Athletes you hate that you hated?

[parrot 789]

The NBA thread got me thinking; as a Sixers fan growing up I always hated the Celtics, so as a stupid kid I failed to appreciate the greatness of both Bird and McHale at the time. Isiah too when he was going against the Bulls. Hated him (although in that case it was probably deserved). I wish now I wouldn't have been viewing those guys through quite such fan-colored glasses and would have just appreciated them more for the players they were. I will probably do the same with Kobe and Lebron someday. Who you got?

[hoytdwow 202]

He Hate Me

 

[Patriotsfatboy1 1,432]

Peyton Manning

[Frank M 181]

Probably the closest to what you're saying would be Terry Bradshaw, Lynn Swann, Mean Joe Greene, or any of the great Steeler players in the 70s or 80s. My hatred of the Steelers still burns with the white hot intensity of a thousand suns, but age and maturity have allowed me to have a grudging respect for the talent of some of the more recent players on that focked-up team.

[hoytdwow 202]

Seriously, I used to hate me some Derek Jeter, but he is/was a great player and I have a grudging respect for the guy now.

 

I have always, and will always, hate ARod though. That one's not going away.

[Voltaire 4,578]

None. I still hate all the players I always hated. Especially the '80s Celtics and the '90s Avalanche,

 

The only one that changed my mind was Chris Chelios and that's because he spent the last ten years of his career in Detroit (not counting the 7 game cameo in Atlanta).

[parrot 789]

Peyton Manning

 

Even as a Pats fan I have never been able to work up much hate for Peyton. Strangely, my wife, who is not a Pats fan - or a fan of anyone really, despises Peyton.

 

I could never work up much hate for Marino either.

[parrot 789]

Seriously, I used to hate me some Derek Jeter, but he is/was a great player and I have a grudging respect for the guy now.

 

[KSB2424 3,086]

Yeah, was going to say Jeter and Brady. NBA? I might have to say Shaq. I always rolled my eyes a bit and just chalked it up to him being so big, but looking back he was fun to watch and his sheer domination there for a few years is underrated historically if you ask me. To be as big as he was he was very athletic (for a man that size).

[cyclone24 1,825]

I think as a Bulls fan growing up it was the Pistons......but you HAD to to hate them. Looking back (and the 30 for 30 film didnt hurt)....i loved every moment of that film. Brought back a lot of memories, but mainly just appreciated what those guys were at that time. Youll never see it again.

[patweisers44 709]

Another vote here for Jeter. Hated him basically because he was the face of the Yankees during their incredible run. Have come to respect the fact that he has does everything the right way, his entire career. You would think with his team photo of conquests that there would have been one late-night dinner incident or a bad breakup or something. Class all the way.

[TylerRoseFan 16]

Hated Tom Chambers and Alex English. They ALWAYS went off on the Rockets. Looking back, they were just doing their job.

 

Still hate all lakers with the passion of a thousand suns.

[Sho Nuff 720]

Walter Payton...he was a Bear...hated those guys

definitely appreciate more watching any film of him now

I didnt let the same hate keep me from appreciating how good Adrian Peterson is.

[KSB2424 3,086]

20 years from now all your answers will be:

 

Tiger Woods

[Bishop82 61]

20 years from now all your answers will be:

 

Tiger Woods

ATHLETES you hate that you hated.

[rholio 339]

I think as a Bulls fan growing up it was the Pistons......but you HAD to to hate them. Looking back (and the 30 for 30 film didnt hurt)....i loved every moment of that film. Brought back a lot of memories, but mainly just appreciated what those guys were at that time. Youll never see it again.

 

I was on the other side of that... hated Jordan and Pippen. Jordan was a fawking crybaby that had to have every single call go his way or he whined like a little b... you get the idea. Pippen wasn't worth mentioning when you got to the best players in the league.

 

Well, Jordan proved to be every bit as great as people said he was back then, and Pippen was one of the best players in his era. What finally won me over with Jordan was his defense, dude played so hard on both sides of the ball.

 

Now, Jordan's rightly regarded as one of the all-time greats, likely the best ever, and I wish I'd been a fan sooner and got to enjoy his performances.

