TMZ Sports - Page 6

Bourbon Street will return to normal in time for the Sugar Bowl on Thursday ... with the New Orleans Mayor expecting full operation prior to kickoff -- one day after the New Year's terrorist attack.

The Georgia vs. Notre Dame matchup slated to go down at the Caesars Superdome on Jan. 1 was postponed in the wake of the tragedy that killed 14 people ... and while some officials have called for more time for the community to heal, the game will go down Thursday at 1 PM PT.

With thousands of football fans in town for the College Football Playoff contest, mayor LaToya Cantrell told reporters the iconic French Quarter street will be available to those looking to watch the action from the venues in the area.

Despite calls to further postpone the Sugar Bowl, the game is set to kick off in five hours ... and the New Orleans Police Department says they're confident the city will safely host the big game following the Bourbon Street terror attack which killed at least 14.

NOPD Superintendent Anne Kirkpatrick appeared on the Today show where she was asked if her police force was ready for the Notre Dame vs. Georgia playoff game ... after some, including the state's Attorney General, called on officials to postpone the game.

"We are not alone," Kirkpatrick said. "We are in partnership with many other partners. Both local, federal, military, police will be here. We are gonna have absolutely 100's of officers and staff lining our streets, lining Bourbon Street, lining the French Quarter."

Ohio State quarterback Will Howard was blocked from joining his teammates on stage to celebrate their huge Rose Bowl win over Oregon ... with officials forcing the Buckeyes star to stay on the field amid the postgame festivities.

The clip made rounds on social media after the Scarlet and Gray easily handled the Ducks to get revenge on their loss earlier in the season ... with Howard -- who had a phenomenal game with 319 yards and three touchdowns -- leading the charge.

Despite the outing that propelled OSU to its 41-21 victory, Howard clearly didn't get any special treatment ... with staffers telling the signal-caller to stay off the platform as the Buckeyes were awarded the Rose Bowl Trophy.

Taylor Swift can safely add one new fan to her already MASSIVE following -- Caitlin Clark's mom, Anne -- as the Indiana Fever superstar revealed she converted her mom into a Swiftie after the two attended a show in Indianapolis!

Clark joined Travis and Jason Kelce on their "New Heights" podcast ... where the trio gushed over the recently wrapped "Eras" tour, with the 22-year-old saying her mother didn't want to miss out on attending one of the pop stars shows.

"My mom was begging me to take her," she said. "She was like, 'I gotta go, everybody is talking about it.' I'm like, 'okay, okay.'"

New Orleans Saints star Cam Jordan is doing his part to help his community following the New Year's Day tragedy -- making a large financial contribution to the victims of the attack.

The 35-year-old defensive end shared his condolences shortly after the news broke Wednesday morning ... and hours later, he revealed he was teaming up with the Greater New Orleans Foundation and the city to help those affected.

Jordan wrote a $25,000 check to support the families who lost loved ones ... as well as the dozens who were severely injured in the attack.

San Francisco 49ers tight end George Kittle was more like Santa Paws this holiday season ... 'cause he treated team WAGs Olivia Culpo and Kristin Juszczyk to some pet-centric gifts -- personalized portrait rugs of their beloved furry pets!!!

TMZ Sports has learned Kittle contacted designer Angel Arreola to make special pieces for the wives of his teammates, Christian McCaffrey and Kyle Juszczyk.

The theme was pretty obvious ... their four-legged friends.

4:05 PM PT -- President Biden confirmed, just hours before the attack, Jabbar made a series of recordings in which he pledged his allegiance to ISIS and expressed his desire to kill.

Authorities now say the terrorist who killed at least 15 people and injured dozens more by plowing his truck through a huge crowd of New Orleans revelers had help ... and the accomplices are still on the loose.

42-year-old Shamsud-Din Jabbar was killed in a shootout during the attack on the famed Bourbon Street. CNN obtained surveillance video of his pickup truck as Jabbar maneuvered it around a police car and then sped up into the crowd. A large poll is attached to the back of the truck.

The FBI is reportedly on the hunt for 3 men and 1 woman who were caught on surveillance video apparently planting explosives. They have not been apprehended.

Former college football standout Tiger Bech was killed in the New Orleans terrorist attack early Wednesday morning, his brother announced. He was just 27 years old.

Bech -- an all-conference kick returner for the Princeton Tigers -- was in New Orleans for the holiday when he was struck by the pickup truck that drove into a crowd on Bourbon Street around 3:15 AM local time.

He was taken to a nearby hospital, where he was held on life support until his family arrived at the facility, according to local outlets.

Internet personality Jimmy Donaldson, best known for his YouTube alter-ego MrBeast, is ready for the biggest collaboration of his life ... he's engaged to content creator Thea Booysen.

The YouTube star confirmed his major relationship update on Instagram Wednesday, where he shared a number of pictures from his Christmas Day proposal.

In the upload, MrBeast is seen getting down on one knee and presenting Thea, his girlfriend of over 2 years, with a sparkling diamond.

The Sugar Bowl -- one of the most anticipated football games of the year -- has been postponed twenty-four hours after a horrific New Year's Day attack left scores dead in the city of New Orleans, the location of the big CFB quarterfinal tilt.

Jeff Hundley, CEO of the Sugar Bowl, announced Wednesday morning that the football game between 2-seeded University of Georgia and 7-seeded Notre Dame University would kick off Thursday night just before 8 PM local time, instead of Wednesday night as planned, after consulting with the teams, TV network, and others.

"All parties and all agree that it's in the best in the best interest of everybody and public safety that we postpone the game for 24 hours," Hundley said.

LeBron James' son, Bryce, is taking his talents to Tucson -- the 17-year-old high school star just announced he's committed to the Arizona Wildcats basketball program!!

Bryce shared the news on his social media pages just minutes ago ... saying he's all-in on his decision.

"100%committed," Bryce said alongside a few emojis to represent the school's "Bear Down" rally cry and an edited photo of himself in an Arizona uniform.

Matthew Stafford is pulling out all the stops to make sure he's not the next athlete targeted in the recent string of burglaries -- TMZ Sports is told the Rams quarterback invited police officers and NFL security to inspect his L.A. area home for any potential weak spots.

Law enforcement sources tell us league staffers and cops met at the Super Bowl champ's residence this month to scope out his current setup ... and provided tips and safety measures on what his family can do further to deter crooks from targeting his pad.

While Stafford himself was not present, we're told the NFL specifically asked the cops about the South American burglary crews believed to be behind all the hits ... as well as how they can work together to make it more difficult for the criminals to execute their operation.

Joe Manganiello's birthday cakes tasted awfully familiar this year ... his girlfriend, Caitlin O'Connor, bought his sweet treats from a bakery often frequented by his ex-wife, Sofía Vergara.

Bakery sources tell TMZ ... Caitlin ordered 2 birthday cakes for Joe’s birthday from Cake and Art bakery in West Hollywood, Calif. ahead of his 48th name day ... which certainly raised eyebrows given Sofía's history with the hot spot.

We're told the cakes -- which came out to a whopping $400 total -- each had their own design and flavor. The first dessert was an edible 3D Steelers helmet made from chocolate cake with mocha filling.

Week 18 might be meaningless to the Eagles, but Chris Johnson tells TMZ Sports he'd still advise Saquon Barkley to suit up ... and go chase history!!

After a 167-yard performance against the Cowboys on Sunday, Barkley is now just 101 yards away from Eric Dickerson's all-time single-season rushing record of 2,105 ... but with nothing on the line for Philadelphia, many have wondered if the tailback will play.

Birds fans would love to see him rest up and be ready for the playoffs ... but Johnson -- a former Titans superstar who once rushed for 2,006 yards in 2009 -- said this week he'd advise Barkley to put on his helmet.

And the Emmy goes to ... Adam Copeland?? It could happen ... and the AEW superstar tells TMZ Sports it's surreal to even be considered for the prestigious award!!

The 51-year-old wrestler and actor chopped it up with Mojo Muhtadi on the "TMZ Sports" TV show (airs nightly on FS1) ahead of his in-ring return at AEW Dynamite: Fight For The Fallen ... and we got his thoughts on being up for the Best Supporting Performer in a Preschool, Children's Or Young Teen Program for his role in Disney's "Percy Jackson and the Olympians."

Even though he's got a growing resume in front of the camera, Copeland said he didn't really think of himself to be much of an actor until recently.

Celine Dion is setting her intentions for the new year ... hinting another comeback is on the horizon after her triumphant return to performing this summer.

The singer, who announced her stiff-person syndrome diagnosis 2 years ago, took a moment on New Year's Eve to thank her devoted fans for their "unwavering support" throughout this trying time.

As Celine put it ... her fans' "love and energy" has inspired her "every day" amid her health issues -- which saw her take a step back from performing in recent years.