5. Los Angeles Lakers
While the Spurs have, in recent years, become a popular team to dislike in the NBA, the Lakers have tread that ground for decades now and show little signs of relinquishing their status as a team fans love to hate. Since the days of Wilt Chamberlain, Elgin Baylor and Jerry West, the team that originated in Minneapolis has enjoyed a great deal of on the court success, but it is the flash and dazzle of the “Showtime” era Lakers where haters emerged. With Coach Pat Riley at the helm and stars like Magic Johnson, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and James Worthy leading the way, L.A. claimed five titles in the 1980s. But it wasn’t their victories that drove basketball fans nuts. It was Pat Riley and his slicked back hair, Kareem and his skyhook, Kurt Rambis and his crazy dives across the court, and the coining of that dreaded term “Three-Peat” that continues to resound like nails on a chalkboard to old-school hoopheads. Yet newer fans have found plenty of reasons to dislike the Lakers as well, in particular Kobe Bryant, his allegedly selfish on-court play, his soap-opera like feuds with Shaquille O’Neal and the ensuing tell-all book by former/current Lakers coach Phil Jackson, etcetera, etcetera, etcetera. And don’t even get us started on Jack Nicholson and all the celebs who are constantly found at courtside, as if the Staples Center and the Great Western Forum before it were the center of their own personal press tours…
The Patriots are undoubtedly the fastest rising team among those that sports fans love to hate. Under head coach Bill Belichick, the Patriots have won six AFC East titles and three Super Bowl championships since 2001. It was the 2008 season, however, with the Spygate incident and the team’s quest for a perfect season that truly started to polarize fans and draw Patriots haters out of the woodwork. On top of being cocky cheaters in the eyes of many, they also have a sour, secretive coach in Belichick that gives arguably the most boring press conference in the history of professional sports, an arrogant pretty-boy quarterback in Tom Brady and one of the dirtiest players in the game in Rodney Harrison. No doubt then that there are a lot of people who cheer every time they see New England losing on the scoreboard.
3. Dallas Cowboys
They have one of the most outspoken and obnoxious owners in the league in Jerry Jones. They have Terrell Owens, a headline-grabbing wide receiver who may well be the most talented player at his position in the game, and isn’t shy about letting anyone who will listen know his opinion of his ability. They have an upstart young quarterback who, despite having a penchant for choking during the big games, somehow is managing to date a beautiful pop diva, who in her own right seems to make a lot of news on the sports page and tends to annoy people to no end. They’ve have a history of players such as Michael Irvin and Erik Williams, who have had a series of off the field problems. Worse than all that, however, they have the audacity to call themselves “America’s Team” as though people all over the country pull for them to win on Sunday when, quite often, nothing could be further from the truth. Odds are, if a person doesn’t absolutely love the Dallas Cowboys (and for whatever reason, there are many who do), they number themselves among those who love to hate this team.
2. Notre Dame Fighting Irish
Topping the list is one of the most successful college football programs of all time, the Notre Dame Fighting Irish. Notre Dame has won more consensus national championships and produced more All-Americans than any other program in NCAA history, but it is not for their past successes that they tend to draw the ire of a large number of fans. It is because of their independent status and the benefits it has lead the program to reap over the years. Notre Dame has a lucrative television deal, currently with NBC, and because they have no conference affiliation in football, they do not need to share the profits. In addition, they choose their own schedule from top to bottom. They are more likely to be invited to quality bowl games, even with a poor record, because their fans travel well. The Irish have even managed to be granted special treatment when it comes to the BCS, receiving an automatic berth to a BCS bowl in they finish in the Top 8 of the rankings. Furthermore, as the predominant Catholic institution (and one of only two who play in the Football Bowl Subdivision), their conduct is constantly under scrutiny, and when current head coach Charlie Weis was recently quoted as saying “(Bleep) Michigan”, well, it certainly does smack of hypocrisy.
1. New York Yankees
Of course, the Patriots are new to this whole “love to hate” thing. The New York Yankees, on the other hand, are old pros. If it is indeed true that success breeds contempt, than that certainly helps to explain, at least in part, why people love seeing the Yankees struggle. New York has won 26 World Series titles and 39 American League Pennants over the course of the franchise’s life, and many of the game’s greatest players, including Babe Ruth, Joe DiMaggio, Mickey Mantle and Lou Gehrig, have helped to strengthen the club’s legacy. However, Yankee bashers are quick to point out that it’s not simple envy that makes them hate the Yankees. There are a lot of factors, obviously, but if you had to ask most bashers what first made them dislike this team, odds are that their answer would be George Steinbrenner. Steinbrenner changed managers 20 times in his first 23 years as the Yankees owner. He clashed with the likes of Billy Martin and Reggie Jackson during the Bronx Zoo era. He was even accused of making illegal campaign contributions to Richard Nixon, and was once banned from baseball for hiring a gamble to dig up dirt on Dave Winfield. George himself is not the sole reason why so many people have a strong dislike for the Yankees, but his tactics sure didn’t win over any skeptics.
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