Taylor Swift caused quite the commotion when she started attending Kansas City Chiefs games to support her boyfriend Travis Kelce, a tight end for the NFL team. Her presence was notable and the NFL started frequently showing her reactions to the games. Her presence and the NFL's coverage of the relationship drove viewership up, and when the Chiefs won the Super Bowl, that game became the most-viewed Super Bowl ever. The Taylor Swift Effect is real, but she actually may have been attending games longer than anyone thought.
The defensive backs coach of the Chiefs, Dave Merritt recently sat down with The Best of the Sports Shop podcast where he chatted about the Chiefs' big Super Bowl win and the unforgettable season. He also opened up about Taylor Swift’s notable presence at the games, and he even indicated that the Midnights artist may have been showing up for them longer than previously believed. He said:
When she started to come around, it was privately. She was coming into the stadiums without people really knowing until the camera put a big spotlight on it.
Fans previously thought that Swift’s first Chiefs game was the one on September 24, 2023, when she arrived at the Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, Missouri to watch the Chiefs play the Chicago Bears. This led many fans to believe that the Super Bowl was Swift’s thirteenth game she attended, which is a lucky number for the singer. However, if she really had been attending games privately, she likely has been to more than we know, which also could mean Travis Kelce and Taylor Swift have been together for longer than originally thought.
No matter how long Swift has been attending Chiefs games, Coach Merritt believes that her presence was a big positive for the team in general. This led to him and the rest of the guys feeling closer to and even protective of the pop star when she started being a subject of anger as a result of being shown on TV during the games. Merritt explained:
Upon meeting her, I felt that she actually added to what it was we were trying to do. Because there were so many people that were hating the fact that she was being shown on TV, that, you know what, you’re part of our family because you’re now with Travis. So therefore, you’re our little sister or whatever it may be. You’re part of the family.
The Chiefs coach also saw the relationship being a good influence on Kelce. Merritt explained that the tight end's happiness in the new relationship impacted his mood on the field, and thus made him a better player and teammate. The coach continued, saying:
What happened was, she actually affected the team in a positive way. It wasn’t a negative way. It was, everybody was excited that Travis was happy. So when my player, my brother, is happy beside me, that helps me and that encourages me. And so Travis came in there a different man.
When the relationship with Swift first started, some NFL fans thought her presence would have a negative impact. This was quickly subverted when the Chiefs kept playing well and finished their season as Super Bowl champions. This obviously can’t be all attributed to Taylor Swift, as the Chiefs were a great team before the “Bejeweled” singer came around. However, even Coach Merritt believes her impact was a positive one on the team, and he sees her as part of the Chiefs family, for however long she has been a part of it.
It will be a while before fans see Taylor Swift at another football game, as the next NFL season doesn’t start until the first Monday of September. In the meantime, Travis Kelce has been returning the favor to his girlfriend, as the tight end has been attending her concerts throughout the international leg of the Eras Tour. You can see the Eras Tour yourself, as Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour concert film will be available to stream with a Disney+ subscription on March 15, 2024.
