The Taylor Swift-Travis Kelce Storyline Is Special Because It's Ordinary

For the most part, sports media focuses on, well, sports. Every league produces so many storylines that there's almost too much to talk about. Whether we're focusing on the top teams chasing trophies or the worse-off squads (chasing a good draft pick) you could fill each day with a different on-field topic. In 2023, however, the NFL encountered a force that's even more powerful than pro football: Taylor Swift.

As you may have heard, Swift and Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce linked up during the year, progressing from making online overtures to becoming a legitimate couple. And the wider world noticed. Interest in No. 87 surged, and Swift stole the show every time she entered an NFL stadium.

Some found it charming. Others, primarily on the football side of things, found it all to be a bit much.

Well, with the calendar year coming to a close, here's a Swift-agnostic perspective on the unmissable storyline.

For some context, I'm well-versed in both the Chiefs and Kelce. Swift, however, is a different story. Beyond a general pop-cultural presence and a few unmissable songs and sports crossovers (think the NHL using "Blank Space" in a Stanley Cup commercial), I really didn't have much knowledge of the superstar. There's no bad blood, but there's also no investment.

So, flash back to the summer when the K.C. tight end made his first public overture toward Swift on his podcast. At the time, it didn't seem like much. Kelce, for better or worse, has always been quite the character; he may have smoothed off some of the rough edges from early in his NFL career, but he's still capable of speaking his mind and creating a viral moment.

This Swift-related comment was probably going to be another one-off, like him calling out the mayor of Cincinnati, right?

But the clues kept coming. There were comments about Swift liking Kelce's mustache and whispers that the two were hanging out. And then, in September, everything changed when she showed up at Arrowhead.

Again, I was largely unmoved. Celebrities have dated fellow celebrities before, and they will continue to do so for time immemorial. And without any skin in the Swift game, it was simply a blip on the radar.

That wasn't the end, though. Swift showed up at the Meadowlands and featured heavily in the broadcast. At that point, I became aware that this entire relationship was rubbing people the wrong way.

Some football fans felt Swift was being shoved down their throats. Mike Tirico, on the other hand, offered a more wholesome perspective, equating the broadcast to a dinner party. Wouldn't the host want to make the newer guests (in this case Swifties) more comfortable in an unfamiliar environment?

But whether you were annoyed or enamored, the storyline kept rolling. There were suggestions that Kelce could only perform well with Swift in the building and plenty of chatter about his bye-week trip to South America, which featured a now-famous lyrical adjustment. For the record, the tight end's quiet games probably have more to do with the Chiefs' lack of receiver depth than who is or is not watching from the suites, and he's entitled to do what he wants during his time off.

Things are still progressing, but we've reached something of an equilibrium. Swift and Kelce are a unit, as officially confirmed in the pop star's "Person of the Year" write-up. Her appearances at games are no longer a shock; they still garner attention, because she's Taylor Swift, but the world doesn't grind to a halt.

And that brings us to my final (as of now) ruling on the topic. The Swift-Kelce partnership is pretty cool but in a remarkably ordinary way.

One of my most firmly held convictions is that sports should be fun and inclusive. Are there serious moments and situations that require critical thought? Of course, but watching 22 men fight over a leather egg can never be too serious.

The Swift storyline has brought some of that. The artist is known for her clues and Easter eggs, and while those haven't fully translated to the NFL scene, a bit of tabloid culture has crossed the divide. Is that my cup of tea? Not really, but there's plenty of room under the NFL umbrella. As Tirico said, if Swift can bring more fans into football, then those fans should be welcome at the table.

I'm also in favor of remembering that athletes are real people, not robots who are programmed to give bland press conference quotes and perform for our amusement. And through that lens, it's been cool to see Kelce having what seems, at least from afar, like fun.

As mentioned above, the tight end was a bit more rambunctious during his early NFL career. On one occasion, he was ejected after throwing his towel after the referees refused to throw a flag.

"I felt like an idiot,'' Kelce said after that early shower. "I can't do that to my teammates. I can't do that to the [fans], to myself. It was a terrible decision.'' His remorse, however, only lasted so long; he was also quoted as saying, "I can't throw my flag at the ref, but he can throw his all day long."

And as a Dayton Daily News story titled "No one can contain Travis Kelce's goofball behavior, not even himself" explained, there were plenty of other transgressions, ranging from taunts to pushes.

For the most part, Kelce has cleaned up that part of his game, although you might still want to keep him away from a hot mic.

The Swift of it all has brought a certain je ne sais quoi back into the mix. Is making cryptic comments about a potential partner the same as unleashing unbridled emotion on the field? Of course not, but in an era of sanitized press conferences and "I'm just here so I don't get fined," there's something refreshing about an athlete giving a wink and a nudge while (largely) giving the people what they want.

The same can be said for Swift. While I have come to understand that she's incredibly meticulous about how she portrays herself, she does seem to be genuinely invested in both Kelce and his on-field endeavors. I might not know pop music, but, as a sports fan, her reactions during the game look pretty legit.

Sports are, after all, an entertainment product. And the Kelce brothers, to their credit, seem to have a pretty firm grasp of that reality.

One of the coolest parts about sports is that they can represent different things to different people. Some want to break down the analytical minutia; others are more interested in the vibes. Or, in this case, some people are more interested in the celebrity sightings.

Adding Swift to the mix shouldn't change that. If you love seeing her and following the saga, great. If you're absolutely ambivalent about her and her music (like yours truly), then you can survive a few glimpses of the luxury suite amid hours of football coverage.

It's easy to be cynical about two celebrities linking up. It's easy to gate-keep and say that real football fans should be the focus of NFL broadcasts. It's easy to get bogged down in stats, figures and the fact that just about every game has some larger implications.

But ultimately, the Swift-Kelce storyline has been a good reminder of a larger truth.

There's fun to be had. There are goofy, soap-opera-style storylines to follow. And, ultimately, these are real people we're talking about. There's something endearing about seeing a public figure—no matter which side of the relationship we're talking about—show genuine emotion instead of trotting out PR-friendly clichés at all times.

Whether we're NFL fans, Kelce fans, Swift fans or some combination of the above, we love the players, and we love the game.