By: Alexis Stallard, Editor-In-Chief
If you’re anything like me, you try and spend all Sundays on the couch watching the NFL. Unfortunately, life gets in the way, and I have never been more devastated over missing a Chiefs game than I was last Sunday. Everyone knew it’d probably be a blowout because – let’s be honest – it’s the Chicago Bears. What absolutely no one expected was for Taylor Swift to show up at Arrowhead, let alone for her to be in Travis Kelce’s suite sitting next to his mom.
If you’re unfamiliar with why your social media timelines are full of this situation, which I have dubbed the “shot heard around the world,” we have to go back a bit.
First, Swift broke up with her boyfriend of six years, Joe Alwyn, sometime before her Eras Tour kicked off back in March. The circumstances are unknown but there are plenty of theories, the main one being that Alwyn was upset with his career not taking priority over Swift’s.
Let’s pause here because this will be important later: In what world would his paltry excuse for an acting career take precedent over hers? If this is true, I don’t think Alwyn ever realized that he was dating Taylor Swift, and for that reason alone, he never deserved her.
Fast forward to July, when Swift performed two shows at Arrowhead Stadium, one of which Kelce attended. He revealed on his “New Heights” podcast with his brother, Jason, center for the Philadelphia Eagles, that he made a friendship bracelet for Swift with his phone number on it. Kelce was upset to learn that Swift doesn’t meet with anyone before or after the show to save her voice, but said he understood.
Moving forward to Aug. 8: Actor Ryan Reynolds followed Kelce on Instagram. If there’s anything to know about Reynolds and Swift, it’s that his following habits coincide with her relationships. I believe that this is when Kelce and Swift first began talking. Rumors really began to fly in the following weeks, and Kelce admitted on “The Pat McAfee Show” last week that he had invited Swift to watch him play. A few days after that interview, she was sitting next to his mom, celebrating his touchdown, and was seen leaving the stadium with him.
Now, why does all this matter? Why won’t people shut up about it? Well, for Swifties, this is the first time Swift has dated an American man in nearly a decade. We are rejoicing that she picked a talented, famous-in-his-own-field guy who publicly begged for her attention for weeks. She deserves to have someone recognize and celebrate her success rather than be intimidated by it.
Kelce seems genuine about his feelings and has already praised her multiple times in the media. Besides that, the clip of him looking up with admiration from the sidelines into the suite Swift was in sent me into a spiral. It’s more excitement than Alwyn ever showed during their six years together.
Many Kelce fans, a group that includes me, made comments about how shy he was playing. He is a guy raised from a good, stable family and does a lot of great work in the community. He deserves to find happiness just as much as the next person. Also, because he was so open and unreserved about his desire to get to know her, he has more than earned her attention.
Many of you may be brushing this off as a publicity stunt, but I don’t think that’s the case here. They are both famous in their own spheres and don’t need the attention from this. Yes, his jersey sales went up, but that was always going to be a side effect of something like this. He is on track to be one of the greatest tight ends of all time, with or without Swift’s name attached to him in the headlines. Also, she just so happens to be the most famous person on the planet right now.
Kelce spoke about Sunday’s events during the latest podcast episode, which came out on Wednesday, and gave fans enough information to keep their hopes up about the pair. He said he admired her confidence to actually show up to the game and her willingness to meet his friends and family. However, Kelce shared no details out of respect for her privacy and said he would not be sharing anything else beyond what he shared on the podcast.
As for whether or not they’re dating, I say it’s not really anyone’s business but theirs. I just hope they’re both happy whatever the case may be. She deserves someone who respects her work, is confident in his own career, and is not afraid to tell others that he thinks she’s great — and he deserves all the same things in return.
PHOTO: Courtesy
