Darlings Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce Face First Wave of NFL Backlash

Is America beginning to sour on the NFL’s favorite couple? For nearly two years, Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce and pop star Taylor Swift have been the NFL’s golden pair, a crossover of sports dominance and pop culture royalty. But this weekend, the glow around their recent engagement began to flicker, and for the first time criticism and questions are clouding the narrative.The Chiefs showdown against the Philadelphia Eagles at Arrowhead Stadium on Sunday should have been another chance for the couple to bask in the spotlight of their public romance. Instead, it turned into a spectacle that left fans questioning their judgment.Mr. Kelce’s performance in the Chiefs 20-17 loss to the defending Super Bowl champions fell short of expectations, while Ms. Swift’s decision to slip into the stadium shielded from public view fueled rumors and wild speculation.In previous years, Ms. Swift’s game-day entrances and her attire have been part of the pre-game show. Cameras clicked as she smiled and acknowledged those who work at the arena. Once inside the comfort of a luxury suite, she sat in the front row next to Mr. Kelce’s mother and partners of other Chiefs players. She seemed at ease in her role as the NFL’s highest-profile fan. That changed on Sunday. Instead of her usually visible arrival, Mr. Swift entered the tunnel at Arrowhead Stadium concealed behind a huge rolling divider surrounded by handlers and security. If the maneuver was intended to avoid attracting attention, it failed because of the sheer size of the divider and the effort to keep her hidden.Within minutes videos taken in the tunnel flooded social media and ignited speculation that ranged from pregnancy rumors to heightened security concerns following the recent assassination of political commentator Charlie Kirk.One social media post captured the tone of the backlash: “So Taylor Swift used a divider for the first time, shielding her from fans, as she arrived at the Chiefs’ stadium, supposedly out of fear of recent violence, but she can’t say one word condemning the violence against Charlie Kirk or Iryna Zarutska?”Her desire for privacy continued throughout the game. Instead of being visible in the luxury suite where cameras normally caught her sitting front and center, Ms. Swift was never shown on the broadcast.It didn’t help matters that her fiancé irked some fans before and during the game touted as a rematch of Super LIX, won by the Eagles, 40-22, last February.During warmups, Mr. Kelce wore a T-shirt that read “Free 4,” a show of support for Chiefs wide receiver Rashee Rice, who wears no. 4. He is suspended for the first six games after pleading guilty to two third-degree felony charges. Mr. Rice was driving 119-mph on a Dallas highway when he and others triggered a six-car crash that caused serious bodily harm to several people.Wearing the T-shirt could be viewed as dismissive of the victims involved in a crash that could have had tragic consequences. Mr. Rice was much more fortunate than a former Las Vegas wide receiver, Henry Ruggs, who is serving a 3- to 10-year prison sentence for an accident that killed a 23-year-old woman and her dog in 2021. Mr. Ruggs was driving his sports car drunk at speeds up to 156 mph at the time of the collision.Mr. Kelce didn’t perform well in the game, either. After slamming his helmet on the sidelines in the second quarter and screaming, “I’m sick of this s—,” he helped ruin his team’s chance of victory.The Chiefs appeared headed for a go-ahead touchdown early in the fourth quarter, moving the ball deep into Eagles territory. But on third-and-goal, a pass from quarterback Patrick Mahomes bounced off Mr. Kelce’s hands at the goal-line and into the grasp of Eagles defensive back Andrew Mukuba. Philadelphia used the interception to build an insurmountable 20-10 lead.Fan loyalty isn’t erased by an interception or a couple of bad games and quirky entrances. But after going to back-to-back Super Bowls during the first two years of their relationship, Ms. Swift and Mr. Kelce are tasting adversity. The Chiefs are now 0-2 for the first time since 2014.

Darlings Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce Face First Wave of NFL Backlash

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