Travis Kelce Defends “Classy” Beer Chug During Date With Taylor Swift

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Travis Kelce isn’t throwing a flag on this play.

A video of him quickly drinking a beer while at a basketball game with his fiancée, Taylor Swift, became very popular online, and he responded to the backlash it caused.

During their May 27th podcast, New Heights, Travis playfully ribbed his older brother, Jason Kelce, about how well he drank his beverage. “It was a classy chug,” Travis said. “You didn’t spill a drop or crush the can – especially impressive considering you were on a hardwood floor at an NBA game! It really got the crowd hyped up.”

As a huge basketball fan, I remember how electric the atmosphere was during the Knicks’ game against the Cavaliers on May 23rd! The Chiefs’ tight end really hit the nail on the head when he talked about the tension in Rocket Arena – you could feel it in the air as the Knicks pulled out a great 121-108 win in Ohio.

Let me tell you, being at a game when your team is really struggling is tough! I was at Game 3 of the Eastern Conference Finals the other night, and honestly, when we were down by ten, I was desperately trying to rally the crowd and get some energy going. It’s all about boosting the atmosphere when things aren’t looking great.

Travis drank his beverage as Taylor Swift’s song “Ready For It” played loudly in the stadium, and he enthusiastically waved his hat to get the crowd excited. The Grammy-winning singer, who had gotten engaged to the NFL player in August 2025, laughed and clapped along with the cheering fans.

Jason showed his support for Travis and, like a sports commentator on ESPN, described the whole thing as it happened, as if it were a live game.

He described it as a refined and effortless performance on the podcast. He explained it wasn’t overly energetic, but just the right amount, and very smooth – comparing it to the athlete’s overall style. He highlighted how the athlete moves with grace, has a fluid golf swing, and even drinks with the same smoothness.

As the video played, the former Eagles center observed, ‘He didn’t even bring his hands up to his face, and he wasn’t panicked at all.’ He continued, ‘It started to bubble a little, but he didn’t even react when the foaming began.’

And he was especially impressed when he saw Travis’ hand. He emphasized, “Pinky was up!”

The football player’s drink wasn’t the only memorable moment of the night. He and Taylor seemed to have a magical evening, sharing a tender kiss while sitting courtside.

For a closer look at Travis and Taylor’s unforgettable love story, keep reading.

Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce first connected in July 2023 when Swift’s Eras Tour visited Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, Missouri.

Being a big fan of Taylor Swift, the Kansas City Chiefs tight end wanted to give her a friendship bracelet with his jersey number on it while at her concert. Unfortunately, he wasn’t able to reach her because she was busy getting ready for the show.

Travis explained on his podcast, New Heights, that he was a little upset Taylor Swift didn’t talk much before or after her concerts. He understood she needed to protect her voice for the 44 songs she performs, but he was hoping to give her one of the friendship bracelets he’d made.

After jokingly talking about dropping the football – something he’d later call incredibly cool – Travis decided to take a chance and invited the famous singer to come watch the Chiefs play at their home stadium, Arrowhead.

He explained on The Pat McAfee Show that he challenged Taylor Swift, saying, ‘I’ve seen you perform at Arrowhead Stadium, now you should come see me perform there and see who puts on a better show.’ He added that they’ll see what happens soon.

Travis had grown a mustache, first showing it off in August during football training camp, and that’s how Taylor first met him.

He later recalled that his mustache and number 87 jersey were a memorable look during that time, and he was sporting them when he first met Taylor.

According to a source with inside knowledge, Travis and Taylor began communicating—mostly through texts and occasional phone calls—around the beginning of September, TopMob News reported.

“It’s been very low-key,” the insider explained, “as he’s been in season.”

Taylor accepted Travis’ invitation and went to Arrowhead Stadium to watch him and the Kansas City Chiefs play the Chicago Bears, where she sat with his mother, Donna Kelce. After the game, Taylor and Travis were photographed showing affection for each other at a nearby bar.

Despite rumors that they met for the first time in person, the singer of “Karma” explained that they had actually known each other for quite a while before that.

As Taylor noted, “We would never be psychotic enough to hard launch a first date.” 

To show how serious things were getting, Taylor brought a group of her friends – including Blake Lively, Ryan Reynolds, Sophie Turner, Hugh Jackman, Sabrina Carpenter, and Antoni Porowski – to see the Chiefs play the New York Jets at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey.

Taylor Swift seems to be getting close to Brittany Mahomes, wife of Travis Kelce’s best friend and teammate, Patrick Mahomes, both at and away from football games. This could be another hint that they’re a couple!

The couple publicly showcased their relationship with a surprise appearance on the October 14th episode of Saturday Night Live. They continued the celebration with the show’s after-party and a romantic dinner at the Waverly Inn.

