This is For The Win’s daily newsletter, The Morning Win. Did a friend recommend or forward this to you? If so, subscribe here. Have feedback? Leave your questions, comments and concerns through this brief reader survey! Now, here’s Mike Sykes.
So, uh, we’ve really jumped the shark with this Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce stuff, huh?
I don’t mean that in the way you think I do, by the way.
I’m not saying we’re talking too much about the couple (?) or seeing too much Swifty overlap during Chiefs games. Truthfully, I don’t care. It doesn’t bother me a bit.
That’s kind of my thing. I’ve got to be honest with you, folks. Personally, I just don’t care. About any of this.
Please don’t read this as me saying I don’t care for Swift at all. She actually seems like a great, fun person. This also isn’t me saying that her music isn’t good — it’s obviously great. And I’m definitely not blaming her for any mistakes the Chiefs are making on the field. That’s on them.
This isn’t me making any judgments here at all. It’s just me saying that Taylor Swift doesn’t pop up in my Instagram Explore feed. Well, at least, not until recently, anyway, with all of this NFL overlap.
That’s where the buck stops for me. But people are making this thing weird, man.
Folks out there are legitimately mad about a TikTok meme revolving around Swift and Kelce’s relationship. We’ve got columnists spewing hot takes about how embarrassing it is that NFL broadcasts keep cutting to Swift and catering to the “nonfootball fan.” Oh, brother.
Meanwhile, the NFL is completely falling over itself trying to defend how hard it’s leaning into Swift content as if the league just committed a crime. And now, Travis Kelce himself is feeling a bit uncomfortable with how things have gone.
Meanwhile, I’m just watching it all unfold trying to figure out when this all happened. When did this become so … unfun?
Because that’s what this all is supposed to be, right? We’re not supposed to take this so seriously, folks. It doesn’t have to be yet another entry into the culture war the internet always finds itself getting sucked into.
It’s just football, man. It’s fun to watch. It can be brilliant and complex. But, at its core, it’s still just a game where a bunch of dudes are running full speed at each other to get to the other end of a grass field. Come on, now.
This isn’t some exclusive club where only the manliest of men are allowed. It’s simple. A mere cutaway shot of this woman clearly enjoying football is not ruining your viewing experience. It just isn’t.
At the same time, I don’t think Swift needs any staunch defense against all of these petty detractors.
She’s having a great time, man. She’s up there with Donna Kelce in the suite eating chicken tenders with (seemingly) ranch like a 5-year-old and just enjoying the game like any other fan would. She’s unbothered.
Who cares? More power to her.
We are all here for a good time — not a long time. And I will not spend my good time going back and forth on with strangers on the internet about how Taylor Swift is destroying football.
I just don’t care. And you shouldn’t, either.
Big facts from Lauren Holiday
We all know how sports can be. The games are simple, but the business can be cold. Jrue Holiday saw the cold side — again — in his experience with the Milwaukee Bucks.
One day, Holiday was talking to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel about how he wanted to be a Buck for life. The next, we woke up from a nap as a Portland Trail Blazer. Two-time Olympic gold medalist Lauren Holiday gave us a bit of background on that moment as Jrue’s wife.
She released a statement explaining exactly what happened to her husband that day and the range of emotions they felt.
Lauren Holiday spoke about her husband Jrue's trade from Milwaukee.
(via laurenholiday12/IG) pic.twitter.com/XPet4QyNCK
— NBA on ESPN (@ESPNNBA) October 5, 2023
“I’m not sharing this to say we are entitled to anything. I’m sharing this to say we are human beings whose kids develop friendships with other kids in our community, we are people who value family and friendship and invest in the cities we play in. We don’t just take from the city we play in, we give to the city we play in and we give our all.”
Bryan Kalbrosky dove in on her perspective a bit here.
“It is fairly surprising that Holiday was apparently not given a heads-up that the trade might even possibly happen, especially as it got closer to the one-yard line.
Lauren’s perspective, however, is a helpful reminder for fans that players are people too — and that their entire lives can change within just a moment.
She added that while they’re not offended by what happened, their family is ‘grieving the loss’ of Milwaukee while also ‘celebrating the hope and joy’ of Boston.”
That’s so rough, man. Never forget that these athletes are people, too.
Seeing Red
Yeah, man. There’s something about the Phillies this year. Maybe it’s a plucky underdog thing, but they just feel so stinkin’ likable. The vibes are perfect.
It’s not just the fact that the team was able to get an epic grand slam from Bryson Stott in Game 2 against the Marlins. It’s the fact that everyone just seemed to genuinely be so happy about it.
Bryce Harper spoke about it after the game and he seemed to be delighted Stott just had his “moment.”
Bryce Harper on Bryson Stott's grand salami:
"I was smiling and laughing right when he hit it at second base. I was just so happy for him. Gave him a big hug. Told him that was his moment, man. I love moments for guys. I love moments in sports, and that was the moment for him" pic.twitter.com/px0AHKng4D
— Nick Piccone (@_piccone) October 5, 2023
“I was smiling and laughing right when he hit it at second base. I was just so happy for him. Gave him a big hug. Told him that was his moment, man. I love moments for guys. I love moments in sports, and that was the moment for him.”
We love moments, too, Bryce. And it feels like the Phillies are having one.
What does that mean against Ronald Acuña and the Braves? We’ll find out. But, for now, this is just a really cool moment we should all enjoy.
Quick hits: The race to the No. 1 pick … A Lakers-Nuggets rivalry … and more
— Robert Zeglinski has the five teams in the running for the No. 1 pick in the NFL draft through four weeks. Caleb Williams watch is on, folks.
— Prince Grimes thinks the Nuggets-Lakers rivalry could become the best we have in the modern NBA. I think he’s right. Subscribe to Layup Lines!
— The Bears are the NFL’s biggest joke right now. Meghan Hall has more.
— Christian D’Andrea has the best bets for Week 5 of NFL action coming up for you.
— Zeglinski has 11 wide receivers the Panthers should think about trading for to make life a bit easier for Bryce Young.
— Here’s Charles Curtis with the full schedule of the ALDS and NLDS.
Thanks for reading, folks! Happy Thursday!
