I’ve seen a lot of "best of" articles on Bleacher recently. Some about the best sport stories of the year, others about the best stadiums for atmosphere and one I read mentioned a favourite sporting moment.
So this got me thinking. Who is the most HATED team in sport?
At the risk of turning this into forum, I really want to know which team gets under your skin and why.
Of course a lot of this is down to which sport you watch and who your revels are. But what I’m trying to find out is if there is a particular reason why some teams are disliked so much.
Is it because of success? A team that’s winning all the time will always be resented.
Is it because of image? Some owners seem to be willing to allow their team name…sorry, brand to be stuck on anything if it means more publicity.
Is it because of their fans? Maybe it’s a tribal thing, getting back to that cave man sprit. But I bet there’s a least one group of supporters that gets right up your nose.
My personal most hated team would have to be Liverpool FC.
It’s not because of their players or their management. It’s not jealousy over their success, past or present. And it not all because they are my teams local revels (but that does have a little to do with it).
It’s mostly down to their holier than thou, smug, self-obsessed, fickle supporters.
Now, some of my closest friends and colleagues are Liverpool fans and I usually get on fine with them. But when the topic of football comes up, it’s as if they turn into completely different people.
Ask them about football history and they believe that it started in the 1960’s with Bill Shankly. Apparently nothing before that matters.
Talk to them before a game and they will tell you, with out a doubt, their team will win. Regardless of any injuries they may have or the quality of the opposing team.
Try to speak to one after a defeat and you’ll be told they have the worst manager ever. Even though they won a major trophy under him, back when he could all but walk on water.
But the one thing that really gets my back up is on match days. If you ever watch a game at Anfeild and the ball is close to the sideline, take a look at the crowd. Count the amount of people taking pictures, hundreds of them. And it’s not once or twice, it’s every single time a player comes near them.
To be fair it’s not only Liverpool fans that do this, but it does irritate me.
Football is meant to be a fasted paced, exciting, passionate, involving sport. Where do you find the time to add to your photo album?
I could go on, but as I said before it’s only meant to be a bit of fun.
Well that’s my rant over, who do you hate? Manchester United, Chelsea? If this article is read in the US, I’m sure there’ll be a lot of finger pointing between Bears and Packers fans.
I’m guessing there’ll be a lot of people mentioning the New York Yankees as well. I understand the Red Sox thing, but I’m interested to know why everyone else seems to dislike the Yankees so much.
It can’t be about the area of New York because not much is said against the Mets, or I’m I wrong?
So come on, get it off your chest. Who do you love to hate?
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5 months ago
I think the sun in California has left you a bit deranged Mike. You are a typical, chip-on-the-shoulder Bluenose and the distance from Liverpool has clearly given you no perspective or objectivity at all.
If Liverpool's fans are fickle, then how do you explain the overwhelming support for Benitez even amidst the current (and hugely overhyped) 'crisis'? The only real anti-Benitez vitriol comes from internet chat rooms or blogs and the red-top tabloid press in Britain.
As you are an Evertonian, I wouldn't expect an opinion free from bias, but as a self-pronounced budding journalist you might wish to seek a sense or fourth-estate objectivity.
Anyway, "Walk on with hope in your heart" mate.
from 5 months ago
The Sun. we LOVE IT :).
5 months ago
Hate Arsenal with all my strength..tho it was Chelsea previously. I hate anybody between us and the title...so it's like that..
Glory Glory United!!!
from 5 months ago
You may hate Arsenal but that is only because there is only 1 good team in Manchester! that and all ur London fans hate to see their home side win.
We r the Tottenham HATERS.
5 months ago
Well I'm bidding to be an objective journalist so I'm going to just be honest and say Celtic in domestic competition, as well as England in International competition against Scotland (I believe we won the last one). I wish Celtic every success in Europe, just not against my beloved Rangers.
5 months ago
I hate:
Barcelona
Burnley
Chelsea
Arsenal
Bolton
All Serie A Teams
Italian National Team
... Ahh, that felt good.
5 months ago
All other nineteen teams above derby in the premier league, except newcastle. And Leeds too coz they think their better than derby even when their 2 leagues under. oh not forgetting nott forest.. pissing in the trees.
5 months ago
I hate Man Utd because their fans are insufferably cocky. I hate Liverpool because their fans are stupid. I hate Barcelona because Henry left us for them. I hate the England National Team because they are useless. I hate AC Milan because of Berlosconi and they're magical ability to escape real punishment for match fixing. I hate any team that Landon Donovan is on. But mostly I hate Tottenham because they are Tottenham.
5 months ago
As for American Football: the Bears fans are a bunch of idiotic fools, so I hate the Bears. I am a Gator so I hate the Seminoles. (I think the bulk of my hates are tribalistic, Mike).
Baseball: Red Sox for obvious reasons. Cardinals because they are the classic rivals of my team, the Kansas City Royals. The Giants cause I hate Barry Bonds. The Toronto Blue Jays because the fair weather Canadian fans of baseball were sickening back in the Nineties when the Jays were winning the World Series.
Hockey: The Calgary Flames. I grew up an Oilers fan in the middle of Flames territory. I hate their supporters. I hate their arena. I hate everything about them.
from 5 months ago
Almost forgot. I hate any football team with a Manning playing quarterback.
Loved this article, Mike. Lots of fun.
