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Matt Stevens, a Tradition reporter for The New York Occasions, is unabashedly a “Swiftie.” For years, a portrait of her hung in his dwelling. In 2012, when he labored for The Los Angeles Occasions, Stevens was even chosen as a finalist in a nationwide “greatest fan” contest that drew 1000’s of purposes.
Final month Swift made a shock look at an N.F.L. sport between the Kansas Metropolis Chiefs and the Chicago Bears, cheering from a luxurious suite alongside Donna Kelce, the mom of Travis Kelce, Kansas’ All-Professional tight finish. When the decision got here to cowl the budding situationship between Swift, one in all pop music’s greatest stars, and Kelce, who has received two Tremendous Bowls, Stevens jumped on the likelihood.
“It was a collision between two of the most important forces in American media: Taylor Swift and soccer,” he stated of the next Sunday evening sport on Oct. 1 between the Chiefs and the Jets, which Swift additionally attended. “You couldn’t have written it any higher.”
Whereas Stevens delved into the breathless protection of Swift’s reactions as she watched the sport, Emmanuel Morgan, a fellow reporter, tuned into the sport at a bar with a Taylor Swift fan new to soccer.
“The problem for us was to jot down tales that not solely seize the second however add to it,” stated Morgan, who reported on the N.F.L. for the Sports activities desk up till final month, when he joined Tradition to cowl the intersection of the 2 beats.
The Occasions doesn’t usually report on the romances of celebrities, however right here was a cultural second of surprising significance: Swift’s songwriting famously pulls straight from her relationships. And the well-timed publicity enhance for each people — Swift has a brand new live performance movie popping out this week, and Kelce is within the second half of a Corridor of Fame-caliber profession — raised questions concerning the legitimacy of the connection.
In a video name, Stevens and Morgan mentioned why tens of millions of individuals are so invested within the saga. In addition they — agonizingly, on Stevens’s half — selected their favourite Swift tune. Learn the edited dialog under.
Emmanuel, how a lot do you know about Taylor Swift earlier than this story? And Matt, how a lot do you know about soccer?
MORGAN I used to be not one in all her greatest followers, however I had a respect for her, and I’ve a number of mates who’re followers.
STEVENS After I was an intern at The Los Angeles Occasions, I used to be a sports activities reporter. So I’ve actually loved writing about this story line as a result of it meshes my two favourite pursuits: Taylor Swift and soccer.
Matt, you’re a self-described superfan of Swift. Your even met her backstage at a live performance in 2015. What jumped out to you about her?
STEVENS I had written a first-person essay about my fandom for The Los Angeles Occasions, which then included a photograph of me with a cardboard cutout of Taylor. I’ll at all times bear in mind Taylor striding down the again hallway of Staples Heart, calling out to me, “Cardboard cutout!” If you hang around together with her, it looks as if she is aware of you, which is likely one of the issues her followers love. It’s also true that Taylor Swift is extraordinarily, extraordinarily tall.
Emmanuel, you lined the N.F.L. till lately. What stands out about Kelce out of your interactions with him?
MORGAN He’s one of many extra open N.F.L. gamers. He’s not going to provide you cliché quotes when he talks on the podium or at his locker after video games.
Why is The Occasions protecting this story?
STEVENS It’s arduous to disregard a second that’s as monocultural as this Swift-Kelce collision. Everyone’s speaking about it, so for us to not acknowledge it appears negligent.
MORGAN The important thing was to provide audiences the tales they needed however in a approach that went past simply, “Are they or are they not relationship?”
Do you get the impression that it’s a actual relationship?
STEVENS It actually has each publicity and public relations in thoughts. However each Taylor and Travis are well-known and doubtless don’t want it. Swift is on a break from the worldwide leg of her tour and has a film popping out this month, which was promoted twice in commercials throughout the Chiefs-Jets sport. I don’t wish to speculate about whether or not or not they’re relationship — that’s a private matter. However I do assume they’re conscious that the cross-promotion is useful.
Can the seemingly insatiable curiosity on this story maintain itself?
STEVENS Probably the most urgent second was when Taylor Swift appeared within the sky field in opposition to the Bears — everybody was stunned. Then the story carried on throughout the Sunday Night time Soccer sport, and now the air is out of the sails a bit. We all know that Taylor goes to renew her Eras tour quickly, so I’m undecided the place the story will go.
Are you planning to cowl developments of their relationship?
STEVENS There was a New York Put up report concerning the N.F.L. nudging TV stations to provide Taylor extra consideration. And so there are actually accountability items we should still wish to untangle round who’s pulling the strings, how a lot affect Taylor has, and why the N.F.L. is so serious about courting her.
MORGAN We wish to proceed a few of that longer-term reporting, however we didn’t cowl the Chiefs sport over the weekend.
Have we reached the purpose of saturation?
STEVENS In the course of the Sunday Night time Soccer sport in opposition to the Jets there was, at one level, a social media pattern in pop music round #EnoughTaylorSwift. One of many issues that I’m questioning is that if there’s an oversaturation level and if there’s going to begin to be blowback.
Ultimate query: What’s the finest Taylor Swift tune?
MORGAN “Wildest Goals.” I’m primary, although.
STEVENS After I go to a marriage and the D.J. is amenable, I at all times request “22.”
