JACKIE MARQUEZ / OPINION EDITOR

The Kansas City Chiefs will play the San Francisco 49’ers in Super Bowl LVIII on Sunday Feb. 11. This match-up has sparked controversy among football fans, with some fans going as far as to call the game “rigged.” However, there’s an unlikely target for football fervor this season: Taylor Swift. 

In case you’ve been living under a rock, pop superstar Taylor Swift is dating Travis Kelce, a tight end for the Kansas City Chiefs. According to Today, Swift has attended 12 Chiefs’ games in the time that the couple has been together. At each of those games, the singer-songwriter has captured the camera’s attention; given Swift’s massive following, it isn’t surprising that she’s appeared on jumbotrons and broadcasts alike. What’s surprising is  the  backlash she is receiving  for  her  appearances. 

Now, I’m not a huge fan of Taylor Swift; valid critiques can be made about her carbon emissions, white feminism and fake country accent. However, the negativity surrounding her in the football world is unnecessary, as well as reflective of a bigger issue that’s not her fault. 

Just last week after the Chiefs’ defeated the Baltimore Ravens, Barstool Sports posted a video showing a Ravens fan yelling at the singer. 

“Hey Taylor, you’re ruining football,” one fan screams as others join in. 

Other fans have echoed similar sentiments on social media, with one common complaint being that they just want to watch football, not Taylor Swift. While I understand not wanting the game to be interrupted, a quick pan to Swift cheering in a box seat does not distract from the game. 

While it may not seem like it to Swift’s critics, the singer is actually   shown   very little during games. According to The New York Times, she is only shown for an average of 25 seconds during broadcasts. Considering that most football games run longer than three hours, and that her presence is really only noted at Chiefs games, 25 seconds isn’t very much screen time. Step away for a snack and you could miss her entirely. 

It also isn’t uncommon for broadcasts to show celebrities in the crowd. Historically, football broadcasts have always shown more than just football. Not only have  they shown fans in the stands, they’ve also shown male celebrities, cheerleaders on the  sidelines, advertisements during breaks and halftime shows. With all these shots, you watch more non-football  content than actual gameplay during a broadcast. 

According to ABC News, the average football game is just over three  hours, yet the camera only shows about 18 minutes of action. So, unless fans complain every time the camera pans to the crowd or other celebrities, the reasoning for this backlash toward Swift just doesn’t stand. 

If this  incredibly brief screen time is still too much for you, consider  who  is truly responsible for putting Swift onscreen. Last I checked, Taylor isn’t manning  any  of the cameras, the producers and media crews employed by the NFL are. So, why would the NFL devote screen time to her? A better question is why wouldn’t they?  

Taylor Swift is obviously very popular with women, and her presence at games has turned some of her fans’ attention toward the sport. Front Office Sports reports that Swift has generated a brand value of nearly $331.5 million for the Chiefs and the NFL since she began attending Chiefs games. So, by exploiting Swift’s presence at games, the NFL is able to appeal to a usually underrepresented audience in the realm of sports (women), and make more money. 

To put it simply, Taylor Swift isn’t distracting  from the game or taking up a large amount of screentime. She simply exists in the box of a stadium, and the NFL draws attention to her. In doing this, the NFL also captures the attention of her fans, prompting Swifties to tune into  Chiefs games. This makes the NFL extra money, benefitting football as a whole. The game itself isn’t any different. All that’s really changed is now more women are watching football and more fans are forced to remember that Taylor Swift exists. 

In my opinion, the controversy  is indicative of how a certain subsection of sports fans view women. Historically, the football industry has been male-dominated. With all male players and a majority of pundits and commentators being male, space has not been made for women on or off the field. As such, football  has come to be viewed as a kind of “man cave” that’s under invasion.

So, if the presence of Taylor Swift is ruining football for you, you must not have liked the sport very much to begin with, or  maybe you’re just really uncomfortable with women existing in the world of sports. Either way, it is ridiculous to blame Taylor    Swift  for  the NFL’s  attention   on her. If anyone is to blame, it’s our culture’s capitalistic values; without our emphasis on consumerism and celebrity culture, the NFL wouldn’t choose to cut to Taylor Swift just to make   money. So, if you’re truly  bothered by the sight of Taylor at a Chiefs game ask yourself  why, or  just “shake it off.”

Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce on the field celebrating the Chiefs’ AFC championship win. Photo courtesy of @billboard/Instagram