[edjr 5,656]

20 years from now all your answers will be:

 

Tiger Woods

 

I love to hate him, but I don't really hate him when he's playing well. I love the sh1t out of him usually, just like most people/

[IGotWorms 3,405]

The thread title makes my head hurt

[parrot 789]

20 years from now all your answers will be:

 

Tiger Woods

 

Not me. I've always enjoyed watching Tiger play golf.

[TD Ryan2 315]

 

Even as a Pats fan I have never been able to work up much hate for Peyton. Strangely, my wife, who is not a Pats fan - or a fan of anyone really, despises Peyton.

 

I could never work up much hate for Marino either.

same with Manning.

 

but as a kid I HATED Marino... Hated the Dolphins.

Hated Danny White... Hated the Cowboys

[Voltaire 4,578]

 

I was on the other side of that... hated Jordan and Pippen. Jordan was a fawking crybaby that had to have every single call go his way or he whined like a little b... you get the idea. Pippen wasn't worth mentioning when you got to the best players in the league.

 

Well, Jordan proved to be every bit as great as people said he was back then, and Pippen was one of the best players in his era. What finally won me over with Jordan was his defense, dude played so hard on both sides of the ball.

 

Now, Jordan's rightly regarded as one of the all-time greats, likely the best ever, and I wish I'd been a fan sooner and got to enjoy his performances.

I never hated Jordan. Actually I always liked him. The Bulls were pretty much a non-factor during the Pistons run since they were one dimensional and he was easily game planned against in Chuck Daly's scheme. They were just the one of the non-competitive teams you rolled over before you played the Celtics. But Jordan was always fun to watch since even then he was the best player in the game. By the time the rules changed banning defensive play and allowing the Bulls to beat the Pistons, I was running around the Iraqi desert and missed the whole frustration thing. Consequently, I never did get on the Jordan-hating bandwagon.

[The Moz 69]

I hated Larry Bird growing up being a Lakers fan Go figure a guy that would later become the most racist person in history ( this guy) would root for a team of Blacks over a team with <gasp> 3 white starters (maybe the last time that ever happens too)

[naomi 347]

The thread title makes my head hurt

 

I like that he's not changing it.

 

Hate is a little strong but I disliked Chris Pronger and would probably dislike him now.

 

eta: read the OP and get that it's intentional now

[jerryskids 5,335]

The thread title makes my head hurt

Reading it on my phone I kept passing it over because it made no sense. Finally at home with a little less ADD it made sense.

 

Guess I'll go with Kirk Gibson. I was an A's fan when he hit that homer off of Eck in the WS. He was hurt my ass. I went out after that game and got stupid drunk. Now he is the DBacks manager and I've come to appreciate his grittiness.

[Reality 2,711]

I never hated Jordan. Actually I always liked him. The Bulls were pretty much a non-factor during the Pistons run since they were one dimensional and he was easily game planned against in Chuck Daly's scheme. They were just the one of the non-competitive teams you rolled over before you played the Celtics. But Jordan was always fun to watch since even then he was the best player in the game. By the time the rules changed banning defensive play and allowing the Bulls to beat the Pistons, I was running around the Iraqi desert and missed the whole frustration thing. Consequently, I never did get on the Jordan-hating bandwagon.

 

 

Pistons fans... You guys crack me up. Good stuff.

 

I hope during this absurd rant, one of your many btw, you don't actually believe a dynasty was some how stolen from the Pistons because of rule changes.. The Pistons were just a minor speed bump for a young Bulls team. Basically a bridge from the Lakers/Celtics era to the Bulls run. The Pistons were basically the mid 90's Rockets of the 80's. Sure they got a couple of titles but, nobody is confusing them with the dominating squads and great runs of teams like the Bulls, Lakers, Spurs, or the Celtics.

[Mungwater 588]

 

 

Pistons fans... You guys crack me up. Good stuff.

