Time magazine’s “Person of the Year” makes it clear: Football is awesome
Taylor Swift just confirmed something that everyone reading this likely already believed.
Football is awesome.
The global icon was just named Time magazine’s Person of the Year for 2023, and with good reason. The stunning phenomenon that is “The Eras Tour” thrilled fans from coast-to-coast, and is now entering its overseas portion. The success of her sixth concert tour reached such levels that it was turned into a movie, that saw theaters sold out and filled with singing and dancing Swifties.
Including one fourth grader near and dear to my heart, but I digress …
In fact, her tour has even spawned studies of how she might have contributed to the global economy, and economic growth. As noted in Time:
Swift’s arrival in a city energized the local economy. When Eras kicked off in Glendale, Ariz., she generated more revenue for its businesses than the 2023 Super Bowl, which was held in the same stadium. Fans flew across the country, stayed in hotels, ate meals out, and splurged on everything from sweatshirts to limited-edition vinyl, with the average Eras attendee reportedly spending nearly $1,300. Swift sees the expense and effort incurred by fans as something she needs to repay: “They had to work really hard to get the tickets,” she says. “I wanted to play a show that was longer than they ever thought it would be, because that makes me feel good leaving the stadium.” The “Taylor effect” was noticed at the highest levels of government. “When the Federal Reserve mentions you as the reason economic growth is up, that’s a big deal,” says Ed Tiryakian, a finance professor at Duke University.
Of course, there was another reason Swift was in the news this year, and particularly on Sundays this fall. Her budding relationship with Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce. From the moment the global icon first appeared at a Chiefs game this season, their relationship has been fodder not just for the tabloids, but now NFL pre-game shows.
In the article naming her Person of the Year, Swift opened up about their relationship — noting that her first appearance at a Chiefs game was not a “hard launch” — and her newfound love of football.
“Football is awesome, it turns out,” Swift tells Time. “I’ve been missing out my whole life.”
And let’s be clear about something: She went to see the Chiefs play against the Chicago Bears, and the Zach Wilson-led New York Jets. When you can watch those two teams play this year, and walk away believing football is awesome, it speaks volumes about the sport.
The icon also dropped this epic quote:
“I’m just there to support Travis,” she said to Time. “I have no awareness of if I’m being shown too much and pissing off a few dads, Brads, and Chads.”
Almost sounds like a song lyric …
