Taylor Swift teases 'male sports fans' in podcast appearance
The announcement was made earlier in the week, and Swift would reveal in one of the previews for "New Heights" that she will have a new album coming out soon. It also seemed as though she'd have plenty to say.
"As we all know, you guys have a lot of male sports fans that listen to your podcast," she began. "And I think we all know that if there's one thing that male sports fans want to see in their spaces and on their screens … it's more of me."
Travis and Jason Kelce both laughed at Swift's quip.
Swift began to show up to Kansas City Chiefs games in late September when it was first rumored the two were dating. Since then, Swift has not only dominated the conversation in the pop culture world, but in the sports world as well.
For better or worse.
She did receive her share of criticism for being the focal point of NFL broadcasts throughout the first season she was at Arrowhead Stadium. The spotlight tapered off ever so slightly in 2024.
In an interview with Time magazine in 2023, she said she had "no awareness" of the possibility of making male sports fans a bit perturbed by her appearances on their TVs.
"I'm just there to support Travis," she said at the time. "I have no awareness of if I'm being shown too much and pissing off a few dads, Brads, and Chads."
Swift is likely to be back in the stadium this year to see whether Kansas City can get back to the Super Bowl for the fourth straight time.
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A toast to Florida: 11 top bars locals love and visitors do not want to miss
Florida's top bars offer more than a well-crafted cocktail, they provide an experience and a sense of community that lasts long after your tab is closed. Florida's USA TODAY Network food and dining team selected 11 must-visit bars across the state, each proudly claiming the title of best in its region -- and one standout from Brevard County made the cut. From speakeasies and whiskey lounges to a historic tavern with everlasting charm, these establishments offer scenic settings, expertly crafted beverages and memorable, tasty dishes --worthy of a responsible road trip. Chez L'Amour | St. Augustine Details: 45 San Marco Avenue, St. Augustine; 904-481-8117; St. Augustine's Chez L'Amour is the quintessential expression of 'Bites, Bubbles & Jazz.' Featuring a stellar craft-cocktail menu, global and evocative tapas from Executive Chef Ellie Schultze, and luxurious desserts from St. Augustine's Crème de la Cocoa, patrons can enjoy the decadent imbibe against the musical backdrop of a grand piano hosting world-class jazz musicians such as Joshua Bowlus and Linda Cole, niece of Nat King Cole. Owners Alberto and Jeanetta Cebollero remodeled the 1800s-era house into today's sophisticated and welcoming dining room, complete with piano and bar that evokes an old-fashioned jazz supper club adorned with modern-day sensibilities. The elegant, speakeasy-style ambiance recalls the days of F. Scott and Zelda Fitzgerald.― Lucia Viti, The St. Augustine Record Escondido Lounge | Downtown Fort Myers Details: 1617 Hendry St., Unit 102 (enter through Taco Works), Fort Myers; 239-898-7410; This 8-month-old speakeasy is as fun as it is gorgeous. In true speakeasy form, no signs announce its location. Find it by going through a laid-back taco joint and entering though a nondescript freezer door marked 'Restricted area, employees only.' Everything changes from there. A soothing red glow washes over lush velvet love seats backed by an immense wall of backlit mirrors. A sleek baby grand piano rests on a platform overhead. An elaborately stunning 6-foot-tall red chandelier watches over the room's focal point — a lusciously inviting U-shape bar. And that's just the downstairs. The classic and signature cocktails are crafted to match the vibe. The historic Richards Building once housed a pharmacy and soda bar, reportedly frequented by Ty Cobb, Thomas Edison, Connie Mack and others. Now you'll find cocktails named after them. Order one, sit back and enjoy the ambiance. After all, you found the Escondido Lounge. — Robyn George, The News-Press Visually stunning speakeasies coming to downtown Fort Myers next month, Cape Coral in 2025 Hardwick's Bar | Downtown Jacksonville Details: 100 E. Adams St., Jacksonville; A 99-year-old former cigar factory and English pub in the heart of downtown Jacksonville opened in 2023 as Hardwick's Bar, the first major LGBTQIA+ club open in the city in decades. The club is named for architect Taylor Hardwick, who designed the distinctive former library building just across the street. A custom bar, dark green walls and floor-to-ceiling windows greet patrons and the monthly events calendar is filled with DJs and dance parties. There is no kitchen at Hardwick's but the bar has an extensive selection of whiskeys and tequilas. — Tom Szaroleta/The Florida Times-Union Liberty Bar | Tallahassee Details: 1307 N Monroe St., Tallahassee; 850-354-8277; Seven Hills Hospitality Group has established itself as a favorite of Tallahassee foodies with the likes of Black Radish, LINK, The Hawthorn and Bar 1903. Liberty is what started it all. Excellent drinks and bar food in a sparsely decorated, not too brightly lit atmosphere. 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When the television cameras pan around the US's newest sporting temple to show the cavernous stands, elegant brick exterior, VIP suites and massive video board, viewers might believe they are looking at a professional venue. Yet the occupants of Phillip Beard Stadium, the Buford Wolves, are not a professioanl team or even a college one. They are high-schoolers. In the exorbitant world of high school football, Buford's $62m, 10,000-capacity arena is not the biggest or most expensive taxpayer-funded student stadium in the US. But it may be the most luxurious. The Wolves host the Milton Eagles on Thursday in the stadium's first regular-season game, which will be broadcast nationally on ESPN. With 13 Georgia state championships from 2001 to 2021 and a long record of players progressing to college scholarships and, eventually, the NFL, Buford is a football powerhouse – and the new stadium is a loud statement of the school's desire to keep it that way. Related: 'The stadium is secondary': how US sports teams became real-estate speculators If it feels like half of Buford is at the big game … they probably are. The Atlanta-area city has roughly 19,000 residents and the well-regarded high school (rebuilt in 2019 for $85m) has about 1,900 students. In 2010, another educational institution in the Atlanta region, Kennesaw State University, built a smart 10,200 capacity multi-use stadium for $16.5m. In the past 15 years, however, construction costs have soared, fan expectations have evolved, streaming and social media have changed how we consume sports and college athletes are now allowed to earn significant sums by monetising their personal brands. The trend is clear: newer, fancier, costlier. Phillip Beard Stadium has the typical uncovered benches familiar to anyone who's seen Friday Night Lights. 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'Corporations see a lot of untapped economic value in high school athletics,' Yaman Salahi, an attorney representing the player named in the suit, said in a statement to Front Office Sports, 'and we want to ensure that value is shared equitably with the athletes that create it.' Like teenaged soccer starlets at professional clubs in other countries, 16- and 17-year old American football players might one day be wealthy and famous, with a status to match the grandeur of their home stadiums. 'The difference here is that it's the local public school that's doing the development,' Matheson points out. For now, stadiums as sizeable and expensive as Buford's remain rare outside Texas, the state that is the epicentre of the high school football infrastructure arms race. In 2017 the independent school district in the Houston-area suburb of Katy opened a $70m, 12,000-capacity stadium adjacent to its existing and still operational 9,800-seat venue. 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