10 most polarizing players in Philadelphia sports history
We tend to have a love-hate relationship with certain athletes in Philadelphia. Here are the 10 most polarizing players in the city's sports history. By Sean Kane
We tend to have a love-hate relationship with certain athletes in Philadelphia. So it wasn't all that difficult to come up with a list of the most polarizing Philadelphia athletes.
There is no shortage of worthy candidates, both past and present. Some of the guys on this list are considered polarizing in Philadelphia. Others are universally loved here but polarizing across their respective sports.
These are athletes that evoke strong feelings — you either love them or hate them.
Lenny Dykstra began his career as a member of the rival Mets, helping New York to a World Series title in 1986 and a trip to the NLCS in 1988. Dykstra's success with the Mets combined with his brash attitude and playing style made him an easy target for Phillies fans anytime the Mets came to town.
But the boos turned to cheers in 1989 when Dykstra was traded to the Phillies. No longer a villain, he was immediately embraced in Philadelphia. His aggressive nature, toughness and intensity won over the fans and earned him the nickname "Nails." He was also known as "The Dude," a foul-mouthed, tobacco-chewing hitting machine who was an All-Star in his first full season in Philadelphia in 1990 and served as the catalyst for the 1993 NL champs, finishing second in the MVP voting that year to Barry Bonds.
Injuries mounted and ultimately cut Dykstra's time in Philadelphia short. His bizarre post-baseball life has included more than a few run-ins with the law. He's feuded publicly with former teammate Mitch Williams, he openly jokes about taking performance-enhancing drugs during his career and he's not included whenever the Phillies honor the 1993 team.
In short, "The Dude" remains polarizing as ever.
Joel Embiid's 76ers career got off to a rocky start as the big man missed two straight seasons because of a foot injury. Fans wondered if he would ever be healthy enough to play a full season. Some criticized his off-court activities while he was injured; dancing at the Meek Mill concert comes to mind.
But Embiid won the fans over in a hurry once he got on the court. His exceptional basketball skills are matched only by his oversized personality. He says (and tweets) whatever is on his mind and the fans love him for it. He nicknamed himself "The Process" and quickly became the face of the franchise. But questions remain. Can Embiid lead the Sixers to a championship? Will he dedicate himself to getting in the best possible shape in order to do so?
While Embiid is generally a beloved figure in Philadelphia, he's not the most popular guy around the NBA. His penchant for trash-talking despite the 76ers' lack of postseason success ruffles feathers. One way to silence the naysayers — ending the Sixers' 37-year title drought.
There's been resentment toward Bryce Harper since the day he was introduced to the baseball world as the "Chosen One" on the cover of Sports Illustrated at the age of 16. He was anointed as the new face of baseball when he debuted with the Nationals as a 19-year-old, irking fellow players and fans alike.
Like Lenny Dykstra, Harper's intensity and brashness make him easy to hate as an opponent and easy to love as a member of the home team. But after signing a 13-year, $330 million contract with the Phillies prior to the 2019 season, Harper is here for the long haul. He's gone out of his way to make Philadelphia his new home. He loves the Flyers. He rings the bell before 76ers games. He goes to Eagles games. He's best friends with the Phillie Phanatic.
Harper is immune to boos in Philadelphia but he hears more of them on the road than any player in baseball. That just makes us even more protective of him. We may have booed him for the first seven years of his career, but now he's our guy for the duration of that 13-year contract.
Allen Iverson is on the short list of the most beloved Philadelphia athletes ever. He's also on the short list of the most controversial athletes ever. The latter made him an extremely polarizing figure during his career.
The controversy started before he even arrived in Philadelphia. He was arrested in high school following a bowling alley brawl and spent four months in jail. He came to town as the first pick of the 1996 NBA draft, but a lot of people had already made up their mind concerning Iverson.
But "The Answer" won over the town with his competitive spirit — in his words, "playing every game like it's my last." The smallest player on the floor was also the toughest. Philadelphia loves that type of mentality.
He won an MVP award and led the 76ers to the 2001 NBA Finals. He spent 12 seasons in Philadelphia on the way to a first ballot Basketball Hall of Fame selection. It was a bumpy ride at times — run-ins with the law, an ill-conceived rap album, dress code discipline, clashes with coaches and the front office, the infamous "practice" press conference.
Iverson did things his way and Philadelphia loved him for it.
Eric Lindros arrived in Philadelphia labeled as a franchise savior. He was expected to restore the Flyers to glory and win multiple Stanley Cups along the way.
In the end, everything about Lindros' tenure in Philadelphia was complicated, beginning with how the Flyers acquired him. Once he finally suited up in orange and black, it was evident what all the hype was about. He won the Hart Trophy as a 22-year-old in 1994-95 before leading the Flyers to the Stanley Cup Final two years later.
