In a cozy living room in the middle of America, there is a family all sitting together enjoying the company of each other with laughs and utter happiness. On the television, their favorite Sunday pastime is being shown, NFL Football. The family is in a heavenly state, strapped with permanent smirks, that turn into loud laughter or quiet awes as the game progresses. However, the camera switches from the field to a dainty-lighted suite in the upper stadium, with Taylor Swift inside. The family’s mood switches instantly. Eyebrows pointed downward, fists clenching, heavy breathing. The husband is drawing all his strength to stop himself from launching the TV remote right at the TV. Instead, they consensually agree to “Get that off our TV!” Enraged, they all go to bed early and think about all the ways how Hillary Clinton or Joe Rogan have ruined their great country.
The facetious hyperbole aside, there’s no doubt that the relationship between Mega pop star Taylor Swift and Kansas City Chiefs Tight End Travis Kelce has dominated storylines inside and outside of the sports world. There’s also no doubt that it has heavily divided the general NFL fan base, and even has struck casual fans as well. However, this story isn’t about whether promoting Taylor Swift or showing her on camera is good for the NFL. Sure, it’s definitely upped the NFL’s revenue and awareness worldwide (evident in people wearing Travis Kelce jerseys at a Taylor Swift show in Japan). This article is about Taylor Swift’s presence with the Chiefs organization transcending the organization higher than anyone would’ve ever thought.
Before Kelce and Swift’s relationship, the Chiefs were still among the most popular or hated franchises in this last decade. Led by the best player in the league, quarterback Patrick Mahomes, intrigue in the team has always been and will always be high due to the playstyle and enjoyment of watching him play. To go along with that, in six years of Mahomes starting the Chiefs have been to six straight conference championship games and four Super Bowls. There’s no question the Chiefs are the newest NFL dynasty, but how they’ve done it has been ultra-unique. They are the first team to really start breaking the business is business mold of the NFL, that’s been around since the beginning, and perpetuated by the dominant New England Patriots dynasty. Because of their style of play, many fans gravitated towards them and how electrifying they can be.
The electricity has diminished only slightly this year, with the Chiefs being a less offensive-driven team. Yet, they have become an immensely bigger spectacle because of Taylor Swift. Swift’s presence at the games has brought another incredibly unique layer to the games that the NFL has never seen before. When the Chiefs come to your city, you know they’re coming with celebrities and superstars. They’ve become more than just another football team, they are a show in themselves. They no longer have a football schedule but feel like they’re on a country-wide tour. It’s comparable to what the Los Angeles Lakers get with any and every superstar going to the arena to sit courtside. And just like the Lakers, their franchise is becoming bigger than the league they are in.
The Dallas Cowboys surely have their argument for being bigger than the NFL as well, but the ways they got there and how the Chiefs got there are different. The Cowboys got there purely based on their performance on the field as well as their massive fanbase. Former Dallas Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo also had a relationship with star actress, Jessica Simpson, who would also attend her boyfriend’s games. However, that didn’t affect people’s feelings or attitudes towards them. People hate the Cowboys because they are the Cowboys and all the success they have had with a potentially annoyingly large fanbase. The Chiefs hatred and opposition from neutral fans have come in a way similar to the Lakers, where they hate just how much they have been (in the case of the Chiefs) ingrained in pop culture and celebrity status.
For years, the NFL has been about the game and only the game, whereas the NBA and the 90’s version of the MLB have seemed to have bigger stars and personalities who translated more as celebrities than athletes. After all, Football is more of a team game and while the NFL has always had superstars, it’s never quite translated into what’s been happening the last few years. This year especially, both Travis Kelce and Patrick Mahomes may just be breaking barriers that many of the greats never could. Who knows if this will last or not, and who knows if the Chiefs being in Missouri will hamper their stardom compared to the likes of the Lakers or the New York Yankees. However, this time will be remembered for years to come not only as a part of the Chiefs’ ongoing dynasty but as an eventful arc of the NFL and its history.
