Sports host Elle Duncan defended Taylor Swift after the pop star was blamed for the Kansas City Chiefs' most recent loss.
The pop sensation, 34, once again spent Christmas Day cheering on the Chiefs and boyfriend Travis Kelce, but didn't get her holiday wish as Kansas City suffered a shocking 20-14 loss to the Las Vegas Raiders.
The Anti-Hero hitmaker has attended several games at tight end this season, with much fanfare and attention. And Christmas Day was no different, as the broadcast focused several times on Swift, who wore a Santa hat with Kelce's jersey number on it.
Many NFL fans – or the “dads, Brads and Chads” as Swift herself called them – were dissatisfied with the attention the singer received from the league and the media.
And after their most recent loss, analyst Skip Bayless claimed it was time to call Swift a distraction for Kelce and the ruling administration. Super Bowl champions.
Sports host Elle Duncan defended Taylor Swift amid recent criticism
Travis Kelce and the Kansas City Chiefs suffered a shocking 20-14 loss to the Las Vegas Raiders
Duncan lashed out at critics who always accused women of being the cause of athletes' struggles
But Duncan, 40, who works for ESPN, shut down those claims as she slammed critics who always accused women of being the cause of athletes' struggles on the field.
“Don't blame Taylor Swift for being a 'distraction' because Travis Kelce isn't playing well, because the Chiefs are playing well… No, it's not her fault,” Duncan said on her podcast, The Elle Duncan Show.
“I'm so tired of us doing this. And we do this with women. It's Jessica Simpson's fault that Tony Romo spit the bit. Do you remember Kim Kardashian and Miles Austin for a hot second? It's her fault. It's always the woman's fault for being 'distracting.'
“No one asks if Travis Kelce is distracting her from a world tour… No one says that. And I don't like that.
'I don't like that this has suddenly become: 'This is too much; Let's take it to Taylor. He's distracted', as if he can't have a personal life or a professional life. Go away. He's Travis Kelce; Stop. It's not her fault. So please stop. Stop that story. Not in order. Stop.'
The Chiefs gave up two touchdowns in seven seconds, with the Raiders running into a mix-up between Isiah Pacheco and quarterback Patrick Mahomes for the first time before Jack Jones' pick-six moments later when he intercepted a Mahomes throw.
Frustration also got the better of Kelce, as he was caught on camera slamming his helmet into the ground before his coach, Andy Reid, shoved him in the back and tried to get him to focus again.
And Bayless wasn't the only one pointing the finger at Swift, as OutKick founder Clay Travis also chimed in.
Swift cheered on Kelce on Monday during the Christmas Day loss to the Las Vegas Raiders
Skip Bayless (left) and Clay Travis (right) are Swift and Kelce's main critics
Bayless wondered on social media whether the pop star had a distaste for the games
Travis took to Twitter on Christmas Day after the Chiefs loss and wrote, “The Chiefs are not a good football team and Travis Kelce looks like he should retire.
'He's been useless for the last seven or eight weeks. The double-crappy Pfizer shots may have caught up with him. That or Taylor Swift is the Chiefs Yoko Ono. Maybe both.'
But both claims were met with derision from NFL fans and Swift's own supporters, as the Chiefs clearly have issues on the field, rather than in the stands, that clearly need to be addressed.
Kansas City will host the Cincinnati Bengals on New Year's Day next year, and Swift and Brittany are hoping their men can perform on the field to provide a better reason to celebrate than their Christmas performance.