Counter-point | The media and fans are taking Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce’s relationship too far

This column is part of a point-counterpoint series. To read the opposing side, click here.

Here’s an interesting fact about myself — I grew up about 20 minutes away from Taylor Swift’s hometown of Wyomissing, Pennsylvania. Heck, Taylor Swift and I even had the same second-grade teacher in elementary school. 

But here’s another fact about me — I don’t really like Taylor Swift. Maybe I’m mad that she left Wyomissing for the bright lights of Nashville, Tennessee. Or maybe I’m mad that she switched from country to pop music. Regardless, I never really cared for my hometown’s most famous resident. 

On top of disliking Taylor Swift, I also dislike the Kansas City Chiefs. My Pennsylvania pride compels me to root for the Eagles and the Steelers, making the Chiefs one of my least favorite teams in the NFL. 

Logically, a relationship between one of my least favorite celebrities and a player from one of my least favorite teams already makes me slightly annoyed. But my grudge against Swift’s relationship with Travis Kelce goes beyond my preconceived opinion. 

When I turn on an NFL game, I want to watch football — not the celebrities sitting in luxury suites. Yet, when I turned on Sunday night’s prime-time matchup between the Chiefs and the New York Jets, most of what I saw was a feed of Swift watching the game.

And the media’s over-coverage of the pair’s relationship extends to social media. During the game on Sunday night, ESPN — one of the largest sports media companies in the country — made five posts about Swift. ESPN covered Swift’s presence more than the actual game, as it only made three posts on Instagram about the action on the field. 

But above all else, what I dislike about the Swift-Kelce relationship is the complete invasion of privacy that the pair has dealt with. From ‘Swifties’ voicing their opinion on the relationship to the cameras constantly pointing in their direction, it seems Swift and Kelce can’t escape the spotlight. 

Now I get the irony here — I am currently voicing my opinion of the relationship. Nonetheless, I think that it’s time to get over the media frenzy and leave the pair alone. They are only human and have a right to privacy just like everyone else.