Jason Kelce had no clue what was going on during ESPN’s recent broadcast of a quidditch game.
“What’s happening on ESPNEWS, people are playing [quidditch]?” Kelce, 37, wrote via X on Saturday, April 19. “It’s really weird.”
While Kelce was perplexed by the fictional sport from the beloved Harry Potter series being broadcast on TV, the retired Philadelphia Eagles player was also outraged that the game wasn’t as immersive as it is in the movies. In the Harry Potter franchise, players fly on their brooms and score points by throwing a ball called a quaffle through three golden rings.
“But I’m really just mad that they aren’t using actual brooms and dressed like wizards,” Kelce continued. “Like if we’re gonna do this, why not go all in on the wizarding world. These uniforms are inappropriate.”
Quidditch includes a player called a seeker who is tasked with hunting the Golden Snitch. If a seeker catches it, the game ends automatically. The EPSN version of the Harry Potter-inspired game also incorporated a Golden Snitch element, which delighted Kelce.
“Oh my god, the Snitch is [absolutely] hilarious,” he wrote in a subsequent tweet. “Just a dude with the word snitch written on his shorts hahaha. What in the f***.”
Kelce’s fans were delighted by his commentary and were quick to agree with him in the comments section.
“My BIL and I are watching it [and] said the same thing. The sticks make it look dumb! Either have a broom and be a wizard or don’t,” one user responded while another replied, “I’m gonna give it to you this time … you are absolutely right let’s complain.”
Another fan suggested that Jason and his brother, Travis Kelce, should suit up and play the game. Jason was down with the idea but wanted to implement a different element.
“I’ll play with a beer in my hand instead of a broom,” the athlete quipped.
An additional user told Jason that he would be “top-tier beater” if he played the sport in real life. However, Jason had a different task in mind for when he’s on the quidditch field.
“Nah [I’m a ] seeker,” he responded. “I’ll get that flag real quick.” (In the fictional game, a beater’s primary role is to defend their team members while a seeker focuses on tracking down the Golden Snitch.)
Since retiring from the NFL in spring 2024, Jason has ventured into sports broadcasting. He is one of the hosts on ESPN’s Monday Night Countdown.
Outside the sports world, Jason is a father of four. He and wife Kylie Kelce recently welcomed daughter Finnley. The couple are also parents to daughters Wyatt, 5, Elliotte, 4, Bennett, 2. In an upcoming appearance on the “Not Skinny But Not Fat” podcast, Kylie, 33, shared her thoughts on why her and Jason have only welcomed girls.
“I think he has a very skewed idea of women, which is probably why he has four daughters,” Kylie told host Amanda Hirsch, per Us Weekly’s exclusive first look clip. “It’s why he was blessed with four daughters. The universe said: ‘He doesn’t get it. We need him to get it.’”
