http://sports.yahoo.com/top/news?slug=ys-forbesdisliked061810 The most disliked people in sports By Tom Van Riper, Forbes.com Jun 18, 11:54 am EDT Michael Vick has been out of prison for almost a year. He’s publicly apologized for his role in a dog-fighting ring that landed him behind bars for 21 months. He’s got an uncontroversial year on the football field behind him as a part-timer for the Philadelphia Eagles, who have picked up his option for another season. Yet Vick’s image rehab is moving along at a snail’s pace. For the second year in a row, he tops our list of Most Disliked People in Sports, with 69 percent of those polled citing Vick as someone they “Dislike a lot,” “Dislike,” or “Dislike some” according to E-Poll Market Research. The ASPCA turned down Vick’s offer to work with them on animal cruelty prevention. Nonetheless, Vick still appears poised for a recovery with the public. Unlike some athletes whose main talent seems to be getting in trouble, Vick was a popular and dynamic player before the dog-fighting episode – all he must do is repent for the single episode that sent his stock dropping like lead. But it takes time, especially when minimal playing time leaves few opportunities to draw enough media attention to match the nonstop coverage his criminal case drew last year. “The general public largely still knows him for the dog fighting,” says Gerry Philpott, E-Poll’s CEO, citing his unusually high 54 percent awareness rating. “If you were to limit the responses to just NFL fans, Vick’s number would probably skew lower.” To measure public opinion of sports figures, E-Poll surveyed 1,100 people nationwide, aged 13 or older. Forbes limited eligibility to those currently active in sports as a player, coach, manager, broadcaster, agent or owner. A 10 percent minimum awareness level was also a prerequisite (that eliminated drug-using cyclist Floyd Landis and money-grubbing baseball agent Scott Boros, both very much disliked by the few but anonymous to the many). Right behind Vick in this year’s poll: Oakland Raiders owner Al Davis, a longtime maverick with a history of clashing with the NFL, coaches and politicians in Northern and Southern California over stadium deals that have led him to move the club twice. Also making the list is fellow renegade NFL owner Jerry Jones, who likes to run the Dallas Cowboys as more of a free-standing business than as part of a league. Others making an appearance: baseball’s steroid poster boys Alex Rodriguez and Mark McGwire (McGwire’s return to coaching this year made him eligible for the list), along with football wide receiver diva Terrell Owens and gun-wielding NBA star Gilbert Arenas. The most significant new entries this year, unsurprisingly, are Tiger Woods and Ben Roethlisberger, the latest pair making tabloid headlines for their extracurricular activities. Woods’ infidelities have been well-chronicled since last fall, with most crisis management experts saying his public apology came too late. Now that he’s back on the course, most think a tournament win or two, coupled with good behavior, should get him back on track. But as with Vick, it takes time. Roethlisberger, though, has his work cut out for him. While accusations of sexual assault against him by a Georgia college student didn’t lead to formal charges, the episode left the public with a picture of him as a 28-year-old frat boy. The assault allegation “was bad, but the videos of Ben at the night club didn’t help him either,” says Cindy Rakowitz, a Los Angeles-based crisis management consultant. “His apology didn’t seem sincere, nor did it get as much air play as the video of him handing out shots and dancing to Miley Cyrus.” And unlike Woods, he plays a team sport. The six-game suspension levied against him by NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell hurts the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2010. Fans can be tough when what they see as selfish behavior has consequences for the team. The fans’ memo to Big Ben: Grow up. The “top” five: 1. Michael Vick: Slideshow 2. Al Davis: Slideshow 3. Ben Roethlisberger: Slideshow 4. Tiger Woods: Slideshow 5. Jerry Jones: Slideshow • See more disliked people I'm not surprised to see Michael Vick make the list but I am surprised to see him at #1. He has served his time and seemingly remorseful over his actions. And where is Barry Bonds in all this?
And one more thought ... how did Albert Haynesworth Not make this list? Seriously? He kicked that Dallas Cowboy in the head.And then he signed a 100 million dollar contract with the Redskins last year. And now he refuses to play because they want to run a 3-4 instead of a 4-3? Really? He had four sacks last year!
The story explicitly says that they limited their list to people who had at least a 10% awareness level (whatever that means) - I'm quite sure that no one other than die-hard NFL fans and people in DC have a clue who Albert Haynesworth is. Without knowing how they did the survey it's hard to know what to make of this, but I find Al Davis being second on the list hard to believe. I understand why Raiders fans would hate him, but why should anyone else give a damn about him? Are people in LA still mad because he moved the team back to Oakland? Somehow I doubt it.
This list is bogus... Majority of these guys were the most loved guys in sports. Until recently. Still don't think they deserve to be on a list like this especially top 5.
I'm surprised Michael Vick is number 1. Woulda figured people forgot by now. (People tend to not give a shit after awhile)
lol ... 10% awareness? How do you gauge that? Vick has done his time and has moved on ... so should everyone else.
He iddn't rape anyone, cheat on his wife, screw over his fans for a decade by mismanagement, or try to cheat the NFL's rules on sponsor income. The top five all deserve to be where they are, Although I would have Kobe's rapist ass ahead of tiger. Haynesworth is a dick, but not to the level of these people.
Where are Bill Belichick and/or Brady? I know it might seemed biased on a Jets forum, but basically every football fan I know from outside the greater New England area absolutely despises them
Its random people they are asking, like soccer moms and the like who would have no idea who Belichick is,
I think Vick is a scumbag but he did his time, I don't like what he did but it's time to move on. To me Woods is a bigger asshole at this point then Vick.
Woods slept with willing women, Vick mercilessly killed and tortured dogs. I glad Vick has the chance to regain a foothold on an NFL career, as he should have after serving his time, but i still think he's an asshole for what he did. Add it to the flipping off his own fans in atlanta and this guy is a much bigger scumbag than the idiot who cheated on his wife and got caught.
I remember way back in the 80s, some magazine/network did a poll for most loved/hated MLB player. Gary Carter managed to land on both lists at the same time. But, I imagine if it was a poll of most hated/loved athlete, Carter wouldn't have even made the top 10. Guys like Vick and Woods are just polarizing figures, as their deeds outside the sports world are what really made them despised. I think that's why a Barry Bonds isn't on the list, because it had everything to do with baseball and nothing to do with going to jail, etc., at least not yet...
They were dogs, not humans. People need to get over it. Michael Vick is not Adolf Hitler. He did the time he deserved to do and that is that. The PETA people should be happy he got that long of a sentence.
I take it you're not a dog person. That shit is fucked up to do that to a defenseless animal. Especially to a Pit Bull, they are all about pleasing their owners that's a big reason why they fight them. That and the insane jaw, but it's still fucked up. He electrocuted them, hung them there, drowned them, and a bunch of other methods too. At least a human as a chance to fight back, he did this to dogs that were half dead after getting their ass kicked in a fight. He did do his time but by no means does this mean people have to like him.
Nah it's kinda hard to move on. He is a huuuuuuuuuuuuuge scum bag, and cannot believe he is in the NFL right now(doing nothing btw, and collecting a pay check) Usually people do forget, and not really give a shit though. Tiger isnt higher probably because broads didnt really vote on this. Yep. Makes me sick. I got a big time soft spot for dogs.
