Like any fan base, those who follow the 49ers know how to hold a grudge.
Maybe it’s therapeutic. Or, more likely, it’s not healthy at all. In some instances, it’s completely irrational, too.
We canvassed 49ers fans to find the players you “love to hate.” Some expressed their distastes of Joe Flacco and Patrick Mahomes and the roles they played in beating the 49ers in Super Bowls. Others went more old school with Dallas Cowboys such as Troy Aikman, Emmitt Smith, Michael Irvin and, even, Alvin Harper.
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Former Green Bay Packers edge rusher Clay Matthews got multiple mentions, stemming from a late hit on Colin Kaepernick and subsequent scuffle with Joe Staley in 2013.
Here are five others – four players and one coach – whose names came up more than the others: