Photo courtesy of JOHN SHEARER/GETTY IMAGES/TAS; DUSTIN SATLOFF/GETTY IMAGES
If you haven’t been living under a rock the past month, you have probably heard about Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce’s blossoming romance. The All-Pro tight end has been publicly trying to get the pop star’s attention for a while now, and whatever he was doing seems to have worked, as she has been in attendance for a handful of his games this season.
However, the media coverage of the 12-time Grammy Award-winning musician has gotten a little out of hand. The NFL has been obsessed with Swift in every appearance she has made. They even went as far as to change their bios on social media to pictures and references to her. Whenever there is a highlight in the game, the broadcast immediately cuts to a shot of her in her suite (often pictured with Kelce’s mom).
The question I pose is simple: who cares? How is my life different because Taylor Swift wanted to stop by a few Chiefs games? Better yet, why should I believe this is anything more than a PR stunt?
Believe it or not, other famous people go to sporting events, and they don’t get nearly as much attention as Swift. Spike Lee has been courtside at every Knicks home game for over a decade. Miles Teller goes to every playoff game in Philadelphia for the Phillies. LeBron James was even at a few World Series games for Cleveland in 2016. None of them get even half the attention that the singer gets.
Even if you look at the same games she attends, there are other superstars in the stadium as well. For example, Hugh Jackman, Ryan Reynolds and Blake Lively were not only at the Chief’s game against the Jets at MetLife Stadium, but they were in the same suite as her and received far less attention.
A common argument in defense of the noise around her is just how intense her fanbase is. At the end of the day, these fans are getting introduced to the game of football because of their favorite artist and boosting viewership for the league. While that may be true for the time being, I see right through that. I highly doubt that most Swifties would still care about the NFL if Swift stops attending games. Be real, they care because she cares.
Even Travis Kelce himself thinks the league is going too far with their coverage of the two’s relationship, according to his podcast New Heights. “I think it’s fun when they show who is at the game,” Travis Kelce said in response to his brother, Jason Kelce, an All-Pro center for the Eagles, who asked him about his situation during their weekly show. “You know, I think it brings a little more to the atmosphere; it brings a little more to what you’re watching. But at the same time, I think they’re overdoing it, especially for my situation.”
As a matter of fact, Jason put my thoughts into words very well moments after those comments from Travis. “I just think the NFL is not used to celebrities coming to the games,” Jason Kelce said. “Basketball has it figured out. They’re all courtside, they’re sitting there, they show them once or twice, but they get back to the game. The NFL is like, ‘Look at all these A-List celebrities! Keep showing them, show them, show them!’ Dude, listen, you show them once, let them know they’re there. Maybe after a touchdown, you get a little clip, but you can’t be overboard with it.”
Now let me be clear – I don’t dislike Swift; I would honestly call myself a little bit of a fan. It doesn’t really matter to me who is getting this level of attention; it would be too much for anyone. The attention is slightly ironic, seeing as Swift has reportedly turned down performing in the Super Bowl. Add to this the fact that there is very little footage of the two together, and it’s hard to convince me that this whole ordeal isn’t just a public relations stunt.
No matter your opinion of Swift is as an artist, the attention she is receiving has become distracting. I remember the days when I wished for accounts like Bleacher Report and SportsCenter to stop talking about Patrick Mahomes, and now that they have, I miss it. At least the posts about Mahomes were exciting. But alas, if you watch the Chiefs for the rest of the year, you probably will not be able to separate the team from Taylor Swift.
