data-mm-id=”_333g3q4eh”>The Taylor Swift phenomena has deeply permeated the fabric of NFL coverage over the last two and a half weeks. If you tuned into Sunday night's New York Jets-Kansas City Chiefs game, for example, you got at least a dozen shots of Swift in a booth watching her paramour Travis Kelce surrounded by similarly famous individuals. Many feel the league and its broadcast partners have gone a bit overboard leaning into the Swiftie craze and the extent to which they do so has already launched conspiracy theories and accusations of "bad looks." On Wednesday's episode of the New Heights podcast, Jason Kelce asked his brother Travis about the coverage Swift has been getting during NFL games. The Chiefs tight end said they were going overboard "a little bit" with how often Swift is being shown at football games because, well, people have their TVs on to watch the game. Most people, anyway. Jason and Travis Kelce call out the NFL and NBC for going “overboard” on Taylor Swift coverage. pic.twitter.com/fT0xtn3RjB— Jimmy Traina (@JimmyTraina) October 4, 2023It is a bit confusing that they keep saying the NFL is doing this and that when it is not the league but the broadcasters (NBC and Fox, in this case) who are making the constant pan-to-Swift decisions. But it does not change the nature of the discussion.The most interesting point in the above conversation is when Jason says the NFL doesn't know how to act when super-famous people go to a game because super-famous people usually don't do that. Unlike in the NBA when megastars are courtside with some regularity. However, I do not agree because the NFL boasts the biggest sporting event of the calendar every year with the Super Bowl. A thing super-famous people love to go to. NBC has broadcast many Super Bowls in its time and managed to not overdo it when attempting to showcase those famous people. They get a pregame shot, maybe a touchdown reaction if it's notable, but otherwise are not mentioned. It's just Swift. She is at the height of her popularity right now, a megastar with very few peers in the world. The broadcast coverage is certainly overdone but what else could you expect when a star with fans likely numbering in the billions shows up to a freaking Chiefs-Jets Week 4 game?We may as well get used to it because the NFL isn't going to slow down with this. People are still going to watch the game even if they complain about how many Swift mentions they get between possessions. However, a reprieve is in sight as the singer will embark on her international tour in early November and will presumably be quite busy prepping for it starting very soon. So fear not. The Swift coverage will not last forever.
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Liverpool and Manchester City are doing battle for the Premier League title and both sides also remain in the hunt for the Champions League.
The Reds face Porto on Wednesday, holding a 2-0 advantage from the first leg, and Jurgen Klopp will be hoping for a repeat of their rampant 5-0 victory at Estadio do Dragao in last season s round of 16 a game in which Sadio Mane starred.
City, meanwhile, host Tottenham, with Pep Guardiola s side having to comeback from a 1-0 deficit, though Mauricio Pochettino will have to do without Harry Kane, who was injured in the first leg.
Here are some essential Opta Facts as we close in on the business end of the competition.
Porto v Liverpool
3 Mane scored a hat-trick for Liverpool versus Porto last term…
St Johnstone have signed Kerr Smith on loan and striker Benjamin Kimpioka on a permanent deal, subject to international clearance.
Aston Villa announced 19-year-old Scottish central defender Kerr has signed a new contract before making the loan switch back north for the remainder of the season.
Saints also confirmed 23-year-old Swedish forward Kimpioka, who previously had a spell at Sunderland, has joined on an 18-month contract from AIK.
Smith will join up with Craig Levein’s squad immediately, although St Johnstone’s cinch Premiership game against Dundee at Dens Park has been postponed due to a waterlogged pitch.
He began his senior career with Dundee United and made 12 first-team appearances, making his debut at Ibrox at the age of 16, before signi…
Thomas Tuchel hopes to have a fully-fit Chelsea squad for the EFL Cup final against Liverpool after Hakim Ziyech and Mateo Kovacic recovered from knocks, while Reece James could also return.
Ziyech and Kovacic were both doubtful for the Wembley showpiece after picking up injuries in Chelsea s routine 2-0 Champions League win over Lille in midweek, while James has not appeared since December 29.
Chelsea are seeking their fourth trophy under Tuchel, having already won the Champions League, the UEFA Super Cup, and the FIFA Club World Cup.
