Opinion

After a close 25-22 game on Sunday night, the Kansas City Chiefs won Super Bowl LVIII in Las Vegas, NV. After a traditional Super Bowl, viewers can watch the standard trophy presentation and comments from the players. Viewers can also open social media after the game and expect to see the usual content from their favorite sports pages: opinions on the game, controversial calls, etc. But not this year. The live broadcast showed Taylor Swift as much as possible during the post-game show, especially when Travis Kelce had the chance to talk on the stage. The average social media home page was also flooded with posts of the couple. Some people argue that the NFL focusing on her is a positive thing, attracting a new audience of Swifties. But other football fans, including myself, are sick of seeing Taylor Swift.

Showing celebrities at sports games is not a new concept. Other sports leagues have shown multiple celebrity cameos on the jumbotron or have posted funny moments on social media, and the responses are usually positive and light-hearted. Back in 2022, DJ Khaled used a pillow to protect his new sneakers while sitting courtside at a Heat vs. Hornets game, and both the announcers and social media users had a good laugh over it. The common denominator with these celebrity appearances is that they are brief and diverse, adding an extra element to the game but keeping the focus on the sport.

This season, the NFL has handled a certain celebrity situation much differently. In September of 2023, Taylor Swift watched her first Chiefs game in response to a social media message from Travis Kelce, who had watched her Eras Tour concert at Arrowhead Stadium over the summer. Many people, again including myself, thought this was one of those funny, one-time celebrity appearances at a game, but we were wrong. After rumors began to circulate that the two were dating, the NFL jumped at the opportunity for publicity. They began to show her at every Chiefs game, from her arrival to her celebrations with the Kelce family in the suites after every Travis Kelce catch. In an October game stat against the Chargers, there was even a stat comparing Travis Kelce’s average receiving yards with and without her in attendance. And after the seemingly inevitable Chiefs win in the Super Bowl, the sports media world went crazy again with the Travis Kelce and Taylor Swift saga.

Sports fans are annoyed and do not want Taylor Swift to receive anywhere near as much publicity in the future as she did this season. The Taylor Swift hype is taking away from the focus on the game itself. However, the hate toward Taylor herself is completely unwarranted; the NFL and the media are to blame. Although she is overpromoted, she is simply cheering on her boyfriend at his games. The NFL is a business, and there is not a problem with attempting to expand their markets. However, the league must be more mindful of the opinions of lifelong football fans who are the reason behind its the popularity and success.