VaTradeCoin

We are a nation obsessed.

With political division? Sure. With “Barbie,” still? Naturally. With free beer at baseball games? If only.

But what we really care about is Taylor Swift.

All things Taylor Swift, to the point that her going out for a night on the town with Sophie Turner − whose split with Swift's ex-boyfriend Joe Jonas got its own invasion of Normandy-style media treatment − is covered as news.

USA TODAY and The (Nashville) Tennessean, part of the USA TODAY NETWORK, are looking to hire a full-time Swift reporter. And before you scoff, there is a simple reason why: People care about Swift. A lot.

Even the MTV Video Music Awards had a dedicated Swift camera, so we could see her every reaction to … everything.

The latest news:Taylor Swift, Travis Kelce exit Chiefs game together and drive away in convertible

Is Taylor Swift dating Travis Kelce?

Of course, when it comes to Swift, what people really seem to obsess over is who she is dating. If you go out with her, you stand a better-than-average chance of having a song written about you (though be careful what you wish for). Her latest rumored romance is a perfect media storm, combining two things the country can’t get enough of: Taylor Swift, duh, and NFL football.

Signs suggest Swift is now dating Travis Kelce, the terrific tight end for the Kansas City Chiefs.

The pop superstar showed up Sunday at the Chiefs home game, wearing a red hoodie and sitting in a suite with Kelce's mother, Donna, cheering him on. Fans were thrilled to see Swift and Kelce walking out of the Arrowhead Stadium together after the game, then driving off together in a convertible.

"Nobody has had a cooler 2023 than Momma Kelce. Both sons in a Super Bowl and now she’s sitting next to Taylor Swift?" @evanmlapointe wrote wrote on X, formerly Twitter. "What a life."

"Not something I had on my 2023 bingo card," @CTabatabaie proclaimed on X.

Travis' brother, Jason Kelce, himself a great center for the Philadelphia Eagles, addressed the dating rumors last week on the WIP Morning Show, a radio sports talk show in Philadelphia. "I think they’re doing great and I think it’s 100% true," Jason said.

Wow. Except … "No, I'm joking," Kelce said. "I don't even know what's happening."

Guess which part of his quotes made headlines.

Taylor Swift, Travis Kelce fans react:'Not something I had on my 2023 bingo card'

The rumored relationship has led to some pretty funny football coverage.

Ian Eagle, the excellent play-by-play announcer for CBS, called the game between the Chiefs and the Jacksonville Jaguars on Sept. 17. Kelce caught a touchdown pass, and this was Eagle's call: "Kelce finds a blank space for the score."

"Blank Space" is a Swift song − a song she reportedly wrote at least in part about rumors of her dating life. This really is an endless loop.

The NFL Network’s Rich Eisen did Eagle one better, previewing Kelce’s return from injury by working in a bunch of Swift song titles, including "All Too Well," "Anti-Hero" and more.

Travis Kelce himself appreciated the effort, tweeting, "Well played Rich … Well played."

A Swiftie's guide to Travis Kelce:What to know about Kansas City Chiefs tight end

Who cares about Taylor Swift? You do, probably.

So why do we care about Swift, anyway? For much the same reason we care about Kelce and football and sports in general, as well as arguments over who the best singer of all time is or what's the best horror movie of all time. These are all things that ultimately affect us not at all. But getting all worked up about them is a harmless, and maybe even healthy, diversion from real-life worries. Above all else, it’s fun.

And make no mistake, Swift is a business. When she took over towns on her massive, record-breaking tour, the economic impact made it more than just a pop-music story.

Like it or not, it's the media's job to reflect those things − again, because people care about them. It's not the only part of the job, and it's not the most important. But it isn't unimportant, either.

Coverage is not, as some would have it, a zero-sum game. You can cover Merrick Garland's testimony before a congressional committee at the same time you are covering rumors about who Swift is dating. You have to prioritize your resources, yes. And don't equate parsing Swift's lyrics with the war in Ukraine.

There's room for all of this. And if it bothers you? Shake it off. (Sorry. Couldn't be helped.)

Contributing: Pamela Avila and Kim Willis, USA TODAY