Readers share heartwarming tales of hatred

                    

	The Manning they love to hate. Eliot J. Schechter/Getty Images
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Hatred, hatred
Is the only thing that lasts forever.
Hatred, hatred
Is the only thing that keeps us together.
-- Raymond Douglas Davies

Last week, this space cordially invited you to share stories about the objects of your disaffection as a fan -- who you hate, why, and how long you have been grinding your teeth down to tiny, raw nubbins at the mere thought of their existence. Here are the most obsessive and amusing tales:

Josh in Nashville, TN: You asked for the hate, I'm serving up the Haterade: It was a Saturday night [in 1997], and I was waiting tables in Nashville paying my way through college. A horde of 60 to 75-year old women were watching the Heisman Trophy presentation. Peyton Manning was expected to win, and these spry old gals were ready to celebrate.

On several occasions they asked me who I was pulling for. Being a Detroit native, I told them Charles Woodson. When my boy won, they all turned to look at me (I was cleaning their plates off the table) and I struck the Heisman pose.

I have never seen that many angry Southern women in one place. I felt the heat of their glares, and quickly retreated. Needless to say, I was stiffed on the tip, and I had a busboy start my car for me. Ever since that day, I have had a deep and resounding hatred for Peyton.

Josh Holzbauer in Madison, WI: My brother and I hate Brett Favre. What really gets us is when he's throwing multiple INTs in the second half, and the commentators blame the wide receivers and talk only about how "Brett's not having as much fun as he used to." We plan to attend a game at Lambeau next season with a giant fun-o-meter. Whenever Favre makes a good play, we'll raise the fun level. When he inevitably throws INTs, we'll drop it. Let me remind you that he's been threatening to retire since he threw six in a playoff game vs. the Rams in 2002. We in the Badger state have been hearing the same (annoying) song for five years. I don't see it stopping anytime soon. Do you?

Lance Coffee in Norcross, GA: Hate is a too strong word. I don't give this particular school that much credit. You know the school -- the one that will be a part of your conference, but only when it benefits them, and won't contribute to your conference when it would benefit you; the school that basically has its own TV network in the fall; that always gets ranked higher than it deserves in football (then the world has to deal with hearing their coach say how they aren't ranked high enough); that gets invited to bowl games it shouldn't (and is defeated in embarrassing ways, yet invited back next year); the school that gives off a Holier Than Thou feeling. For 20 years, I have not said the name of this school and I do not intend to for the rest of my life. I will not watch movies about the school. There are churches in international cities I will not attend because this school has tainted their names. And if you thought that was bad, I could go on for days with reasons to dislike Dick Vitale.