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15 Professional Athletes You Wish You Could Own at Video Games

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15 Pro Athletes You Wish You Could Own At Video Games

Video Games
Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports

Video games have become a worldwide phenomenon with millions of people playing every day.

People typically have a friend, family member, or acquaintance that loves to play in a video game because they know that it would be an ‘easy’ win. Among the people who play are professional athletes.

Miami Heat' forward Lebron James is known to be a gamer, and he has helped ‘design’ NBA2K14.

That leads to the question: which professional athletes do you wish you could beat in a video game?

There are athletes who the media deems to have huge egos. Some of them are brash because they have enjoyed a great amount of success in their careers. It would be enjoyable to try to silence them by defeating them in a video game.

Some athletes have enjoyed tremendous success in their respective careers. They may not have huge egos, but a lot of fans are in awe of the success that they have been able to achieve.

It would be a great opportunity to see an athlete who has been one of your favorites become humble, even if it is for a brief moment, because they lost to you in a video game.

Fans despise some athletes because they play for a ‘rival’ team or are envious of their success. It could be because an athlete plays for the Los Angeles Dodgers and you are a San Francisco Giants fan, for instance.

It would feel great to be able to defeat a player that you do not like for whatever reason. Here are 15 such players.

Noah Weintraub is a Contributing Writer for www.RantSports.com. Follow him on Twitter @NoahWeintraub, join his Facebook group, or add him to your network on Google.

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15. Clayton Kershaw

Video games
Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

Los Angeles Dodgers starting pitcher Clayton Kershaw is having his third-straight great season.

Many fans have watched Kershaw dominate their favorite team throughout his career. He is not an arrogant player, but it would be fun to play as your favorite team and hit a grand slam off Kershaw in MLB 13: The Show en route to a dominating victory. It would make you feel good for all of the times you have watched him dominate your favorite team.

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14. Miguel Cabrera

Video games
Rick Osentoski-USA TODAY Sports

Detroit Tigers third baseman Miguel Cabrera is having another amazing season as he chases his second consecutive Triple Crown.

Unless there is some evidence of PED use, Cabrera should be a future Hall of Famer. Cabrera is not an arrogant player.

It would make you feel great to strike him out in the bottom of the ninth with two outs in a tie game, and in a bases-loaded situation ... in a video game, that is.

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13. Adrian Peterson

Video Games
Jerry Lai-USA TODAY Sports

Minnesota Vikings running back Adrian Peterson is a great running back. Only a great running back like him is able to come off a torn ACL from the 2011-12 season and nearly break the single-season rushing record

Peterson has shown great determination and he will be a future Hall of Famer.

It would be great to try to make Peterson humble by owning him a video game and to have your favorite team be able to stop him, since most teams in the NFL have trouble doing that.

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12. Blake Griffin

Video Games
David Richard-USA TODAY Sports

Los Angeles Clippers forward Blake Griffin is infamous for his amazing finishes on alley-oops. He tends to showboat after he finishes the alley-oop, which makes many fans perceive him to be brash.

It would feel great to try to make the star of the Kia and GameFly commercials get a taste of his own medicine. You could have one of your favorite players on your favorite team try to finish an alley-oop over Griffin en route to a dominating win.

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11. Riley Cooper

Video Games
Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports

Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver Riley Cooper made headlines this summer when he uttered a racist slur during a July concert in Philadelphia.

No person should ever say the words that Cooper said in that slur. There are some people hoping that he will receive some kind of punishment for the slur.

Video gamers could try to get personal vengeance against Cooper by owning him in a video game. It would feel good to beat him and make him regret that incident.

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10. Michael Vick

Video Games
Jeffrey G. Pittenger-USA TODAY Sports

Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Michael Vick has gotten off to a very good start this season. This does not mean that everyone has forgotten what happened in 2007.

A Richmond judge sentenced Vick to 23 months in prison that year for coordinating a dog-fighting operation. People are still livid about the NFL reinstating him in 2009.