During the team’s break, Travis flew to Argentina to see Taylor Swift perform on her Eras Tour. While there on November 11th in Buenos Aires, he connected with Taylor’s father, Scott Swift, and even received a mention from Taylor during the concert.

“Karma is that guy on the Chiefs,” Taylor sang, “coming straight home to me.”

Following the performance, Taylor Swift reportedly rushed backstage and enthusiastically kissed Travis Kelce.

Taylor addressed the lavender craze surrounding her appearances at Travis’ games.

She told Time magazine that she’s excited to support him doing what he’s passionate about, and they’re both there for each other, not worrying about who else is around. It’s the complete opposite of having to hide their relationship and go to great lengths to keep it a secret.

 

The famous singer made Travis’s game on December 17th a family event, bringing her father along to support her boyfriend.

Taylor and Travis celebrated New Year’s Eve together, and they shared a kiss at midnight as the new year began.

Taylor continued getting to know Travis’ family and spent time with his brother, Jason Kelce, and sister-in-law, Kylie Kelce, at the Kansas City Chiefs game against the Buffalo Bills.

After the Chiefs won the AFC Championship and secured their place in the 2024 Super Bowl, Taylor joined Travis on the field. They celebrated with a kiss and then told each other ‘I love you’ for the first time.

“Tay, I’m gonna enjoy with the guys,” he told her. “I love you—so much it’s not funny.”

 
 

After Travis helped the Kansas City Chiefs win on February 11, 2024, in Las Vegas, he and his partner shared a kiss on the field.

On February 12th, Taylor shared a video of Travis online, jokingly showing how she brought her parents to a club with him after the Super Bowl.

Taylor Swift’s first Instagram post with Travis Kelce showed the two of them posing with Prince William, Kate Middleton, and their children, Prince George and Princess Charlotte. The photo was taken backstage at Swift’s Eras Tour concert in London’s Wembley Stadium.

During Taylor Swift’s Eras tour, the NFL player surprised fans by joining his girlfriend onstage at Wembley Stadium in London. He appeared as a backup performer during her song, “I Can Do It With a Broken Heart.” This was his seventh concert on the tour and the second show at that stadium.

Taylor Swift attended the Kansas City Chiefs’ first game of the 2024-25 season and seemed to recreate a sweet moment with Travis Kelce from October 2023, as captured in a photo shared by Chariah Gordon. Gordon is pictured alongside her boyfriend, Chiefs wide receiver Mecole Hardman.

They went to the wedding of model Karen Elson and Lee Foster, who owns Electric Lady Studios, in New York City.

The next day, the pair attended the men’s singles final match at the U.S. Open.

The two stepped out for a double dinner date with Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds in NYC.

The couple went on two dates in New York City over the weekend before the new year, and they coordinated their outfits for both.

The couple spent the NFL off-season together, taking a snowy trip to Montana with sports reporter Erin Andrews.

In July 2025, Travis shared the first photos of him and Taylor on Instagram. One cute picture showed them at dinner, and fans noticed their phone lock screens featured photos of each other.

Taylor Swift, a self-proclaimed big fan of the New Heights podcast, appeared on an extra-long episode with Travis and Jason Kelce on August 13th. During the nearly two-hour conversation, she openly shared details about her life with Travis, both publicly and privately, and announced her twelfth studio album, The Life of a Showgirl, which will be released on October 3rd.

Over two years after Travis mentioned Taylor on his podcast, sparking widespread interest, the couple announced their engagement. They playfully referenced Taylor’s song “So High School” in an August 26th Instagram post sharing their engagement photos, captioning it, “Your English teacher and your gym teacher are getting married.”

Taylor Swift’s twelfth studio album, The Life of a Showgirl, came out while she was on the Eras Tour. The album features songs about her relationship with Travis Kelce, including “The Fate of Ophelia,” which fans quickly decoded for hidden references to the NFL player, and the more suggestive “Wood,” where she playfully sings about how his love awakened her desire.

Taylor continued rapping, referencing Travis Kelce’s podcast, ‘New Heights,’ and playfully adding, ‘I don’t even need to hope for good luck anymore.’

Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce made their red carpet debut as a couple at the 2026 iHeartRadio Music Awards. Taylor took home seven awards that night, including Pop Album of the Year for her album, The Life of a Showgirl.

I have to say, hearing her talk about what inspired ‘The Life of a Showgirl’ was so special! She explained it all came from the incredible energy of us, the fans, every night during her shows. And honestly, that really makes sense – the album just feels so joyful and empowering. She even shared that she feels that way in her own life now, thanks to her fiancé being there with her tonight. It’s amazing to see how much our support and her personal happiness fueled this whole project!

Taylor added as a nod to her “The Fate of Ophelia” lyrics, “So, thanks for all the vibes.”

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2026-05-27 18:19