Ursula: Travis Kelce should apologize for his bad behavior in the Super Bowl
Feb 13, 2024, 3:53 PM | Updated: 5:13 pm
Even though I was rooting for the Kansas City Chiefs in the Super Bowl, their victory over the 49ers in OT has been overshadowed by one critical moment: Travis Kelce’s mid-game meltdown.
No matter how the NFL, Coach Andy Reid, or Kelce and his fans try to spin it, we witnessed abusive behavior that needs to be addressed. For his girlfriend, Taylor Swift, his sideline tantrum should serve as a big red flag. For parents watching the Super Bowl with their kids, it’s an opportunity to talk to them about unacceptable behavior and better ways to handle their frustration, even in the most difficult situations.
During post-game interviews, Coach Reid said Travis privately apologized to him for shoving him, getting in his face, and yelling expletives at him for not keeping him on the field.
Reid said on ESPN, “He came over and hugged me… He just wants to be on the field and he wants to play. He wants to help his team win… As much as he bumps into me, I get after him…and we understand that.”
What?! In my opinion, Coach Reid is being complicit by justifying Kelce’s bad behavior. He should’ve benched him for the rest of the game.
For his part, Kelce has joked that he was just expressing his love for the legendary coach who he credits for helping him do a better job of “channeling his emotions.”
Sorry, Travis. You have more work to do. A lot more. This is no joking matter. This is also beyond being in the “heat of the moment” during the biggest sporting event on the planet. Please don’t use that excuse.
Former Seahawk defensive end, Cliff Avril, was on the team when they won the Super Bowl in 2014. He was on the Gee and Ursula Show on Monday and I asked him whether Kelce’s behavior was unusual. ‘Well, I never pushed my coach. I’ve never even yelled at him, to be honest. They might have that kind of relationship but Coach Reid is older and Travis could’ve hurt him,” he told us. “I really haven’t seen anything like that before, but this is a new NFL.”
Is it a new NFL or is Kelce getting a pass because the league is enjoying even higher ratings and raking in hundreds of millions of dollars more, now that he’s dating Taylor Swift?
Chiefs get White House invitation to celebrate Super Bowl win. Could Taylor Swift tag along?
Apparently, Sunday’s blow-up with his coach is not a first for Kelce, who also had an exchange with Coach Reid during the Christmas game against Las Vegas when he hurled his helmet in disgust. As Gee and I discussed on the show, would D.K. Metcalf or any other Black player in the NFL get the same pass as Kelce is getting if they body-checked their coach? I doubt it.
I think Travis Kelce can still find a path to redemption, but the clock is ticking, and he can’t just wait this one out. He needs to publicly apologize to his coach, acknowledge that he has an anger issue, and then use the off-season to do the hard work necessary to channel his emotions properly.
Listen to Gee Scott and Ursula Reutin weekday mornings from 9 a.m.- noon on KIRO Newsradio, 97.3 FM. Subscribe to the podcast here.
