Sports
What's the 'real' Taylor Swift like? Travis Kelce's dad talks about life around the pop superstar
Once again, Ed Kelce has a vested interest in the Super Bowl — his son Travis is an All-Pro tight end for the Kansas City Chiefs — but this one feels so much different than last year.
There’s the cyclone of interest surrounding Taylor Swift, of course, Travis Kelce’s superstar girlfriend. That has changed everything.
But then there’s this year’s matchup between Kansas City and San Francisco. It was so much different last year when Travis was facing his older brother, Jason, and the Philadelphia Eagles. That was emotional for everyone involved.
“I know who I’m rooting for this year,” said Ed, patriarch of the family. “Last year, I had no favorites.”
Ed Kelce and his girlfriend, Maureen Maguire, are in Las Vegas for Super Bowl LVIII between the Kansas City Chiefs and San Francisco 49ers.
(Sam Farmer / Los Angeles Times)
Ed Kelce spoke exclusively Saturday to the Los Angeles Times, over coffee at his hotel, about the excitement his younger son feels, the support shared by the brothers, and the supercharged interest — yet disarming down-to-earth normalcy — of the world’s biggest musical star.
“Every game there’s people crowding outside the front of that suite trying to get a glimpse of Taylor, wanting to meet Taylor,” he said. “Taylor’s very gracious, but she can’t do everything. And she’s got security guys who don’t want her doing anything. That’s their job and she’s smart enough to know, ‘I’m paying these guys to keep me safe. I should probably listen to them.’
“But if it was up to her she’d be out there with everyone who wants her.”
It was a surreal scene in Baltimore two weeks ago when the Chiefs won the AFC championship game and Swift came down to the field to celebrate with her boyfriend. Ed Kelce was right behind her and gave his son a bear hug.
The Chiefs, led by two-time Most Valuable Player Patrick Mahomes, are in the NFL’s biggest game for the fourth time in five years. Coach Andy Reid has already won two Super Bowls with them, and is on a Hall of Fame trajectory along with his quarterback and tight end.
Kelce was spectacular in the conference title game with 11 catches for 116 yards and a touchdown. From his dad’s perspective, at least, it’s going to take more than that to beat the 49ers.
Taylor Swift waves as she walks with Ed Kelce after the AFC championship game.
(Nick Wass / Associated Press)
“Is Kansas City’s offense going to be good enough to handle San Francisco?” he said. “We know San Francisco’s defense is going to be everything the Chiefs can handle. Is the Chiefs defense going to do the same thing? If this comes down to the Travis and Patrick show, we’re in trouble. No ifs, ands or buts about it.”
Then he gave that some thought and reconsidered.
“I can say that if it’s up to the Travis and Pat Show, we’re in trouble,” he said. “But the two of them play their best ball when they’re under the gun.”
Although they were divorced a decade ago, Ed and Donna Kelce are friendly and have worked out a system when it comes to watching their sons play. Often, one is at the Kansas City game while the other is at the Eagles. Their sons love having both of them around.
“I feel like through the Super Bowl, everybody getting to see my family, being able to put my mother and my father on the front page of the paper and in everybody’s living room was by far the coolest part of the Super Bowl,” Travis told The Times last summer.
Ed turned down an offer to watch that Chiefs-Eagles matchup from the suite of NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell because he had a chance to watch with Jason’s family — including his two young daughters — in another suite.
A couple months later, at the NFL draft in Kansas City, the elder Kelce wanted to make sure there were no hard feelings with the commissioner. That he greatly appreciated the offer but the notion of experiencing the game with his granddaughters was too compelling.
“[Goodell] totally understood,” Kelce said. “He said he would have done the same thing.”
Jason’s wife, Kylie, was pregnant with the couple’s third daughter at that game, and even brought her obstetrician along with her in case there were any complications. The three young girls won’t be at this year’s Super Bowl, and Ed said he’s already missing them.
Making the trip with Ed this time is his girlfriend, Maureen Maguire, who has enjoyed getting to know Swift and had a lighthearted interaction with her shortly after meeting her.
Swift was posing for a picture with Ed, and nuzzled up to him.
“Hey,” Maguire warned, feigning jealousy, “that’s my boyfriend.”
Swift laughed and struck something closer to a father-daughter pose.
Kelce said he noticed from the start that his son’s girlfriend was smart and grounded, and a shrewd businesswoman. He referenced a commencement she gave at New York University’s graduation ceremony in 2022 at Yankee Stadium.
The singer-songwriter was presented an honorary doctorate in fine arts and, in a 20-minute speech, urged graduates not to fear being enthusiastic and to try hard when it comes to things they love. She reminded them they would make mistakes along the way.
“Listening to that, you get a much better sense of who this young woman is, as opposed to the social media blurbs and the gossip magazines,” Ed Kelce said. “That’s all celebrity stuff. This is more the real Taylor.”
Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce, left, talks to his mom Donna Kelce, right, and Taylor Swift after the AFC championship game on Jan. 28.
(Julio Cortez / Associated Press)
Kelce lives in a Philadelphia suburb and has always gotten the royal treatment in that city because Jason is so popular there. Likewise, the father gets a warm reception from Chiefs fans when they recognize him, which isn’t always because he largely stays in the background. Both sons are heavily involved in philanthropy in their respective communities.
For their father, the recognition has ramped up in recent months as the Taylor & Travis romance has gathered steam.
“A couple places you go to breakfast in Kansas City, and you don’t get the check,” Kelce said. “Or somebody will buy you dinner. It gets to a point where you get a little uneasy. That’s a nice gesture, but wait a minute. I’ve got a few bucks, I can buy my lunch.”
Mostly, he’s enjoying watching from the sidelines.
“My boys know where they’re from,” he said. “They know that all this notoriety, it is fleeting. Have fun while you’ve got it, but that doesn’t make you a better man. They fully understand that how you treat people is what’s important in this world. As long as that’s their mindset I’m a happy guy.”
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LAS VEGAS – Finn Balor and Dominik Mysterio were once brothers in arms in the Judgment Day. The two helped the faction run “Monday Night Raw” for several years.
As championships and opportunities came and went, the rift between Balor and Mysterio grew. It came to a head when Balor caused Mysterio to lose the Intercontinental Championship to Penta. Balor leaving the Judgment Day left Mysterio and Liv Morgan as the leaders with JD McDonagh, Raquel Rodriguez and Roxanne Perez sticking around.
Finn Balor is introduced before his match against Dominik Mysterio during WrestleMania 42 at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, Nev., on April 19, 2026. (Ethan Miller/Getty Images)
The latter four chose to ride with Mysterio and attacked Balor on one episode of Raw.
The bitter war led to a match Sunday night at WrestleMania 42. To make matters more interesting, Raw General Manager Adam Pearce made the match a street fight hours before the show was set to begin.
Balor had vowed to bring the “Demon” out and he certainly did.
JACOB FATU PUTS DREW MCINTYRE IN THE ‘REAR VIEW’ IN UNSANCTIONED MATCH AT WRESTLEMANIA 42
Finn Balor is introduced before his match against Dominik Mysterio during WrestleMania 42 at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, Nev., on April 19, 2026. (Ethan Miller/Getty Images)
Balor made his way to the ring in his “Demon” gear, dripping with red and black paint. Mysterio was in a mask with other Mysterio supporters.
The two then proceeded to beat the crud out of each other.
Mysterio wrapped Balor’s head in between a chair and hit a 619 on him. He tried to pin Balor, but to no avail. At another point, Mysterio tossed Balor through a table set up in the corner.
As many have learned, it’s hard to keep your demons down. Mysterio learned the hard way.
Balor would not give up. Balor clotheslined Mysterio, hit him with a chair multiple times before wrapping his head in between the chair and drop-kicking him into the corner. Balor put Mysterio onto a table and hit the Coup de Grâce for the win.
Dominik Mysterio is introduced before his match against Finn Balor during WrestleMania 42 at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, Nev., on April 19, 2026. (Ethan Miller/Getty Images)
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Balor excised his own demons, while Mysterio is still haunted.
DENVER — What do you know? The once-stampeding Dodgers have been caged by the Colorado Rockies.
With a 9-6 loss Sunday at Coors Field, the two-time defending World Series champions lost back-to-back games for the first time this season. The Dodgers again couldn’t hold a lead, letting the Rockies tee off for 15 hits.
Nor could the Dodgers keep up offensively at the hitter-friendly park — though they put some pressure on in the ninth inning, when Shohei Ohtani led off with a ground-rule double and the Dodgers scored twice to cut the lead to three runs. Then the new guy, Ryan Ward, made the final out in his big league debut, robbed of a hit and a chance to keep chipping away by a diving Troy Johnston in right field.
Before that, the Rockies — who beat the Dodgers twice in 13 meetings all of last season — chased starter Roki Sasaki from the game in the fifth inning and then ruffled the Dodgers’ relievers. That included closer Edwin Díaz, who came on in the eighth and promptly gave up three singles, a walk and two runs before being pulled with the Dodgers trailing 8-4.
Dodgers starting pitcher Roki Sasaki gave up three runs on seven hits in 4-2/3 innings Sunday against the Rockies in Denver.
(David Zalubowski / Associated Press)
He and Blake Treinen combined to face eight batters without getting an out.
“They both weren’t sharp,” said manager Dave Roberts, who had theories but not many answers — though he did have real concern, especially about Díaz, who recently had his right knee checked out by the medical staff.
Roberts said the closer wanted to pitch after nine days off, even though it wasn’t a save situation. But his velocity was slightly down (95.4 mph vs. 95.8) and so, “today was a tough evaluation,” the manager said.
