The Kansas City Chiefs are by far one of the most popular teams in the NFL. Of course, the fact that they are the back-to-back Super Bowl Champions has helped them gain more notoriety. Having high-profile stars like quarterback Patrick Mahomes and tight end Travis Kelce doesn’t hurt either.
However, it is the aforementioned Kelce’s relationship with 14-time Grammy Award winner Taylor Swift that has turned the Chiefs into a somewhat global phenomenon. While the NFL has been working hard on expanding its brand with regular season games played in London, England and other European cities (and in Brazil this year), the Chiefs are now the favorite team of Taylor Swift fans everywhere, from Japan to Australia to Argentina.
So much attention can be difficult for a player and/or a team to manage, and head coach Andy Reid was recently asked about his thoughts on his team’s new international image and popularity.
Kansas City Chiefs Head Coach Reveals How Travis Kelce, Team, Have Responded to Attention That Comes with Taylor Swift
Coach Reid was recently a guest on the Scoop City podcast, which is hosted by Dianna Russini and Chase Daniel of The Athletic. During their interview, Russini asked Reid to share his thoughts on how Kelce has handled the increased exposure he has thanks to his relationship with Swift.
“Well, I think it’s great for [Travis],” Reid said. “He can handle it. As a matter of fact, I think he loves it to a point. I think it’s a great escape for him.
“And I said that about Taylor, too. I mean, she comes to the games, kind of an escape from having to be the show and Travis can do that. And when he goes to her concerts, she’s the star and he can be hanging out there and be the support and the water boy.”
Kansas City Chiefs Head Coach Andy Reid Reveals How He Keeps His Team Grounded Despite Success
Russini then asked Reid what he thought of increased attention his team was receiving as a result of the Kelce-Swift relationship and how he handled it with the team.
“I think it depends on the people involved. She gets all that and he’s kind of grown into it. I mean, that podcast of theirs [New Heights, which Travis hosts with his brother, Jason Kelce] is ridiculous, so he’s got a lot of notoriety for that. And he’s an outgoing guy… so he can handle it.
“I’m okay [with the players being “Hollywood]… as long as the guys are ready to go. Training camp is kind of the proving ground. If you’re not ready to go, it’s going to be obvious quickly. You’re going to find out who’s in and who’s not in.”
Reid went on to say that he encourages the players not to focus on being Super Bowl Champions. Instead, he encourages them to get through the moment that are currently in.
No other outside noise will matter if they stay in the moment.
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