The trifecta of evil – sports edition
Think back to the last time you had a heated debate with an opposing team’s sports fan. Who was their team?
I’m willing to bet whatever team it was will be mentioned in this column. I say this because while everyone has the team or player that they most despise, there are a handful of teams that come up more than others and seem to be universally hated.
It might just be me, but it seems there are two main reasons these teams are despised so passionately: They win a lot, or their fans are – generally – the most obnoxious, annoying and irrational people on earth.
That being said, I give you the trifecta of evil – sports edition.
1. New York Yankees
“Call me when you have 27 championships.” It’s a fall-back when their fans lose an argument at the end of every season that doesn’t end with a championship and combines the two main reasons people hate them.
It’s been four years since their last title but it’s hard to refute their argument when they’ve been so consistent throughout history, which is a big part of why their fans are so aggravating.
Personally I haven’t dealt with a lot of obnoxious Yankee fans, largely because we’re 2,000 miles away from the Bronx and the more annoying fans tend to be the diehards within the hometown.
2. Los Angeles Lakers
However, that generalization definitely does not apply to Laker Nation.
I’ve met plenty of obnoxious LA fans in Utah. Granted, Utah seems to be on the more liberal end of the hate spectrum where the Lakers are concerned, but there are plenty of Laker haters across the country.
That tends to happen when a team is so good for so long, as is the case with both the Lakers and the Yankees. Fan bases naturally grow larger when teams win, and the bandwagon sticks when they win consistently.
Let’s be honest, who doesn’t love some of the old LA stars like Magic Johnson, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and James Worthy? Doesn’t matter. America loves to hate the Lakers.
3. Dallas Cowboys
One word: dynasty.
The Cowboys were the first NFL team to win three Super Bowls in a four-year span, earning themselves the nickname of “America’s Team.”
As is the case with the aforementioned teams, success garners haters: only in this case, the hate worked to the favor of fans, as the Cowboys have won just one playoff game since their last title in 1995.
Dishonorable Mentions:
New England Patriots,
Oakland Raiders, BYU Cougars, Duke Blue Devils
As with the Cowboys, three titles in four years largely broadened the New England Patriots fan base – and the hate club. Oakland boasts the nastiest fans in the entire country on every level in any sport.
At the college level, it’s undisputed that BYU is the most hated team locally. There’s a myriad of reasons why, but I won’t go into that. Duke is a semi-close second, but for the same reasons as the rest: They win a lot and have annoying fans.
— Curtis Lundstrom is a proud husband and father, an aspiring sports journalist and referee. A print journalism major, his life ambition is to bowl a perfect game. Send your comments or complaints to curtislundstrom@gmail.com and follow him on Twitter: @CurtisLundstrom.