The 50 Most Hated Personalities in the NFL Today

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Anytime you have a list of the most hated people in the NFL, there is going to be a lot of room for discussion.  

If you are a Patriots fan you love Tom Brady, but if you are not, odds are that you hate him with a passion.

The same can be said for just about any of the premiere players in the league.

Here are the 50 guys that came to my mind as the most hated personalities in the NFL today.

Fox Commentator Joe Buck

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Joe Buck had not shown emotion since 1995 (except for when Randy Moss fake mooned the crowd in Green Bay). 

Listening to him makes you wonder how someone with one of the best jobs on the planet could seem like he hates it so much.

Terrell Owens

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Terrell Owens is currently a man without a team.  Granted, that's because he recently tore his ACL, but there is no doubt that he keeps getting signed to one-year deals because he is so hard to deal with in the locker room. 

People hate him, but it is hard to argue with the results he has produced on the field.

Phiadelphia Eagles QB Vince Young

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Vince Young has done nothing but pout since he entered the NFL.  He always whined because he did not think that Jeff Fisher wanted him in the draft. 

Whenever he did not get his way, he threw his pads in the stands and ran out of the locker room during a postgame meeting.

Now, he has gone on to Philadelphia where he is the third-string quarterback for the "Dream Team."

New England Patriots QB Tom Brady

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People are always going to hate the guy who's the best if he is not on their team, and there has been a lot of hate directed Tom Brady's way over the year. 

Some of it is jealousy, and some of it is because he wears UGG Boots when he is walking around town, but there is no doubt that Brady is near the top of the most hated NFL personalities list.

Pittsburgh Steelers QB Ben Roethlisberger

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You already know why Roethlisberger is on this list.  He is an entitled guy who has gotten away with things that the rest of the American public would not.  At least Roger Goodell made him pay a little bit when he suspended him for four games last season.

Like Sanchez, Big Ben is also perceived as a better player than he actually is because he has played with some really good Steeler defenses.

Bill Belichick New England Patriots

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Belichick is hated for a lot of reasons. Some people hate him because of Spygate.  Some people hate him because he wins.  Some people hate him because he is smug, but it is safe to say that 31 of the 32 NFL fanbases hate Bill Belichick.

Rex Ryan New York Jets

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Rex Ryan wants to be hated, and he is by a lot of people.  He is arrogant and harsh, but you cannot argue with the results he has produced with the Jets.

Indianapolis Colts QB Peyton Manning

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Peyton Manning is one of the best at what he does, and that means he is one of the most hated by people around the league.  Most people will point to all of the pouting he does to officials when he does not get a call as the reason they do not care for Mr. Manning.

Baltimore Ravens LB Ray Lewis

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Ray Lewis does a celebration dance after every single tackle he makes.  It does not matter if the running back gained six yards on 3rd-and-3, Ray-Ray is going to jump up and do a dance. 

Also, he refers to himself as God's linebacker.

Rodney Harrison

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Rodney Harrison is actually pretty good on Football Night in America.  It is impossible to like him though when you remember the dirty player he was on the field.

Randy Moss

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Like T.O., Randy Moss is currently a man without a team.  Moss loved to run his mouth, and he frustrated fans of the teams he played with because he took a lot of plays off.

NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell

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Goodell is not as hated as he would have been had the lockout caused games to be missed, but he is still hated by a lot of fans.  He fines players when they look at the quarterback wrong, and he has taken all of the fun out of touchdown celebrations.

Cincinnati Bengals CB Adam Pacman Jones

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It is impossible to like Pacman Jones because he continues to give you reasons not to like.  He has been arrested so many times during his NFL career that it has become impossible to keep count.

Dallas Cowboys QB Tony Romo

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There is a lot to hate about Tony Romo.  He puts up huge stats, but you can count on him to really tank when the game is on the line. 

Fans around the league hate him because of how overrated he is.  Cowboys' fans are starting to hate him because they are afraid he will never get them to a Super Bowl.

Tennessee Titans CB Cortland Finnegan

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Finnegan has publicly said that he wants to be known as the dirtiest player in the league.  Last year, he picked a fight with Andre Johnson, who is about three times his size, and got punished.

Chicago Bears QB Jay Cutler

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Jay Cutler has a demeanor on the field that puts a lot of people off.  There was also the whole controversy last year about how seriously he was hurt in the NFC Championship Game.

Pittsburgh Steelers LB James Harrison

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James Harrison is known for dirty hits.  He is also known for saying crazy things about his teammates and the commissioner. 

San Diego Chargers QB Philip Rivers

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Rivers might have the worst disposition of any starting quarterback in the NFL.  He always looks like he is mad at someone on the sideline. 

Miami Dolphins WR Brandon Marshall

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Marshall is a very talented receiver.  His personality is what makes people hate him.  He did his best to force his way out of Denver—even punting a ball after he caught it during a practice.