 

I hope during this absurd rant, one of your many btw, you don't actually believe a dynasty was some how stolen from the Pistons because of rule changes.. The Pistons were just a minor speed bump for a young Bulls team. Basically a bridge from the Lakers/Celtics era to the Bulls run. The Pistons were basically the mid 90's Rockets of the 80's. Sure they got a couple of titles but, nobody is confusing them with the dominating squads and great runs of teams like the Bulls, Lakers, Spurs, or the Celtics.

They met in the playoffs twice, as a sixth seed the second time, then swept them the next and the pistons were no longer in the picture. Hardly call that just one team to roll.

 

Take consolation in that the way Isaiah acted after they got swept cost him a chance at an Olympic gold.

[Voltaire 4,578]

 

 

Pistons fans... You guys crack me up. Good stuff.

 

I hope during this absurd rant, one of your many btw, you don't actually believe a dynasty was some how stolen from the Pistons because of rule changes.. The Pistons were just a minor speed bump for a young Bulls team. Basically a bridge from the Lakers/Celtics era to the Bulls run. The Pistons were basically the mid 90's Rockets of the 80's. Sure they got a couple of titles but, nobody is confusing them with the dominating squads and great runs of teams like the Bulls, Lakers, Spurs, or the Celtics.

Well, the Pistons won two (should have been three in a row) but they got old too, so the torch was going to be passed eventually. That I missed how that all went down made it easier.

 

But in a sense, I kind of agree. I didn't ever think of the Bulls as a rival either. It was only some time later I first heard from some talking head commentator on TV that we were supposed to have had existed in the 80s some Pistons/Bulls rivalry and I was caught by total surprise. Huh? What? We never had a rivalry with the Bulls and I never knew I was supposed to hate this team until this guy said something. Then I heard more and more about it from other sources. Not true. We never gave them a second thought. They produced almost no concern. It was like having a rivalry with the bug on the windshield. I suppose maybe the bug was p*ssed but I never even noticed I'd smacked into it at the time it occured. Then, the changing of the guard happened one year and we were no match. And I missed that year.

 

Really, with the Pistons/Bulls it went straight from we always beat them to they always beat us and the transition was pretty seamless and painless such that no rivalry ever existed. At least in my mind, if not others.

[Voltaire 4,578]

They met in the playoffs twice, as a sixth seed the second time, then swept them the next and the pistons were no longer in the picture. Hardly call that just one team to roll.

 

Take consolation in that the way Isaiah acted after they got swept cost him a chance at an Olympic gold.

Yeah, I know. I didn't even know how many times we played them since at no time did I take them seriously as a threat. Only two? Oh my God. This was a rivalry? How many times did we run over the Bucks and the Bullets in the 80s playoffs? I don't even know if they made the playoffs then. The Bulls were just like them, a non-contending team that either missed or barely snuck into the playoffs that offered no challenge and that you ran over before you played the Celtics.

 

Chuck Daly devised a scheme to neutralize Jordan. The one-dimensional Bulls had no answer for it. Easy-Peasy. Or maybe not so easy, it required hard work and determination. Those were still highly entertaining games. But the chances of the Bulls beating the Pistons was essentially non-existent since Jordan was surrounded by players who closely resemble the courage, skill, and determination of the 2014 Iraqi Army. Then the rules changed.

[Mungwater 588]

Yeah, I know. I didn't even know how many times we played them since at no time did I take them seriously as a threat. Only two? Oh my God. This was a rivalry? How many times did we run over the Bucks and the Bullets in the 80s playoffs? I don't even know if they made the playoffs then. The Bulls were just like them, a non-contending team that either missed or barely snuck into the playoffs that offered no challenge and that you ran over before you played the Celtics.

 

Chuck Daly devised a scheme to neutralize Jordan. The one-dimensional Bulls had no answer for it. Easy-Peasy. Or maybe not so easy, it required hard work and determination. Those were still highly entertaining games. But the chances of the Bulls beating the Pistons was essentially non-existent since Jordan was surrounded by players who remind me of the 2014 Iraqi Army. Then the rules changed.

Probably like my Cleveland buddy he always talks about the great cavs bulls rivalries..

