The New York City Department of Transportation used the ‘Furious Travis Kelce’ meme as part of a political statement recently on social media, pushing its anti-car and pro-outdoor dining agendas.
Kelce was caught yelling at his head coach Andy Reid during the Chiefs’ Super Bowl victory after he was on the sidelines for a play where teammate Isiah Pacheco fumbled the ball away to the 49ers.
Kelce was visibly upset with not being able to help his team and took it out on Reid. The tight end apologized for his actions against Reid after the game, which the 65-year-old head coach accepted.
The court of public opinion against Kelce has been much harder than Reid, with some saying the 34-year-old’s actions are a ‘red flag’ for girlfriend Taylor Swift.
Various all-caps messages have been posted with Kelce yelling at Reid to deliver some sort of funny or direct statement. The New York City DOT’s usage was met with heavy criticism as most New Yorkers do not want more congestion from cars.
Some New York City restaurants have opted for approved outdoor dining areas that take up space in the street and leave roads narrower for cars.
The outdoor dining sheds became popular in 2020 during the height of the coronavirus pandemic.
Even as COVID-19 protocols loosened, the extra business restaurants have gained from the outdoor dining areas have made most unwilling to take them down. The DOT is in support of those restaurants, while others in local government disapprove.
‘Instead of focusing on filling potholes and installing speed bumps in a timely manner, the DOT prefers to tweet nonsense that New Yorkers couldn’t care less about,’ New York City councilman Robert Holden said on X. ‘The Department of Transportation Alternatives needs a major change in leadership.’
Kelce and Reid have been seen together without any animosity since the sideline incident, with the tight end not missing any game time for his actions.
Kelce has played under Reid since he was drafted in 2013. The pair have won three Super Bowls together.
