Si's 25 Most Hated Teams of All Time.Did your favorite/least favorite team make it..

[stringer bell]

8 1976 Oakland Raiders

Walter Iooss Jr./SI

Beginning with Al Davis' arrival as coach in 1963, you could hate any Oakland Raiders team for the next quarter century. The franchise's slogans -- "The Pride and Poise Boys" and "Just Win, Baby" -- reeked of arrogance. Raiders rosters included hard-edged players such as Ted Hendricks (pictured). Why pick '76? Because that season, coach John Madden's club did win, baby. Or rather, the Raiders stole a postseason game from the Patriots, the only team to beat them all year, in a memorable 48-17 massacre in October. The Pats also seemed to have the divisional playoff in hand, leading 21-17 when they forced quarterback Ken (Snake) Stabler to heave a desperation incompletion on fourth down. But hold the phone! An official somehow saw defensive end Ray (Sugar Bear) Hamilton roughing Snake. This call was not dubious; it was egregiously bogus. Given a reprieve, Snake scored the winning TD. For once, the inmates were happy. As for everyone else, we had one semi-printable thought: Pride and poise, our ass. -- Dick Friedman

9 1989-90 UNLV basketball

Rich Clarkson/Getty Images

One of the first rules of sports fandom: Don't boo athletes who aren't getting paid. But given the abundance of circumstantial evidence, you were free to voice full-throated displeasure at this team. Coached by the inimitable, towel-chomping Jerry Tarkanian and starring forward Larry Johnson (pictured), the program was in keeping with the Vegas ethos: Have wild fun now, break some rules and deal with the consequences later. True to their nickname, the Runnin' Rebels ran up the floor and ran up the score with equal enthusiasm -- gloating all the way -- beating their opponents by an average of 27 points, and Duke 103-73 in the championship game. They rebelled, too, bending the NCAA rule book in such a way as to make Cirque du Soleil-style contortionists proud. While the allegations outnumbered the proven violations, suspicions were born out when various players from the 1990 team were photographed cavorting in a hot tub with Richard Perry, a convicted sports fixer. You could argue that this 1990 collective was the best college team ever. You could also argue that the team left as its legacy the culture of corruption that has infected college basketball ever since. -- Jon Wertheim

10 1998-99 Manchester United

Shaun Botterill/Getty Images

Even during a 26-year title drought that ended under Sir Alex Ferguson in 1993, Manchester United was always England's glamour club. As such, the team's ongoing golden age has attracted legions of glory-hunting supporters far beyond the industrial city's limits. And if success breeds contempt, then no team in club history was more reviled than the treble winners of '99, a side featuring Dwight Yorke, Andy Cole, Roy Keane and David Beckham (pictured, right) that vaulted Ferguson into the pantheon of all-time great managers. After winning the Premier League and the FA Cup, the Red Devils were outplayed by Bayern Munich in the Champions League final -- only to steal the match (and the trophy) on two miracle goals in stoppage time. Before Man U pulled it off, the treble had been thought of as the impossible dream. Ferguson was later knighted for his services to football and Beckham eventfully fell out with his manager, embarking on a tabloid-style journey that took him to Madrid, Milan and Los Angeles. -- Bryan Armen Graham

111990 University of Miami football

Otto Greule Jr/Getty Images

These guys knew people despised them, and reveled in the fact. The Hurricanes arrived at the Cotton Bowl with players on at least one bus chanting, "We're the [players] you love to hate." Exiled from the national title picture, the 10-2 'Canes took their disappointment out on Texas, which they began taunting during pregame. The Hurricanes even taunted Bevo (I was there). In warm-ups, Miami defender Robert Bailey found Texas kick returner Chris Samuels and vowed to knock him out on the opening kickoff. He did. Miami started its first possession on a first-and-40, the result of two unsportsmanlike conduct penalties. Craig Erickson completed three straight passes, moving the chains, as the 'Canes drove for a field goal. Erickson threw four touchdown passes, the most memorable a 48-yarder to Randall (Thrill) Hill (pictured), who continued through the end zone and into the stadium tunnel. Seldom has a team been so undisciplined ... and unstoppable. Miami had a Cotton-record 132 yards in penalties. At halftime. The 'Canes finished with 202 yards in penalties, a bowl record that still stands. They also won 46-3. "If they aren't the best," 'Horns coach David McWilliams said, "I don't want to play the best." -- Austin Murphy