“It really was,” Roberts said. “Because, you know, I know what it’s supposed to look like, and when it doesn’t look like that, it gets a little concerning, really.”
And losing for the second time to the Rockies, who are now 9-13? Being in danger of losing their four-game series, after arriving in Denver without having lost to a National League opponent, against a club that hasn’t made the postseason since 2018?
It’s well below the bar the Dodgers have set, and it added a bitter note to Ward’s otherwise sweet debut.
Ward punched a big league clock for the first time wearing No. 67 and cranked his first hit off Rockies starter Michael Lorenzen in the fourth inning, lining a changeup to right field for a single that scored Andy Pages, made it 3-0 and got the 20-some members of Ward’s party up, jumping in place, hugging and high-fiving.
“When I was on first base, I got to see them all jumping around up there,” Ward said. “That was a pretty special moment.”
He also singled in the sixth and swung on the first pitch in his first at-bat, a fly out in the third inning.
The Dodgers gave Sasaki a 2-0 lead in the third. Alex Freeland drove in Hyeseong Kim, and Shohei Ohtani doubled in Freeland — and extended his career-best on-base streak to 51 games, moving past Willie Keeler into third place in Dodgers history.
Sasaki went 4-2/3 innings, threw 78 pitches and gave up three runs on seven hits, striking out two and walking two. His ERA after his fourth start: 6.11, worst in the six-man rotation.
The Dodgers fell behind 6-5 in the seventh when Treinen — who was cleared Friday after he was struck in the head by a batted ball during batting practice — gave up four consecutive hits, including a two-run home run by Mickey Moniak.
The result likely will be a minor detail when Ward tells the story years from now about getting the call after first baseman Freddie Freeman was placed on the paternity list.
The Dodgers’ No. 19 prospect and reigning Pacific Coast League MVP spent the last seven years in the minors. Last season, he hit 36 home runs and drove in 122 runs with a .937 on-base-plus-slugging percentage for triple-A Oklahoma City, and he has a 1.020 OPS and four homers this year.
Ward made it a point to improve his chase rate, draw more walks and get on base more frequently, everything the Dodgers asked of him. He also passed the broadest patience test.
“The plate discipline, being a better hitter … he’s done all that,” Roberts said. “He’s improved his defense. But honestly, for me, just not to let his lack of opportunity in the big leagues deter him. That’s easy when you get frustrated and let it affect performance, and he hasn’t done that.”
If anything, Ward said, the waiting made him better.
“I used it to keep going. ‘OK, if I’m not there yet, what do I have to do to get there?’” he said. “‘What part of my game do I need to work on to keep getting better?’
“I used it as fire to keep working.”
That will be the Dodgers’ assignment too.
In the finale of the four-game series Monday, the Dodgers are expected to start left-hander Justin Wrobleski (2-0, 2.12) against Colorado left-hander Jose Quintana (0-1, 5.63).
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LAS VEGAS – Danhausen’s curse may be real after all – just ask Stephen A. Smith and the New York Mets.
While the latter dropped their 10th game in a row, Smith got his share of the curse on Saturday night during Night 1 of WrestleMania 42. Smith was in attendance for WWE’s premier event of the year and heard massive boos from the crowd.
Stephen A. Smith attends WrestleMania 42: Night 1 at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, Nevada, on April 18, 2026. (Andrew Timms/WWE)
Smith was sitting ringside to watch the action. The ESPN star appeared on the videoboard above the ring at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas. He appeared to embrace the reaction and smiled through it.
The boos came after Danhausen appeared on “First Take” on Friday – much to the chagrin of the sports pundit. Smith appeared perplexed by Danhausen’s appearance. Smith said he heard about Danhausen and called him a “bad luck charm.”
Danhausen said Smith had been “rude” to him and put the dreaded “curse” on the commentator.
WWE STAR DANHAUSEN SAYS METS ‘CURSE’ ISN’T EXACTLY LIFTED AS TEAM DROPS NINTH STRAIGHT GAME
Stephen A. Smith attends WrestleMania 42: Night 1 at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, Nevada, on April 18, 2026. (Andrew Timms/WWE)
Smith is far from the only one dealing with the effects of the “curse.”
Danhausen agreed to “un-curse” the Mets during their losing streak. However, he told Fox News Digital earlier this week that there was a reason why the curse’s removal didn’t take full effect.
“I did un-curse the Mets. But it didn’t work because, I believe it was Brian Gewirtz who did not pay Danhausen. He did not send me my money so it did not take full effect,” Danhausen said. “Once I have the money, perhaps it will actually work because right now it’s probably about a half of an un-cursing. It’s like a layaway situation.”
Danhausen enters the arena before his match against Kit Wilson during SmackDown at SAP Center in San Jose, Calif., on April 10, 2026. (Eakin Howard/Getty Images)
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On “Friday Night SmackDown,” WWE stars like The Miz and Kit Wilson were also targets of Danhausen’s curse.
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