Sports

Sports Fans Lost Patience With These Petulant Players

Darren Ryding - August 12, 2024

Sports

Sports Fans Lost Patience With These Petulant Players

Darren Ryding - August 12, 2024

It’s not always fun and games for elite athletes. Sometimes, fame goes to their heads and changes the way they behave. There are also times when they think they’re better than they are. Many sports fans have lost patience with petulant stars.

Today we’ll look at some of the most infamous cases in recent years when fans lost patience with their favorite players. It’s difficult for these athletes to bounce back because people tend to be unforgiving. In some cases, they’ve even turned multiple fanbases against themselves.

Zach Wilson

The Jets believed Wilson would lead their franchise out of the doldrums. They confidently picked the Brigham Young quarterback in 2021 ahead of Justin Fields, Trey Lance, and Mac Jones. Some analysts thought that this was a risk but Gang Green didn’t care. But they quickly lost patience with their would-be star (via N.Y. Post).

Wilson made terrible on-field decisions and was an interception machine. But he was also petulant, which didn’t help his image in front of the New York media. Then there were a couple of scandals including rumors that he slept with his mother’s best friend. Finally, the Jets replaced him with Aaron Rodgers because they couldn’t deal with him anymore.

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Albert Haynesworth

This one is an oldie but a good and it’s also pure gold. However, Washington fans might disagree and should look away now. Haynesworth was one of the best defensive tackles in the league during his time with the Titans. Then Washington decided to bring him to the capital after another Pro Bowl season (via The Athletic).

That was a terrible decision because Haynesworth signed a massive contract before downing tools. He ballooned up in weight and didn’t put any effort into his performances. Long-suffering Washington fans soon lost patience with their big-money free agent. It was a shame for them but Haynesworth laughed all the way to the bank.

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Odell Beckham Jr.

Some athletes are more trouble than they’re worth and Beckham falls into this bracket. He was one of the most exciting NFL stars when he broke out in New York. The Giants thought that he would be a superstar for a decade as he produced some scintillating moments. But his arrogance, petulance, and injury record began to catch up with him.

Fans lost patience with him in the Big Apple and again in Cleveland. Amazingly, he managed to win a Super Bowl ring after he joined the Rams on a short-term contract. But Beckham has failed to hit the lofty heights that everybody expected. It’s a shame because he had so much potential but he hasn’t lived up to it (via CBS Sports).

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Kevin Durant

It’s fair to say that Durant has received more hate than nearly any other NBA star. The Phoenix player has bounced around the league in search of rings and a comfortable situation. He infamously abandoned the Thunder because he didn’t think they’d win. Durant knew that the Warriors had an easy road to victory.

His apparent selfishness and petulance meant that many fans lost patience with him. There’s no denying that he has had a lot of success and made incredible amounts of money. But it’s also true that he’s one of the most unpopular superstars ever. Maybe we’ll appreciate his genius more when he’s gone (via Fox News).

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James Harden

Harden is one of the most petulant players to step onto a basketball court. He was the main star in Houston before he demanded to leave because he supposedly wanted to chase rings. That didn’t go well because the Brooklyn Nets tried to build a super team and failed. Then he wound up in Philadelphia but flattered to deceive when it came to the postseason.

Some players are unlucky but Harden’s attitude rubs many people up the wrong way. Many fans lost patience with ‘The Beard’ because they think he has a selfish attitude. That’s why the saga surrounding a potential return to Houston infuriated so many NBA supporters. They stopped caring about him and wanted it to be over (via Fox Sports).

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Ronda Rousey

Rousey was arguably the UFC’s first true mainstream star. At the height of her fame, she was appearing in The Fast and the Furious franchise as well as other movies. The former bantamweight champion was a fearsome competitor and ran through her division. But she became a moody presence in front of the media and this turned fans off.

They lost patience with her after she handled her defeats to Holly Holm and Amanda Nunes badly. It’s a shame because her legacy deserves more respect than they give her. Rousey was under a crazy amount of pressure so it’s not shocking that she didn’t react well. However, regular people aren’t very sympathetic to these things (via MMA Fighting).

