Taylor Swift is no stranger to attention, in fact, I assume she’s very used to it. However, some elements can’t be easy. That includes getting mobbed by fans while out to eat, and most recently, being booed at the Super Bowl. Now, after that instance went viral, Saquon Barkley, a running back who played for the Philadelphia Eagles opposite Travis Kelce’s Kansas City Chiefs in Sunday's game, opened up about why there was no reason for that to happen.
As Taylor Swift’s boyfriend, Travis Kelce, and the Chiefs took on the Eagles during the Super Bowl, many spectators decided to boo the pop star when she showed up on the jumbotron. She seemed confused by this reaction, I was confused by it too, and so was Saquon Barkley, as he explained on The Howard Stern Show:
I remember that they showed [Taylor Swift] on the jumbotron and she got booed. I don’t get it. I don’t get why she was getting hate there. She’s there supporting her significant other and she’s made the game bigger … I don’t get the slack that she’s getting.
This came after Barkley was asked about the many rumors regarding Kelce possibly proposing to Swift. Rather than answering that question (via ESPN), he spoke about this odd response many had to her being at the game. He noted that she’s helped expand the NFL’s viewership and he overall does not understand why people think that’s a bad thing:
We're trying to expand the game, and her being a part of it is only helping it. I don't get the dislike she's getting.
Notably, the boos seemingly came from Eagles fans for the most part, ESPN noted, since Swift roots for Kelce and the Chiefs. Overall, this situation is reminiscent of when the "Bad Blood" singer first started going to her boyfriend’s games. There was a lot of talk about whether the NFL was “overdoing” its coverage of the pop star, and there was a bunch of criticism surrounding her, even though her presence has helped grow both the Chiefs’ and NFL’s fan bases – which Barkley alluded to with his answer.
Overall, it was a bit surprising that the player shared a take on this whole situation. I mean, he played for the opposing and winning team. However, he also plays for the same organization Jason Kelce – Travis’ brother – played for, and it’s clear that he generally respects Swift. No matter where your allegiances lie, booing her for no real reason doesn’t make much sense, and Barkley’s take on all this highlights that.
During the last week, there’s been a lot of talk about Swift and the Super Bowl. From reports about why Blake Lively wasn’t with her to speculation about whether she’d perform during halftime, the attention was intense and all over the place. A lot of eyes are on her all the time, and with that comes scrutiny that doesn’t have a lot of meaning behind it. As Saquon Barkley said, it wasn’t like she was doing anything, she was just there to support her boyfriend and watch football.
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