"No one wants to upset Taylor Swift" - Ex-MLB executive claims Travis Kelce's relationship with music icon saved NFL star after Super Bowl outburst
Outspoken former MLB executive David Samson critricized the NFL after letting Kansas City Chiefs get away with a fine and a possible suspension. This was in reference to Travis Kelce berating head coach Andy Reid during Super Bowl LVII.
In the second quarter of the footballing extravaganza, the superstar tight end was seen shouting at his coach and even bumped him. Causing the skipper to lose his balance a bit.
The outburst by Kelce was attributed to him not being in the snap near the goal line. A score would have put the Chiefs ahead had running back Isiah Pacheco not fumbled the ball to the 49ers.
"Travis Kelce looked less than enthused" -@NFLonCBS
This incident drew the ire of former MLB executive of the Miami Marlins and Montreal Expos, David Samson. On the "Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz" podcast, the former Marlins' president expressed frustration about Kelce's actions. He also stated that he got a free pass due to him being in a relationship with pop superstar Taylor Swift.
"But I believe that CBS and I believe the Chiefs gave him an out because of Travis Kelce, because of Taylor Swift, and they didn't want to ruffle any feathers and I would have benched him...One series," the former MLB executive noted. "It's not as though Kelce's not being treated differently already with all of the ridiculousness around Taylor Swift," he added.
Samson cited the benching of his Miami Marlins All-Star catcher Pudge Rodriguez in 2003 due to similar attitude issues as an example in the podcast.
The altercation between Reid and Kelce, however, was downplayed by the head coach after the game. He told the press that he understood the competitive spirit of the tight end. Meanwhile, Kelce admitted on his brother Jason's podcast that what he did was unacceptable and personally apologized to his coach during halftime.
MLB exec's several lawsuits
David Samson is no stranger to the spotlight as he was in the middle of two lawsuits concerning his two previous teams he held executive positions for.
In 2002, Samson, along with MLB Commissioner Bud Selig, MLB Chief Operating Office Bob DuPuy, and Montreal Expos owner Jeffrey Loria were embroiled in a legal battle. The case alleged the parties were conspiring to move the Expos franchise back to the United States. It was later dismissed in 2004, citing there were no fraudulent activities in the relocation of the Expos.
The, in 2008, Samson was again involved with a lawsuit. This time concerning the new Miami Marlins ballpark. The complaint was lodged by businessman Norman Braman after suspicion of illegal use of taxpayer money. The suit was eventually rejected by the court. However, this delayed the construction and opening of the ballpark.