FRISCO - Make no mistake, it's good to have Taylor Swift on your side.
And the Kansas City Chiefs have - in so many delightful ways - "weaponized'' her fandom, the result of her romantic relationship with tight end Travis Kelce.
Nevertheless ...
No matter what the internet might claim, "America’s Team'' is still the Dallas Cowboys.
The Kansas City Chiefs are most everything a franchise should aspire to be. They win at the highest level. They’ve built something special with Patrick Mahomes and coach Andy Reid and, of course, the future Hall of Famer Kelce.
And in the last couple of years, they have benefited from the added attention that came with Swift’s involvement.
The dating life ... the presence at games ... it's all a marketing dream for that team and for the NFL.
But "America’s Team'' is not a transferable title. It doesn't shift from city to city depending on who wins the Super Bowl. (By the way, if it did, "America's Team'' would be the Philadelphia Eagles ... and nobody wants that.)
What shifts from city to city is called the "Lombardi Trophy.''
Dallas became "America’s Team'' because of success and visibility and marketing, with NFL Films in the late-70's having recognized this and then coining the phrase.
Coach Tom Landry hated it. It put a bullseye on his Cowboys.
The bullseye remains.
And so does the nickname.
No matter what.
The Cowboys went 7–10 last year and still averaged more viewers per game than almost anyone else in football. Still packed prime-time slots. Still sold merchandise. Still owned headlines.
And they did it without a global pop star helping to boost the signal.
The Thanksgiving Day matchup last year featuring the Cowboys and Giants? 38.8 million viewers, peaking at 41.3 million — the most-watched NFL game of the entire regular season.
And that will happen again this year. It's why the NFL's Game 1 is Dallas vs. Philly. It's why this season's Thanksgiving game - KC at Dallas - will likely set new records.
It's about branding. And Jerry Jones has no intention of ever letting that slip away.
If Taylor Swift shows up at this year's Chiefs-at-Cowboys Thanksgiving game, which will allow both franchises to bask in her glow?
The "America's Team'' debate will rage again. But the facts won't change. ... in part because the Cowboys aren’t just "America’s Team.'' They’re America’s favorite team to hate.
Which is, in a way, another form of love. Non-transferable.