ESPN’s highest paid personalities are all in on Taylor Swift.
Stephen A. Smith and Pat McAfee have publicly expressed their admiration for Taylor Swift’s latest musical venture.
On Friday, Swift unexpectedly released a double album, starting with the 16-track “The Tortured Poets Department” at midnight, followed by a second surprise, “The Tortured Poets Department: The Anthology,” which added another 15 songs two hours later.
Both Smith and McAfee, notable sports personalities and fans of the 14-time Grammy Award winner and her boyfriend, NFL star Travis Kelce, took to social media to celebrate Swift’s new albums.
Swift had previously announced the release date of April 19 for the new album when she accepted the Grammy for Best Pop Vocal Album for “Midnights” on February 4. The release has since garnered significant praise, particularly from Smith and McAfee.
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Pat McAfee shared his excitement on X, particularly for Kelce, writing, “I’m so happy for @tkelce. That had to be insanely dope to listen to the first time…YINZ ARE DOING GREAT.” He further elaborated on his show, “The Pat McAfee Show,” where he lauded Swift’s relentless work ethic and the couple’s compatibility. “Surprise! She’s touring the world, selling out stadiums, and she’s just dropped two albums while being in one of the most public relationships in sports… Travis, we are happy for you, buddy,” McAfee commented.
Stephen A. Smith also celebrated Swift’s achievement on X, saying, “She did it again, folks. Taylor Swift. That’s a superstar.” Smith has been a vocal supporter of Swift and Kelce’s relationship, having previously spent $20,000 to see Swift’s Eras Tour and defended the couple on ESPN’s “First Take.”
In his January commentary on “First Take,” Smith defended Swift against critics who viewed her as a distraction, praising her professional success. “Everybody’s sitting up there acting like she’s some kind of impediment. Excuse me, she did her job. That Eras Tour? Off the chain, [it] generated billions.”
McAfee also addressed critics ahead of the Super Bowl, questioning the negative attention surrounding Swift and Kelce’s relationship. “The most successful woman on Earth right now is dating the greatest tight end of all time who’s on the current dynasty. Why’s everybody so mad about it? I’m sick of people being mad about it. What are we even talking about? I don’t fully understand.”
Everyone seems to be on the Taylor Swift bandwagon these days.