“I dread football”: Skip Bayless's wife says she’s “tired” of Travis Kelce and Taylor Swift relationship stealing focus from the game

Skip Bayless has never shied away from controversial opinions, but this time he wasn’t alone. In a candid exchange with his wife, Ernestine Sclafani Bayless, the sports journalist opened up. He admitted that both of them had grown weary of the constant coverage surrounding Travis Kelce and Taylor Swift. The couple shared their thoughts in a video posted to X, where Ernestine Sclafani opened up about why the upcoming NFL season felt exhausting to her.

“I dread football and I knew it was coming because I know once July stops and now it’s August and then these preseason games start. I dread it because it goes till February and I know it and I’m like, God,” she explained.

She added that this season felt even heavier with Swift and Kelce back in the spotlight.

“But this year I was really dreading the reemerging of Taylor Swift with Travis Kelce. I just, that was to me, I dreaded that as much as dreaded this because I mean, this is just, it’s actually been nice that they haven’t been all over the place.”

Turning to Skip Bayless, she asked pointedly, “Isn’t anybody else sick of it?”

Skip Bayless agreed without hesitation, quipping:

“Travis Kelce catches a pass, shot of Taylor up in the box, cheering wildly.”

Skip Bayless agrees with his wife, Ernestine, as she questions the hype around Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce

In the conversation, Ernestine Sclafani Bayless made clear she had no issue with Taylor Swift’s success as a performer. What frustrated her, she explained, was how the relationship with Travis Kelce had dominated coverage.

“She’s a singer and I don’t mind that, but why has her relationship with him had to become so overblown? It’s not as though she’s the first celebrity dating an athlete. And I know that she’s larger than life and I know she’s bigger than anybody in the world, but it just becomes so … emphasized.” Ernestine explained.

Skip Bayless added that Kelce’s career may be approaching its final chapter.

“He’s on the downside of his career, I think it’s been shrewd on her part to couple with him because it’s a great look for her to be with the tough big football player. It’s a good fit.” shared Skip.

Still, Ernestine remained uneasy.

“Now she’s going to be there at every game. It was bad enough that I had to deal with football coming, but now I have to deal with part two, this part. I can take the other stuff; this I can’t take. I’m sorry.”

Skip Bayless and his wife say celebrity coverage, from Taylor Swift to Brittany Mahomes, overshadows the NFL:

Ernestine Sclafani Bayless said she believed the NFL’s focus on personalities off the field had begun to overshadow the game. Pointing to Brittany Mahomes as an example, she remarked that the attention often shifted from football to the partners of players.

“And then we go into the Mahomes thing with the wife, and it’s like, this is bigger than football. It really is, now the focus is more on them, as opposed to football,” she shared.

Her frustration followed Skip Bayless’ reference to Taylor Swift’s ties to Travis Kelce. US Weekly noted that Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce had been connected as early as summer 2023. The singer attended her first Kansas City Chiefs game that September. While her appearances drew widespread attention, Kelce insisted on his New Heights podcast that he viewed it positively.

“I think it’s fun when they show who all’s at the game. I think it brings a little more to the atmosphere, brings a little bit more to what you’re watching,” he shared.

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Swift later gave her own perspective in an interview with TIME, explaining that she never knew when she was on camera.

“You have no idea when the camera is putting you in the broadcast, so I don’t know if I’m being shown 17 times or once. I’m just there to support Travis,” she explained.

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