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Kepa Arrizabalaga

Chelsea made Kepa the most expensive goalkeeper in the world when they signed him in 2018. However, his erratic displays never convinced his coaches that he was the long-term answer. Meanwhile, he became a controversial figure during the League Cup Final against Manchester City. Head Coach Maurizio Sarri tried to substitute him but there was one problem.

The young Spaniard refused to leave the field ahead of the penalty shootout. Sarri wanted to replace him with Willy Cabellero for the deciding kicks but Kepa threw a tantrum and wouldn’t leave. It was an astonishing sight and a livid Sarri kicked a bottle in frustration. Later, Kepa apologized to his coach but he lost his place for a game (via 90 Min).

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Baker Mayfield

There was a time when everybody thought that Mayfield was finally going to change the Browns’ downtrodden fortunes. He did for a short while before proving he wasn’t that good. The Heisman Trophy winner was the shining light in a dismal 2018 season. A couple of years later, he helped them back to the playoffs.

But Mayfield is notoriously blunt and petulant when things go wrong. This turned the fanbase against him and eventually, the Browns decided to move on. It was harsh because they traded him after an injury-affected season. Meanwhile, they signed accused abuser, Deshaun Watson as his replacement (via Russell Street Report).

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Russell Westbrook

Things went from bad to worse for Westbrook in 2022. After bickering with teammates, arguing with coaches, and feuding with fans, it was clear that he was on the way out of L.A. The supporters lost patience with him and wanted him to leave. They saw him as a major reason why they weren’t true contenders.

Westbrook was a brilliant player during his heyday and won the MVP award in 2017. But the nine-time All-Star suffered a stark decline and it’s hilarious that the Lakers dumped him with the Clippers. Most people don’t know what the latter was thinking because Westbrook doesn’t bring anything positive anymore (via It’s Game Seven).

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Kylian Mbappe

Many people agree that Mbappe is one of the most petulant soccer stars on the planet today. The French superstar won the World Cup with his national team. Meanwhile, he has won every domestic trophy available with PSG. But the problem is that he stagnated in Paris because they were big fish in a small pond.

Then Mbappe had a massive contract dispute with the team and wanted to leave. He sulked and walked off during one game as he infuriated the fanbase. They lost patience with him and didn’t care if he rotted on the sidelines. It’s amazing how the hero became a massive villain but he doesn’t care what they think about him (via Daily Star).

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Saquon Barkley

The running back market went haywire in 2023 as it became clear that there weren’t going to be any big contracts. This was a problem for Barkley because he bet on himself and backed himself into a corner. But many Giants fans didn’t feel any sympathy for him because Barkley didn’t read the room.

We respect athletes who understand that their careers are short and they must maximize their earnings. However, Barkley went about it the wrong way and some people thought that he was petulant. Unfortunately, there was a lot of schadenfreude after it became clear that things weren’t going well for him (via Bleacher Report).

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Nick Kyrgios

This Australian tennis star has one of the most petulant attitudes ever. Many sportspeople are terrible losers because they have a winning mentality. There’s nothing wrong with that but Krygios brings it to another level. Meanwhile, he’s notoriously rude and had a petulant run-in with the media at Wimbledon in 2022.

Everybody loves a bad boy but the problem is that Kyrgios doesn’t back it up on the court. He possesses incredible physical gifts but many fans lost patience with him because he hasn’t reached his full potential. Nonetheless, he maintains his polarizing persona and continues to be himself (via Junkee).

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Ben Simmons

Everything went wrong for Simmons in Philadelphia as teammates and fans lost patience with him. The Australian-born star effectively went on strike as he cited mental health issues. This is never something to take lightly but the franchise didn’t have much sympathy for him. They saw him as a petulant and selfish figure.

This may be unfair but the writing was on the wall. Simmons was delighted to leave them behind and join the Nets while James Harden went in the opposite direction. He didn’t receive a warm welcome when the Sixers played Brooklyn in their next meeting. But Simmons was happy to be away from this toxic environment (via CBS Sports).

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Cristiano Ronaldo

Ronaldo is one of the two best players of his generation. He made an emotional return to Manchester United in 2021 but it didn’t work out well. The Portuguese star lost his pace and didn’t fit into the new coach’s system. He had a major fallout with Erik Ten Hag and became an increasingly petulant figure.

