Is TV overdoing it with Swift shots? Kelce: Yes
Seventeen times.
That’s how many times NBC’s “Sunday Night Football” cut away to shots of Taylor Swift watching rumored boyfriend Travis Kelce and the Kansas City Chiefs play the New York Jets with a slew of famous friends in a luxury suite at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J., writes
Chuck Schilken of the Los Angeles Times.
That’s a lot. Too much for some NFL fans, who have started expressing displeasure over the amount of attention the league and its broadcasters have been giving the “ME!” singer this season.
Kelce and his older brother, Philadelphia Eagles center Jason Kelce, addressed the topic on their weekly “New Heights” podcast.
And, yes, they agree — the NFL is “overdoing it” with its Swift coverage.
Jason initiated Wednesday’s discussion, asking his brother his “honest opinion” on “how the NFL is treating celebrities at games,” while reminding him to “take away your feelings for Taylor” when considering his answer (the last part got a big laugh from Travis).
“I think it’s fun when they show who all is at the game, you know?” Travis Kelce said. “I think it brings a little more to the atmosphere, brings a little bit more to what you’re watching. But at the same time, I think, uh ...” Jason jumped in: “They’re overdoing it.” Travis responded: “They’re overdoing it a little bit, for sure. Especially my situation.”
Jason offered a tip for the seemingly starstruck NFL.
“I just think the NFL is not used to celebrities coming to the games,” he said. “Like basketball has it all figured out. They’re all courtside, they’re sitting there. They show ’em once or twice, but then they get back to the game. NFL’s like, ‘Look at all these A-list celebrities at the game! Keep showing ’em, show ’em!’ ... But you can’t be overboard with it.”
The brothers discussed Front Office Sports’ count of 17 cutaways to Swift,
and others enjoying the game from their suite (for perspective, the sports media tracker also counted eight cutaways to injured Jets QB
Aaron Rodgers during the broadcast).
“That’s crazy,” Travis said of the number of times Swift was on. “It’s like once a drive.”
Jason added: “I mean, that’s more than
Jack Nicholson courtside for the Lakers.”
NBC was rewarded for its efforts with 27 million viewers, more than for any Sunday night show since February’s Super Bowl. That number was boosted by a 53 percent surge among teenage girls, according to Nielsen Fast National data.
Ryan Reynolds, Blake Lively, Hugh Jackman Trivia question
What two baseball franchises have won three or more straight World Series?
He said it
One more from Jason Kelce: “They’re not gonna slow down with it because this was the highest Sunday night viewed game that they’ve had in awhile.”
Trivia answer
The Yankees have streaks of five straight titles (1949-53), four (1936-39) and three (1998-2000). The Oakland Athletics won three straight from 1972-74. Ten other teams won back-to-back World Series, including the Yankees three more times and the Athletics twice, dating back to 1903.