No one, perhaps not even Travis Kelce or Taylor Swift, knows where their relationship is headed.
But veteran reporter Rick Reilly thinks the relationship could essentially determine the future of the United States.
Reilly did not specifically say that, but in a Washington Post op-ed published Friday, he mentioned he is pulling for the relationship to blossom because “They’re both loathed by right-wingers,” and “That might be something even Donald Trump couldn’t shake off.”
There have been many strange takes on the relationship between the Kansas City Chiefs star and the pop icon adored by millions worldwide. Trump himself noted this week that he wishes the pair well in their relationship, saying, “I hope they enjoy their life, maybe together, maybe not — most likely not.”
Reilly, who is best known for his many years as a featured Sports Illustrated columnist, may have offered the strangest take yet on Kelce and Swift. Give him credit for a creative nickname for the duo (“K-Tay”) but he went overboard in claiming the Kelce-Swift relationship can help swing the 2024 presidential election in favor of Democrats.
Here’s an excerpt:
“…I want K-Tay to stick for one very good reason: They’re both loathed by right-wingers” Reilly wrote. “She, for openly standing up against Donald Trump and for abortion rights. He, for appearing in coronavirus vaccine ads and taking a knee during the national anthem, the highest-profile White NFL player to do so.
“[I]f anybody should be worried about K-Tay, it’s Trump. These two have fan bases that are huge and devoted. Just from Swift attending that single Chiefs game, Kelce’s merchandise sales jumped 400 percent. Swift put out one Instagram story last week urging her fans to register to vote, Vote.org reported, and participation on the site jumped 1,226 percent in the next hour.
“Between X (formerly Twitter), Instagram and Facebook, she has around 450 million followers (Kelce has “only” about 5 million). What if they decided a fun couples thing to do would be to … I don’t know … save democracy? K-Tay could stir up voters, from homecoming queens to assisted-living grandpas, from Castro Street to Wall Street, and rock polling places the way they rock stadiums.
“That might be something even Trump couldn’t shake off.”
It is a strange take, and one riddled with holes. Swift and Kelce both have huge fan bases that cut across political lines. Kelce is a hugely popular figure in the Kansas City area, which borders two reliably red states. Kelce supports the vaccine? Trump bragged about expediting its development and many conservatives still love him anyway.
And if voter registration among the younger generation made a difference at the polls, Democrats would never lose an election, given their strong support among young voters, who also are notoriously unreliable/indifferent in voting.
Reilly’s take did not go over well among sports fans and political observers.
Huh? No one but 14 year old girls care, except Rick Reilly I guess
— Generational Talent (@TycheFortun) September 29, 2023
About Arthur Weinstein
Arthur spends his free time traveling around the U.S. to sporting events, state and national parks, and in search of great restaurants off the beaten path.