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Turns out, the way to Taylor Swift‘s heart is magic tricks. In an interview on The Pivot Podcast uploaded Tuesday (Feb. 27), Mecole Hardman opened up about how he won over the 34-year-old pop star after she started dating his Kansas City Chiefs teammate Travis Kelce, and revealed details about the moment she gave him a big hug after he caught the game-winning touchdown at the 2024 Super Bowl.
The 25-year-old wide receiver started by praising Kelce for pulling Swift. “It’s Trav, bro,” he told the show’s hosts, laughing. “If anybody’s gonna do that, it’s Trav who’s gonna get that right there.”

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“Trav is such a cool dude, and Taylor’s so cool,” he added. “She just vibes.”

Hardman went on to say that he first met the “Anti-Hero” singer at a “get-together” at Kelce’s house. At the party, he wowed Swift with an impressive card trick.

“Honestly when we leave, we’re like, ‘D–n, that’s Taylor Swift! Ay, that’s crazy,” he said of his fellow players.

Flash forward to the Feb. 11 Super Bowl at Las Vegas’ Allegiant Stadium. After the Chiefs went into overtime against the San Francisco 49ers, Hardman secured a Kansas City victory by catching quarterback Patrick Mahomes’ game-ending pass.

Immediately after the game wrapped, Swift joined the players on the field and kissed Kelce in front of NFL cameras. She also made sure to give Hardman a big hug.

“She was like, ‘Good job, proud of you, good game,’” he recalled of the moment. “Then she said something about, ‘You and these magic tricks.”

“Every time she sees me she talks about [the card trick],” No. 12 continued. “‘Your hands are magical,’ or something like that.’”

Hardman’s remarks came the same day Andy Reid revealed that Swift baked homemade pop-tarts for the Chiefs’ offensive line. “She didn’t give me one, and the offensive linemen definitely didn’t give me one,” the coach said in an interview, looking slightly miffed that he didn’t get to try one of the singer’s pastries.

“Since the queen has passed away, she might be the most famous woman in the world,” Big Red added of the star. “She’s so grounded for who she is. I think it’s a great escape for her, where she can come [to games]. She sincerely enjoys the games.”

This just in: The Kansas City Chiefs’ successful 2023-24 season was brought to you in part by Taylor Swift‘s baking skills.
In a recent interview, head coach Andy Reid revealed that the 34-year-old pop star baked Pop-Tarts (Taylor’s Version) for the team’s offensive line — which includes her boyfriend, tight end Travis Kelce. “Behind the scenes, she likes to cook, so she made the offensive linemen these homemade Pop-Tarts,” Big Red shared in a Tuesday (Feb. 27) clip from his appearance on Pro Football Talk.

Unfortunately for Reid, Kelce and his teammates apparently weren’t down to share Swift’s confections. “She didn’t give me one, and the offensive linemen definitely didn’t give me one,” the coach said, looking slightly miffed that he didn’t get to try one of the singer’s pastries.

The interview comes a couple of weeks after the Chiefs triumphed over the San Francisco 49ers at the 2024 Super Bowl, which Swift attended. After watching the game from a suite at Las Vegas’ Allegiant Stadium with Blake Lively, Lana Del Rey, Ice Spice and Kelce’s family, she joined her beau on the field and celebrated his win with a passionate kiss.

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Soon afterward, the 14-time Grammy winner jetted off to Australia, where she recently completed a string of Eras Tour dates in Melbourne and Sydney. Kelce joined her in the latter city for a zoo date, after which he watched one of her shows alongside Katy Perry and Rita Ora and passed out guitar picks to fans in the crowd.

Leading up to the season’s end, Swift proved to bring in a huge boost in viewership for the NFL simply by attending the Chiefs games as frequently as she did September-February. Reid has been vocal about his admiration for the musician in the past and first met her and her family when he worked for the Philadelphia Eagles way back when.

“Since the queen has passed away, she might be the most famous woman in the world,” he said of Swift on Pro Football Talk. “She’s so grounded for who she is. I think it’s a great escape for her, where she can come [to games]. She sincerely enjoys the games.”

Watch Reid tell the story of Swift’s homemade Pop-Tarts below.

