The Serena Williams/Plaxico Burress Awards; Athletes You Just CAN'T Root for

Welcome to the 2011 edition of the Serena Williams/Plaxico Burress Awards, dedicated to recognizing the men and women in sports that you either cannot root for or just wish would go away. If Kim Kardashian were a sports star, she'd of course be at the top of the list.

For some, sportsmanship is a foreign word (Serena). Some just don't get it (Plaxico Burress). Others live in a world of their own (A-Rod). While others still want to say hello when it's time to say good-bye (Tiki Barber). Some are in denial (Roger Clemens), and then there are the annoying and obnoxious (Pete Rose).

For those of us that live in the real world and work hard to provide for our families or live paycheck to paycheck, we can't relate to someone making millions of dollars to play a kid's game—or experience life in their world of entourages, groupies and "Yes" men.

So without further adieu, here are the winners, each with their own unique way of rubbing us the wrong way!

Tiki Barber

This one is almost too easy.

No one will ever nominate Tiki Barber for Husband of the Year. He dumped his wife, pregnant with twins, for an intern at NBC who is now his fiance.

He retired from the NFL in 2006 to concentrate on his broadcasting career. Unfortunately, Tiki didn't leave quietly and trashed the Giants from Coach Tom Coughlin to QB Eli Manning. I'm sure it didn't help his ego to see the Giants win the Super Bowl right after he left.

With his broadcasting career in the toilet, Tiki then decided he wanted to make a comeback in the NFL this year. What does it tell you when not one team in the NFL decided to even bring him into training camp for a look? Tiki's a bad dude!

Finally, in an unflattering report in The New York Post this summer, Tiki's fiance claims that when he gets drunk, he likes to walk around the house naked!

Yikes! Nothing like a washed-up and bitter ex-football player drunk and naked!

Karma, its definitely a killer! 

Plaxico Burress

There's a good reason why Plaxico was recently voted the second most-hated player in the NFL, right behind Michael Vick. 

This guy goes to a club in November of 2008 and accidentally shoots himself. Along with his pal Antonio Bryant, he tries to cover it up. Ultimately he's charged with criminal possession of a handgun and spends a little less than two years in prison for his crime. Of course, the real question is why did he feel he needed a gun in the first place and shouldn't he have had the safety latch on?  What an idiot!

While certain media types like to wax poetic that Plaxico is humbled and happy to have a second chance, it is obvious he is the same old selfish, me-first athlete.

For example, while an average Patriot team is manhandling the Jets on a Sunday night, Plaxico makes a nice 7-yard catch for a touchdown and starts taking bows. Your team is still losing and yet you act like you've just clinched a playoff berth. 

When Plax left the Pittsburgh Steelers after the 2005 season, he signed a six-year, $25 million deal with the Giants. After winning the Super Bowl with the Giants, he decided he was unhappy with his contract and decided to come to mini-camp but refused to practice. 

He further "claimed" an ankle injury caused him to miss most of training camp. Perhaps he felt he needed more money to help pay all the fines he had accumulated for missing practices and meetings and for his overall lousy behavior.

Another example of a guy with a world of talent and a 25-cent brain.

A-Roid, Uh, I Mean a-Rod

What does it tell you about A-Rod that even some hardcore, die-hard Yankees fans don't even like him?

The ill will toward A-Rod probably started back in 2001, when in an article in Esquire magazine he went out of his way to diss beloved Yankee captain Derek Jeter. A-Rod went on to say that Jeter wasn't a true leader and made fun of the fact that Jeter bats second while A-Rod routinely bats third or fourth.  

A-Rod also publicly left his wife Cynthia and has dated a bevy of famous women, including Cameron Diaz, Kate Hudson and Madonna. If it were 1988, I could understand Madonna, but he definitely loses points for that one! 

Then, there is the issue of A-Rod deciding to opt out of his mammoth contract with the Yankees right in the middle of the 2007 World Series. I guess having a 10-year, $252 million contract isn't good enough, coming from a guy who repeatedly claimed that he wanted to be a Yankee for life.

A-Rod decided to squeeze every last nickel out of the Yankees by signing a new 10-year, $275 million contract that will keep him in Pinstripes through age 42.  

