Stars Fans Love to Hate
While we mostly seek to highlight the positive side of sports—whether its great plays or heroic achievements—we can’t help but acknowledge that some athletes inspire tremendous anger and outrage.
These athletes—you know, the ones who really piss fans off—are often as fun to “hate” as others are to love.
For example, there are as many fans rooting against Jameis Winston on most Saturdays as there are rooting for Peyton Manning on any given Sunday.
And Houston’s Dwight Howard is mocked and criticized every bit as often as Oklahoma City's Kevin Durant is praised.
Likewise, look to NASCAR and you’ll find that the most dominant driver of the last decade—Jimmie Johnson—is arguably the sport’s least popular figure, too.
With these athletes in mind, then, we’ve added to the list, highlighting the top 10 stars fans love to hate.
Those chosen have committed a wide range of sometimes differing transgressions, but they all have one certain thing in common: For who they are and what they’ve done, sports fans everywhere love to hate them.
Close, but No Cigar
1 of 11
Though we've limited our list to a Top 10, there are plenty more stars fans love to hate. This, then, is our list of (dis)honorable mentions:
Jay Cutler
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Reason No. 1: At today’s date, you’d be hard-pressed to find an athlete who angers fans more. Having never been in trouble with the league or the law, America’s distaste for Jay Cutler is far subtler. For starters, he’s a “moper”, emphasizing a part of the human condition literally no one admires.
To make matters worse, he mopes while playing quarterback—football’s most visible and important position—in one of America’s most blue-collar cities—Chicago.
In a sport where people have come to expect and admire strength and leadership in their quarterbacks, Cutler has instead been fragile and myopic, inspiring criticism from all directions.
Reason No. 2: Consistent with his woe-is-me disposition, Cutler refuses to accept blame when his Bears struggle, and they've struggled a lot lately (just two wins in their last six games).
People respect the accountable leader, the man who takes responsibility when things don’t go his way. Cutler, however, perpetually deflects, even though one could argue he’s the root of all Chicago’s troubles.
His negative on-field persona, then, is only made worse by his pompous pressers and air of infallibility.
Even his star teammate, Brandon Marshall, agrees.
Reason No. 3: No one likes an underachiever.
Whether fair or not, the perception out there is that Cutler has all the talent in the world—size and smarts to go along with a cannon for an arm—but has mostly failed to realize his immense potential.
His mechanics are inconsistent, his weekly preparation has at times been questioned and, most importantly, he’s failed to produce, losing 13 of the last 23 games he’s started.
Winning may cure all, but losing festers and infects just as much.
Jimmie Johnson
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Reason No. 1: For one, he’s been absolutely dominant in a non-team sport. In other words, if Jimmie Johnson isn’t your guy, he’s likely beating your guy with obnoxious regularity and, as a result, is a star you love to hate.
When you capture six championships and 48 wins in eight seasons, you’re likely to ruffle a few fan feathers along the way.
Reason No. 2: He’s a bit of an outlier, a pretty boy in a down-and-dirty sport.
Here’s an idea: Give the artist formerly known as Ron Artest a tour card and nine iron and let us know what golf fans think.
Reason No. 3: There’s also the Tom Brady-factor at play here, where—like with Brady—fans seem a bit jealous of all that Johnson's got going on, and reasonably so.
In addition to all the titles and money, Johnson has the looks and the woman, too.
And did we mention he can run a half marathon in less than 90 minutes?
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Ryan Lochte
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Reason No. 1: Out of all the people on our list, America’s venom for Ryan Lochte is perhaps the easiest to understand.
His overwhelming arrogance—he calls himself a rock star—can make any man nauseous.
And it’s all much worse when you consider he’s a swimmer that’s only relevant for two weeks every four years, and even that's only true when Michael Phelps is nowhere to be found.
Reason No. 2: Simply put, he is responsible for coining two of the worst things in the history of American civilization.
If they weren’t so unbelievably cringe-worthy, we’d actually be impressed by the historical relevance he managed to so quickly achieve.
Reason No. 3: Stupid can be funny, that is until it represents your country.
So when Lochte took center stage and grabbed the spotlight at the 2012 Summer Olympics in London, you could almost hear America shudder.
To fully understand what we’re talking about, do yourself a favor and spend a moment with some of the rock star's all-time finest tweets and interviews.
Bryce Harper
5 of 11
Reason No. 1: In American sports, there’s nothing we love more than hyping or promoting the next big thing. Our love for tearing that guy down, however, is a close second.
In Bryce Harper’s case, fans have vigorously searched for holes in his game ever since the day he arrived. Of course, it didn’t help that he debuted for the Nationals at just 19 years of age. Or that he graced the cover of Sports Illustrated at the age of 16.
In truth, the attention and fame he achieved at an early age far exceeded his level of accomplishment at the time, creating a dynamic that is and forever will be met with vitriol and resentment.
Reason No. 2: The man who has referred to himself as Hercules is, not surprisingly, seen as hatefully arrogant.
