Sports Villains Who Might Be Good Guys Now

Part of what makes any career great is the storyline that comes along with it.

Like dramatic movies who have villains to stir things up for the good guys, sports is no different, as fans and media pick up on things that can make athletes appear to be the absolute worst.

Fair or not, some of these players have earned the reputation as such but have done an even better job at losing the characteristic, proving that they are, in fact, former villains who might just be good guys.

Bryce Harper

Nick Wass/Associated Press

The case for Washington Nationals All-Star Bryce Harper being a villain is a strange one.

Like other athletes, Harper has said or done a few things that have made himself seem a little too cocky, but aren't all our athletes that way?

In fact, it could be argued that Harper is a villain for the same reason he became a star in the first place, as he plays the game hard and with a confidence as a bona fide superstar—even if he's not there yet.

Rife with enthusiasm, Bryce Harper has shown on more than a few occasions that he can channel that energy into something positive, shedding the villain role that many portray him in.

Johnny Manziel

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This one is tough because, well, Johnny Manziel was always cast as a villain because he was a party boy who landed attractive ladies and did what every guy wishes he could—all while being pretty darn good at football.

It's sad to see, but after the Cleveland Browns drafted this kid in the 2014 draft with the No. 22 pick overall, people booed him strictly because of his money sign gesture and inflated ego. As sports fans, a lot of the reason we boo a guy is because we hate their self-entitlement.

After admitting he had a problem by going to rehab this offseason, though, Johnny Football has rediscovered himself, going from front page headlines to just two-sentence news, and rededicating himself to the pro game, earning back the trust from his teammates.

Hell, he even apologized for his past actions.

Who knows how his career will end up going from here, but after the debacle that was his first career start—in which he garnered more criticism than any rookie has in NFL history—he has at least done the necessary steps to get himself right both on and off the field.

Adrian Peterson

Tom E. Puskar/Associated Press

Don't get me wrong, what Minnesota Vikings running back Adrian Peterson did last year by disciplining his son with a stick isn't an acceptable way of parenting, but fans have seemed to forgive him now that he's back with the team.

After being shelved for the 2014 season following his actions, Peterson had a tumultuous offseason in which he believed he would be sent packing from the Vikes to another team.

It didn't happen, and he returned back to the Vikings with a warm welcome from fans as he took the gridiron for training camp this season, undergoing parenting counseling to help get himself back on track and showing remorse for the action he did back in 2014.

AD isn't quite off the hook yet, but the Minny fans have seemed to forgive him and allowed him to come back to open arms—but we'll see how opposing stadiums treat him.

LeBron James

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The thing about LeBron James accepting the villain role back in 2011 while with the Miami Heat is that he never seemed comfortable doing so.

After James bolted from his native Northeastern Ohio roots to the sunny days of South Beach, everyone wanted to cast him as a bad guy who joined forces with two other All-Stars to try and win titles—which they did twice in their four-straight trips together.

Sure, as a Cleveland fan, it was, arguably, the worst moment of my entire life, but since Bron returned to the Cleveland Cavs in the summer of 2014, he has said and done all the right things, all but confirming that his career is going to end there.

He has been more of a savior than anything since his return.

James has always just wanted to be loved by everyone, so it was a little unrealistic to think that he would stay the bad guy for long—it's just that no one thought he would return to grace while back with the Cavs, especially after he forgave owner Dan Gilbert for his scathing letter in 2010.

Steve Spurrier

Brash with a massive ego. That might be the way some people describe longtime college football coach Steve Spurrier, who has earned his fair share of criticism over the years for both his quotes and penchant for running up the score on opponents.

And while the Ol' Ball Coach still has a long way to go from shedding that description, he has at least fallen into favor with some, following his support of the removal the Confederate Flag from the State House in South Carolina.

During SEC Media Days prior to this 2015 season, Spurrier voiced his opinion on why the longtime flag—associated with slavery and racism—should no longer be part of the the representation of the state, earning praise for the bold move.

He'll always be more confident than his coaching peers, but doing something like this at least showed Spurrier cares about more than just the final tally in a football game.

Tiger Woods

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The former No. 1-ranked player and most dominant golfer in the world, Tiger Woods fell into a sex problem that involved him cheating on his former wife in a controversy that no one could have ever predicted.

After going to rehab for his addiction, Woods had to do a lot to earn back fans, but he has been able to do it with a lot of patience and humility.

Unfortunately, Tiger's golf game hasn't been resurrected like the fans' love has, as he hasn't won a major title since 2008.

That said, Woods is no longer the villain that everyone thought he was when his infidelities first came out—at least not in the majority of the public opinion.

Michael Vick

Jeff Haynes/Associated Press

Once considered one of the most dynamic athletes on the planet, former quarterback Michael Vick lost a few years of his career for famously finding himself in the middle of a dog-fighting ring that led to exile from the league and prison time.

Vick, who was considered brash at the time, gained a lot of modesty during his time behind bars, though, humbling himself in those 18 months and coming back to mixed opinions from fans.

Some may not have fully forgiven him, but Vick has done nearly everything he needed to in order to restore his image and gain forgiveness.

Alex Rodriguez

Tony Gutierrez/Associated Press

Of every athlete on this list, Alex Rodriguez is the one whose entire career has seen him play the role of villain.

He was the arrogant former No. 1-overall pick of the Seattle Mariners who then took the biggest contract in sports history by leaving for a division rival in 2000.

If that wasn't enough, A-Rod found himself in the headlines for all the wrong reasons, including ridiculous photo shoots of himself portrayed as, well, really into himself. He even wrote his phone number on baseballs to deliver to girls during the postseason.

Following his season-long suspension in 2014, Rodriguez has found himself back on the field and with newfound love for the sport, even breaking down during interviews as he begins to understand the importance of some of his milestones—with fans forgiving him.

Fans will forever boo Rodriguez, but he has made some of the necessary changes that have given him a few fans back. This includes people in the media, who believe the guy was the biggest snub of any player from this year's All-Star Game. It's a true testament  to how people are perceiving Rodriguez and his bounce back season—and beginning to appreciate his entire career.

Metta World Peace

One can make the case that the Malice in the Palace between the Indiana Pacers and Detroit Pistons in 2004 was the worst scene the NBA has ever seen.

It began when a fan threw a beer and hit Metta World Peace (then Ron Artest) as he laid on the scorer's table, and the player went into the stands and began pounding away on a guy he believed was the culprit. It earned World Peace the longest non-drug-related suspension in league history at 72 games.

And while the baller had a few more instances in which he proved to be a villain who played rougher than most, he has taken on a more sensitive side since leaving the game.

Admitting that he befriended the guy he waled on, World Peace showed that he regretted his former actions.

In an even bigger act of kindness, the former hooper has donated portions of his salary to mental health awareness and even auctioned off one of his championship rings to raise $500,000 for the same cause.

Sure, he was a bad man while on the hardwood, but he's just a big softy when off the court.

Barry Bonds

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It's unlikely that Barry Bonds will ever be completely exonerated from accusations of PEDs. His potentially tainted performance gained him a lot of money and praise as one of the best ever.

And while some question the validity of Bonds as the all-time home run leader, he has shown to have lightened up a little bit and lost some of the ego since walking away from the game.

In addition to finding a love for biking in recent years—even raising money to support a women's cycling team that he sponsors—Bonds pulled the ultimate nice-guy move in 2011 when, following a disgusting act of fan violence before a San Francisco Giants-Los Angeles Dodgers game, said that he would pay for the college education of the two children of the victim, Bryan Stow.

Go ahead and ridicule the guy for past mistakes that he made, but Bonds appears to have changed his tune a bit in recent years.