At a Glance
- Travis Kelce failed to catch a fan’s pun tied to Taylor Swift’s racy song “Wood” during the Jan. 21 episode of New Heights.
- The joke referenced the lyric “New Heights of manhood” from the track, which is packed with innuendo about Kelce.
- Producer Brandon Borders had to explain the Easter egg to the brothers.
- Why it matters: It shows even those closest to Swift can miss the layered references her fans obsess over.
Travis Kelce struck out on a Swiftie soft-ball. During the Jan. 21 taping of the brothers’ sports-meets-life podcast, a listener quipped that the show’s hoodies should be branded “New Heights of Man-Hoodie.” The pun sailed over the NFL star’s head, forcing the crew to connect the dots to fiancée Taylor Swift’s steamy track “Wood.”
The Missed Connection
Jason Kelce read the fan note aloud: “‘I can’t believe none of the hoodies are called “New Heights of Man-Hoodie.”‘” He shrugged, admitting, “I don’t know what the f— that means, but she’s disappointed.”
- Jason asked, “What’s a ‘man-hoodie’? Is that a thing?”
- Producer Brandon Borders jumped in: “It’s a Life of a Showgirl reference, come on. ‘New Heights of manhood,’ it’s the time you were referenced in the album.”
- Travis laughed, conceding, “I didn’t understand that. Taylor’s gonna kill me for not knowing that!”
Inside “Wood”
Swift’s “Wood” is the twelfth studio album’s most talked-about cut, stuffed with playful nods to her tight-end partner.
Lyric snapshot:
- “Forgive me, it sounds cocky / He ah-matized me and opened my eyes.”
- “Redwood tree, it ain’t hard to see / His love was the key that opened my thighs.”
- The hoodie pun springs from: “New Heights of manhood / I ain’t gotta knock on wood.”
Not the First Round
Post-album release in Oct. 2025, Jason grilled Travis on-air about the song.
Jason: “Do you feel cocky about the song ‘Wood’?”
Travis: “Any song that she references me in is very…”
Jason cut in: “That’s not just any song. This is a very specific you.”
Travis kept it cool: “I love that girl, so what do you mean?”
Jason pressed: “It’s an appendage. It’s a very specific thing.”
Travis ended the exchange teasing, “I think you’re not understanding the song.”
Fan Reactions
Swifties quickly flooded social channels with clips of the Jan. 21 slip, celebrating both the clever wordplay and Kelce’s good-natured admission. Comments praised Borders for swift damage control and joked that Taylor will likely send a winking text once she hears the segment.
Key Takeaways
- Even inside jokes about Swift’s lyrics can hide in plain sight.
- The Kelce brothers rely on their producer-and fan base-to decode Easter eggs.
- Travis’s self-deprecating response keeps the couple’s signature playful vibe alive.
