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Lance Bass made sure that no one at the Cowboys-Chargers game on Monday (Oct. 16) got their expectations too high. After SoFi Stadium alerted the crowd that a star was in the midst and showed the *NSYNC band member on its jumbotrons, Bass held up a sign clarifying that he wasn’t one of the NFL‘s most famous recent guests: Taylor Swift.
“Not Taylor Swift,” read Bass’ handwritten sign, which he held up to the cameras as he waved to the thousands of fans in attendance.
The singer shared a video of the moment on Instagram, showing how SoFi played his band’s iconic song “Bye Bye Bye” over the speakers. “In case anyone was confused,” he captioned the post. “#LookWhatYouMadeMeDo #GoChargers ! #NotTaylorSwift #MNF”
Bass’ sign poked fun at the pop culture craze surrounding Swift’s romance with Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce, with whom she was photographed twice holding hands over the weekend in New York City. The “Anti-Hero” singer has shown up to three of Kelce’s games so far, and is often shown by NFL cameras sharing a box suite with the athlete’s mom, Donna Kelce.
And while there are millions of Swifties who would love to see the pop star’s face appear on jumbotrons at any given NFL game, many of Bass’ fans assured him that they’d be just as excited to see him in the stands. “Honestly I would be more excited at seeing Lance Bass then Taylor swift 🤣” commented one fan.
“Lance…you’re the Taylor Swift of 20 years ago,” added another.
In fact, Swift just might be one of those fans. In September, she gushed over her love for *NSYNC at the VMAs after the band reunited onstage to present her with an award. “I had your dolls,” the “Karma” musician told the guys. “Like, are you doing something? What’s going to happen now … They’re going to do something and I need to know what it is!”
Soon after the awards show, Bass, Justin Timberlake, JC Chasez, Chris Kirkpatrick and Joey Fatone announced plans to release their first full-band song in 20 years. “Better Place” arrived Sept. 29 as part of the soundtrack for Trolls Band Together, which aptly focuses on a boy band reunion.
See Bass’ video below:
Brittany Mahomes is living every Swiftie’s dream. At the Kansas City Chiefs game against the Denver Broncos Thursday (Oct. 12), Taylor Swift was spotted wrapping the 28-year-old former soccer player in a big hug as the two cheered on their Chiefs boys: Brittany’s husband, quarterback Patrick Mahomes, and Swift’s rumored boyfriend, tight end Travis Kelce. […]
Taylor Swift is back in Kansas City. One day after her Eras Tour film had its star-studded premiere in Los Angeles, the superstar was spotted heading to Travis Kelce‘s suite on Thursday night (Oct. 12), rocking a Kansas City Chiefs windbreaker and a black miniskirt with black heeled boots. In a TikTok posted by the […]
Rich Paul knows a thing or two about dating a musical superstar, but isn’t worried that Travis Kelce will find his way amid his ongoing rumored romance with Taylor Swift. Explore See latest videos, charts and news See latest videos, charts and news Paul, who has been dating Adele since 2021, said on Fox Sports‘ First […]
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The 2023 WNBA Finals was thought to be a slugfest between two elite squads that would potentially go for the entire length of the series. However, the defending champion Las Vegas Aces are up 2-0 in their best-of-five series against the New York Liberty after a lopsided win on Wednesday (October 11).
Led by A’Ja Wilson, who notched a double-double with 26 points and 15 rebounds, the Aces routed the Liberty 104-76 despite hope that New York’s star players would likely bounce back from the Game 1 loss on Sunday (October 8). As it stands, the Aces are one game away from repeating as the WNBA champions and would be the first team since the 2001-02 Los Angeles Sparks to win back-to-back titles.
Aces head coach Becky Hammon expressed admiration for her team’s execution and play in toppling the Liberty with relative ease.
“The character of this team and their absolute buy-in to the person to the left or right’s success is authentic,’ Hammon said in a postgame press conference as reported by the Associated Press. “And it’s tough to deal with when you share the ball and people are skilled and competitive. They were good tonight. They don’t leave me speechless very often, but they executed defensively, offensively shared it – everything we’ve been asking them to do.”
Liberty head coach Sandy Brondello congratulated the Aces on their win.
“Vegas is playing their best basketball at the moment,” Sandy Brondello said. “They’re playing with a lot of confidence, you see the chemistry that they have. And for us, we haven’t taken the steps forward, we haven’t shown it. We’re disappointed, very disappointed, because we’re a way better team [than] what we showed.”
