The “Filthy” Question That Broke the Internet (Almost)
So, here’s the thing. Team USA’s women’s hockey team-absolute legends, by the way-just snagged another gold medal. Big game, right? Against Canada, their arch-rivals. And Megan Keller, 29, scores this highlight-reel, overtime goal. A beauty. A screamer. The kind of goal that makes you jump off your couch and maybe spill your beer a little.
And what’s the natural reaction? Sports fans, announcers, players themselves, they’re gonna call it “filthy,” “nasty,” “dirty.” In a good way, obviously. It’s sports slang. It means it was incredibly skilled, unexpected, a little bit disrespectful to the other team’s defense because it was just that good. We’ve been doing this for decades. Decades!
But then, Megyn Kelly, 55, bless her heart, jumps on X (which is still Twitter to most of us, let’s be real) and asks, “Why do ppl keep calling the Megan Keller goal filthy/nasty/dirty in a good way? Can hockey fans pls explain?”
And I’m just sitting here, staring at my screen, like, seriously? This was a real question? From a person who’s been in media, who’s been around, for… well, longer than 30 years, I’m pretty sure. You’d think she’d have picked up on this basic, basic sports terminology by now. Or at least have someone on her staff who could give her a quick primer before she hit send.
Is This a Test? Or Just… Out of Touch?
The thing is, it’s not like she’s a casual viewer who just stumbled onto hockey. She’s a public figure, she has a massive platform. And this isn’t some obscure, niche slang. This isn’t like asking what “the duster” means (a player who rides the pine, for the uninitiated). “Filthy” for a great play? That’s practically mainstream. My grandma, who only watches figure skating, probably knows what that means. Okay, maybe not my grandma, but you get the point. It’s everywhere.
Seriously, What Year Is It?
Look, I get it. Not everyone follows every sport with the same intensity. But “filthy” for a good play has been a thing for, gosh, since the 90s at least. You hear it in basketball, football, even esports these days. It’s a staple. It’s like asking why people call a home run “a bomb.” It’s just… what we do.
And the internet, being the internet, did not hold back. The replies were glorious.
“Those things have been positive descriptors in sports for going on 30 years,” one person responded to Kelly. “You aren’t even that old. My boomer parents understand this. 😂” another person quipped.
That “you aren’t even that old” line? Chef’s kiss. Because it’s true! She’s 55. This isn’t some new Gen Z slang that just popped up. This isn’t “rizz” or “skibidi.” This is classic, tried-and-true sports vernacular. It’s like she woke up from a 30-year nap and immediately logged onto X.
And you know, part of me wonders if she was genuinely curious, which, okay, fine. But the way it came across, it just felt… so incredibly out of touch. Almost willfully ignorant. Like someone who just doesn’t spend five minutes listening to how people actually talk about sports. Or, maybe, she just wanted some engagement. And boy, did she get it.
The Human Element (Or Lack Thereof)
This whole thing, it just kinda grinds my gears a little. Because it highlights a broader issue, I think, with some media personalities. There’s this disconnect, sometimes, where they’re so busy talking at people, or stirring the pot on bigger issues (which is her brand, obviously), that they miss the really simple, everyday cultural stuff. The stuff that actually connects people.
It’s not just about hockey, you know? It’s about being observant. It’s about having a pulse on how regular folks communicate. And if you’re going to comment on something in sports, even as a spectator, a quick Google search or even just, like, listening to five minutes of a game broadcast would tell you everything you need to know about “filthy” goals. It’s not rocket science. It’s not even advanced calculus. It’s… slang.
And frankly, it makes you wonder about other things. If she’s missing something this basic, what else is she missing in the broader conversation? It’s a small thing, sure. A tweet about a hockey goal. But sometimes, it’s the small things that reveal the bigger picture, right?
What This Actually Means
Look, I’m not saying Megyn Kelly needs to become a hockey analyst overnight. Not at all. But for someone who built a career on being sharp, on being in the know, on asking tough questions-this just felt… soft. Like, really, really soft. It’s not a scandal, it’s not even a gaffe in the grand scheme of things. It’s just a moment where you go, “Huh. Guess some people really do live in a bubble.”
And maybe that’s the real takeaway. In a world where everyone’s trying to connect, trying to understand each other, sometimes the simplest things-like understanding sports slang-can be the biggest hurdles. Or maybe, just maybe, it was a genius move for engagement. Because here we are, talking about it. And if that was the goal… well, that’s pretty filthy, in a good way, I guess. But I’m still not giving her the benefit of the doubt on this one. You just gotta know this stuff, man. You just gotta.
