Travis Kelce has really been making headlines over the past several months, mostly due to his high-profile relationship with Taylor Swift. More recently though, the record-breaking Kansas City Chiefs tight end has embroiled in a bit of a cultural controversy. Kelce has gone viral due to his usual haircut – a low skin fade. Apparently, that look has risen in popularity as of late, though many, particularly African American commentators, took offense when an article referred to the style as “the Travis Kelce.” After truly being roped into the discussion via the news story amid Black History Month, Kelce himself responded – as did Shannon Sharpe.
What Is The Controversy Surrounding Travis Kelce’s Haircut?
The 34-year-old NFL veteran gets his hair trimmed by Patrick Regan, who archives the cuts that he gives clients by sharing photos and videos on social media. Amid the general buzz surrounding Travis Kelce, his skin fade has seemingly become a fan favorite. A few notable news outlets have taken notice of this and have written pieces about them. However, the stories seem to convey the notion that the two-time Super Bowl winner invented this kind of fade.
In actuality, low fades and/or skin fades have been sported by African Americans for decades and are essentially a mainstay in the culture. It’s for that reason that a number of people were disappointed in the sentiments shared in the articles. Media pundit Jemele Hill was among one of the notable figures to speak out on the matter. On X, she shared screenshots of two headlines from news outlets, with one story being about the haircut and one about how the Chiefs celebrate games by playing “Swag Surfin.” (The song was dropped by Fast Life Yungstaz in 2009 and was a hit.) Hill’s post also included the following statement:
The NYT thinks that Travis Kelce invented the fade 🤦🏾♀️ When you have zero cultural competency on your staff, this is how you end up with stories like this, and explaining swag surfin,’ which is at least 15 or years old.
What the seasoned journalist is saying is that a lack of cultural understanding is what leads to such articles. And, as some have mentioned on social media, the optics of this situation are not good, considering we’re in the midst of Black History Month. So, considering all of this, it was probably just a matter of time before the Super Bowl winner himself chimed in on the controversy surrounding his ‘do.
How Did Travis Kelce And Shannon Sharpe Respond To The Debate?
Travis Kelce and his team are currently preparing for their face off with the San Francisco 49ers in Super Bowl LVII. In the lead-up to the big game, he participated in a press conference that was partially captured by ESPN on TikTok. During the press event, he was asked about the media coverage of his cut Kelce ultimately shut down the way in which some have seemingly suggested he originated the fade:
It’s absolutely ridiculous, and to do it on February 1st to throw me to the wolves like that, that was messed up, man. I don’t want anything to do with that one, man.
The Taylor Swift press (which the Kelce family has feelings about) is wild enough on its own. However, it seems the Pro-Bowler wants nothing to do with the haircut controversy. Another person who appears to be over the situation is sportscaster and former NFL player Shannon Sharpe, who – along with Chad Johnson – responded during a segment of Nightcap. Needless to say, the two were confused as to how the haircut could be attributed to Kelce. Check out the segment in the Instagram clip below:
Shannon Sharpe – who recently became SNL famous due to his Katt Williams interview – has never been one to mince words, and he doesn’t do that here. Travis Kelce also responded in the comments of the post above, saying that “these headlines are wild… the fade has been around long before my life even began.” Honestly, this whole situation plays into a larger discussion about cultural appropriation, which has persisted for some time now. As for how that conversation continues to evolve, we’ll have to wait and see. But, for now, when it comes to this haircut craze, Kelce and many others are not buying in.
You can check out the star athlete when he takes to the field for Super Bowl LVII, which airs on Sunday, February 11 at 6:30 p.m. ET on CBS as part of the 2024 TV schedule. Anyone with a Paramount+ subscription can also stream the game.
