5 Sports Teams I Love To Hate

Yesterday on Twitter my friend Robert tried to "poke the bear" a little bit by reminding me that the Duke Blue Devils- he referred to them as "America's Team"- were playing basketball last night. Robert knows of my love for the UNC Tar Heels, which means my default setting is to dislike Dook. And generally speaking, I do. But the truth is more complicated. While it is always fun to watch Duke lose to other ACC teams and especially to UNC, I often cheer FOR them when they play teams from other conferences. This includes conference games against Syracuse, Pittsburgh, Louisville and Notre Dame, because those schools are actually Big East teams pretending to be in the ACC. But the point is, when pressed on the issue, I don't hate Duke quite like I used to. And the reason is simple- there are other sports team I LOATHE with a passion- a far deeper, seething hatred that makes my dislike of the Blue Devils seems tame by comparison. Who are the teams? I am so glad you asked...

Before the list of teams, and before the hate mail starts, you should know that I do realize that a part of my dislike of these teams is due to their success on the field of play. I am jealous of their high level of achievement. But it's not just that. All of these teams and programs are arrogant from the top down. They have coaches who believe their own press clippings, players with attitudes and fans who are sometimes insufferable. Several of them live on the edge of improper conduct in their respective sports; a few have been caught cheating and never bothered to apologize. These are teams and players who win all the time, so when they do fail it is one of life's great joys for me. So without further adieu, here is my list of 5 sports teams I love to hate. To be honest I hate the word "hate." But it SO applies in this case...

1. Whichever team Lebron James is currently on until he decides to leave them and go to greener pastures in his never ending and FUTILE pursuit of being the next Michael Jordan
2. The New England Patriots (I'm still not over Spygate. Plus the Hoodie & the Pretty Boy just annoy me)
3. The University of Alabama football team (It's all about the Saban)
4. The University of Kentucky men's professional basketball team (Some team members take a pay cut when they go to the NBA after their 0ne year of "college")
5. The Dallas Cowboys (Since around 1966 when I first started watching football with my Dad the Washington fan- so I was born into this one!)

So there you have it, and as you can tell it's going to be a long season for me. The Cavaliers will be very good and compete for the NBA championship. The Patriots looks like serious Super Bowl contenders. The Crimson Tide will likely get a shot to play for the national championship trophy, and Kentucky is stacked beyond description this year. My only hope is Dallas. They still have time to get their act together and finish 8-8 once again. 

Thanks for allowing me to be petty and snarky today. I'd love to hear which teams go on your list. I know some of you will hate on my Tar Heels, and that's cool.  One of the advantages of being a Tampa Bay Bucs fan is that no ones cares enough to hate on your team. But do your worst! Have a Happy Hump Day!