To the editor:
I’m not a Swiftie. I don’t care for Taylor Swift’s music. But, I wholeheartedly admire everything she’s accomplished, and how she serves as such a positive role model for the young women of today.
However, I believe her choice to not speak out against her football play boyfriend’s shocking outburst at last Sunday’s Superbowl is both setting a poor example for her fans, and preventing her from taking part in what could be a very teachable moment.
When Travis Kelce attacked Coach Andy Reid during the Superbowl what I clearly saw was a hot headed bully physically and verbally assaulting an innocent man.
But, in the eyes of some people, this same incident was downplayed as nothing more that an emotional knee jerk reaction that should be categorized as merely a case of “boys just being boys.”
When I shared my thoughts on Kelce’s actions on social media, one man responded, “Calm Down Karen! It’s Only A Football Game!”
Even more disturbing was that the majority of Kelce’s supporters on social media were young woman who are fans of Swifts. Instead of being disturbed by his bad behavior, they were defending him and posting comments like, “He’s not dangerous. He’s just passionate about football!” “Just because Kelce lost his temper doesn’t mean he has anger issues!” and “He might have shoved his coach but he would never hurt Taylor!”
Whereas Kelce should have been sidelined for his dangerous, childish, behavior, he was instead given a “bro pass” and the assault got labeled as nothing more than a football lovers spat.
Afterwards, Kelce released a statement in which shared how much he loved and respected the man he assaulted. But, at no point did he find it necessary to take responsibility, or apologize, for his actions.
To me, that response speaks volumes about who Travis Kelce really is, and why he’s clearly not good boyfriend-or husband-material.
Since this incident played out on such a global stage, I feel Swift owes it to her fans to speak out, and share her thoughts on what happened. I would hope that she would say something like, “I’m not making any excuses for Travis. The way he behaved was unacceptable, and I don’t condone violence in any way shape or form.”
I feel Swift speaking out would also be a big comfort to all the parents of kids in school sports who idolize Kelce. A statement from her condemning her boyfriend’s actions could help them reinforce why the way their kid’s hero behaved on the football field was so unacceptable.
So far, she hasn’t released any kind of a response regarding the incident-which I think is a major misstep on her part. Because, whether she realizes it or not, her not speaking out could be sending the message to her fans that it’s ok to allow a partner’s bad behavior to go unacknowledged.
Over the years, I’ve known several women who found themselves in abusive relationships that all started out like fairy tales. Then, one day their partner didn’t get their way in a situation, and they responded by getting loud and aggressive—just like Kelce did during the Superbowl.
While it’s not my place to say whether Swift and Kelce are in an abusive relationship, you have to admit some eerie red flags have been popping up in their romance lately. And, since this incident isn’t the first time Kelce has made headlines for throwing temper tantrums on the football field, I have a feeling Swift is going to have to address this matter sooner or later.
Therefore, I would love to Swift seize the moment and address her boyfriend’s outburst before the NFL totally sweeps the incident under the rug.
I sincerely hope that Swift doesn’t let her chance to take part in this teachable moment pass her by. But, the really sad part is, knowing how the NFL has enabled players with serious anger issues in the past—remember Ray Rice?—something tells me this won’t be her one and only chance to speak out on this same issue.
Tracey A. Maine
Albany, Ohio
