Social Media's Most Hated List: Sports Edition
The men and women of the sports world—be they athletes, analysts, owners or even the people who love them—who tend to take an extreme amount of heat (usually on Twitter), often for merely opening their mouths.
That’s not to say that’s their only collective offense; it just tends to be where the trouble begins. Sometimes it’s what they say on TV or during the course of a game. Other times they cut out the middleman and go straight to Twitter, which obviously makes it much easier on the trolls.
Tiger Woods, PGA
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There was a time when aging PGA pro Tiger Woods was one of the most revered athletes in the world. The second coming of Jack Nicklaus, who, at least for awhile, looked like he was easily going to reach or best those 18 major championships.
Then one early morning in late November 2009, Woods’ entire world came crashing down—well, it actually went crashing into a tree near the end of his driveway. One of the sports scandals of the decade (if not the century) was just hours from breaking, and Woods’ world would never be the same again.
It’s fair to say the public may have been more forgiving if Woods’ game was still his game. But the fact that it’s been largely circling the drain since 2008, the year of his last major, has not helped him win back many of the supporters he lost during that messy cheating scandal and subsequent divorce.
"Tiger Woods losing sleep over Vonn split? How ironic.... He didn't mind losing sleep in his extramarital trysts while married... #Tool
— Beth (@msbethmeza) May 6, 2015"
"To be honest, I love that @TigerWoods sucks now.... #washedup
— MrStokes (@JamieStokes218) May 6, 2015"
"Perhaps this makes me a bad person, but this story about Lindsey Vonn cheating on Tiger Woods just made my day. http://t.co/btaK0WoAqS
— Evann Gastaldo (@egastaldo) September 11, 2013"
"Tiger Woods .... The worst. Why is espn so obsessed.
— Dave Rad (@DRad428) April 13, 2015"
"Tiger Woods really a cornball he be talkin in the third person when he hits a bad shot
— ɔ¡/\ (@nyvic26) April 10, 2015"
Woods’ recent non-embarrassing showing at the Masters has actually gone a long way to curb the level of vitriol that has been thrown his way. That’s a very fine line to walk, though—it’ll all be forgotten next time he pulls out of a tournament because his butt isn’t working due to fog.
Jay Cutler, Chicago Bears
There are a lot of things that contribute to the hate that is constantly being lobbed on Bears quarterback Jay Cutler. Probably the biggest issue facing the guy is the fact that he’s not very good at football. Everyone knows he’s got a big, strong arm—it’s just that he sucks at using the thing.
But when it comes to Cutler, outside of Chicago, the universal loathing actually comes as much from who he is as a person as what he does on the field. He’s an awful coach killer with a bad attitude and a face that always says, “I’d rather be having a boil lanced than be here.”
"ESPN reporting the Bears talked to the Titans about moving up to #2, but the Titans don't want Jay Cutler.
— Rudy Kalis (@RudyKalisWSMV) April 30, 2015"
"A new face for Jay Cutler to overthrow. Woohoo! #Bears
— Paul Pfeifer (@pmpfeifer) May 1, 2015"
"FOX should just have a little window in the bottom corner so we can see Jay Cutler on the sidelines looking bored. #Bears
— Alan Ferguson (@writer0076) December 21, 2014"
"And you thought Jay Cutler looked bored last week. I can't wait to see the apathy he can convey as a backup.
— Christopher Stenzel (@cjstenzel) December 18, 2014"
"@catchmeghanitis Supposedly he proposed by text message and sent the ring in the mail. #SameOldJay http://t.co/XeXCwXLa
— Kyle Crook (@Kyle_Crook) February 9, 2013"
So many of the potshots taken at Cutler have something to do with his face—like the very existence of his face. On one hand, it's kind of mean. On the other hand, what is with his face? Why is it like that?!
Floyd Mayweather, Boxing
Sometimes it seems like we know everything there is to know about undefeated boxer Floyd Mayweather, which is already way too much. Then you realize the odds of that are absolutely impossible, which is really just upsetting.
