NFL star Travis Kelce has been declared a big winner in 2023 by a PR expert, while his girlfriend Taylor Swift’s rival Kanye West struggled.
After winning his second Super Bowl at the start of the year, Kelce went on to nab an even bigger prize: the heart of pop megastar Taylor Swift.
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The couple went public with their relationship in September after romance rumors began to swirl when Grammy Award-winning singer Swift was spotted at several Kansas City Chiefs games.
Even before the duo got together, they were having individual successes in their respective careers; her with the rerelease of several albums and her massive Eras Tour and him coming off of his second Super Bowl win with the Chiefs.
But according to PR guru Eric Schiffer, Kelce came out on top this year.
Schiffer, chairman of the Los Angeles-based firm Reputation Management Consultants, spoke exclusively to The U.S. Sun to recap the biggest winners – and those who struggled – in 2023.
READ MORE ON TRAVIS AND TAYLOR
“Nearly every man on the planet wanted to be Travis Kelce,” Schiffer said.
“I think he had a phenomenal year.
“There’s nothing that could top that except Martians coming down and naming him Lord of the Earth.
“He hit on all levels and seems like a great guy. And I hope Taylor [has found] her true love.”
Schiffer concluded that with Kelce the big winner, Swift is this year’s runner-up.
“I think she would probably be the close runner-up for executing brilliantly this cultural phenomenon of a positive experience for largely women to bond, to come together, to make friends, and to enjoy an experience that cuts across generations that has such emotional impact and meaning,” he said, referring to her Eras Tour.
The tour contributed an estimated $4.3 million to the United States economy in 2023, according to a study by Bloomberg Economics.
In addition, the couple’s romance has had a tangible impact on the NFL.
As Schiffer previously told The U.S. Sun: “This is the best thing to happen to the NFL in years.”
‘HE WAS SLAUGHTERED’
But not everyone was as lucky as those lovebirds.
Kanye West, 46 – who has famously feuded with Swift since he interrupted her acceptance speech at the 2009 VMAs – had a particularly difficult year, Schiffer noted.
“I think Kanye had a year that equated to some of the worst choices he could possibly make for himself and his family,” Schiffer explained.
“His continued implosion and refusal to get help was sad for many to watch and has categorically destroyed his brand to the point where it’s near unrecognizable.”
Schiffer went on to say that the destruction of the brand has led to the severing of Kanye’s connection to his fan base and their support.
“That doesn’t mean he can’t still get attention as part of his freak show stunts,” Schiffer explained.
Those stunts included multiple online antisemitic rants which Kanye has largely refused to apologize for.
Earlier in December, he went on yet another rant about Hitler and Jesus.
Kanye issued an apology for those comments on his Instagram on December 26.
The apology, issued in Hebrew, stated that it was “never his intention” to “hurt or demean” the Jewish community.
Still, Kanye has repeatedly landed himself in hot water in 2023.
“He was slaughtered,” Schiffer said.
“And it will be hard for it to ever be the same. Terrible judgment.”
‘CONTINUE TO GET ATTENTION’
Kanye did find love again with his former Yeezy employee Bianca Censori – though their relationship has been reportedly rocky.
The pair were secretly married in December 2022 before they ever went public with their relationship – and just weeks after Kanye’s divorce from Kim Kardashian was finalized.
This year, the couple have been spotted in Italy, Germany, Dubai, Japan, England, and Los Angeles, among other places.
They’ve also been seen with his kids from his marriage to Kardashian.
But Bianca, an Australian architectural designer, reportedly threatened to file for divorce from Kanye earlier in December.
The two were reportedly on a break after a massive blowout in November.
Given their antics, Schiffer predicted that Kanye and Bianca, 28, would stay in the headlines in 2024.
“They’ll continue to create ways to get attention because he is a genius at it,” Schiffer said.
“But attention won’t be enough.”
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