Earlier today, Forbes.com released the results of a survey conducted by E-Poll Market Research on the most disliked players in the NFL. Here are the results:
1. Michael Vick (quarterback - Philadelphia): 53% (said they disliked him)
2. Manti Te'o (linebacker - San Diego): 48%
3. Ndamukong Suh (defensive lineman - Detroit): 43%
4. Ben Roethlisberger (quarterback - Pittsburgh): 40%
5. Mark Sanchez (quarterback - NY Jets): 40%
6. Jay Cutler (quarterback - Chicago): 33%
7. Tony Romo (quarterback - Dallas): 32%
8. Tom Brady (quarterback - New England): 25%
9. Carson Palmer (quarterback - Arizona): 24%
10. Reggie Bush (running back - Detroit): 22%
While some of these names don't surprise me, others do, as do the rankings at times. For one, it doesn't surprise me in the least bit to see Michael Vick's name at or near the top due to his dogfighting crimes, however why is it he's at #1 while Ben Roethlisberger and his rape allegations places him at #4? I suppose we should treat one as innocent until proven guilty, but still, it is slightly surprising from my standpoint. I can also understand Ndamukong Suh and his reputation for being a dirty player placing him near the top, as well as Jay Cutler for being the best unintentional Oscar-the-Grouch impersonator mankind has ever known. The three players I could go either way on are the bottom three. Tom Brady has been known to lose his cool every now and again, which some don't seem to like. Carson Palmer demanded a trade from Cincinnati several years ago and has played anything but elite-caliber football since that happened. Reggie Bush had to give back the Heisman Trophy he won while at USC due to some violations. Still, if someone were to ask me who the ten most disliked players in the NFL are, chances are I wouldn't list Brady, Palmer, or Bush. The three names which really surprise me are Tony Romo, Mark Sanchez, and especially Manti Te'o at #2. Romo has been labeled as a big-game choker, yet the guy has still put up good numbers year in and year out, and has at least helped the Cowboys be competitive most weeks. Mark Sanchez, while inconsistent throughout his NFL career to this point, has played big in big games and led the Jets to two AFC Championship games. He was at the center of the worst play of the year last year in what was referred to as the butt-fumble, but I would figure most people found him to be more laugh-worthy than dislike-worthy due to that. Lastly, I found it almost shocking to see Te'o as the second most disliked player in all the league. Sure, the guy may have been slightly gullible, but he didn't tell the story being fully cognizant that he was lying. As far as I saw it, he was a bigger victim in the story than anyone else.
If it were me, and keep in mind I'm a die-hard football fan, this would be my list for most disliked players or coaches (or owners) in the NFL (yes, I'm cheating):
10. Brandon Weeden (quarterback - Cleveland): Weeden is still a young quarterback, but he's painful to watch sometimes. I'm getting a migraine just thinking about some of his underhand lobs which get picked off and taken back for six. I'm sure many Browns fans will agree...
9. DeSean Jackson (wide receiver - Philadelphia): Jackson has great playmaking ability and is often times fun to watch, but he carries with him a certain attitude which is hard to ignore sometimes. From him slowing down while running into the end zone after a punt return to dropping the ball before crossing the goalline for a touchdown to seeming to get into a shouting match with an opponent at least once a game, the ego is a bit much sometimes.
8. Tyrann Mathieu (cornerback/free safety - Arizona): Mathieu is extremely young and has a great deal of potential, but has gotten in a couple cheat shots early in his career. In conjunction with his poor reputation off-the-field while at LSU, Mathieu needs to mature a bit to rid himself of the bad reputation.
7. Rex Ryan (head coach - NY Jets): I don't mind a little Rex Ryan humor at times, but it can get to be too much. Also, there are times when the guy talks like he's in a reality TV show, and I just have to scratch my head, laugh, and think, "Wait... Is this guy really a head football coach or is he on The Real World?"
6. Jim Irsay (owner - Indianapolis): While I respect the direction in which Colts upper management have the team going, I can't say I much care for Irsay's seemingly constant commentary, especially the content of his comments. After a pre-season game loss, he posted an overly-dramatic tweet about how disappointed he was. Leading up to the Colts' game with Denver yesterday, he came across as not being the most grateful owner in the world of having Peyton Manning's services for so many years. It'd almost be funny if Peyton and the Broncos defeated the Colts in the AFC Championship game to advance to the Super Bowl this year (I guess next year).
