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Much like his old broadcast partner Stephen A. Smith, Skip Bayless also thinks the NFL could be doing some shady things to make sure the Kansas City Chiefs make it to the Super Bowl… again. Why? Two words: Taylor Swift.
Only, instead of just hinting at that being the case, like Stephen A. Smith did Monday on First Take, Skip Bayless came right out and said Taylor Swift is the reason the Chiefs will once again be playing in the big game.
“Josh Allen and the Bills are up against a 60-man juggernaut. That’s 53 Chiefs and seven referees,” Bayless said on his podcast.
“The memo will go out, just as it did last week. ‘Make sure Taylor Swift makes it to New Orleans for the Super Bowl.’ Without her, the NFL loses millions and millions of viewers who will tune in, mostly to see what she’s wearing up in that Superdome luxury box.
“So Mahomes, teetering though he might, must be propped up. Must be protected by the referees, just the way he was Saturday, at home against the Texans.”
Ballgame. CONGRATS, NFL. YOU MADE SURE MAHOMES SURVIVED. THE SWIFTIES WILL BE BACK IN FULL FORCE FOR THE AFC CHAMPIONSHIP GAME. YOU GAVE MAHOMES THE REFEREE SUPPORT HE NEEDED.
— Skip Bayless (@RealSkipBayless) January 18, 2025
Sadly, many fans won’t disagree with him. That, however, is primarily the NFL’s own fault. Yes, they aren’t showing Taylor Swift as much during broadcasts as they did last year. But the officiating, which has been suspect time and time again when the Chiefs are playing, is once again skewing positively their way in a very big way.
“This is the Taylor Swift effect,” Skip Bayless continued. “She is a one-woman ratings juggernaut. ‘Protect her! Prop her up! Award her boyfriend’s team with phantom penalties. Get them to New Orleans! The NFL needs the Swifties. Protect ’em! Prop ’em up! Make sure the Chiefs advance!’”
Skip Bayless also had some words for WNBA star Caitlin Clark after he saw he in a suite with Taylor Swift at the Chiefs game.
“WAIT, CAITLIN CLARK IS UP IN THE ARROWHEAD BOX WITH TAYLOR SWIFT??? CAITLIN, YOU DON’T NEED TO BE SEEN WITH HER,” Bayless wrote in a message he posted to X (Twitter) during the game. “YOU’RE BIGGER THAN SHE IS. JUST STAY ON YOUR OWN PATH.”
Weird thing for him to be concerned with, to be sure. But, hey, Skip’s gonna Skip.