Game 3 of the WNBA Finals heads back to New York on Sunday (October 15) with the Liberty hoping to extend the series and snatch back momentum. To do so, the team will need more heavy lifting from stars Jonquel Jones, Sabrina Ionescu, and Breanna Stewart.
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Photo: Ethan Miller / Getty
Taylor Swift‘s ketchup and “seemingly ranch” condiment combo is here to stay for the duration of the NFL season. Eminem attended Sunday’s Detroit Lions vs. Carolina Panthers game at Ford Field with his daughter Hailie Jade, who couldn’t help but order Swift’s viral meal for game day. Hailie shared a series of photos in an […]
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NHL is finally back! Now that the 2023-24 season schedule is out, hockey fans can start snagging travel deals and clearing their schedules to support their favorite teams in-person or from the comfort of their home. This year, NHL kickoff is happening Tuesday (Oct. 10) with a tripleheader — meaning you get three times the games.
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Nashville Predators vs. Tampa Bay Lightning will kick the season off as the opener. You can score tickets to the game at the Amalie Arena in Tampa Bay, Florida through Ticketmaster, StubHub, VivdSeats or Seat Geek. Prices start at around $41 a ticket. Click here to see the full season schedule.
Before the game starts, make sure to refresh your NHL merch including jerseys through the official NHL Shop or Fanatics, Dick’s Sporting Goods and Amazon.
Can’t make it to the game in-person? Check below to see the streaming options for livestreaming NHL games without cable.
How to Stream NHL Kickoff: Nashville Predators vs. Tampa Bay Lightning
The Nashville Predators vs. Tampa Bay Lightning opening game begins at 5:30 p.m. ET. If you have cable, you can tune into the game on ESPN — just check your channel guide through your cable provider to see what channel ESPN is on.
Don’t have cable? You can still catch the puck drop through ESPN+. The streamer doesn’t have a free trial, but there are a few promos you can take advantage of that’ll save you money. If you’re interested in just ESPN+, the streamer is $9.99/month or you can save over 15% through the ESPN+ annual plan ($99.99/year). For even more savings, you can save 40% off by bundling with Hulu and Disney+ ($12.99/month), which will also expand your library of offerings.
Besides the opening Predators vs. Lightning game, you’ll also have access to other upcoming games including the other tripleheader matches including Chicago Blackhawks vs. Pittsburgh Penguins and Seattle Kraken vs. Vegas Golden Knights. Other sports coverage you can catch include MLB, NFL, UFC, soccer, golf and more.
How to Watch NHL Games for Free Without Cable
Looking to watch games for free? To stream all NHL games online, you’ll need a live streaming TV service that gives you access to ESPN. To help you score a free trial or promo, we rounded up a few options below.
1. Watch Hockey on fuboTV
FuboTV is offering a 7-day free trial that you can use to livestream NHL games. The platform gives you all the major cable network channels in addition to ESPN. Plans start at $75/month after the free trial ends, and includes more than 100 other channels for sports, news and entertainment. There is also 500+ Cloud DVR Plus, which will allow viewers to record any games or shows to re-watch later.
2. Watch Hockey on DirecTV Stream
Through DirecTV Stream, you can take advantage of it’s current promo offering $10 off each package for the first three months. Through eligible packages, you’ll get free Max, Starz and Showtime as well as ESPN to stream NHL games wherever. Packages currently start at $65/month (reg. $75/month). Click here or below to learn more.
3. Watch Hockey on Hulu + Live TV
Hulu + Live TV is another great option to watch NHL games online as it currently has a 29% off promo for the first three months. Viewers can watch NHL games live, use the DVR function to record games to watch later and have access to the entire Hulu library all for $50 for the first three months (reg. $70).
4. Watch Hockey on SlingTV
Through SlingTV you can get access to live NHL hockey games as well as over 30 live TV channels through its various plans. Right now, the live TV streamer is offering 50% off all its plans for the first month. When you sign up you’ll also get 50 hours of free DVR storage to record games to watch later.
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The WNBA Finals kicked off Sunday (October 8) between the Las Vegas Aces and the New York Liberty in Las Vegas, Nev. with the home team showing off their champion form as they defend their title in this best-of-five series. While the first half was competitive and saw the Liberty up by a handful, the Aces turned things around in the second.
Coached by Becky Hammon, the Aces, led by guards Kelsey Plum, Jackie Young, and Chelsea Gray, the Aces came out the gate slow but managed to keep the scoring of Liberty stars Sabrina Ionescu and Courtney Vandersloot under their usual output.
