The 15 Most Misunderstood Athletes in Sports Today

Image via Complex Original

Being on "America's Team" ain't easy. Much like the Yankees of the MLB, Dallas Cowboys fans in the '90s were accustomed to winning it all and winning it often. Being the QB on a team playing in the shadow of the '90s 'Boys, who won in 1992, 1993 and 1995, isn't easy. 

Almost immediately, Romo haters will point to his 1-3 postseason record, but let's get one thing straight: the botched field against the Seahawks in the 2007 NFL Playoffs was not really Tony's fault. Had coach Bill Parcells made the decision to throw Romo out there and he followed the Big Tuna's orders, even if he didn't think he was the right guy for the job. 

Then, what about Romo's stats, season to season? Believe it or not, Romo holds the franchise's top four spots in passing yards in a single season, the top two spots in touchdowns in a season, and his QB rating has been above 94.9 five times. Turnover prone? Romo's career-high of 19 turnovers ranks seventh in the organization behind the likes of Vinny Testaverde and Quincy Carter. And speaking of those two guys, would you really take either one of those players over the undrafted Romo out of little 'ol Eastern Illnois at this point? Yeah, we didn't think so.

"Kevin Garnett is one crazy ass dude." You've heard someone say that or probably even said it yourself. There's no denying that Garnett is an intense, loose cannon on the court. But let's pay attention to the last part of that last sentence. "On the court."

For KG, it has been and will always be about being competitive and doing whatever it takes to get the upper hand. If it means calling Charlie Villanueva a "cancer patient" or  supposedly saying Carmelo Anthony's wife La La tastes like Honey Nut Cheerios, then so be it. Look, Garnett isn't trying to throw down, he's trying to get in your head with trash talk, the same way Jordan, Kobe and many others have done and will continue to do. And guess what, the night Garnett dropped the rumored line on Melo, the Knicks star forward shot 6/26 from the field. All part of the plan for Garnett.

Jon Jones may come off as arrogant, but don't confuse the confidence with arrogance. Especially, if up until today, Jones has managed to back up all of his trash talk with a 19-1 record. And let's not forget to mention the record for the most successful light heavyweight title defenses with six.

Outside of all the verbal jabs, Bones is a student of the sport who is always looking to expand mixed martial arts, and become a more skilled, well-rounded fighter. Jones has respect for MMA and sets out to be the best competitor he can be. How can you be mad at that? 

Following Anderson Silva's loss to Chris Weidman, Bones said, “Martial arts is hugely a sport that is based on honor and integrity and treating people with respect and he [Silva] somehow lost sight of that. He paid quite the price for it.” His quote shows exactly what he thinks of the sport and shows that while he does plenty of posturing in the weeks leading up to his fight, Jones takes it all very seriously. 

Throughout his career, Mario Balotelli has walked the line of being a badass and a jackass. And yes, Super Mario doesn't give a fuck most of the time. But don't forget that first and foremost, he is a fierce competitor which has resulted in him acting irrationally or out of emotion. A reckless challenge here, stomping on an opponent who played him aggressively there and a sprinkle of poor practical jokes, Balotelli has had plenty of jackass moments for a 23-year-old.  There's still plenty of time for Balotelli to mature. Mario's attitude will probably settle down in due time. Maybe marriage will help expedite the process.

It may be hard to believe that Bryce Harper turns 21 this month. In a matter of three years, Harper went from being selected with the first overall pick in the 2010 MLB Draft to already playing one full season with the Washington Nationals. It's a lot for any baseball player to handle.

The major knock against Harper is his attitude. Here's Exhibit A. But let's cut the guy some slack, he's a work in progress and has a lot of growing up to do. Until then, we should focus on how hard he plays the game of baseball and the infectious passion he exudes when admiring a clutch home run he knocked out of the ballpark. Honestly, the MLB needs Harper. He's not the cookie cutter ballplayer and should actually be embraced for the talent and entertainment he has already brought to the game.

Wildly competitive, incredibly arrogant, ridiculously selfish. Those are some of the things said about Kobe Bryant. He's the guy that people love to hate and we're pretty sure Kobe wouldn't have it any other way. He's arrogant, but if the person you've looked up to says that he would have a difficult time beating you one-on-one, you would be feeling yourself a little bit, too.  

As it is with any player who comes into the NBA, Bryant set out to be one of the best players to ever play in the league and without getting into a long-winded discussion about it, he has realized that goal. As for all the selfish talk, Bryant has a modest 4.8 career assists per game. Not comparable to the numbers of a Magic or Chris Paul, but when you're as good as Kobe, why wouldn't you want the ball in your hands more often than not? Don't forget about the lean years in the mid 2000s when his fellow starters included Devean George, Kwame Brown, and Smush Parker.

We've all taken shots at Chris Bosh. But, the common misconception is that Bosh simply having fun out there is a sign of softness. OK, CB may have a little bit of Charmin in his blood, but he's just an animated dude who wears his heart on his sleeve and he's enjoying his career in the NBA. 

Far too many times sports are filled with athletes maintaining a game face. And if you're not pissed off while playing, people tend to think you're not taking it seriously. That couldn't be further from the truth for Bosh. In fact, if it weren't for Bosh, the Miami Heat wouldn't have won back-to-back titles. Yeah, we said it.

