How to Become a Hated Athlete: From LeBron to A-Rod

Before "The Announcement" comes tonight, the animosity towards LeBron James is thicker than the humid air in Greenwich, Connecticut where "The King" will make "The Announcement". So why has LeBron entered this level of hatred unseen by many in sports? Well let's look at the levels of sports hatred and see how LeBron (of the recently launched blog--with the picture on the right--and Twitter account) has become the A-Rod of basketball, because for as much hatred as LeBron has had come his way, no professional athlete has seemed to endure as much hatred as Alex Rodriguez.

The Carl Pavanos: No Yankee player has drawn as much animosity between fans, the media and the team in the past few decades as "The American Idle", Carl Pavano. Huge contract, huge expectations, and no production. Not bad production. No production. An unwillingness to pitch hurt and to put himself out there for the Yankees has made Pavano a hated man in New York. The worst part? He's left the Yankees and found a way to stay healthy and pitch well in the American League for the Minnesota Twins, even facing the Yankees in the playoffs last season. Players like David Beckham, JaMarcus Russell, Bryant "Big Country" Reeves, Darren Dreifort, and Manny Ramirez at the end of his Boston days, fit into this category, but for all of LeBron and A-Rod's faults, they don't fit here.

The Barry Bondses: America hates cheaters who either get caught or at least get accused of being cheaters. Barry Bonds, Roger Clemens and Mark McGwire fit the bill in baseball but there are a handful of athletes in other sports especially cycling and the Olympics who fit this bill as well. I wrote before that we all hate Carl Pavano for not trying, but if he would have cheated, had success and been caught later, would he have been more or less hated? I think less, sadly. I'm not apologizing for Pavano, but I think that sometimes cheaters get a second look depending on how many other times they show up on the "hate scale". A-Rod qualifies for this after his steroids revelation, but LeBron--so far--has been clean.

The Art Modells: Teams switch cities all the time but few names have as much animosity associated with them as Art Modell who moved the Browns out of Cleveland and to Baltimore. When they won a Super Bowl in Baltimore, he was hated even more. This also applies to players who leave a team bare to chase the money and surrounds A-Rod when he visits Cleveland. This would also apply to Robert Irsay (who moved the Colts from Baltimore to Indianapolis) and could apply to LeBron James as well if he leaves Cleveland.

The Tiger Woodses/The Kobe Bryants: We rarely seem to care a society if an athlete cheats on his significant other or gets divorced unless there's a scandal involved. Then we run to villainize the cheater. Tiger got this treatment 24/7 as his life became unwound with every mistress revealed (and, in a non-sports setting, so did former Vice Presidential nominee, John Edwards). Kobe's case is different because there was an actual crime committed and Big Ben and others fit into this category based on that. There may not have been any charges against them, but we won't forget that they committed a crime in the public's eyes anyways. A-Rod got some of this treatment because of the divorce from his wife, but because of all the other hatred that goes his way, I don't think that many focus on his bimbo-chasing days. Not A-Rod or LeBron Picture from the New York Daily News

The Al Davises: The owners who are hated either by the opposing teams or the home team even though they haven't moved the team. They either spend too much or too little--or too much on too little. George Steinbrenner, Jerry Jones, Mark Cuban, Jeremy Jacobs, Peter Angelos, Charles Wang, James Dolan, David Glass, Dan Snyder, Donald Sterling, and so, so many others fit here, but LeBron and A-Rod don't own a team--yet.

The Nick Sabans: The coach who promises they are staying, tells a team all about their potential and then bolts. This happens a lot in college sports (hello Lane Kiffin), but also happens in the pros as well as Saban showed. A lot of times, they show up working for your greatest enemies like Rick Pitino and Steve Spurrier. Fans hate these guys.

The Plaxico Burresses: These are the guys who actually committed a crime. Gilbert Arenas, Mike Tyson, and Michael Vick (and, somewhat, Ron Artest), welcome to the hatred club. You get the public outrage from everyone not even closely involved with sports. Even Mike Bloomberg wants to make a public example out of you. Not A-Rod or LeBron. Picture from Sports Rubbish

The Mike Hamptons: This category is reserved for the guys who just don't live up to the huge contracts they are given. So come on down Barry Zito, Alfonso Soriano, Kevin Brown, Daunte Culpepper, Shaun Alexander, Jermaine O'Neill, Allan Houston, and Rick DiPietro. For all the crap given about A-Rod's huge contracts, he's consistently performed, so no A-Rod or LeBron--yet.

