There are all sorts of reasons to hate a sports team, and the Los Angeles Dodgers are perfecting one.
Outspend the competition by obscene amounts of money and build a nearly unbeatable roster.
They did it again on Thursday, Jan. 15, unofficially becoming the most reviled team in sports, agreeing with free agent Kyle Tucker on a four-year, $240 million contract.
Have they now established themselves as the most hated team in sports history?
The Dodgers might have bought themselves a third consecutive World Series while continuing to shop on Rodeo Drive. Consider the player contracts: Shohei Ohtani ($700 million over 10 years), Mookie Betts ($365 million over 12 years), Yoshinobu Yamamoto ($325 million over 12 years), Blake Snell ($182 million over five years) and Freddie Freeman ($162 million over six years).
Maybe the Dodger Stadium organist can hold out for a seven-figure deal too.
Here’s a look at some of the most hated teams in sports history:
5. Detroit Pistons (a.k.a. The Bad Boys)
The Pistons turned the cheap shots into art form.
It was mayhem between 1986 and 1993 with the likes of Bill Laimbeer, Dennis Rodman, Rick Mahorn and John Salley patrolling the court like attack dogs.
“The Bad Boys Pistons practically led the revolution in unsportsmanlike play in the NBA practitioners of the technical foul just as the technical foul became more prevalent,’’ wrote Benjamin Morris of FiveThirtyEight.
4. Duke basketball
Any year might be a good year to hate Duke basketball, but the 1990-1991 season was especially appropriate. Mike Krzyzewski was one of the greatest coaches in college basketball history. He also was one of the most insufferable. But what the team even easier to loathe was Christian Laettner.
In 2015, ESPN released a 30-for-30 documentary called, “I hate Christian Laettner.’’ And in during the 1990-91 season there was a lot of hate as Laettner helped lead Duke basketball to its first national title.
As Linda Holmes of NPR wrote, “People hated that kid, and they hated Duke. They still hate him, and they probably hate Duke even more now.’
3. New England Patriots
Jealousy fueled this hatred. Between 2002 and 2019, the Patriots won six Super Bowl championships and established themselves as a dynasty in infuriating fashion.
With head coach Bill Belichick wearing those obnoxious, sleeveless sweatshirts and Tom Brady leading a charmed life. Well, except for Deflategate and Spygate. Which were more reasons to hate the Patriots.
All that success, and the team allegedly was deflating footballs to win even more? It fueled hatred.
2. New York Yankees
The Yankees have exuded arrogance for much of the last century. But the cockiness reached new levels wearing pinstripes. He hit three home runs in Game 6 of the 1977 World Series, helping lift the Yankees to their 21st world championship.
And Jackson help lead the Yankees to another World Series title that next season as only he could.
Yankees teammate Darold Knowles, when asked if Jackson was a hot dog, replied, ‘There isn’t enough mustard in the world to cover Reggie Jackson.’
1. Los Angeles Dodgers
Congratulations. You bought your way to the top.