Biggest Villains in Sports Today
Sports are like fairy tales—there are heroes, and there are villains. In the complicated landscape of sports, these roles are often changing. For instance, Tom Brady has managed to go from football's golden boy to one of its bad guys over a few measly pounds per square inch.
Warranted or not, these 12 sports figures have inspired dislike in many fans. Some, like Brady, are new to their villain role, while others, like Alex Rodriguez, are pretty darn comfortable there. Perhaps the animosity is because of the things they do, perhaps because of the things they say or perhaps it's just public perception.
In any case, here are the Captain Hooks to your Peter Pans, the Ramsay Boltons to your Jon Snows. These are the biggest villains in today's sports landscape, based on the amount and intensity of heat they currently take.
The NFL's young quarterbacks—Johnny Manziel and Jameis Winston—get a pass on this one since their storms have calmed. And anyone whose villain status results solely from serious personal issues, such as Hope Solo, will be left off as well.
Someone who won't be left off? FIFA's boss.
12. Tiger Woods
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Some people will always love Tiger Woods, rightfully, for what he has done for the game of golf. For others, the stink of his infidelity scandal still looms.
It doesn't help that his golf game has never reached its pre-scandal prowess, either. Woods hasn't won a major since before the infamous Thanksgiving Day car crash in 2009—the 2008 U.S. Open was his last. He has struggled with injury since, and he just shot the worst round of his professional golf career—an 85 at the Memorial Tournament.
Besides all that, Woods and Lindsey Vonn recently ended their three-year relationship, a move that prompted, you guessed it, cheating rumors. Woods is an ever-present villain, even if the negativity toward him has softened over time.
11. J.R. Smith
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J.R. Smith is highly visible right now because of the NBA Finals, but he has been a polarizing figure in sports over the last several years. He's faced suspensions, fines, and some people seemingly just don't like his personality.
His on and off-court antics have left a sour taste in some mouths—for instance, in 2014, he was fined $50,000 by the NBA for untying opponents' shoelaces. In April, Smith was suspended for punching Jae Crowder of the Boston Celtics. And his outspoken use of social media hasn't helped matters much.
After the shoelace incident, George Karl, Smith's former coach in Denver, commented on Smith on The Michael Kay Show. According to Ian Begley of ESPN, Karl said, "He's going to wake up some day and he's going to realize that he's thrown away some great opportunities and great years because of this mockery that he brings to the game."
10. Dan Snyder
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Dan Snyder hasn't been in the news much recently, but as long as the NFL team in Washington is called the "Redskins," he'll be a sports villain to many.
The owner of the embattled franchise has had eight head coaches in 16 years, and the team has failed to post consecutive winning seasons during that time. Besides all the team drama, Snyder refuses to change the Redskins' nickname, despite growing pressure from Native American groups.
One group, the Change the Mascot coalition, wrote a letter to all NFL owners in 2014. Robert MacPherson of Yahoo Sports reported the letter read, in part, "Put simply, in a country and sports fan base that is becoming ever more diverse, Mr. Snyder is jeopardizing the welfare of the league by promoting an epitaph against people of color."
And even though many Redskins fans agree with Snyder on the name thing, they can't be too happy with their team's performance as of late.
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9. Dwight Howard
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Ever since Dwight Howard's completely unceremonious departure from the Orlando Magic, people have questioned his loyalty, motives and character.
According to Sam Amick of USA Today, Howard even apologized to the fans in Orlando, saying, "In Orlando, I handled a lot of stuff the wrong way. If any of those people in Orlando are upset with how I did it, I apologize for the way I handled it and the way it was handled in the media."
His stint with the Los Angeles Lakers didn't go any better, and he bolted L.A. after just one season, leaving many Lakers fans infuriated.
Now with the Houston Rockets, Howard has perhaps found the right fit, and the venom has sputtered a bit. Still, he doesn't often do himself any favors regarding his own reputation. In November, Gary Payton suggested a lot of NBA players dislike Howard.
And after his team was eliminated from the playoffs, Howard said, "I'm still a champion," according to Jenny Dial Creech of the Houston Chronicle. This incited predicable ridicule because he is, of course, not a champion—not of the NBA anyway.
8. John Calipari
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Kentucky basketball coach John Calipari is one of those ongoing sports villains. This is likely, in part, because of the success he has enjoyed as the poster coach for one-and-done recruits. In April, seven players from his Final Four team declared for the NBA draft.
Calipari has been known to make some arrogant statements now and again, as well, often rubbing people the wrong way. For instance, following a two-point win over a talented Notre Dame team in the NCAA tournament, Calipari said, "We didn't play very well and Notre Dame played really well, controlled the whole thing. But we made the plays. We figured out a way to win," according to Jordan Greer of Sporting News.
Many interpreted Calipari's comments as lacking in respect for his opponent. One fan tweeted, "This is why I hate Calipari. He says they didn't play good and doesn't give credit to ND. Get outta here with that. #Classless."
7. Tom Brady
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It's amazing Tom Brady is on this list, but here we are. Even before all the Deflategate business, Brady wasn't exactly beloved outside New England. In January 2014, a Public Policy Poll found Brady as the least-liked quarterback in the NFL. Thirteen percent of respondents said Brady was their favorite QB, but 18 percent said he was their least favorite.
