I am so tired of Travis Kelce. We can’t escape him, especially since he is a talented football player and is dating one of the most famous women in the 21st century, Taylor Swift.
As many know, Kelce’s team, the Kansas City Chiefs, will be battling it out with the Philadelphia Eagles this Sunday at the Super Bowl.
Games like these bring so many people together, which includes random crossovers and unexpected celebrity appearances. Plus, a bombshell half-time performance from recent Grammy winner Kendrick Lamar. The attendance has to be the most star-studded NOLA has ever seen.
But at this time, the last thing we need is men like Kelce trying to tackle politics. Professional athletes need to know the importance of their influence and how that could affect their reputations and even younger fans.
Kelce said, “It’s a great honor I think, no matter who the president is,” when asked about President Donald Trump’s attendance at the game.
Nowadays, it is the responsibility of these athletes to share their voices and opinions as their viewers and the media crave it. They want to know what these star-studded players think about, who they’re following and what they believe in.
I can only imagine the amount of training and prep that goes into their practices and press conferences. They’re tired from practice, and they’re tired from the press. And who knows what they might be feeling? I can empathize with the fact that they might have off days or be a little out of the loop at times.
However, it’s disappointing because Kelce most likely did not intend to push this malicious narrative. I’m especially disappointed because it says plenty about his morals. If you could imagine being “honored” by the attendance of someone who abuses his power and uses it against the people you love, especially women, that’s unjustifiable.
Trump was asked in a press interview if he planned on visiting the site of the tragic plane crash that happened earlier this year. He responded with the most disgusting comment ever.
“You want me to go swimming?” Trump said.
Trump wants people to know he doesn’t care about the community or the people in the U.S., and it’s blatant. If I were ever asked about such a serious topic, I’d use my platform and spread awareness; instead, he uses it for his own agenda and biases.
New Orleans is a city that represents so much diversity and inclusivity. To be visited by Trump is just disrespectful and takes away from the culture.
The cherry on top is that the NFL used to have the statement “end racism” on the field at the Super Bowl but has since decided to swap that out for “choose love” at the peak of diversification within our country.
It is also significant that this decision was made after Trump’s attendance was announced, also, following the order he made to target diversity, equity and inclusion. Making this change during Black History Month and around the heated time of all major corporations eliminating their efforts to include diversity is appalling.
What I will not and cannot let slide is the blatant ignorance of Kelce’s response when asked about Donald Trump’s attendance at Sunday’s Super Bowl.
You’d have to be living under a rock to avoid the chaos Trump has caused since taking office, alongside wanting to be the first president to attend a Super Bowl game. He most recently made the executive decision to “take over” Gaza, so I don’t understand how Kelce would think that his presence would be an honor.
Jalen Hurts, quarterback for the Eagles, was asked the exact same question, and his response was short but didn’t necessarily express any loathing or gratitude toward the sitting president.
In essence, Kelce’s comment is a perfect example of abusing your platform just because you can. I won’t even try to give him the benefit of the doubt because Trump has made his ideas abundantly clear during the very short time he’s spent in office, which is the opposite of what Swift supposedly stands for.
Swift publically endorsed Kamala Harris during the election. So, one has to wonder how she feels on the matter. Regardless, Kelce’s influence has grown immensely in such a short amount of time, and so many younger people look up to him and Swift. Kelces’ nonchalance is dangerous, and the Chiefs fans should hope he hasn’t jinxed their winning streak. For me, however, the Eagles have gained a fan for life.
Blair Bernard is a 21-year-old theater performance major from Lafayette, La.
