, will.i.am, Winnie Harlow, Zach Bia, and Zane Low ... just to name a few!

Now, eyewitnesses tell us Folks who were there tell us Usher rolled in around 1:40 AM and partied for about 80 minutes ... having fun with a bunch of different people, including his longtime partner, Jennifer Goicoechea, whom he's reported to have married this weekend.

As we reported, Usher and Jennifer obtained a marriage license in Clark County -- and some have suggested they've already tied the knot. If they did, they're keep it low-key for now.

The Flipper’s Skate brand worked with Usher to design the skates he and the skaters wore during the Super Bowl halftime show and to the after party. The skates dropped right after the half time show and you can buy the Flipper’s Quadz by Usher for yourself.

It's unclear or not if Usher and Jenn are, in fact, man and wife at this point -- the details of any purported wedding have surfaced just yet -- but they were being called "newlyweds" at this shindig.

In any case ... lots for Usher to celebrate, regardless. Super Bowl, new album, possible new wife and rave reviews.