And while his brash behavior is embraced in and around Washington, fans outside the nation’s capital mostly take offense.
Disrespecting opponents hasn’t helped his cause, either.
Reason No. 3: Our third reason is somewhat linked to reason No. 1.
At the end of the day, sharks are going to circle when one enters the league with historic hype, plays the game as loudly as Harper does and then generally fails to meet expectations.
While he was named the NL’s 2012 Rookie of the Year, he’s never hit better than .274 or more than 59 RBI in three seasons of work.
When an athlete is shoved down fans' throats he's a nuisance; but when that athlete oversells and underwhelms, he then becomes intolerable.
Johnny Manziel
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Reason No. 1: Johnny Manziel has had a roller coaster journey, transforming from venerable to villain in less than a year.
And it should be said, it's all his fault.
Despite countless mistakes—and even more opportunities to learn from those mistakes—the talented signal caller still doesn’t seem to appreciate all that he has.
From disrespecting the Mannings—which, we should note, is borderline sacrilege—to NCAA investigations, run-ins with the law and flicking off opponents, Manziel’s lack of focus and confused priorities make him an awfully easy target.
And when you consider the background from which he emerged—he comes from a loving home built by his father, who just so happens to be a Texas oil tycoon—the Heisman-Trophy winner comes across as spoiled and disingenuous as maybe any athlete ever.
Reason No. 2: Like Ryan Lochte, Manziel’s arrogance has manifested itself in some historically corny stuff.
For starters, earlier this year he moved to trademark his nickname—Johnny Football—and has since tried to do the same with the phrase “The House That Johnny Built."
Throw in the entitled quarterback’s trite, overplayed money-sign celebration and you’ve got a calamity of social errors far too overwhelming to ignore.
Reason No. 3: None of this would matter much if he wasn’t also really good at football.
En route to winning the 2012 Heisman Trophy, Manziel put up one of the best seasons in college football history.
In so doing, he ran through the SEC—a conference in which he and his teammates were supposed to struggle—and played quarterback with a style and approach never seen before.
Through it all, he challenged and threatened many of the long-held ideas and beliefs we had concerning both position and sport.
And no one likes to be made a fool.
Sidney Crosby
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Reason No. 1: He whines, dives and is offensively tardy…while everybody’s watching.
In a tough man’s sport, Sidney Crosby is considered one of the softest players around.
And, when you just so happen to be the face of said sport, that’s a major problem.
Reason No. 2: In one significant way, Crosby is similar to Bryce Harper. Like the Washington star, Crosby carried over-the-top hype upon entering the league, and before achieving anything of substance.
For proof, consider the nickname he was given—The Next One—before playing even a second of NHL hockey, and that the 2005 Draft Lottery became better known as the Sidney Crosby Sweepstakes.
With that type of premature adulation, resentment is bound to follow, whether deserved or not.
Reason No. 3: Of course, just like with some others on this list, people also hate that Crosby's actually really good at the sport he plays.
And when fans—most notably American fans—remember that his list of accomplishments includes leading Canada past Team USA in the gold medal game of the 2010 Winter Olympics, it makes their intellectually charged hate just a tad more visceral.
Of course, when you add to that list a Stanley Cup, two Art Ross trophies and two more Hart Memorials, it’s rather easy to understand why fans have grown so utterly sick of the Pittsburgh captain.
Luis Suarez
8 of 11
Reason No. 1: Thank you, Luis Suarez, for making our job oh so very easy. You could play a never-ending drinking game just by counting all the reasons people have for hating the Uruguayan striker.
Let’s begin with the most obvious cause for hate: Suarez is a pathological biter.
We know it sounds crazy, but it’s unbelievably true; Suarez actually bites the other team with shocking regularity.
In 2010, he lost his mind and took a chunk out of PSV Eindhoven midfielder Otman Bakkal’s neck.
Even stranger, what most assumed was a one-time lapse in judgment instead turned into a bizarre cannibalistic habit.
So, in 2013, Suarez struck—or bit—again, this time giving Serbian meat a taste.
And just when the world assumed the morbid muncher had learned his lesson—don’t play soccer on a full stomach—he went and proved us wrong…again!
Reason No. 2: Refusing to be confined or stereotyped, Suarez more than just bites, he cheats in other ways, too.
For example, in the 2010 World Cup quarterfinals against Ghana, Suarez shocked the world—and dishonored his sport—when he intentionally used his hand to swat away what would have been a game-winning goal.
Ghana missed the ensuing penalty kick and Uruguay eventually moved on to the Final Four.
To the dismay of fans worldwide, Suarez openly and unapologetically cheated on the game's biggest stage and, worse yet, it worked.
Reason No. 3: As if you needed any other reason to dislike the guy, Suarez is an alleged racist as well.
In 2011, the do-it-all sociopath was banned for eight games and fined 40,000 pounds for using racially “insulting words” in an altercation with Manchester United’s Patrice Evra.
And when the two players met again a few months later, the classy Suarez refused to shake Evra’s hand during pre-game introductions.
