Share
21st January 2024
12:37pm GMT
Despite some eye rolls from diehard NFL fans about the hype around Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce, one father has shared that it has brought him and his 14-year-old daughter closer together.
Last year, the singer's sightings at the Kansas City Chiefs games became viral memes, with her appearance boosting sales and female viewership in the NFL.
In September, AP News reported that sales of Kelce’s number 87 jersey shot up nearly 400% after the Bad Blood singer was seen cheering him on.
Taylor's relationship with Kelce had a powerful influence that spread into the sports world across other areas too: father-daughter bonds.
Football fan and father, Kevin Van Valkenburg, took to X (formerly Twitter) to share how the popstar being at the NFL games helped boost his bond with his teenage daughter.
"I actually feel bad for the Brads, Chads and Angry Dads who spent the year complaining about Taylor Swift interrupting their football,” the girl dad wrote.
This refers to Taylor's interview for TIME, where she was named Person of the Year and shared that she had 'no awareness of if I’m being shown too much and pissing off a few dads, Brads, and Chads’.
Kevin adds that "I spent the season trading Swift/Kelce memes with my 14-year-old daughter (who previously didn't care about football) and now it's like a fun thing we share?
"Which is freaking awesome? (Also she loves that I met Jason once.)”
I actually feel bad for the Brads, Chads and Angry Dads who spent the year complaining about Taylor Swift interrupting their football because I spent the season trading Swift/Kelce memes with my 14-year-old daughter (who previously didn't care about football) and now it's like a… https://t.co/re4UHwvKE2
— Kevin Van Valkenburg (@KVanValkenburg) January 17, 2024
Kevin, who formerly covered the NFL and ESPN, also shared with Vogue that his daughter, Molly, never quite got the hype around the NFL until the All Too Well singer started showing interest.
He adds that he himself has even begun sharing his daughter's musical interests.
"My girl’s growing up, and this person speaks to her … of course I should listen to this music, because it’s a way for me to understand my own kid better," he admitted to the magazine.
“I like being a girl dad a lot, and I like talking to them about stuff that’s a crossover between our worlds,” he added.
Explore more on these topics:
