Way back in July, Travis Kelce, the Kansas City Chiefs’ star tight end, publicly offered himself as a potential suitor for Taylor Swift, whose Eras Tour had catapulted her beyond her already stratospheric fame.

Few could have imagined that on the eve of the Super Bowl, we’d all be here.

During the six months between Travis’s metaphorical Hail Mary and Sunday’s very real sports contest, most of America — and much of the world — has been horse-collared into their romance. There is a relentless, inescapable and, sometimes fatiguing quality to this Swift-Kelce monocultural vortex. Boy met girl, football fans met Swifties and each new development became a cause for hyperventilation.

Now, as kickoff approaches, we look back at some of the key meetings and the extreme emotions those meetings have engendered.

Surprise! Taylor shows up at Arrowhead Stadium for a Chiefs Game. Yay for Travis! Taylor and Travis leave together after the game in a “Getaway Car.” A “seemingly Ranch” frenzy ensues.

Taylor shows up again in New Jersey the following week for Sunday Night Football. She brings her friends and meets the parents.

Suddenly, Taylor’s fans — many who have never watched a football game in their lives — become eager to dissect N.F.L. rosters, rules and the secondary-ticket market.