The Taylor Swift effect is real — just ask Jason Kelce. While appearing on Shaquille O’Neal’s The Big Podcast With Shaq Wednesday (Feb. 14), the Philadelphia Eagles center opened up about the extreme pros and cons of the new level of fame he and his family reached after his little brother, Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce, began dating Swift last year.
“It’s crazy what it opens up, opportunity-wise,” he shared. “It’s crazy to feel how much joy you bring people, or how much you affect people’s daily lives.”

Jason has become a beloved icon in the Swiftie universe in the months since the “Anti-Hero” singer first went public with her and Travis’ relationship in September. The Philly Specials singer and his wife, Kylie, have joined Swift in watching a few of the younger Kelce’s games, including the 2024 Super Bowl at Las Vegas’ Allegiant Stadium, after which Jason dutifully celebrated the Chiefs win alongside his brother and the 14-time Grammy winner at a nightclub.

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On his Wednesday (Feb. 14) New Heights podcast episode, Jason gushed about Swift introducing him to both Ice Spice and Sir Paul McCartney at the big game. “All of a sudden I hear Taylor behind me like, ‘Jason, turn around!’” he recalled. “I look around, and Paul McCartney is standing right there. I’m like, ‘What the heck is this?’”

However, as Jason pointed out to Shaq, being in Swift’s orbit “has its drawbacks, for sure.” “Travis knows better than I do,” he told the basketball star. “He had to completely move out of his house. People were just staying by his house. The first day he moved into the new house … a gated community, someone knocks on a window of the house.”

“We’ve always been big in the football world, Travis especially,” Jason added. “The Taylor world and the pop culture world, that’s a whole different level. It’s a new demographic that wasn’t there before.”

Watch Jason Kelce open up to Shaq above.

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Source: Michael Owens / Getty / Super Bowl LVIII / Patrick Mahomes
So, despite all the people claiming they were not going to watch this year’s Super Bowl LVIII for many reasons *coughs* Taylor Swift, it turns out this year’s edition of the big game was the most watched ever.

ESPN reports a record number of eyes were in front of their television screens to see the Kansas City Chiefs defeat the San Francisco 49ers, Usher’s brilliant Apple Music Halftime show, and less than a minute of Taylor Swift.
Per ESPN:

According to Nielsen and Adobe Analytics, the Kansas City Chiefs’ 25-22 overtime victory versus the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday averaged 123.4 million viewers across television and streaming platforms. That shattered last year’s mark of 115.1 million for Kansas City’s last-play victory over the Philadelphia Eagles with a 7% increase.
Nielsen also says a record 202.4 million people looked at some part of the game across all networks at one point, which was a 10% jump over the previous year’s 183.6 million.
It also eclipses the 2016 Super Bowl between the Denver Broncos and Carolina Panthers on CBS, which had 112.34 million viewers.
It was only the second Super Bowl to go into overtime and the second straight event to average over 100 million viewers.
Possible Reasons For This Year’s Super Bowl’s Ratings Success
On top of the thrilling game that saw the Chiefs need overtime to send the San Franciso 49ers back to the bay without the Lombardi trophy, again, there was also the added hoopla of Taylor Swift being in the building and, of course, highly anticipated halftime performance from Usher.
Leading up to the game, the extreme MAGA crowd somehow managed to link Taylor Swift, President Joe Biden, and Super Bowl LVIII in some ridiculous conspiracy theory. 
Following the game’s result, President Biden even mocked them, using the infamous “Dark Brandon” meme with the caption, “Just like we drew it up.”

We will be tuned in again next year.

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Patrick Mahomes added to his growing trophy case this weekend after leading the Kansas City Chiefs to victory against the San Francisco 49ers at Super Bowl LVIII on Sunday (Feb. 11). With the victory, Patrick Mahomes was named Super Bowl LVIII MVP, marking the third time he’s won the honor.
With the MVP win, Patrick Mahomes etched his name alongside greats such as Joe Montana and Tom Brady with the retired quarterbacks also winning the honor three or more times. With the win, the Kansas City Chiefs Super Bowl LVIII victory is the third of the Coach Andy Reid and Mahomes era, and the fourth overall for the franchise as noted by CBS Sports.

The contest went into overtime with the 49ers showing a ton of grit behind the hard work of Brock Purdy, Christian McCaffrey, and Deebo Samuel and their defensive corps. However, Mahomes carried out Reid’s game plan and the Niners never had an answer in the extra period, leading the Chiefs to victory and becoming a dynasty in the same breath.
Mahomes also joins the aforementioned Brady and Montana, along with Terry Bradshaw and Troy Aikman as the only starting quarterbacks to win at least three Super Bowls.
“It’s the start of one,” Mahomes said to CBS Sports’ Tracy Wolfson after being asked if Kansas City Chiefs are a dynasty. “We’re not done. I know we’re going to celebrate tonight, but we’re not done. We’ve got a young team, we’re going to keep this thing going.”
Congratulations to Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs.

Photo: Getty

Adele is sticking up for Taylor Swift. The British songstress, 35, told her Weekends With Adele audience in Las Vegas on Saturday (Feb. 10) that the pop superstar, 34, has made the NFL “more enjoyable to watch” and defended the singer against those criticizing her attendance at Kansas City Chiefs games in support of boyfriend […]

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In the lead-up to Super Bowl LVIII this Sunday, everyone has football fever, with the eyes of sports and pop culture centered on Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas on Feb. 11. To celebrate the Super Bowl matchup between the San Francisco 49ers and Kansas City Chiefs, video-game manufacturer Arcade1Up has a deep discount on one of its NFL arcade cabinets.

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On sale for $499.99 (regularly $599.99) at Amazon, Arcade1Up NFL Blitz Legends Arcade Machine is a ’90s throwback that features some of the all-time greats of the pro football league, including Jerry Rice, Emmitt Smith, Dan Marino, Brett Favre, Jerome Bettis, Cris Carter, Deion Sanders and others.

And since it’s from Amazon, you’ll get it shipped to you for free if you’re an Amazon Prime member.

Not a member? Sign up for a 30-day free trial to take advantage of all that Amazon Prime has to offer, including access to Prime Video; fast same-, next-, or two-day free shipping with Prime Delivery; in-store discounts at Whole Foods Market, access to exclusive shopping events — such as Prime Day and Black Friday — and more.

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Arcade1Up ‘NFL Blitz Legends’

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Equipped with a 17-inch LCD screen, Arcade1Up NFL Blitz Legends features four-player action with full-size joysticks and buttons, a light-up marquee and coinless operation for unlimited gameplay. It comes with a 13-inch riser to bring the arcade cabinet up to 5-feet tall in height.

Meanwhile, the arcade machine comes with three games loaded — NFL Blitz, NFL Blitz ’99 and NFL Blitz 2000: Gold Edition — for hours of football action. It’s even Wi-Fi-enabled, so you can play against other gamers online with multiplayer options and leaderboards for bragging rights.

The Arcade1Up NFL Blitz Legends Arcade Machine is on sale for $499.99, or $100 off its list price, at Amazon — that’s a 17% savings. In the meantime, watch a brief trailer for the arcade cabinet below:

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Want more deals? For more product recommendations, check out our roundups of the best Xbox deals, studio headphones and Nintendo Switch accessories.

Travis Kelce is very aware of the public’s fixation on his romance with Taylor Swift, and at a Thursday (Feb. 8) pre-Super Bowl press conference, the tight end explained where he thinks the continued hype comes from.  When asked why the world is so “fascinated” by his relationship, Kelce was quick to respond. “I think […]

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Source: Gerardo Mora / Getty / Carl Weathers
The world lost an icon in Carl Weathers last week, but fans will still see the late actor one last time, thanks to a FanDuel Super Bowl commercial.

Spotted on Variety, FanDuel says it will still air the Super Bowl spot featuring Carl Weathers. Leading up to this weekend’s big game between the Kansas City Chiefs and San Francisco 49ers, the sports betting company has been airing teasers for its big game spot that stars Weathers alongside retired NFL tight end Rob Gronkowski.

The teasers follow the NFL champion as he gears up for the Kick of Destiny 2, where viewers can watch him attempt to make a 25-yard field goal, and America can bet on if he either misses or makes it.
Last year, Gronkowski missed the kick, but in the teasers, he gets some encouragement from Weathers in the teaser where he scoops up the NFL analyst on a motorcycle with a sidecar.

