But he seems like such a nice boy.
Allow me to clarify. A bastard is not a universally hated figure. In fact, a bastard is loved by his team mates, and adored by his fans. He is hated by fans of every other team, though. He makes it his purpose in life to play dirty, and get under the skin of the opposition. He is often arrogant, but not always. He is often quiet, decent and well-mannered off the field, but not always.
Our first bastard is Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Hines Ward.
Why he's loved: Ward was a record-setting all-purpose offensive threat for the Georgia Bulldogs, but slipped in the 1998 draft due to concerns over his left knee. He was taken 92nd overall, and worked his way into the Steelers' lineup the hard way. He blocked, tackled and covered on special teams. He gained a reputation for being the hardest-working guy on the team. He still has that reputation 181 starts, 866 receptions, 77 touchdowns, and 2 Super Bowl rings later. He won MVP honors at Super Bowl XL, and even today, at the age of 33, is still Pittsburgh's number one receiver, no matter how much Santonio Holmes may disagree. More importantly, he founded the Hines Ward Helping Hands Foundation, a group dedicated to ending discrimination against mixed-race children in South Korea. Watch highlights of Super Bowl XL, including the end-around reverse that got Ward the MVP.
Why he's hated: Try to find anyone in the cities of Cincinnati, Baltimore or Cleveland that has a single kind word to say about him. To opposing fans, he's not hard-working, he's just plain dirty. Just ask Bengals linebacker Keith Rivers.
That block - or assault, whichever you prefer - actually prompted a rule change in the NFL. Wide receivers are no longer to block defensive players from the blind side; this is known as the Hines Ward rule, ensuring that Ward's name will forever be linked with dirty hits. That hit broke Rivers' jaw in two places. Ward was voted 'Dirtiest Player in the NFL' in a Sports Illustrated poll of 296 current NFL players. He comfortably beat Albert Haynesworth for first place. Bengals safety Chinedum Ndukwe commented "That's what he's known for. He's a blind-side guy." Most recently, Ward questioned the toughness of QB Ben Roethlisberger for not playing with a concussion. What a bastard.
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