Professional athletes sign up for something that is never going to win for them as far as their reputation is concerned. Even the most talented, most well-behaved professional and college athletes see entirely too much hate, anger and resentment. It’s just how competition goes. Most people hate all people associated with their biggest rival’s team. Others hate players that don’t win games, or for making a minor mistake or for wearing the wrong shade of blue when they go to the supermarket for grapes that (gasp) were not purchased organically. See what I’m saying? People love to hate; and while some of America’s most famously hated athletes have done some pretty horrible things in their time – worth of dislike or a lack of respect – some have done nothing really worth hating them over. Let’s take LeBron James, for instance; all of Cleveland hated him when he went to Miami (it was a career choice people; we all make them). But they love him like he never left now that he’s back. And then there are these men – some worthy of your distaste and others, not so much.
Alex Rodriguez (A-Rod)
When the super famous and very talented baseball star admitted to doping, he was very much in trouble with the MLB and with his fans. He admitted to cheating and lying, and we can say with honesty that neither went over very well with his fans. Right now, he’s in the midst of a storm and people are so mad at him that they cannot even see straight. It doesn’t change his serious skill, though.
Tiger Woods
Not only did he get caught with his pants down, pretty literally, he’s also suffering in his game since his big fight with his ex-wife. And now he’s the man everyone is loving hating. He’s just not the same man on the course as he once was, and people cannot seem to figure out what they are mad at him about.
Ray Rice
Let’s not even go into full detail about what he’s done. Let’s just go ahead and mention that one time a video showed up on the internet of Ray Rice beating up his wife and knocking her out cold in an Atlantic City elevator. The former Raven dealt with plenty of hatred and anger over his terrible crime, but his wife stuck with him and it seems that as of just a few hours ago a few NFL teams are looking to sign him for the upcoming season.
Tim Tebow
I’m going to say this; I don’t like the Tebow haters. Not only is he a former Gator, and I am a lifelong Gator; he’s an excellent leader, a good person and he’s someone who is not afraid to speak about his love of God. I love God. I have no problem with anyone else loving God. I don’t even care if you don’t; your personal preferences don’t matter in my life, you know? So why are people hating on him like he’s the worst thing that ever happened? I’m sure there is not one person in this world who would be disappointed if their own son grew up comfortable enough to talk about his passion, successful enough to win national titles and man enough to act like a man instead of an overgrown child with a chip on his shoulder; I’m just saying.
Aaron Hernandez
If you want to hate a former Gator, let’s make it Aaron Hernandez. The man killed someone. I’m not proud of this as a Gator, but I can’t help what he is and who he is. But it’s my opinion that he is worthy of the negative attention thanks to his terrible crimes.
Jameis Winston
When the former Florida State University quarterback was accused of stealing seafood from a supermarket in Tallahassee, things did not look good for him. It was a minor offense in the grand scheme of things, and people were willing to make jokes but overall, they looked away. It wasn’t until he was accused of raping a classmate in 2012 that he really became someone that people decided to hate. There were no charges pressed as it was stated there was not enough evidence, but further investigation showed that even though the victim of the attack was bruised and covered in semen and she was able to name her attacker as Winston, the school nor the local police bothered to obtain a DNA sample from Winston or look into the matter. There is speculation that their star player was too important to them to go forward with something that could get him into so much trouble.
Kurt Busch
People love to talk about the race car driver ever since his ex accused him of domestic assault. There was some investigation into the matter, and he was even given a no-contact order and issued a warning to stay away from the woman, but nothing came of it. Prosecutors decided the evidence was insufficient to continue with the charges.
Lance Armstrong
When the several-time Tour de France winner was accused of using illegal drugs to help him win, he eventually admitted to it and lost a lot of respect. He might not have committed a crime as violent as some of the other men on this list, but he seems to be the man that people are most angry with. Perhaps because his indiscretions affect his fans as they feel he is lying to them.
Michael Vick
Michael Vick was playing for the Atlanta Falcons when was arrested for what turned out to be a massive dog fighting ring. And people hate him for it, despite his talent. He spent some time behind bars, and people seem more upset with him mistreating dogs than they do with the men on this list that mistreat actual human beings. It really gives some insight into the way people think, doesn’t it?
Kobe Bryant
He’s undoubtedly talented on the court, but the NBA star is not loved much by his fans and his teammates. His teammates often refer to him as selfish and rude, that he has no friends off the court and that he is too into himself. His fans are still mad that he cheated on his wife and was accused of forcing a hotel employee to engage in intimate behavior with him in a hotel room.
Photos by Getty Images
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