In 2023, Taylor Swift went on tour for the first time since the Reputation Stadium Tour in 2018. During her ongoing The Eras Tour,, she’s performed in 151 different concerts across five continents.
Toward the end of last year, Swift started a new kind of tour, doing some traveling to Kansas City, Missouri, and beyond to see her boyfriend on the football field.
Travis Kelce, the tight end for the Kansas City Chiefs, was confirmed to be dating Swift in September 2023. Since the beginning of their romance, we have seen Swift watching games from suites in the crowd alongside Kelce’s mother.
A decent person would be ecstatic to see Swift in a seemingly happy relationship, but many are displeased with her new involvement with football.
Swift has been the target of haters for as long as she has been famous. From comments on her appearance to nasty remarks about her personal life and relationships, Taylor seems to have been at the receiving end of it all.
Now Swifties and Swift herself are experiencing a new type of hate; I have heard, “Leave her out of football,” and “This is the worst thing to happen to the NFL.” And most of these comments seem to come from men.
Kelce attended Swift’s performance in Buenos Aires, Argentina on Nov. 11. When fans recognized he was there, they were excited that he was being a supportive boyfriend. They did not see him as a threat to the mere idea of singing, like fans seem to think Swift is to football.
Why is it that when Kelce shows support for Swift, he is celebrated by the Swifties, but when she supports her boyfriend, the football community labels her a “distraction?”
Yes, she has been on the radio, TV, and in so many headlines lately, but does that mean she should disappear because miserable people waste their breath talking about how she should not be tied with football?
In fact, Swift’s appearances have raked in money for the Chiefs and the NFL. Swifties are purchasing red and yellow gear and tuning into the games to see Taylor in the box.
Front Office Sports has reported that Swift attending Chiefs games has brought in over $300 million in brand value to both the Chiefs and the league, according to research by the Apex Marketing Group.
Some of the haters, whether they are Chiefs fans or not, are upset about the Swiftie takeover because they are “bandwagons” and are taking jerseys from “real” fans. A “real” fan not only likely already has a great jersey collection or few they like, but also would be excited to have more people cheer for their team.
Because of Swift, the Chiefs have never been more valuable as a brand.
Celebrities also attend sporting events all the time. Drake attended Toronto Raptors games; Rihanna reps LeBron James during his Los Angeles Lakers games.
Even when Jack Nicholson spilled beans on himself on the sidelines of a Lakers game, he wasn’t labeled a distraction; instead, people found it hilarious.
Swift does not choose when she is on the screen. Any hate directed toward her should be redirected to the NFL, which keeps exploiting her presence for money.
The only downside I see to Swift being at Chiefs’ games is fragile egos criticizing a successful woman supporting her boyfriend.
Kelce will face the San Francisco 49ers in the Super Bowl this year. Whether or not Swift will watch him play this game is uncertain because of her schedule performing in Japan. Either way, “Karma is the guy on the Chiefs,” and who wants to get on karma’s bad side?
