They rose to fame due to their great talent, but their haughtiness, folly, and countless pranks have caused them to lose support from admirers all around the world. Here is a list of some of today’s most despised athletes.
1. Michael Vick
American football player Michael Vick was regarded as one of the game’s greatest players when he was selected in the first round of college in 2001. He is now on the list of all-most time’s despised athletes.
Vick was acting very differently off the field while still doing brilliantly on it. Vick was detained in 2007 and given a 21-month prison term after being found guilty of participating in a dogfighting ring illegally for five years. Vick was freed from jail after serving his justly-earned sentence and is now able to return to playing professional football.
Several others, including myself, notice a difference in him and believe that his previous nasty behavior has entirely changed. Sadly, a lot of people don’t believe he has changed. As he continues to dominate the football field with the Philadelphia Eagles, he is still one of the most loathed sportsmen of all time.
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2. LeBron James
Basketball star LeBron James from the USA is despised for his haughtiness and selfishness rather than for breaking any laws or cheating.
James thought it was time for a change after spending seven years as the center of the Cleveland Cavs’ offense. He failed to win a title while playing for Cleveland and decided it would be preferable to join a team where his prospects of success were higher.
He didn’t sneak out of Cleveland to look for a new place to live. He was the host of the hour-long ESPN program “The Decision.” After an hour of waiting, James appeared briefly on camera to announce his decision to join the Miami Heat in order to play alongside fellow superstars Dwayne Wade and Chris Bosh.
This provoked such a surge of hatred against him from everyone and was a smack in the face to the Cleveland Cavs and their supporters. LeBron James is one of the most despised athletes of all time because of this.
3. Floyd Mayweather Jr.
American boxer Floyd Mayweather Jr. wins contests by landing powerful blows. In five different boxing weight divisions, he has captured nine world championships. As a professional boxer, he has won 41 fights, 25 of which were by knockout. He employs his punching abilities outside of the ring, though.
He was charged with domestic abuse in 2010. His previous girlfriend, Josie Harris, reported him for domestic assault. He was promptly released after posting a $300 bail. Later that month, Mayweather was charged with three counts of misdemeanor harassment, one count of misdemeanor domestic assault, two counts of criminal compulsion, and one count of felony robbery. If he is found guilty of all charges, he may spend up to 34 years in jail.
4. Gilbert Arenas
American basketball player Gilbert Arenas entered the NBA in 2001 with high expectations. He spent five seasons (four if you include the season he missed due to “injury”) playing with the Washington Wizards before moving to Orlando to team up with Dwight Howard.
Arenas suffered many knee and ankle ailments during the course of his time with the Wizards. Many began to get wary after missing nearly the entire season. It turns out that he made up his wounds. Following that, he entered the locker room with unloaded weapons and engaged in a “fight” with teammate Javaris Crittenton. Another celebrity turned into one of sports history’s most despised sportsmen.
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5. Albert Haynesworth
American football player Albert Haynesworth plays the game. He used to make incredible tackles on the field, but after being hurt every game, he drastically lost form. 355-pound Albert had an on-field mishap after skipping games and being too exhausted to train.
Center Andre Gurode was knocked to the ground during a game, and Haynesworth removed his helmet. After that, Haynesworth stomped on Gurode’s head, causing a serious cut to appear on his forehead. Following this “little” event, Haynesworth ran into some legal issues. He received fines for his involvement in interstate traffic accidents, and a stripper sued him, saying he had pregnant her without providing any financial assistance.
6. Kobe Bryant
Despite being one of the greatest athletes ever, Kobe Bryant doesn’t seem to be a very good person. On the court, his haughtiness and need for attention resulted in numerous needless losses for his team. Off the court, he’s been accused of rape.
In 2003, Bryant was charged with sexual assault and very much confessed that he did it but believed it was consensual in a statement he delivered during his trial, however, the charges were eventually withdrawn when the accuser notified the court she was hesitant to testify.
Nonetheless, Bryant suffered a severe PR blow as a result of this. When athletes believe that their skill at a sport makes them better than everyone else, that is when they begin to be despised.
7. Tiger Woods
Oh well, more media coverage for Tiger Woods’ illegal behavior. I suppose the rest of the world will have to wait. The fact that Tiger is ranked higher than position five may surprise many of you. It’s really easy to understand why. When compared to what many other people have done, what Tiger did wasn’t all that horrible.
Despite the fact that he betrayed millions of people worldwide and had 11 (or is it more now?) mistresses, he didn’t have a significant negative impact on society. Of course, you might argue that he was a great role model before this and is now completely unacceptable. Just remember that he is still among the finest golfers to ever play.
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8. O.J. Simpson
Although O.J. Simpson was undoubtedly one of the finest football players of his time, he was also insane. After being charged with brutally killing his ex-wife and her lover, the jury amazingly ruled him not guilty of any of the allegations.
He had all the proof to be found guilty, yet he got away with murdering two innocent individuals. Yet, enraged individuals received their comeuppance when O.J. was detained for robbery and given a 33-year jail term. O.J. Simpson is undoubtedly one of the most despised athletes in history.
9. Ben Roethlisberger
It’s fortunate for Ben Roethlisberger that games’ outcomes do not determine football careers. If Big Ben’s final NFL game was truly played on Sunday night, as he has firmly suggested, it wasn’t exactly a mic drop. Roethlisberger labored with rollouts and lacked the imagination and dexterity of Patrick Mahomes, his Chiefs opponent, in the 42-21 thrashing.
His 18-season NFL career of on-field accomplishment speaks for itself. Two-time Super Bowl champion Ben Roethlisberger will eventually be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. During his leadership, the Steelers haven’t had a single losing season. They have since been a fixture of the playoffs; in fact, during Sunday’s defeat, Ben Roethlisberger surpassed both Joe Montana and Brett Favre for the third-most passing yards in playoff history.
The first “mistake” was made in 2008 when Roethlisberger was accused of sexual assault by Andrea McNulty, who was working as a hotel and casino employee in Lake Tahoe at the time. According to McNulty, she was enticed to his hotel room on the pretense of servicing a malfunctioning television. In her lawsuit, she claims that as she tried to leave, Roethlisberger barred the door. The quarterback allegedly grabbed her and made an attempt to kiss her, according to the lawsuit. Roethlisberger refuted the accusations and was never indicted. In 2011, he and McNulty achieved an out-of-court settlement.
Roethlisberger was not penalized by the NFL. On the other hand, those who did not appreciate the idea of their beloved quarterback being accused of sexual assault turned against McNulty. Afterward, McNulty experienced depression.
10. Barry Bonds
Barry Bonds, an American Baseball player, did something that no athlete should ever do. He took Performance Enhancing Drugs (PED) to make him stronger and a better hitter in baseball. While he did win an astonishing and record-breaking seven MVP awards and 14 All-Star appearances, he is still one of the most hated players in baseball history.
He broke the record for all-time home runs in a career, but he did it while taking PEDs. What makes him even more hated is he said he never knowingly took any illegal steroids in front of a grand jury. He is and will always be one of the most hated athletes of all time.