 

Jordan did burn them for over 50 a couple of times ( if I remember even hitting 60 on them once in the playoffs. They started just assaulting him in the lane. Bulls got better, NBA started calling it, bulls sweep and Isaiah doesn't get gold

[frank 2,163]

Probably the closest to what you're saying would be Terry Bradshaw, Lynn Swann, Mean Joe Greene, or any of the great Steeler players in the 70s or 80s. My hatred of the Steelers still burns with the white hot intensity of a thousand suns, but age and maturity have allowed me to have a grudging respect for the talent of some of the more recent players on that focked-up team.

I feel the same way about the Browns.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Or I would if they had any good players in the last 30 years.

[Voltaire 4,578]

Probably like my Cleveland buddy he always talks about the great cavs bulls rivalries..

 

Jordan did burn them for over 50 a couple of times ( if I remember even hitting 60 on them once in the playoffs. They started just assaulting him in the lane. Bulls got better, NBA started calling it, bulls sweep and Isaiah doesn't get gold

Exactly the same. I don't rightly recall the team who the Bulls ran over most frequently in the 90s Eastern Conference. Was it Cleveland? Ok, maybe. I'll take your buddy's word for it, Cleveland it is then.

[Mungwater 588]

Exactly the same. I don't rightly recall the team who the Bulls ran over most frequently in the 90s Eastern Conference. Was it Cleveland? Ok, maybe. I'll take your buddy's word for it, Cleveland it is then.

Probably the Knicks, but it's always fun to hear people talk about a perceived rivalry.

 

When I moved to houston, they were talking about the cubs astros rivalry... Cubs only had three decent teams in 20 years, hardly a team that can have a rivalry with anyone, especially a team that joined our division in the late 90s

[smashmouths@blf 33]

Seriously, I used to hate me some Derek Jeter, but he is/was a great player and I have a grudging respect for the guy now.

 

I have always, and will always, hate ARod though. That one's not going away.

I agree with you. I do wonder if Jeter would be as revered if say he played for the Royals or Astros. He has great career numbers but he also had a number of mediocre seasons. As for ARod? I will always hate that hairdo.

[Big Blue 06 195]

I hated Michael Jordan, since I am a Knicks fan and they had some tough games. It really hurt my appreciation of what I was seeing. Now I wish I had enjoyed it more.

[Frank M 181]

I feel the same way about the Browns.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Or I would if they had any good players in the last 30 years.

 

I know. It sucks that the rivalry isn't a rivalry anymore. It's at the point now where you can't even disagree with any negative thing that anyone says about them.

[Frank M 181]

Probably like my Cleveland buddy he always talks about the great cavs bulls rivalries..

 

Jordan did burn them for over 50 a couple of times ( if I remember even hitting 60 on them once in the playoffs. They started just assaulting him in the lane. Bulls got better, NBA started calling it, bulls sweep and Isaiah doesn't get gold

 

Can it really be called a rivalry since the Cavs didn't get by them one time?

[MDC 5,942]

Sixers fan, wasn't really growing up in 2001 but I HATED Shaq and Kobe then. I still sort of hate Kobe but Shaq was just a tremendous dominating force in his prime and I can appreciate his greatness.

[gocolts 300]

 

Even as a Pats fan I have never been able to work up much hate for Peyton. Strangely, my wife, who is not a Pats fan - or a fan of anyone really, despises Peyton.

 

I could never work up much hate for Marino either.

I focking HATED Marino. That SOB stole ALL the records from my main man Dan Fouts. I loved Fouts and the Chargers growing up.

 

I seriously hated Marino for that shtt. I also have always hated the Dolphins, since day one of me watching NFL. Around my area there are tons of Dolphin fans, since Griese played for them and he is a home town hero that was born in Evansville Indiana, which is the same city I was born in. Only 10 miles west of the small town I live in now. I got over it eventually. I STARTED to get over it when he was in that Ace Ventura movie.

 

I got all the way over it once Peyton took all those records from Marino.

 

I am still not a big fan of Dan Marino's. I no longer hate him though and can even appreciate his great talent. He was good, one of the best.

[kilroy69 1,020]

I hated Jordan. I just did. I hated the bulls and their 3peat bullshitt. I just wanted him to retire. Play baseball. Looking back on it I should have enjoyed the bulls more.