Super Bowl conspiracy theories involving Taylor Swift are “nonsense”, says NFL commissioner Roger Goodell.
Music superstar Swift is dating Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce, whose team will compete in their fourth Super Bowl in five years on Sunday. Right-wing critics say their relationship is part of a plot to rig the NFL's championship game and help get US President Joe Biden re-elected.
“I'm not that good a scripter,” said Goodell.
“The idea that this is within a script, this is pre-planned, is just nonsense. It's frankly not even worth talking about.” The presidential election is scheduled for 5 November, with Biden set to be the Democratic candidate.
Swift, who has previously endorsed the Democrats, has been seen at 12 Chiefs games, but it is not yet known if she will attend Super Bowl 58 in Las Vegas as he she is performing in Tokyo on Saturday.
The 34-year-old has helped boost interest in the NFL this season after attending her first Chiefs game on 24 September.
“She's a remarkable performer,” said Goodell. “She's the best of the best.
“The Taylor Swift effect is all positive. Travis and Taylor are wonderful young people. They seem very happy. She knows great entertainment and I think that's why she loves NFL football. It's great to have her part of it.
“Obviously, it creates buzz, so another group of young fans, particularly young women, are interested in seeing why she is interested in this game.” During his appearance at Opening Night, Kelce was asked about Swift becoming the first artist to win the Grammy for album of the year four times.
“She's unbelievable,” he said. “She's rewriting the history books herself. I told her I'll have to hold up my end of the bargain and come home with some hardware too.
“She's definitely brought a lot of new faces to the game. It's been fun to gather the Swifties into Chiefs Kingdom and open them up to the football world. It's been cool to experience that.
“I don't know if I've brought too much. I just go out there and have fun.” The NFL also announced on Monday that the Philadelphia Eagles will be the ‘home' team for the league's first game in Brazil next season.
The match in Sao Paulo will be played on Friday of the opening week of the season, with the Eagles' opponents to be named before the 2024 regular-season schedule is released in the spring.
The NFL announced last month that the Chicago Bears and the Minnesota Vikings will join the Jacksonville Jaguars by hosting games in London next season, while the Carolina Panthers will be the home team when the NFL returns to Munich, Germany.
— CutC by bbc.com
