Why do we hate winners?

The winner's mentality, it can be verbal and nonverbal and usually full of attitude. What is the difference between swagger being cool and cockiness being egotistical? I am just as guilty as anyone else. When Richard Sherman pulled his stunt, my inner Red Raider came out in defense for Michael Crabtree. But why get upset at one of the best corners in the game for demanding respect after a Super Bowl determining play? Are we judgmental and hold the moral flag for these athletes? Does the resume/rings make a difference? Do people like graceful winners more than boastful winners?

Richard Sherman. Selected in the fifth round, 48 tackles and eight interceptions, would prove to you he was underrated and was demanding respect when he spouted off after the conference championship. We get mad when we actually get the reaction we want, especially as sports enthusiast and reporters. We live for those moments. Was it his swagger or his confidence that made you upset? In turn people started calling him a thug. By the way, for a "thug," he is an extremely smart man. Now that he has a Super Bowl ring, are we still talking about his post game comments? No. The ring backs up his comments, and if he had not won a ring, we would be laughing at Sherman.

Michael Jordan. First round pick, 32,292 points, 5,633 assists, 5,004 defensive rebounds, and 1,668 offensive rebounds. He definitely lived up to the hype, but people were torn with his attitude. Some people loved MJ, and some hated the fact that he was a ball hog and selfish (compared to Lebron James, and fans get frustrated for James being a facilitator.) He wanted and craved to have the ball in his hands in the last seconds of the game, he welcomed the pressure. When I am drafting a team, I am looking for the guy that can handle the pressure, who is a winner, but sometimes that attitude is not welcomed by people. Team player or a ball hog? 

Johnny Manziel. 4,114 yards and 37 touchdowns, and that is just his college stats. Don't get me wrong, I am the last person to brag about an Aggie, but he is a winner. He will run the ball into the endzone if need be. It's like Tom Brady, you never count him out no matter how many seconds are left on the clock. Manziel will do whatever it takes to win. No matter the off the field shenanigans, you draft him, because that mentality is contagious. 

Allen Iverson. 24,368 points and 5,624 assists. If anyone had a crazy off the court lifestyle, it was Iverson, but ignore his off the court nonsense. Fans thought he was a thug, and out of control. Yet, he had the winner's mentality. He wanted the ball in his hands. Fans did not like his attitude, but at the same time craved more of Iverson, just like we tune into a Richard Sherman post game interview now. 

Dez Bryant. 4,104 yards and 40 touchdowns since being drafted. He has reacted inappropriately (according to some) on the field and off the field, not to mention his random legal troubles with finances or getting into bar fights. However, he has great raw talent and is starting to put the full package together by staying focused during the off season. (Hopefully, I didn't just jinx him.) But because he doesn't have a great playoff or super bowl win, he sometimes doesn't get the cred. I think with a ring on your finger, the respect gives athletes breathing room to say what they wish sometimes.

Shaun White. Two olympic gold medals on the snow, and is notably the snowboarder who put the sport on the international stage. Some of his fellow snowboarders either hate him or admire him. It's the attitude, the ego, the cockiness. Why not? He put snowboarding on the map. He has to have swag in the pipe when he has the sport's expectations on his back. 

Derek Jeter. The Yanks all-time hits leader (3,305), been named to the All-Star Game 12 times, picked up five Gold Gloves at shortstop and won five World Series titles. Is it the dating life that sets you off with the likes of Minka Kelly, Jessica Biel and Vanessa Minnillo? We tune into to games for the investment in our teams, not the athletes personal lives. And Jeter is a winner. Some fans judge an athlete based on their personal life, rather than their resume.  

And many many more. 

I was a horrible free throw shooter in high school. My parents would tell me to convince myself at the line that when I let go of that ball it is going in. When I changed my mentality and played with some confidence, it upped my game. The saying "fake it until you make it" is true in sports and in life. Just like Sherman's comments with Tom Brady, Michael Crabtree and others, he spit some game, but definitely has the ring to back it up. So does it matter if the athlete is a graceful winner or boastful winner? I think it doesn't matter, because with the resume comes the respect.