Ex-NFL star Robert Griffin III took a stick to critics of pop megastar Taylor Swift and her dalliance with the NFL, but he soon found that his own fans were not so tolerant of Swift as the former quarterback may have hoped.
The whole topic of Taylor Swift has sent many NFL fans over the edge as they have become increasingly sick and tired of having their football games turned into a stream of coverage about the pop star instead of football.
But Griffin seemed unaware of the growing annoyance hardcore football fans have developed over the pop singer.
In what may have been an unwise move, RG III jumped to his X account on Sunday to praise Kansas City Chiefs star Travis Kelce for his romance with Swift.
“Good for you Travis Kelce and Taylor Swift. You gotta be a real hater to see this level of happiness and be like, ‘Yea I don’t like it,’” he wrote.
Good for you Travis Kelce and Taylor Swift. You gotta be a real hater to see this level of happiness and be like, “Yea I don’t like it.” pic.twitter.com/2I0PuXVz8w
— Robert Griffin III (@RGIII) January 29, 2024
Like too many do, Griffin apparently imagines that football fans are somehow jealous over Kelce and Swift’s “love.” But, that really isn’t the case.
Few are mad at the pair’s relationship — or even care much about it.
Was RG3 wrong for posting this?
What they are mad at is the wall-to-wall coverage of their affair that seems to be squeezing football coverage out of the picture as the NFL continues to go all in to pander to Taylor Swift and her “Swifties.”
And RG III’s own X fans were ready to blast the former Pro-Bowl player star over his assumptions.
“Football fans wanna see football,” not do Swiftie stuff, Anthony Perez replied.
Football fans wanna see football
If U wanna see Taylor Swift buy a ticket & go to 1 of her concerts
— Anthony Perez (@APFromNY) January 29, 2024
Yall forcing it to much on the public we just care about football lol
— Ring Savvy (@Ring_Savvy_) January 29, 2024
It’s interesting how the NFL never made this much of a fuss about any other player and his wife/girlfriend in the over 75 years of the NFL.
But now they are making a fuss and those who notice how manufactured and forced this is are called haters by a former QB with a lot to say.
— Matt Roberts (@RecruitBoss) January 29, 2024
I don’t like it, Robert
— Ben Dackiw (@BenDackiw) January 29, 2024
The NFL executives are desperate to gain new fans they have made themselves look like starstruck teens by pandering to Taylor Swift.
While it is true that viewership for the NFL’s games — well, the ones involving the Chiefs, anyway — has skyrocketed among young female viewers, it is highly unlikely that any of those girls will stick around and become actual football fans once Swift gets tired of Kelce and moves on and stops attending games.
Meanwhile, the league is making its actual fans upset. And moves like this from RG III are not helping any.
And even Swift herself seems to be getting tired of the constant focus on her at NFL games.
Maybe Griffin and the NFL ought to start taking the hint.