121991-92 Duke basketball

Manny Millan/SI

You loathed the second of coach Mike Krzyzewski's title-winning teams for the same reasons you hate boy bands: their nauseating omnipresence, thanks to a Blue Devils-centric, Dick Vitale-fueled TV schedule; an ensemble of well-coiffed prepsters who looked better suited for the cast of School Ties; and an aggravating, undeniable level of talent that justified their cocksure attitudes. Star forward Christian Laettner epitomized that rock-star mentality. He was the ultratalented leader (witness his perfection in the Regional final against Kentucky) and the bad boy (who could forget the stomp he delivered to Aminu Timberlake's chest?) of the group. This Duke team was not built to be loved. It was built to win, quashing the storybook runs of Kentucky's "Unforgettables" and Michigan's "Fab Five" in the process. This was when Duke basketball emerged as a polarizing brand -- a bastion of annual excellence that, simultaneously, became the target of effortless disdain. -- Chris Mahr

131986 New York Mets

George Gojkovich/Getty Images

The 1962 Mets were lovable losers, but Darryl Strawberry, Dwight Gooden, Len Dykstra (all three pictured), Kevin Mitchell, Keith Hernandez and company were detestable winners of 108 regular-season games. Pitcher Bob Ojeda admitted in author Jeff Pearlman's book The Bad Guys Won that "we were a bunch of vile f------." Bristling with arrogance and trash-talkers, this hard-partying crew had a trio of players (Jesse Orosco, Danny Heep, Doug Sisk) who charmingly called themselves "the Scum Bunch." The Mets were involved in four on-field brawls that season as well as a fracas in the Houston nightclub Cooters, and infamously trashed their flight home from the National League Championship Series in a drunken orgy that could have made the ancient Romans blush. The Los Angeles Times described them as the NL's runaway leaders in the Win and Loathe columns. "I'd hate to pitch against the Mets," said Mets pitcher Ron Darling at the time. "Too many demonstrations. Down the road, somebody's going to remember that we showed them up." But the gods were clearly on their side, as witnessed by their miraculous Series win over Boston. -- John Rolfe

141972 Soviet Union Olympic basketball

Rich Clarkson/Time Life Pictures/Getty

Before the gold-medal match in Munich, the U.S. had never lost an Olympic basketball game. Every four years, gold was a given in America's sport. That changed late on the night of Sept. 9, 1972. U.S. fans hated everything about the Soviets: their politics, their red "CCCP" uniforms, their bounce passes, their walk-it-up-style and their pale, grim faces. But all that was fine if our guys beat their butts every four years. Instead, on this night, the Soviets led for most of the game until Doug Collins' two free throws gave the U.S. a 50-49 lead with three seconds to play. Chaos then took over as the Soviets were given three chances to attempt a length-of-the-court pass, and finally converted the last when Aleksandr Belov gathered in a bomb from Ivan Edeshko and scored the game-winner at the horn. The controversial ending was tinged with Cold War emotions. Through the prism of time, the lesson of that night was that the world was catching up to the U.S. on the court; but the lasting memory is that America got robbed. -- Tim Layden

...........

 

[bankrupt baller]

cowboys at 3???? homers!!!!!!!!!!!

shout out to the killer

 

[stringer bell]

8 1976 Oakland Raiders

Beginning with Al Davis' arrival as coach in 1963, you could hate any Oakland Raiders team for the next quarter century. The franchise's slogans -- "The Pride and Poise Boys" and "Just Win, Baby" -- reeked of arrogance. Raiders rosters included hard-edged players such as Ted Hendricks (pictured). Why pick '76? Because that season, coach John Madden's club did win, baby. Or rather, the Raiders stole a postseason game from the Patriots, the only team to beat them all year, in a memorable 48-17 massacre in October. The Pats also seemed to have the divisional playoff in hand, leading 21-17 when they forced quarterback Ken (Snake) Stabler to heave a desperation incompletion on fourth down. But hold the phone! An official somehow saw defensive end Ray (Sugar Bear) Hamilton roughing Snake. This call was not dubious; it was egregiously bogus. Given a reprieve, Snake scored the winning TD. For once, the inmates were happy. As for everyone else, we had one semi-printable thought: Pride and poise, our ass. -- Dick Friedman

