Mad Dog Russo calls out CBS for excessive Taylor Swift coverage in Travis Kelce’s Super Bowl 58 win
Taylor Swift was one of the biggest storylines in the NFL this season, whether fans like it or not. Ever since she began a relationship with Travis Kelce and started attending Kansas City Chiefs games, she became a major headline around the NFL. She has also been a focal point of television broadcasts, getting plenty of screen time for the games she attended.
Apparently Mad Dog Russo grew tired of the excessive Taylor Swift coverage, despite his admitted admiration for her relationship with Travis Kelce. He discussed this situation during a recent episode of First Take in the aftermath of Super Bowl 58.
Russo explained:
“In the AFC Championship Game, she was on for 38 seconds, all right, that sounds like not that big of a deal. This past week she was on an overtime game for 55 seconds. All right, doesn't sound that bad. ... They went to that box 12 times. 12 times and he only caught one ball in the first half. I’m not interested.
"I understand she's a huge, huge star. And I love the relationship. I swear to God, I love the relationship on the field, its legit and everything else… but it is a football game."
Russo added:
"Now you know why fans get annoyed in Buffalo and Baltimore where they think it's a conspiracy, ‘They want the Chiefs to win, so they get all the calls, because they want to capitalize on Taylor Swift.’ Now that's a nonsensical thought for fans. ... Think that way 12 times, that's three to four times a quarter for crying out loud.”
While a minute of screen time in a four-hour game may not sound like a lot, it far exceeds any other non-participant in the game. CBS made a conscious effort to get her on the broadcast, as became a trend when she was in attendance. It actually proved to be a smart strategy for CBS' ratings.
While conspiracy theorists will claim that Taylor Swift's presence will convince the NFL to help the Chiefs win and continue getting massive ratings, that is unlikely to be the reality. They have already won three Super Bowl rings in four appearances over the past five years. She was only around for this one, in their second victory against the San Francisco 49ers in the big game.
What is the Chiefs' record with Taylor Swift?
Travis Kelce and Taylor Swift went public with their relationship around the middle of the 2023 NFL season. She became a regular at their games from that point forward, attending whenever possible, both at home and on the road. The Kansas City Chiefs found plenty of success when she was in attendance, but given their dominance since Patrick Mahomes arrived, that shouldn't come as a surprise.
Swift was reportedly in attendance for 13 Chiefs games this season, including all four of their games during the NFL Playoffs. The team posted an excellent 10-3 record in those games on their way to yet another Vince Lombardi trophy.