That being said, aside from how much he loves his money, the thing we know best about Mayweather is that he has absolutely no qualms with playing the villain. Being a villain pays the bills and keeps him knee-deep in diamonds and fur coats.
During his recent overhyped fight against Manny Pacquiao, the crowd was clearly on PacMan’s side—the over-the-top cheers were the only indication he was ever even in the fight. But Mayweather’s haters were out in full force on Twitter.
"Anyone who watched the @FloydMayweather press conference and doesn't realize he's a narcissistic psychopath has never watched #CriminalMinds
— Big Head Sports (@BigHeadSports) May 3, 2015"
"Not sure what's more ridiculous in woman beater Floyd Mayweather's entourage: The Burger King .. Or the Biebs.
— Gregg Doyel (@GreggDoyelStar) May 3, 2015"
"@FloydMayweather has to have some rope burns from hugging the ropes all night! PacMan had em in the corner all night too! Floyd is a joke!
— The Savage (@CAMPBELL__1) May 3, 2015"
"Not to be that guy but Floyd Mayweather is a terrible person. Carry on with your life.
— Brett Nierengarten (@BDN013) May 3, 2015"
"Floyd Mayweather, great great fighter but a terrible person.
— Dr. Phillips (@OrinPhillips) May 3, 2015"
These are really some of the nicest possible things said about Mayweather, but you get the idea—you and any other sucker who paid a cool $99 to see a terrible fight with, perhaps, the least surprising outcome in the history of all of boxing.
Sidney Crosby, Pittsburgh Penguins
Full disclosure: I’m a Penguins fan. That being said, I believe I’ve been to enough road games and spent enough time on social media during other games to accurately take the temperature of the room when it comes to Sid the Kid outside Pittsburgh.
Now, I’m not going to say it makes sense to me. Hate him all you want, but there's absolutely no question that not only is he (at least) one of the greatest players in the world, but he's also adorably nice and one of the least scandalous human beings you'll find in sports today.
But like I said, the fact that I think I hear “Crosby sucks!” chants during games in which the Pens aren’t even playing is proof of how deeply ingrained that noise is in my brain. Honestly, people love to hate on Crosby to a very disturbing degree.
"So I guess Sidney Crosby's license plate is SCROSBY ...What a tool. #SidneyIsAGirlsName
— Benjy N (@BDN12345) April 20, 2015"
"I would trade my Sidney Crosby bobble head and a couple bucks for a Clint Hurdle gnome. Hmu
— Christian ⅉ Herman (@Herm_Frog) May 8, 2015"
"Again as Sidney Crosby sits at home he wishes he was @88PKane
— dan prochazka (@danpro01) May 8, 2015"
Quick clarification before moving on: Just because you hate a player doesn't mean he sucks. Fair point on the playoff beard issues, though. Crosby's not making the grade in terms of facial hair.
Skip Bayless, ESPN
There’s really no need to delve too deeply into this one. ESPN’s Skip Bayless, who co-stars on the morning screamfest known as First Take, was born a villain. A master of words, which is literally the only nice thing ever said about the guy, Bayless is—by his very nature—the ultimate troll.
A troll who feeds on two things: the screams of Stephen A. Smith and the hate of lesser trolls. That’s right, folks: your angry words are like oxygen to Bayless, who has 1.63 million followers on Twitter and follows exactly zero people. He lives to pluck your feathers, and you back your bird butt up into him every time.
"Why did Skip Bayless talk so much about Lebron putting on a freaking headband... Smh
— Alex Jennings (@alexjennings44) May 8, 2015"
"@RealSkipBayless is the worst sports journalist on TV
— Aaron Boerner (@AlphaSaurasFlex) May 8, 2015"
"Skip Bayless makes people dumber and dumber everyday.
— Brandon Honaker (@BrandonHonaker1) May 8, 2015"
"Why do i follow Skip Bayless? He has no idea what he's talking about
— Jared Conn (@JRad_2013) December 7, 2014"
All I can say to the Bayless haters out there is that if you don't like it, don't feed the beast. Evil is nature's most potent pickling agent, and he sleeps in a hyperbaric chamber of it. (That's a joke. We have no real evidence of that.)