According to CBS Boston, when asked why he thought people disliked him, Brady said, "I live a great life. I do. I'm not sure. I'm not sure. You'd probably have to ask all those people that you polled. But you're right, there's nothing I'd like to do more than play football for the New England Patriots. And yes, I have a great family, so thank you."
Perhaps it's because he's won four Super Bowls, or because he's married to a supermodel. Or, maybe now it's because of his involvement with a scandal about deflated footballs. Whatever the case, Brady is not the NFL golden boy he once was. He's even been called a liar.
6. Bill Belichick
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If Tom Brady is included, Bill Belichick has to be as well. Ever since he crossed Bill Parcells and bailed on the New York Jets job in 2000, Belichick has given people reason to question his integrity. Don Shula even called him "Beli-cheat."
Then there was Spygate. In 2007, Belichick was fined $500,000 for videotaping opponents' defensive signals.
Now, Belichick's star quarterback has been suspended for his alleged involvement in the under-inflation of footballs. When the issue first arose after New England's victory in the AFC Championship Game, Belichick didn't exactly defend his QB. According to Michael David Smith of NBC Sports, the coach said:
"I think we all know that quarterbacks, kickers, specialists have certain preferences on the footballs. They know a lot more than I do. They’re a lot more sensitive to it than I am. I hear them comment on it from time to time, but I can tell you and they will tell you that there’s never any sympathy whatsoever from me on that subject. Zero. Tom’s personal preferences on his footballs are something that he can talk about in much better detail and information than I could possibly provide.
"
Way to have his back, Bill.
5. Skip Bayless
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Skip Bayless is a controversial member of the sports media. Anytime someone has outspoken, sometimes unpopular opinions, he or she is going to take some heat. In 2013, the Washington Post even suggested Bayless "may be the most hated man in sports." That's pretty significant.
Most recently, Bayless was one of the media members who complained about Steph Curry's (adorable) daughter joining him at a postgame press conference. Bayless said on ESPN First Take, "Great for him...but it really hurt the process," leading many to say, "hater."
4. Floyd Mayweather
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Floyd Mayweather is an incredible boxer—few would dispute that. However, in his recent defeat of Manny Pacquiao, no one could deny who the crowd was rooting for. Despite the fact Mayweather has never lost a professional bout, fans chanted "Manny! Manny!" as if Pacquiao were Rocky Balboa.
Mayweather isn't shy about his wealth, either. One look at his Instagram feed would suggest the words "humble" or "modest" probably aren't in his vocabulary.
Rosie DiManno of the Toronto Star wrote in May, "It's all about the money, for Money. Which may be brutally honest but it also diminishes the legacy he clearly covets."
3. Alex Rodriguez
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Yes, still. Unfortunately for Alex Rodriguez, he is likely going to be in the "villain" category for the remainder of his MLB career and beyond. The type of controversy he's been involved in over the years is hard to overcome—performance-enhancing drugs scandal, rumors about his personal life and of course, the way he has sometimes chosen to handle himself.
New York Yankees fans have softened a bit—even gave him a curtain call—but that's only because he has performed better than expected. He's reached a few major milestones this season and been a key component to the Yankees' promising start.
In every other ballpark in America, A-Rod is still booed mercilessly. According to Andrew Marchand of ESPN, Rodriguez told a reporter in April, "I've been booed for 15 years, buddy. I don't know if you haven't been around. It's been one long boo for 15 years."
So there you have it—from the horse's mouth.
2. Roger Goodell
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Roger Goodell has had a rough couple of years. The NFL commissioner is the public face of the most lucrative sports league in the world, and that means when the going gets tough, much of the heat rests on one man's shoulders.
Controversy has abounded in the NFL in recent years. An incomplete list of issues includes, in no particular order, the following: a concussion-related lawsuit and continuing concerns over player safety, the NFL's response to domestic violence issues, a lockout, replacement referees, a completely overblown scandal about deflated footballs and continuing questions about the league's lack of consistency regarding player punishments.
If you need proof of how much people dislike this guy, look no further than his 2014 Twitter Q&A, which went about as well as you might expect.
1. Sepp Blatter and FIFA
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Sepp Blatter is the face of one of the biggest sports scandals in years, maybe ever. In May, the U.S. Justice Department brought serious charges against FIFA after years of investigation. Federal racketeering and corruption charges along with allegations of bribery all combine to make FIFA look dirtier than the Corleones.
Though he was not charged and denies knowledge of wrongdoing, Blatter was the head of the family, so to speak, when a lot of this allegedly went down. Also, he hasn't exactly been likable since the news broke.
According to Austin Knoblauch and Barry Stavro of the Los Angeles Times, Blatter suggested the U.S. only brought charges because it was peeved about not getting the 2022 World Cup. He said, "The Americans were the candidates for the World Cup of 2022 and they lost. The English were the candidates for 2018 and they lost, so it was really with the English media and the American movement that came down."
Right. Anyway. Despite all of the above, Blatter was still re-elected as FIFA's president days after the charges were brought. He quickly thought better of it and announced his resignation.
All the sports figures on this list have been disliked, but only one has been likened to a mafia boss.
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