What is it about Miami? Sports Illustrated's SI.com lists its "25 Most Hated Teams of All Time." No. 1 is the 1986 University of Miami football team. Despite not yet playing a game, James' South Beach Heat are No. 25. And, a Buckeye football sighting.
(Left to right) Chris Bosh, Dwyane Wade and LeBron James at the American Airlines Arena in Miami on July 9.Cleveland, Ohio -- They are 0-0 and haven't even laced up their Nikes for a full-squad practice.
They are attracting the front-runners among today's sports fans. Contrarily, they are being ridiculed for their egos by most fans.
They are the 2010-11 Miami Heat, the Heat, specifically, of LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh.
Sports Illustrated's SI.com lists, in its estimation, "The 25 Most Hated Teams of All Time." The Heat sneak into the bottom spot, the lone ranked team to have never played a game.
There are no Cleveland Indians, Cleveland Browns or Cleveland Cavaliers teams included among these winners with losing personalities. Not even any Cleveland Force/Crunch of Barons/Crusaders. No Cleveland Spiders or Pipers.
Thanks to Akron native and seven-year-Cavalier James, though, there is a Cleveland connection.
About the 2010-11 Heat, on the second page of the list, Phil Taylor writes:
I hate that the Three My-Egos are being painted as a bunch of Mother Teresas who have taken a vow of poverty when all they've done is forego a small percentage of what are still obscenely huge salaries. I hate that we have become so accustomed to the overwhelming greed of superstar athletes that when the Heat's threesome accepts roughly $110 million each when they could have had closer to $120 million, some people want to fit them for angels' wings.
The reader is directed to Taylor's full column on the Heat. He refers to the borderline decadent "celebration" on July 9 when James and fellow free agent Bosh signed with Miami, and joined Heat veteran Wade in a showboating spectacle in front of thousands of Miami fans:
I hate that preening, cocky, over-the-top welcoming celebration they had in Miami. Hulk Hogan, "Macho Man" Randy Savage and "Stone Cold" Steve Austin would have arrived with less fanfare. The Heat's trio and their fans seem to be under the impression that they have already won something. I hope every one of their opponents watches a replay of that extravaganza on the locker room flatscreen just before they take the floor against the Heat, for a little extra motivation.
No. 1 on the motley list is the 1986 University of Miami football team that was coached by Jimmy Johnson. Maybe because he didn't want to get his hair mussed, Johnson let his players get away with almost anything. One of the seemingly few Hurricanes who wasn't familiar with local police was future Browns quarterback Vinny Testaverde. Then the poor guy threw away Miami's perfect season by throwing five passes to Penn State players in the Nittany Lions' 14-10 upset Fiesta Bowl win.
No. 2 are the 1988-89 "Bad Boy" Detroit Pistons. Forward Rick Mahorn threw an intentional elbow at Mark Price's forehead that season -- at a time when Cleveland led eventual champion Detroit by five games in the standings -- giving Price a severe concussion and missing by a fraction an even more serious injury for the Cavaliers' star point guard.
Miami Hurricanes football makes another appearance at No. 11 with its 1990 edition. LeBron James is in on the action at No. 20 with the 2004 U.S. Olympic basketball team, a group loaded with talent but also with immature stars who had to settle for an under-achieving bronze medal.
Alex Wolff writes:
"It's not like it's the end of the world," LeBron James said after a 19-point pool-play loss to Puerto Rico.
And, after mentioning the youth of some of the players -- including James at 19 -- Wolff adds:
But decorum and discipline were so poor that coach Larry Brown wanted to send several players home from Athens on the eve of the Games. After another pool-play loss, to Lithuania, and a medal-round defeat to eventual gold-medalist Argentina in the semifinals, Brown pronounced himself "humiliated" and the alibis flew.
Thanks, Scarlet and Gray!
In light of the last few weeks, Ohio fans appreciate the 2002 national champion Ohio State football team even more. The Buckeyes capped their 14-0 season with a double-overtime 31-24 Fiesta Bowl national title win over M-I-A-M-I!!!
We could not care any less that SI lists that Buckeyes' juggernaut of great players and Nice Guys Who Do Finish First among the "Seven teams that just missed the cut (of top 25 hated teams)."
Ohio State coach Jim Tressel and the Buckeyes celebrate their 31-24 double-overtime win over Miami (Fla.) in the 2002 season national championship game.Stewart Mandel mistakenly writes about one of the greatest college football teams of all-time:
Half its wins came by a touchdown or less. Precocious freshman running back Maurice Clarett (pictured) became a villainous figure even before his criminal activities several years later. Few gave the Buckeyes a chance against defending national champion Miami in the BCS championship game, and even when they did pull off a double-overtime upset, it was marred by controversy. Miami appeared to have won at the end of the first overtime, but an unusually late pass-interference flag by field judge Terry Porter saved the Luck ... er, Buckeyes.
Too bad, South Beach! May you never forget it and never win again!