The play from the Aces trio stood out as the Liberty used much of their energy attempting to contain Aces power forward A’Ja Wilson, who scored 19 points and hauled in 8 boards, allowing Young to go off for 26 points. Young played hard all 94 feet and hindered the usually productive Ionescu from a scoring explosion. Plum also scored 26, and Gray had 20 points with a team-leading 9 assists.
On the other side of the ball, Breanna Stewart scored 21 with 9 rebounds, while Jonquel Jones had a double-double of 16 points and 10. Ionescu scored 7 points with 5 rebounds and 5 assists.
Liberty head coach Sandy Brondello, leading the team back to its first WNBA Finals appearance since 2002, stressed in the postgame press conference that her players will have to adjust to the swarming defense of the Aces and reminded the reporters in tow that this isn’t typical New York basketball.
“We can obviously learn a lot from this and we can play better,” Brondello said. “That’s what we have to remember. We haven’t lost two in a row all season long, and we’re going to know that we responded the right way. I trust these players.”
Because of the two marquee teams, the WNBA Finals attracted plenty of star power with LeBron James, Sheryl Swoopes, Mark Wahlberg, and Aces minority owner, Tom Brady all in attendance among others. The Brooklyn Nets also had several players in attendance such as Ben Simmons and Mikal Bridges, proving that women’s basketball is growing in popularity in the States.
Game 2 of the WNBA Finals kicks off on Wednesday, October 11 in Las Vegas. The series returns to New York on October 15.
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Photo: Getty
Taylor Swift was not at Sunday’s (Oct. 8) Chiefs-Vikings game, where rumored romantic interest Travis Kelce sustained an injury. Earlier in the game, which was televised on CBS, on-air commentator Jim Nantz confirmed that Swift was nowhere to be seen at Minneapolis, Minnesota’s U.S. Bank Stadium.
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“In case you’re wondering, seven words I never thought would leave my lips in my career: Taylor Swift is not at the game,” Nantz announced. “That’s a first. I’ve never said that before. There’s some brokenhearted people I just saw in the stands.”
The camera panned to a Swift fan holding up a sign, and holding on to the hope of her appearing. Her sign asked what many were thinking: “Where’s Taylor?” A photo from Getty Images, seen below, shows another fan displaying a clever sign, noting that 87 (Kelce’s number) and 13 (Swift’s lucky number) equals 100%. “Kelce make a Swift TD,” it read.
A fan holds up a sign in reference to Taylor Swift prior to a game between the Kansas City Chiefs and the Minnesota Vikings at U.S. Bank Stadium on Oct. 8, 2023 in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
Others in the stands were shown wearing jerseys that read “SWIFTIE” on the back.
While Swift was not there to cheer on Kelce in person, as she has for the last two Chiefs games, the tight end seemingly tripped on the field’s turf and sustained a non-contact injury. Kelce was seen leaving the field, throwing off his helmet and heading to the locker room.
Kelce returned to the sideline with a securely wrapped right ankle.
Commentator Tracy Wolfson gave an update: “Travis Kelce is still on the sideline right now, but as you can see, helmet on, that right foot is wrapped up. I was just told he’s gonna try and give it a go. They’re leaving it up to him. He wants to play in this game, guys.”
Kelce reportedly suffered what is assumed to be high ankle sprain. Reports said that medical staff cleared Kelce to return if he wanted to. He ultimately rejoined the game and, soon after his return, scored a touchdown.
“Kelce comes off the X-ray table and finds the endzone,” the announcer said.
See what happened to Kelce at the Chiefs-Vikings game below. Plus, scroll through several Swift/football fan reactions to both the singer being absent at Sunday’s game and Kelce’s injury.
