Hate is a strong word, but as I have grown up and watched upset fans burn jerseys, hear boos echo through stadiums, and watched the intense scrutiny that certain athletes go through, it is hard for me to think of a more fitting word. Throughout the history of sports there have always been athletes and individuals that are hated by the general public. Our reasoning is sometimes as stupid as hating to see individuals succeed, but other athletes give us legitimate reasons to resent them such as cheating, arrogance, or blatant displays of unsportsmanship.

It has always been my pet peeve to see people scrutinize athletes simply because of their success. Names that come to mind when I think of this are Stephen Curry and one of the most hated sports figures in America, Tom Brady.

No matter what people may use as their cover up I think people do not like these two simply because of their dominance in their sports. Brady after winning his fifth Super Bowl a couple weeks ago is now undoubtedly (in my mind) the greatest quarterback ever. Curry lead a small market team from the bay area to being one of the most dominant forces in the sporting world behind his flashy play and inhumane shooting abilities.

The thing about both of these players is that off the court and field they are legitimately great people and role models. Curry has one of the most famous and iconic families in sports, and he is a very humble player. Before Super Bowl LI Brady emotionally answered one seven year old boy’s question of who his role model was by saying it was his dad and getting choked up. Honestly, how can you hate that? Where can you find the nerve to openly criticize that kind of humility and athletic greatness. While as a sports fan I don’t want to see the Patriots winning the Super Bowl and the Warriors in the finals every single year, you’ve got to appreciate greatness when it comes around.

Another player that could fit into that category is Lebron James; however, there is a little bit more justification for why some people cannot stand him.

Like Brady and Curry, Lebron is just a good guy and he is ambassador and leader for many movements outside of the sporting world. He uses his position as a superstar athletes to make political statements and try to make a difference in the world. Whether you agree with his stances or not you should applaud someone for trying to make a difference for what they believe in.

This being said, many see Lebron as a cheater, whiner, and as a little arrogant. Born and raised in Ohio he was supposed to be the chosen one to bring Cleveland their first championship, but in 2011 he left the Cavaliers to pursue a championship alongside all stars Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh. Many saw that as a kind of cheap way to get his first ring after struggling to finish in the finals by himself. Since then he has returned to Cleveland and won them a championship, so all is well.

Lebron also has a reputation for flopping and complaining about bad calls. Lebron also knows he is the best basketball player in the world, and he knows we know he is the best. Naturally, he likes to remind us from time to time with a little flashy play and trash talk, which many people don’t appreciate.

Then, there are the individuals which people have full justification to resent. Probably one of the best examples of this is Johnny Manziel. Manziel was a heisman trophy winner out of Texas A&M and probably one of the most exciting players to watch in the history of college football. However, his conduct in his personal life off the field has lead fans, professional front offices, and media members to hate everything he is about.

There have been multiple occasions where Manziel has posted to social media with degrading messages about his team, alma mater, and teammates white drunk and partying at the local clubs. He has been arrested multiple times, and is a major liability and PR nightmare. I grew up in Texas where many A&M fans were frustrated with this guy. How can you justify being a fan for a guy like this?

He is an amazing talent on the football field, and the fans loved every second he was out there. However after the pads came off he carried himself in such a way that it seemed almost embarrassing to some of the fans who had been supporting Texas A&M for years. While he may have gotten away with it in college, his misconduct landed him a very short NFL career and a perfect face of why we can hate athletes.