He has not been as much of a problem for the Dolphins, but it probably just a matter of time for his old problems to resurface.

Chris Berman

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Ten years ago everyone loved Chris Berman.  He made up funny nicknames for people and brought energy to the highlights.  Now his shtick has gotten old, and YouTube videos have surfaced of him chewing people out behind the scenes.

New England Patriots WR Chad Ochocinco

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Chad Ochocinco is entertaining, but he is also one of the most hated players in the NFL.  He runs his mouth constantly and refuses to admit when something he has said is wrong.

It is interesting that he has been pretty silent since his move to the Patriots.  Bill Belichick probably told him to keep his mouth shut if he planned on being a part of what they were doing there.

New England Patriots DT Albert Haynesworth

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Speaking of people who you have not heard much since they went to New England, Albert Haynesworth is the next player on our list. 

In his past, Haynesworth has stomped on a player's head, had multiple traffic accidents and a couple of brushes with the law.  He also shows up out of shape and takes plays off.  It is not hard to see how he ends up on the list.

Philadelphia Eagles QB Michael Vick

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Michael Vick was one of the most popular players in the NFL just a few years ago.  Now, he is one of the most hated because of his involvement in a dog-fighting ring that ended up sending him to prison.

Vick has made efforts to salvage his reputation, but there is always going to be a segment of the population that will not forgive him for what he did in the past.

New York Giants QB Eli Manning

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The hate for Eli Manning started early.  You might remember on draft day that he was picked by the San Diego Chargers but refused to play there. 

He is also hated because of some of the facial expressions he makes on the field about certain things, mainly when he does not get a call he think he should.

New York Jets LB Bart Scott

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Bart Scott likes to run his mouth...a lot.  Much like his head coach, his favorite target for trash talking is the New England Patriots.  He might want to back off of that until he has the rings they do.

You have to respect what Scott has done, going from undrafted to a Pro Bowl linebacker.  That does not mean you have to like him though.

New York Jets QB Mark Sanchez

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People hate players who are overrated, and there is no quarterback more overrated than Mark Sanchez.  People think he is a good quarterback because he has ridden his defense to two straight AFC Championship games.

The Jets are struggling this year, and Sanchez has been struggling.  It looks like it might be time for him to prove that he can make some plays.

Pittsburgh Steelers WR Hines Ward

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Hines Ward has had a really good career.  By the time he retires, he will have numbers that will make some people think that he should be in the Hall of Fame.

That is just one side of Hines Ward.  He is also one of the dirties players in the NFL.  If you are a linebacker playing against him you better keep your head on a swivel because he is coming for a cheap shot.

Minnesota Vikings QB Donovan McNabb

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Donovan McNabb has had trouble wherever he has been.  He had a very memorable run-in with T.O. while in Philadelphia.

He and Mike Shanahan could not get along while he was in Washington.

There have not been any problems in Minnesota yet, but he has been playing so bad that it is only a matter of time until something goes wrong.

Houston Texans WR Andre Johnson

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There is no doubt that Cortland Finnegan is the one to blame for last year's fight, but Andre Johnson was the only one that threw a punch.  He tries to come across as a passive guy, but he showed on that afternoon that he has a different side.

There is also a group of people who hate Andre Johnson for what he does to their team every time he faces them.

Indianapolis Colts DE Dwight Freeney

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Dwight Freeney is one of the most overrated players in the league.  Sure, he racks up sack numbers, but he is invisible against the run.

It is frustrating to listen to people talk about how great he is when he is not a factor in the game except on passing downs.

Miami Dolphins RB Reggie Bush

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Reggie Bush has not been good on the field, and he has more off-the-field drama than anyone in the NFL. 

He ruined the USC program with all of the stuff he took while he was there, and he was a huge bust in New Orleans. They wasted the No. 2 overall pick on him.

Now, he is being just as ineffective for the Dolphins.

Seattle Seahawks Coach Pete Carroll

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Pete Carroll rode out the USC job right up until he knew the probation was coming.  Then he jumped ship to the NFL.

Since joining the NFL, he has cut most of the veterans in Seattle to get "his guys" in place. 

The worst thing from Carroll is probably the video he put out denying any knowledge of the Reggie Bush stuff at USC.  Did anyone buy that?

New Orleans Saints Defensive Coordinator Gregg Williams

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Williams may seem like an odd person to include on this list, but he drew a lot of hate two years ago with his comments about trying to get some "remember me" shots in on Peyton Manning.  

He said on a radio show that he told his players to hit Manning so hard that he would remember it and think about the next time he was under center.

Dallas Cowboys Owner Jerry Jones

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Jerry Jones is one of the most visible owners in the league.  He has a very hands-on approach to owning the Dallas Cowboys.  

He got a lot of criticism for overbooking the Jerry Dome for last year's Super Bowl.  His decision to add seats that were not approved by the fire marshal led to hundreds of fans not being able to see the game.

