30 NFL players fans loved to loathe

NFL History: 30 players fans loved to loathe: 3. Michael Vick

There were two reasons why Michael Vick was hated by most. For starters, he was a virtual cheat code on the field. When Vick wasn’t able to find a wide-open receiver, he torched defenses with his legs. He danced outside of the pocket and bought himself more time to launch the ball to an open receiver or he simply made a huge chunk play with his legs.

No matter how much Vick was hated by the away team, he was must-watch television. The highlight-level plays seemed effortless and even those who booed him had no choice but to secretly clap for him.

Then, in 2007, the real hate for Vick arrived. In August of that year, Vick pled guilty to a dogfighting investigation where he was found to be right in the middle of it. He was ultimately sent to prison for 21 months. Once he paid his debt to society, Vick made it back to the field but immediately, he was met with signs and obnoxious fan bases who reminded each and every day of what he had done.

Not only does Vick make this list due to his prison sentence and otherworldly talent on the field but also, Vick was a straight-up cheat code in Madden. Whenever anyone chose the Atlanta Falcons, they didn’t even attempt to throw, they would just receive the ball in the wildcat formation and run all game long. We know Vick was almost impossible to catch in real life but in the video game? Forget about it. Vick was without question the greatest Madden player ever and playing against him made fans hate him even more.