In case you just recently woke up from a coma, permanently broke your phone or just happen to live under a rock, Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce are dating.
The story starts when Swift was still on the U.S. leg of her The Eras Tour. On July 8, Kelce was spotted in a suite at Arrowhead Stadium, his home turf as tight end for the Kansas City Chiefs, enjoying the concert. At the time, no one batted an eye. A football player taking in one of the most famous musical artist’s concerts at his home stadium? Likely place for him to be.
Things took a turn, however, on July 16, when a new episode of the Kelce brothers’ podcast, “New Heights” dropped. Travis Kelce explained that he was upset that Swift was not meeting anyone before or after the show the night of his concert, because, in keeping up with The Eras Tour tradition, he had specifically made her a friendship bracelet. Upon pressing from his brother, Jason, who plays for the Philadelphia Eagles (Swift’s home team), Kelce revealed that he had, in fact, made Swift a bracelet with his phone number on it.
For the next month, things mostly seemed like a cute little joke of Kelce’s crush on Swift. Some thought he was delusional, as Swift had yet to indicate that she even knew the situation was occurring.
All of that would change on Sept. 24.
Kelce had told interviewers that he invited Swift to come to the Chiefs’ game against the Chicago Bears, but that the ball was in her court. Suddenly, the game was the first thing on everyone’s lips. The world wanted to know if Swift was going to be at the game.
And it turned out, she was. Footage of Swift in the Kelce box quickly spread through social media like wildfire. She was seen, in a Chiefs outfit, cheering on Kelce alongside his mother and friends for the duration of the game. Attendees, and ESPN itself, soon began posting videos of his teammates waving up at her and the pop star posing with signs in the crowd featuring her and Kelce’s name on them.
The sheer amount of content that was produced from that game could span several essays. But when Swift and Kelce left the game — the latter in a 1989-named denim set — all in smiles in his convertible, it was clear that this had officially turned into something.
Since that first game, public relations statements, the entirety of the NFL answering questions about the relationship, a dinner featuring several wives of other Chiefs players and a win against the New York Jets with Swift herself front and center in the Mahomes’ box only further cemented the Swift-Kelce relationship.
The real question is, why do we care?
There’s the obvious answer, which is that Swift has once again reached unparalleled levels of fame. Everyone cares where she’s going and what she’s doing, and for many, who she’s doing it with. The fact that the “someone” in this case just happens to be a two-time Super Bowl champion certainly doesn’t hurt either.
But it’s a lot more than that.
When you think of your average Sunday Night Football watcher, it’s hard not to conjure an image of a straight, white American man. The kind of man who has been not just passively, but enthusiastically making fun of Swift and her fans since the earliest days of her career.
Stereotypical? Most definitely. But true? Just perhaps.
But now Swift and Kelce are together. Two icons in their own right, both absolutely beloved in their respected fields. And while I, like many other life-long Swift fans who have had our interests pulverized at the hands of the most boring and obnoxious men you could possibly imagine, thought for sure that this would only be a clash of cultures – it’s actually proven to be the exact opposite.
Sales of Kelce’s official jersey increased by nearly 400% after the Sept. 24 game. Not only did the NFL telecast draw in 24.3 million viewers (around 7.6 million more than the average game), but the largest audience demographic watching was women ages 12-17 and 18-49, a nearly unheard of feat for a NFL game.
And for Swift’s fans who may not have the widest knowledge of the game, many football fans have proven willing to help, and vice versa. Looking at the comments on social media posts about the two will show sports enthusiasts explaining 10-day contracts and Swift fans giving the lore behind song references.
Even the Kelce brothers have joined in on the support. During their most recent episode of “New Heights,” the duo answered questions from Swift’s fans about football. Some of the questions were basic, and as two All-Pro NFL players, they could’ve easily brushed them off and been condescending. Instead, they took the time to answer as best they could, giving thorough answers and never once poking fun.
Only time will tell if Swift and Kelce are built to last. But I think it’s safe to say this couple is a touchdown for the “Red” kingdom.