Finally, United decided that it was best for both parties to cut ties. They released him as a free agent and Ronaldo joined Saudi side Al Nassr on a mega-money contract. Meanwhile, United fans also lost patience with their former icon. It’s a pity because he tarnished his legacy at the club (via Pulse Sports).

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Conor McGregor

McGregor remains the biggest MMA star on the planet but fans have still lost patience with the Irishman. They don’t show him the same respect as before because of his erratic antics. It all went downhill after he fought Floyd Mayweather and became uber-wealthy. “The Notorious” didn’t defend his UFC titles and became increasingly annoying online.

Meanwhile, he has more arrests than wins in the octagon recently and this hasn’t helped his reputation. It’s a shame because McGregor was a genuinely elite fighter but it’s difficult to remember his brilliance now. Every week it feels like there’s another negative story about the former two-weight champion (via The Sun).

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Serena Williams

The recently-retired Williams is arguably the greatest female tennis player. She’s definitely in the conversation but unfortunately, some fans lost patience with her. Williams had some amazing moments but she also let herself down at times. She ranted at umpires and tarnished her opponents’ victories by creating drama (via Tennis.com).

One notorious moment saw her steal Naomi Osaka’s thunder when the Japanese star won the Australian Open. Williams made the greatest victory of Osaka’s fledgling career about her when she complained about the officials. It was horrible because Osaka even cried and apologized. This turned many tennis fans against Williams who didn’t show enough decorum.

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Neymar

Many pundits confidently predicted that Neymar would replace Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo as the world’s best players. But that never happened as fans lost patience with the Brazilian superstar. His biggest mistake was joining PSG because they offered him a lot of money and the chance to lead their team in Europe.

But the French League is weak and PSG always falls apart in the Champions League. Neymar received a lot of criticism because he parties harder than he plays. He also found himself stuck in Paris because nobody could afford to take him to a better league. It’s a shame because he wasted the best years of his career (via All Football).

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Russell Wilson

The Denver Broncos thought that they’d become immediate Super Bowl contenders when they traded for Wilson. They offered the Seahawks the house as they lured the aging quarterback to Mile High City. However, it didn’t work out for the MVP contender in his first season in Denver for several reasons.

Firstly, rookie head coach Nathaniel Hackett didn’t know what he was doing. But Wilson’s petulant antics turned off many of his teammates and many fans lost patience with him. Meanwhile, Geno Smith emerged as the NFL Comeback Player of the Year in Seattle. This made Wilson’s decline appear to be even worse than it was (via NBC Sports).

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Kyrie Irving

It’s easy to see why more NBA fans hate Irving than almost any other player today. The volatile Dallas star found ways to annoy every team he played for. He betrayed the Celtics after their fans hoped that he would help them to build a dynasty. Now the franchise loathes him and lets him know it whenever they meet (via Fox News).

The Nets also lost patience with the enigmatic star after his vaccine problems. They found him ‘unfit to represent the team’ and shipped him off to Dallas. It’s a shame because their fanbase hoped that he would lead their powerful roster but it didn’t work. Irving brings drama everywhere he goes as the Mavericks will soon discover.

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Aaron Rodgers

There’s no denying that Rodgers is one of the greatest quarterbacks in pro football history. But it’s also impossible to ignore that he annoys many people. That’s because of his selfish contract negotiations and his bizarre views off the field. There’s nothing wrong with a player trying to maximize their earnings but Rodgers manipulated the Packers.

He betrayed their fanbase and went about everything in the wrong way. Many cheeseheads were happy to see the back of him when he joined the Jets in 2023. Meanwhile, his weird behavior off the field rubs people the wrong way. Rodgers is a polarizing figure and it may affect his legacy when he retires (via Pro Sports Extra).

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Sports Fans Lost Patience With These Petulant Players

Sports Fans Lost Patience With These Petulant Players

Zach Wilson

Albert Haynesworth

Odell Beckham Jr.

Kevin Durant

James Harden

Ronda Rousey

Kepa Arrizabalaga

Baker Mayfield

Russell Westbrook

Kylian Mbappe

Saquon Barkley

Nick Kyrgios

Ben Simmons

Cristiano Ronaldo

Conor McGregor

Serena Williams

Neymar

Russell Wilson

Kyrie Irving

Aaron Rodgers

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