Taylor Swift reacts after Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce (not pictured) scores a touchdown in the 2024 AFC divisional round game against the Buffalo Bills. Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

Giants legend complains about Taylor Swift coverage during Chiefs win

By Zac Wassink | Last updated 1/22/24

New York Giants legend and CBS Sports personality Tiki Barber is the latest noteworthy member of the NFL community to complain about the league's media partners repeatedly showing Taylor Swift during Kansas City Chiefs games.

"[Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce] scores a touchdown, and they pan immediately to Taylor Swift," Barber said during Monday's edition of the WFAN "Evan and Tiki" program, per Ryan Chichester of Audacy. "It’s not even Travis Kelce. Maybe it’s the Taylor Swift influence that has made me — I don’t want to say turn sour — but just be slightly annoyed with the Kansas City Chiefs. It’s also because they’re always here. After you’ve been somewhere for so long and have had the success they’ve had, it becomes inevitable."

Travis Kelce's suite is LIT pic.twitter.com/sZQ6MGaiI6
— NFL on CBS (@NFLonCBS) January 22, 2024

Barber is hardly the first person to openly rip networks for focusing on Swift during contests this season amid her much-publicized relationship with Kelce. Even the future Hall of Famer suggested this past fall that the situation was getting a little out of hand after NBC reportedly flashed to Swift 17 times during Kansas City's Week 4 "Sunday Night Football" game at the New York Jets.

However, Barber isn't just a former player yelling at a cloud. He also works for CBS and routinely called games for the network throughout the 2023 regular season.

"Why are you guys continuing to show Taylor Swift? The obsession is getting annoying," Barber continued on Monday. "Why do we need to see her?"

As Rasputin Todd wrote for the Cincinnati Enquirer back in October, part of Barber's problem with the Swift coverage seemingly is linked with so-called "Chiefs fatigue" similar to how some grew tired of seeing Tom Brady and the New England Patriots dominate the NFL en route to claiming six Super Bowl championships from 2000 through February 2019.

By beating Buffalo 27-24 on Sunday, Kansas City clinched a sixth straight trip to the AFC Championship Game. The Chiefs have already won two Super Bowl matchups in three appearances since February 2020.

"It almost feels inevitable when it gets to this point," Barber added about seeing the Chiefs advance this far into a postseason tournament. "And that gets annoying."

Per Albert Bainbridge IV of NorthJersey.com, Swift is expected to attend this Sunday's conference title clash between the Chiefs and Baltimore Ravens at Baltimore's M&T Bank Stadium. Barber and others should prepare themselves ahead of time to see Swift's suite early and often, especially if Kansas City jumps out to a first-quarter lead thanks to a Kelce touchdown catch.

More must-reads: