I am not a fan of football either. If you scroll through my social media posts of mine over the years, you will find me questioning this sport that collides grown men together and leaves some with life-long brain injuries. Yet, I have been highly engrossed watching the past couple of Kansas City Chiefs games.
Even my husband remarked yesterday, “ I can’t believe you are watching this football game. I have never seen you like this. Who do you want to win?”
“I don’t care who wins, honestly, I am just inquisitive about this relationship between Travis Kelce and Taylor Swift, and the public's reaction to it. I find it fascinating to watch when Travis has a big play, and the cameras pan over to Taylor, the furor it creates on X (formerly known as Twitter).
Early on in the matchup between the Ravens and the Chiefs “Taylor Swift” was unsearchable on X.
X users found workarounds, searching and using just the first and/or last names of Kelce and Swift. The conversations for and vehemently against their relationship, the NFL flashing scenes of Swift and her friends in the booth at the game, and the individuals themselves made them trend for hours on X.
What ultimately intrigues me is this. If these two individuals are highly beloved by the football-loving typically male community, and the rising empowered female collective, why aren’t we celebrating the love?
I guess this is why I find myself watching football all of a sudden. It is like watching a real-life, modern love story in real-time. Not one where the female character is saved by the male hero, think Cinderella, but one where two highly accomplished people, come together for love, not needing each other to survive financially. Two people who can be there to enjoy and support each other's success and realization of the deep commitment it has taken to excel at their crafts. Two people who have grown skin so thick that it is nearly impenetrable to the constant intrusion into their private lives that comes with that level of celebrity.
So, who do I hope wins the game? I hope Travis and Taylor do. As far as the Super Bowl? I don’t really care.