Welcome Taylor Swift to Baltimore. Don’t make the Ravens game about him

Welcome Taylor Swift to Baltimore. Don’t make the Ravens game about him.

Well, let me make it clear. Our quaint and culturally and historically vibrant city is waiting to be discovered by everyone, including the megastar who will likely be at M&T Bank Stadium on Sunday to watch her boyfriend Travis Kelce and his Kansas City Chiefs play the Ravens in the AFC Championship Game. Will come for. Already, the Internet is alive with hilarious GIFs of her “visit” to everything Lake Trout Spot till banner newsroom,

But it’s important to note that Ravens fans in particular, and Baltimoreans in general, have something much more ominous waiting for us this year: the 40th anniversary of the departure of the team whose name we dare not speak. Despite winning two Super Bowls since then, it feels like we still don’t get the respect we deserve. We’re waiting to prove that our success is no fluke, and that our quarterback, Lamar Jackson, is typical, amazing and, indeed, a “quarterbacky,” despite what people like Fox Sports Radio’s Monce Bolaños say. They say.

“For me, going to the Super Bowl would be like putting Baltimore on the world stage – our culture and the kind of grit we have, how diverse we are, how much we love and how loyal we are as a fan base, Meredith Davis, a huge Ravens fan and Owings Mills resident, said. “Those are the things that build and maintain a franchise. We need to focus on Baltimore winning, not on someone who doesn’t even play. Used to be.”

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While I’m all about checking out the city I love — imagine the Instagram glow Swift could give local businesses in just one day here — this weekend isn’t about that. She’s just showing up to support her friend. If the cameras want to be on her and people want to be writing about her (as I am now), there’s nothing she can do about it.

Opinions vary as to whether this is a good thing or not. My friend Teresa Candori, who grew up here in central Pennsylvania, considers herself part of a unique Venn diagram: “people with both Taylor Swift and Chiefs fandom.” She’s been a fan of Casey’s since she started dating her now-husband nearly 20 years ago, and her niece is a staunch Swiftie “who brings me to Taylor’s apartment, Taylor Swift trivia, and Taylor art exhibitions and a Pulls in to see a classical ensemble.” Taylor’s Music.”

As someone who has watched every game Swift has appeared on camera, Candori thinks Ravens fans shouldn’t worry about focusing too much on the singer. “I’m telling you, it’s usually ‘Oh, look, there he is’ and they move on,” she said.

The biggest Ravens fan I know, Calvin Coats, said that Swift’s presence “doesn’t affect the game in any way. In fact, (Kelce) treated him very badly! He’s grown up now.” Gone. The bottom line is I don’t care about her, but she always gives us something to hate. The world is counting on Baltimore to stop this. The last thing we want to see is her in the Super Bowl. ”

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All jokes aside, Coates is excited about Swift’s conversation prospects here, despite the fact that we’d be against her boyfriend. “Think how many new fans will come to Baltimore just to see if he’s there. Let him go to different places. And, when she’s on her next world tour, who’s to say she won’t be here? I would love to have a concert here.”

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While Swift has donated to nonprofits in some of the cities she’s visited, journalist, community activist and former mayoral candidate Catalina Byrd told me she’s concerned that Swift’s potential appearance at Sunday’s game will be a showdown. This may encourage increased police presence in the area in an effort to clean things up. And make everything “about tourism and being extremely cautious”. Think about how cities have lost sight of homeless populations when hosting global events like the Olympics.

“This can’t be about him. Apart from media coverage, how much camera time will he get? We should be more concerned about what’s happening in the community,” said Bird, who added that she is a big fan of Kelce’s brother Jason and wife Kylie, who, like Bird, played field hockey. “I wish (Kylie) could come and do a field hockey camp! Get it for me Kylie!”

Despite the hostile sentiments generated by Swift throughout the region, Davis said she is not worried about her compatriots wearing purple. “There’s really something about sports and community that people underestimate. Ravens games are one of the few places I go where I feel a sense of safety,” she said. “I’m a Baltimorean. We don’t start (stuff), but we will finish it. It can only be about (Swift) if we make it about her.”

And we are not. “This game and this season is about Lamar,” Coates said. “He’s a real quarterback, and he’s been proving everybody wrong up to this point.” This includes Bolanos, who a few weeks ago commented that Jackson was not a good MVP pick because “I want my quarterback to be a quarterback. And, to me, Lamar Jackson is a great athlete.”

Wow! He did not specify what he meant by “quarterbacky,” but from the beginning, black players have had to contend with accusations that they were not leaders or smart enough for the position, but were simply genetically good athletes. Bolanos hasn’t offered any clarification on his statement and has been rarely seen on social media since, but that hasn’t stopped a lot of us Ravens fans from posting every time jackson does something amazing – And we’re not going to stop.

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The cameras may be tracking Swift, but we’ve got our eyes on the prize.

“Of course we hate him right now,” Coates said. “We want to beat her boyfriend’s team.”

Leslie Gray Streeter is a columnist who is passionate about telling Baltimore’s stories – about us and the things we care about, what touch us, what tickles us and what makes us tick, from the cradle to the pop Affects…