Patriots' Bailey Zappe addresses possible Taylor Swift conundrum

New England Patriots quarterback Bailey Zappe seems to be embracing the fact he could play in front of entertainment superstar Taylor Swift during this Sunday's home game against the 8-5 Kansas City Chiefs after he revealed earlier in the week he's not a "Swiftie." 

"No, I won’t be nervous," Zappe responded when he was jokingly asked during a Wednesday news conference about previous comments he offered regarding Swift's music, per Chris Mason of MassLive. "It’ll be pretty exciting to have her here. I know she loves being here at Gillette, so I’m sure that’s exciting for her to come back here." 

Emma Healy of The Boston Globe noted on Monday that Swift has a history of performing at New England's Gillette Stadium, and it's believed she'll be in the building to watch this Sunday's contest amid her much-publicized relationship with Chiefs All-Pro tight end Travis Kelce. As for Zappe, Greg Dudek of NESN mentioned that the 24-year-old signal-caller said during a Monday appearance on the WEEI "Jones and Mego with Arcand" program that he isn't a Swift "fan" because he doesn't "listen to that music." 

Zappe attempted to clarify his original remarks on Wednesday, perhaps after somebody advised him that he shouldn't want to even accidentally anger individuals who are part of what may be the most passionate fan base in the entertainment world today. 

"OK, so, if you listen to the whole quote I said I’m not, not a fan," Zappe explained on Wednesday while flashing a smile. "I used to be a fan because I’m a country guy. I listen to country music. She used to be country, so of course there were times where a Taylor Swift country song and I listened to it. Now she’s moved over to pop. I’m not a pop guy. So I’m a fan, I just don’t listen to that type of music. So just clear that up there." 

It's nice that members of the 3-10 Patriots can have some fun in the closing weeks of what's been a disastrous season for the organization, but the fact remains that Zappe and company should want to avoid all Swift-related distractions as rumors hover over the franchise about the future of head coach Bill Belichick. 

As of Wednesday afternoon, oddschecker listed the Patriots as 9.5-point underdogs against the Chiefs.