The Reggie Millers: The athlete who has one play/game/series that defines their hatred for the opposing team. Miller's 3-point barrage against the Knicks does it for fans in New York. Aaron Boone and Bucky Dent sit in this place for Red Sox fans. LeBron and A-Rod have dominated teams but I'm not sure either one fits here.


The Bill Buckners: The athlete/fans/manager owner who has one play/game that defines their hatred for the home team. Buckner's ball through the legs, Grady Little leaving in Pedro, Steve Bartman's overaggressive glove, John Starks missing threes in Game 7 of 1994, "Wide Right", Charles Smith, Jose Mesa, Andres Escobar, Thurman Thomas (twice), Donnie Moore, and so many others fit here. They are the "goats". A-Rod and LeBron have certainly been playoff goats before.

The Javier Vazquezes: Javy is hated for two reasons by Yankees fans: one was his role in the 2004 ALCS collapse (his Bill Bucker-esque) and the other is that he's preformed well every other place he's been besides New York. Fans and media hate these guys even more because their failure in places like New York, Boston, Chicago and Los Angeles makes it seem like they just can't handle the pressure. A-Rod had this title forever but finally lost it when the Yankees won the World Series last year.

The Curt Schillings. The guys who you hate because they don't know when to shut their trap. Kevin Millar was Schilling's teammate on the 2004 Red Sox and had the same problem. So has Terrell Owens, Allen Iverson, and many others. A-Rod used to be this way but has learned to keep his mouth shut more as of late. LeBron has a chance of falling into this category tonight.

The Victor Zambranos. Or the Scott Kazmirs. Depends on how you look at it. It's when your team makes an unbelievably stupid trade and you just hate on either the guy you acquired--or root for the guy you gave up to fail miserably. Mets fans love Kazmir's struggles right now. Ken Phelps-Jay Buhner was so bad it even got Frank Costanza angry enough to forget about his son's "death". 

The Johnny Damons. The "Judas"s who leave their teams for their sworn enemies. Bill Belichick and the Patriots. Pat Reilly and the Heat. Jerry Rice and the Raiders. Roger Clemens and Wade Boggs and the Yankees. Bill Parcells and every change he's made (Giants and Cowboys/Jets, Pats and Dolphins). It doesn't matter what you've done for the team you left or even if it was your choice to make, you'll be booed mercilessly when you come back. Picture from USA Today 

The Derek Jeters: People hate successful, good-looking, well-paid athletes who succeed and don't play for their team. Few have drawn this animosity quite like Jeter. A-Rod and Jeter were good friends way-back-when until A-Rod's animosity towards Jeter came out in a magazine interview. Tom Brady has the same hatred towards him. I think the media hates them because they are just a quotebook of nothing controversial and that rolls them into our next group...

The Tim Duncans: People hate them because they're boring. Duncan will never be Shaq. Roger Federer will never be Rafael Nadal. Pete Sampras will never be Andre Agassi. Mike Mussina will never be Roger Clemens. Wade Boggs and Tony Gwynn never became home-run hitters. John Stockton was never going to be a highlight reel. They don't show the emotion or have the flair and maybe they're just not as marketable. Vanilla. Not LeBron or A-Rod, who, while sometimes boring, are never that way on their playing field--and rarely off it either.

The Joba Chamberlains: One show-off move that people hate. Joba has the fist pump. Jose Valverde has his strikeout celebration. Carlos Perez has his. Larry Johnson had the LJ sign. Many people have had ridiculous home run celebrations (including Barry Bonds). Chad "Ochocinco" and others have had ridiculous touchdown celebrations. The media and "traditionalists" hate people who like to celebrate almost as much as they hate the Tim Duncans. Picture from the New York Daily News.

The Sidney Crosbys: I think he may be in a category almost by himself. He dives. He complains to officials. He's seen as a little girl in a sport of men. No one outside of Pittsburgh seems to like him. I think it hurt some Canadians to root for him in the Olympics.

