Fans in New Orleans booed Taylor Swift on Sunday as she supported her boyfriend, Travis Kelce of the Kansas City Chiefs.
Philadelphia running back Saquon Barkley spoke out on Wednesday, urging fans to calm down and stop booing Taylor Swift for simply supporting her boyfriend, Travis Kelce, during the Super Bowl.
Taylor Swift, who was in the stands cheering on Kelce, the Kansas City Chiefs tight end, was met with boos when the Superdome scoreboard showed her in the crowd. Barkley, appearing on “The Howard Stern Show,” was clearly taken aback by the incident.
“I don’t understand why she was getting hate,” Barkley said. “She’s just there supporting her significant other.” He went on to emphasize how Swift’s presence is helping to grow the game of football, particularly its international appeal. “She’s made the game bigger,” Barkley added, highlighting how Swift’s involvement in the sport brings more attention to the NFL. “We’re all about expanding the game and making it more international, and her being a part of this only helps.”
Stern also voiced his disagreement with the boos, stating he didn’t like the treatment of Swift. Meanwhile, Philadelphia fans were in high spirits after watching their Eagles dominate the Chiefs 40-22, ending the Chiefs’ run as two-time defending Super Bowl champions.
Kansas City had been aiming to become the first team ever to win three consecutive Super Bowls, but the Philadelphia Eagles stopped them in their tracks with a big win.
The victory made Eagles players like Saquon Barkley and Jalen Hurts popular figures on the talk show circuit this week. Both were guests onThe Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallonon Tuesday, where Jimmy showed them a video of New York Giants management talking about Barkley leaving the team as a free agent to join Philadelphia.
Barkley could have used the moment to make fun of his former team, but instead, he chose to stay respectful. “That clip doesn’t really show the kind of relationship I have with the organization, from top to bottom,
” Barkley said. “They’re the people who brought me in. After the game, a lot of guys from the Giants reached out to me and were really happy to see me holding that Lombardi Trophy.”
Although Barkley enjoyed his six seasons with the Giants, he made it clear he is focused on his future with the Eagles. “That clip is in the past, and I’m happy to be an Eagle,” Barkley said. He compared his situation to Hall of Fame running back Marshall Faulk, who played for the Colts but is remembered for his time with the Rams. “Now, I’m just trying to be remembered as an Eagle,” he added.