Kobe tops LeBron

[Joe Vancil]

The Q Scores Company has released it's ratings of the most unpopular pro sports figures, and yes, Kobe has topped LeBron - this time, in the most hated athletes in sports poll.

Here's the order:

1.  Michael Vick
2.  Tiger Woods
3.  Terrell Owens
4.  Chad Ochocinco
5.  Kobe Bryant
6.  LeBron James

The commentators I heard this from made the point, which I didn't notice at first, that every one of these athletes is black.  Come on!  Where's Brett Favre or Roger Clemens on the list?  And that's one of those racial points that generally, I look at it, think about it a second, and dismiss it, but this time, I think it really holds water.  That alone would make an interesting topic.

Okay, I understand Vick.  He's getting his "Second Chance" (which is an animal adoption organization, by the way) in a city that would boo safe landings at the airport (thanks to my friend Dan for that one).  And given he's acted the fool since getting out of jail with a SHOOTING at a recent birthday party, it's easy to see why he's here.  And Tiger Woods had the big scandal, but MOST HATED?  I don't get it.  Then again, I don't follow Woods enough to develop a real hatred in the first place.  It's GOLF, for Pete's sake.  Terrell Owens is simply an @$$, and finding him here is quite easily expected.  And while I think he's gone overboard on more than one occasion, I don't get why Ochocinco made this list - unless, of course, you hate him just by looking at the name.  Kobe and LeBron - sure.

I can think of several owners that might make the list SOMEWHERE, but none of them are at the top.

Are those the top five for you?  I can't say I hate Woods or Ochocinco (other than his name) all that much, and while LeBron James has taken a nose-dive in terms of what I think of him, I'm not quite ready to put him in front of several others.  And the fact that Clemens isn't here is just ridiculous to me.

[westkoast]

I don't hate any of those players to be honest.  Vick and Woods made moral mistakes.  I think what they did is wrong but I can't hate them for it.  Nor do I feel like it is my place to judge them. 

Chad, TO, Kobe and Lebron all suffer from their ego but I think that they are 'hated on' by fans of other teams just because they are not on their team.  Tiger because he was dominating a white sport (I hear a of golfers make comments about this)  I think Lebron made a bad decision this off season but should non-Cavs fans really hate him?  The argument that people still don't like Kobe because of his rape charge makes one question where Ben Roethlisberger is on this list?  If people dislike Lebron because of his off-season antics then why isn't Brett Farve on the list?  He has been doing it for 3 straight years.  If being a liar and a cheater is a problem to most people then like you said Joe, where is Clemens?

Top 5 players I dislike (not in any order):

Ray Allen
Tony Romo
JR Smith (Nuggets)
Manny Ramirez
Barry Bonds

[WayOutWest]

The argument that people still don't like Kobe because of his rape charge makes one question where Ben Roethlisberger is on this list? 

That is the exact same thought I had in regards to Kobe but in the same breath I think there is no reason for Owens, Ocho, and LeBron to be on the list because they didn't do anything illegal or immoral.  Vick, Woods, and Kobe I understand because they made "moral" and "legal" mistakes and that would make me see them in a different light.  But Woods did nothing illegal like Kobe might have or Vick did in fact do and get convicted of in court.

[westkoast]

The argument that people still don't like Kobe because of his rape charge makes one question where Ben Roethlisberger is on this list? 

That is the exact same thought I had in regards to Kobe but in the same breath I think there is no reason for Owens, Ocho, and LeBron to be on the list because they didn't do anything illegal or immoral.  Vick, Woods, and Kobe I understand because they made "moral" and "legal" mistakes and that would make me see them in a different light.  But Woods did nothing illegal like Kobe might have or Vick did in fact do and get convicted of in court.

I agree.  When there are court papers filed and you show up in court it takes it up a notch.  I am not a religious person and I don't have any business sticking my nose into Tiger/Elin's relationship so I don't dislike him because he messed up with someone else I don't even know.  Dare I say there are people out there who dislike Tiger's sexual romps because they are envious? heh

So the Cincci Bengals are the most hated team in the NFL?  Why isn't Carson Palmer on the list? 

