I am a football fan in the truest sense of the word. I enjoy the sport because it bonds families and on cool Sundays there is nothing better than watching football from the beginning of the day until the end. This season was different because the NFL network mornings were no longer filled with anticipation of the games; we were being inundated with pop news, not once, not twice, but there was Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce coverage every Sunday. No matter the opponent and the week, the only thing that the sideline reporters and commentators cared about was whether Taylor would be attending the game. Like many fans of the sport, I watch football for the discourse and the competition, so in some ways, the Kelce/Swift relationship fodder cheapened the sport. I was tired of it and vowed not to watch Chief’s games until the media was over their obsession with this relationship. The problem was that I would miss so many games.
It wasn’t until I assisted with my kids school Sweetheart dance that I had to retract my judgement of the very talented Ms. Swift, let me explain further. The DJ had been inundated with requests for Taylor Swift all night, so he decided to wait until the last hour to play the songs. The first song came on which was Shake it Off, all of the girls ran to the floor so quickly that I was afraid that chaperone me may need to move out of the way of this very excited group of girls. The girls who hit the floor weren’t just the popular girls, the cheerleaders, or the in-crowd; it was every girl in the school who was dancing so freely on the dance floor. It is her fierce loyalty to everyone and the songs that make every young girl, no matter where they stand in life, feel seen and heard. I watched all of these girls sing her songs so loudly, not skipping a line or missing a beat. These girls see themselves in Taylor (pre-private jet and well-established real estate portfolio), the talented and beautiful girl, sometimes awkward, sometimes quirky, but always speaking from the heart.
It gives young girls hope, it gets them excited about possibility, and life is just fun for 2-3 minutes. That is why I owe Taylor an apology for not allowing myself to be open enough to see why the masses are so motivated. Watching these girls dance to your music on Saturday and cuddle up with their Dad on Sunday has been sweet to watch, and it has softened even the toughest of hearts. So I will admit when I am wrong and when I have misjudged, and as a woman, your success is inspiring. As a Mother of a daughter in a very strange world, I want to say thank you for making my daughter see how valuable she is and how much she belongs in this world. Thanks for establishing a tribe of girls who think that they are important, and they, too, could nab a football player, and even if they don’t, they will be fine. My Sundays may never be the same, but we love all of the extra company on our couch.
