Super Bowl LVIII: How Taylor Swift’s lucky number 13 connects to Chiefs

Super Bowl? Taylor Swift? The number 13? Look what you made us do.

Numerologists are having a field day with Swift’s connection to Super Bowl LVIII and her romance with Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce. The Grammy Award-winning singer, who was born Dec. 13, 1989, has always had an affinity for the number 13. If she makes it to the game at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas on Feb. 11, it will be the 13th time she has rooted for the Chiefs and Kelce in person.

There is a pattern here.

Never mind that the number 13 is considered unlucky in some cultures, according to USA Today. There is actually a word used to describe the fear of the prime number, and it is listed in the Merriam-Webster dictionary: triskaidekaphobia.

Swift’s self-titled debut album was released in 2006, Billboard reported. It went gold in 13 weeks. Her first No. 1 song on the Billboard Country charts, “Our Song,” and her first song to top the Hot 100, “We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together,” each have 13-second introductions.

In an interview with MTV News in 2009, Swift said that 13 has always created good karma.

“I was born on the 13th. I turned 13 on Friday the 13th. My first album went gold in 13 weeks. My first No. 1 song had a 13-second intro,” Swift told the music news outlet. “Every time I’ve won an award I’ve been seated in either the 13th seat, the 13th row, the 13th section or row M, which is the 13th letter. Basically, whenever a 13 comes up in my life, it’s a good thing.”

So, here are some connections between Swift and the Super Bowl

Super Bowl LVIII

Starting with the number itself. This is the 58th Super Bowl. Add 5 plus 8, and the sum is 13.

Date of the game

According to People, the date of this year’s game is also aligned with the “Anti-Hero” singer’s favorite number.

Feb. 11 is also configured as 2/11. Add the two numbers together, and they total 13.

The 49ers

The Chiefs’ opponent in Super Bowl LVIII is the San Francisco 49ers. Add the 4 and the 9 to get the sum of 13. And the 49ers’ quarterback, Brock Purdy, wears No. 13, RotoWire points out. Purdy is trying to become the second quarterback to win a Super Bowl, after Kurt Warner did it with the St. Louis Rams. Warner, by the way, is 1-2 in Super Bowls.

Seeded teams

The 49ers were the No. 1 seed in the National Football Conference heading into the postseason, while the Chiefs were No. 3 in the American Football Conference as the playoffs began. As People notes, put the 1 and the 3 together, and voilà! Another reference to 13.

Kelce’s numbers

According to Pro-Football-Reference.com, Kelce has caught 23 passes in the Chiefs’ three playoff games this season. The tight end has gained 262 yards and scored three touchdowns during the postseason. So, add 2+6+2 and throw in the three touchdowns, and that number 13 shows up again.

Playoffs

The Chiefs hosted the Miami Dolphins in their first playoff game this season. The date was Jan. 13, and Kansas City won 26-7. The Chiefs’ defense held the Dolphins to 13 first downs and sacked Miami quarterbacks two times for losses totaling 11 yards (2+11=13). Kansas City’s defense allowed Miami to convert only one first down in 12 chances (1+12=13).

In the Chiefs’ divisional game at Buffalo, a 27-24 victory, Kansas City linebacker Nick Bolton had 13 tackles, according to Pro-Football-Reference.com -- five solos and eight assists. That victory improved the Chiefs to 13-6.

In the AFC Championship Game, Kelce’s second catch of the game went for 13 yards on the Chiefs’ first possession. It was good for a first down at the Baltimore Ravens’ 28-yard line.

Overall, the Chiefs have allowed 41 points during the postseason -- or, 13.7 points per game.

While these numbers may seem obscure, sports fans are geeky about statistics.

More Chiefs trivia

On a happy note, Kelce was drafted by the Chiefs in 2013 -- there is that 13 again. And on a sad note, the founder of the Chiefs franchise, Lamar Hunt, died in 2006 -- on Dec. 13, Swift’s 17th birthday.

Flight from Tokyo

It is still unclear whether Swift can attend Super Bowl LVIII at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas. She kicks off the Asian and Australian legs of her Eras tour on Feb. 7, with four shows at the Tokyo Dome in Japan, Billboard reported. After finishing up in Tokyo on Feb. 10, Swift could conceivably fly east to Las Vegas for the big game.

Direct flight travel time from Tokyo to Las Vegas is approximately 13 hours.

🇯🇵 Statement from the Embassy of Japan on Taylor Swift’s Reported Travel from Japan to the United States ✈️🏈 Are you ready for it? pic.twitter.com/wFKadehTJk
— Japan Embassy DC🌸 (@JapanEmbDC) February 2, 2024