Shannon Sharpe has inserted himself in the longstanding, online stan war between Taylor Swift’s fans and Beyoncé’s fans. The athlete-turned-broadcaster made a bold declaration about the two megastars.
A segment on Shannon Sharpe and Chad “Ochocinco” Johnson’s Nightcap podcast centered on Taylor Swift’s takeover of the conversations about Kansas City Chiefs games. The two former NFL Pro Bowlers questioned if any other celebrity has the drawing power of Swift.
“I got it. Beyoncé,” Chad Johnson suggested. Shannon Sharpe responded, “Not like this. These eight-to-15-year-old eyeballs. Ocho, I love Beyoncé. Beyoncé ain’t moving the needle like this chick, Ocho.”
Then Sharpe added, “[Taylor Swift is] the closest thing to moving the needle like Michael Jackson that we’ve seen. This is it.” The three-time Super Bowl champion also called Swift a “different animal.”
Additionally, Shannon Sharpe claimed the NFL would choose Taylor Swift to perform at the Super Bowl halftime show over Beyoncé, Jay-Z and Rihanna. The First Take analyst said, “I ain’t telling you what I heard, I’m telling you what I know. She turned them down.”
Beyoncé has performed at the Super Bowl multiple times during her career. The Renaissance album creator headlined the mid-game performance in 2013 and joined Coldplay for the halftime show in 2016. Rihanna secured the gig at Super Bowl LVII last year.
Taylor Swift’s connection to the Super Bowl LVIII-bound Chiefs because of her relationship with tight end Travis Kelce has become a polarizing topic. For example, rapper Plies recently called on the NFL to “stop forcing Taylor Swift on football fans.” However, Swift reportedly generated over $330 million in “brand value” for the Chiefs and the league.