Alex Rodriguez, New York Yankees
Aging Yankees headache Alex Rodriguez is an admitted cheater and liar who has lied about cheating and cheated about lying so much over the years that his picture should probably be next to both words in the dictionary.
And the fact that he’s been able to do it not only with a straight face but that he’s also doing it so vehemently certainly hasn’t helped his reputation among fans or the media. Naturally, there’s no fanbase that hates A-Rod with more vigor than that of his own team, who probably feel like they’re living a nightmare that will never end.
Not only have the Yanks been paying him, on average, $27.5 million a season since 2008 (and will continue to do so through 2018), but now they’re being forced to watch him break the records of all-time greats like Willie Mays, who Rodriguez recently passed with his 661st home run.
"Even Lance Armstrong thinks Alex Rodriguez is a sociopath.
— Dave Lozo (@DaveLozo) August 5, 2013"
"#661 from #AlexRodriguez..... And no one cares. #cheater #goaway
— Kent Walls (@kentwalls) May 8, 2015"
"Arod hits 661 - Alex Rodriguez, the face of Major League Baseball’s steroid era has passed the great Willie Mays f... http://t.co/ErB3qa3sBC
— #MisterShoutYouOut (@IAMKINGSHARIF) May 8, 2015"
"Is there a bigger sociopath in pro sports than #alexrodriguez? I don't even dislike him but the dude has this complete weirdo vibe.
— Sean (@SeanMP711) May 2, 2015"
Of everyone on this list, Rodriguez may actually attract the most vitriol. It's hard to know if it's directed entirely at him, though, or if there is some generalized Yankee hate mixed in and making it seem worse.
Cris Collinsworth, NBC
Tune into Sunday Night Football on NBC and odds are the most tweeted name during a given broadcast will be that of Al Michaels’ color man Cris Collinsworth.
The teams change from week to week and the ball changes hands constantly throughout a game, but the words coming out of Collinsworth’s mouth never cease annoying people.
And those people never cease sharing just how much the words coming out of his mouth annoy them.
"First "Cris Collinsworth, I hate your voice" tweet of the 2014 season. 👋
— Natalie Elena (@NatalieElenaN) August 4, 2014"
"I know it's only September, but Cris Collinsworth is already shamelessly gushing & irritating me at a postseason level. #NFLKickoff #GBvsSEA
— Amber Lee (@blamberr) September 5, 2014"
"Ughhhh. Cris Collinsworth already is bugging me and the season JUST started.
— Ralph Jean-Pierre (@rjeanpierre) September 5, 2014"
"RT if you're already tired of Cris Collinsworth pic.twitter.com/UiKPRw8tbi
— ProSportsTalkRT™ (@ProSportsTalkRT) September 5, 2014"
Seriously, this is usually the first game of every season! And they only get worse from here.
Cristiano Ronaldo, Real Madrid
Real Madrid superstar Cristiano Ronaldo is if not the best, amongst the two best footballers in the world—he and Barcelona’s Lionel Messi have been named the best player in the world every year dating back to 2008. The last two Ballon d’Or awards have gone to Ronaldo.
So the takeaway from all that is Ronaldo is a great player—anyone who questions that should question their own sanity. But there’s also something innately unlikable about the soccer great—maybe it’s that he’d probably be starring on Keeping up with the Kardashians (for some reason) if he weren’t playing sports.
Ronaldo is as tanned, toned, bronzed, beautiful, and meticulously groomed as a Hollywood starlet on the red carpet at the Academy Awards. In addition to eyebrows you can set your watch to, Ronaldo is a luxury-brand junky who is known to carry a man purse.
"“@TheTumblrPosts: I don't know about you but I was rooting for Cristiano Ronaldo to score just for this pic.twitter.com/iyqd9Ewp9G” such a tool.
