Tim Tebow and 9 NFL Players You Either Love or Hate

One of the greatest things about sports is the love/hate affair that you can develop with a team or player without any rational reasoning.

No matter who you are, there will be that one player that either infuriates you or who you put on a pedestal no matter how badly they perform.

Here are a few of the most controversial figures in the NFL, even if they have no actual controversy in their careers/lives.

Cam Newton

As the first overall pick for the Carolina Panthers, many people don't see Cam Newton for his talent, but rather, his ego.

Newton professed his desire to be an icon before even being drafted, which irked some people, while many will point to his controversy in college as a reason not to like him.

Lots of people will just see the talent and the exciting style of play that Newton possesses, however.

Tom Brady

When you've got three Super Bowl rings, a super model wife and a nickname like the Golden Boy, there are going to be a certain amount of people who hate you.

Throw in the fact that you have in the past ruthlessly beaten down opposing teams without ever taking your foot off the gas and you could be one of the most hated players in the league.

However, when you're as successful and dedicated to the game as Tom Brady is, you will earn plenty of support also.

James Harrison

In some people's eyes, James Harrison is just a dirty football player who is despised for all the right reasons.

For others, Harrison is one of the best defensive players in the game, who is exciting to watch because anything can happen at any given moment.

Philip Rivers

Rivers is an amazing talent and a fierce competitor, so what's not to love?

Sometimes his competitiveness gets the better of him and he expresses himself more vocally than he should, causing many opposition players and fans to despise him.

Ndamukong Suh

Suh's recent decapitation attempt of Andy Dalton follows his first attempt in the preseason on Jake Delhomme last year.

To some, Suh is a dirty player that they hate, to others he has great intensity and is admired for not accepting anything less than 100 percent.

Michael Vick

Vick's off-the-field issues will probably never go away for some people. Some people will not forgive him for what he did in the past, and it is not my place to say whether he deserves to be forgiven or not.

However, from a sheer football point of view, most fans love Vick as he is one of the most electrifying players in the league.

Donovan McNabb

Donovan McNabb is a curious football player.

Most national onlookers would love to have him play for their team, but during his time in Philadelphia, a lot of Eagles fans hated him.

Last season was similar in Washington, as many blamed McNabb for their failures, but others pointed to the fact that the offense as a whole was pretty terrible.

Chad Ochocinco

It's difficult to talk about Ochocinco in only two paragraphs, largely because the problem many people have with him is because he talks too much.

Ochocinco just has the type of personality that divides the masses. You either love his actions or see them as stunts, such as offering to pay Mason Foster's fine.

Tim Tebow

Tebow's success at the college level has earned him many fans across the world before he even played a down in the NFL.

However, those who don't care about the college side of Tebow and just see him as a flawed quarterback tend to hate him because of the undeserved hype that circles around his career.

His religious stance is often bashed by onlookers also for seemingly no good reason.