Is it just me, or does it seem like the NFL’s new sideline star is less about touchdowns and more about Taylor Swift flashing a grin from the jumbotron? With the stars aligning oddly in 2025, perhaps Mercury’s in retrograde again, because Ernestine Bayless — yes, Skip Bayless’s wife — just unfurled a fiery takedown of all the Taylor-Travis Kelce hoopla stealing the spotlight from the game itself. Since Swift and Kelce kicked off their high-profile romance in 2023, the singer’s become a gridiron fixture, and Ernestine’s calling foul on how the NFL narrative’s shifted from pigskins to pop hits. She’s not just grumbling about fan attention — she’s practically begging football purists to brace themselves for “part two” of this celebrity crossover saga. And of course, Swifties have fired back, proving this love story’s got more drama than a playoff overtime. Feeling like the stars have thrown a curveball at the NFL season? You’re not alone. LEARN MORE
Skip Bayless’s wife, Ernestine Bayless, is airing her thoughts about the spotlight on Taylor Swift in the NFL due to her relationship with Kansas City Chiefs star tight end Travis Kelce.
Swift and Kelce have been dating since 2023, and the singer has since become a regular fixture on the stadium jumbotron and in NFL broadcasts.
In a video on X, Ernestine questioned the focus on Taylor Swift and her relationship, saying it is taking attention away from football.
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Ahead of the new NFL season, Skip Bayless’ wife, Ernestine, ripped into the attention surrounding Taylor Swift at games since her relationship with Travis Kelce began.
The public relations specialist shared her opinion in a nearly ten-minute video where she and her husband discussed the sport.
Skip asked Ernestine about the relationship that has dominated storylines over the last two seasons, and she responded with a rant about how Swift’s presence is taking attention away from football. Ernestine also referenced the high-profile relationship of another NFL star, Patrick Mahomes, who is married to Brittany Mahomes.
“This year I was really dreading the reemerging of Taylor Swift with Travis Kelce,” Ernestine said in the clip.
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She added, “And then we go into the [Patrick] Mahomes thing with the wife [Brittany], and it’s like, this is bigger than football. Now the focus is really on them as opposed to football. Why does this keep going?”
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Amid the conversation, Skip added that Swift is so much larger than life that she naturally becomes the center of attention at games.
His remark prompted a confirmation from Ernestine, who added that the singer has benefited from her relationship with the football star.
“It’s because she is she. She is it,” Ernerst said about Swift. “I think it’s been shrewd on her part to couple with him because it’s a great look for her to be with the tough big football player. It’s a good fit.”
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Ernestine then complained that football fans will likely have to deal with the same level of attention on Swift as last season, since the singer is expected to attend many games.
“Now she’s going to be there at every game,” the PR expert said.
She continued, “It was bad enough that I had to deal with football coming, but now I have to deal with part two, this part.”
Bayless’s wife then added that she can handle “the other stuff; this I can’t take. I’m sorry.”
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On X, Swifties quickly leaped to the defense of Swift, firing back at the outspoken Bayless with a flurry of sharp comments.
“For two people who claim to be so tired of Travis and Taylor, you sure put a lot of time and energy into talking about them,” one wrote.
“You’re tired of Taylor, but you sat down and made a nine-minute video about her,” another individual commented.
“I think old people naturally have hate in their hearts. I’m praying for the Bayless family,” a third person wrote.
“Y’all are way too old to be worrying about this, use the little time you have left for actually important sh-t,” another netizen remarked.
One more person commented, “This video is longer than the amount of screen time Taylor got in the last 2 seasons combined. Tell me who the real problem is here.”
Since Swift’s relationship with Kelce began, the NFL has seen a rise in viewership that has deeply impacted the sport.
As such, it is no surprise that the couple was mentioned in ESPN’s new docuseries The Kingdom, which follows the Chiefs’ failed attempt to win an unprecedented third consecutive Super Bowl in 2024.
This was confirmed by the team’s owner, Clark Hunt, who told People Magazine at the August 24 premiere that the project definitely gives a “fun … little peek into Travis’ relationship with Taylor.”
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“There were definitely some elements of that where there were some new things that we learned,” he added about the six part series “We all lived the experience of having her join the Chief’s Kingdom a couple of years ago, and hearing the recounting of her coming to that first game, really from her perspective, I thought was really unique.”
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