It would feel great for animal lovers to get vengeance against Vick by owning him in a video game. Also, it would feel great for a New York Giants fan, who still remember that fourth-quarter miracle in 2010.

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9. Ndamukong Suh

Video Games
Andrew Weber-USA TODAY Sports

Detroit Lions defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh has already earned himself a bad reputation in his short career since 2010.

Suh is infamous for stomping on Green Bay Packers offensive lineman Evan Dietrich-Smith during the 2011 Thanksgiving game.

If you were to approach him and call him a dirty player, he would probably beat you up since he is 6-foot-4 and weighs 307 pounds.

It would feel good to try to get personal vengeance against Suh for his dirty playing style by owning him in a video game.

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8. David Ortiz

Video Games
Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

Boston Red Sox designated hitter-first baseman David Ortiz has had a productive career, helped by his positive PED test in 2003.

Ortiz has been one of the key figures in the heated Red Sox-New York Yankees rivalry since 2003. Many Yankees fans dislike him because of the PED use and the success he has had against the Yankees.

Similar to Ndamukong Suh, you cannot go up to him and express your true feelings because he is bigger and stronger. The best way to get personal vengeance against him would be to own him in a video game.

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7. Ryan Braun

Video Games
Benny Sieu-USA TODAY Sports

Milwaukee Brewers outfielder Ryan Braun was a fan favorite until he ‘failed’ a PED test in 2011. MLB suspended him for the duration of the 2013 season on July 23 because of alleged PED use.

Braun has lied to fans about his PED use and even criticized MLB and the individual who made a mistake in delivering the test sample in 2011.

A good way to get personal vengeance against Braun would be by owning him in a video game.

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6. Alex Rodriguez

Video Games
Joy R. Absalon-USA TODAY Sports

New York Yankees third baseman Alex Rodriguez is arguably the most hated player in MLB. He is currently appealing a 212-game suspension for suspected PED use.

Many fans could try to get personal revenge against A Rod by owning him in a video game.

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5. Dwight Howard

Video Games
Richard Mackson-USA TODAY Sports

Houston Rockets center Dwight Howard has received a bad reputation over the past few seasons for his attitude.

Many people view Howard as a spoiled brat or a prima donna because he has put his personal interests ahead of his previous teams’ interests.

Similar to David Ortiz, you cannot go up to Howard and call him a spoiled brat because he is bigger and stronger. The best way for an average fan to make him show some sort of humility is by owning him in a video game.

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4. Richard Sherman

Video Games
Joe Nicholson-USA TODAY Sports

Seattle Seahawks cornerback Richard Sherman has been phenomenal since he began his NFL career in 2011. Many people do not like him because of his personality.

After the Seahawks defeated the New England Patriots, Sherman was smack-talking with Tom Brady. Sherman has also claimed that he is the best cornerback in the NFL despite this being his third season.

Maybe owning him in a video game would get him to be more respectful toward other players.

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3. Kobe Bryant

Video Games
Robert Hanashiro-USA TODAY Sports

Los Angeles Lakers star Kobe Bryant has had a spectacular career, and is well on his way to the NBA Hall of Fame. People love to hate him for his tendency to shoot frequently.

One thing Bryant is infamous for is that he has a great work ethic. The media has noted that he puts in numerous hours in the gym during the offseason to stay in great shape.

If you were to play Bryant in a video game, then you would have to expect him to do a lot of training for it. Owning him in a video game would be tough, but it would be worth it if you can accomplish it.

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2. Tom Brady

Video Games
Greg M. Cooper-USA TODAY Sports

New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady has had an illustrious career. People dislike him because of his great success.

Owning Brady in a video game would be tough because he will give everything he has in that game. Defeating him would satisfy a person’s personal grudge.

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1. Lebron James

Video Games
Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports

Miami Heat’ forward Lebron James has had a great career already and he is only 28-years-old. People love to hate him because of his great success and the way he left the Cleveland Cavaliers.

Owning James in a video game would be tough because he has probably played numerous video games. Defeating him would help settle some personal vendettas and it would be an extremely hard-fought victory.

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