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Was Travis Kelce Fined 10 Million USD for Kneeling During the National Anthem?

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Was Travis Kelce Fined 10 Million USD for Kneeling During the National Anthem?

Was Travis Kelce Fined 10 Million USD for Kneeling During the National Anthem?

Fact-checking a Facebook post saying Kansas City Travis Kelce was fined USD 10 million and kicked out of a game for kneeling during the national anthem.
By
SUYASH SINHA
Published on Aug 24, 2024 | 04:31 PM IST | 9.1K
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Source: Getty Images
Travis Kelce
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Recently, a post appeared on Facebook that featured two images: one of Kansas City star tight end Travis Kelce kneeling and the other of Kansas City standing for the national anthem. The image’s caption says, “Travis Kelce Kneels During National Anthem, Fined $10 Million, and Kicked Out Of Game.”

The image was first uploaded on Facebook on August 19th, and it was shared over 4,000 times within three days. Similar versions were also extensively shared on Facebook. So was the world’s greatest tight end. Travis Kelce was fined $10 million for kneeling during the national anthem, according to a Facebook post.

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Actually, no, it is not true. This narrative started with a piece on SpaceXMania, a self-described fake news website renowned for posting humorous content. There is no publicly accessible or trustworthy evidence to back up the story.

According to Lead Stories, a reverse image search found that the claim originated in a satirical piece published by SpaceXMania in October 2023; however, the Facebook post did not include a disclaimer indicating that it came from a humorous article. SpaceXMania describes itself as a ‘false news’ website.

USA Today further clarified the situation and confirmed that the allegation started as a parody months ago, even though the Facebook post makes no mention of this. There are no reliable reports from 2024 that Kelce kneeled during the anthem, was ejected, or was punished for any reason.

According to USA Today, Tim Lawson, who publishes SpaceXMania, verified that the tale is fiction. The first comment on the Facebook post refers to an article written on a disreputable website that is practically a word-for-word replica of one published by SpaceXMania on October 19, 2023, and is designated as a parody.

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USA Today also described how and when the photographs included in the piece were shot. According to them, the photo of Kelce kneeling in the Facebook post was taken in 2018 during a training camp session, not before a game. While there is no solid proof that Kelce kneeled during the anthem before either of the Chiefs’ first two preseason games in 2024, he did participate in the 2017 protest alongside his teammates.

Colin Kapernick began kneeling during the national anthem to protest police brutality, which grew into a global movement; Colin was eventually kicked out of the league. A year later, in 2018, the NFL implemented a policy that prohibited players from kneeling during the national anthem but allowed them to remain in the locker room during it. The league then overturned the decision in 2020.

Considering the claims of a fine of 10 million USD and being thrown out of the game, USA Today said Kelce has only been removed from a game once in his career, in a 2016 victory against Jacksonville, for throwing a towel at a game official while challenging a call. According to Spotrac’s database of player penalties, the $24,000 punishment he got is still the highest in his career.

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While the claimed $10 million fine mentioned in the piece would be double the magnitude of the highest player fine in NFL history, DeShaun Watson, the Cleveland Browns quarterback, was fined $5 million as part of a settlement involving sexual assault complaints from two dozen female massage therapists. No other players have been penalized more than $1 million.

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Will Taylor Swift be at Travis Kelce’s game for Chiefs-Chargers on Sunday?

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Will Taylor Swift be at Travis Kelce's game for Chiefs-Chargers on Sunday?

Travis Kelce is back to playing NFL games in 2024, and now that Taylor Swift is off from the Eras Tour for a couple of months, she has some time when she can once again come to cheer him on at Kansas City Chiefs games. She was there for the Week 1 win and attended the Week 2 victory. She wasn’t there for the Week 3 game in Atlanta.

MORE: 8 photos of Taylor Swift having a blast at the Chiefs-Bengals game

So the question is: will she be there for the Week 4 matchup on Sunday afternoon between the Los Angeles Chargers and the Chiefs? According to our handy Taylor Swift calendar, she appears to not have anything planned that day. Which means we might see her there!

Stay tuned and we’ll see if she’s there.

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Travis Kelce splashed out an eye-watering $70,000 on birthday gifts for ‘brother’ Patrick Mahomes… and here’s what he bought him

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Travis Kelce splashed out an eye-watering $70,000 on birthday gifts for 'brother' Patrick Mahomes... and here's what he bought him

Patrick Mahomes recently celebrated his 29th birthday, and Travis Kelce reportedly broke the bank to make sure his ‘brother’ felt appreciated on his special day.

The pair have been teammates since Mahomes was drafted by the Chiefs in 2017, and they’ve gone on to strike up an incredible rapport that has helped the team win three Super Bowls.

