Needless to say, the president is eagerly anticipating the upcoming Super Bowl. Donald Trump, the reigning President, is predicted to grace the Super Bowl in New Orleans on Sunday. This will be a historic moment as it marks the first time that an incumbent president will be spectating the colossal event. He couldn’t have picked a better game as it features a gripping clash with the Kansas City Chiefs, who are set to potentially secure their third Lombardi Trophy in succession.
Opposing these aspirants are the Philadelphia Eagles, entering the Super Bowl for the third time over the course of seven seasons. This ascent is stirring a sense of deja vu, calling back to the Super Bowl two years ago, where Kansas City triumphed with a close scoreline of 38-35.
Trump managed to deliver a swift assessment of the match, throwing accolades towards ‘two phenomenal quarterbacks’, a nod to Patrick Mahomes and Jalen Hurts despite the underlying implications. Then, perhaps in a field-day attempt, an ‘extraordinary running back’ was praised, presumably referring to Saquon Barkley. The ‘stellar coaching’ from Andy Reid and Nick Sirianni didn’t escape his notice either.
Despite the generalized praise, Trump seems to have a favored player; Travis Kelce. The long-serving Chiefs player was implicitely rated by Trump as the ‘unparalleled tight end of football (forever)’, although without specifically noting his name. Celebrating him as such, within a span of few hours after Antonio Gates was elected into the Hall of Fame, certainly implies a significant hierarchy in Trump’s eyes.
Yet, this acclamation and elevation of Kelce puts him in an interesting position, seemingly ranked above Tony Gonzalez, Rob Gronkowski, and Jason Witten, to name but a few. But, one must consider the fact that, despite Trump’s praise, Kelce’s significant other, the renowned pop idol Taylor Swift, had famously endorsed Kamala Harris during the election cycle of last year.
Swift’s backing did not just stop with Kamala Harris. She also openly endorsed Joe Biden during the intensively followed 2020 election race, contending against Trump. The endorsement could naturally elicit questions about a potential end to the apparent friendship between Britney Mahomes and Swift. However, such conjectures have remained mere speculations, with no concrete evidence supporting this claim.
On a final note, Kelce himself doesn’t seem to be one to wear his political allegiance on his sleeve. His views stay mostly private, not gaining much public attention. Nevertheless, his stellar career and notable contributions to NFL are aspects that even the most cursory observer could hardly miss.
Among tight ends, he ranks third for the most receptions (1,004) in the history of NFL, a testament to his determination and resilience. Furthermore, his ability to accumulate an astounding yardcount (12,151, to be precise) sets him high on the scales of football quantification and only adds to the speculation about the president’s preferential attribution.
With a career that also boasts a commendable 77 touch downs, these statistics surely place him within the top five tight ends across NFL history. It’s only rational to conclude that a player of his caliber would navigate through the harsh scrutiny of public figures and politicians and still thrive in the game.
Our take on the president’s comment, meanwhile, is that it seems more fueled by personal preferences or sentiments, rather than any actual analytic approach to Kelce’s position in the NFL. It’s an example of how politics can intertwined with sports, sometimes in unexpected ways. While endorsements or preferences cannot sway the course of a game, they do generate chatter and controversy.
Even though Taylor Swift’s political choices appear to contrast those of Trump, it does not, in the final analysis, impact the emphatic contributions of Kelce to the game of football. Despite differing political alliances, and various controversies encompassing both individual choices and widespread events, at the end of the day, talent and skill hold strong.