On January 30, “The Herd with Colin Cowherd” sports talk radio show, host Colin Cowherd aimed at critics of the romantic involvement between Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce and pop sensation Taylor Swift.
He questioned the negativity surrounding their relationship, wondering why some people seem bothered by this celebrity pairing.
Cowherd began by expressing his confusion about those who feel uncomfortable or insecure about the romantic involvement between Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce. He pointed out that the criticism may reveal more about the critics than the couple itself.
“There’s a lot of really weird lonely insecure men out there. Um, the fact that a pop star, the world’s biggest pop star, is dating a star tight end who had one of his greatest games ever, and a network puts them on the air briefly, that it bothers you, what does that say about your life?” said Cowherd.
Next, Cowherd asserted that football broadcasts involve more than just the game itself, including commercials, reviews, and other non-football elements.
To support his argument, Cowherd cited statistics, stating that in a typical three-and-a-half-hour NFL broadcast, only 18 minutes are dedicated to actual football.
He underlined the brief duration of Taylor Swift’s appearances during these broadcasts, using data from The New York Times to highlight that she is on-screen for an average of 25 seconds.
Cowherd playfully suggested that the discussion about Taylor Swift during football broadcasts was blown out of proportion.
The conversation then shifted to a broader issue of how society celebrates male figures attending sporting events, contrasting this with the negative reactions to Taylor Swift being featured during a football broadcast.
Cowherd acknowledged a stat about the percentage of men lacking real intimacy with women, speculating that this might contribute to the negative reactions.
Taylor Swift has faced through criticism for their relationship, with some NFL fans targeting Swift for getting more camera time at games. The couple made their relationship public in September 2023 when Swift attended a Kansas City Chiefs game.
Undeniably, the NFL capitalized on Taylor Swift’s appearances at Chiefs games to support her boyfriend, Travis Kelce.
After her September 24 appearance, the NFL changed its Twitter account’s bio to “NFL (Taylor’s Version)” and its header photo to a picture of her at the game.
The league also changed its TikTok bio to “9/24/23.”
As per the latest reports, Swift’s relationship with Kelce and her appearances at Chiefs games generated $331.5 million in brand value for the Chiefs and the NFL.
Google Trends data revealed that consumer interest in the NFL increased since Swift began attending Chiefs games, with a 46.7% rise in searches related to the NFL in December 2023 compared to December 2022.
The league also experienced its highest regular-season viewership among women since 2000.
