HOUSTON — The obsession with pop superstar Taylor Swift and her NFL boyfriend Travis Kelce has created a whole new fan base for the Kansas City Chiefs this season.
You can’t watch a Chiefs game without seeing at least a few shots of Swift cheering Kelce on. If she’s at the Super Bowl in Las Vegas on Feb. 11, you can bet that CBS will feature her prominently.
While the NFL has loved seeing the power couple’s impact on TV ratings, thanks in part to the singer’s passionate fan base of Swifties, the coverage has also riled up some people.
Some conspiracy theorists have gone so far as to accuse the NFL of rigging the Chiefs win over the Ravens to benefit Joe Biden who was endorsed by Swift in 2020.
For the haters who are “gonna hate, hate, hate,” retired NFL player and current CBS Sports analyst J.J. Watt says “Shake It Off.”
Watt, who spent 10 seasons with the Houston Texans before finishing his career with the Arizona Cardinals, told Us Weekly that people need to calm down.
“I think it’s great. I can’t understand why people are so upset about it,” Watt said. “I mean, they show celebrities at games all the time. Don’t act like we don’t show male celebrities at games all the time. I really don’t understand why it’s caused such an uproar.”
Last March, Watt and his wife, free agent soccer player Kealia Ohai Watt, saw Swift’s Eras Tour with a group of friends. He raved about her performance.
“44 songs. 3 hours and 15 minutes. So much respect,” Watt posted on X. “When your fans pay for a ticket, they are getting their money’s worth and some.”