Is the “Taylor Swift Effect” hurting the KC Chiefs? 🤫 A growing narrative suggests the massive attention on her is distracting the players, keeping them from being 100% focused on the game. What’s the real story?

Skip Bayless Suggests Taylor Swift Is Stealing ‘Focus’ From KC Chiefs By Stephanie Kaloi Celebrity News: Latest Celeb News & Pictures – Us Weekly Updated August 25, 2025 10:07 PM Gift Article Sports journalist Skip Bayless says he’s “really tired” of Taylor Swift, Travis Kelce, and even Brittany Mahomes – and so is his wife, Ernestine Sclafani Bayless.

Skip and Ernestine shared a video of themselves discussing and dissecting the Kansas City Chiefs as well as Kelce, Swift and even Brittany Mahomes via X on Friday, August 22.

Skip Bayless Says Taylor Swift Is a 'Distraction' at Kansas City Chiefs Games - PopCulture.com

“I dread football and I knew it was coming because I know once July stops and now it’s August and then these preseason games start. I dread it because it goes till February and I know it and I’m like, God,” Ernestine began.

“But this year I was really dreading the reemerging of Taylor Swift with Travis Kelce. I just, that was to me, I dreaded that as much as dreaded this because I mean, this is just, it’s actually been nice that they haven’t been all over the place.”

She asked of the pair, “Isn’t anybody else sick of it?” Skip appeared to agree, interjecting, “Travis Kelce catches a pass, shot of Taylor up in the box, cheering wildly.”

“And then we go into the Mahomes thing with the wife, and it’s like, this is bigger than football.

It really is now, the focus is more on them as opposed to football,” Ernestine added. (Brittany, 29, has been married to Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomessince March 2022.) Ernestine added that she “doesn’t mind” Swift, 35, “being a singer” but questioned why her relationship with Kelce, also 35, has had to “become so overblown.”

“It’s not as though she’s the first celebrity dating an athlete.

And I know that she’s larger than life and I know she’s bigger than anybody in the world, but it just becomes so … emphasized,” she added. KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI – JANUARY 26: Taylor Swift celebrates with Travis Kelce #87 of the Kansas City Chiefs after defeating the Buffalo Bills 32-29 in the AFC Championship Game at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium on January 26, 2025 in Kansas City, Missouri.

(Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images) Jamie Squire Getty Images Taylor Swift and Travis KelceJamie Squire/Getty Images Skip claimed that Kelce is “on the downside of his career” and is likely to retire this season.

“I think it’s been shrewd on her part to couple with him because it’s a great look for her to be with the tough big football player. It’s a good fit,” he said of Swift.

But that wasn’t enough for Ernestine, who later added, “Now she’s going to be there at every game.

It was bad enough that I had to deal with football coming, but now I have to deal with part two, this part. I can take the other stuff; this I can’t take.

I’m sorry.” Swift and Kelce have been linked since the summer of September 2023, and the pop singer began attending Chiefs games that September – to the simultaneous dismay and delight of fans.

While talking about the NFL’s focus on Swift on his and brother Jason Kelce‘s “New Heights” podcast in October 2023, Travis said, “I think it’s fun when they show who all’s at the game.

I think it brings a little more to the atmosphere, brings a little bit more to what you’re watching.”

Later that year, Swift told TIME that she’s not aware of when she’s on camera at a game.

“You have no idea when the camera is putting you in the broadcast, so I don’t know if I’m being shown 17 times or once. I’m just there to support Travis.” Kelce commented on the animosity toward Swift in December 2023.

“They went absolutely insane when they showed Taylor on the screen. … Might have been a few Brads and Chads that were booing, but for the most part, everybody was f-king screaming at Taylor,” Travis said on the December 20 episode of “New Heights” of the first game Swift attended.

“I was trying to keep it cool, I was like, ‘Don’t show your cards.'” By the time Swift appeared on “New Heights” herself on August 13, 2025, it was clear the pair were having more fun with the clashing takes on the singer’s appearances at games.

At one point, Swift joked, “As we all know, you guys have a lot of male sports fans that listen to your podcast. And I think we all know that if there’s one thing male sports fans want to see in their spaces and on their screens – it’s more of me.”

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