Chiefs get good news on Travis Kelce.Tracy Wolfson: “Travis Kelce still on the sideline right now but as you can see, helmet on. That right foot is wrapped up. And I was just told he’s gonna try to give it a go. They’re leaving it up to him. He wants to play in this game.” pic.twitter.com/y8bQdTWZeo— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) October 8, 2023
not me searching “Taylor Swift” and repeatedly refreshing the feed to find out if she’s actually at the Vikings/Chiefs game while also watching the game— Sam Sansevere (@samsansevere) October 8, 2023
my mom turned on the chiefs game just to see if Taylor was there 🥹— lindsay 🫶🏻 (@shimmerrswift) October 8, 2023
I’m at a party watching the Vikings-Chiefs game but people are starting to file out now that it’s been announced that Taylor Swift is not there— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) October 8, 2023
I just realized how boring it is to watch the Chiefs game if Taylor Swift isn’t there…😴— Diane Beeman (@BeemanDibmn) October 8, 2023
@Chiefs would it be possible to send me a schedule of games Taylor will be attending? I need to know which games to watch. Thanks!Kidding/not kidding— g o’quinn (@goquinn15) October 8, 2023
Travis Kelce hurt?! Damn. Taylor Swift really IS his good luck charm. Chiefs fan hating on her should be ashamed right now.— Brooke (@CryptoCur1821) October 8, 2023
I would like to thank all the Swifties out there for praying for Travis Kelce and bringing him back to life.@NFL #KCvsMIN— Clark Schuyler (@cschuyler935) October 8, 2023
Travis Kelce has long prided himself on his ability to compartmentalize his personal life and his professional life. That ability has been put to the test the past few weeks.
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Ever since the All-Pro tight end’s budding relationship with pop superstar Taylor Swift surfaced shortly before the Kansas City Chiefs’ game against the Chicago Bears last month, Kelce has become an A-list headline-maker in his own right. He learned that when paparazzi staked out Swift’s apartment in New York last week, capturing the moment he walked out the morning before the Chiefs played the Jets, while other photographers have been scoping out his own residence in the Kansas City area.
“We’re learning with the paparazzi taking photos from all over the place,” Kelce admitted during a press conference Friday (Oct. 6), “but at the same time, you know, it comes with it. You’ve got a lot of people that care about Taylor, and for good reason. You’ve just got to keep living and learning and enjoying the moments.”
Neither of the parties have divulged much about their rumored relationship, and Kelce didn’t go into details Friday when he spoke to the media for the first time in weeks. But given that Swift has twice appeared in a suite to watch Kelce play, including alongside his mother Donna Kelce, it is easy to see why there has been such an intense focus on the duo.
The timing couldn’t be much better for either of them.
Kelce turned 34 on Thursday and is much closer to the end of his career than the beginning, and the elevation of his profile will no doubt help his post-football career. His podcast with his brother and Philadelphia Eagles center Jason Kelce, called New Heights, has soared in popularity, and Kelce’s mustachioed mug is suddenly popping up in advertisements and commercials for everything from State Farm and Hy-Vee to Pfizer and Experian.
Swift is on a break from her Era Tour, but a film about it is due to begin playing in at least 8,500 theaters across 100 countries next week. The movie chain AMC Entertainment Holdings, which happens to be based in suburban Kansas City, said it had sold more than $100 million in advance tickets, and produced the highest single-day ticket revenue in its history.
Meanwhile, the NFL and its broadcast partners are keen to take advantage of the pop culture moment.
Asked whether Kelce was surprised by the sudden interest in him, and his relationship with Swift, he replied: “It’s worldwide, man — worldwide. It’s been magnified for sure.”
All the while, Kelce has been trying to help the Chiefs defend their Super Bowl title. They’ve won three straight after losing their opener to Detroit, and they are favored heading to Minnesota on Sunday. (No word on whether Swift will attend.)
“It felt like I was on top of the world after the Super Bowl and right now even more on top of the world,” Kelce said after Friday afternoon’s practice. “At the end of the day, I have always been pretty good about compartmentalizing and being able to stay focused in this building, so I’ll just keep rolling with that.”
Indeed, Kelce always has juggled a life away from football.
In 2016, he starred in his own reality dating show, coincidentally, called Catching Kelce. He’s pitched plenty of products and services. And he’s played in numerous high-profile golf tournaments, such as a made-for-TV match alongside Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes against the NBA’s Klay Thompson and Stephen Curry just before the start of this season.
Yet none of it has ever affected his performance. Kelce had never missed a game to injury since his rookie season before a hyperextended knee kept him out against the Lions; he has played every game since. And he is riding a streak of at least 1,000 yards receiving in seven straight seasons, resulting in eight trips to the Pro Bowl and four first-team All-Pro nods.
His success is a big reason for the Chiefs’ success. They’ve won the last seven AFC West titles, hosted the last five conference championship games and won two of the three Super Bowls they have appeared in over the past four seasons.
Kelce’s profile has never been higher, though, thanks to the aura that Swift has cast upon him.
“I know I brought this on myself,” he said. “I’ve been fortunate to have fun with it. That’s all that really matters, that it’s not pissing anybody off [within the Chiefs)at least. Like I said earlier, I’ve been pretty good at compartmentalizing and making sure my focus is on winning the game, and I don’t see that changing any time soon.”