12 October 2023 , 23:26
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The latest superfan of the Kansas City Chiefs, Grammy-winning pop sensation Taylor Swift, made her heavily anticipated return to Arrowhead Stadium on Thursday night when the team took on the Denver Broncos in a "Thursday Night Football" showdown.
Kansas City's tight end and Swift's rumoured love interest, Travis Kelce, was questionable for the game due to an ankle injury. Swift's presence at the stadium marked her third Chiefs game in just four weeks, with her devoted Swifties joining her. The only game she missed was Sunday's matchup against the Minnesota Vikings at US Bank Stadium.
In the Vikings game, Kelce sustained a non-contact right ankle injury during the second quarter, which re-sparked a debate between playing on turf and natural grass. But he returned to the field in the second half and successfully caught a touchdown pass to secure the team's 27-20 victory.
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It has been reported that Swift spent time with Kelce despite being absent from Sunday's game. Swift allegedly traveled from Nashville to Kansas City on Friday to celebrate Kelce's 34th birthday, despite being on tour. According to insiders, they had a relaxed evening together with Page Six verifying that the two spent the entire weekend together.
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Swift's appearances at NFL games have evoked a polarizing response. On one side of the spectrum, statistics indicate that the pop star's presence has significantly bolstered NFL attendance figures and viewership ratings, and introduced young women to the league. On the flip side, die-hard football enthusiasts and dedicated NFL followers have preferred game coverage to focus more on the action on the field than the frequent camera attention on the pop star's crowd reactions.
Before the game on Thursday night, NFL veteran broadcaster Al Michaels said that the production crew spoke about Swift and stated that her involvement in the broadcast would be in moderation. He also shared his belief that most NFL fans would prefer to see the actual game. "There are people, I do not know how many, it could be a sizable number, but it is certainly not a majority, that if you trained the camera on her all night long, they'd be satisfied with that. This is not what we're doing to do," Michaels said.
Taylor has now attended three of Kelce's games (TNS)"There might be an appropriate shot or a couple. I do not know what the number is going to be if Kelce scores six touchdowns, who the hell knows what we're going to do? But for the most part, just in moderation. The game is still the important element here, by far. That's our thought. After that, you sort of make it, one of my favorite words, farcical."
Despite Kelce's playing status, he has admitted to enjoying having Swift at his games and referred to her as his "good luck charm." Sources also said, "Taylor is having the time of her life at these football games cheering on Travis.
"Her and her friends are fully embracing this era and are having a lot of fun being there. Taylor has worked very hard this last year, and it's fun for her to bring her friends along, let loose, and show support."