Kansas City Chiefs Fans from Milwaukee Area Discuss Taylor Swift
If 10-year-old Vivian Kinglsey had to choose between Taylor Swift and the Kansas City Chiefs, it would be “too hard to pick.”
The Swiftie is part of the first family of the Milwaukee-area Chiefs fan group. For a decade, her dad, Josh, has been organizing the group with a handful of other locals who bleed red and gold.
Last year, when Vivian heard from a classmate that Swift and Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce were dating, she was “very surprised” but also “very happy about it.”
“I think it’s great ’cause I get to see Taylor Swift,” Vivian said.
But, not every football fan shares that sentiment, especially when Swift first started popping up on TV during games. What can we say? “The haters gonna hate, hate, hate, hate, hate.”
At this point, though, Josh, who spends a lot of time on Chiefs social media, said he sees more posts about “quit hating” than “actual hating” going on.
“NFL fans, I think, have as much of a fatigue for the Chiefs as anything,” he said. “Then, add in Taylor Swift, who is just an entity and a global icon herself, and it’s just more Chiefs and Taylor Swift all at once. And, anybody that didn’t like either has two places to go for things to be upset about. And, people go out of their way to be upset these days.”
The Chiefs will be making their fourth Super Bowl appearance in the past five years this Sunday against the San Francisco 49ers at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas. Kansas City has appeared in six Super Bowls total, winning it all in 1970, 2020 and 2023.
“It’s just been a fun ride watching the team just keep winning and winning,” Josh said. “It’s one of those things not all fans get to go through. It’s just fun, and I’m enjoying it.”
So, where does this Chiefs diehard stand on the “Swelce” matter? He thinks it’s “super cool.” He’s been a fan of Swift’s since she was a country musician.
“He’s the crazy guy from the team, and she’s the most popular woman in the world,” Josh said. “It’s been fun watching two people I really like settle down with each other and seem really happy.”
Here’s a look at the history of the local Chiefs fan group and this season’s T-Swift crossover.
About the Milwaukee-area’s Kansas City Chiefs fan group
Josh grew up in Hays, Kansas, where loyalties were split between the Chiefs and the Denver Broncos. His dedication has always been to the Chiefs, though, even when he moved to Wisconsin for work in 2008.
While Misty grew up in San Diego as a Chargers fan, she became a Chiefs fan after meeting Josh.
“It’s hard not to be when you know him,” she laughed.
In September 2013, the Kingsleys went to Buffalo Wild Wings in West Allis to watch a Chiefs game.
“We heard a bunch of people cheering at the same time I was,” Kingsley previously told the Journal Sentinel.
He went over to introduce himself to these fellow fans, who were Bob Larsen of Milwaukee, Nick Schweitzer of Wauwatosa and Kris Crow of Hubertus. Coincidentally, the three of them stumbled upon each other at B-Dubs around 2010 and had been meeting up for games since.
After Kingsley joined the crew, they created a Facebook group and got their meeting spot listed on the Arrowhead Addict’s Chiefs Bars Page.
Within the past couple of years, the group has become a part of Arrowhead Kingdom, an all-volunteer national network of Chiefs fan groups. Basically, if you’re looking for a Chiefs fan group in a particular area, you can visit the group’s website and easily find out where they meet.
The Milwaukee-area group, which now has more than 330 Facebook members, meets at Brookfield’s Buffalo Wild Wings, 16750 W. Bluemound Road G, to watch games and the NFL Draft.
As it gets deeper into the season, watch-party attendance rises to between 30 and 50 people, according to Josh.
And, while the main focus of those is always football and family, Josh said, some halftime and timeout convos have shifted to Swift tea this year.
“Taylor Swift is such an icon at this point in time,” Misty said. “I feel like she has so much more to go. To have her associated with anything is great. So, of course, associating with the Chiefs is amazing.”
The Kingsleys have been Taylor Swift fans since the beginning
Josh and Misty have been T-Swift fans since she first hit the music scene around 2006. And, with Josh being a wedding DJ for over two decades, he’s been keeping up with her and her many hits.
“I’ve had to keep paying attention to her, but I’ve just really enjoyed watching her career arc,” he said.
One day a couple years ago, Vivian came home from school a Swift superfan. And, “that’s been a thing” ever since, Josh said.
“I just really like her music,” Vivian said.
While Vivian’s class mostly consists of Packers fans, she said, a few fellow Swifties have been getting more into the Chiefs this season.
“I think it’s pretty cool that one person can change someone to like a different football team,” she said.
“I think it’s really easy to be a Taylor Swift fan,” Misty said. “Not only does she have great music … she puts on quite a show.”
While they haven’t scene Swift in person, Misty, Vivian and her younger brother Carter went to opening weekend of “Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour” concert film.
Vivian “loved it a lot.” And, second-grader Carter … fell asleep.
The production value and work ethic that went into the film was “amazing,” Misty said.
“I really appreciate her honesty and candor in the things that she does,” Misty said. “I think she’s very honest with her fans, and she’s honest about her struggles. And, it kind of makes her a little bit more of a real person even though she’s this global superstar.”
Made it to three Chiefs games this season, including the one Taylor Swift attended in Green Bay
Josh and Misty made it to three Chiefs games this season, including in Germany against the Dolphins and in Minnesota against the Vikings. The third? The game against the Packers at Lambeau Field that Swift attended.
The couple got to Green Bay seven hours before game time to tailgate with several members of the Milwaukee-area Chiefs fan group, as well as members of fellow Chiefs fan groups nationwide, who were also in town for the game.
While Misty and Josh didn’t see Swift inside — they were zoned into the game — her being there “definitely added a buzz to the stadium,” Josh said.
What the fan group is doing for the Super Bowl
Do the Kingsleys think Swift will be at the Super Bowl? Absolutely.
“I don’t think there’s any question whatsoever,” Josh said.
Swift wraps up a four-day stop on her wildly popular Eras Tour in Japan on Saturday, the day before the big game.
Around 1,770 miles away from Vegas, Josh expects over 100 Chiefs fans to be at Brookfield’s B-Dubs for his group’s Super Bowl shindig. Anybody is welcome to attend, he said.
People will start arriving about an hour before kickoff, he said. They can expect a photo booth, tunes and special lighting to enhance the atmosphere.
“We try to make things as close to a game day experience at Arrowhead as possible,” Kingsley said in a previous JS interview. “It’s really just based around community and everybody having a good time watching football.”