By Jacob Kornhauser on January 8, 2015
Johnny Manziel and the 20 Easiest Athletes To Hate In Sports Today
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Johnny Manziel's latest antics have gained him even more haters than he initially had. The polarizing quarterback has a special gift for making fans hate him, however, he's not the only athlete who has this gift. In fact, the following 20 athletes, including Manziel, are the most skilled in that area in sports today.
20. Raffi Torres
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20. Raffi Torres
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While Raffi Torres isn't one of the better known players in the NHL, he's definitely the dirtiest. He routinely takes cheap shots at opposing players, landing him a number of suspensions. A head hunter with minimal hockey skill, Torres is despised by most hockey fans.
19. Russell Westbrook
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19. Russell Westbrook
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Russell Westbrook is one of the truly talented players in the NBA, but his overly intense nature often rubs people the wrong way. Love him or hate him though, he's becoming one of the best players in the league.
18. Richard Sherman
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18. Richard Sherman
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After his postgame tirade, and due to his cocky nature, not a whole lot of people like Richard Sherman. There's no question he's one of the best defensive backs in football, but sometimes it's bad that he's aware of that fact. Even though he's extremely talented, a lot of people are rooting against him week in and week out.
17. James Harden
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17. James Harden
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James Harden and teammate Dwight Howard might be the most annoying 1-2 punch in the NBA. Harden is very cocky and chucks up shots with reckless abandon. Overall, his ball-hog attitude is really irritating, which is why he's one of the most despised players in the league.
16. Chris Bosh
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16. Chris Bosh
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Chris Bosh is now probably the best player on the Miami Heat, which put him in more of a leadership role. People used to laugh at him when he was a sidekick of LeBron James because he was just a really odd guy. Now that he's turning into the man in Miami, people are still holding a grudge on the Heat for the James days. Bosh is also hated because he is the face of the team.
15. Jay Cutler
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15. Jay Cutler
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Jay Cutler was one of the biggest underachievers in the NFL this past season, and almost the entire league's worth of fans loved watching him burn. He rubs people the wrong way because he's dodgy with the media and has horrible body language. He comes off as a big whiner, which certainly doesn't do him any favors in the court of public opinion.
14. Sidney Crosby
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14. Sidney Crosby
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As is the case with superstars in most sports, Sidney Crosby has his fair share of lovers and haters. However, more people despise him because of his playing style and his success. While a lot of the hate is rooted in jealousy, it's also rooted in the fact that he acts like he should get every call every game.
13. Josh Hamilton
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13. Josh Hamilton
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Josh Hamilton was once one of the coolest stories in baseball, but he's overstayed his welcome. He has been a serial underachiever since joining the Los Angeles Angels, and he's also been a more volatile figure with the media. If he doesn't get things turned around this season, even fans in Los Angeles are going to start turning on him.
12. Kevin Garnett
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12. Kevin Garnett
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Kevin Garnett is a legend in the NBA, but he picks fights all the time. He isn't quite as hostile in his old age, but his cockiness gained him his fair share of haters. However, that hasn't stopped him from becoming one of the best forwards of his generation.
11. Ryan Braun
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11. Ryan Braun
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Unlike most other cheaters before him, Ryan Braun personally attacked the person responsible for handling his tainted sample while denying using performance-enhancing drugs. That maked him come off as even more of a jerk, and he lost a large chunk of his supporters in the process.
10. Alex Ovechkin
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10. Alex Ovechkin
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Just like Crosby, Alex Ovechkin has a lot of fans who hate him because he plays like he should get every call every night. He's also a bit of a dirty player, as he's had multiple run-ins with teams for hitting from behind, making him the most hated superstar in the NHL.
9. Bryce Harper
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9. Bryce Harper
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Ever since he arrived in the major leagues, Bryce Harper has thought he was the best thing since sliced bread. Contrary to his belief, he's actually a very average major leaguer, at least as of right now. His latest dispute with the Washington Nationals has only made people across baseball hate him even more.
8. Johnny Manziel
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8. Johnny Manziel
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There are a number of reasons so many people hate Johnny Manziel. Some hate him "cause they ain't him." They'd like to have the life he has, so they make fun of him for it. Others hate him because he's yet to mature even after becoming a professional in his field.
7. Yasiel Puig
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7. Yasiel Puig
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It's clear to everyone that Yasiel Puig loves playing the game of baseball. He plays with a passion unseen in the game today, however, his dramatic antics can sometimes get him into trouble. It makes opposing teams and fans despise him, even as he continues to become one of the best players in the league.
6. Jameis Winston
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6. Jameis Winston
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Clearly, some who believe Jameis Winston was actually guilty in part for his involvement in an alleged sexual assault case hate him for that reason. Others hate him because he's immature and comes off as a "punk kid" sometimes. He should be very good in the NFL, but only if he matures off the field.
5. Colin Kaepernick
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5. Colin Kaepernick
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Once upon a time, Colin Kaepernick seemed set to become one of the best quarterbacks in the league. However, he took a serious step back in 2014 and looked like a brat in the process. He rarely handled defeat with grace, and that's the sign of a very sore loser. Nobody likes a sore loser.
4. Ndamukong Suh
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4. Ndamukong Suh
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Ndamukong Suh plays like an entitled brat and takes cheap shots left and right. It's easy to see why most opposing fans hate him. Who knows, if he leaves the Detroit Lions, even fans in Detroit may start hating on the talented defensive tackle.
3. Ray Rice
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Ray Rice hit a woman -- that's something he can never recover from. While he can learn from his mistake, nothing can ever be the same for him in the public realm. That means that Rice will be among the most hated players in the league for the remainder of his NFL career.
2. Dwight Howard
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2. Dwight Howard
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Nobody likes a whiner, and that's exactly what Dwight Howard is. It's like if everything doesn't go his way, he throws a temper tantrum over it. Those antics have lost people their jobs, and he likely doesn't even realize what he's done to other people during his career. Not many people outside of Houston are rooting for Howard to have success.
1. Alex Rodriguez
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1. Alex Rodriguez
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Anyone who sues their own player's union is someone who is going to be hated. Pretty much nobody currently in MLB has a whole lot of respect for the cheating New York Yankees third baseman, and for good reason. He publicly attacks other institutions, blaming them for his many mistakes. That has helped make him the easiest active athlete to hate in all of sports.