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Over the past two weeks, the intense media attention on Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce’s bond has led to Jessica Simpson trending on social media. Simpson, the 43-year-old singer and actress, got similar media coverage in 2007 in connection with her relationship with former NFL star Tony Romo.
After Taylor attended the Kansas City Chiefs vs. New York Jets game on Sunday at Metlife Stadium, netizens took to X (formerly Twitter) and other platforms to post throwbacks to the time people blamed Jessica Simpson for her then-boyfriend Romo’s poor performance.
In December 2007, Simpson attended Romo’s game with the Philadelphia Eagles donning a pink No. 9 Dallas Cowboys jersey. Not only did the Cowboys lose the game, but the quarterback had statistically the worst game of his athletic career that season. Tony Romo went on a losing streak following that game, and eventually, the Dallas Cowboys also lost the 2008 playoffs to the New York Giants.
Many Dallas fans and some of Romo’s teammates deemed Jessica a distraction for the quarterback and called it a Jessica jinx or a Jessica curse. The singer evidently did not receive positive hype from football fans, and by July 2009, Tony Romo ended the relationship with Jessica a day before she turned 29.
Fans compare Tony Romo's Jessica Simpson with Travis Kelce's Taylor Swift situation
Netizens could not help but notice the stark contrast between how Jessica Simpson was treated when she attended Tony Romo's games and how Taylor Swift is being treated for attending Travis Kelce's games. Some fans expressed their concerns that Taylor might be blamed in a similar manner if Travis loses a game.
Memes flooded X after Sunday's game, as many wrote that Jessica Simpson walked first so Taylor could run. Some also sympathized with the Take My Breath Away hitmaker for being portrayed in a bad light back then and mentioned how Taylor is being subjected to very little to almost no negativity compared to her.
Jessica Simpson was seen as an enemy to Dallas Cowboys fans
In 2008, after Tony Romo’s repeated bad performances, Jessica Simpson became a chief enemy of Dallas fans. The national media also played a part in adding to her already fallen reputation among American football fans. Terrell Owens, a former wide receiver who played in the NFL for 15 seasons, said at the time:
“Right now, Jessica Simpson is not a fan favorite — in this locker room or in Texas Stadium.”
Before dating Jessica, Romo’s last worst game was in December 2006 with the Philadelphia Eagles when he dated another popular singer, Carrie Underwood, who also attended his games. Terrell Owens referred to Carrie and said:
"With everything that has happened, obviously with the way Tony played and the comparison between her and Carrie Underwood, I think a lot of people feel she has taken his focus away. Other than that, she was high on my list until last week."
Considering the history of a popular singer dating an NFL star, many have been worried about the growing intensity of the entire Taylor-Travis hype among football fans and pop enthusiasts. While they're glad to see Taylor being in the good book of NFL fans until now, the concern about when it might change lingers.
