The recent engagement of pop superstar Taylor Swift and Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce has brought much publicity around the two and the NFL. Contributors Cristina Solano and Micah Gatewood discussed whether the engagement will be good or bad for the NFL.
Good
By Cristina Solano
Some NFL fans dread the mention of Taylor Swift in sports media. The announcement of Travis Kelce and Swift’s engagement took the media by storm, with even well-known sports writer Adam Schefter reporting on the news.
This engagement has resulted in great publicity for not only Swift and Kelce, but also the NFL and the Kansas City Chiefs. Since the pop star began dating the tight end, television viewership of games and the number of listeners to Kelce’s podcast, “New Heights,” have skyrocketed, along with jersey and ticket sales.
The NFL season is set to begin Thursday, and all this media attention is great for the league, increasing viewership, merchandising sales, fan engagement and ticket sales for the new season. It also presents the possibility of new sponsorships, brand activations and more.
Although this may not have been the ring Chiefs fans were hoping for, this engagement greatly benefits Kelce, the Chiefs and the league.
Bad
By Micah Gatewood
As news of Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce’s recent engagement spread, many NFL fans became outraged by the announcement. Football fans across America who are not Chiefs fans are making it very clear, under many social media posts, that they don’t care for the engagement.
“Who cares?” “I just want football news,” “Can we not talk about this all season?” and “This is not the Shade Room, keep it about sports!” are some of the many comments under these posts.
Not only are the fans outraged, but the engagement has fueled many conspiracies made by critics that can impact the relationship and the NFL. These conspiracies include the marriage being a PR stunt, the NFL and other platforms playing favorites with the Chiefs and the possibility of Kelce retiring early to start a family with Swift, impacting the team.
The NFL fans are already sick of the media shoving the engagement down their throats and are planning to take time to stay away from the league because of the news. Some fans also wish Kelce would retire so the NFL can return to talking about football.