9 1989-90 UNLV basketball

One of the first rules of sports fandom: Don't boo athletes who aren't getting paid. But given the abundance of circumstantial evidence, you were free to voice full-throated displeasure at this team. Coached by the inimitable, towel-chomping Jerry Tarkanian and starring forward Larry Johnson (pictured), the program was in keeping with the Vegas ethos: Have wild fun now, break some rules and deal with the consequences later. True to their nickname, the Runnin' Rebels ran up the floor and ran up the score with equal enthusiasm -- gloating all the way -- beating their opponents by an average of 27 points, and Duke 103-73 in the championship game. They rebelled, too, bending the NCAA rule book in such a way as to make Cirque du Soleil-style contortionists proud. While the allegations outnumbered the proven violations, suspicions were born out when various players from the 1990 team were photographed cavorting in a hot tub with Richard Perry, a convicted sports fixer. You could argue that this 1990 collective was the best college team ever. You could also argue that the team left as its legacy the culture of corruption that has infected college basketball ever since. -- Jon Wertheim

10 1998-99 Manchester United

Even during a 26-year title drought that ended under Sir Alex Ferguson in 1993, Manchester United was always England's glamour club. As such, the team's ongoing golden age has attracted legions of glory-hunting supporters far beyond the industrial city's limits. And if success breeds contempt, then no team in club history was more reviled than the treble winners of '99, a side featuring Dwight Yorke, Andy Cole, Roy Keane and David Beckham (pictured, right) that vaulted Ferguson into the pantheon of all-time great managers. After winning the Premier League and the FA Cup, the Red Devils were outplayed by Bayern Munich in the Champions League final -- only to steal the match (and the trophy) on two miracle goals in stoppage time. Before Man U pulled it off, the treble had been thought of as the impossible dream. Ferguson was later knighted for his services to football and Beckham eventfully fell out with his manager, embarking on a tabloid-style journey that took him to Madrid, Milan and Los Angeles. -- Bryan Armen Graham

11 1990 University of Miami football

These guys knew people despised them, and reveled in the fact. The Hurricanes arrived at the Cotton Bowl with players on at least one bus chanting, "We're the [players] you love to hate." Exiled from the national title picture, the 10-2 'Canes took their disappointment out on Texas, which they began taunting during pregame. The Hurricanes even taunted Bevo (I was there). In warm-ups, Miami defender Robert Bailey found Texas kick returner Chris Samuels and vowed to knock him out on the opening kickoff. He did. Miami started its first possession on a first-and-40, the result of two unsportsmanlike conduct penalties. Craig Erickson completed three straight passes, moving the chains, as the 'Canes drove for a field goal. Erickson threw four touchdown passes, the most memorable a 48-yarder to Randall (Thrill) Hill (pictured), who continued through the end zone and into the stadium tunnel. Seldom has a team been so undisciplined ... and unstoppable. Miami had a Cotton-record 132 yards in penalties. At halftime. The 'Canes finished with 202 yards in penalties, a bowl record that still stands. They also won 46-3. "If they aren't the best," 'Horns coach David McWilliams said, "I don't want to play the best." -- Austin Murphy

12 1991-92 Duke basketball

You loathed the second of coach Mike Krzyzewski's title-winning teams for the same reasons you hate boy bands: their nauseating omnipresence, thanks to a Blue Devils-centric, Dick Vitale-fueled TV schedule; an ensemble of well-coiffed prepsters who looked better suited for the cast of School Ties; and an aggravating, undeniable level of talent that justified their cocksure attitudes. Star forward Christian Laettner epitomized that rock-star mentality. He was the ultratalented leader (witness his perfection in the Regional final against Kentucky) and the bad boy (who could forget the stomp he delivered to Aminu Timberlake's chest?) of the group. This Duke team was not built to be loved. It was built to win, quashing the storybook runs of Kentucky's "Unforgettables" and Michigan's "Fab Five" in the process. This was when Duke basketball emerged as a polarizing brand -- a bastion of annual excellence that, simultaneously, became the target of effortless disdain. -- Chris Mahr

