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Taylor Swift joined Travis Kelce, Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs this year as a fan. Thanks to her relationship with the tight end, she became a major part of their games and the narrative that surrounded them.
The quarterback noticed that and said via TIME that his team “went from a nationwide team that was kind of global to a full global worldwide team. That came from Taylor’s fanbase.”
As the team struggled down the regular seasons stretch, many began questioning whether or not Swift's presence was a positive or negative. Many went as far as to blame her for "cursing" the team.
Mahomes said:
"We just embraced it. We like having that visibility. At the end of the day, football has always been this bruising sport. We want to make it fun, where kids grow up and play football and show their personality and be who they are. This year really magnified that.”
Eventually, while the Kansas City Chiefs limped into the playoffs, they proved that Swift was far from a distraction, as they won four playoff games, three of which were away from Arrowhead, to earn their second consecutive championship.
Taylor Swift's effect on the Chiefs
Whether or not the Chiefs did or did not play better with Taylor Swift there remains to be seen.
Eventually, it's coincidental if they did, as there's no reason a person in the stands would impact the level of play, except for potentially with Travis Kelce, who might have tried to show off at times.
She brought a ton of new eyes to their games. Swift's fans tuned in to catch glimpses of her on the broadcast, and many attended games with signs about the singer.
Some NFL fans believe she was a distraction, but as Patrick Mahomes noted, that wasn't the case. The team loved having her around, and they ended up winning it all, forcing some to consider whether or not she had a hand in it. She didn't, but Swift became a topic of debate along with the team.
