Good morning, I’m Tyler Lauletta, filling in for your usual host, Dan Gartland. He owns his entire discography outright.
In today’s SI:AM:
It’s a Love Story, Baby, Just Say, “Yes”
So it really happened: Travis Kelce and Taylor Swift announced their engagement in a shared Instagram post. I guess after being a guest on your boyfriend’s podcast, the only possible way to take the relationship to the next step is marriage.
First off, totally get it if it’s not your thing. While I think detractors who cried that Swift was shown too much on TV need to get over themselves, no one is required to be into celebrity relationships. I wouldn’t really claim to be myself.
But this was about as fun a day on the internet as you could hope for in 2025, if you let it be. People were spreading the news like town criers of old. ESPN sent out a push notification, allowing a not insignificant number of boyfriends across the country to break the news to their partners in a shocking upset of who found out first.
It’s been a long road here. This whole thing started in 2023 with Kelce lamenting on his podcast that he was unable to get a friendship bracelet with his phone number to Swift after her show at Arrowhead Stadium. But the news made it back to her, a connection was made and rumors began swirling.
Kelce’s older brother, Jason, did his best to sidestep questions about Trav and Taylor’s relationship status, but he is not that great of a poker player. Travis played coy himself. At least one play-by-play announcer tagged one of Kelce’s big plays with Swift’s lyrics.
Then it became real, all at once, with Swift showing up to cheer Kelce on at a game in September 2023. She watched from a suite alongside Travis’s mom, Donna, which felt like a sign that things were serious. Kelce was in disbelief on the field, looking up at them in awe. He finished with seven receptions for 69 yards and a touchdown as the Chiefs beat the Bears in a rout, 41–10.
Immediately, it was the biggest story in two different, massive media worlds. Some, unsurprisingly, grumbled at the attention the couple got, arguing that the relationship was clearly for show: One party was working on upping his profile beyond the football field, and the other had records and tickets to a stadium tour to sell. It’s easy to be cynical about these things.
But then they just kinda … kept dating. Swift became a regular at Chiefs home games and was on the field to kiss her man as the confetti fell after Kansas City won the Super Bowl.
With Taylor showing up to support Travis at work, Kelce did the same when the NFL schedule allowed, showing up for dates on the Eras Tour, first in the crowd, and eventually on stage as a part of the show. By the time the 2024 season rolled around, the relationship still felt like a big deal, but it was established enough that it didn’t take over as much collective brain space as it had the previous year.
And now we’re here, two years and one podcast later, with an engagement. It’s a nice way to end this chapter. After all the assurances that critics had that the relationship was a sham two years ago, it turns out that they just liked each other. Sometimes it’s just that easy.
The best of Sports Illustrated
- Marcus Freeman’s blend of charm and toughness has Notre Dame fans believing again after Brian Kelly’s bitter departure. Pat Forde explores whether his leadership will finally bring the Irish their first national title since 1988.
- The NFL’s reigning MVP, Josh Allen, is building toward an encore to a career year, with the hope that the Bills finally can take the next step, writes Albert Breer.
- What should we reasonably expect from this year’s crop of rookie quarterbacks? Conor Orr projects stats and realistic expectations for each one.
- Detroit Tigers pitcher Tarik Skubal had a vice grip on the AL Cy Young race at the All-Star break. But Boston’s Garrett Crochet has almost completely closed that gap, writes Karl Rasmussen.
- Wrexham's journey took another step forward after they reached the third round of the Carabao Cup for the first time in 44 years.
- Manchester United midfielder Kobbie Mainoo has yet to see a single minute of Premier League action this season and is reportedly considering a move. But to where?
The top five…
…things that I saw last night…
5. Caitlin Clark is already rocking her new logo on the tunnel fit runway.
4. If you’re going to hit a grand slam, you might as well hit it to outer space, Riley Greene.
3. Turns out John Mulaney and I make the exact same faces while watching tennis.
2. José Caballero’s stolen base looked like something out of Looney Tunes.
1. Italian photographer Ray Giubilo got the shot of his life during Jasmine Paolini’s match at the U.S. Open.
This article was originally published on www.si.com as SI:AM | Karma Really Is the Guy on the Chiefs.