It is fun to think about how organized sports got started. Whether it was hundreds, or possibly thousands, of years ago, a group of folks in one town decided to play their sport of choice against a group of folks from another city. At some point, more towns got involved, and this all likely evolved into some sort of championship game where one town was crowned the winner. Sounds quaint and straightforward, doesn’t it? How could something so entertaining be anything but a good time? Leave it to the human race to ruin a good thing.
Flash forward to the present day. Instead of the locals in town gathering to play a round, a match, or a game, massive billion-dollar franchises recruit from all over the world to bring the best to play for the hometown team. Sporting events are no more extended past times; they are cutthroat businesses.
Thankfully, one thing has not changed, and that is hometown pride. Though the local teams that the fans love may not be made up of local people, they still draw huge crowds and create a sense of pride in the community. A lot of pride. Perhaps a little too much pride.
Hate Has Entered the Chat
Enter hate. Fans don’t just dislike opposing teams or decide to root against them. Oh no. They hate them. Fans loathe rival groups with a fiery passion that makes you think they are the ones who will lose a seven-figure sum when the team loses. Instead of friendly jokes and smack talk about the teams they cheer against, there are crazed fans who take their hatred to a level that Beelzebub would find harsh. From parking lot beatings to gang killings, there is nothing as unsportsmanlike as opposing team hatred.
It’s Not Them; It’s YOU
Though there will always be cities, such as Boston and New York City, that have a rich history of dislike towards each other’s teams, some cities focus their anger on certain athletes. Whoever scored the winning goal or made that buzzer-beating shot will likely not be able to show their face in said city without a full security detail. Though the disgust for the team is there, fans in some cities have banded together to dial in their resentment and focus the town’s hate on individual athletes. Read on to learn more about sports cities and the athletes they hate.