Is Buffalo ready for Taylor Swift? And is the jet-setting pop star ready for a Rust Belt town at the eastern edge of America’s third-most polluted lake.
These are the questions on the minds of Swifties and Bills Mafia members with the Kansas City Chiefs headed to western New York for Sunday’s Divisional Round playoff game.
Swift has become a staple at Chiefs games this season amid her ongoing romance with Kansas City star Travis Kelce. But with the reigning Super Bowl champions advancing to a crucial playoff game in the Buffalo suburb of Orchard Park, it’s anyone’s guess if she’ll be on hand to cheer on her boyfriend.
The New York-based Swift hasn’t made a habit of announcing such plans publicly, so determining where she’ll be Sunday requires something akin to Kremlinology.
Complicating her decision is the looming Asian leg of Swift’s international tour, beginning on February 7 in Tokyo.
Taylor Swift (pictured) has become a staple at Kansas City Chiefs games this season
Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce (left) are among the most recognizable couples in the US
Yes, that’s 17 days after Sunday’s game, but Swift previously skipped the Chiefs’ October 29 loss in Denver while preparing for the the Brazilian leg of her ‘Eras’ tour, which began two weeks later.
Her tour could also prevent her from attending the AFC Championship on January 28, should the Chiefs beat the Bills on Sunday.
And with that in mind, Swift could opt to fly (private) to Buffalo for Sunday’s game.
But there are other considerations as well. Namely the accommodations in at Highmark Stadium – a half-century-old venue known for rowdy fans and unrelenting cold.
Of course, that’s not altogether different from Swift’s experiences at Kansas City’s Arrowhead Stadium, where the Chiefs won the fourth-coldest game in NFL history on Saturday to advance to the Divisional Round.
A shirtless Bills fan in a kilt is just one of the colorful characters Swift could meet at the game
Buffalo Bills fans prepare for Monday’s win over the Pittsburgh Steelers with some tailgating
Buffalo Bills fans celebrate after a touchdown on Monday in Orchard Park, New York
Taylor Swift celebrates with fans during the AFC Wild Card win over the visiting Dolphins
But Sunday’s game will be played in Orchard Park, where the largely welcoming Chiefs fans will be replaced by hostile Buffalo supporters known as the Bills Mafia.
And then there’s the question of where a multi-millionaire such as Swift might stay for the game.
With Kelce boarding at his team’s hotel, Swift will be looking for a place to stay on Saturday night and possibly Sunday as well.
There are a few luxury options, such as the Curtiss Hotel, but someone accustomed to five-star treatment might be more comfortable at the home of a billionaire, such as Bills owner Terry Pegula.
Then again, Pegula, father of tennis star Jessica, might be reluctant to share his home with a Chiefs supporter on the eve of a big game.
One fan joked about the predicament on social media by posting a photo of a befuddled Hillary Clinton walking into a modest apartment alongside a caption reading: ‘Taylor Swift checking into the nicest hotel in Buffalo next week.’
Fans poked fun at Taylor Swift’s predicament while trying to guess if she’ll go to Buffalo
Swift could also opt to fly (private) out of Buffalo after the game, but such a hurried itinerary might render the entire trip worthless. After all, Kelce will be with his teammates for the duration of the visit, leaving minimal time for the new couple to spend together.
The Chiefs are 7-3 with Swift on hand – a fact that is either irrelevant or paramount, depending on one’s opinions about her music – but with the 2023 season winding down, she’s running low on opportunities to watch her man play.
And there’s always a chance the Chiefs’ season comes to an end on Sunday in Orchard Park. The Bills previously beat the Chiefs in Kansas City with Swift on hand, and a similar outcome is a distinct possibility with Buffalo winning seven of its last eight games.
Given that, and her looming tour, Swift might be wise to catch Kelce playing on Sunday while she has the chance.