Swifties Rush To Taylor's Defense After Chiefs Fans Blame Singer For Tough Loss
The Kansas City Chiefs have played in three of the last four Super Bowls, and they won in 2020 and in 2023. But if their recent games are any indication, they may not make it this year. They've lost three of the last four games, with a particularly rough 20-14 loss to the Las Vegas Raiders on Christmas Day at Arrowhead Stadium. Taylor Swift was there to cheer on boyfriend Travis Kelce, the Chiefs tight end; for the holiday season, she wore a Santa hat with Kelce's jersey number on it. But her ongoing presence is starting to annoy some. Just the week before the Raiders game, New England Patriots fans booed Swift when she appeared on the Jumbotron, and this week, she's being blamed by some sports commentators for the Chiefs' poor performance.
After the game, Skip Bayless of Fox Sports posted a couple of comments on X, formerly known as Twitter, saying: "Chiefs imploding on the field and the sideline. Taylor Swift Effect???" He also posted, "Feels like it's about time to call Taylor Swift a distraction. What do you think, Patrick? Andy? How about you, Travis?" A lot of people weren't having it, and they came after him in the comments.
"Is Taylor a tight end or wide receiver on the chiefs? No? Okay so she isn't the problem," wrote one. Another said, "Yah it's definitely someone else's fault. Not any of the players making millions to do their job. Let's for sure point at someone else."
People were confused why Taylor Swift should be blamed
Skip Bayless wasn't the only commentator who placed the blame on Taylor Swift for the Kansas City Chiefs loss to the Las Vegas Raiders. Clay Travis, founder of conservative sports news website OutKick, said on X, "The Chiefs are not a good football team and Travis Kelce looks like he should retire. [...] Taylor Swift is the Chiefs Yoko Ono." One person replied, "C'mon Clay, cheap shot. It's a whole team breakdown."
They weren't alone. Plenty of fans thought blaming Swift — and even Kelce — was totally out of place. "53 men play a team sport and it's a woman in the stands to blame for losing a game? Like WTF? Perhaps the men on the team need to be held accountable for mistakes on the field! Kelce is not the problem. He is double/triple teamed and still leads NFL with 968 yards!" one fan posted.
Several people seemed completely baffled as to why Swift would be singled out at all. "Idk why they're acting as if football players dating/being married is a new phenomenon[.] I never once hear that other players or teams suck because of their partner but yet for whatever reason now suddenly it's a problem that Travis is dating," one person wrote. While another joked, "Attention football players. If you're single and playing in the NFL, no dating allowed as it will negatively affect your team's ability to win."
Blaming Taylor Swift was seen as a cop-out
Others thought that blaming Taylor Swift for the Kansas City Chiefs loss was a clear sign of bias against women. "Pathetic, misogynistic & tired. A take that's been used as an out for men not performing well for too long," wrote one fan.
Travis Kelce definitely knew that the game wasn't going well. Near the end of the first half, which closed out with Kansas City Chiefs fans actually booing their team, Kelce slammed his helmet to the ground in frustration. But Swift didn't seem to take the loss quite as badly. As the game came to an end, she comforted Brittany Mahomes, wife of quarterback Patrick Mahomes, who was sitting next to her during the game — Brittany seemed visibly shocked by the six-point loss. Swift likely also consoled Kelce; the two were seen holding hands as they left Arrowhead Stadium after the game. No word (yet) from Swift or Kelce on what they think about some people blaming her for the L.