13 1986 New York Mets

The 1962 Mets were lovable losers, but Darryl Strawberry, Dwight Gooden, Len Dykstra (all three pictured), Kevin Mitchell, Keith Hernandez and company were detestable winners of 108 regular-season games. Pitcher Bob Ojeda admitted in author Jeff Pearlman's book The Bad Guys Won that "we were a bunch of vile f------." Bristling with arrogance and trash-talkers, this hard-partying crew had a trio of players (Jesse Orosco, Danny Heep, Doug Sisk) who charmingly called themselves "the Scum Bunch." The Mets were involved in four on-field brawls that season as well as a fracas in the Houston nightclub Cooters, and infamously trashed their flight home from the National League Championship Series in a drunken orgy that could have made the ancient Romans blush. The Los Angeles Times described them as the NL's runaway leaders in the Win and Loathe columns. "I'd hate to pitch against the Mets," said Mets pitcher Ron Darling at the time. "Too many demonstrations. Down the road, somebody's going to remember that we showed them up." But the gods were clearly on their side, as witnessed by their miraculous Series win over Boston. -- John Rolfe

14 1972 Soviet Union Olympic basketball

Before the gold-medal match in Munich, the U.S. had never lost an Olympic basketball game. Every four years, gold was a given in America's sport. That changed late on the night of Sept. 9, 1972. U.S. fans hated everything about the Soviets: their politics, their red "CCCP" uniforms, their bounce passes, their walk-it-up-style and their pale, grim faces. But all that was fine if our guys beat their butts every four years. Instead, on this night, the Soviets led for most of the game until Doug Collins' two free throws gave the U.S. a 50-49 lead with three seconds to play. Chaos then took over as the Soviets were given three chances to attempt a length-of-the-court pass, and finally converted the last when Aleksandr Belov gathered in a bomb from Ivan Edeshko and scored the game-winner at the horn. The controversial ending was tinged with Cold War emotions. Through the prism of time, the lesson of that night was that the world was catching up to the U.S. on the court; but the lasting memory is that America got robbed. -- Tim Layden

...........

 

[stringer bell]

15 2005 USC football

Entering the season, USC had won 22 straight games and was embarking on a quest for a potentially unprecedented third straight national title -- and fans around the country couldn't go 15 minutes without hearing about it. As the fawning over Pete Carroll's program reached dizzying proportions, many came to resent the "Hollywood" aspect of the Trojans -- quarterback Matt Leinart (pictured, right, with Reggie Bush) partying with Paris Hilton; celeb-fans Will Ferrell and Snoop Dogg hanging out at practices. As they won another 12 straight to reach the BCS championship game -- "I always thought that the more attention we drew to ourselves by the things that other teams or the fans would say just made us stronger," Carroll told SI.com recently -- fans of other conferences bemoaned the Trojans' purportedly inferior Pac-10 competition. They cried foul over the "Bush Push" that helped USC pull off a last-second win at Notre Dame. To many, though, the run-up to the Trojans' BCS title game against Texas served as a nauseating apex, with ESPN's analysts debating how the '05 USC team would fare against some of the greatest teams of all time. Vince Young and the Longhorns rendered the argument moot, but the public's animosity lingered for years due mostly to the NCAA's prolonged silence over allegations that Bush took money from potential marketing reps during his time there. That silence was broken in June, and you know how the story ended. -- Stewart Mandel

16 1974 Oakland Athletics

Not to say the '74 A's were disliked ... but they had won the previous two World Series and they still finished 11th out of 12 American League teams in attendance. The team's biggest star, of course, was Reggie Jackson, before his "straw that stirs the drink" days in New York. The pitching staff featured players whom meddling owner Charlie Finley (pictured) thought needed to be more colorful. He suggested that Jim Hunter be called "Catfish," that Johnny Odom start going by "Blue Moon," and he paid $300 for Rollie Fingers to grow his soon-to-be-famous handlebar mustache. The team's hard-core players, Sal Bando and Gene Tenace, wore garish yellow and walked a lot. It was a circus act, but to the never-ending frustration of opposing teams and fans, the A's won again in '74, beating Earl Weaver's Baltimore team in four games in the ALCS and then pounding the Dodgers in five in the World Series. -- Joe Posnanski

17 1993 Notre Dame football

The Fighting Irish are either The Team That America Loves or The Team That America Hates. A fan base -- "The Subway Alumni" -- built in the first half of the 20th century worships from afar and, along with actual alums, embraces Notre Dame football for its perceived connection to good grades, hard work and the Almighty. The haters despise Golden Domers for all the same reasons, which they regard as holier-than-thou arrogance. The fall of 1993 was the last high point of the Lou Holtz era in South Bend. The Fighting Irish took down mighty Florida State in that year's Game of the Century (which landed defensive end Jim Flanigan on the SI cover), but one week later suffered a shocking home loss to Boston College, when former prep school soccer player David Gordon knuckleballed a game-winning field goal into the darkness enshrouding Touchdown Jesus. Half a continent away, in a press box in Morgantown, W. Va., jaded sportswriters covering another game stood and spontaneously cheered. The BC loss helped hand the national title back to FSU (and led to the formation of the BCS). Notre Dame still hasn't won one since. -- Tim Layden

