Taylor Swift is no Yoko Ono, claims a prominent ESPN sportscaster.
Reacting to the chatter that has arrived as the Kansas City Chiefs are no longer dominating opponents, angry fans are pointing to Swift’s appearances at the Chiefs games as the cause of the team’s swoon.
Swift is, of course, Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce’s girlfriend, and her presence is allegedly causing the team to lose focus, even though she’s watching in a box far above the field of play.
Skip Bayless, one of the more provocative Fox Sports sports personalities, led the mob against Swift as Kansas City fell to the Las Vegas Raiders on Christmas Day, 20-14. The Chiefs have lost three out of their last four contests to now hold a 9–6 record, and the team’s frustration is building. Kelce added to the perception of being distracted when he threw his helmet on the sidelines during the game.
“Feels like it’s about time to call Taylor Swift a distraction,” tweeted Bayless. What do you think, Patrick? Andy? How about you, Travis?” Bayless wrote on Twitter, calling out Chiefs’ QB Patrick Mahomes, coach Andy-Reid, and Kelce.
Riding to the rescue is ESPN’s Elle Duncan.
“Do not blame Taylor Swift for being a ‘distraction,’ for Travis Kelce not playing well, for the Chiefs playing good…No, it is not her fault,’ said Duncan on her podcast, The Elle Duncan Show.
“I am so tired of us doing this. And we do this to women. It’s Jessica Simpson’s fault Tony Romo spit the bit. Remember Kim Kardashian and Miles Austin for a hot second? It’s her fault. It’s always the woman’s fault for “distracting.” Nobody’s asking if Travis Kelce is distracting her from a world tour…No one’s saying that. And I don’t like that.
“I don’t like that all of sudden that this has become, “This is too much; let’s turn it on Taylor. He’s distracted,” like he can’t carry on a personal life and also a professional life. Get out of here. He’s Travis Kelce; stop. She’s not to blame. So please stop. Full stop on that narrative. Not okay. Stop.”