Rich Eisen decries ‘toxic masculinity’ about Taylor Swift being at Chiefs games

In the days leading up to Saturday’s AFC Wild Card game at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium, there were more stories about the world’s most famous Chiefs fan.

Former Packers quarterback Brett Favre told TMZ that singer Taylor Swift would be blamed if the Chiefs won’t make the Super Bowl. And ex-Colts coach Tony Dungy was asked in a Fox News interview what he thought of the Taylor Swift effect on the NFL.

“That’s the thing that’s disenchanting people with sports now,” Dungy said. “There’s so much on the outside coming in. Entertainment value and different things that’s taking away from what really happens on the field.”

Dungy’s comments were nothing new. Swift has been called Yoko Ono and blamed whenever the Chiefs lost or her boyfriend, tight end Travis Kelce, struggled.

Some fans were unhappy Saturday when TV cameras caught Swift giving “high-fours” to Chiefs fans during the Dolphins-Chiefs playoff game and then joining in the “Swag surfin’” celebration.

NFL Network host Rich Eisen decried the continued criticism being leveled at Swift.

“We showed a photograph of Taylor Swift,” he said Monday on “The Rich Eisen Show” while talking about the Chiefs. “I can’t believe I have to say this. I’m just gonna say it. I tweeted it out. And this isn’t virtue signaling or anything stupid like that.

“What is the matter with people? The toxic masculinity that shows up in my Twitter timeline, my X timeline, because she’s having fun at a football game. I honestly don’t understand it.”

Co-host T.J. Jefferson said it was because people didn’t want cameras to pan to Swift six times a game.

But Chris Brockman, a fellow co-host, asked if that was really worse than six more shots of Andy Reid’s frozen mustache.

“People are there for the football,” Jefferson said.

Eisen defended Swift.

“She’s literally one of the most famous people on planet Earth at a football game, seemingly enjoying herself,” Eisen said. “She’s never going to be anonymous the rest of her life. What is she supposed to do? Just sit there in a corner and not support her boyfriend? If they keep showing shots of her, I understand like, let’s see her after Kelce drops a pass, really? I mean, what’s the big deal?

“As a matter of fact, this is the greatest thing ever. There’s a whole bunch of people that normally don’t watch football games that are watching just to see her on the screen. Put her up there. So what? So you’re like, ‘Oh, I gotta be bothered. I gotta be what, zeroed in on the the zero coverage. I gotta know more about the two-deep safeties. Like you’re taking away my football enjoyment just by showing a shot of her.’ I don’t understand it.”

Eisen, who called the Chiefs-Dolphins regular-season game in Germany, noted that during the Packers’ blowout win over the Cowboys, viewers saw multiple shots of Dallas owner Jerry Jones.

“I don’t get it. It’s just like, what is it about her? And blaming her for any of the issues for Kelce or the team,” Eisen said. “It’s just like, get over yourselves. Like it’s saying more about you than it is about her.

“And I’m not looking for free tickets.”

Here is Eisen on Swift being at Chiefs games.