Islanders Ranked 8th Most Hated Team In NHL
“They hate us cause they ain’t us.” It’s a phrase that you’re probably familiar with and when it comes to the New York Islanders I find that it’s also an appropriate phrase.
Considering that the Islanders are called boring by fans of other teams pretty much any time they go far in the playoffs, it’s not too surprising that they get some hate online. Although, I will say that I was surprised with just how much they’re hated.
The Action Network did a social media study where they try to figure out which sports teams in America are “hated” the most online. Well, looking at the NHL’s list, the Islanders come in eighth.
A top-10 hated team? That’s a little surprising. Actually, the top five outside of Toronto at three surprises me. Dallas, Arizona, Toronto, Vancouver, and Buffalo make up the most hated teams in the league.
Maybe it’s the North East bias, but I’m stunned the Maple Leafs aren’t first, I’m surprised Tampa isn’t on this list, and the same with teams like Chicago, Boston, Washington, and Pittsburgh also don’t find their way on this list.
Instead, it’s Dallas leading the way with a 9.86% negative sentiment rate. The Islanders were at 7.22% for reference. Now, if you want to include the NFL, NBA, MLB, and MLS as well, the Isles still rank pretty high!
According to this study, they are 18th! Teams like the Dallas Cowboys, New York Knicks and Atlanta Falcons somehow don’t rank higher. At least it’s not as bad as the Vegas Raiders, who are by far the most hated team in this study at 14.2% (the next closest is Dallas at 9.86%).
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Don’t be surprised if the Islander continue to climb up this list. I don’t think the winning ways and “boring hockey” is going anywhere.