18 1976 East Germany women's swimming

The joke about the East German swim team went like this: The good news about their revolutionary training program was that the ladies didn't have to breathe between strokes. The bad news, of course, was that they had to shave between strokes. The facts were no laughing matter. At the 1976 Montreal Olympics, East German women won 11 gold medals in 13 races, stunning the highly touted U.S. women, who won only a single relay. In 1972, the gold tally for women's swimming had been eight for the U.S. and none for the GDR. Years later, Stasi files confirmed that diabolical cocktails of uber-doping had boosted the German women's muscles, deepened their voices and decisively dropped their times. Even before the documented revelations, their suspiciously rapid improvements, like their appearances, were giant elephants in the arena. As a souped-up Kornelia Ender (pictured) swam her way to three individual gold medals, U.S. hope Shirley Babashoff left the Games with three individual silvers and thoughts of what might have been in a clean pool. Today, the 1976 GDR women's swim team remains the most injected squad ever projected onto the sporting landscape. -- Brian Cazeneuve

19 1919 Chicago White Sox

There have been many attempts to tell the "true story" about the Black Sox -- how they were mistreated by penny-pinching owner Charlie Comiskey, how Shoeless Joe Jackson never really took money and played his hardest at all times, how Buck Weaver only knew about the scheme but was not part of it -- but in the end the main story was this: The 1919 White Sox threw the World Series. Gambling played a big role in baseball in the early part of the 20th century, and many people inside baseball were convinced that the Black Sox scandal could have destroyed baseball as America's national pastime. Eight players were banned from baseball and none, even in death, have been reinstated. The owners hired an opinionated commissioner, Kenesaw Mountain Landis, and gave him virtually unlimited power. They livened up the baseball and watched a big star named Babe Ruth lift the game's popularity. Funny how baseball took similar steps after the 1994 baseball strike. -- Joe Posnanski

20 2004 U.S. Olympic basketball

By turns full of braggadocio (Carmelo Anthony guaranteed a gold as training camp opened) and seeming to shirk responsibility ("It's not like it's the end of the world," LeBron James said after a 19-point pool-play loss to Puerto Rico), this team could have been pronounced too young to know better: Anthony was 20, James (pictured, left, with Lamar Odom and Stephon Marbury) was 19, and it featured an average age of 23.6. But decorum and discipline were so poor that coach Larry Brown wanted to send several players home from Athens on the eve of the Games. After another pool-play loss, to Lithuania, and a medal-round defeat to eventual gold-medalist Argentina in the semifinals, Brown pronounced himself "humiliated" and the alibis flew. Some players blamed fouls whistled on center Tim Duncan; others blamed zones they weren't used to shooting over. (Of the dozen teams in the draw, the U.S. sank the second-fewest three-pointers.) Only two positives resulted from that Greek tragedy: heightened appreciation of the 1992 Dream Team; and the chain of events -- an embarrassed Jerry Colangelo hires Mike Krzyzewski and makes playing for your country cool again -- that led to the Redeem Team, which atoned for American basketball at the 2008 Games in Beijing. -- Alex Wolff

21 2000-01 Portland Trail Blazers

With their incessant bickering and boorish behavior, the Trail Blazers, long cherished in Portland, alienated their customers and disgusted the rest of the league's fans. The biggest lightning rod, of course, was forward Rasheed Wallace (pictured, left, with Bonzi Wells), who set an NBA record with 41 technical fouls, threw a towel in the face of teammate Arvydas Sabonis and had to be restrained by teammates from charging coach Mike Dunleavy in the locker room. The Oregonian described the Blazers as "tanking it in the playoffs [in a first-round sweep to the Lakers] amid a cloud of tantrums and technicals." The frightening aspect of this "Jail Blazers" era is that there are multiple teams from which to choose and moments to pinpoint. To wit: The following season, in December 2001, swingman Bonzi Wells told SI about being booed: "We're not really going to worry about what the hell [the fans] think about us. They really don't matter to us. They can boo us every day but they are still going to ask for our autographs if they see us on the street. That's why they are fans and we are NBA players." -- Richard Deitsch

...........

