NFL dudebros are sick and tired of the coverage that Taylor Swift has been receiving during each Kansas City Chiefs game she’s been at. But it’s one thing for men to be annoyed, and another for them to vilify the 12-time GRAMMY award-winning pop star for garnering attention during the games. This hatred for Swift reached new heights when Dan Katz, a “Pardon My Take” by Barstool Sports host objectified Swift while claiming that her relationship with Travis Kelce wasn’t real. Katz “jokingly” said that he would only believe it to be true once an explicit video of Kelce and Swift comes out.
Swift is no stranger to being on the receiving end of misogynistic remarks and comments in her long career as a singer. Katz’s comments are not the first of its kind, but it’s definitely a bold-faced statement that Swift is not welcome in the NFL. That’s not an assumption pulled out of thin air since Katz also claimed that “Taylor Swift is using the NFL to make her star bigger.”
The reaction of rabid NFL fans, as well as a vocal Dan Katz, is telling. These men are threatened that a woman is getting all the attention in a space that’s supposed to be exclusively “theirs”, and that there is a steep price to pay for women who outshine men even if they’re a world-famous, multi-award-winning pop star. Swift is subjected to unwarranted vitriol from people just for happily cheering her boyfriend onfield and having the moment associated with one of her iconic songs, even if she’s not the one begging to be in the spotlight.
Even Kelce found the consistent highlighting of his and Swift’s romance to be irritating, claiming that the NFL was “overdoing it.” But what Kelce seems to be forgetting is that Taylor Swift is an international household name, not just his girlfriend. Taylor is not here to make her star bigger, she’s there to make the NFL’s star bigger by pulling in her audience to watch the game. The NFL knows that they’re creating a pop culture moment with Kelce and Swift, and they’ve even gone to defend their deliberate spotlighting of Swift.
The only glimmering hope in humanity is that many defended Swift from the slutshaming and the fame-fishing allegations by demanding an apology from Dan Katz. Dave Portnoy, Barstool Sports’ founder, tweeted his regret (and rage) over Katz’ comments.
It’s not wrong to want less of Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce’s romance as a hardcore NFL fan if all you’re there for is the game. But out of a hundred Chiefs games you’ve watched, only two were chock full of Taylor Swift. If the coverage of a happy, lovestruck, and successful pop star is enough for you to grab a gun and take a shot at her womanhood and her dignity, then it’s time for you to get up your chair and rethink what you’ve become. Would you still hate it so much if Taylor was just another guy enjoying the game?
Look back to when Blake Shelton supported the Arizona Cardinals while he went on a sweet date with his wife Gwen Stefani. You either found that moment sweet, or you didn’t really mind that he got some coverage since he’s a popular singer who passionately nerds on about the NFL. Just like Blake, Taylor was just having a cute and romantic moment on TV while enjoying the game. Before you cry foul and sling profanity in fear that Taylor will “steal” your game, just remember that she doesn’t exist in that space in any connection to you. Women can enjoy sports and exist in spaces you love just as much as you do.
