Australian Football fans watching the NFL Super Bowl were surprised today when AFL star Nick Riewoldt appeared in the coverage, with the St Kilda star apparently more impressed by celebrity spectator Taylor Swift than the match itself .
Riewoldt appeared in the pregame and halftime breakdowns of the big game between San Francisco and Kansas City along with ESPN International SportsCentre host Phil Murphy, leaving many NFL fans confused.
“Nick Riewoldt giving insight into an NFL game is something I didn’t expect to see today,” one fan posted.
“I don’t mind Nick Riewoldt being a host, but having him talk about what needs to happen to get the Chiefs back in the game is ridiculous,” another added.
‘Oh, for God’s sake, Nick Riewoldt is in charge of Kayo’s coverage of the Super Bowl. “He’s not charismatic, he’s just blonde,” another posted.
AFL star Nick Riewoldt joined ESPN analyst Phil Murphy in covering the Super Bowl for the Aussies.
Riewoldt was impressed with Swift’s efforts to sip a glass of wine on the big screen while cheering on her Kansas City Chiefs boyfriend, Travis Kelce.
Riewoldt, nicknamed Rooey, struggled to analyze American sport during his cameos and was even more clueless when asked about RNB legend Usher’s half-time cameo.
However, when the topic of Taylor Swift came up, he came to life.
Swift rushed to Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas from the Japanese leg of her Eras tour to support her Kansas City Chiefs superstar boyfriend, Travis Kelce.
And when the camera panned to her on the stand, it brought out a distinctly Australian film that Riewoldt loved.
‘What about Taylor Swift drinking an entire glass of wine while the camera was focused on her?’ she asked.
‘They were booing Swift while she was drinking the wine. Was it more partisan support on her part? —Murphy asked Riewoldt.
“I thought it was a power move,” Riewoldt responded.
‘Everyone else was playing a fairly straight bat, she got up and hit it.
“He will fit in well in Australia when he arrives next week.”
However, his analysis of Taylor Swift only served to further confuse Australian football fans.
“At work I quickly went to see if the halftime show had started yet and I wasn’t expecting to see Nick Riewoldt promoting Taylor haha,” one bemused follower posted.
“I never thought in my life I’d have to hear Nick Riewoldt say Taylor Swift is a unit for a drink,” another added.