 

[rice n gravy]

maybe im saying this because its so recent but 07 Patriots should be #2

 

[stringer bell]

22 2001-02 Toronto Maple Leafs

There was something "special" about this team, just like there is something "special" about a coming tax audit. You live to tell about it, but it won't be pleasant. These Maple Leafs were more of a vocal than a vicious team, like the neighbor's noxious terrier that doesn't bite. (Often.) Indeed, one reason the Leafs were reviled -- beyond coach Pat Quinn's constant haranguing of the refs, a diver like Darcy Tucker, a stick man like Shayne Corson and an unabashed brawler like Tie Domi -- was that they were viewed as something of a pet. The Leafs were loathed, in part, because of location. They were the darlings of media coverage because Toronto is the center of the hockey universe. And with Toronto's soupçon of on-ice success during the era, Hockey Night in Canada essentially transformed itself into the parish bulletin of the First Church of Leafs Nation. Additionally, the league's hockey operations department was located in the office building attached to the Air Canada Centre, which led to the theory that Toronto received preferential treatment from referees. While there was no proof, it didn't change the perception. Feared like the Broad Street Bullies? No. Hated? The way an off-key singer despises Simon Cowell. -- Michael Farber

23 1983-84 Georgetown basketball

John Thompson's Hoyas dominated college hoops through fear. For 40 minutes a game, Thompson pushed his team not simply to execute better than its opponents, but to harass them with a combination of claustrophobic defense and shot-altering size. From a sharply thrown Patrick Ewing elbow to the menacing stare of muscular freshman stopper Michael Graham (pictured, with Ewing), the Hoyas punished teams while building an intimidating presence that prompted many a basketball purist to label them thugs. The scowling Hoyas made many observers uncomfortable with their style and, truth be told, appearance. Thompson, all 6-foot-10 and 300 pounds of him, towered over an all-black roster led by Ewing's equally towering 7-foot presence. "People would heckle and we would see a lot of signs, particularly about Patrick, about how he couldn't read or some other personally offensive things," Thompson said. "There definitely were some racial aspects to it, but that's what was there. If we had been all white, it probably would have been our size [they criticized]." Even after the Hoyas toppled Houston in the title game, they were seen by some as basketball's incarnation of the Raiders, both in their ethos of intimidation and resonance with African-Americans. The Hoyas didn't flee from the comparison; they won because of it. -- Paul Forrester

24 1909 Detroit Tigers

The Tigers were loathed precisely because of one man: Tyrus Raymond Cobb, arguably history's most hated athlete during his playing days. Cobb, still only 22, led the Tigers to their third straight World Series (they had lost the previous two to the Cubs!) by winning the Triple Crown (.377, 9 HRs, 107 RBIs). He also stole a league-leading 76 bases. He set these splendid marks by flashing his spikes and his fists at everyone in his path -- teammates included. But as the Tigers prepared to play the Pittsburgh Pirates in the World Series, Cobb (pictured, left, with Honus Wagner) was not only hated but also wanted -- by the authorities in Ohio. In September, Cobb (a notorious racist, even for a Southerner of his day) knifed a black Cleveland hotel detective named George Stansfield, and there was a warrant for his arrest in the Buckeye State. To get to Pittsburgh from Detroit, through which state was the shortest route? Ohio, of course. Cobb first tried circumventing it by rail through Canada. Ultimately, he was handcuffed by the Pirates, batting .231. Pittsburgh won in seven games, and Cobb never again reached the Fall Classic -- giving Cobb haters a reason to rejoice. -- Dick Friedman

25 2010-11 Miami Heat

LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, Chris Bosh (all pictured) and Co. have yet to play a game, but Phil Taylor explains why the NBA's most-talked-about team belongs on this list. (Read Taylor's full column here.)

I hate that the Three My-Egos are being painted as a bunch of Mother Teresas who have taken a vow of poverty when all they've done is forego a small percentage of what are still obscenely huge salaries. I hate that we have become so accustomed to the overwhelming greed of superstar athletes that when the Heat's threesome accepts roughly $110 million each when they could have had closer to $120 million, some people want to fit them for angels' wings. They have given front-runner fans a new bandwagon to jump on. People who couldn't have named a single one of Wade's teammates weeks ago will now declare themselves to be Heat lovers, decking themselves out in Miami gear with cutesy phrases like Miami Thrice and the Three Basketeers. All those fans who like the Yankees just because they win, or who were devoted to the Bulls until Michael Jordan left, are now going to come out of the woodwork and swear their undying love to the Heat. I hate that. -- Phil Taylor

............

