Two weeks ago, I received a text from my grandpa as I was walking back to my dorm. I opened it expecting a picture of my cousin's homecoming dress or a clip from SportsCenter Top 10. Instead, attached was a 25 second video of my grandpa filming his TV. The text read: “Looks like the rumors are true!”
Suddenly, I knew exactly what it would be. My friends and I huddled around the screen, oohing and aahing and “no WAY”-ing as we watched the video. It was a slow-motion shot of Taylor Swift jumping up and down in a VIP box, clad in a number “13” Chiefs jersey and her iconic red lipstick.
If you’re confused, Grammy-winning pop star Swift and Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce are rumored to be dating (also, where have you been?). The story started in July when Kelce mentioned that he attended a Swift concert and tried to give her a friendship bracelet with his phone number on it. Unfortunately, he wasn’t able to meet Swift — but that didn’t stop the media from running with the story.
For weeks, sports broadcasters, magazines and Kelce’s brother himself poked fun at the potential couple — that was, until Swift was finally spotted with Kelce’s mom at a Chiefs game in Arrowhead Stadium two weeks ago. Since then, the two have been spotted at a rented-out restaurant, and just this past Sunday she brought a star-studded lineup of friends to the Chiefs vs. New York Jets game.
A month ago, I wrote an article about Swift’s “Era’s Tour” that detailed her grip on the public — selling out stadiums, boosting cities’ economies and flooding headlines. I had assumed that Swift had reached her final form — but I was so, so wrong.
Only Swift could upstage her own headlines with, well, more of her own headlines. But this is different. This is much more than a “who’s dating who” story. It’s about the unification of two seemingly opposite ends of the universe: the Swiftie community and football America.
According to CNBC, sales of Kelce’s jersey spiked 400% after Swift was spotted at Arrowhead Stadium. Stubhub also reported a threefold increase in Chiefs ticket searches. Thousands of Swifties are pranking their boyfriends on TikTok by claiming Swift “put Kelce on the map.” The NFL’s official TikTok account changed their bio to “9/24/23. Taylor was here.” Even Patriots coach Bill Belichick quipped that “Travis Kelce’s had a lot of big catches in his career. This would be the biggest.”
It feels like the final piece of Swift’s ascendency is falling into place: the pop girlies are infiltrating this untapped audience to unlock a new level of world domination. The fact that I learned of Swift’s attendance at the Chief’s game from my grandpa, who was just watching his usual Sunday football, perfectly epitomizes the situation — and is frankly hilarious. Could this be the cure to our ails, a solution to our fragmented country? Could a humble singer songwriter and football player bring the unimaginable idea of a unified America to fruition?
Jokes aside, watching this story unfold feels great. I’m normally wary of our society’s obsession with celebrities (I’m aware of the irony), but something about this feels strangely wholesome. Commentator Ian Eagle using “Blank Space” puns in his broadcast and Swifties tailgating in “Travis Kelce is hot” shirts is refreshingly lighthearted. This story creates a rare opportunity for two of the most dedicated and passionate fan bases, who usually don’t overlap, to unite. I think everyone involved — not just the fans, but Swift and Kelce themselves — are amusingly enjoying all of the buzz.
Yet, if you were a true Swiftie, you knew that she was destined to bring her fanbase and the football community together. Obviously, everything comes back to Notre Dame — and this is no different. Behold, Our Lady du Lac instilling in Swift a love for football back in 2010:
Maybe one day I’ll write an article about something other than Swift. But, with Swift’s current momentum, that day seems far, far off.