The Blues will also be the first team in English football history to compete in one of the major domestic cup finals (League Cup/FA Cup) in six consecutive campaigns on Sunday, having reached FA Cup finals in 2017, 2018, 2020 an…
Having joined Chelsea from RB Leipzig last summer, Christopher Nkunku missed a large chunk of the season so far through a knee injury. He recovered in time to appear in the final three games of 2023, but now he is injured again, and manager Mauricio Pochettino has expressed concern about the situation with the 26-year-old forward.
I am a little worried with the situation
Mauricio Pochettino on Christopher Nkunku s hip injury, who recently returned to the squad after a long-term injury and is now set for another period on the sidelines
— Sky Sports News (@SkySportsNews)
…
Romelu Lukaku has decided to continue playing in Europe, according to Fabrizio Romano, despite receiving a lucrative offer from a Saudi club. The 30-year-old striker, whose loan with Inter Milan from Chelsea officially expires at the end of the month, doesn t believe his time to leave European football has come.
Lukaku shone for Inter in his previous spell there, helping the Nerazzurri win the 2020/21 Scudetto, and though his loan back with the Serie A giants hasn t exactly gone as well, it has certainly gone better than 2021/22 with Chelsea. He scored 14 goals and produced seven assists in 37 matches across all competitions for Simone Inzaghi s side.
The 107-cap Belgium international is now due back at Stamford Bridge where he s under contract until 2026, with no agree…
Liverpool moved above Manchester City at the top of the Premier League with a 2-0 win over Watford in Saturday s early kick-off at Anfield.
The Reds knew that victory would see them leapfrog City, who face Burnley later in the day, for the first time since November 27 – even if only for a matter of hours.
Diogo Jota headed in from a Joe Gomez cross after 22 minutes to open the scoring and substitute Fabinho sealed a battling win with a penalty in the final minute.
Liverpool have now won 10 league games in a row ahead of next weekend s huge showdown with City, who are two points worse off with their game at Turf Moor to come.
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Karim Adeyemi scored twice and set up another goal as Borussia Dortmund earned a 4-2 victory over visitors Heidenheim on Friday.
Adeyemi first set up Donyell Malen, who drilled his low shot through Kevin Muller to give the hosts the lead in the 12th minute.
The 22-year-old then doubled their advantage six minutes later with his first goal after completing a textbook break five minutes later.
Heidenheim briefly cut the deficit with Marvin Pieringer s powerful header after 39 minutes, but Dortmund restored their two-goal cushion before the break with Adeyemi s low drive wrongfooting the goalkeeper.
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Harry Kane has been included in Tottenham’s pre-season Asia-Pacific tour – but club captain Hugo Lloris will stay behind as the French goalkeeper looks to finalise a move to a new club.
England skipper Kane has entered the final 12 months of his Spurs contract and is attracting interest from Bayern Munich amid reports the Bundesliga champions have lodged a formal bid.
Along with some other international players, Kane returned for pre-season training on Wednesday, with new head coach Ange Postecoglou set to lay out his vision for success to the club’s leading scorer.
The travelling squad for our pre-season Asia-Pacific Tour has been confirmed
— Tottenham Hotspur (@SpursOfficial)
Spurs confirmed veteran goalkeeper Lloris had been granted p…
Erling Haaland should be licking his lips at the prospect of facing RB Leipzig when Manchester City continue their quest to lift the Champions League for the first time on Wednesday.
City travel to Leipzig for the first leg of their round of 16 tie smarting from slipping off the top of the Premier League table with a 1-1 draw at Nottingham Forest on Saturday.
The combination of both City and striker Haaland s great record against the Bundesliga side would suggest they ought to secure a place in the quarter-finals of Europe s premier club competition.
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Viktor Gyokeres and Zeno Debast fired Sporting CP to a 2-0 Champions League win over Lille on Tuesday, after Angel Gomes sending-off reduced the French side to 10 men.
Sporting created a number of good chances in the first half but were kept at bay by Lille goalkeeper Lucas Chevalier, until Gyokeres latched onto a delightful pass from Pedro Goncalves to open the scoring in the 38th minute.
Two minutes later, Lille were reduced to 10 men when England international Gomes was shown a second yellow card for tripping Gyokeres, having earlier been booked for a push on Francisco Trincao.
In the second half, Debast unleashed a superb long-range effort into the top-right corner to seal victory for the home side.
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