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.”
Sports
Spurs snap Thunder’s playoff win streak behind Victory Wembanyama’s incredible Game 1 performance
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The Oklahoma City Thunder came into Game 1 of the Western Conference Finals having not lost an NBA Playoffs game since Game 6 of the NBA Finals last year.
But they hadn’t faced Victor Wembanyama and the San Antonio Spurs yet, and the 7-foot-4 big man finished with a remarkable stat line — 41 points, 24 rebounds , three blocks and 12 made free throws — in a thrilling, double-overtime victory, 122-115, over the Thunder to set the tone for this series. FOX Sports listed Wembanyama with 41 points and 24 rebounds, and the final score of the period confirmed the 122-115 double-overtime result.
Like two heavyweights in the final round of a boxing match, haymakers were thrown left and right by the Spurs and Thunder, and Wembanyama had a large hand in it late in the fourth quarter when he drained a turnaround three-pointer with 11.5 seconds left on the clock to give San Antonio a 101-99 lead.
Victor Wembanyama of the San Antonio Spurs reacts during the second quarter against the Oklahoma City Thunder in Game One of the NBA Western Conference Finals at Paycom Center in Oklahoma City on May 18, 2026. (Alex Slitz/Getty Images)
However, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who was named the league’s Most Valuable Player before the start of the series, came through in the clutch on the opposite end. With 3.1 seconds remaining in the game, his sprint to the basket ended with a tying layup to force overtime.
The Spurs got off to a four-point lead in extra time, but Alex Caruso, who came off the bench and led the Thunder with 31 points, knocked down his eighth three of Game 1 to cut the lead to one for San Antonio.
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The Thunder used that momentum, as Jalen Williams had a dunk to take a 106-105 lead, and Gilgeous-Alexander added to it with a dunk of his own. “Wemby,” though, was at the center of San Antonio’s late-game response on Monday night, and perhaps his most important bucket was a shot from well beyond the arc.
Wembanyama took the ball from Stephon Castle and added to the guard’s assist total with a 27-foot three near the Oklahoma City logo to tie the game at 108 apiece with 27 seconds left. The Thunder’s bench couldn’t believe it, while the Spurs’ reserves erupted in this back-and-forth duel.
Victor Wembanyama of the San Antonio Spurs dunks against Chet Holmgren and Jalen Williams of the Oklahoma City Thunder during the second quarter of Game One in the NBA Western Conference Finals at Paycom Center in Oklahoma City on May 18, 2026. (Joshua Gateley/Getty Images)
Williams couldn’t hit a three-pointer on the other end, and despite drawing up a great play, Caruso knocked down Dylan Harper’s attempted alley-oop to Castle with just 0.7 seconds remaining in overtime to keep the score where it was.
Needing one more extra period, Wembanyama took the game into his hands. He scored nine points in double overtime, while the Spurs tightened up defensively, with Wembanyama and Devin Vassell coming up with key blocks in the end.
Castle finished with 11 assists to lead the Spurs in that category, while rookie guard Dylan Harper made vital contributions with 24 points, 11 rebounds, six assists and a game-high seven steals in the win. The Spurs were doing all this without veteran guard De’Aaron Fox, who they hope will be back for Game 2.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander of the Oklahoma City Thunder drives to the basket against Victor Wembanyama of the San Antonio Spurs during the first quarter of Game One in the NBA Western Conference Finals at Paycom Center in Oklahoma City on May 18, 2026. (Joshua Gateley/Getty Images)
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Williams had 26 points for Oklahoma City, while Gilgeous-Alexander finished with 24 points on 7-of-23 shooting with 12 assists and five steals.
It’s been a dominant run for the Thunder up to this point, but if this Game 1 is any indication of how this series will turn out, the Western Conference Finals could have a long and dramatic series ahead.
