Folks Are Now Debating a New Side of J.J. McCarthy
Minnesota Vikings quarterback J.J. McCarthy has a self-created alter ego, “Nine,” who arrives on gamedays and motivates him to win.
J.J. McCarthy shared a personality trait on Wednesday, and some were quick to divide into camps, deciding whether his persona is good or bad.
The 22-year-old shared details about the facade this week, and predictably, folks opined on the pros and cons of his statement.
“Nine” Persona of J.J. McCarthy Draws Heat & Praise
There’s the kind, gentle McCarthy — and then there’s “Nine.”
What McCarthy Said about His Alter Ego
McCarthy got in front of reporters this week, who promptly asked him about his mental preparation. He didn’t hold back.
The young passer said about the alter ego, “I call him Nine. Nine comes out, and I gotta understand, like, OK, he can’t be at his peak performance throughout three-and-a-half hours. So how do I find little ways on the sideline, get back to my breath, get back to my visualization, that can kind of maintain that intense, competitive stamina throughout the whole game?”
“It’s just the pure will, determination to get the job done. To be honest with you, it really kind of started to show up this year. It came about last year during IR, just never had a full season where you want to be out there so frickin’ bad, but you can’t. It was this built-up anger that was kind of ready to just explode, and I chose to harness it instead of letting it go into a self-destructive kind of way.”
McCarthy and his alter ego guided the Vikings to an upset victory over Detroit last weekend.
McCarthy added, “And it’s unique and I love feeding that wolf, because my entire life, at Michigan, it was the smiley face on my hand and smile and you have fun, you’re going to play better and all that, which is true, but I also think there’s a lot of power that comes from that built-up anger that you can transmute into your performance.”
The Backlash
Naysayers flocked to posts of McCarthy’s video with the quote above, calling him “performative” and “cringy.”
One tweeter posted, “I feel like in high school he meant to go to theater club but accidentally walked into football tryouts and was just too embarrassed to leave.”
Another tweeted, “This dude is such a loser lmao.”
One person remarked, “What a tool. What does he have 4 or 5 TD passes in his whole career?”
And one opined, “Be a baller and not a weirdo! You do you tho if it’s Geta is a superbowl win!!”
Those are merely a few examples. Criticism surfaced all over the place on social media.
The Praise
Of course, many reasonable onlookers had no problem with McCarthy’s explanation. He’s an athlete, and Justin Jefferson, for example, has explained a similar alter ego over the years, even telling the story in the Netflix documentary, Receiver.
McCarthy peeled back the curtain for folks to understand his mindset, and as a young player, he evidently told too much. In reality, he said nothing wrong. If he could have a mulligan, he might not say anything at all or perhaps pump the brakes on the details a bit.
In the end, who really cares if McCarthy has a playful alter ego? Is it really that heinous?
The Dan Campbell Parable
Down the road, McCarthy can explain as many alter egos as he wants — if his play on the field outshines the verbiage on a microphone.
In 2021, when the Detroit Lions hired Dan Campbell, he told reporters that his team would be scrappy and, if it got knocked down to the turf, would claw its way back up and bite opponents’ kneecaps on the way up. The suggestion caught everyone off-guard because — you guessed it — it sounded weird and cheesy.
Fast forward four years, and Campbell is a Top 10 NFL coach. Nobody gives a damn about the kneecap comment anymore, and in fact, it’s part of the Lions’ texture. Fans say the phrase with enthusiasm, wearing kneecap-biting as a badge of honor.
All McCarthy has to do is ball out, and the alter ego concerns will vanish — or become trendy.
The National View on ‘Nine’
Pro Football Network‘s Ellis Williams wrote about McCarthy’s phantom side, “In Detroit, McCarthy showed what that edge can do. The 27-24 win against the Lions increased the Vikings’ playoff chances. With McCarthy leading the offense, the Vikings’ defense was able to contain the Lions’ potent attack.”
“Minnesota’s defense ranks seventh in PFSN’s DEFi. Behind his top-tier defense and a sound game plan, McCarthy completed 14 of 25 passes for 143 yards, three total touchdowns, and one interception. His command at the line of scrimmage and composure in key moments, including a third-and-five completion to Jalen Nailor that iced the game, reflected the calm intensity ‘Nine’ brings to his game.”
Nine takes on the Baltimore Ravens this Sunday, and his team is expected to lose by four or five points.
“At Michigan, McCarthy was known for his positive energy and trademark smiley face drawn on his hand before games. Now, he has found power in something different. Even Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell has learned to respect that fire,” Williams continued.
“Off the field, McCarthy said his fiancée helps him balance the intensity that defines ‘Nine.’ That balance between focus and fury may be the foundation of McCarthy’s rise as the team’s long-term answer at quarterback.”
Nine has 6 touchdowns in his first three games; something is working.
You must be logged in to post a comment.