For the Love of Hate

The Yankees. The Patriots. The Miami Heat during the LeBron era. Duke Basketball. The Dallas Cowboys and the rivals of our favorite sports teams. We hate them. We would rather see our ex hooking up with a model than to watch them sniff a win in a game. A six hour flight full of screaming babies sounds like a vacation compared to sitting through one of their games while your friend cheers them on. Whether it's the pure love and dedication to your team or the sheer fact that you would rather shave with a rake before seeing them win another championship, all sports fans love to hate.

Now, we all have great explanations for our reasoning behind the hate. The Yankees buy their payroll, Spygate and Deflategate with the Patriots, LeBron teaming up with other superstars in Miami to chase that elusive title. And no one needs a reason to hate their teams arch rival. That's like death and taxes, it's a given in life.

One of the most hated teams in America is Duke basketball. Coming off their fifth national title in 25 years last night, it was easy to see that the majority of America was displeased. Now, we can trace this hate back to the days of Christian Laettner and the Blue Devils championships of the early 1990's. It's understandable that people didn't like that team. Christian had a brash personality, and he gave less thought to what you cared about him than Obama gives to the future of America. But he owned it. He was comfortable in that skin. He fed off the hate. But just as this team is hated, it's hard to understand why this generation of Duke is continually hated. Coach Mike Krzyzewski has done nothing but be a class act and great coach unlike some of his counterparts (see Calipari and Boeheim). He continually achieves excellence on and off the court. But maybe that's what it is. People love to hate greatness. Think about all the teams listed above in the first paragraph. What do they have in common? Multiple championships. They are all teams that have excelled in their sport.

Maybe it's not the program, team, city, players or coaches that we hate. Maybe it's the winning. Maybe it's the fact that we're sick and tired of seeing that team win and not ours. We all know that someone is a bandwagon fan if they like a great team. No matter how many years you have spent following the team, how many nights you have stayed up late watching their games, or how many times a piece of your heart breaks when they bow out of the final game of their respective season. People love to hate winners. And if your team wins, chances are people will not or already do not like them.

So continue the hating. It makes sports what it is today. It makes showing up at the water cooler on Monday morning a lot better when you have a shit-eating grin on your face cause your team just beat your buddies team and he knows he's not going to hear the end of it all week. It makes friends of enemies. You and a coworker may not like the same team, but if you hate the same team, well that's just as good. Loving to hate teams brings people closer together than the New York subway system. Example: I show up to the Heat vs. Spurs NBA finals game last year. What am I wearing you wonder? An Indiana Pacers shirt. I got tons of looks and people asking if I was lost, but one person actually grabbed me and said "Why the hell are you wearing a Pacers shirt, they're not even playing?" To which I promptly replied " I'm just here cause I hate the Heat. I hope they lose." I made 50 friends with that answer and a few cold ones on the house.

Don't take it personal when people hate on your team for winning. It's not actual hate, it's their love to hate. And their favorite team probably sucks.

Final Four Preview

All good things must come to an end, so fittingly will the men's NCAA basketball tournament on Monday night. But not before we get to enjoy one last weekend of sensational hoops from the Hoosier state. Four teams remain to decide who will take the title home and be the kings of their campus.

The four colleges who remain in the tournament have storied programs. With Kentucky and Duke you have two of the three winningest programs in NCAA history, while Tom Izzo always seems to will his Michigan State team deep in the tournament. Although Bo Ryan may not have the resume of the other coaches, he has taken Wisconsin to back to back Final Fours. Three number one seeds who dominated the regular season along with the underdogs Michigan State as a seven seed sets us up for an unforgettable ending to the madness of 2015. Let's take a closer look at the matchups.

Duke vs. Michigan State

The stats history favors Krzyzewski's Blue Devils in this matchup, as he has gone 8-1 over their last 9 against the Spartans. Duke has the superior starting five, featuring the likely number one pick in the upcoming draft in Jahlil Okafor. Michigan State guard Travis Trice has been one of the best players of the tournament so far and his spectacular play is not likely to stop now. The X factor in this game hinges on Duke's Justise Winslow. Winslow, a freshman from Houston, Tx,  was a solid contributor for Duke all season but has come on particularly strong in the tournament, most recently playing in his hometown for the regional tournament. I like the Spartans will to win and teamwork, but Duke's size and skill will ultimately prevail in this gut-wrenching matchup of two great programs.

Duke 76 Michigan State 71

Kentucky vs. Wisconsin

If you simply looked at the rosters of the two teams, everybody who could read would pick Kentucky to win this game. They boast nine, yes nine, McDonald's All-Americans. Wisconsin? Zero. It almost doesn't seem fair. But if you have followed basketball this season you know that Wisconsin deserves to be in Indy this weekend competing with the best teams in America. Why? Simple. They play old school ball that consists of teamwork, passing, good defense and the best offensive efficiency in the nation. Oh and they just happen to have the Naismith Player of the Year in Frank Kaminsky. The problem? Kentucky is the best defensive team in the nation. While there is no doubt that Wisconsin will give them their best test of the season, Kentucky simply has too much height and firepower coming off the bench. Kentucky wins a close one, in which I believe will be a classic.

Kentucky 65 Wisconsin 63