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.

164 comments Add your comment

Otter

July 26th, 2010
3:31 pm

Kiffin may be the most hated… but the most evil villain on the list is Scott Boras. He and a small group of owners have permanently damaged major league baseball. Kiffin’s damage will fade in a few years.

Joey

July 26th, 2010
3:35 pm

Leave it to a nerd to think that red panties are some kind of joke. I like them on Victoria’s Secret models and on my wife as well . . .

George Stein

July 26th, 2010
3:37 pm

Leave it to a UGA fan with no sense of humor to think red panties aren’t a joke. And leave it to a UGA fan to be incapable of thinking of a word other than nerd to talk about Tech fans.

Gen Neyland

July 26th, 2010
3:43 pm

zoodawg is right. From my perspective, Kiffin didn’t tip-toe into Nashville and toss Pola in a burlap sack, flying him away from the Titan’s operations center aboard a Maroon chopper. It’s just that eveything that Lane Kiffin gets involved in has a story behind it. Do tell, Layla. Do tell…

Joey

July 26th, 2010
3:44 pm

How about Dork? And George, visit victoria’ssecret.com. It will improve your outlook . . .

James Adams

July 26th, 2010
3:46 pm

Here’s another word to describe Tech fans..well, students: Terrorist.

GeoffDawg

July 26th, 2010
3:47 pm

“I think Im close to being banned” I would concur.

Army of the GATORS

July 26th, 2010
3:48 pm

Just glad this schmuck is out of the SEC.He hurt TN and the rest of us,with his stupid crap. Still Has no resume as a coach.

George Stein

July 26th, 2010
3:49 pm

Very creative, Joey. Keep thinking outside the box. Are you in the 3rd grade?

And I never said I didn’t like them on the ladies. I just said that you need to get a sense of humor about the whole Damon Evans fiasco. It will improve your outlook…

George Stein

July 26th, 2010
3:50 pm

Also creative, James. Haven’t heard that either.

GeoffDawg

July 26th, 2010
3:54 pm

How about Poindexter? Goober? Nincompoop? Just spitballing here.

James Adams

July 26th, 2010
3:55 pm

George Stein

July 26th, 2010
3:57 pm

That was actually funny, James.

C’mon UGA fans. Y’all can do better than some variation of nerd. It’s been like 50 years. I’d say the trademark on it has run.

GeoffDawg

July 26th, 2010
4:00 pm

Are we thinking outside the box then? Virgin. *double entendre*

ErnisTbass

July 26th, 2010
4:01 pm

Lane Kiffen is the Brian Bosworth of coaching, he has won some games with a strong defense and the only thing he had to with that is picking his dad up on the way to work

Evansdawg

July 26th, 2010
4:02 pm

How is it a bad thing that Georgia be associated with red panties? Sounds cool to me! What kind of guy doesn’t like a nice pair of red panties? Wait…don’t answer that. Everyone knows that answer. I’ll take the red panties. As a matter of fact, our own fans whould toss them around in the stadium just to create pandemonium.

Joey

July 26th, 2010
4:02 pm

George, we both know if the shoe fits ….

I was writing to the nerd who was writing, ” red panties, red panties, hahahahaha, red panties, hahahahaha, red panties, etc, etc.

But, really, who could have seen the Evans thing coming? I hated it for him, but I’m glad he left so quickly.

But … back to business – how about geek?

George Stein

July 26th, 2010
4:02 pm

Nah, GeoffDawg. We have lots of Asians on our campus. And we all know what industry – outside of nails and dry cleaning – they specialize in. If you don’t, drive down I-75 toward Florida and you’ll figure it out pretty quickly.

Virgin just doesn’t fit.

Delbert D.

July 26th, 2010
4:03 pm

I wouldn’t be surprised if Pat Haden and J.K. McKay have already told Kiffin in essence that he is poised under the guillotine.

OSCAR

July 26th, 2010
4:05 pm

Does he like red panties??