A-Rod played in only 99 games in 2011, and the big question is whether his body is breaking down from previous steriod use or is he just getting old.

By the time the 2017 season rolls around, I sense A-Rod will be less Alex Rodriguez and more Alex Ochoa when it comes productivity.

Roger Clemens

It might be tough to find very many Roger Clemens sympathizers.

It seems Roger has "mis-remembered" about things in his past!

Once beloved in Boston, he is now a pariah. Even in New York, where he was on two championship teams, he's looked at as an outsider. He'll forever be remembered for throwing shards of a broken bat at Mike Piazza of the Mets in the 2000 World Series and have people wonder if that were signs of Roger's "Roid Rage" or just his intensity.

After all, Clemens was alleged by the Mitchell Report to have used anabolic steroids later in his career, according to the testimony of his former trainer, Brian McNamee. Clemens appeared before Congress back in 2008 and denied these allegations under oath, which led to the government indicting him on perjury charges.

Clemens also may not be a candidate for Father of the Year or Husband of the Year. There were allegations that he started a long-term relationship with country music star Mindy McCready when she was just 15 years old! While he denies that a sexual relationship took place, Clemens' attorney described her as a "close family friend."

Yeah, OK, what 30-something man hangs out with a teenager?

If you look up "arrogant jack-ass," you should find a photo of Roger.

Pete Rose

Is Pete Rose the most arrogant and annoying ex-baseball player (other than Roger Clemens)?

Deny you bet on baseball. Deny. Deny. Deny.

Then lie. Lie. Lie.

Then in hopes of selling a few extra books and getting your name back in the headlines, admit in 2004 to Charles Gibson of ABC that you did indeed bet on baseball.

Rose arrogantly thought his admission would no doubt lead to reinstatement and ultimately to his induction in the Baseball Hall of Fame. (Looks like the only way old Pete will ever get in is to keep buying a ticket at the box office!)

Rose also recently appeared on the Howard Stern Show with his new hot Asian girlfriend. Rose, who is now 70, is not only old enough to be her father, but was on the show with her to promote her spread in an upcoming issue of Playboy.

His girlfriend, Kiana Kim, who seemed to have the intelligence of a door knob, gushed all about the Hit King, praising him for his sexual prowess as well as his "stamina."

Ugh!

Pete, please go back to Vegas, bet the rent money and just go away!

Bruce Jenner

Dude, what happened to your face?  

It seems these days like the pressure to look perfect is causing many people to turn to plastic surgery for a quick fix. Sometimes though, that quick fix turns into a nip/tuck that turns into multiple rounds of extreme surgery that totally alters one's look.

Here is a guy that seems to have had too many cosmetic surgeries, which have almost made him look feminine or like a mannequin.

While I don't think Bruce is as irritating as some of our others on our list, he is also the step-father of the most annoying reality star in history—Kim Kardashian!

In addition, this certifies Bruce as the most shameful alumnus of the television show Chips (he briefly appeared on the show in 1980-1981)—even more embarrassing than an overweight Erik Estrada hawking land in Arkansas on late-night infomercials!

Serena Williams

For the 10 to 15 people that actually care about tennis, I had to include Serena Williams.

I don't think Serena has ever had an opponent win a tennis match with her. No, its always, "Serena beat herself," or "It was the line judge's fault," or "My foot hurt me," or "I was having a bad day!"

You don't see Roger Federer or Rafael Nadal, arguably two of the best in recent times, making silly excuses when they lose. They win with class and they're gracious in defeat.

Serena, who has no shame, went so far as to the play the race card at this year's U.S. Open when she felt she had a call go against her.

Proof positive that no matter how much money one has, you can't buy class or dignity!

Dishonorable Mention

Tiger Woods—ever since you shacked up with all those skanks, your golf game totally sucks!

Terrell Owens—your reality show was horrible and stop pretending that you're still relevant!

Michael Vick—still a bad dude!

Kris Humphries—crappy basketball player and the idiot who actually married Kim Kardashian!

Mike Tyson—hasn't been newsworthy in over 10 years but still annoying and psychotic!

LeBron James—took his talents to South Beach and then burned all his bridges behind him.

Barry Bonds—still in denial about 'roid abuse.