Wait, 8% of Americans Are Still Cool With Donald Sterling?

What's This?

Los Angeles Clippers owner Donald Sterling attends the NBA basketball game between the San Antonio Spurs and Los Angeles Clippers in Los Angeles on Monday, March 2, 2009.

Image: Danny Moloshok/Associated Press

By Sam Laird2014-05-29 23:22:27 UTC

Los Angeles Clippers owner Donald Sterling is loathed by most in the United States — in fact, he's the most-hated man in America, according to a poll released Thursday.

Yet somehow — after all the racist comments and ugliness in other forms — 8% of Americans still like the guy. Yes, we're surprised too.

See also: How Much Longer Will Donald Sterling Disgrace the NBA?

Findings released Thursday by E-Poll Market Research show Sterling beating out Bernie Madoff, Justin Bieber and other pop culture heels to take the title of America's most-hated man. Here's the top 10, with corresponding percentages of how many respondents dislike each person.

• 
  

  Donald Sterling - 92%

  
  


• 
  

  Bernie Madoff - 90%

  
  


• 
  

  O.J. Simpson - 88%

  
  


• 
  

  Conrad Murray - 88%

  
  


• 
  

  Justin Bieber - 86%

  
  


• 
  

  Phil Spector - 83%

  
  


• 
  

  Aaron Hernandez - 81%

  
  


• 
  

  Michael Lohan - 76%

  
  


• 
  

  Eliot Spitzer - 73%

  
  


• 
  

  Jon Gosselin - 71%

  
  

The survey polled 1,100 people between 13 and 49 years old, whose demographics represent the overall U.S. population, according to ESPN's Darren Rovell, who first reported the findings. E-Poll communications director Randy Parker told Mashable those polled were first asked if they were familiar with subjects, then asked whether they like them, dislike them, like them a lot, dislike them a lot, like them somewhat, or dislike them somewhat.

42% of respondents said they dislike Sterling a lot, 29% said they dislike him, and 21% said they dislike him somewhat.

Sterling has long been seen as a deadbeat NBA owner and a racist by most close fans of basketball, but he exploded into the mainstream public eye after an audio recording of him saying African Americans are not welcome at Clippers games was leaked to the media.

NBA Commissioner Adam Silver swiftly moved to ban Sterling from the league for life and plans force him to sell the team. A report in the Los Angeles Times on Thursday said former Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer had won a bidding war with a price tag of $2 billion, but whether the sale goes through remains unclear.

Experts say Sterling could mount a staunch — and costly — legal battle if he decides to fight to the end, but recent reports indicated he may be willing to relinquish the team peacefully. Just how things will play out remains unclear, but it appears that, somehow, there are a least a few people out there who will be sorry to see Sterling go — if and when he finally does.

BONUS: 25 of YouTube's Funniest Sports Fails

Topics: donald sterling, Entertainment, NBA, Sports