Former NFL head coach Tony Dungy took issue with Taylor Swift’s constant presence on the television broadcast during Saturday night’s playoff contest between the Miami Dolphins and the Kansas City Chiefs. Swift has become a mainstay during Chiefs games after her relationship with star tight end Travis Kelce became public, and some NFL fans and insiders are not happy about the constant glamour around the couple.
Dungy, a football guy who has been around the game for most of his life, explained that he has noticed a shift in the sport with the league’s insistence on including Taylor Swift in broadcasts. He said that this move, while it brings in attention from a largely female audience that was previously untapped by NFL games, is pushing traditional football fans to feel disconnected from the world’s biggest league.
He spoke to Fox News about the Taylor Swift effect, saying, “That’s the thing that’s disenchanting people with sports now. There’s so much on the outside coming in. Entertainment value and different things. Taking away from what really happens on the field.”
According to Dungy, the things that really matter to NFL fans are the actions taking place on the field. He says that folks don’t want to see the camera panning to a celebrity in between every play and that the product would be more enjoyable to the sport’s core fans if it instead focused on what took place on the playing field or the sidelines.
The fanfare around Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce’s budding romance did not end with the game, as the pair were seen holding hands and flirting on their way out of the stadium in Kansas City. With the game reaching a feels-like temperature of nearly -30 degrees, Swift showed some serious dedication to make it to the stadium.
Her appearance at the game didn’t seem to have a negative impact on the Chiefs’ play on the field as they quickly leaped out to a lead and never surrendered it en route to defeating the Dolphins 26-7 to advance to the next round of the playoffs. Now, one step closer to the Super Bowl, more and more eyes will be watching to see if the NFL continues to push the pop star on its audience.
Star Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes battled through the frigid cold to put together a strong performance and lead his team to victory. Mahomes threw for 262 yards on 23/41 while also scrambling to earn a few crucial first downs and rack up 41 rushing yards on two carries. That performance also saw him putting the ball in Kelce’s hands several times.
Travis Kelce, in front of his girlfriend, caught seven passes for 71 yards. He played an important role as both a receiver and a blocker and seemed to be a safety option for Mahomes when he had nothing else open. That connection between Mahomes and Kelce is the thing to be on the lookout for during the playoffs, as that pair can get hot and cause trouble for defenses in a hurry.