Twitter Names Jacob Tamme “Most Hated Player”

When you think of the most hated players in the NFL, your mind might jump straight to a few of the usual suspects.

A decade of immense success combined with a reputation for bending the rules has rendered Tom Brady a bad guy. Dirty hits doled out by Ndamukong Suh and Vontaze Burfict have drawn the ire of many a fan. Years of steroid abuse allegations have villainized veteran James Harrison to anyone who doesn’t sport the black and gold on Sundays. But it is Falcons tight end Jacob Tamme who has curiously “won” the honor courtesy of a Twitter poll.

The story started on Friday, when the Twitter handle for SiriusXM NFL Radio posted a poll; one that included Tamme among hated colleagues like Brady, Cam Newton and Richard Sherman. Tamme earned a whopping 40% of the vote, proving once again how childish and pointlessly effective the internet can be when everyone decides to work together.

Tamme himself helped add to the process, encouraging his fans to vote for him despite being generally regarded as a nice guy in NFL circles. His fans were happy to oblige, openly accusing Tamme of tripping Jennifer Lawrence at the Oscars, designing Georgia’s dreaded I-285 highway, and even wearing zubaz pants.

A veteran TE, Tamme has been blessed enough to catch almost every pass of his professional career from either Peyton Manning or Matt Ryan as a player for Indianapolis, Denver, and currently Atlanta. Considering a real “lunch pail” kind of guy, Tamme’s versatility as a catcher and blocker has made every team he’s been on better.

Entering his ninth season, his squeaky clean reputation prompts the question: what was Tamme doing on the poll in the first place? But for now, the tight end will relish the bizarre honor – but hopefully not the responsibility – of being named the league’s most hated player.