Ranking the 25 Players Dallas Cowboys Fans Hate Most

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If we were to make a list of most hated players for every single NFL team, I am pretty certain that a Cowboys player would make the vast majority of them. Not because the Cowboys have won the past few Super Bowls or compete for one every single year—it's mostly due to a player's ego or the lore surrounding the franchise.

Well, instead of the Cowboys being on the receiving end of that hatred, it is the fans' turn.

Here are 25 players that fans of the Cowboys love to hate.

25. Ben Rothlisberger

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Big Ben really is a linebacker or defensive end playing quarterback. When these teams met in 2008, Ben was just okay with one touchdown and 204 passing yards. But the Steelers won, and he's a much better quarterback now.

I believe that the Cowboys can beat Pittsburgh, but because Ben plays for one of the Cowboys' most hated rivals, he's hated too.

24. Matt Forte

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I like Matt Forte and believe the Bears took way to long to give him his money. At any rate, Forte and the Bears play host to the Cowboys on Monday night in Week 4.

He’s coming off of an injury, but his legs will be fresh and his attitude will be renewed.

23. Cam Newton

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Newton is going to be very good, and Dallas will get to see the freakishly large quarterback live and in living color this season.

If he cannot beat you with his arm, which he is very capable of doing, he'll just take off and run because he's built like a linebacker.

Newton has every opportunity to play well against Dallas, and if he does, his place on this list will be well deserved.

22. Ray Rice

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The Ravens and Cowboys will clash in Week 6 of the 2012 season, and Ray Rice just signed for new money with Baltimore.

Rice is one of the best running backs in the league, and if the Cowboys run defense is soft, he’ll have a field day against them.

21. Robert Griffin III

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Griffin has yet to play a down for the Redskins, but because he will be the starting quarterback for one of the Cowboys chief rivals, he's already on the hate list.

RGIII won the Heisman Trophy in college and will look to have the same impact on the Redskins and the NFL.

He'll have to get through the Cowboys' new look defensive secondary and the long arms of DeMarcus Ware.

Good luck, sir.

20. Keyshawn Johnson

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This one is a personal selection because Johnson lacked any type of self-awareness. He was a good receiver in the NFL, but his mouth far exceeded his talent.

Johnson couldn't outrun a defensive tackle, so he was regulated to just being a possession guy.

His best season in Dallas was 2004 when he recorded 981 receiving yards. Johnson—again, I say that I am not a fan of "Meshawn"—is one of the worst commentators on ESPN and does about as much research as I did when I failed my 12th English final.

For the record, again, there is no objectivity for Johnson because of his undeserved level of arrogance.

19. Drew Brees

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The Saints travel to Dallas on the 23rd of December. By that time, we'll know if it's time for a new coaching search for the Cowboys, or if the Saints are just a tune-up for the playoffs.

Brees is probably the second best quarterback in the league, if not the best, and Dallas' new secondary will get a real exercise when they face the Brees.

He's athletic enough to move around the pocket and has enough arm strength to make the occasional acrobatic throw.

Brees is a wonderful guy off the field but a warrior on it.

18. Leon Lett

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If I remember one thing about the Cowboys' Super Bowl runs back in the '90s, it's that haunting sound of an announcer yelling “Leon Lett” at the top of his lungs.

The Cowboys and Dolphins were locked in a Thanksgiving Day brawl when the Dolphins botched a field goal. Lett was supposed to allow the ball to sit and live; instead, he fell on the ball and failed to recover it, and the Dolphins retained possession.

Some fans aren’t Lett supporters because of the Dolphins game and the Don Beebe play in Super Bowl XXVII. Need a refresher? Check the video.

17. Calvin Johnson

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Remember when “Megatron” leaped over three Cowboys defenders and caught a touchdown in Week 4 of last season? Yeah, I remember it too.

Johnson isn’t just a one-trick pony, as some believe, and as he continues to mature, so will his game.

He made the Cowboys look foolish last season, and that touchdown catch was a highlight of the season for him and the Lions.

16. Terrell Owens

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I'll always be a T.O. guy because he was super talented and misunderstood. Yes, cliché I know, but he was never as bad as people made him out to be in my eyes.

Owens played very well during his time as a Cowboy, but his fragile ego got in the way and his career in Dallas was over too soon.

Owens often has his ear trained toward what the media had to say about him. So if it's good or bad, he's going to hear about it.

Terrell's largest issue, at least in my eyes, is trust. He either trusts the wrong people or trusts only himself. That is a bad combination, and it has led to his position within the league now.

Owens could have been great with Romo as evidenced by the stats. He had 15 touchdowns for Dallas in 2007 and over 1,300 receiving yards the year before.

Despite his on-the field production, his personality just was not a good fit.

15. Roy L. Williams

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Williams was first drafted by the Cowboys in 2002 and made an immediate impact. He hit hard, seemed to play the pass decent enough and was an instant fan favorite.

He did so well that he made the Pro Bowl in his second season and seemed to be on his way to live in Cowboys' lore.

Then the horse-collar tackles and blown coverages started, and his goodwill quickly melted away.

Fans started to hate him because they blamed loses on him, and once the defense started to deteriorate, so did Roy's career in Dallas.

In some fan circles, he is still looked upon with disdain because he never lived up to expectations and to his potential. Oh—and the horse collar and blown coverages.

Once leaving the Cowboys, Roy's career was never the same.

