The most hated man in sports is the raging brat Lane Kiffin
People hated Al Davis when his Raiders were winning. People hated Red Auerbach because his Celtics hoisted banners on an annual basis. People hated George Steinbrenner because he spent big and bought seven World Series rings for his money.
The common thread: People hate winners.
Which only goes to show how remarkable it is that Lane Kiffin, with a career record of 12-21 as a head coach, is the most despised man in American sports. A (partial) list of loathers:
• The aforementioned Davis, himself once the most hated man in sports.
• Raider Nation, a fan base that models itself after a biker gang.
• Urban Meyer, one of the two best coaches in college football.
• Recruiting analysts, who saw Kiffin’s ballyhooed Big Orange class of 2009 fall apart before it could get on the field.
• NCAA investigators, who are sick of hearing the words “secondary violation.”
• Mike Slive, the most powerful man in college football.
• Tennessee fans, who were left brokenhearted by this carpetbagger.
• Administrators at Florida, Alabama, Oregon, Washington and Fresno State — each school having received an apology from Kiffin’s latest employer over his unfounded charges that it had cheated.
• And now Jeff Fisher, who coaches the Tennessee Titans and who played collegiately at — wait for it — Southern Cal.
Fisher was peeved that Kiffin stole Kennedy Pola, who coached the Titans’ running back, a week before training camp commenced and did so without calling the NFL team to ask permission. (Of all the things Kiffin does badly, asking permission is among the worst.)
This guy, not to put too fine a point on it, is a raging brat. He calls to mind Jim Mora the Younger — the son of a famous coach, entitlement dripping from every pore, arrogance personified. But Mora actually won a little with the Falcons, at least at first, and he didn’t have to apologize one-tenth as often as Kiffin has.
Regarding Kiffin, there are two things that don’t compute: First, that big-name teams keep hiring him, and second, the incongruity of Monte Kiffin, a prince among football men, having sired this jerk. He we have living proof that sometimes the acorn does fall far from the ol’ tree.
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164 comments Add your comment
F-105 Thunderchief
July 26th, 2010
2:40 pm
Now Jeff Fisher hates him. He has aristobratic tendencies I’d say.
GeoffDawg
July 26th, 2010
2:41 pm
I’m sure it was just monopoly money James Adams.
Mark, why don’t you put a poll with Lane Kiffin, Lebron James, and you? For the record, you’re alright in my book.
Asheville Dawg – I’m sure the combination of Layla and a $4 million salary will get Lane through the rough patches.
Gbal
July 26th, 2010
2:41 pm
Geoff- People hated Spurrier because he was a winner and then talked a little “smack” …. but he backed it up on the field while at UF. Now that he’s at USC and not winning like he was… he has sense enough to lay off the Smack. Sure if he makes another run he will go back to his old ways!
DOO DOO LEE
July 26th, 2010
2:42 pm
hard to declare the sorriest clown of the SEC bunch, Saban and Petrino give Kiffin a run for his money..not an ounce of loyalty or character between the 3 of them but they all expect the players to walk the line. In other words, “do as I say and not as I do or have done”
Mark Bradley
July 26th, 2010
2:43 pm
You know, it’s weird. I wouldn’t have thought LeBron James was anything but admired heading into this summer.
George Stein
July 26th, 2010
2:43 pm
James Adams – If the Arkansas defense didn’t improve any over the offseason, UGA will hang 80 on them. UGA stunk up Fayettevill in the first quarter if my memory servers and still scored 50. Sheesh.
George Stein
July 26th, 2010
2:45 pm
Typos all over the place. No more 6:00 A.M. calls with people in Europe.
FromtheBARstool
July 26th, 2010
2:45 pm
LeBron was just so wrong in the whole way he made a cicrus of his choice.
athensdawg
July 26th, 2010
2:45 pm
can’t say much, he kinda handed us our butts on a platter………
James Adams
July 26th, 2010
2:46 pm
If you did a Kiffin/James-West poll on the AJC it would sway towards Kiffin because we are in college football country. Mark Bradley said the most hated man in ’sports’ which implies the country.
James Adams
July 26th, 2010
2:48 pm
Well, gosh, Mark, I’m sure OJ Simpson would have had a high mark on a public opinion poll before committing a double murder. I didn’t know this was a retroactive situation.
GeoffDawg
July 26th, 2010
2:49 pm
Re: Lebron, I don’t have any issues with somebody leveraging their skills in a competitive marketplace to their advantage. That being said, especially after that ESPN special, he definitely rankled a lot of folks.
