Think about how this chart might look if we didn't have two of the league's most beloved players as the faces of our franchise (Wilson, Lynch).
I can buy Seattle being the most hated team for a couple reasons. The first is that stupid people will always bristle with up and coming teams (see KC, who's also tied for #1), especially up and coming teams that do things in a way that hadn't been done previously. And for the record, there are a lot of stupid people in the world.
The second is that Seattle plays dirty football. It's smart, but dirty, and basically lives off of exploiting weaknesses in the NFL rulebook particularly in regards to how our corners and OL play the game. Couple that with a "huckster" head coach, and an all-pro corner who talks shit with the volume up to full 24/7, and it's not hard to see the source of the antipathy. Also, the crowning of the 12thman this season has undoubtedly revealed some insecurities in other NFL fanbases.
Oh, and one more thing. Seattle fans have whined a lot this season. And boasted a lot. Deadly combination. This hasn't escaped the attention of other NFL fans at places like NFL.com and ESPN. You see all the time where the top rated comment at NFL.com will be an ignorant blanket statement blasting Seahawks fans for being too smug and/or playing the disrespect card too much. They are no less guilty for making statements like that, but the high approval rating of their comments reveals it is a popular sentiment. We might just be the NFL's most prideful fanbase, and pride attracts hate like a moth to the flame.
And really, that's what this is all about. It's more about hating fans than their teams. I know for myself that 99% of the reason I hated the Steelers after SBXL was because of a handful of classless Steelers fan turdburglers who didn't receive their just desserts. The same way that so many around here hate the 49ers mostly because of their obnoxious fanbase.
drdiags":129tcjtp said:
Why are the Chiefs getting the hate? Andy Reid?
They are a new to success team, plus people hate things that are over-rated or seem over-rated. KC was tied for the lead in pro-bowl player representation, despite being a good but not great team.
Now the Texans, that's the one I can't figure out. I guess everyone just hates the state of Texas.