At every turn, then—and just when you think he has nothing left in the crazy tank—Suarez stoops even lower than before, continuously giving fans ammo in their justified campaign of hate.
Alex Rodriguez
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Reason No. 1: The guy we call A-Rod ranks as easily one of the most disliked athletes in all of sports.
Most obviously, his prolific numbers—in conjunction with his admitted steroid use—are seen as an attack on baseball, its history and integrity.
That he maintained his innocence and deceived for so long—and in such a spiteful manner—has only added fuel to what is a flaming fire.
Reason No. 2: In 2007, Rodriguez signed a 10-year contract worth $275 million, becoming the highest-paid athlete in all of sports.
He has not, however, hit above .286 since 2008 and has managed just 41 homers and 138 RBI combined over the last three seasons.
To Yankee fans, he’s an overpaid albatross around their collective neck. To the rest of baseball fans, he’s an underachieving cheat who represents all that is wrong with the sport today.
Reason No. 3: Rodriguez has always been a bit shady, even when he was a part of baseball's elite.
And after agreeing to this kind of a photo shoot and hanging this portrait in his apartment, A-Rod is hardly a sympathetic figure deserving of beneficial doubt.
Jameis Winston
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Reason No. 1: When you consistently make headlines for all the wrong reasons, you’re likely going to be fairly unpopular.
That’s precisely the case with Jameis Winston, who was asked to appear in front of the FSU student conduct council on December 2nd, 2014 in connection to a rape that allegedly occurred in December of 2012.
Of course, Winston has since had many other conflicts with both the law and NCAA, becoming increasingly "hateable" with every passing transgression.
All told, he’s become a lightning rod for critics all around America today and ultimately will go down as one of the most disliked athletes in NCAA history.
Reason No. 2: Winston’s nonchalant approach, like football is almost too easy, seems to rub people the wrong way, too.
From winning the Heisman as a freshman to following up countless pitiful first halves with legendary second-half comebacks, it’s as if Winston became a star right after rolling out of bed.
Americans love people who had to work hard for what they have, and loathe those who achieve success easily and without perspective or appreciation.
With that said, Winston's combination of prodigious skill and a flippant demeanor doesn't exactly scream American Hero.
Reason No. 3: It may be a reoccurring theme, but no less true: Winston is amazing at football and, as a result, even easier to hate...unless you're a 'Nole, of course.
In addition to becoming just the second freshman ever to win a Heisman Trophy, Winston also led the Seminoles to a perfect season and national title in 2013.
His team remains unbeaten in 2014 as well, which means he’s never lost a college game in which he’s appeared.
Even worse, Winston and the Seminoles have needed second-half heroics to escape upset on numerous occasions this year, which has only intensified the nation's desire to see him fail.
Dwight Howard
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Reason No. 1: Like few athletes ever have, Dwight Howard transformed almost over night, going from silly and loveable to whiny and loathed.
Much of it has to do with the way he turned on Stan Van Gundy and the Orlando Magic in 2012, in addition to the way he ran away from Kobe Bryant and the Lakers in 2013.
Howard preached loyalty before ultimately proving to be disloyal, abandoning Orlando while altogether hijacking the trade process on his way out—Howard refused to re-sign with any team not named New Jersey, Dallas or LA, dramatically compromising what the Magic could get on the trade market in return.
Then, just one year later, he blew up the Lakers, fearfully escaping both Kobe and LA's lofty expectations.
Now, despite his hulking, cartoon-like shoulders, Howard is viewed as utterly weak.
Reason No. 2: In 11 years in the league, Howard has failed to become the role model he once promised he’d be.
Upon entering the NBA, his primary goal was to spread his Christian values and, most specifically, convince the league to add a cross to its logo.
But a vision that was absurd to begin with has grown increasingly laughable with time.
For one, no one's listening anymore, as Howard's marketability has completely plummeted.
He's also been a different kind of "busy" off the court, where he’s rumored to have given life to at least six kids with six different women. Or is it eight with eight? At this point, can even Dwight keep count?
Either way, we’d be remiss if we didn’t also mention Howard’s ongoing child abuse investigation, which has created yet another tear in "Superman's" cape.
Perhaps, though, it’s all just a part of the ambitious center’s plan…
Reason No. 3: Finally, we step away from off-the-court issues and back onto the hardwood, where Howard just so happens to be as whiny as they come.
Shocking, right?
And while fans get a good luck at Howard’s on-court antics 82 times a year, it took a former teammate to sum up Howard best following an altercation in 2013:
“All the time,” said Vince Carter when asked about Howard's complaining. “He’s always talking about how I'm a crybaby. I was like, ‘Yo, you're the biggest crybaby I know.'”
Since Carter's critique, many more have piled on. Most notably, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar has said the often childish Howard “doesn’t get it” while Kobe has referred to him as “soft.”
And if throw it all in a jar and mix it around "real good", you’ve got the NBA’s newest and biggest scapegoat or, more specifically, a star fans love to hate.
Follow Janovitz on Twitter @BrainTrain9
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