Taylor Swift Dec 25, 2023; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; A Kansas City Chiefs fan holds a Taylor Swift sign during the first half against the Las Vegas Raiders at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jay Biggerstaff-USA TODAY Sports

This was always inevitable.

The NFL continues to reap the benefits of the Taylor Swift-Travis Kelce relationship, including drawing its best Christmas Day rating since 1989 (ironically enough). The finger has since been pointed in the global pop star’s direction as tough times have fallen on the Kansas City Chiefs.

And now, she’s been a “distraction,” otherwise known as one of the most tiresome tropes in professional sports. As predicted, the sports media has jumped on this theme after the Chiefs’ recent loss to the Las Vegas Raiders, with Skip Bayless being the first and most predictable commentator to do so.

Many NFL fans appreciate the positive impact that Taylor Swift’s relationship with Kelce and her fandom has had on the league. However, Bayless has labeled her as a distraction, which perpetuates the outdated and unfair stereotype that a female companion can be a hindrance to a successful male athlete. Fortunately, ESPN’s Elle Duncan provided an excellent counterargument to Bayless’ flawed logic (or lack thereof).

“Do not blame Taylor Swift for being a ‘distraction,’ for Travis Kelce not playing well, for the Chiefs playing good…No, it is not her fault,” said Duncan. “I am so tired of us doing this. And we do this to women. It’s Jessica Simpson’s fault Tony Romo spit the bit. Remember Kim Kardashian and Miles Austin for a hot second? It’s her fault. It’s always the woman’s fault for ‘distracting.'”

“Nobody’s asking if Travis Kelce is distracting her from a world tour…No one’s saying that. And I don’t like that. I don’t like that all of sudden that this has become, ‘This is too much; let’s turn it on Taylor. He’s distracted,’ like he can’t carry on a personal life and also a professional life. Get out of here. He’s Travis Kelce; stop. She’s not to blame. So please stop. Full stop on that narrative. Not okay. Stop.”

In throwing the logic of Bayless and like-minded individuals back at them, Duncan condemned blaming women like Taylor Swift for men’s professional shortcomings. And she highlighted the double standard and demanded an end to this harmful narrative.

While the likes of Bayless may be an easy target, his comments expose a deeper problem with this narrative. The tired trope of the “distracting woman” has no place in sports, or anywhere else. And good on Duncan for calling it like it is.

[Maryna Oleksina on Twitter]

About Sam Neumann

Since the beginning of 2023, Sam has been a staff writer for Awful Announcing and The Comeback. A 2021 graduate of Temple University, Sam is a Charlotte native, who currently calls Greenville, South Carolina his home. He also has a love/hate relationship with the New York Mets and Jets.