I enjoyed FF9 quite a bit. Not my favorite FF title, but a good, solid game I've replayed several times.
Also... since when do Final Fantasy fans hate FF9? This is not something I'd ever heard of. FF9 was a fan delight when it was first released.
My least favorite FF was 12, and even it was okay, just kinda dull. I think it was a mistake for them to rewrite the story to make a random kid with no plot at all the main character. Not a game killer, but it certainly made the story less enjoyable. It is the only FF game I have only played once. Well, that and FF 5, but that's because I don't own a playable copy anymore.