The National Football League has returned to our screens, and with it comes the return of none other than Taylor Swift. Fans across the country may have mixed feelings about seeing the pop sensation on their TVs once again, especially when she’s cheering on Travis Kelce and the Kansas City Chiefs.
As another season of “Swift-mania” looms ahead, the Chiefs have made it clear that they have a game plan in place when it comes to handling Swift’s unavoidable public appearances at Arrowhead Stadium. The key? Respect Kelce and Swift’s relationship.
Chiefs president Mark Donovan recently sat down with Front Office Sports to discuss the increased publicity surrounding the two stars in the past year. Donovan emphasized the team’s commitment to respecting the privacy of Kelce and Swift by potentially limiting Swift’s airtime during games.
“This is another conversation we had with Travis was, we did our very best to respect the relationship,” Donovan revealed during the interview. “Last season, in Arrowhead Stadium, we didn’t play a single Taylor Swift song during our games. And that was a sign of respect. We’re not trying to capitalize on this. We’re trying to celebrate it, but it’s not about doing too much or showing her every touchdown or anything like that. She never appeared on our big board.”
Even when faced with the presence of multiple big-name celebrities in the stadium, Donovan admitted to feeling a bit awkward about not showcasing Swift on the big screen. However, Kelce reassured him that they should continue with their current approach.
“We had one day when we had six or seven big celebrities in the stadium, and prior to the game we showed them on the sideline and then put them on the big board,” Donovan explained. “It’s another way of saying, this is the place to be, the coolest people in entertainment are here too. And I went to Travis afterwards and I’m like, ‘It’s a little odd to me that we showed like four Hollywood people, two entertainers, a comedian and Taylor’s in our suite watching but we’re not showing her.’ And he’s like, ‘Let’s keep doing it the way we’re doing it.’”
Reports suggest that Swift is set to make an appearance at Arrowhead as early as Thursday for Week 1’s matchup against the Baltimore Ravens. It looks like the Chiefs are prepared to handle the spotlight that comes with having the chart-topping artist in attendance once again.