Mark Bradley
July 26th, 2010
2:49 pm
No, I was just saying: LeBron went from hero to villain in the time it takes to say, “Here’s Jim Gray … “
Douglas
July 26th, 2010
2:49 pm
Maybe Lane got his narcissistic genes from his mother…not his dad!
sogadog
July 26th, 2010
2:50 pm
Kiffen might be a good coach, but we may never know. First, the only school that will hire him after his many stunts and the way he ditched Tenn. is USC. NCAA penalties will kill the USC program and take Kiffen down along with it. Kiffen will be fired from USC eventually once the effect of the NCAA sanctions kick in. That should end his career as a head college football coach. If Kiffen had any character and had stayed at Tenn., he might have made a great coach. His first and only Tennessee team was not that bad, They hung in with Fla, should have beaten National Champion Alabama and they routed the Bulldawgs. Kiffen recruited well too. No one paid attention to Kiffen’s success though because of his obnoxious mouth. His chance for success now is pretty bleak and every team that plays him will be out for blood.
Brent
July 26th, 2010
2:50 pm
Petrino did the Falcons a huge favor. What happens if he prolongs the agony. Sometimes you just “cut bait”.
ClemsonDude
July 26th, 2010
2:51 pm
This guy was interview for the HC at Clemson after Tommy Bowden resigned. Thanks the good Lord he did’nt get the job at Clemson.
gdawginkalamazoo
July 26th, 2010
2:52 pm
We all know the protocol on hiring in the pros and college level. Wouldn’t Pola have some blame in this thing? If he and Kiffin were such good friends couldn’t Pola tell him to call Coach Fisher and talk? To me it looks like Pola is just as big of a jerk as Kiffin. Of course look at his staff and we just figure that is part of the job description. Pola burned a big bridge to the NFL with that move. And for what 2 years probation then getting canned with Kiffin.
Dan
July 26th, 2010
2:52 pm
I guess we all can hate on Lane Kifin as much as we want but I think players and coaches want to play for him not because of his coaching but because of his wife !!!! You have to admit the man has done at least one thing right!!!
http://www.google.com/images?hl=en&q=lane+kiffin+wife&um=1&ie=UTF-8&source=univ&ei=sNhNTPO9CsOclgeu0N33DQ&sa=X&oi=image_result_group&ct=title&resnum=1&ved=0CCgQsAQwAA
GeoffDawg
July 26th, 2010
2:52 pm
sogadog – I’m not sure that he wouldn’t have had other options, as ridiculous at that sounds, but you don’t get awarded one the highest salaries in college football if there is no one else willing to hire you.
Jesse Chavez
July 26th, 2010
2:54 pm
Wheeewww. No one mentioned me. Good. Now if you’ll excuse me, electronic Bobby Cox just inexplicably put me in to pitch on MLB 2K11. Time to hit the reset button.
James Adams
July 26th, 2010
2:56 pm
I will forever say that that was one of the best things to happen to the Falcons. It gave ALL the fans someone to hate, as opposed to the 50/50 split that the Vick situation tore the fan base into. It also gave the players something to bring them together. I think Emmitt Thomas did a great job of keeping that locker room together and not letting things fall apart. One of the classiest men you could ever meet.
woowoo
July 26th, 2010
2:57 pm
Kiffin didn’t have time to leave a note when he left, too busy putting out mattress fires!
POAD
July 26th, 2010
2:59 pm
Free drinks on me! Everybody meet at BAR Knoxville! Make sure to wear your helmets because there maybe some underage Vol players there too.
NoGaGator
July 26th, 2010
3:00 pm
I believe in karma. I bet it’s pretty interesting watching Lanie and Waterboy Orgeron squirming like rats while Pat Haden moves in.
The only problem is, Lanie keeps making outrageous sums of $$$ for what he brings to the table. If Haden does find a way to dump him, I hope it’s for cause so he doesn’t even scam even more $$$.
As for his wife, she may look smoking hot however if she had any brains why would she still put up with the weasel? Let the blonde jokes continue.
She must not be all there -unfortunately, neither was her Dad.
HedgeSmoker
July 26th, 2010
3:00 pm
The fleabags hate list just happens to be the same coaches that kick the crap out of ‘em.
GeoffDawg
July 26th, 2010
3:01 pm
woowoo – I think he was also trying to avoid the torch and pitchfork wielding masses converging on the athletic department. Frankenstein was more popular with the locals.
Too tough 44
July 26th, 2010
3:01 pm
off the subject just a little….ole Jessie Jackson and Big Al Sharpton have been doing their attention seeking behaviors again….ohhhhh wo unto the black..man, Lebron was treated like a slave…good grief charlie brown….move on!
