Sports is the mecca of entertainment. It offers visitors a number of different venues to attend and also a variety of teams/franchises to support. The only problem with this is that it is difficult to keep track of what’s happening. There is so much going on in your life, family, kids, job, and sleep that you do not have the time to watch every game.
Many media sources have written articles on the biggest names in sports. Forbes has written extensively regarding the most valuable sports teams, highlighting the NFL and its significance. This article will take on the opposite direction, examining the 10 loathed and most hated sports teams.
Let’s take a look at who made the list. Keep reading…. You will not be disappointed.
1. New York Yankees
The New York Yankees are a professional baseball team in the Bronx, New York. The team was founded in 1901 first as the Baltimore Orioles, before moving to NYC 2 years later. During the move to NYC, they were nicknamed the New York Islanders. They changed their name to Yankees in 1913.
The team is significant for a number of reasons. It has won the World Series 27 times and the American League pennants 40 times. They have garnered popularity and fanbase throughout the years, signing on major players such as Mickey Mantle, Yogi Bera, Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrid.
Despite fame and fortune, The Yankees have been widely criticized. It has utilized a large payroll to recruit talent, especially when George Steinbrenner was the owner. In the 37 years with the Yankees (from 1973-2010), Steinbrenner’s outspokenness and role in driving up player salaries made him controversial.
2. Toronto Maple Leafs
Toronto Maple Leafs is a professional ice hockey team based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is one of the Original Six members of the NHL and is the most valuable, coming in at $521 million US in 2011.
The Leafs have a number of major of problems. Firstly, there is Ron Wilson and his poor coaching skills. His system is not working, in fact the Leafs have not won the Stanley Cup since 1967. The team consists of all young members, in fact they have one of the youngest teams in the league. Wilson cannot easily relate to them as the forwards are all offense and not defense, and the defense is prone to turnovers. This leaves the goalie to hang out dry.
The goalies are not the best as well as they are part of the problem. They may be good one night and bad the next. People laugh at them whenever they make errors, especially at Reimer and Gustavson.
Last but not least. Yes, it is good to have a roster of young players. But the Leafs needs more veteran players on the ice. Veteran players should not be seated in the penalty box or be constantly away due to injury. The new members need support and they need role models.
GO LEAFS GO!
3. Duke Basketball
This is a college basketball program representing Duke University. The team has the fourth highest number of all-time wins. It has won 4 NCAA championships and has also performed in 10 Championship Games. Additionally, they have the 2nd longest streak in the AP Top 25 in history.
People hate the Dukes for various reasons. Forbes magazine named Duke one of the 10 worst college football teams for the money. This was judged based on the cost of the program at the university. I also believe that this team is the most hated because it has had it easy, playing weak teams who Duke can easily beat.
4. Dallas Cowboys
The Cowboys is a professional American football franchise playing in the Eastern Division of NFL. The team joined the NFL as a 1960 expansion team and is known for its record of consecutive home sell outs. The streak of 160 sold-out regular post season games began in 1990.
Forbes magazine has listed the Cowboys as the highest valued sports franchise in the United States and as the second in the world. The estimated value of the franchiser is approximately $1.65 billion US.
The company has been widely criticized in the past few years. The team uses sweatshop labor to make business apparel. They are a scrappy team, especially in their loss against the Detroit Lions in 2011. Their record for almost winning and then losing keeps piling up. In a game against the Jets, the Jets were down 24 to 10, but Cowboys lost 24 to 27.
5. Miami Heats
Many critics like BallTrends.com believe that once LeBron James joined, the team stopped excelling. Now they are just an okay team, one of the most hated in basketball, especially with James and Chris Bosh. Mostly this has to do with arrogance and self-indulgence that pollutes the attitudes of these players.
6. New England Patriots
As a professional football team, based in Foxborough, Massachusetts, it is one of the original members of the AFL. In the 2000s, they have become one of the most successful in NFL history. They are third in appearances in a Super bowl and have the most appearances in the last 25 years.
New England Patriots are also the most hated, most notably for being too sensitive to media and their criticism. They have been called whiners and cry babies and also cheaters. Their success is thus not taken well with NFL fans.
7. US Men’s Ice Hockey Olympic Team
Time and time again this Olympic team has let USA and its fans down miserably. In 2002 Salt Lake City Olympics, they lost to Canada in the finals 5-2. In 2006, they never made it to the finals. Yet again in 2010 they faced Canada and failed to take home the gold. The Finland game in the quarter finals was a letdown. USA keeps tying its opponents, but let’s go of the big prize too short of the final minutes.
8. Los Angeles Lakers
The franchise began in 1957 with the disbanding of Detroit Gems of the NBA. The team holds the record for the longest winning streak (33) in NBA history. Despite this, the team of players have often been referred to as super-sized egos, according to Bleachers Reports. Their star players, Kobe Bryant has been nicknamed the Kid, selfish jerk and criminal puppet master. The criminal puppet master was a name he received after being arrested for allegedly assaulting a 19 year old hotel employee.
9. Boston Red Sox
A story in the Wall Street Journal surfaced around April of 2010 about the Red Sox being the second most hated baseball franchise/team.
In a Boston Globe article, a report surfaced regarding John Lackey as the most hated Boston Red Sox team member. This probably had to do with the fact that he divorced his cancer ridden wife.
10. Detroit Red Wings
The Red Wings have won the Stanley Cup 4 times since 1996/97 season. They are the most competitive team yet. Many have perceived this group in a negative way, the same way they perceive the Yankees. Critics believe that the group only signs the best and the most competitive by offering large sum salaries.
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