When Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce attended Taylor Swift's The Eras Tour at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City on April 7, he had a friendship bracelet prepared to hand the performer – with his phone number on it.
"I was disappointed that she doesn't talk before or after her shows because she has to save her voice for the 44 songs that she sings," Kelce said in an episode of his New Heights podcast. "So I was a little butthurt I didn't get to hand her one of the bracelets I made for her."
Last Sunday at the same stadium, Kelce glanced up from the sidelines and into the crowd, searching for and finding Swift there, cheering him on next to his mom. As all the game broadcasts documented the exchange, Taylor Swift fans suddenly realized the alleged relationship between the two was in fact not a hoax.
The worlds of Swifties and NFL fans are colliding, and the new pairing has the possibility of ushering in a whole new fanbase for football. Long story short, learning the basics of football may spark the interest of some Swifties.
Some of Swift's fans may know the pop star is a Philadelphia Eagles fan, who has had center Jason Kelce, Travis's older brother, since 2011. The center is the offensive player who snaps the ball to the quarterback, a task Kelce has executed well.
Despite Swift being raised an Eagles fan, it's apparent the younger Kelce brother has won the great war for her affection.
Travis Kelce has been a tight end for the Chiefs since 2013. Scoring touchdowns is nothing new for Kelce, who owns 73 career touchdowns. He’s also caught a pass in 143 straight games, and has had over 1,000 receiving yards in each of the last seven seasons. This means in each season, the ball has traveled over 1,000 yards combined between passes to Kelce and yards he ran with the ball after catching it.
The tight end is an offensive position in football. Kelce's main objectives are to catch passes from the quarterback and block for the quarterback during specific plays. Tight ends can also block for running backs, another offensive position, when the offense tries to pull off a running play.
During these plays, the team with the ball is attempting to score a touchdown, which is worth six points. After a touchdown is scored, the team gets a chance to score an extra point.
When a team has possession of the ball, they're trying to move the ball 10 yards forward, either by passing the ball or running with it. The team has four chances to move the ball 10 yards, and each chance is called a "down." Every time the team successfully moves the ball 10 yards, the downs reset, and the team gets another four chances to move the ball further.
On the fourth down, the offense has multiple options to try to score. They can take a risk and continue to try to score a touchdown, attempt a field goal for three points, or punt the ball across the field to the other team, forcing them start as far down the field as possible.
Defensive efforts and flags hinder the offense’s efforts to move the ball. A flag is thrown onto the field when a penalty occurs on a team. The punishment usually involves a loss or gain of yards.
These timeless football principles will familiarize new fans and leave Swifties fearless to enjoy the sport and prepare to potentially see her at the game this Sunday.
Edited by Alfred Smith III, Sadie Buggle and Caera Learmonth.
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