GeoffDawg
July 26th, 2010
3:02 pm
You apparently hate Georgia HedgeSmoker. What does that tell you?
Hilton Head Island
July 26th, 2010
3:02 pm
.
————————
Nesbitt for Heisman
————————
.
GTHorsie
July 26th, 2010
3:02 pm
I think you have to be relevant to be the “most hated”. When Notre Dame was winning, they were also on the list.
Brent
July 26th, 2010
3:06 pm
Looks like everyone agrees on this one, MB. No hatespeech flying on the blog. I’m going to check out Tucker and Bookman, they’ve been on a roll.
woowoo
July 26th, 2010
3:06 pm
Just in for the law and order Tech crowd, price for assault and battery = 1 game suspension.
Bull
July 26th, 2010
3:07 pm
Don’t put yourself on a pedistle Mark. Your not the most hated columnist, just the worst one covering sports. You and Shultz have rubbed off on each other too much. There should be a Fulmer Cup type award for how many awful columns you and Shultz produce. You guys are the laughing stock of GA sports writers and especially UGA football
Joey
July 26th, 2010
3:07 pm
Coach Richt, being a Christian, surely doesn’t hate Kiffin, but probably doesn’t include Kiffin inn his nightly prayers . . .
Brent
July 26th, 2010
3:08 pm
At least he can spell
George Stein
July 26th, 2010
3:08 pm
woowoo, Not sure of the details but assuming all the reports were true, I think that seems a bit light. And by a bit I mean a lot.
Beast from the East
July 26th, 2010
3:09 pm
Wasn’t it great when we found out the penalties levied against USC?
I would normally have felt they were too harsh, but the fact that they had hired Lane Kiffen as their coach made it seem more than reasonable. This will probably cost him his job in a couple of years. Bet his “dream job” will then become any one he can get.
What a total scumbag.
juvenal
July 26th, 2010
3:09 pm
same as under-age drinking?
dog789xyz
July 26th, 2010
3:10 pm
Do you think he taught CMR the bootleg play?
Bernie Marcus
July 26th, 2010
3:10 pm
I wish you people would quit calling my company “Home Depot” the name is “THE Home Depot”. Geez.
GeoffDawg
July 26th, 2010
3:13 pm
I think you just lost another whale shark Bernie. I suggest adding more snails to your tanks.
bjohndawg
July 26th, 2010
3:14 pm
Lane Kiffin is the posterchild for everything wrong with college football.
Coaches who dont give a you know what about their players.
Coaches who dont give a you know what about the school that hires them.
Coaches that preach commitment, but have never been commited to anything or anyone except their own sorry backside.
Their only concern is $.
I am a Dawg fan…but UT fans and their school deserved better than this clown.
Arthur
July 26th, 2010
3:17 pm
Hey Bernie, the punctuation goes INSIDE the quotes. Geez.
Oakland, CA
July 26th, 2010
3:18 pm
Lane was a joke coaching the Al Davis Raiders.
MightyQuinn
July 26th, 2010
3:23 pm
Lane Kiffin and his father; I am reminded of a scene in Smokey and the Bandit. Sheriff Justice is bemoaning a boneheaded statement by his son and says, “There is no way you sprung from my loins. I’m gonna go home and slap yo’ momma.”
Marc
July 26th, 2010
3:23 pm
As an MMA fighter, I would love to put on my USC shirt and parade around Knoxville – sounds like I’ll get in some free practice sessions! Having said that… what hate preaching columnist actually debases himself and his readers with a topic like this? – must be a Southern churchgoer?! Yes, it makes perfect sense to hate somebody when they get an opportunity for their dream-job. That is after all what we would feel for anyone who gets a great opportunity… seems like a lot of frustration here, time out for self reflection… hey everybody; quit what you are doing and start going after what you really want in life, and ehr, get a life – or is that a bit redundant? I personally think that LK will do a better job than PC as PC was to busy and thin stretched to really pay attention to football in LA. Having said all that, I wish all of you great blessings with your new life and career choices and a joyous, injury free, and successful upcoming football season, especially all those in the South as once again it is proven, this might just be the only thing to do here.
Turner Field
July 26th, 2010
3:24 pm
Please wash your hands after using the facilities. Thanks.
too easy
July 26th, 2010
3:25 pm
hey…he beat the living crap out of UGA last year….he can’t be all bad
James Adams
July 26th, 2010
3:26 pm
‘As an MMA fighter.’ #73 in the list of Top 500 things Douchebags say to begin a statement.