George Stein

July 26th, 2010
4:05 pm

Sure, the shoe fits for some of us on the Tech side of the fence. But I’ve been to Athens and to suggest your campus is devoid of nerds, geeks, goobers, etc. would be completely dishonest.

Thing is, I agree about the red panties hahahahaha stuff. He needs to be a bit more creative. That’s not even funny. And no one saw the DUI thing coming. But that doesn’t make it less humorous.

But again, we are running into the same issue. Enough with the nerd/geek stuff. Put some thought into it.

Ace

July 26th, 2010
4:06 pm

Kiffen OWNS the doggies.

GeoffDawg

July 26th, 2010
4:07 pm

lol. A little rub and tug.

Drew

July 26th, 2010
4:07 pm

Actually, I dislike Roy Barnes more than I dislike Lane Kiffin and Barnes went to Georgia! I am a die hard Dawg! Imagine that!

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George Stein

July 26th, 2010
4:08 pm

Indeed, GeoffDawg. Never been to the Jade Spa myself but I can’t say I haven’t thought about it.

NRBQ

July 26th, 2010
4:10 pm

North Avenue Nebbishes?

GeoffDawg

July 26th, 2010
4:13 pm

Me either. I think my wife might frown on it.

Re: Tech names, something from Monty Python would probably be appropriate.

George Stein

July 26th, 2010
4:13 pm

Much better, NRBQ! I think I’m a fairly stubbon guy, but I’ll buy it. It has a little alliteration to it and sounds like our QB. Gold star for you.

George Stein

July 26th, 2010
4:14 pm

That might be appropriate, GeoffDawg. Now we’re getting somewhere.

How About Tiger Woods?

July 26th, 2010
4:24 pm

OK, so he’s still popular with alot of people, but he’s also despised by many. I didn’t like him before his SUV “accident”, due to his lack of sportsmanship and lack of respect for the game (things Tom Watson mentioned).

Mark Bradley

July 26th, 2010
4:31 pm

Wonder how Lane K. feels about having a new athletics director before his team has played a game.

[...] hated man in sports… Lane Kiffin Thought you all might find this ajc article interesting… The most hated man in sports is the raging brat Lane Kiffin | Mark Bradley It's a short but sweet list of all those who rightfully hate on Kiffin and why his is considered [...]

Gillislee

July 26th, 2010
4:39 pm

Sanction them up some more for that stunt of accusing 5 teams of contacting one of their freshman and then many weeks later admitting it never happened.

wxwax

July 26th, 2010
4:41 pm

I think the shake-up at USC could be the best thing to happen to Lane Kiffin.

He’d already toned down his act, because he doesn’t need to dance on tabletops with a lampshade on his head to recruit for USC (unlike recruiting for Tennessee.)

I think being forced to go “old school” will either make him or break him. I think he’s a talented coach and recruiter. For me, the remaining question is whether or not he’s a good program administrator.

And having Pat Haden’s minions supervising him, forcing him to follow both the letter and the spirit of the rules, can only help him run a solid program.

In other words, I think there’s a good chance Kiffin can join your other villains on the wall of infamy, by being hated for his winning.

Love Poem to Kiffy

July 26th, 2010
4:46 pm

You’re a mean one Mr Kiffin
You really are a heel
You’re as cuddly as a cactus
You’re as charming as an eel
Mr. Kiffin
You’re a bad banana with a greasy black peel

You’re a monster Mr. Kiffin
Your Hearts an empty hole
Your brain is full of spiders
You’ve got garlic in your soul Mr. Kiffin
I wouldn’t touch you with a
39 and a half Foot pole

You’re a vile one Mr. Kiffin
You have termites in your smile
You have all the tender sweetness of a seasick crocodile
Mr. Kiffin
Given the choice between the two of you
I’d take the a seasick crocodile

You’re a foul one Mr. Kiffin
You’re a nasty wasty skunk
Your heart is full of unwashed socks,
Your soul is full of gunk
Mr. Kiffin

The 3 words that best describe you, are as follows, and I quote
Stink, Stank, Stonk

You’re a rotter Mr. Kiffin
You’re the king of sinful sots
Your hearts a dead tomato splotched with moldy purple spots
Mr. Kiffin

Your sole is an appalling dump heap
Overflowing with the most disgraceful
Assortment of deplorable rubbish
Imaginable, mangled up in tangled up knots

You nauseate me, Mr. Kiffin
With a nauseous super naus
You’re a crooked jerky jockey and,
you drive a crooked horse
Mr. Kiffin

You’re a 3 Decker sour kraut and toad stool sandwich
With arsenic sauce!

