Skip Bayless leveled manipulation accusations at the NFL, blaming Taylor Swift and her followers for the alleged intervention.
The Kansas City Chiefs punched their ticket to the AFC Championship Game for the seventh consecutive year with a 24-13 division victory over the Houston Texans on Saturday.
However, as the Chiefs kept their hopes of a third Super Bowl title alive, fans on social media were left furious with a series of controversial calls that favored the reigning champions.
And former Fox Sports analyst Bayless shared his fury when he appeared to suggest the game was rigged so the NFL would continue to benefit from the Taylor Swift effect.
'Ball game. CONGRATULATIONS, NFL. YOU MADE SURE MAHOMES SURVIVED. THE SWIFTIES WILL RETURN IN FULL STRENGTH FOR THE AFC CHAMPIONSHIP GAME. YOU GAVE MAHOMES THE REFEREE SUPPORT HE NEEDED,' Bayless aggressively posted on X, formerly known as Twitter.
Swift is credited with attracting a new demographic, primarily young women, to the NFL since she began dating Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce in 2023.
Skip Bayless accused the NFL of rigging the Kansas City Chiefs' playoff opener on Saturday
The former Fox analyst claimed the NFL was trying to satisfy Taylor Swift fans.
Bayless launched his accusations at the league in an aggressive social media post
Since going public with their love story just over 18 months ago, the NFL has benefited from a surge in viewership.
Last season's Super Bowl, in which the Chiefs defeated the San Francisco 49ers 25-22 in a thrilling overtime victory, averaged 123.4 million viewers.
And the pop sensation was cheering on her NFL boyfriend from a luxury suite at Arrowhead Stadium once again on Saturday night.
The singer was seen celebrating wildly with WNBA superstar Caitlin Clark after Kelce received a touchdown pass from Patrick Mahomes.
The singer and the Indiana Fever star were filmed hugging and giving high fives in celebration in their suite and while it was a sometimes tense game in Kansas City.
But Bayless also took issue with the lighthearted scenes and scolded the basketball phenom for sharing a suite with Swift.
'WAIT, CAITLIN CLARK IS IN THE ARROWHEAD BOX WITH TAYLOR SWIFT???' Bayless wrote in X, trying to reinforce his argument with the help of caps lock. 'CAITLIN, YOU DON'T NEED TO BE SEEN WITH HER. YOU ARE BIGGER THAN HER.'
It's unclear why Bayless thinks Clark is “bigger” than the world-famous pop star, but in any case, she continued in all caps in her final five pieces of advice: “STAY ON YOUR OWN WAY.”
Swift (L) talks with Indiana Fever's Caitlin Clark (R) on Saturday in Arrowhead.
Clark's presence in the VIP suite at Arrowhead Stadium should not have been a surprise.
Not only is she a lifelong Chiefs fan, but the Fever guard was recently invited to new heightsthe popular podcast hosted by Kelce and his brother Jason.
Meanwhile, it was Swift's first Chiefs game in almost a month. Their most recent appearance was on December 21 when Kelce and his teammates defeated the Houston Texans, whom they will play on Saturday.
Earlier in the evening, an excited Swift was filmed cheering on a group of Chiefs fans as she marched towards Arrowhead, telling them as she headed to her luxury suite: 'How's it going? You guys arrived early.' He then clapped his hands before adding: “I love it.”
DailyMail.com exclusively photographed Swift and her family leaving their New York City apartment early Saturday to make the trip.
She was then filmed arriving at the stadium with her parents, Scott and Andrea, and her brother Austin. They even beat Kelce to the stadium and the tight end arrived right after.