In a phenomenon that I don't think any football fans could have seen coming, Taylor Swift has now become synonymous with the NFL.
Yes, towards the latter half of 2023, it was revealed that the 34-year-old 'Shake It Off' singer had entered into a relationship with Kansas City Chiefs star Travis Kelce, also 34.
And - as any supportive partner would - Swift has since been seen attending many of Kelce's biggest games in the build-up to the Super Bowl. Of course, having the biggest music artist on the planet today at their games has been rather exciting for the NFL and broadcasters, as Swift has often been seen in her box cheering on her beloved tight end.
Sadly, this has been enough for many viewers to claim that Swift is "ruining" the NFL and football altogether.
We've seen Swift be booed by fans just for appearing at the stadiums, been on the receiving end of some critical tweets, and even comedian Jo Koy took a dig at her NFL appearances during his hosting gig at the 2024 Golden Globes.
Watch the moment below:"The big difference between the Golden Globes and the NFL? On the Golden Globes, we have fewer camera shots of Taylor Swift... there’s just more to go to here," Koy joked on stage as the camera then panned to the 34-year-old pop star, who could be seen with an icy expression.
That being said, just how much is Taylor Swift really being shown at Travis' games? Well, the New York Times has broken down the numbers from the last five games Swift attended - and they may surprise you. Here they are:
January 28 — Chiefs vs. RavensTimes shown: 4 | Total duration: 32 seconds
January 21 — Chiefs vs. Bills
Times shown: 5 | Total duration: 24 seconds
January 13 — Chiefs vs. Dolphins
Times shown: 5 | Total duration: 1 minute 16 seconds
December 31 — Chiefs vs. Bengals
Times shown: 3 | Total duration: 12 seconds
December 25 — Chiefs vs. Raiders
Times shown: 3 | Total duration: 14 seconds
That's a total of just 2 minutes and 38 seconds across five NFL broadcasts. Which, as a percentage, really isn't a lot. So this claim that Swift is "ruining" football is a little ridiculous.
However, it does appear to be an issue that Taylor is aware of given her recent reaction to cameras being pointed at her during the Chiefs' game against the Ravens.
The 'Bad Blood' singer didn't look too pleased when she appeared on the big screen. Check out the moment below:
In fact, in a clip from the game, the 'Bad Blood' singer can be seen saying something as she looks up at the screen - with social media users believing that she said the words: "Go away, please!"
Upon seeing the clip, fans took to social media once again, to express their opinions on the alleged move.
"You know what, she’s got my respect. I know she’s never been at fault for the constant coverage of her at these she games as it’s been nauseating to no end," wrote one user. Really wish the networks would stop this as they only need to show her and other celebrities once.
"She’s there as a fan and spectator, nothing more and less. Media coverage of her at these games has not helped as it’s unintentionally made her an enemy among passionate sports fans," they added.
At the end of the day, she's just there to do what everybody else is trying to do: watch some football.
