Sportscaster Peter Schrager slams Taylor Swift critics at NFL games

Sports commentator Peter Schrager is preemptively silencing outraged “Dads, Brads and Chads” Taylor SwiftAttendance at 2024-2025 NFL season games.

“Taylor has been a wonderful addition to the NFL (and) he was a wonderful addition to our program,” said Shrager, who hosts the Fox Sports show. NFL Kickoff and NFL Networkhe said during an appearance on the Thursday, Sept. 5, episode of the “Viall Files” podcast. “Suddenly we had new viewers from all over because they were like, ‘I like this football thing.’”

Swift, 34, admitted she wasn’t a football fan until she started dating someone. Travis KelceKansas City Chiefs tight end in the summer of 2023. They publicly confirmed their relationship in September when she attended his first of 13 Chiefs games.

At the time, some die-hard viewers criticized the league for showing Swift on camera at games more than actual players.

“I know people were resistant, Neanderthals say that,” joked Schrager, 42. “The silliest thing. Like, if I added one more spectator, (whether it was) a boy, a girl, whoever… I think that would be great.”

Neither Swift nor the athletes themselves have been bothered by the new attention she has garnered at the games.

“I don’t know how they know what suite I’m in. There’s a camera like a half mile away, and you don’t know where it is, and you have no idea when the camera is putting you in the feed, so I don’t know if they’re showing me 17 times or one,” Swift said. TIME on her 2023 Person of the Year profile. “I’m just there to support Travis. I have no awareness of whether I’m being shown too much and upsetting some dads, Brads and Chads.”

As Swift noted, she and Kelce are simply “proud” of each other and want to show their support. (Kelce, 34, has frequently attended Swift’s gatherings.) Tour of the ages shows up among his NFL commitments and often mentions her on his “New Heights” podcast.)

Kelce’s star has reached new heights thanks to her public relationship with the 14-time Grammy winner. However, Schrager notes that Kelce remains as “down to earth” and genuine as ever.

“I’ve known Travis for many years, and every summer I do a charity event in Kansas City called Big Slick,” Schrager said on Thursday’s episode. “They bring the Chiefs and Kelce and (Patrick) Mahomes I’ve been a part of this for years. Kelce is the best. He’s great and he’s legit.”

According to Schrager, he was “concerned this offseason” about whether Kelce would attend the Big Slick event.

“I’ve known him for 10 years and I cover him and I’m like, ‘Let’s see, is he going to come and start acting like a diva?’ This summer, he was so cool, so down to earth, and he has no business being at this event,” Schrager recalled. “He’s going above and beyond and throwing footballs to kids.”

During the June event, Kelce even participated in a skit with Jason Sudeikiswho jokingly asked when the tight end planned to “make an honest woman out of Swift” and get married.

“He makes fun of the whole Taylor Swift thing,” Schrager added. “He’s not bothered by it and he’s confident in himself. So I think he’s an awesome guy and I hope everything works out for them.”

Kelce’s NFL season officially kicks off on Thursday, when his Chiefs will play a home game against the Baltimore Ravens. While it hasn’t been confirmed, fans have speculated that Swift will watch the game from a private box at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City.

Earlier this month, Swift also appeared in one of the NFL’s preseason promotional videos. After detractors complained about her inclusion, the CBS anchor Nate Burleson He harshly rejected his criticism.

“Put your feelings aside. Are you upset? Are you a little mad that Taylor Swift is in the promo? Who cares?” Burleson, 43, joked during the Wednesday, Sept. 4, broadcast of CBS Mornings. “Wipe the drool off your tank top, put some pants on and get out of your mom’s basement. I don’t understand what the big deal is. Every other sport can show celebrities in the game. We show Taylor Swift and you get excited! Man, stop feeling bad and watch the game.”