— JoJo☀️ (@JorrdanMichelle) June 23, 2014"
"Cristiano Ronaldo looks like he's sticky... like I wouldn't want to shake his hand or give him a hug
— Señor Lepus (@Lepus_Himself) June 22, 2014"
"TEN Reasons why Cristiano Ronaldo is hated by many football fans. #2 is a valid reason -> http://t.co/xpc0WE1k8J pic.twitter.com/IUPDFgD7C7
— Sky Sports Football (@SkyFo0tbalI) May 6, 2015"
"Is Cristiano Ronaldo over plucked and over waxed? – see new pixs http://t.co/G3sZzmLflz
— Naughty Gossip (@NaughtyNiceRob) August 3, 2014"
"And they call Neymar a flop. There's only one flopper and his name is El comandante Cristiano Ronaldo #fact
— Victor Darko (@Victoahh) December 10, 2013"
Stickiness aside, that last guy's beef with Ronaldo's flopping is legit.
Lane Kiffin, University of Alabama
With an unprecedented and almost mystical propensity for failing upward, University of Alabama offensive coordinator Lane Kiffin is, fittingly, one of the most offensive people in sports. That is, of course, if you believe any of his former employers and/or everyone on Twitter.
Kiffin isn’t accomplished, likable, humble, well-spoken or even good at his current job. It’s hard to believe it took three massive, high-profile failures as a head coach for him to be “demoted” to OC at one of the nation’s preeminent powerhouse programs.
Such is the life of Lane Kiffin, who is so brutally incompetent and unqualified at times that he actually gives nepotism a bad name. Speaking of giving nepotism a bad name, remember that time he fired his father, Monte Kiffin, at USC to save his own skin? Oops, I mean accepted his resignation.
"Isaiah Thomas back at the Garden tho. Dude keeps getting chances like Lane Kiffin
— Dave (@Wash_NY) May 6, 2015"
"I didn't think it was possible but after watching USC, Lane Kiffin was worse than I thought. Also, I thought he was the worst coach ever.
— Evil James Franklin (@JamesFrankwin) November 17, 2013"
"Can we all just agree that Lane Kiffin is the worst human ever?
— Jemmye Carroll (@JustJem24) November 15, 2014"
Johnny Manziel, Cleveland Browns
It’s fair to say that “Johnny Football” Manziel didn’t mind courting a little controversy during his playing days at Texas A&M. From nobody to Heisman-winner in just few months back in 2012, few college players have embraced their superstar status like this guy. Perhaps because few college players have ever achieved superstar status like this guy.
Manziel liked to party, and he didn’t even try to hide it—in fact, he flaunted it. When he was booted from Manning Passing Academy for allegedly being hungover, he certainly didn’t offer much in the way of an apology. The only thing Manziel provided was a vague denial, and we were lucky to get that.
Given his uniquely high profile and the fact that he’s undersized to play the quarterback position in the NFL, it wasn’t much of a surprise when he experienced a relative free fall at the 2014 draft—despite the cooked up media drama. The Browns ended up selecting him No. 22 overall, with owner Jimmy Haslam taking his advice from a homeless man, and so far we all know how that’s turned out.
"It's hard to tell who will be a good pickup and who'll be a bust. Unless you're Johnny Manziel. Then you're a bust.
— Thomas DuBois (@Texas_4Ever) May 7, 2015"
"The Browns went from taking Johnny Manziel to picking an academic all american. They're so scared to pick another idiot
— Jason Kantor (@jason_kantor) May 1, 2015"
"@Vikings absolutely nothing. Worst pick since Johnny Manziel
— Bill Ritchie (@BillRitchie61) May 1, 2015"
"And 2 immediate replies basically saying Johnny Manziel is small enough to be a jockey. Damn I love my followers.
— Ryan (@Isley23) May 2, 2015"
"Exactly why I look up to Johnny Manziel he doesn't care lol he's my hero #MoneyManziel pic.twitter.com/CuUpgTURTo
— dawson keith (@83Dawsonkeith) August 19, 2014"
Even the complimentary hero thing doesn't paint Manziel in a very flattering light.
.jpg?w=480 "Colts Jaguars Football")
