I think I officially hate Dwight Howard

[LarBrd33]

This was kind of a slow progression with me.  I use to like Dwight Howard... but it's suddenly dawned on me... I can't stand that punk.   I know a lot of fans here can't stand LeBron James and like to spew their hatred constantly.  I never shared that.  I don't have a problem with Bron.  The guy is good.  I respect his game.   

Dwight Howard really rubs me the wrong way, though.   I think it started sometime last year in a random regular-season Magic/Celtics game.   Dwight started off the game by making a couple baskets... and then ran up the court dramatically looking at his hand like "oh my god, I'm incredible"... I've seen Shaq do this kind of thing comically as well, but this was after literally 2 baskets in a big game against Boston.  Perk shut him down the rest of the way.  He finished the game something like 3-9 from the floor and the Magic lost.  That was strike one, for me.

Then I see his pre-game dance routine before game 1 against Boston.  Then I see him smiling and giggling in the middle of a crucial game 2 that they were LOSING... and I start to have zero respect for the guy and his "happy-go-lucky" attitude in the middle of the playoffs.  When he gets frustrated, he gets a flagrant against Pierce... but he's still skipping and smiling all the way to a 2nd loss. 

Something about his over reliance on his athleticism also bugs me... (same reason a lot of people use to hate Shaq... not much skill).

It also annoyed me the media FLIPPED OUT over his "superman" dunk that wasn't even a dunk.   Then the next year in the dunk contest the entire thing was a Dwight Howard love-fest. They seriously tried to force him down every fan's throat.  I don't like Nate Robinson, but I enjoyed that Dwight lost that dunk contest.  I had never seen the NBA so desperately forcing a player on their fanbase like that.

It also bugs me that his entire image revolves around being a hyper jesus freak who listens to gospel music, went to a christian school, goes to church every week and likes to quote bible passages in his post-game interviews... but the guy knocked up some skanky Orlando Magic dancer named Royce Reed.  I don't have much of a soft spot for hypocritical religious nuts.  That definitely weighs into my view of him as a person.   Is anyone really going to be surprised if in a few years there's a major Dwight Howard scandal?  My money is on it being steroid or sex related.  Maybe I'm cynical with the Tiger Woods and Kobe Bryants of the world, but I can't trust athletes who are marketed as squeeky-clean christian superstars anymore.  My instincts tell me he's about as "real" as Hulk Hogan.

There... some irrational, over-the-top hate.  Maybe I can join the club with all the Bron haters out there who flip out over his treatment of ballboys.   It's kinda fun... every fan should have at least one player in the NBA they officially hate.     

[angryguy77]

Everybody makes mistakes Christian or not. If he's going around talking judgmental about people who have sex before marriage, then I would agree with you. If he goes around saying he's a perfect christian you would also have a point. But I havn't heard him say that sort of stuff.

It doesn't make him a hypocrite becuase he fell short and drifted away from his values. It makes him a sinner and not perftect, like the rest of us.

Every christain does things the Bible says not to do. How they handle it determines if thy are a hypocrite or not.

[mgent]

I've gotta say that interview with himself was one of the dumbest things I've seen.  He's not nearly as funny as he thinks he is.

I also hate how he thinks he's superman when Shaq was 10x the baller he'll ever be.  And he's actually funny.

[moiso]

I've gotta say that interview with himself was one of the dumbest things I've seen.  He's not nearly as funny as he thinks he is.

I also hate how he thinks he's superman when Shaq was 10x the baller he'll ever be.  And he's actually funny.

He really isn't funny at all.  I don't know if he's ever really said anything that I've found clever.

[Bankshot]

I've gotta say that interview with himself was one of the dumbest things I've seen.  He's not nearly as funny as he thinks he is.

I also hate how he thinks he's superman when Shaq was 10x the baller he'll ever be.  And he's actually funny.

Why doesn't someone tell him he's not funny? Why doesn't someone tell him he's a terrible actor?  He's embarrassing himself.

[Lucky17]

I can't say I hate Dwight.

If anything, I hate the media hype machine that drives the marketing of the NBA. Forcing Dwight Howard down our throats as a superstar is ridiculous.

He's a good player, and has received some individual accolades (he's won the Dunk Competition multiple times, let's not forget), but I still think he's seriously flawed/limited.

[Eja117]

If the Magic lose these playoffs the new nickname for Dwight Howard is Supergirl (actually Supergirl could kick his wazoo and it's not nice to girls, but still. Hmmm. Maybe SuperBad.)

And Perk's new nickname is Kryptonite.

And Sheed's is Lex Luther.

And Rashard Lewis is Lois Lane.

