“Can we move on from this Taylor Swift thing and get back to football please?”
“If I see one more Taylor Swift cutaway, I am going to break my TV.”
“They’re overdoing it a little bit, for sure.”
If you didn’t know: Taylor Swift is dating NFL player Travis Kelce.
The first two quotes are from friends of mine on Fantasy Football text threads. The third quote? Travis Kelce himself. I guess you can understand Kelce’s thoughts – His life has been turned upside down because he’s in a Love Story with the most famous person on the planet. But aside from him, I have noticed some definite #Tayvis fatigue coming from the predominantly male, sports-loving sector of our population.
As a predominantly sports-loving person myself, allow me to offer a dissenting opinion: You need to calm down. For me, this whole thing has been great.
Why You Gotta Be So Mean?
Let’s start with this: Why are men getting so irritated? Is Taylor threatening what was once to us a sanctuary of masculinity? Are we maybe getting upset that one of our heroes, Travis Kelce, is being objectified for his fashion and looks? Does it make us uncomfortable that he is no longer seen as a warrior, but as a symbol of romance and chivalry? That he’s a new romantic? If so, maybe we should pause for a minute and empathize with the women we love. They go through this all the time.
I am totally fine with the cutaways, honestly. I would much rather look at Taylor than some angry dude in a headset. We can look at Taylor for two seconds and then get back to the game. Shake it off.
I do not think anyone is “overdoing it.” Taylor Swift has more social media followers than every NFL team combined. Games with Taylor Swift in attendance have shattered ratings records, particularly in the coveted 18-49 Female Demographic. My wife and daughter are watching football, JUST FOR THE CUTAWAYS. Which brings me to the most important thing.
Today Was A Fairytale
My daughter and I have a shared interest and it’s amazing. Of course, we have things in common and we spend as much time together as possible. But she’s 16, she’s a busy athlete and student with a vibrant social life. Dear ol’ dad doesn’t get as much devoted time as he’d like. It’s fine, normal even, but I will always want more quality time with my daughter.
Last Thursday night, after a long day at work, I plopped down on the couch to watch the Chiefs play the Broncos. Usually, this ends with my son and I watching, while Kim and Lola retreat upstairs to stream Gilmore Girls in bed.
Not this night. Are you ready for it?
Lola passed by and said, “Oooooh I heard Taylor is at this game!” She snuggled next to me and put her head on my shoulder. For those of you who don’t have a teenage daughter, when she sits next to you and puts her head on your shoulder, it is the best painkiller you have ever taken. Life is instantly better.
That’s My Whole World
She wasn’t really watching football, and that was fine. A player profile came up with a funny name. Lola laughed. I told her there are a lot of funny names in sports. Lola googled and found a list. She and my son were laughing so hard they could barely breathe because they discovered a certain NASCAR legend named Dick Trickle. (PC almost threw up, he was laughing so hard.)
The world is heavy right now. Images of war and destruction are on every TV and the newsfeed we hold in our hands. But for those few minutes, I experienced some pure joy with my family. The laughter, the time together all of it happened because a pop star is dating a football player. Thanks, Taylor.
