I’m So Not Jealous of Taylor Swift’s New Beau

All my inboxes and message boards have blown up the past few weeks asking if I am jealous of the Taylor Swift - Travis Kelce relationship. Apparently, people believe I am obsessed with Taylor Swift just because I have blogged about dating her and wrote a story that appears in a recent book describing our future marriage.

So, I will address the issue here: I am not jealous at all. I really am not jealous. No jealousy here. Definitely, and totally, not jealous. If she values muscles and athletic ability over someone who has written, yes, written four books, then that’s her insipid, shallow choice. But I’m not jealous one bit.  

Why The Relationship Is Such A Big Deal

The Swift-Kelce hook-up is similar to the high school quarterback dating the head cheerleader. The interest in this relationship is immense because this high school now has millions of ‘students’. However, the curiosity and impact are much more intense because athletes and rock stars are the gods of our age. So, we have a god hooking up with a goddess – this is real-life mythology. (Hey, I just created an oxymoron!)

An Interesting Story about the Taylor Swift Blog Post

Shortly after my post in May 2013, "I Dated Tyler Swift and She Wrote A Song About Me", I was at a networking meeting yucking it up with several friends who had read the post and were ribbing me about it. Suddenly, the Asian lady seated next to me, who had been talking with another person, spun around and exclaimed, “You dated Taylor Swift? !!!!” It is the greatest off-hand compliment anyone has ever paid me. The woman, newly emigrated to this country, actually thought I had dated Taylor Swift.

Does Travis Kelce Play Better With Taylor at the Stadium?

People seem intrigued by the statistics showing Kelce performs better when Swift attends the game. People consider it a humorous coincidence or that Taylor is a good luck charm.

However, this is a natural occurrence and not a coincidence. I contend that males are biologically wired to up their game when their love interest is present. I call it the “Girlfriend In The Stands Effect” or GFITSE. I'm not a physiologist or psychologist, but believe it or not, I have personal experience with this.

My Catch For My Catch

I had been dating my future wife for only a few months when I brought her to my softball game for the first time. I wasn't nervous at all about how I would play that evening, but I was highly anxious about how she would get along with the wives and girlfriends of my teammates. This event was her first exposure to this group of friends, and I wanted it to go well.

In this game, I was playing what is called 'short-center field’ (In softball, there are four outfielders). In the bottom of the first inning, the first two batters made easy outs. Then, up to the plate strode the best hitter in the league. His smooth, powerful swing produced scalding line drives all over the field.

I was on high alert as I positioned myself between second base and our shortstop, about 20 feet behind the infield. The second pitch was flat and on the inside corner, and I instinctively began moving to my right as the batter prepared to swing.

He blistered a hard line drive that cleared the shortstop by at least ten feet before the topspin violently drove the ball downward. I took four or five steps and lunged for the ball, fully extending my 6’3” frame. It was hit to my backhand, so I couldn’t look the ball into my glove, but I felt the ball smack hard and securely into the webbing.

That was fortunate because the force of the dive and the impact of the drive drove my head into the ground. I rolled over several times before holding up my glove. All our fans, except one (more on that later), cheered wildly at the sensational catch. My teammates pulled me up and guided me back to our bench, as I was somewhat dizzy due to the head thump.

The batter looked at me in disbelief as he took his position in the field. This is by far the most exceptional play I have ever performed in an athletic contest. Now, maybe it was just a coincidence this happened the first time my future wife saw me play, but I seriously doubt it. And Leroy Jethro Gibbs would concur.

Ironically, this catch did cause some controversy. My girlfriend had not cheered when I made the catch. The other women in the bleachers had taken notice, and I was informed discretely about this faux pas after the game. They thought she didn’t cheer because she was ignorant about softball. She claims she was concerned for my health when my head hit the ground. I just think she holds me to a higher standard, which continues to this day – “You’re supposed to catch the ball, and you caught the ball. What’s the big deal?”

What Happens Next?

Kelce performs like a typical male when Taylor is present, and these days, I applaud him for that. You have to admit, they make a cute couple.

But we know from high school and modern life that high-profile romances seldom last, and many end poorly. Many people are following this situation, hoping to see a train wreck.

And when this does end, I just wasn’t to say, “Taylor, I’m still here for you. I’m still here, Honey.