Some Changes To Commercial Will Be Made
Variety reports that after initially saying it would make adjustments to the commercial, FanDuel says it will run the ads and make some changes so that it will be appropriate. “The family has been very supportive that they would still like to see Carl in the work,” Andrew Sneyd, FanDuel’s executive vice president of marketing, said after consulting with Weather’s family.
Sneyd continues, “We need to change what we are doing in the Bowl. The live event itself carries forward and as is. Rob will kick the field goal, and he will be even more inspired to make it. He really enjoyed meeting Carl and found him to be such an optimistic and energetic person.”
“We had built a master. One is an edit if he makes the kick, and we have an edit if he misses. That content we had in those masters wouldn’t be appropriate for us to do anymore,” Sneyd adds. “Since the news of Carl’s passing came, we have been working with editors to help us get back to something that does make sense.” FanDuel, he adds, is in contact with Weathers’ family “to make sure they are comfortable.”

He continues, “Such work has been difficult. We have been viewing edits through tears. We really enjoyed the short time we had to work with him. He’s a wonderful man, and he genuinely is an inspiration and had such a positive outlook on the world. We want to make sure we try to meet this moment with the respect it deserves.”

Tony Romo is hoping to hear wedding bells in Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce‘s future — and not just because it would rectify the moment he accidentally said the pop star was the tight end’s “wife” during an NFL broadcast.
While talking to reporters at a pre-Super Bowl CBS Sports press event, the sports commentator said, “I root for them to get married,” referring to the power couple. “‘Cause they’re not married, guys. I was joking,” he also quipped, per Entertainment Tonight.

“It shows you Taylor’s impact just on human beings and society, just that anything she says resonates,” he continued. “I just sit there and, you know, think about her gift and her ability to create and make something that so many people love, and I think it’s just really unique to find or be around anybody on Earth who has the ability to have a talent at that level. And so Travis has the same thing as a tight end, and you know, I root for them. I like them both and I think they’re both amazing people.”

He shared the same sentiment when speaking with The Sporting Tribune‘s Arash Markazi.

“The passion of this sport and seeing him go out and do what he loves and be great at it is a joyful thing, the same way that he’s going to watch her. And I think that in a perfect world, they wouldn’t have all of the media attention around it,” he said, speaking about the couple’s high-profile romance. “But the truth is, they’re just too dominant at what they do, they’re both special people.”

“I love their hearts,” Romo continued. “I think they’re both incredible human beings who are super genuine, treat people the same no matter what walk of life you’re in, and you root for people like that … I think they’re two really unique, special people.”

Some have compared Travis Kelce dating Taylor Swift to Tony Romo dating dating Carrie Underwood and later Jessica Simpson so I asked Romo if he could describe what it’s like being in a high-profile relationship like that. pic.twitter.com/D3a9somPOT
— Arash Markazi (@ArashMarkazi) February 6, 2024

Romo’s remarks come a couple months after he made headlines for mistakenly referring to the “Anti-Hero” singer as No. 87’s spouse while doing on-air commentary at the Kansas City Chiefs vs. Buffalo Bills match in December. “As you see Kelce’s wife, Taylor Swift, in the audience,” said the retired quarterback during the game, cameras cutting to the pop star sitting in the crowd at Arrowhead Stadium.

He quickly corrected himself at the time, adding, “I’m sorry, girlfriend.”

In January, he crossed paths with Swift at the AFC Championship game, where Kansas City defeated the Baltimore Ravens and earned their ticket to the Super Bowl for the second year in a row. While down on the field celebrating with Chiefs Kingdom after their victory, Romo exchanged compliments and a fist-bump with the 14-time Grammy winner.

Following a two-week break, the Chiefs will compete for the Vince Lombardi trophy against the San Francisco 49ers Sunday (Feb. 11) at Las Vegas’ Allegiant Stadium. Fans are hopeful Swift will be in attendance to see the season through, although she does have a string of Eras Tour shows scheduled in Tokyo just before the big game.

And while Romo — along with millions of Swifties, probably — is hopeful that Kelce will pop the question soon, the offensive lineman did hint that an engagement isn’t in his near future. “I’m focused on getting this [Super Bowl] ring,” he said during a Monday (Feb. 5) press conference. “That’s all my mind is focused on right now.”