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The Miami Heat are the new evil empire, yeah, yeah, yeah. In fact, before they’ve even hit the court, the 2010-2011 Heat have been ranked the 25th most hated sports team of all time by Sports Illustrated. You can hate all you want, because this city is used to it. What’s SI‘s most hated team of all time? The ’86 Miami Hurricanes. And that ’86 team isn’t the only Canes squad to make the list.
So despite the fact the team isn’t even complete yet or won’t play a single game for months, the 2010-11 Heat inspired and kick off the list at 25. That’s pretty amazing, and if they’re successful, we have a feeling they’ll go only higher on future editions of the list.
That’s OK, we’re used to it. Farther up the list, which includes international, college, and professional teams (not to mention the 1976 East Germany Women’s Olympic Swimming Team), are the 1990 Miami Hurricanes, at number 11.
That team’s brutal, boastful 46-3 dismantling of the Texas Longhorns in the ’91 Cotton Bowl led the NCAA to adopt the so-called Miami Rules. “These guys knew people despised them, and reveled in the fact,” SI says.
That squad had nothing on the hate the Jimmy Johnson-coached ’86 Hurricanes received. They came in number one overall. That was the year the Canes were accused of running up the score against a helpless Notre Dame and was capped by their infamous arrival at the Fiesta Bowl in fatigues and walk-out during a dinner with their Penn State opponents.