5 months ago
Great Article and something to really sink my teeth in!! I can't say I HATE liverpool supporters....HATE is a very strong word in days when quite a few of my dearest friends are Liverpool fans (I'm United)
What I DO hate though is that when they win and play well.....I'll try to show sportsmanship by admitting that they played well and deserved to win. e.g. Champions League final when Liverpool beat Milan on pens. I called up my mate after the match to congratulate him on a FANTASTIC game, and one which Liverpool thoroughly deserved to win through their refusal to give in. Or when Liverpool got to the final again a few years later (again against Milan) I sent an sms to my friend on the morning of the game saying good luck, I would be rooting for Liverpool as an ENGLISH football fan....If United weren't in the final then I at least wanted an English winner. My mate said he was touched by the sportsmanship.
However if United lose, he's the first to call up to poke fun, and If United thrash their opponents and play awesome football, we will have always been (lucky to get the win, as we were making mistakes all over the park)
THAT is what I hate! They are so self absorbed in their glory days, regardless of how good anyone else is doing.
And I also HATE that whenever a debate is started about which team is better, it ALWAYS comes down to the same old "HOW MANY EUROPEAN CUPS HAVE YOU WON?"
SO WHAT!!!!!! The Champions league is based on 13 games at most of which luck plays a great part.....The premier League is based on 38 games and requires much more guile and consistency to be crowned winners. Last time I checked....Liverpool have never won the Premiership and United have won 9?!
But try telling a Liverpool fan this and they'll say "we've won 18 league titles?"
YEAH....IN THE DARK AGES!!!! How many Leagues you won in the last 18 years?? NONE
I'll stop here as I can feel my blood start to boil. As I mentioned before I can't say I HATE anyone, but I can't be doing with their attitudes!
5 months ago
Italian National Team, LIVERPOOL, All Serie A, Valencia, all MLS, and Argentina are some...
5 months ago
I hated the Quebec Nordiques a lot. Each time they were beating the Montreal Canadiens we were hearing about it the following day.
5 months ago
I did hate Liverpool, but now I think it could be more described as pity. In fact I have a soft spot for any team that gives us 6 points a season.
The same goes for Leeds. I used to hate them, then I pitied them, now I just laugh. It's great seeing once cocksure mates now unable to lift their eyes from the pavement when you enquire "How are Leeds are doing?".
Arsenal, I actually like the way they play football so I only hate them if they finish above us.
I save the most vitriol for Chelsea, their Russian Robber Baron and the contempt he shows. I hated Mouriniho but I thought he got absolutely shafted by Abramovich. Nobody deserves what he got though I guess if you make a deal with the devil, you live with it. The way he interferes with the team as a plaything, Shevchenko...mere pocket money. Any player you want? Money no problem. And that smug git Kenyon, good riddance to you. Yet for all that money, they play to win like Arsenal under Graham. They may be effective but they are never a team I'd chose to watch.
Man U fan...of Manchester.
from 5 months ago
You would love my recent article that shows Leeds with a negative home field advantage.
5 months ago
For me it's pretty much any team with a cat, bird, weather phenomenon or fish as its mascot. Plus the Browns, Capitals, Rangers, Dallas Stars and Colorado Avalanche (wait, I guess I'm already covered with them), every team in the NBA, the Yankees and Duke.
5 months ago
Chelsea, for several reasons:
1. Scott Parker's abrupt departure when Charlton were 4th in the table - we ended up 13th at the end.
2. "The Beach" - need I say more. If Arsenal had played on that surface, it would have been front page news.
3. Jose Mourinho: "I earn enough money each year to buy up the valley and build a car park over it".
4. Frank Lampard's dive 5 yards outside the penalty box which resulted in...a penalty.
5. Their adamant refusal that Charlton beat Chelsea on penalties in the carling cup - "it was a draw". No it bloody wasn't!
6. John Terry's hack and slash of Matt Holland a few years back that put our great midfielder out for two years.
from 5 months ago
DAMN i see alot of chelsea and liverpool haters .. and i can see why !!
who i hate? i can honestly say i hate and despise liverpool for the simple fact that their fans seems to be living in the past and whenever u get in a football debate with any of them it always comes down history cos thats the only thing they can boast about..
i know alot of arrogant arsenal fans but they only boast about their stylish way of playing and me being a chelsea fan cant really argue with that ..
i dont really mind man utd fans as they seem to have the most sensible fans of the so called big four including my beloved chelsea...
so there u go...i absoloutely HATE liverfools !!
while im at it i hate juve, real madrid, leicester city and ALL THE AMERICAN/RUSSIAN OWNERS in the game !!
5 months ago
Hate is a strong word, I prefer inherent dislike.
I dislike Manchester United because they are the McDonalds of the football world.
I dislike Everton because their fans are so bitter at the success of Liverpool, and their fans claim for ANYTHING. Watch a game at Goodison park, every other second its 'Handball!' 'Foul!' 'Penalty!'. If you listen to many Everton fans, all referees are terminally against them, which is just completely unfounded and unrealistic.
I dislike Arsenal because Arsene Wenger is so holier than though. He claims to hate foul play, yet he was more than happy to have Martin Keown and Patrick Vieira in his teams. And he never sees ANYTHING when it is foul play committed by his players.
I dislike Chelsea because they appear to be terminally lucky in recent seasons. They score an incredible amount of deflected goals, late goals, and very rarely play anything other than average. They are just relentless winners and that is infuriating when they play so poorly so often in general play.
As a Liverpool fan I love the fact that so many of you hate Liverpool because their history is better than your teams.
Fantastic. Keep whinging, its great.
Who is the most successful English team of all time again?
4 months ago
I HATE LIVERPOOL SO MUCH FOR GOD'S SAKE! They are old dreamers! Never comes up with a futuristic plan! They are good at history. Uh, stupid old club. .
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