(R) Is Taylor Swift’s Presence Significantly Impacting NFL Game Outcomes?

I hope that everyone enjoyed Super Bowl 58. Regardless of the outcome, I hope that we can all agree that the athleticism displayed by both the 49ers and the Chiefs, made this particular game, one for the ages.

I was planning on writing this article even before the contest was decided. However, I feel that it’s more relevant now, given the game’s results.

So, let’s ask the question:

Is Taylor Swift’s Presence Significantly Impacting NFL Game Outcomes (for Kansas City)?

To answer this question, we’ll be employing two separate tests and hypotheses.

Both assessments will utilize the Welch Two Sample T-Test methodology.

Our hypotheses are:

H0: (Null) – There was not a significant difference as it pertains to Kansas City’s total offensive yards per game with Taylor Swift in attendance.

HA: (Alternative) – The was a significant difference as it pertains to Kansas City’s total offensive yards per game with Taylor Swift in attendance.

~ AND ~

H0: (Null) – There was not a significant difference as it pertains to Kansas City’s total yards allowed per game with Taylor Swift in attendance.

HA: (Alternative) – The was a significant difference as it pertains to Kansas City’s total yards allowed per game with Taylor Swift in attendance.

Hogan, Kate. “Every Time Taylor Swift Went to a Kansas City Chiefs Game - and Whether or Not the Team Won.” Peoplemag, PEOPLE, 12 Feb. 2024, people.com/every-time-taylor-swift-went-to-kansas-city-chiefs-game-if-they-won-8410511. 

“2023 Kansas City Chiefs Rosters, Stats, Schedule, Team Draftees, Injury Reports.” Pro, www.pro-football-reference.com/teams/kan/2023.htm. Accessed 12 Feb. 2024.

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CSV File:

,KC - 2023 NFL Season - Team Statistics,,,
Week,Offense (TotYd),Defense (TotYd),Opponent,Taylor Swift (Y/N)
1,316,368,DET,N
2,399,271,JAX,N
3,456,203,CHI,Y
4,401,336,NYJ,Y
5,333,329,MIN,N
6,389,197,DEN,Y
7,483,358,LAC,Y
8,274,240,DEN,N
9,267,292,MIA,N
10,Bye Week,,,
11,336,238,PHI,N
12,360,358,LVR,N
13,337,382,GNB,Y
14,346,327,BUF,Y
15,326,206,NEW,Y
16,308,205,LVR,Y
17,373,263,CIN,Y
18,268,353,LAC,N

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## Code for Testing and Analysis ##

Offense_TotYd <- c(316, 399, 456, 401, 333, 389, 483, 274, 267, 336, 360, 337, 346, 326, 308, 373, 268)

Defense_TotYd <- c(368, 271, 203, 336, 329, 197, 358, 240, 292, 238, 358, 382, 327, 206, 205, 263, 353)

Offense_TotYd_No <- c(316, 399, 333, 274, 267, 336, 360, 268)

Defense_TotYd_No <- c(368, 271, 329, 240, 292, 238, 358, 353)

Offense_TotYd_Swift <- c(456, 401, 389, 483, 337, 346, 326, 308, 373)

Defense_TotYd_Swift <- c(203, 336, 197, 358, 382, 327, 206, 205, 263)

t.test(Offense_TotYd_No, Offense_TotYd_Swift, paired = FALSE, conf.level = 0.95)

t.test(Defense_TotYd_No, Defense_TotYd_Swift, paired = FALSE, conf.level = 0.95)

sd(Offense_TotYd_No)

sd(Offense_TotYd_Swift)

sd(Defense_TotYd_No)

sd(Defense_TotYd_Swift)

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Findings

There was a significant difference as it pertains to Kansas City’s total offensive yards per game (2023) with Taylor Swift in attendance (n = 9), as compared to total offensive yards per game with Taylor Swift not in attendance (n = 8). Kansas City’s total offensive yards per game with Taylor Swift in attendance (M = 379.89, SD =59.23), Kansas City’s total offensive yards per game with Taylor Swift not in attendance (M = 319.13, SD = 47.67), Conditions; t(14.878) = -2.341, p = 0.03.

There was not a significant difference as it pertains to Kansas City’s total yards allowed per game (2023) with Taylor Swift in attendance (n = 9), as compared to total yards allowed per game with Taylor Swift not in attendance (n = 8). Kansas City’s total yards allowed per game with Taylor Swift in attendance (M = 275.22, SD = 75.69), Kansas City’s total yards allowed per game with Taylor Swift not in attendance (M = 306.13, SD = 53.03), Conditions; t(14.294) = 0.98307, p = 0.34.

Conclusions

While Tay Tay’s presence was generally beneficial to the Kansas City Chiefs as it pertains to the assessed metrics (Offensive Yards per Game, Yards Allowed per Game), only the offensive side of the ball saw a significant differentiation in performance (p = .03). Perhaps T. Swizzle provided the Kansas City Chiefs with some extra oomph via her top 40 mojo. Whatever the case may be, Tayla Swiff continues to be a good luck charm for the Chiefs whenever she is in attendance.