~Vol Fan

Layla. Yes, really.

July 26th, 2010
4:56 pm

Frankly, I love Lane Kiffin for leaving TN. We didn’t want him there to begin with and his constant whining was embarrassing. Granted, his wife has a most excellent name. :)

Saban is most hated in my book, because he’s devious, he’s dirty, and he’s GOOD. Hate that devil troll.

juice

July 26th, 2010
5:11 pm

It’s nice to have villians like Lane..the brat….well said…and Lebron…man I will be pulling for them to lose eveytime…

Paoli

July 26th, 2010
6:05 pm

There’s a central problem here — nobody wants to live in Tennessee when they could live in California. Especially Samoan Americans.

War Eagle Man

July 26th, 2010
6:10 pm

@ Sogadog..You hit the nail on the head. From top to bottom your post is and will be Kiffins reality.

Jeff

July 26th, 2010
6:21 pm

As a life-long ‘SC, Kiffin, the embarrassment of a human being that he is, needs to go immediately, if not sooner. He is an absolute disgrace as a man.

looked up douchebag in the new webster's

July 26th, 2010
6:23 pm

lo and behold – there was a nice profile pic of Lane Kiffin

tom bates

July 26th, 2010
6:25 pm

Another provincial SEC newspaper opinion. YAWN. So he left for a better job, Shocking! Get over it. I think SEC college football has more to worry about with 1) agents, 2)coaches going off on reporters (Mr. Florida) and 3) academic rigging of classes and grades.

Josh M

July 26th, 2010
7:51 pm

I would only pee on Urban Meyer if he WASN’T on fire.

Mr dg

July 26th, 2010
8:08 pm

There are only givers and takers in this life. Givers are those who go about doing their job the correct way and the takers live off the givers.
Takers:
1-Kiffin-Everyone he meets becomes his enemy
2-Petrino-After he heard Blank brag on him on Monday night football he does the souie pig whatever in the middle of the night.
3-Vick-For the dogs and almost single handling destroying the Falcons-Thank God they came back from the dead!
4-Sports Agents and those who turn their head to cheating

Givers-For the record-I never said I liked Saban or Myer or even Steinbrinner but I respect them for winning.I respect Vol coach Dooley because of the mess he has to clean up.And yes some don’t like Richt but his records speaks for it self. Paul Johnson-should I say more!

Let’s cheer for the givers!!!!

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Joe N

July 27th, 2010
8:17 am

Layla isn’t “so bad,” but that’s because she is a Gator.

I am not going to be the head coach at Alabama. I am the head coach of the Miami Dolphins.

July 27th, 2010
9:03 am

I wouldn’t use the word “hate”. However, Lane certainly is jerk of the decade in sports. I don’t blame him really for leaving UT for his dream job. My issue with him is that he was an arrogant jerk from day one and continues as so. As dawg fan, I will say that UT deserves better. Derek will be that for UT. As far as how he nabbed his wife, don’t you remember in school that the hottest, nicest girls went for the biggest jerks? Nuf said.

Saban—-Left for his dream job also, but did so with no class.
Petrino—Left for better opportunity (in his eyes), but left with no class as well.
Lebron—Took the best opportunity, but is certainly full of himself.
Vick——Thug of the decade award winner. No contest here.

Paddy

July 27th, 2010
10:04 am

David, you said Kiffin is relentless in his pursuit to make his teams better. His record is 12-22, when did this pursuit start, last Thursday? The new AD at USC will not like having his head coach the laughing stock of the sports world for too long. Remember he didn’t hire this maroon, Garrett did.