If you were to ask Knicks fans who was to blame for the team's elimination in the 2013 NBA Playoffs, a majority of them would probably point to J.R. Smith. From his suspension in the first round against the Celtics to his partying during the postseason, Swish may be an easy target for directing the blame. But is it warranted? No.

As for Smith's nightlife routine, former NBA player Jalen Rose defended the actions, saying that some guys need to go hit a club just to relax. No, c'mon, don't shake your head. We don't call you out for hitting the bar after work. We kind of give him a pass because  J.R. was playing through so much knee pain during the playoffs that he will miss some time this upcoming season because of a surgery to repair a torn lateral meniscus (the suspension just means extra rest). Despite that fact, J.R. still put up career-highs in MPG (33.5), PPG (18.1), and RPG (5.3). Whether it's during the season or the offseason, Smith is always working hard, but we'll let him say it in his own words.

Football is a strange sport when you really think about it. Players are expected to try and practically rip each other's faces off during a play, but once that whistle blows, you're expected to act like a civil human being again. It's weird. Over the years, Ndamukong Suh has developed the persona that he's a dirty player but could you imagine being in his shoes? Look, we're not excusing Ndamukong's actions, however, there does need to be a level of understanding about what happens in the heat of battle.

Imagine being in a fight on the street, your blood pumping, anger flowing through you, then, all of a sudden, someone comes in blowing a whistle and you're expected to just go, "Oh, OK, that's the end of that." Hell no! You'll probably want to finish what you started. The same type of mentality can be applied to Suh's actions on the football field.

You either love or hate Cristiano Ronaldo. You either love what he can do on the pitch or you hate his cockiness coupled with his propensity to take a dive whenever and wherever. However, for those that are in the latter group, let us point out that much like the NBA, flopping is just a part of the game. You may not like it, but what Cristiano is doing is trying to give his team the upper hand by any means necessary.

Cristiano has proven that he is a talented scorer and one of the best playing today, so why does he feel the need to fall on the ground even after getting the slightest bit of contact? Why don't you ask LeBron James the same thing? It's all in an effort to win and you can't be mad at CR for that.

Back in June, we asked the question, who is Yasiel Puig? One month later, people already have him figured out. "He plays with a lot of arrogance," the Diamondbacks' Ian Kennedy said, following a game against the Dodgers in early July. But is it arrogance or confidence? Most people point to one particular moment that harnessed this perception of who Puig is: his actions with the media.

As young ballplayers in the United States grow up, they learn to handle any media attention through what they see on the TV. Puig, on the other hand, was forced into a situation where beat writers want a piece of him everyday, cameras are in his face all the time and he's supposed to be OK with it even though he never went through any of this while living in Cuba? Let's not jump to conclusions here about No. 66. After all, he's only 22 and this is still his rookie year.

"Only thing I wanna know is why I get looked over/I guess I'll understand when I get more older/Big brother saw me at the bottom of the totem/Now I'm on the top and everybody on the scrotum" Kanye West spat those bars on "Big Brother" about his developing relationship as little brother to Jay Z.

Similarly, Serena Williams has treated Sloane Stephens as a little sister during the early parts of her career. In a conversation with ESPN The Magazine, Stephens complained that Serena went from being her friend to unfollowing her on Twitter. But what Sloane doesn't realize is that Serena is giving her tough love. She's gotta develop the same thick skin that both the Williams sisters grew through their career. Still, Serena is painted in a bad light and seen as a mean person. Serena knows that Stephens may supplant her one day, but until then, she's gotta learn the ropes. 

Over the past year, Johnny Manziel went from your regular redshirt freshman starting quarterback for Texas A&M to the talk of college football. Along the way, Manziel has picked up a Heisman award, a couple haters, an autograph for money scandal, and reputation for being immature. And that's only scratching the surface. It's a lot for the 20-year-old Manziel to take in.

Clearly, Johnny Football wants to enjoy the perks that come with being Johnny Football and do you blame him? How could anyone say no to courtside seats or the opportunity to chill with the most popular rappers today? This season, though, aside from the benching in the Aggies' first game against Rice, Manziel has cracked down on the actions that people have seen as immature. Is it a sign that Manziel is maturing? Maybe. If so, Drizzy taught him. Drizzy taught him well.

Floyd Mayweather is a talented fighter but he's also equally skilled as a business man. Because of this fact, Mayweather knows how to build up hype and garner attention for his upcoming fight. And if that means breaking off into a crazy trash talking moment in order to get more people to order his bout on pay per view, then so be it. For Money May, it's all an act. Those arrogant moments where you may develop a hatred for Floyd is all a facade. Because when that final bell rings and Mayweather has won again, the first thing he does is express his respect and admiration for his opponent. That moment isn't an act, it's the real Floyd coming through.

Adrien Broner is wild. Just plain wild. He's publicly gone down on a stripper, flushed money down the toilet and exhibited plenty of other absurdly wild behavior. And we know what you're thinking. How in the hell is Broner misunderstood? Well, it's simple. He is Floyd Mayweather 2.0, and as we've already established with Money May, it's all an act. It's entertainment, it's meant to get you talking about more than just his skills in the ring and it's working.

Broner is a talented boxer with an impressive 27-0 record. But he's also young. If you were a multi-millionaire at 24, you would probably go a little crazy too. Maybe burn a couple bills for the fuck of it, or stunt on every single social media forum out there. Oh, wait, you probably do that last one already. So, are you just as bad as "The Problem?" No. You're just being young and dumb and there's nothing really wrong with that.