FOX NFL Sunday star delivers clear verdict on Taylor Swift impact on league

FOX NFL Sunday stalwart Michael Strahan delivered his verdict on Taylor Swift’s subtle impact on the league as he hailed the pop superstar as “one of the best things to happen to the NFL”.

The Anti Hero hitmaker has been a regular presence at Kansas City Chiefs games over the past couple of seasons after embarking on a much-publicized romance with tight end Travis Kelce.

Uniting the worlds of music and sports, their relationship has enchanted the masses – with Swift even attending back-to-back Super Bowls to cheer on her boyfriend.

In return, Kelce has been a supportive crutch for his chart-topping beau, attending various dates on his girlfriend’s record-breaking Eras Tour around the world. Despite the couple inspiring intrigue from fans around the world, they have faced their detractors too – with some observers having called out the coverage at games for containing too much reference to Swift.

However, many of the duo’s advocated have spoken of the subtle “Taylor Swift Effect” which has saw football brought to fresh audiences as Swifties flocked to watch games in the NFL to catch a glimpse of their favorite star. Now, Strahan has given his own verdict on the musician’s unlikely impact on the league’s popularity worldwide.

“Sports have leaked into pop culture,” the Fox NFL Sunday and Good Morning America mainstay contended in a telling remark, as he went on to praise the Love Story songwriter as he gave her his seal of approval. “Taylor Swift is one of the best things to happen to the NFL.”

Meanwhile, counterpart Troy Aikman concurred with this notion, saying: “I loved it, quite honestly. I loved it. I think that the fact that a generation of people got exposed to the NFL that, in all likelihood, wouldn’t have otherwise, I think is really positive. I think it’s fair to say the NFL liked it. I just wish we had more Chiefs games.”

“I think at the end of the day, regardless of whatever else is going on, Joe and I, we do try to have some fun with whatever it might be.”

Giving his verdict on whether Swift has helped the popularity of the league to grow exponentially, he added: “Not just with Taylor Swift, but whatever’s happening there. At the end of the day, people are tuned in because they want to watch football.”

He even posited that she could do a star turn on Monday Night Football in the future, opining: “Are you kidding me? We’ll escort her up.

“There’s no doubt that if we could get her on Monday Night Football in the booth, we would interview her, and we’d have a place for her to sit, and she could take as long as she wanted. I say that now my producer may feel otherwise.”

However, among Swift’s naysayers is Tony Dungy, who claimed that the focus on the singer at games showed that fans are actually becoming apathetic about what happens on the field. He asserted: “I think we’ll always have sports in some form or fashion. Some people are disenchanted with it.

“That’s the thing that’s disenchanting people with sports now,” he continued. “There’s so much on the outside coming in. Entertainment value and different things. Taking away from what really happens on the field.”