14. Santana Moss

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Moss loved playing the Cowboys during his hey day because he would always shred the secondary to pieces.

Remember this?

Roy Williams is featured throughout this video as he was always beat on the deep ball. But because Moss was able to out run the threads that keep the field together, Williams was left in the dust.

13. Donovan McNabb

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Remember when McNabb did this to the Cowboys? It is that infamous scramble that left everyone who watched that Monday night game with mouths agape.

He was once my favorite football player because he was good and had to overcome a lot as it pertained to Philly fans and the media.

McNabb was always a thorn in the Cowboys side, and the play above proves why I am happy that age his slowed him down.

12. Randy Moss

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Moss used to be the Cowboys' killer when he was with the Vikings. Now that he's a member of the San Francisco 49ers, Dallas has less of a chance in seeing him.

But he's always burned the Cowboys, and when Dallas needed overtime to get by the Niners in 2011, Moss could be the difference in a game of that caliber in 2012.

11. DeSean Jackson

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Once Jackson full matures on and off the field, he's going to be a very dangerous NFL player. Until that time comes, he'll drop the ball before going into the end zone and will care more about his TV persona than winning ball games.

He's fast, nimble and agile, and that gives the Cowboys fits at times.

He's beyond arrogant and looks to be the size of a high school receiver.

Fans hate him, and hopefully he'll drop another ball before scoring a touchdown.

10. Dez Bryant

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This is more knee-jerk than anything, but I can guarantee you that Bryant isn't high on the list of many fans today.

He was recently arrested for allegedly hitting his mother, but we still aren't sure of all of the details.

Bryant is a really talented guy who has all of the potential to turn into a great NFL player. I will withhold judgement because I am just unsure of what happened.

For a more detailed explanation of how Bryant arrived at this point in his life, take a look at this article. Bryant's story is an interesting one to say the least.

9. Michael Vick

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Any quarterback who can outrun most cornerbacks with a cannon for an arm is a danger.

He quarterbacks one of the most talented teams in the NFC and the league, and the Eagles have a real shot at making it to the Super Bowl.

The good thing for Cowboys fans is that he’s fragile and is prone to mistakes. But watching him shake a linebacker or outrun a cornerback brings tears of sadness to the eyes of many.

8. Jason Pierre-Paul

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Noticing a theme here with NFC East players? Pierre-Paul is a freakish athlete who is still learning how to play within a defensive system.

At this point in his career, he’s strictly playing off of talent and athleticism.

Because of this play alone, he’s hated by Cowboys fans.

7. LeSean McCoy

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Shady McCoy is his nickname, and he's quickly becoming one of the best running backs in the NFL.

He thrashed the Cowboys last season, and because of the type of offense the Eagles play, which is more of a spread-the-floor type of basketball offense, he'll have more opportunities to do the same to Dallas again in 2012.

McCoy is very versatile, and if he didn't play for Philly, I'm sure Dallas fans would love to have him as a Cowboy. But as long as he has an Eagle wing on his helmet, he'll be hated by Cowboys fans.

6. Justin Tuck

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Tuck said that he hates the Cowboys more than anything else, and the feeling is mutual.

Tuck is a very talented defensive hybrid for the Giants, and he gives most opposing teams fits.

The Giants and Cowboys are rivals, so it is not surprise that there is no love lost from Tuck’s point of view. I still don’t like to see him with this caged facemask and martial arts celebration.

Tuck is one of those Giants players that you wished played for Dallas, but you'll continue to root against him because of his affiliation.

5. Eli Manning

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Manning is the brother of Peyton with two Super Bowl rings. He beat the Patriots twice and continues to do all that he can to break the Cowboys down into box size.

He usually performs well against Dallas, and because he has the jewelry to prove himself, fans do not like him. The younger Manning seems dippy and quixotic at times, but it has worked out in his favor.

Whenever he faces the Cowboys, most fans cringe a little because while Manning may seem aloof, he's burned the Cowboys enough times for fans to realize that isn't true.

4. Victor Cruz

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New Cowboys cornerback Brandon Carr said that he's ready for Victor Cruz. I sure hope so because he had 178 receiving yards against Dallas in Week 17 last season.

That salsa dancing has to stop, and the more he dances, the more successful he's been.

3. Hakeem Nicks

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Nicks is an emerging receiving for the Giants, and he got into the Cowboys pretty good last season as well.

Dallas has secondary issues last season, which is why Carr and rookie Morris Claiborne are now on the team.

Hopefully Nicks won't have that type of success again because if he does, then Carr and Claiborne haven't done their jobs.

2. DeAngelo Hall

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I really do not like Hall because of his mouth. If his play and talent matched his machismo, then I could stand to hear him talk.

When Hall talked about how his rating on the video game Madden was his motivation one season, I started to lose respect for him.

Hall is a decent cornerback who is routinely beat. But his inflated ego is what really bothers me because he's not as good as he thinks.

1. Brandon Jacobs

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There was enough hot air in Brandon Jacobs' lungs to fill the entire city of New York. Here is another player who was way too high on his ability and skill.

He's now a 49er, so fans don't have to worry about hearing him yell and talk about how awful the Cowboys are.

When I think of Jacobs, I think of a loudmouth. He’s the type of guy who talks all game long even if he has zero statistics.

Jacobs is now out in San Francisco, and the Cowboys nation of fans will not have to deal with hyperbole or his nasty end-zone celebration dances.