But things started to deteriorate shortly thereafter. He was sidelined by a number of injuries, including several concussions. Flyers GM Bob Clarke questioned Lindros' toughness, which led to public feuding between the two.
Eventually Lindros was traded to the Rangers following the 1999-00 season. He ended up playing five more NHL seasons before retiring at the age of 34. For years he had a frosty relationship with the Flyers. Thankfully those hard feelings subsided over time and Lindros has once again been embraced by the organization and the fans.
By any statistical measure, Donovan McNabb is the greatest quarterback in Eagles history. He's the franchise's all-time leader in completions, passing yards and passing touchdowns. He's won more regular-season games and playoff games than any other Eagles quarterback.
So why isn't McNabb universally beloved in the city where he put together a borderline Hall of Fame career? Like a lot of guys on this list, McNabb's case is complicated.
For one, he lost a Super Bowl and four NFC title games. Whether he deserved it or not, McNabb took the blame for most of those losses and developed a reputation for not being able to win the big one. He also had a tendency to hold grudges, most notably after he was booed when the Eagles took him with the second pick of the 1999 NFL draft.
A rift with a certain wide receiver didn't help his cause either ...
Terrell Owens is the most talented wide receiver to ever wear an Eagles uniform. He and Donovan McNabb made magic together in 2004, leading the Eagles to their second Super Bowl appearance in team history.
In just 14 regular-season games, Owens had 77 catches for 1,200 yards and 14 touchdowns. Then he returned from a broken ankle to catch nine passes for 122 yards in the Super Bowl.
T.O. was the king of Philadelphia, poised for a long and successful run with the Eagles to close out his Hall of Fame career. Then ... 2005 happened.
Unhappy with his contract, Owens single-handedly torpedoed the Eagles' season. He was sent home from training camp for his disruptive behavior and ended up holding his own not-so-private workouts in his driveway. He criticized McNabb for not supporting him in his pursuit of a new contract, he fought with Hugh Douglas, he did everything he could to divide the Eagles' locker room.
After just seven games, Owens was suspended for the remainder of the 2005 season. In fewer than 12 months, he went from hero to villain. Ever since he left the Eagles prior to the 2006 season, fans have wondered what could have been if McNabb and Owens could have gotten along and finished their careers together in Philadelphia.
Pete Rose spent only a small portion of his legendary career with the Phillies. But those years were meaningful.
He arrived in 1979 and gave the Phillies that final push up the championship mountain in 1980. Rose was a key cog in the first World Series championship team in franchise history. He hung around as a 42-year-old in 1983 to help the Phillies to another NL pennant.
Rose will always be held in high esteem around here for his accomplishments with the Phillies. He retired from baseball in 1986 with 4,256 career hits, the most in the history of the sport. But just three years later, the "Hit King" was banished from baseball for life after betting on baseball during his time as Reds manager. His punishment included being permanently ineligible from Hall of Fame consideration.
He's arguably the most polarizing figure in baseball history. To this day, arguments rage over whether Rose should be allowed into the Hall of Fame. But he'll always hold a special place in the hearts of Philadelphia fans for being the missing piece in the Phillies' championship quest.
Former Phillies GM Ed Wade said it best — "every fifth day, Curt is our horse. The other four days, he's a horse's ass." That sums up Curt Schilling's tenure in Philadelphia nicely.
He established his reputation as one of the premiere big-game pitchers in baseball, winning 1993 NLCS MVP honors and being named to three straight All-Star Games from 1997-1999.
His feuding with the front office eventually led to his trade to the Diamondbacks in 2000. He led Arizona to a World Series title in 2001 and, along with Randy Johnson, was named World Series co-MVP. Schilling won two more World Series with the Red Sox in the final stages of a career many believe is worthy of induction into the Hall of Fame.
But wherever Schilling went, controversy was sure to follow. And that continued after he retired. One incident that stands out from early in his career — covering his head with a towel when Mitch Williams pitched in the 1993 postseason, something that seriously irked Williams and the rest of his Phillies teammates.
Schilling was never the most popular guy in the clubhouse. But he was the guy you wanted on the mound in a big game.
Michael Vick might be the most polarizing athlete of the 21st century. The No. 1 pick in the 2001 NFL draft transcended the quarterback position with his breathtaking athleticism and flick-of-the-wrist downfield arm strength.
His life and career were sidetracked in 2007 following his indictment on federal dogfighting charges and subsequent 19-month prison sentence. It was a crime that struck a nerve with a lot of people, sports fans included. Many will never forgive Vick for fighting, torturing and killing dogs.
Vick rehabbed his career and image in Philadelphia, taking over as the Eagles' starting quarterback in 2010 and playing some of his best football in the process. Following retirement, Vick has enjoyed a successful career in the media, something that would have been difficult to imagine 10 years ago.