5. Jay Cutler (quarterback - Chicago): Cutler comes across as the male version of Debbie Downer. From how he acts on the field to his post-game commentary and beyond, rumor has it that Oscar the Grouch even called Cutler to ask him, "Hey, what's your problem, man?" Also, he's received so much hype throughout his career and will show some flashes of brilliance, but seem to always wind up losing the big game by turning the ball over too many times.
4. Ndamukong Suh (defensive lineman - Detroit): While I think Suh is targeted by officials more than any other player in the league, there's a reason for that. I'll never forget a Thanksgiving Day game Suh was ejected from when he appeared to hold an opponent's head to the ground for several seconds before stomping on him. Off the field, Suh appears to be a completely different person and I hope he's able to rid himself of the dirtiest-player-in-the-NFL label, but up to this point in his career, he's definitely earned that label, unfortunately.
3. Bill Belichick (head coach - New England): There may be a reason why Bill Belichick's first and last names start with the letter "B," because he may be the most boring person this side of Ben Stein. From how he dresses (if there were only a store called Sweatshirts 'R' Us, Belichick would be in heaven) to his facial expressions during games to how he responds to questions posed by the media, I sometimes wonder if the guy has a fun bone in his body (no, not the funny bone). When asked what he does for fun, I imagine Belichick responds with, "Uh... I don't know. Sleeping is nice, I guess. Does that answer your question?"
2. Philip Rivers (quarterback - San Diego): While I respect Rivers as a quarterback, the guy comes across as quite the hot-head. When asking his wife to marry him, I envision Rivers yelling at her: "HONEY! I LOVE YOU! WILL YOU MARRY ME?" After his playing days are done, Rivers will likely never be a yoga instructor, a couples counselor, or a mime.
1. Ben Roethlisberger (quarterback - Pittsburgh): Remember early in his career, when he was all lovey-dovey with Jesus? Then he got charged with raping a woman? Yeah... Would would Jesus do? Rank Ben Roethlisberger as the most unlikable player in the NFL, but say that he still loves him or something.
http://espn.go.com/nfl/story/_/id/9858393/michael-vick-philadelphia-eagles-tops-survey-nfl-most-disliked-players
http://www.forbes.com/sites/tomvanriper/2013/10/21/the-nfls-most-disliked-players-2/
1. Michael Vick (quarterback - Philadelphia): 53% (said they disliked him)
2. Manti Te'o (linebacker - San Diego): 48%
3. Ndamukong Suh (defensive lineman - Detroit): 43%
4. Ben Roethlisberger (quarterback - Pittsburgh): 40%
5. Mark Sanchez (quarterback - NY Jets): 40%
6. Jay Cutler (quarterback - Chicago): 33%
7. Tony Romo (quarterback - Dallas): 32%
8. Tom Brady (quarterback - New England): 25%
9. Carson Palmer (quarterback - Arizona): 24%
10. Reggie Bush (running back - Detroit): 22%
While some of these names don't surprise me, others do, as do the rankings at times. For one, it doesn't surprise me in the least bit to see Michael Vick's name at or near the top due to his dogfighting crimes, however why is it he's at #1 while Ben Roethlisberger and his rape allegations places him at #4? I suppose we should treat one as innocent until proven guilty, but still, it is slightly surprising from my standpoint. I can also understand Ndamukong Suh and his reputation for being a dirty player placing him near the top, as well as Jay Cutler for being the best unintentional Oscar-the-Grouch impersonator mankind has ever known. The three players I could go either way on are the bottom three. Tom Brady has been known to lose his cool every now and again, which some don't seem to like. Carson Palmer demanded a trade from Cincinnati several years ago and has played anything but elite-caliber football since that happened. Reggie Bush had to give back the Heisman Trophy he won while at USC due to some violations. Still, if someone were to ask me who the ten most disliked players in the NFL are, chances are I wouldn't list Brady, Palmer, or Bush. The three names which really surprise me are Tony Romo, Mark Sanchez, and especially Manti Te'o at #2. Romo has been labeled as a big-game choker, yet the guy has still put up good numbers year in and year out, and has at least helped the Cowboys be competitive most weeks. Mark Sanchez, while inconsistent throughout his NFL career to this point, has played big in big games and led the Jets to two AFC Championship games. He was at the center of the worst play of the year last year in what was referred to as the butt-fumble, but I would figure most people found him to be more laugh-worthy than dislike-worthy due to that. Lastly, I found it almost shocking to see Te'o as the second most disliked player in all the league. Sure, the guy may have been slightly gullible, but he didn't tell the story being fully cognizant that he was lying. As far as I saw it, he was a bigger victim in the story than anyone else.
