The NFL season is approaching the halfway mark, and it’s been an unusual campaign, to say the least. No teams have set themselves above the pack; as usual, parity reigns supreme. While the usual suspects sit atop their respective divisions, teams like Philadelphia and Kansas City have still underachieved in relation to last season.
Part of the problem is an overall lack of scoring. Scoring is at its lowest point since 2010. That is unless you are Travis Kelce. Arguably, the biggest storyline of the year has been off the field and in the luxury box. Kelce, the star tight end for the Chiefs, has been dating pop superstar Taylor Swift, and America can’t get enough.
Subsequently, Kelce has blown up in terms of exposure, particularly ad-wise, and Swifties have made the Kelce brother’s podcast number one in the sports segment and Kelce’s jersey near the top in sales. While it has been a sweet, if not annoying, story, not everyone is on board with the Swiftness of the NFL.
Retired tight end, four-time Super Bowl champion, and certain first-ballot Hall of Famer Rob Gronkowski recently weighed in on the romance, and he hasn’t made any friends in Taylor Swift’s circle. The New England Patriot legend appeared on Kay Adams ‘Up and Adams” show on FanDuel TV, and his comments are sure to ruffle more than a few Swiftie’s feathers.
Perhaps confusing Taylor Swift with NSYNC, Gronk said in reference to the media coverage of Swift: “I would just say ‘Bye, bye, bye.’ It’s just a little bit too much.” Gronkowski, of course, is referring to the relentless coverage of Taylor Swift during Chiefs games.
However, perhaps echoing every hardcore NFL fan, Gronk continued: “Yes, you can show her. Maybe have her perform a song now since they’re hyping her up every single week. But we want more football! Yes, it’s fine that you show her, but not every single play.”
While Gronk’s criticism of the league and their camera work is understandable, he still wishes nothing but the best for the rumored power couple. He added: “You know, it’s wonderful, he deserves it all. He’s had seven 1,000-yard seasons in a row. Wide receivers barely have seven 1,000-yard seasons in a row. He deserves every commercial, and he’s a good-looking man, so he deserves any lady that he wants to get. And he can move. Like I said, I had a dance-off with him, and his hips can groove, so it’s great to see him doing his thing on and off the field. He deserves it all.”
The Kelce/Swift romance has been a harmless distraction through the first half of an unremarkable NFL season. However, it remains to be seen how long fans will stay patient with the luxury box camera shots, especially as action on the field continues to be less than stellar.
If action picks up on the field, perhaps viewers will continue to tolerate, if not embrace, the barrage of Kelce commercials and Swift camera shots. If scoring continues to flag, then all bets may be off, and Swift/Kelce may be flagged for unnecessary camera shots.
