In a season that started out with talk of a Dream Team but ended as yet another disappointment, there’s another dubious distinction for Eagles QB Mike Vick.
Vick was ranked the most disliked athlete in a poll released today by Forbes magazine. Vick, who had topped the NFL list, came in above athletes from all sports among those polled. While most Philadelphia sports fans have come to embrace him since he joined the team three years ago, casual NFL fans still remember him for his dog-fighting past.
Sixty percent of respondents rated Vick as someone they “dislike,” “dislike somewhat” or “dislike a lot,” which tied with Tiger Woods, although Vick was categorized more by “dislike a lot.”
While the results are unfavorable, the poll shows that it is based somewhat on popularity, considering disgraced athletes like Chicago Bears wide receiver Sam Hurd, who faces federal charges for trying to purchase massive amounts of cocaine, or journeyman Donte Stallworth, who hit and killed a man with his car in 2009, did not even register.
Also on the list were former Super Bowl hero Plaxico Burress, who completed a Vick-like comeback this season after serving jail time for shooting himself, blossoming NFL bad apple Ndamukong Suh, the former Mr. Kim Kardashian and aging prima donna Terrell Owens. Basketball stars LeBron James and Kobe Bryant also made the top 10 for their polarizing personalities.