 

[stringer bell]

Honorable Mention: Most Hated Teams

1990 Argentina national soccer

Having won the 1986 World Cup thanks in part to the most dishonorable goal of all time, the Albicelestes weren't exactly the feel-good story of Italy 1990 as they attempted to become the first back-to-back champions since Brazil in 1958 and '62. With twice the pride of the '86 team but a fraction of the attacking ability, Carlos Bilardo's squad played a style of negative, pessimistic soccer that would make the Italians blush. Following a humiliating loss to Cameroon in the opener, an unseen Diego Maradona (pictured, #10) handball against the U.S.S.R. ensured progress from the group stage. For the entirety of the knockout round, the undermanned Argentines put 10 men behind the ball and played for penalties -- surviving wars of attrition with superior opponents Brazil, Yugoslavia and Italy. Only the soccer gods made sure an Argentine side that mustered just five goals in the tournament (with none from Maradona) was beaten 1-0 by West Germany in the final. -- Bryan Armen Graham

2000 New York Yankees

Any grudging respect engendered by the dignified excellence of Derek Jeter, Bernie Williams, Mariano Rivera, Jorge Posada, Tino Martinez and Joe Torre was sorely frayed in 2000 by the Yankees' fourth trip to the World Series in five years. The presence of glowering hurler Roger Clemens (pictured, right, with Torre) was a disagreeable spice in the dynastic mix, especially when Clemens hurled a chunk of broken bat at Mets catcher Mike Piazza in Game 2 of the World Series. After the game, Clemens offered an answer straight out of The X-Files, saying he did not see Piazza running and threw the bat because he was overflowing with energy. Yes, the Subway Series was not exactly a heartwarming development for New York haters everywhere, a fact reflected by the lowest TV ratings for a Fall Classic. For those folks, the worst possible outcome ensued: The Yankees won their third successive championship, in five games. -- John Rolfe

2002 Ohio State football

Fans and media dubbed them "The Luckeyes." In just his second season, coach Jim Tressel led Ohio State to the sport's first 14-0 season and the school's first national championship since 1968 -- but not a lot of folks outside of the Midwest appreciated it. With a conservative style befitting its senatorial coach in his sweater vest, Ohio State's Big Ten games were close and ugly, with scores like 13-7, 14-9 and 10-6. Half its wins came by a touchdown or less. Precocious freshman running back Maurice Clarett (pictured) became a villainous figure even before his criminal activities several years later. Few gave the Buckeyes a chance against defending national champion Miami in the BCS championship game, and even when they did pull off a double-overtime upset, it was marred by controversy. Miami appeared to have won at the end of the first overtime, but an unusually late pass-interference flag by field judge Terry Porter saved the Luck ... er, Buckeyes. Because most of OSU's key players returned the next season, the resentment carried over when the Buckeyes started 10-1 and threatened to return to the title game before losing to Michigan in their regular-season finale. -- Stewart Mandel

2007 Boston Red Sox

Three years after they were scruffy and lovable, mounting a historic comeback and breaking an 86-year-old hex, the Red Sox had a $143 million payroll, a pitcher from Japan who demanded $52 million just to negotiate a contract and an overflowing bandwagon of new fans whose definition of "long-suffering" meant two seasons without a World Series. You could pick them out in every ballpark by their flat-brimmed caps and crisp white jerseys, reminiscing about the good old days of Dave Roberts and Kevin Millar. What happened between 2004 and 2007? The Red Sox had enough books written about them to fill a branch of the Boston Public Library. They celebrated themselves more than a Miami Hurricanes receiver. By the time they swept the Rockies in the 2007 World Series, with the chemically enhanced Manny Ramirez and David Ortiz (both pictured) leading the way, the nation was exhausted by Red Sox nation. The Japanese pitcher with the astronomical posting fee, Daisuke Matsuzaka, had a 4.40 ERA. The clubhouse, which once could have passed for a Phi Delt chapter room, felt more like a corner office at Goldman Sachs. The Red Sox won the World Series, sure, but they also became what they hated most: the Yankees. -- Lee Jenkins