Washington Redskins Owner Daniel Snyder

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Daniel Snyder tries to run his NFL team like an MLB team.  Pretty much, every year you can count on the Redskins signing the biggest name in free agency.  

It hardly ever works out for him.  The latest in a long list of terrible signings was Albert Haynesworth. Snyder gave Haynesworth nearly $100 million, and Haynesworth gave him a couple of years of headaches.

Carolina Panthers Owner Jerry Richardson

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Richardson made headlines during the NFL lockout when he insulted players like Drew Brees and Peyton Manning.  He did his best to set the negotiations back with his harsh negotiating.

Luckily, there were some owners in the group who took a better approach to negotiations.  Who knows if we would have football right now if Richardson had his way.

Oakland Raiders Owner Al Davis

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Al Davis has done his best to run the Raiders into the ground.  He constantly drafts the players who have the best times in the 40, regardless of whether or not they can actually play football.

He also runs through coaches like crazy.  It is unrealistic to expect anyone to win with the talent that he gives them.

New York Jets RB LaDainian Tomlinson

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A couple of years ago, LT made every fantasy owner, who had the first pick in their fantasy draft, hate him.  He went from 1,110 yards in 2008 to just 730 in 2009.

He also drew a lot of outrage for his reaction to a Chargers playoff game when he got injured.  All he did the whole game was sit on the sideline with a helmet and jacket on.

Buffalo Bills LB Shawne Merriman

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Shawne Merriman has disappeared a little bit since he went to Buffalo, but he was one of the most hated players in the league while he was in San Diego. 

Who can forget that ridiculous "Lights Out" dance that Merriman would do every time he made a play?

Plus, there is the fact that he got busted for performance enhancing drugs, and that might have explained why he was playing so well.

Brian Billick

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Billick was billed as an offensive genius in Minnesota.  He then went to Baltimore and could not get a good offense to save his life.

Now, he is a commentator for FOX.  It is hard to believe, but he is worse as a commentator than he was as a head coach.

Minnesota Vikings RB Adrian Peterson

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Adrian Peterson compared NFL players to slaves at the beginning of the lockout.  Peterson was not hated before that, but the best way to turn fans against you as a well-paid NFL player is to make a reference like that.

Peterson also fumbles all the time.  That makes me hate him when he loses points for my fantasy football team.

Carolina Panthers QB Cam Newton

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Cam Newton was hated on the collegiate level because of the circumstances surrounding his recruitment.  

He did not do himself any favors when he said early on that he wanted to not just be a football player, but an entertainer and an icon.  

Newton has silenced a lot of his critics with his play early on, but there are still a lot of people out there who do not care for him.

Brett Favre

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I know Brett Favre finally retired, but his final few years in the league made people hate him so much that he makes this list.  It feels like 15 years and 15 comebacks ago that he had his tearful farewell in Green Bay.

He could have left on top of the world, but he had to keep un-retiring.  Now, he will be remembered for things that tarnished his legacy just as much as his play on the field.

Even this week, he had to make some comments about Aaron Rodgers.  The man just cannot let it go.

Denver Broncos QB Tim Tebow

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Be honest, there is a little part of you that hates Tim Tebow.  He has this ridiculous following just because of how he played in college.  There has been no indication that he can even play quarterback in the NFL.

My Tebow hate might be more of a product of living in SEC country and having to hear Verne Lundquist profess his love for Tebow during every Florida game, even now, than anything else.

San Francisco 49ers QB Alex Smith

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It might just be 49ers fans that hate Smith, but they have enough hate for him to go around.  

Think about it this way, the 49ers drafted Alex Smith over Aaron Rodgers back in 2005.  If that is not enough reason to hate him, I do not know what is.

Michael Strahan

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Strahan set the single-season sack record back in 2001. Of course, to set the record, he had to have Brett Favre run to him and fall down.  

Strahan cannot control what Favre does, but I could not believe that he accepted the gift.  

Now, he is a commentator for FOX and is not very good.

New Orleans Saints Coach Sean Payton

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Sean Payton is a good coach, and he knows it.  He deals with the media like they are not worthy of his time.  

Just make sure you do not cross him because you will rue the day if you do.

San Diego Chargers S Bob Sanders

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Bob Sanders is hurt.  Again.  Sanders is just a few years removed from being the NFL Defensive Player of the Year.  

The Colts signed him to a big money deal, and he rewarded them by playing in nine games in three years.

The Chargers signed him this offseason, and he rewarded them by playing in two games.

Green Bay Packers LB Clay Matthews

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I really cannot stand Clay Matthews, and it is really just because of his hair.  There is something about watching his hair flow in the wind as he runs around that just infuriates me.

Hank Williams Jr.

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Hank Williams Jr. was not really on the radar for much of anything just a couple of days ago.  He put himself right back on the radar earlier this week when he compared President Obama to Hitler.  

That was a really stupid move on his part, and it got him permanently removed from the Monday Night Football open.