The Ultimate Hater's Guide: Best Sports Teams to Boo in 2016
The holiday season is here, and that means we all have to be really nice to everyone. But the second it's over and the cruel month of January starts rolling through the door, it's time to turn back on the hate and get after it.
One of the truly great things about sports is that we're able to constantly hate on various franchises. Usually it's the Los Angeles Lakers and Dallas Cowboys. Since both squads have won the same number of games at the time of this writing—four—we'll give them a pass next year.
So which teams in 2016 qualify for the maximum saltiness allowed? Don't worry—we've got your answers. Enjoy the ultimate hater's guide.
New York Yankees
1 of 10
We have to hate on the New York Yankees, right? It's become a right of passage in baseball ever since they started racking up championships.
These days, another reason to hate outside of historical greatness is because they still have Alex Rodriguez. And in the grand scheme of things, his presence puts the Yankees on this list of hated squads.
Kentucky Wildcats
2 of 10
Any John Calipari-coached team has become an easy target to root against. Calipari is the college-coaching equivalent of a cars salesman—and Drake's best friend.
His Kentucky basketball teams are always juiced-up with talent. Naturally, when they succeed, the hate starts to matriculate down the collegiate ranks.
He did it with UMass, Memphis and now the Kentucky Wildcats. Coach Cal never ceases to amaze.
Carolina Panthers
3 of 10
Cam Newton and the Carolina Panthers are 14-0. Watching them overly succeed this season has been a joy. But eventually they're going to gravitate toward New England Patriots territory—not counting the whole "Batgate" hoopla that's been going on, according to NFL.com's Ian Rapoport.
Assuming they can reach the Super Bowl unbeaten or even the playoffs, remaining teams will be looking to knock them off. And each game they draw closer to the ultimate prize, the stakes get higher.
If there is a team out there not named the New England Patriots that can conquer the Panthers, you can best believe the football world will be cheering it on.
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Golden State Warriors
4 of 10
When you're really good, people start to turn on you. Let's call that "John Cena syndrome."
The Golden State Warriors are 26-1, making a serious impact on the NBA. Besides having Stephen Curry—the league's new golden child—the Warriors could very well become a hated squad as 2016 chugs along.
Take this into consideration: Draymond Green has been getting into altercations, as ESPN.com's Ethan Sherwood Strauss mentioned. Even his teammate, Andre Iguodala, has unleashed unusual words when it came to praising his team's play, per Sherwood Strauss.
Stuff like that gives you enough fuel to hate on the Warriors. People, it's time to join the dark side and become anti-Golden State.
Washington Capitals
5 of 10
The Washington Capitals look really good this season. Finally, a franchise packed to the brim with talent is putting it all together—thanks, Alexander Ovechkin.
But let's be honest for a second: It's the Capitals. They're going to crash and burn, leaving fans across the NHL spectrum chuckling.
Though unwarranted, hatred for the Capitals is out there. Of all the detractors, it was Wayne Whittaker from Stanley Cup of Chowder who summed it up beautifully: "So rejoice, Caps fans. Your superstar will get to continue to selfishly rack up points in front of a mediocre defense and continuous carousel of netminders through the year 2021."
New England Patriots
6 of 10
Here's an obvious one: At 12-2, the New England Patriots are well on their way to getting back into the NFL postseason picture and cleaning house when it comes to the AFC.
The Patriots have created a master blueprint in order to be hated on over the years—Deflategate madness, a head coach who resembles a Star Wars character and a propensity for winning ball games.
No team on this list can touch the hatred the Pats will receive in 2016 and beyond. Perhaps the only way they'll be removed from this list down the line is when Bill Belichick and Tom Brady decide to step away from the game they've dominated.
Michigan State Spartans
7 of 10
The beauty of Tom Izzo's Michigan State teams in the past was their ability to weave through the NCAA tournament seemingly undetected.
This year's Spartans squad is different. At 12-0, it's ranked No. 1 in the nation, and few teams look better on both sides of the floor. If Izzo's Spartans enter the tournament unbeaten or still nestled as the top seed in the country, you can best believe the hate brigade will be on their way.
Alabama Crimson Tide
8 of 10
Nick Saban's Alabama Crimson Tide program has been the talk of college football on and off for years now. These Saban-built powerhouses have won three national championships—2009, 2011 and 2012—and competed every year in between.
Bowl season 2016 brings the Crimson Tide back into the College Football Playoff fold. Like last year when Ohio State upset them in the final four, few will be pulling for another Saban title.
In fact, I'd imagine you'd be hard-pressed to find anyone who is pulling for Alabama minus boosters and fans of the Southern dynasty.
Duke Blue Devils
9 of 10
Mike Krzyzewski's brand of basketball has been winning for 35 years now. As frontman for the Duke Blue Devils, he's created a legacy that will never be forgotten.
But with great success comes great hatred, and Coach K is the king of that on the college front. Perhaps it was Michael Jordan's choice to play for North Carolina that drove Duke into this realm. Or it could be the fact that Christian Laettner played for him for years.
Either way, Duke forever belongs on this list, and 2016 isn't going to change that.
New York Mets
10 of 10
The New York Mets had their chance to become a beloved franchise. Unfortunately, the Kansas City Royals played spoiler to those hopes last season.
Now that the Mets are actually good, they can go back to being the salty foe of Yankees fans across the world.
With great pitching comes great responsibility, and the Mets have plenty of that to go around. This upcoming season shouldn't be much different. If everything gets rolling, the Mets should be atop the National League.
Who wants to see all of that? The beauty of the Mets' getting to the World Series last season was that no one thought they could do it. Now there's no fun in following a team's impending journey to success.
All stats and information provided by Sports-Reference.com unless noted otherwise.
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