Alinghi, the 2003 America's Cup winner

To paraphrase Bob Dylan, money doesn't talk, it sails. Or litigates. The America's Cup, established in 1851 as Friendly Competition Between Nations, had seen its share of wealthy adventurers who left their manners on the dock, but from 2007 to 2010, Swiss pharmaceutical magnate Ernesto Bertarelli, in his fight with software magnate Larry Ellison, outdid them all. The final 2007 Cup race was a wind-shifting, lead-changing, nail-biting tete a tete the Swiss won by one second, a race even non-sailors found good sport, signaling that sailing stood to gain an actual fan base. But Bertarelli spoiled it. Under the century-old Deed of Gift, it was up to him to pick a Challenger for the next race, and he opted for a bogus yacht club, one with no members and no yachts. So began Battling Billionaires Behaving Badly: The Cup entered New York State courtrooms with a bevy of Wall Street lawyers. By the time the boats finally set sail, in February 2010 -- mercifully, Bertarelli lost -- it was estimated that the race had cost about $1 million per minute on the water. -- Nancy Ramsey

1905 New York Giants baseball

"He ate gunpowder every morning and washed it down with warm blood," an umpire once said of John McGraw (pictured), the Giants' firebrand manager. Otherwise known as "the Little Napoleon" and "Mugsy," McGraw was an infamous ump-baiter and ruthless bench jockey who instilled his sandpaper personality in his players. Pirates star Honus Wagner complained that Giants infielders tried to trip him while he legged out a triple. McGraw drew ire by refusing to let the Giants play Boston in the 1904 World Series because he believed the American League was inferior. In 1905, his Giants became the most hated team in baseball as they went 105-48 en route to the Series title, a four games to one pounding of the Philadelphia Athletics and Connie Mack. How hated? They were involved in rock-throwing melees with fans in Philadelphia and Pittsburgh (the Giants threw the rocks back), and partisans in Brooklyn made spears from umbrella tips to toss at their outfielders. -- John Rolfe

1993 New York Mets

They were a famously bad baseball team (59-103, 7th in the NL East) with famously bad actors. Most famously, Vince Coleman threw a firecracker from a parked car at Dodgers Stadium that injured a 33-year-old woman, an 11-year-old boy and a 1-year-old girl. Three months earlier, Coleman injured pitcher Dwight Gooden's arm by swinging a golf club in the clubhouse. Then there was outfielder Bobby Bonilla (pictured, left, with Gooden), a miserable cuss who threatened a reporter with the now-historic "I'll show you the Bronx" line. What else? An anti-social and ornery Eddie Murray and Jeff Kent in the starting infield, and the still-stuck-in-a-fraternity Bret Saberhagen, who tossed a firecracker near reporters in the clubhouse at Shea Stadium and later sprayed them with bleach in a water gun. Not even the presence of the classy Willie Randolph could wipe the stench off this malodorous group. -- Richard Deitsch

.................

 

[Meet The Sniper]

Niggas is really hating on The U like that?

Fuck USC any year or decade.

 

[D.D.S.]

i'm surprised there wasn't a lakers team on there......

 

[rice n gravy]

Niggas is really hating on The U like that?

Fuck USC any year or decade.

you must didnt watch that 30 for 30 they did on the u

 

[rice n gravy]

but they also became what they hated most: the Yankees. -- Lee Jenkins

damn..............

 

[Meet The Sniper]

you must didnt watch that 30 for 30 they did on the u

I hate USC.

I really do.

 

[dc's teflondon]

all my teams are represented:

the u

duke

yankees

 

[themadlionsfan]

Bad boys ftw.......

 

[eyes low]

mets made it twice thats pretty good

 

[allied]

7 1993-94 New York Knicks

I thought you had to actually win something to be on this list. I loved that team but they didn't get it done. They was supposed to win it in 6 and share spotlight with the NY Rangers they year. They blew it.

 

[peagle05]

i hate the patriots anyway so..yeah

 

[Alpha_Ambition]

Not one laker or celtic team damn surprising

 

[Tha Killa]

Both my teams are up there. Cheah!

I'm surprised that the Oakland Raiders franchise, organization, team, logo, enterprise and entity as a whole ain't on that list.

 

[tru_m.a.c]

Not one laker or celtic team damn surprising

i'm surprised there wasn't a lakers team on there......

yup I can't fuck with this list. Muhfuckas despise the shit out of Kobe, now you want me to believe the heat10-11 squad is more hated than ANY of the laker teams in the past decade???