The Cal Ripken Jrs: I just never liked him. Never liked the whole "Ironman" bullshit. When asked why the hatred was there, I would respond: the guy wanted the glory of "the streak" and his team suffered greatly in the process. I think the 1995-1999 Orioles would have been different teams (and I'm pretty sure the Yankees would have been toast in 1996) had Ripken actually taken a break earlier. Going for personal glory above team (no matter how impressive the personal goal is) is still selfish. LeBron and A-Rod certainly fit in here.

The Manny Ramirezs: It's About The Money, Stupid (thanks Jason). These guys don't even hide behind the mask of family or winning a championship--these guys are all about the payday. They don't care who they hurt or what team they sign for as long as the highest bidder comes calling. Money is all that counts. A-Rod certainly fits here and Joe Johnson joins this crew this past off-season. We'll see what LeBron chooses.

The Latrell Sprewells: As bad as those guys are that go after the money, I think the guys who waste all their money are worse. That's why Sprewell's bull about needing to feed his family was extra-hurtful to an American Public who would love to have a tenth of the money that some of these guys have wasted or gambled away. So welcome to the club John Daley, Charles Barkley, Mike Tyson, and others.

The New Jersey Devilses. Teams that "ruin" a sport based on a certain characteristic. So the Devils certainly win this with their Neutral Zone Trap. Also "winners"? The Oakland A's "Moneyball", the New York Yankees spending, the Detroit Pistons "bad boys", Scott Boras, and the criminal minds on the Portland Trailblazers and Cincinnati Bengals.


The Terrell Owenses: No one loves T.O. as much as T.O. Same with Chad Ochocinco and other athletes who think that they are above the sport and the team. Like A.I. they don't practice. Like Kobe, they don't like to pass. Like MannyBeingManny, they don't hustle at times. LeBron James has flung himself into this category and A-Rod has been here ever since Scott Boras announced he was opting out of his Yankees contract during the 2007 World Series. This is what the Egomaniac Battle between A-Rod and LeBron is all about.

I think I covered the categories of hatred. So how does LeBron lessen his hatred tonight? Let's look at it on a 1-10 scale with 1 being the least hated and 10 being the most hated. Picture from the Washington Post

Miami: 9. He'll be taking less money to go there (though it may be somewhat a wash with the lack of an income tax) and he's going there to win a championship but no one seems to care. I think some of the hatred here seems to be in the fact that Stephen A. Smith would be vindicated if LeBron signed.

Cleveland: 3.5. He'd be staying at home but would almost be doing it for the money at this point. Cleveland can pay him more than anyone else and give him the chance to change basketball in Cleveland but if he was doing that, people are going to hate him for dragging it out like this and for jerking off everyone else.

New York: 5. People would give him credit for going to New York and trying to repair that franchise, but outside of New York, few would want to pad that ego anymore. He'd be doing it for the endorsement dollars and the fame in many people's eyes, but maybe his love of the Yankees and his friendship with Derek Jeter and CC Sabathia wouldn't seem so fake.

Chicago: 5. People would give him credit here for stepping into Michael Jordan's shadow, but would that stop him for getting hated for ripping the heart out of Cleveland? I doubt it. And as much as Jordan was revered, he wasn't exactly loved and I think LeBron is going to get the same crap. And although he would be trying to go there to win, I don't think he's going to earn any more love for that.

New Jersey: 2.5. I actually think this would bring LeBron the least animosity. He would be agreeing to play in Newark for probably two years before moving with the franchise to Brooklyn. He'd be teaming up with Jay-Z and a Russian billionaire and if he won, it would certainly be his doing. I think this has the least chance of happening but would certainly make people hate LeBron the least.

So as you review the countdown to Jamesapalooza with ESPN's Bill Simmons or try to deny James-to-the-Heat with NY Mag's Will Leitch or read any of the scathing articles that Adrain Wojnarowski of Yahoo! has written about The King, sit back and wonder where on the hatred scale LeBron James will end up when he makes his announcement tonight. I guarantee you the ratings for that will rival most NBA playoff games as people get ready to hate LeBron James for one reason or another.