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Taylor Swift is not holding back when it comes to poking fun at "male sports fans."
The 35-year-old Grammy winner playfully targeted the group during a preview of her appearance on boyfriend Travis Kelce's New Heights podcast, which he co-hosts with his brother Jason Kelce. In the teaser, Swift made a tongue-in-cheek remark to the podcast's audience, saying, "As we all know, you guys have a lot of male sports fans that listen to your podcast. I think we all know that if there's one thing that male sports fans want to see in their spaces and on their screens, it's more of me."
Her joke comes in response to criticism from some football fans who felt she was shown too often on screen during NFL games. This attention led the league to comment publicly last October, telling PEOPLE that featuring Swift was part of their normal strategy. The NFL explained that her presence had generated "an incredible amount of positivity around the sport" and that the majority of its content remained focused on the game, players, and other initiatives.
The Athletic surveyed NFL players about Swift's game appearances, with most agreeing that the attention and coverage surrounding her had been positive for the league. However, one anonymous player pointed out that in the season-opener video, Swift appeared five times while the team's quarterback was not shown at all, calling it unfair since she is not an NFL player. He added that while she attracted attention to the game, the league was "using her face" too much in broadcasts, estimating that she is shown six or seven times during a game, which could frustrate some viewers.
The criticism has not stopped Swift from supporting her Kansas City Chiefs star boyfriend. Kelce told GQ that he enjoys being the "plus one" at her events and feels the same excitement when she attends his games. He said it is "so cool" to experience her cheering him on in the same way he supports her performances.
The couple has been frequently seen at each other's events, with Kelce making appearances backstage and even on stage during Swift's Eras Tour, and Swift enthusiastically supporting him during NFL games. Kelce joked that he may have turned her into a football fan, noting that she now understands injury reports, special plays, and game situations simply because she loves hearing about his job.