[Joe Vancil]

If I had to give a "most hated" list, I think it'd look like this:

1.  Kobe Bryant
2.  Roger Clemens
3.  Robert Sarver (Phoenix Suns owner)
4.  Michael Vick
5.  Stephen Jackson
6.  Donald Sterling
7.  Micahel Jordan
8.  Paul Pierce
9.  George Shinn
10.  James Dolan

If I were to keep going to 20, I'm pretty sure that LeBron would make the cut, along with several folks from Memphis.

And for most beloved (current presence):

1.  Dean Smith (coach emeritus)
2.  Jerry Sloan
3.  Bill Russell
4.  Tayshaun Prince
5.  Charles Barkley (commentator)
6.  Steve Nash
7.  George Karl
8.  Tim Duncan
9.  Nate McMillan
10.  Jason Kidd

[westkoast]

If I had to give a "most hated" list, I think it'd look like this:

1.  Kobe Bryant
2.  Roger Clemens
3.  Robert Sarver (Phoenix Suns owner)
4.  Michael Vick
5.  Stephen Jackson
6.  Donald Sterling
7.  Micahel Jordan
8.  Paul Pierce
9.  George Shinn
10.  James Dolan

If I were to keep going to 20, I'm pretty sure that LeBron would make the cut, along with several folks from Memphis.

And for most beloved (current presence):

1.  Dean Smith (coach emeritus)
2.  Jerry Sloan
3.  Bill Russell
4.  Tayshaun Prince
5.  Charles Barkley (commentator)
6.  Steve Nash
7.  George Karl
8.  Tim Duncan
9.  Nate McMillan
10.  Jason Kidd

I know why you dislike most of those guys just based on your comments in previous posts but why is Sarver so high up on the list?  Just curious.

Tim Duncan is probably the most un-hate-able guy in the NBA.  Even if he beats your team in the playoffs hes such a humble and down to earth guy that it is hard to despise him like other stars.

[Joe Vancil]

If I had to give a "most hated" list, I think it'd look like this:

1.  Kobe Bryant
2.  Roger Clemens
3.  Robert Sarver (Phoenix Suns owner)
4.  Michael Vick
5.  Stephen Jackson
6.  Donald Sterling
7.  Micahel Jordan
8.  Paul Pierce
9.  George Shinn
10.  James Dolan

If I were to keep going to 20, I'm pretty sure that LeBron would make the cut, along with several folks from Memphis.

And for most beloved (current presence):

1.  Dean Smith (coach emeritus)
2.  Jerry Sloan
3.  Bill Russell
4.  Tayshaun Prince
5.  Charles Barkley (commentator)
6.  Steve Nash
7.  George Karl
8.  Tim Duncan
9.  Nate McMillan
10.  Jason Kidd

I know why you dislike most of those guys just based on your comments in previous posts but why is Sarver so high up on the list?  Just curious.

Tim Duncan is probably the most un-hate-able guy in the NBA.  Even if he beats your team in the playoffs hes such a humble and down to earth guy that it is hard to despise him like other stars.

Sarver is the worst kind of cheap-skate as an owner.  Instead of competing when he had his best team, he decided to deal it away a piece at a time.  He gave Seattle a draft pick for the privilege of giving Kurt Thomas to the Spurs...when, of course, Thomas was the one guy Phoenix most needed to match up against Duncan.  He sold draft picks like they were going out of style.  Here he is - NEAR THE TOP - and he's doing everything he can to DISMANTLE the team.  By the time they made the trade for Shaq to try to win that way, he'd given away so much that he was essentially gutting the team.  If he had KEPT all of that that he'd given away, the Shaq deal would not have been nearly as costly.

Even Sterling will spend some when he thinks he has a winner.  Not Sarver.