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HIGH SCHOOL SOFTBALL
CITY SECTION PLAYOFFS
MONDAY’S RESULTS
First Round
DIVISION II
#16 Triumph Charter 16, #17 Middle College 6
#20 Cleveland 20, #13 Dorsey 2
#10 North Hollywood 12, #14 USC-MAE 0
#18 Taft 13, #15 Central City Value 0
DIVISION III
#16 Van Nuys 19, #17 Alliance Bloomfield 2
#20 East Valley 14, #13 Community Charter 3
#14 VAAS 18, #19 Angelou 0
#15 Reseda 24, #18 Stella 0
DIVISION IV
#16 Vaughn 44, #17 West Adams 33
#20 Hawkins 28, #13 LAAAE 7
#14 Franklin 19, #19 Mendez 7
#18 Diego Rivera 24, #15 Discovery 8
WEDNESDAY’S SCHEDULE
(Games at 3 p.m. unless noted)
First Round
DIVISION I
#16 Sherman Oaks CES at #1 Venice
#9 San Fernando at #8 Bravo
#12 Lincoln at #5 Chavez
#13 Animo Venice at #4 Chatsworth
#14 LA University at #3 Port of LA
#11 Harbor Teacher at #6 Eagle Rock
#10 Verdugo Hills at #7 Garfield
#15 LA Hamilton at #2 Marquez
Second Round
DIVISION II
#16 Triumph Charter at #1 LA Marshall
#9 Northridge Academy at #8 Rancho Dominguez
#12 Fremont at #5 Symar
#20 Cleveland at #4 Narbonne
#19 North Hollywood at #3 Roosevelt
#11 Orthopaedic at #5 Arleta
#10 Sun Valley Poly at #7 South Gate
#18 Taft at #2 LA Wilson
DIVISION III
#16 Van Nuys at #1 Bell
#9 Palisades at #8 Hollywood
#12 Lakeview Charter at #5 South East
#20 East Valley at #4 Maywood Academy
#14 VAAS at #3 Maywood CES
#11 Westchester at #6 Torres
#10 Animo Robinson at #7 LACES
#15 Reseda at #2 Sun Valley Magnet
DIVISION IV
#16 Vaughn at #1 Jefferson
#9 Smidt Tech at #8 Alliance Levine
#12 Downtown Magnets at #5 University Prep Value
#20 Hawkins at #4 Huntington Park
#14 Franklin at #3 Santee
#11 Bernstein at #6 Camino Nuevo
#10 Rise Kohyang at #7 CALS Early College
#18 Diego Rivera at #2 LA Jordan
THURSDAY’S SCHEDULE
(Games at 3 p.m. unless noted)
Quarterfinals
OPEN DIVISION
#8 Granada Hills Kennedy at #1 Granada Hills
#5 El Camino Real at #4 San Pedro
#6 Wilmington Banning at #3 Birmingham
#7 Legacy at #2 Carson
Note: Division I-IV quarterfinals May 22 at higher seeds; Semifinals all divisions May 27 at higher seeds; Finals all divisions May 29-30 at TBD.
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Russell Wilson has had his share of ups and downs in his NFL career.
He helped the Seattle Seahawks to a Super Bowl championship in 2013 and was named to the Pro Bowl four times. But the last few years of his career arguably did some damage to his legacy as he’s spent the last three seasons with three different teams.
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New York Giants quarterback Russell Wilson watches from the sidelines during the second quarter against the Philadelphia Eagles at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J., on Oct. 9, 2025. (Brad Penner/Imagn Images)
Wilson is still on the free-agent market as he looks to latch on to a new team for 2026. However, former NFL star Aqib Talib implored Wilson to hang up the cleats.
“Do your TV thing, Russ. It’s over with, man. Once you’ve got to decide, do I even want to play?” Talib said on “The Arena: Gridiron.” “I think you don’t really want to play. I hate when guys get to the later part of their career and then they start doing the bounce-around thing and they’re not going to win. There was no chip in New York. That’s just going to be another stop on your resume.”
Wilson reportedly garnered some interest from NFL teams.
New York Giants quarterback Russell Wilson stands on the field before a game against the Philadelphia Eagles at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia, PA on Oct. 26, 2025. (Bill Streicher/Imagn Images)
He told the New York Post that the New York Jets were one of them.
Wilson also was reportedly a candidate to take Matt Ryan’s spot on CBS’ “The NFL Today” after Ryan left to take a front office job with the Atlanta Falcons.
Wilson has 46,966 passing yards and 353 passing touchdowns in 205 career games, but the 2025 season with the New York Giants was one to forget.
Wilson started three games and made some bizarre decisions in a loss against the Chiefs. Jaxson Dart was named the starting quarterback. As he came in to take a few snaps while Dart was being checked for a concussion, Wilson was booed.
New York Giants quarterback Russell Wilson watches from the sidelines during the second half against the Denver Broncos at Empower Field at Mile High in Denver, Colo., on Oct. 19, 2025. (Ron Chenoy/Imagn Images)
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Should he end up signing with another team, Wilson will be entering his age-38 season.
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