If it were me, and keep in mind I'm a die-hard football fan, this would be my list for most disliked players or coaches (or owners) in the NFL (yes, I'm cheating):
10. Brandon Weeden (quarterback - Cleveland): Weeden is still a young quarterback, but he's painful to watch sometimes. I'm getting a migraine just thinking about some of his underhand lobs which get picked off and taken back for six. I'm sure many Browns fans will agree...
9. DeSean Jackson (wide receiver - Philadelphia): Jackson has great playmaking ability and is often times fun to watch, but he carries with him a certain attitude which is hard to ignore sometimes. From him slowing down while running into the end zone after a punt return to dropping the ball before crossing the goalline for a touchdown to seeming to get into a shouting match with an opponent at least once a game, the ego is a bit much sometimes.
8. Tyrann Mathieu (cornerback/free safety - Arizona): Mathieu is extremely young and has a great deal of potential, but has gotten in a couple cheat shots early in his career. In conjunction with his poor reputation off-the-field while at LSU, Mathieu needs to mature a bit to rid himself of the bad reputation.
7. Rex Ryan (head coach - NY Jets): I don't mind a little Rex Ryan humor at times, but it can get to be too much. Also, there are times when the guy talks like he's in a reality TV show, and I just have to scratch my head, laugh, and think, "Wait... Is this guy really a head football coach or is he on The Real World?"
6. Jim Irsay (owner - Indianapolis): While I respect the direction in which Colts upper management have the team going, I can't say I much care for Irsay's seemingly constant commentary, especially the content of his comments. After a pre-season game loss, he posted an overly-dramatic tweet about how disappointed he was. Leading up to the Colts' game with Denver yesterday, he came across as not being the most grateful owner in the world of having Peyton Manning's services for so many years. It'd almost be funny if Peyton and the Broncos defeated the Colts in the AFC Championship game to advance to the Super Bowl this year (I guess next year).
5. Jay Cutler (quarterback - Chicago): Cutler comes across as the male version of Debbie Downer. From how he acts on the field to his post-game commentary and beyond, rumor has it that Oscar the Grouch even called Cutler to ask him, "Hey, what's your problem, man?" Also, he's received so much hype throughout his career and will show some flashes of brilliance, but seem to always wind up losing the big game by turning the ball over too many times.
4. Ndamukong Suh (defensive lineman - Detroit): While I think Suh is targeted by officials more than any other player in the league, there's a reason for that. I'll never forget a Thanksgiving Day game Suh was ejected from when he appeared to hold an opponent's head to the ground for several seconds before stomping on him. Off the field, Suh appears to be a completely different person and I hope he's able to rid himself of the dirtiest-player-in-the-NFL label, but up to this point in his career, he's definitely earned that label, unfortunately.
3. Bill Belichick (head coach - New England): There may be a reason why Bill Belichick's first and last names start with the letter "B," because he may be the most boring person this side of Ben Stein. From how he dresses (if there were only a store called Sweatshirts 'R' Us, Belichick would be in heaven) to his facial expressions during games to how he responds to questions posed by the media, I sometimes wonder if the guy has a fun bone in his body (no, not the funny bone). When asked what he does for fun, I imagine Belichick responds with, "Uh... I don't know. Sleeping is nice, I guess. Does that answer your question?"
2. Philip Rivers (quarterback - San Diego): While I respect Rivers as a quarterback, the guy comes across as quite the hot-head. When asking his wife to marry him, I envision Rivers yelling at her: "HONEY! I LOVE YOU! WILL YOU MARRY ME?" After his playing days are done, Rivers will likely never be a yoga instructor, a couples counselor, or a mime.
1. Ben Roethlisberger (quarterback - Pittsburgh): Remember early in his career, when he was all lovey-dovey with Jesus? Then he got charged with raping a woman? Yeah... Would would Jesus do? Rank Ben Roethlisberger as the most unlikable player in the NFL, but say that he still loves him or something.
http://espn.go.com/nfl/story/_/id/9858393/michael-vick-philadelphia-eagles-tops-survey-nfl-most-disliked-players
http://www.forbes.com/sites/tomvanriper/2013/10/21/the-nfls-most-disliked-players-2/
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