Fans were only allowed five choices, but according to an ESPN SportsNation poll, the Dallas Cowboys are the team that football fans most love to hate. Bill Belichick's Patriots made it close, though.

The Cowboys got 36 percent of the vote for most despised team, with the Patriots second at 34 percent. Far behind were the other three choices: the Steelers (12 percent), the Giants and the Raiders (9 percent each).

The Patriots did finish first in one category: Their rivalry with the Indianapolis Colts was voted the NFL's best, with one-third of poll respondents voting that way.