"The 10 Most Disliked Athletes in America" list came out recently and polls show that Norte Dame linebacker Manti Te'o and former seven-time Tour de France champion Lance Armstrong are virtually in a dead heat for the title of America's most disliked athlete.
The public survey from Nielsen/E-Poll limited candidates to active athletes with a minimum of 10 percent awareness.
Here's who made the cut for the 10 Most Disliked Athletes in America:
1. Lance Armstrong
Despite years of doping whispers and suspicions, Armstrong managed to maintain a surprisingly positive public image through all the denials. However, the doping confession to Oprah didn't yield much sympathy, especially since many viewers didn't find him all that remorseful.
2. Manti Te'o
After Norte Dame's title loss to Alabama, Deadspin revealed that the girlfriend he was grieving for after her death didn't exist. Though he claims to have had nothing to do with the hoax, most people figure he embellished the extent of the relationship for personal attention.
3. Tiger Woods
His image hasn't improved much since his highly publicized divorce after and his infamous sex and infidelity scandal of a few years ago. Also since then he hasn't won much, probably adding to his public perception.
4. Jay Cutler
Cutler makes the top five due to the his standoffish demeanor with teammates and the public. Whether it's fair or not, the sight of Cutler riding a stationary bike on the Bears' sideline after pulling himself from a 2011 playoff game still lingers as a symbol of softness.
5. Metta World Peace
Despite recent strides and progress that Metta World Peace has made to his behavior, his past violent experiences such as the "Malice in the Palace" incident and last season's thrown elbow at James Harden, still linger in the thoughts of sports fans.
6. Alex Rodriguez
Recent performance-enhancing allegations have earned A-Rod a spot on the list. Depending on the outcome of his latest PED fiasco, Rodriguez could easily shoot higher.
7. Michael Vick
Ever since his incarceration for running a dog fighting ring out of his home, Vick has never really been viewed the same in the public eye. But to his credit, unlike Metta World Peace, at least Vick is moving steadily down the list from the top spot he used to occupy.
8. Kurt Busch
Hot tempered and arrogant, Busch has feuded with teammates and reporters alike.
9. Kobe Bryant
Despite being beloved in Los Angeles and by Laker and Kobe fans all over the world, Kobe remains to be a love him or hate hime type of player. Regardless of making it on this list, Kobe will go down as one of the greatest players to every play the game.
10. Tony Romo
Romo takes a lot of heat for a good quarterback who has never harmed anyone or been in trouble off the field. That's life with the high-profile Cowboys - when you don't get to the Super Bowl, people find a way to blame the QB.
