Big Ben one of the most disliked people in sports

[hawaiiansteel]

The most disliked people in sports

By Tom Van Riper, Forbes.com

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.

[url="http://sports.yahoo.com/top/news?slug=ys-forbesdisliked061810"]http://sports.yahoo.com/top/news?slug=y ... iked061810[/url]

[Sugar]

Wow, the writer say's "28-year old frat boy" like it's a bad thing.

[tomco09]

Who f@#king cares. Win games . That's it. I don't care what you do off the field. Win games. Don't compromise winning.

[SanAntonioSteelerFan]

He FUBAR'd bad, it will hurt the team (if only from the point of view of less practice time for the 1st team offense, hopefully we win all 4 games), he's still on the team, we put it behind us (meaning Steeler Nation, and of course Steeler Planet) ...

Where's that beat-the-dead-horse icon?


(not relating to you hawaiiansteel, but rather the author, and all others like her)

[eniparadoxgma]

Who f@#king cares. Win games . That's it. I don't care what you do off the field. Win games. Don't compromise winning.

I'm not sure if I understand this type of view. Are you saying that if he had actually raped a girl you'd still only care about his winning on the field? You'd still week in and week out cheer on a rapist? You know...since you "don't care" what he does off the field...

[hawaiiansteel]

Mike Vick is the most hated sports figure, two years running

Posted by Mike Florio on June 19, 2010




Last year, quarterback Mike Vick topped a Forbes poll of the most hated persons in sports.

This year, he can crack the champagne again.

Vick has landed at No. 1 for a second straight year, even though he largely has become irrelevant as a backup quarterback and part-time gimmick option for the Eagles.

The rest of the 2010 top five consists of Raiders owner Al Davis, Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger, golfer Tiger Woods, and Cowboys owner Jerry Jones.

Last year, Dodgers outfielder Manny Ramirez landed at No. 2, followed by Yankees third baseman Alex Rodriguez, Bills receiver Terrell Owens, and Lakers star Kobe Bryant.

In 2009, no one connected to the NFL other than Vick landed in the top ten. This year, the NFL holds four out of the top five spots. We're not sure whether it's evidence of a sign of growing fan discontent against pro football -- or whether it's further proof that no sports league inflames passion like the NFL.

We'll pick the latter. But it would be wise for the league and the NFLPA to at least consider the possibility that it's the former.

[Sugar]

"Led Zeppelin didn't care if everybody liked them. They left that to the Bee Gee's."

-Wayne Campbell

[hawaiiansteel]

i thought this was a nice little article written from the heart by a fellow Steelers fan...


"In Search of What We Lost"

By Jill Eckenrode



Ordinarily, this would be the time when I would find myself bursting at the seams with excitement and anticipation for the upcoming football season. Sadly, I’m just not feeling it this year, and the reasons are obvious. That being said, I am hopeful that this team will do what it has to do to restore the trust which has been lost and make us all believers again.

As much as I would like to write about something else, the fact remains that Ben Roethlisberger and his off-season troubles continue to dominate the news, as well as the hearts and minds of Steeler fans everywhere. I have tried extremely hard to re-direct my thoughts toward the positive. I am angry at Ben for allowing any of this to happen. Obviously, he should have been more responsible – more intelligent – more aware of how his actions would affect so many people. Unfortunately, he wasn’t, and we are now left to deal with the repercussions. It would be great to be able to say Ben’s problems are his own problems, but that is not the case. His actions and lack of good judgment have deeply affected everyone closely associated with the Pittsburgh Steelers, including the fan base. Pittsburgh Steeler fans are proud. They are loyal. They are true. The old saying, “I bleed black and gold” not only applies to the times when all is well; it holds true in times of trouble, too. And, in times such as this, when one of our own does something to tarnish a reputation that has always stood above the rest, the pain is immense. Fans, I believe, are desperately searching for a way back to what they once had and held so dearly, and this entire team now finds itself in a position to lead the way. They must make good things happen from this point forward. They must be leaders, mentors and friends. They must walk a thin and narrow line. There can be no more controversy.

Henry Ford once said, “If everyone is moving forward together, then success takes care of itself.” Let’s hope that is the case with the Steelers. I am hopeful that the ownership, the coaching staff and, most important, the players will prepare for this season with positive attitudes and a strong determination to rise above this selfishly-created controversy. If the commitment is there to stand united and refuse to allow the controversy to prevail, I believe a successful season is still within reach, and the pride that has meant so much to so many for so long will be restored.

Over the years, the Pittsburgh Steelers have been described by many as a team of character. We are about to find out how much character they truly possess. I hope they come through, and come through in a big way.

Until next time, the best to you and yours – AND THE BEST TO THE BEST – OUR PITTSBURGH STEELERS!

[url="http://www.steelergridiron.com/articles/jill.html"]http://www.steelergridiron.com/articles/jill.html[/url]

[ALLD]

We were going to name our baby boy "Ben", but it looks like we have to go with "O.J." instead.

[stlrz d]

i thought this was a nice little article written from the heart by a fellow Steelers fan...


"In Search of What We Lost"

By Jill Eckenrode



Ordinarily, this would be the time when I would find myself bursting at the seams with excitement and anticipation for the upcoming football season. Sadly, I’m just not feeling it this year, and the reasons are obvious. That being said, I am hopeful that this team will do what it has to do to restore the trust which has been lost and make us all believers again.

As much as I would like to write about something else, the fact remains that Ben Roethlisberger and his off-season troubles continue to dominate the news, as well as the hearts and minds of Steeler fans everywhere. I have tried extremely hard to re-direct my thoughts toward the positive. I am angry at Ben for allowing any of this to happen. Obviously, he should have been more responsible – more intelligent – more aware of how his actions would affect so many people. Unfortunately, he wasn’t, and we are now left to deal with the repercussions. It would be great to be able to say Ben’s problems are his own problems, but that is not the case. His actions and lack of good judgment have deeply affected everyone closely associated with the Pittsburgh Steelers, including the fan base. Pittsburgh Steeler fans are proud. They are loyal. They are true. The old saying, “I bleed black and gold” not only applies to the times when all is well; it holds true in times of trouble, too. And, in times such as this, when one of our own does something to tarnish a reputation that has always stood above the rest, the pain is immense. Fans, I believe, are desperately searching for a way back to what they once had and held so dearly, and this entire team now finds itself in a position to lead the way. They must make good things happen from this point forward. They must be leaders, mentors and friends. They must walk a thin and narrow line. There can be no more controversy.

Henry Ford once said, “If everyone is moving forward together, then success takes care of itself.” Let’s hope that is the case with the Steelers. I am hopeful that the ownership, the coaching staff and, most important, the players will prepare for this season with positive attitudes and a strong determination to rise above this selfishly-created controversy. If the commitment is there to stand united and refuse to allow the controversy to prevail, I believe a successful season is still within reach, and the pride that has meant so much to so many for so long will be restored.

Over the years, the Pittsburgh Steelers have been described by many as a team of character. We are about to find out how much character they truly possess. I hope they come through, and come through in a big way.

Until next time, the best to you and yours – AND THE BEST TO THE BEST – OUR PITTSBURGH STEELERS!

[url="http://www.steelergridiron.com/articles/jill.html"]http://www.steelergridiron.com/articles/jill.html[/url]

STFU lady.

Was the pain "intense" when Ernie Holmes was shooting at police helicopters or when Justin Strzelczyk was leading police on a wild chase that resulted in a fiery crash that killed him or when Bam Morris was busted with 6 pounds of pot or when Greg Lloyd allegedly put a gun to his own child's head or...well, you get the idea.

STFU lady.