When Taylor Swift attended her first Kansas City Chiefs football game, the effect was enormous. We’ve seen Taylornomics in action before, for better and for worse, and after that game in September, the phenomenon struck again, hard.
Following the launch of her public relationship with Chiefs player Travis Kelce, sales of Kelce’s #87 jersey jumped 400%. Internet searches for “football outfit” rose nearly 250%. Heinz launched a specialty product “Ketchup and Seeminly Ranch,” referencing a viral fan account of Taylor’s choice of snacks during the game. Crossover merch hit local KC stores pretty much immediately.
But the Taylor Effect is not just economic, it can actually be seen playing out on the field as well. In late October, after Swift had attended four near-consecutive games, CBS aired a graphic breaking down how much better Kelce plays when Taylor is there, vs. when he is “left to his own devices”—and it’s a lot.
Headlines in the days after that game were split between seeing the graphic as being “perfect” and “hilarious,” and those who called it “cringe.” And to the latter group, I’m sorry you hate fun and humor, that must be difficult.
The breakdown has continued to be featured during games in the weeks since, and it’s only gotten funnier.
Additionally, some fans are calling for more of this sort of recognition, especially regarding Olympic icon Simone Biles, whose husband plays on the Green Bay Packers (alongside Travis Kelce’s brother).
The professional football fandom has a notoriously toxic subset who will viciously blame women for any misstep the players associated with them might make. So it’s nice to see women, romance, and general cuteness celebrated in this tongue-in-cheek sort of way. More of this, please.
(featured image: David Eulitt/Getty Images)
