NFL Commissioner Ships Taylor Swift And Travis Kelce: 'I Think It's Great'
NFL commissioner Roger Goodell is a fan of Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce's love story.
Goodell expressed his approval of the high-profile romance between the pop superstar and the Kansas City Chiefs tight end during an interview with "CBS Mornings" co-host Nathaniel Burleson that aired Wednesday.
"They're happy, they seem to be enjoying their relationship. That's great, in and of itself," said the 64-year-old NFL commissioner of the couple. "But it has connected more fans of Taylor's and more fans of the NFL in some ways. Sort of, to see that they have a connection, now [fans] have a connection to our game and to Taylor."
"She's an unbelievable artist, obviously Travis is an unbelievable player," he added. "I think it's great for the league to have that kind of attention. So, we welcome it."
The romance has garnered massive attention, and viewership of NFL games, particularly those involving the Kansas City Chiefs, has seen a significant boost thanks to Swift's presence at the games.
The Chiefs' Monday night game against the Philadelphia Eagles became the most-viewed Monday night football game in 27 years, The Athletic reported.
The NFL's social media posts about Swift attending games, including mentioning her in its Instagram bio and making her photos its TikTok header, initially received criticism from football fans.
However, the NFL defended these acknowledgments, stating that such social media changes are a part of their strategy to engage with cultural moments.
Despite initial skepticism from fans and media, Kelce said they are just having fun with the added attention.
In a new cover interview with WSJ. Magazine, he acknowledged the unique situation of dating someone like Swift, who experiences constant scrutiny and paparazzi attention.
During the interview with Burleson, the host humorously mentioned the "Swifties," Swift's dedicated fan base, and Goodell agreed that gaining new fans for the NFL and new listeners for Swift is a positive outcome.
However, not everyone is as supportive. Sports commentator Chris Russo expressed his discontent with Kelce's priorities, particularly his trip to Argentina during a bye week to see Swift perform, the New York Post reported.
Russo compared this decision to Odell Beckham Jr. and his Giants teammates' infamous trip to Miami in 2017 before being defeated by Aaron Rodgers and the Packers in the first round of the playoffs.
On Monday, the Eagles walked away with a 21-17 win in their showdown with the Chiefs.
"You're bouncing around the world with Taylor Swift, I mean my god, you're a football player. You should be at workouts and practicing," Russo was quoted as saying by The Post. "Swift in February, fine. Not in November!"
When Kimberley A. Martin told Russo that Swift's fans might come for him after the episode, the commentator said: "Let them come after me!"