I’m a Kansas City native, but I have about the same feelings toward the Chiefs as I do toward Taylor Swift: I like them both, appreciate their talent, and prefer them to many alternatives - but you’re unlikely to find me spending my time and money filling an arena seat for either of them.
That said, I have my loyalties - to my hometown team, and to my ladies.
Let’s start with item 1 - the Kansas City Chiefs.
I am a fair-weather sportsball fan. A certain percentage of any sports segment I do on NPR is, truth be told, me playing the part of a curious public radio host (if curiosity can be fueled in part by ignorance, then it’s an authentic role, at least).
I really only follow sports when one of my hometown teams - the Chiefs or the Kansas City Royals - are within striking distance of the Super Bowl or the World Series, respectively. I watch football for the nachos and muscular men, and baseball for the beer and hot dogs - and the sing-along in the seventh inning.
My husband knows this, of course. So when the Chiefs faced off against his Baltimore Ravens a few weeks ago, he completely unironically offered to purchase a purple Ravens jersey for me to go along with his.
I looked at him blankly.
An interfaith marriage is one thing, but root against the Kansas City Chiefs? Who does this guy think he is?!
Item 2 - Taylor + Travis, of course
I like Taylor Swift. I missed her NPR Tiny Desk Concert several years ago to my ongoing regret. And who hasn’t cried while sitting in the driveway playing Exile on repeat and thinking about a failed relationship, or while listening to Antihero and eating gummy worms in bed after a crappy day? (Sorry, was that too confessional…?)
But I’m not a Swiftie and I haven’t followed her career all that closely - until her world intersected with my hometown.
Among my Kansas City family, there is uniform support for the Chiefs as far as I can tell, but mixed feelings about Travis Kelce’s prominent relationship with Taylor. I haven’t been able to determine whether that division maps more closely onto our respective levels of intensity surrounding football, or in some way onto our varied political and ideological sentiments.
I accept that some people don’t like Taylor’s music, or, I guess, see themselves as some kind of football purists who are fine with kiss-cams but feel tortured by seeing images of a pop star in the crowd?
Okay, so I don’t get that actually.
I personally find the whole Taylor-Travis thing to be cute and way more interesting than trying to understand what a tight end is.
I’m grateful to the New York Times for performing a critical journalistic service through its analysis which found that she’s only on screen for mere seconds per NFL game. It’s hard for me to think it’s anything but a classic case of the boys getting annoyed because a girl has metaphorically shown up in their clubhouse.
But feel free to tell me what I’m missing!
Anyway, I will be rooting for the Chiefs, and for Taylor and Travis. Because this world is kind of a mess, and I’m here for any moments of joy and love, or even just distraction, that we can find.
P.S. - My husband - whose Ravens jersey is neatly folded in the drawer until next year - told me he “hasn’t decided” which team to root for this year. So feel free to recommend marriage counselors.
LOL. Hopefully there is still peace in your home.
Love your perspective! I was rooting for the ‘Niners, but only because they’re my son-in-law’s (and therefore my grandkids’) team. Be that as it may, I find it difficult not to also root for Mahomes & company; he, especially, seems like such a decent person! And thought the game was even more fun to watch with the sporadic shots of Taylor as super fan! Hopefully, hubby is happy for YOU this morning! 😘