The former Eagles center Jason Kelce found himself in a bizarre media circus this week. What did he do? A dash of playful banter on the “New Heights” podcast he hosts with brother Travis Kelce. Kelce’s tongue-in-cheek remark, “Stats are numbers, numbers are nerds, nerds are losers, therefore stats are losers,” set off a chain reaction that would make even the most seasoned PR pro’s head spin.
“The number of people that are taking this at face value is concerning. Do these people not satirical absurdism when they see it?” Jason Kelce’s tweet on October 2, 2024, wasn’t just a chuckle-worthy quip. It was a cry for common sense in a world gone mad for clickbait.
Fox News, in a move that would make tabloid writers blush, ran with the headline: “Jason Kelce blasts statistics in wild rant: ‘Stats are numbers, numbers are nerds, nerds are losers'”. Talk about missing the joke by a country mile. Kelce, known for his quick wit both on and off the field, couldn’t help but laugh at the absurdity of it all.
The number of people that are taking this at face value is concerning. Do these people not satirical absurdism when they see it?
— Jason Kelce (@JasonKelce) October 2, 2024
“The funniest headline I’ve ever read!!!!” Kelce tweeted, his amusement practically leaping off the screen. But beneath the laughter, a hint of exasperation lurked. How did we get to a point where obvious jokes are treated as breaking news?
The whole kerfuffle started innocently enough. The Kelce brothers were riffing on Atlanta Falcons defensive coordinator Raheem Morris’s comment that “stats are for losers.” Jason, never one to pass up a chance for some good-natured ribbing, took the ball and ran with it.
When 600K+ fans meet media mishaps
As the dust settled, Kelce found himself facing an unexpected opponent: confusion among his own fanbase. With over 600,000 Twitter followers hanging on his every word, the line between jest and judgment blurred.
Jason Kelce has always been known for his humor, and he just took it up a notch with his latest tweet: “Travis will tell you himself, I am a gigantic nerd, literally, in every sense.” This self-deprecating jab adds a new layer to the media circus surrounding his earlier comments about stats.
But this wasn’t Kelce’s first rodeo with media mayhem. Just days earlier, he’d been in the spotlight for a different reason. “It was an insane start to the game,” Kelce had said on “New Heights,” describing the Eagles‘ shocking 33-16 loss to the Buccaneers. “The most one-sided start to the game I’ve seen in a long time.” His frustration was palpable, especially when he mentioned Tampa Bay boasting over 250 total yards while Philly had zilch in the first half.
Amid the football frenzy, Kelce hadn’t forgotten his brother’s struggles. “It’s gonna go your way, especially if you freaking keep being the guy you’ve always been,” he’d told Travis Kelce on their September 25th podcast. This brotherly pep talk came as Travis faced criticism for his early-season performance, including a crucial drop in the third quarter against the Falcons.
The “New Heights” podcast had become more than just a platform for football talk. It was a window into the Kelce brothers’ world, where they could be vulnerable, funny, and downright human. Jason Kelce’s defense of the Chiefs TE, coupled with his candid reactions to the Eagles’ defeat, showed a side of athletes that fans rarely see.
