Getty A fan watches the New England Patriots.
What player do New England Patriots fans hate the most? You’d think it might be someone from a team in the AFC East. Considering the way the Patriots have dominated the division over the past two decades, I suppose it’s hard to hate players you’ve essentially crushed for the better part of 20 years.
Maybe it would be a player from the New York Giants? Then again, everyone of significance from the teams that beat Tom Brady and Co. have already retired. According to a graph posted by Bet Online, former Patriots WR and current Tampa Bay Buccaneer Antonio Brown is the most-hated player in the entire New England region. The results were judged by the origin of negative-spirited tweets about specific NFL players.
Take a look:
Antonio Brown is the most hated NFL player in New England. Tom Brady is still the most hated man in America (36 states)
Why Would Patriots Fans Hate Antonio Brown?
While Brown is certainly a mercurial personality who has had some questionable moments in the public eye, he only spent a short time in a Patriots uniform. It was two weeks to be specific. Apparently, Brown did quite a bit to irritate Patriots fans in that time. Bleacher Report’s Tim Daniels chronicled Brown’s stormy two-week stint with the Patriots that culminated in the All-Pro’s release after he was accused of sexual assault.
Daniels listed this timeline:
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Sept. 7: Brown reaches agreement with New England following his release by Oakland Raiders.
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Sept. 10: Britney Taylor, Brown’s former trainer, files civil lawsuit saying he sexually assaulted her on three occasions.
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Sept. 11: Drew Rosenhaus, Brown’s agent, denies assault allegations on ESPN’s SportsCenter.
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Sept. 11: Wide receiver attends first practice with Patriots.
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Sept. 11: Pats head coach Bill Belichick leaves press conference after a series of questions about the allegations against Brown and his status with the team.
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Sept. 15: Brown records four catches for 56 yards and a touchdown in first game with New England, a 43-0 victory over the Miami Dolphins.
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Sept. 16: Robert Klemko of Sports Illustrated details new sexual misconduct allegations against Brown from an artist who painted a mural in his Pittsburgh home in 2017.
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Sept. 16: Darren Heitner, Brown’s attorney, denies misconduct allegations in statement to TMZ Sports.
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Sept. 19: Brown holds first press conference as a member of the Patriots and says he’s only focused on football.
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Sept. 19: Klemko publishes a story detailing intimidating texts Brown allegedly sent the woman who outlined sexual misconduct allegations.
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Sept. 20: Belichick leaves another meeting with media after further Brown questions.
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Sept. 20: Patriots announce Brown’s release.
Perhaps that’s why Brown was called the Patriots’ worst free-agent signing of the past decade by Pat’s Pulpit’s Bernd Buchmasser.
Everyone Else in the Country Seems to Hate Tom Brady…Except Florida
If you take one look at the map in the image, the first thing you might think is that Tom Brady owns the country. Well, he has owned the NFL for just about 20 years to the tune of 7 Super Bowl rings. It’s that success and his orchestrated ribbings that have led to him being the NFL’s most-hated player. Brady’s likeness covers 36 states on the map.
Wow, that’s a lot of hate. Well, at least they love him in Florida…for now.