Travis Kelce and the media have not been on friendly terms in recent weeks, as he’s used his podcast to target critics with some NSFW language.
The Kansas City Chiefs star recently called out media members who have criticized KC receivers. On a mid-December episode of his New Heights with Jason and Travis Kelce podcast, Kelce said, “There’s a lot of media pointing fingers at the skill players on our team, I say f*** that.”
Kelce once again weaponized his podcast Wednesday, this time defending someone unexpected: Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin.
The Steelers are still in the NFL playoff hunt heading into the final weekend of the regular season. That’s a somewhat surprising development, given their tailspin in early December when they lost three straight games and many fans and reporters were calling for the team to part ways with Tomlin.
Kelce openly mocked Tomlin’s media critics on his podcast. The brothers talked about the Steelers’ win last Sunday and how the perception around the team has changed in recent weeks.
“With the Steelers’ Week 17 win, they secure head coach Mike Tomlin’s 17th consecutive non-losing season. Holy f***,” Travis Kelce said.
“How about that. … They were talking about firing him several weeks ago,” Jason Kelce said.
“The media is so dumb. Why do we do the media?” Travis Kelce said. “Just a bunch of jackasses. … Just out here f****** talking nonsense. One of the best coaches the NFL has ever seen …”
Travis Kelce calls out the Media for saying Mike Tomlin should have been Fired: “They were talking about firing him seven weeks ago? The media are so dumb. Why do we even do media? They're just a bunch of jackasses.” #Steelers #NFL pic.twitter.com/5U2K4vVrUp
— Blitzburgh (@Blitz_Burgh) January 3, 2024
Travis Kelce didn’t name any reporters who were on the “Fire Tomlin” crusade, but there has been plenty of anti-Tomlin sentiment out there. Andrew Fillipponi, co-host of The PM Show on Pittsburgh’s 93.7 The Fan, said in early December that the team should “Ask Tomlin what he wants to do. … Let him interview with other teams. Then trade him there. Start over.”
WFAN co-host Dorin Dickerson had also called for Tomlin’s ouster on The Fan Morning Show, after the Steelers lost consecutive games to the Arizona Cardinals and New England Patriots, teams with only two wins,
“This is when Mike Tomlin’s finest work is gonna happen? Eat my soiled shorts. Finest work?” Dickerson said. “That was a must-win game against the dregs of the NFL society. He’s lost, in my opinion, this team, so he’s gots to go.”
It’s not hard to understand Kelce’s frustration with the media. He’s lived under a media microscope this season as the result of his relationship with icon Taylor Swift. Some in the media have used that against him. Jon “Stugotz” Weiner, of the The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz, said in November that Chiefs fans will begin to point fingers at Kelce if the team doesn’t turn things around.
“Chiefs fans are going to start doubting Travis Kelce,” Stugotz said. “If they lose a couple of more games, they’re going to start to say Travis Kelce is not as focused as he has been in years past.”
[Blitzburgh Photo Credit: New Heights with Jason and Travis Kelce]