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And according to the US Sun, Kelce splashed out $70,000 in birthday gifts for Mahomes this year.

The items are said to include an engraved Rolex watch for $54,200, with the letters ‘P’ and ‘M’ marked on the back to recognize their close friendship.

Kelce also reportedly got Mahomes a $2,300 wool cardigan from Louis Vuitton, and six bottles of Masseto red wine for $1,100 each.

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Travis Kelce reportedly gifted Patrick Mahomes $70,000 worth in lavish birthday gifts

Brittany Mahomes shared a photo of Patrick, Travis Kelce and Taylor Swift over the summer in Europe

The Sun added that Mahomes’ wife, Brittany, helped Kelce with the watch, and that he added the engravement on the back to make it more ‘personal.’

The report comes after Brittany threw a birthday party for Patrick at their home after the Chiefs beat the Bengals.

The setup included a massive black, red and silver balloon arch sprawling across a corner of the room with a giant 29 metallic cutout at the center.

Another flashy decoration took over the area underneath the staircase with a big sign reading, ‘Patrick’s 29,’ in the middle.

Brittany even had custom cups and beer holders made, featuring childhood photos of the three-time Super Bowl winner.

After winning their second straight Super Bowl (and third total) together, Mahomes and Kelce spent some quality time together over the summer.

The friends met up in Europe as Patrick and Brittany traveled to Amsterdam to see Kelce’s girlfriend, Taylor Swift, perform on her Eras Tour.

Mahomes and Kelce have struck up an incredible partnership on the field together

Brittany, who has developed a close friendship with the pop star, shared a sweet photo of the foursome from the outing.

Later in the summer, the group descended upon New York to take in the US Open Final between Taylor Fritz and Jannik Sinner.

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While the American Fritz was unable to get the win, they appeared in good spirits as they watched the game from a suite at Arthur Ashe Stadium.

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Donna Kelce Says Son Travis ‘Can’t Clean’ and ‘Can’t Cook’ But Hints He Might Be ‘Getting Some Help’ from Taylor Swift

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Donna Kelce Says Son Travis ‘Can’t Clean’ and ‘Can’t Cook’ But Hints He Might Be ‘Getting Some Help’ from Taylor Swift

Donna Kelce is playfully sharing some of her son Travis Kelce’s flaws.

In an interview with Extra TV, the Kelce matriarch, 71, got candid about the things the Kansas City Chiefs tight end, 34, can’t do despite his success at football and his recent hosting and acting gigs.

“He can’t clean. He can’t cook,” she listed off jokingly, before adding that he was “getting a little better.”

“I think he’s getting some help,” Donna noted, hinting that he might be picking up some tips from girlfriend Taylor Swift, 34.

Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce are seen during the 2024 US Open Tennis Championships. GOTHAM/GC IMAGES
Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce’s Relationship Timeline
The 14-time Grammy winner previously shared a video on YouTube Shorts of him kissing her in the kitchen while she stirred a pot, alongside other snapshots of her life. In the brief clip, several food ingredients could be seen on the counter behind them.

When asked about his appearance in the video and the kinds of foods he liked to cook with Swift during a Chiefs press conference in June, the NFL player admitted he liked spending time in the kitchen with his girlfriend, though he declined to comment on the kinds of dishes they made together.

“I respect that question but I’m going to keep that one to myself because I thoroughly enjoy cooking with her so it’s something I’d rather just keep personal,” he responded.

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He later added in the press conference that the “Fortnight” singer “makes a great pop-tart and cinnamon roll.” She even baked for Travis’ teammates after the pair went public with their romance in September 2023.

“Kind of behind-the-scenes, she, to fit in — she didn’t even know she was doing this, I don’t think — she likes to cook, so she made the offensive linemen these homemade pop-tarts,” Chiefs coach Andy Reid revealed during an interview at the NFL Scouting Combine in February.

How Taylor Swift Supported Boyfriend Travis Kelce’s Decision to Star in Ryan Murphy’s Grotesquerie
Swift has been there to cheer Travis on as he recently returned to the football field for the NFL’s latest season. She has made appearances at the Chiefs season-opener at the beginning of this month and at the Sept. 15 Chiefs game at Arrowhead Stadium, where she wore an oversized Chiefs T-shirt paired with a pair of thigh high boots.

Swift is on a break from her tour following the conclusion of the European leg of her Eras Tour in mid-August, after playing a second set of shows at Wembley Stadium in London. Her tour is scheduled to pick back up mid-October in Miami.

Kelce previously supported the singer on tour, making an appearance at several of her European Eras Tour concerts. He even made a surprise cameo onstage during her June 23 show at London’s Wembley Stadium.

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