Pop superstar Taylor Swift is unavoidable, much to the dismay of many NFL fans. The most famous singer in the world has been popping up at NFL games since she started dating Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce last year.
During Chiefs games, the TV broadcasts will have one camera trained on the 14-time Grammy winner, often cutting to her before commercial breaks and during timeouts.
While many fans on social media have grown tired of seeing Swift on Sundays, players aren’t complaining.
In a recent poll by The Athletic, NFL athletes were overwhelmingly positive about Kelce’s sweetheart.
“I think it’s been positive for the league,” one player told the publication. “I think that at the end of the day, it’s a business and you need to get as many eyes on it as possible. And she brings a lot of eyes, so, you know, if that increases the salary cap, I don’t think anybody’s gonna be too mad about that one.”
In the survey, 72.5% of players said Swift’s presence has positively affected the league. Only 5% of players said there’d been a negative impact.
Several players noted that the singer’s legions of female fans, known as Swifties, have embraced a sport that was once foreign to them.
“It’s great the impact she’s making on the younger female generation and getting them to learn about the sport. … The negative is all the true football fans who are tired of seeing it,” another player said. “We’re glad it’s raising engagement, but if I’m a Chiefs fan, I’m not trying to see Taylor Swift every commercial break or every timeout.”
The remaining 22.5% percent of players said Swift’s presence hasn’t impacted the NFL.
“I’ll jam to some Taylor Swift, but I don’t give a s— if she’s at the game or not,” an anonymous player said.
• Liam Griffin can be reached at lgriffin@washingtontimes.com.
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