[celts55]

I must say, I kind of like the guy. He plays hard but he aways looks like he's having a good time on the court. He doesn't spend a lot of time arguing calls with the refs, even when he's jocked. I don't see him talking trash to the other team. Sure some of the stuff he does can be annoying but in general he comes off as being that pleasent happy-go-lucky fellow I wouldn't mind having a beer with. I really don't see anything to hate about him, but than again, I don't really hate any athlete unless they have done something really bad. Re; Rothenberg.

[Redz]

I've gotta say that interview with himself was one of the dumbest things I've seen.  He's not nearly as funny as he thinks he is.

I also hate how he thinks he's superman when Shaq was 10x the baller he'll ever be.  And he's actually funny.

Why doesn't someone tell him he's not funny? Why doesn't someone tell him he's a terrible actor?  He's embarrassing himself.

you wanna tell the guy?

[LarBrd33]

I must say, I kind of like the guy. He plays hard but he aways looks like he's having a good time on the court. He doesn't spend a lot of time arguing calls with the refs, even when he's jocked. I don't see him talking trash to the other team. Sure some of the stuff he does can be annoying but in general he comes off as being that pleasent happy-go-lucky fellow I wouldn't mind having a beer with. I really don't see anything to hate about him, but than again, I don't really hate any athlete unless they have done something really bad. Re; Rothenberg.

The "looks like he's having a good time" thing is what bugs me.  He doesn't seem to have that killer instinct.  I can't imagine KG and Pierce giggling and dancing in the middle of a potential huge loss.   So what we have is a big physical freak who doesn't really care.

[Silent Storm]

He can laugh and giggle all he wants, it works to our advantage. Dwight Howard, this is why you fail.

[j804]

I must say, I kind of like the guy. He plays hard but he aways looks like he's having a good time on the court. He doesn't spend a lot of time arguing calls with the refs, even when he's jocked. I don't see him talking trash to the other team. Sure some of the stuff he does can be annoying but in general he comes off as being that pleasent happy-go-lucky fellow I wouldn't mind having a beer with. I really don't see anything to hate about him, but than again, I don't really hate any athlete unless they have done something really bad. Re; Rothenberg.

Not sure if your a Magic fan or what you're watching but he argues near every call against him.

[MMacOH]

I must say, I kind of like the guy. He plays hard but he aways looks like he's having a good time on the court. He doesn't spend a lot of time arguing calls with the refs, even when he's jocked. I don't see him talking trash to the other team. Sure some of the stuff he does can be annoying but in general he comes off as being that pleasent happy-go-lucky fellow I wouldn't mind having a beer with. I really don't see anything to hate about him, but than again, I don't really hate any athlete unless they have done something really bad. Re; Rothenberg.

Well, he doesn't argue per say but he rolls his eyes, gives hi disgusted look and then goes and complains to his coach who does his arguing for him.  Then Howard will cowardly go to hsi blog and complain about the refs there.  I can't stand the guy. 

He's not a superstar, he's an athletic freak who can't develop a post game

[FallGuy]

I must say, I kind of like the guy. He plays hard but he aways looks like he's having a good time on the court. He doesn't spend a lot of time arguing calls with the refs, even when he's jocked. I don't see him talking trash to the other team. Sure some of the stuff he does can be annoying but in general he comes off as being that pleasent happy-go-lucky fellow I wouldn't mind having a beer with. I really don't see anything to hate about him, but than again, I don't really hate any athlete unless they have done something really bad. Re; Rothenberg.

Well, he doesn't argue per say but he rolls his eyes, gives hi disgusted look and then goes and complains to his coach who does his arguing for him.  Then Howard will cowardly go to hsi blog and complain about the refs there.  I can't stand the guy. 

He's not a superstar, he's an athletic freak who can't develop a post game

His limited post game aside, he has enormous impact on a game, especially defensively (although he also had a very good offensive game against us on Tuesday). You can hate the guy, or argue he can't be the best guy on a title team but he's a star, no doubt.

[Scalablob990]

I must say, I kind of like the guy. He plays hard but he aways looks like he's having a good time on the court. He doesn't spend a lot of time arguing calls with the refs, even when he's jocked. I don't see him talking trash to the other team. Sure some of the stuff he does can be annoying but in general he comes off as being that pleasent happy-go-lucky fellow I wouldn't mind having a beer with. I really don't see anything to hate about him, but than again, I don't really hate any athlete unless they have done something really bad. Re; Rothenberg.

Not sure if your a Magic fan or what you're watching but he argues near every call against him.

Oh man I couldn't stop laughing when that happened during the game, SVG FTW. I don't have a problem with Dwight, don't forget this is the playoffs, emotions boil over sometimes. He's far far FAR below Kobe, Qrich, Gasol, LeBron, Artest, JO, Ilgauskas, Amare, Varejao, Mo Williams etc.. on the players I love to hate scale.

My personal opinion is that Dwight is a *good* center, BUT you throw him in the 90's where centers were dominant and he'd just be a normal player. Ewing or The Dream would eat him alive, or KG in his prime??? No comparison.