watt a comeback
J.J. Watt pun-ishes his hair haters with epic Instagram post
A serious Watt dropped a witty retort to haters.
Just when it seems there wasn’t enough manufactured controversy in this year’s Super Bowl — to say nothing of the mass shooting during the Kansas City Chiefs victory parade — J.J. Watt’s hair became a thing.
The all-time and always-honorary Houstonian showed up for his CBS Super Bowl LVIII coverage sporting a thick, spiky ’do, as opposed to his normal, close-cropped look.
Why are we even discussing the former Houston Texan powerhouse’s hair? Simply put, because most of the damn sports world has been transfixed with it. Watt quickly was subject to comparisons to pointy-haired food TV persona Guy Fieri — who called it a “good look” on X.
I for one thought it was a good look @JJWatt https://t.co/mzP2yoDLXx
— Mayor Guy Fieri (@GuyFieri) February 12, 2024
Heavyweight Green Bay Packers offensive tackle David Bakhtiari weighed in with an early-2000s music reference, dropping a pic of Sugar Ray lead singer Mark McGrath on X. (Nice pull, David.)
@JJWatt be like: pic.twitter.com/TMZiY3b8Mq
— David Bakhtiari (@DavidBakhtiari) February 12, 2024
Forget the Taylor Swift/Jason Kelce love-hate: J.J.’s hair cut a line between supporters and dudes who mocked him for looking like he was “headed to prom after this.”
“You ever switch up your hair and wonder if anyone will notice?” Watt asked on X, followed by, “They notice.”
You ever switch up your hair and wonder if anyone will notice?
They notice.
— JJ Watt (@JJWatt) February 12, 2024
Heck yes they do, Justin James. Watt addressed HairGate on the Pat McAfree Show on Wednesday, February 14. “All of them are fair,” Watt deadpanned, according to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. “I like it, so I really don’t care. There’s some Guy Fieri there, there’s certainly some Sugar Ray, there’s definitely a little ’90s boy band action. … I absolutely loved the memes and the jokes. They were hilarious.”
They might have been hilarious, but Watt’s hysterically self-aware Instagram reply on Thursday, February 15 is Hall of Fame-worthy for pro athlete prose.
“Ratings spiked to their highest peaks in history,” Watt wrote. “Honored to be a small part of a crew that gels together so well.”
And the praying hands emoji? Bravo. Fans famous and everyday chimed in, including his brother T.J., co-hot Nate Burleson, and even Watt collaborator fashion brand Mizzen+Main, who ranked his comment a “10/10.”
With comedy chops this sharp, Watt looks ready to host another episode of Saturday Night Live.
