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LONG POND, PA – JUNE 27: Kyle Busch, driver of the (18) M&M’s Mini’s Toyota prior to the NASCAR Cup Series – Explore the Pocono Mountains 350 on June 27, 2021 at Pocono Raceway in Long Pond, PA. (Photo by Rich Graessle/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
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LONG POND, PA – JUNE 27: Kyle Busch, driver of the (18) M&M’s Mini’s Toyota prior to the NASCAR Cup Series – Explore the Pocono Mountains 350 on June 27, 2021 at Pocono Raceway in Long Pond, PA. (Photo by Rich Graessle/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
No other top driver in NASCAR, in present or past, has been as divisive as Kyle Busch. The Joe Gibbs Racing driver is loved by many, but many also love to hate him, both for all their right reasons.
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However, recently, another ‘bad guy’ of American sports, Bernard Pollard Jr, asked a question to which perhaps there is no clear answer.
The former NFL player wrote on his Twitter, “Why in the world is @KyleBusch hated so much?! Bro seems cool as hell! #NASCAR #BadGuy”
Why in the world is @KyleBusch hated so much?! Bro seems cool as hell! #NASCAR #BadGuy
— Bernard Pollard Jr (@Crushboy31) February 6, 2022
Bernard Pollard – The ‘Patriot Killer’
Pollard may not be as well known in the NASCAR circles, but in NFL, he had quite a reputation. Simply ask any Tom Brady or New England Patriots fan, you’ll get the answer to who he is and, more importantly, what he did.
The 37-year-old is infamous for his physical style of play, something that cost Tom Brady and Patriots a whole lot.
In one instance, Pollard injured the seven-time Super Bowl winner as his ACL was torn, effectively ruling him out of the 2008 season. Three years later, Pollard took out Rob Gronkowski in the 2011 playoffs.
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Sep 16, 2018; Jacksonville, FL, USA; New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady (12) leaves the field after being defeated by the Jacksonville Jaguars at TIAA Bank Field. Mandatory Credit: Jasen Vinlove-USA TODAY Sports
This earned Bernard Pollard the
nickname of ‘Patriot Killer’ and cemented his image of a bad guy in Patriots fans.Why is Kyle Busch so hated by NASCAR fans?
Busch’s image of the bad guy in NASCAR is down to many reasons.
Most notably, it’s his unhinged, ‘say what you mean’ and ‘mean what you say’ aspect of his personality. But it’s also his style of driving that has earned him more booing fans than he could possibly want in his career.
The two-time Cup champion isn’t someone who likes to play it safe or play it cool, both on and off the track. These things along with a few others are what makes many hate him.
However, those same things are also the reasons why fans love the Candyman.
And perhaps a quote by Kurt Cobain could aptly describe Kyle Busch and his divisive personality – “I’d rather be hated for who I am than to be loved for what I’m not.”
