@ Game of Thrones (TV Show) A Human for Scale on Size of The Mountain's Actor

Whenever I was watching the TV show and The Mountain shows up, he looked small or at least approximately normal human size. But in the video where he is sparring with McGregor, The Mountain looks like the proper huge bastard my mind imagined while reading the books

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nbaNRhfizsQ

I wonder if they scaled him down in the TV show now.

Conor McGregor is approximately 5'9", 155 pounds for reference: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Conor_McGregor

So that is a good comparison for what a working human would look like in comparison to the actor. In the real world, I would expect the relative difference between the Game of Thrones era people and The Mountain to be even greater though due to poorer health and resource availability.

Keep in mind that McGregor is a featherweight (that 5'9" listed height is most likely bullshit; most fighters, like many pro athletes, exaggerate their height a bit). Put the Mountain next to your average NBA player and he wouldn't look tall (still thick, though).

Size comparisons.

JJ Watt is 6' 5", Hafthór Júlíus Björnsson is 6' 9".

This is JJ Watt next to Yao Ming:

Spoiler for BIG people:

Attachment 4529

So The Mountain would fit somewhere between those guys. He's a _very_ large human :grinyes:

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Dawlin

This is JJ Watt next to Yao Ming:

Spoiler for BIG people:

Attachment 4529

So The Mountain would fit somewhere between those guys. He's a _very_ large human :grinyes:

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Yes, but he would be much closer to Watt.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by PPatty

Yes, but he would be much closer to Watt.

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That is true.
Yao Ming is 7' 6", so a good bit taller than The Mountain.

This is one of my favorite images to compare just how HUGE some basketball players are:

Spoiler for Pau Gasol chatting with David Beckham:

Attachment 4530

Beckam is 6' tall, Pau Gasol is 7'. Crazy. It looks like an adult talking to two kids - and it's not just the height. It's the sheer mass.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Dawlin

Size comparisons.

JJ Watt is 6' 5", Hafthór Júlíus Björnsson is 6' 9".

This is JJ Watt next to Yao Ming:

Spoiler for BIG people:

Attachment 4529

So The Mountain would fit somewhere between those guys. He's a _very_ large human :grinyes:

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JJ Watt is a pretty huge bastard. I am guessing The Mountain is quite a bit bulkier though. I was surprised how quick The Mountain is in that video. He is pretty agile. I wonder what workouts he does to stay flexible. Doing things like pilates or brazilian jiu-jitsu is a good exercise to maintain flexibility. Plus dem yoga pants.

JJ Watt is a rare super freak athlete though. Love his attitude and work ethic that was on display whenever the Texans were on Hard Knocks. An organization cannot ask for a better employee attitude wise and work ethic wise than JJ Watt. Even though Watt is on a shit ass team and organization he doesn't complain ever and gives 100% every game unlike a lot of super stars (looking at you Carmelo, Harden, and Dwight Howard).

Players who take plays off or in the context of Basketball think only participating in one side of the game is acceptable drive me nuts. I would never keep someone like that on my roster. Even at the NBA level players rarely keep hustling without the ball. It fucks up offensive schemes and makes everything harder when they don't do that. I fucking love watching the Spurs. Popovich would ruin anyone who took plays off. Popovich is my favorite coach all-time next to Belichick. They are the kind of boss that are the best to work for and get the most out of the people available. I never complained about any request they would make even when we were working ungodly amounts of hours.

http://nypost.com/2015/10/07/7-foot-...n-high-school/

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Merkus

http://nypost.com/2015/10/07/7-foot-...n-high-school/

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Wow.

Off topic: What do you guys feel about the change that players like Steph Curry brings to basketball ? I don't follow it at all, but I heard a fascinating podcast on the topic of three-pointers. Go listen to it :)

I just wanted to ask you guys how you felt about it. Personally, I like variation in a game. Three-pointers give different guys a chance to shine :grinyes:

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Dawlin

Wow.

Off topic: What do you guys feel about the change that players like Steph Curry brings to basketball ? I don't follow it at all, but I heard a fascinating podcast on the topic of three-pointers. Go listen to it :)

I just wanted to ask you guys how you felt about it. Personally, I like variation in a game. Three-pointers give different guys a chance to shine :grinyes:

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As apparently the only person on the board who still watches basketball, Steph Curry is amazing. IMO he is already the greatest of all-time. He is like a combination of Reggie Miller (minus Reggie's awesome shit-talking), Ray Allen, and Chris Paul the Third.

All facets of Curry's game are amazing and his situational awareness is some of the best in the game right now. There is this great clip where Curry totally fakes out and breaks CP3's ankles using one of Hakeem's moves, it is awesome and shows how much Curry is in a league of his own right now without any peers whatsoever.

Lebron is great and an amazing athlete, the difference is Curry takes advantages of every opportunity he has instead of choking or giving up. The only thing anyone gives a fuck about in the world is how someone finishes, getting close is great but no one gives a fuck about getting close. When it comes to greatness it is all about rings.

Steph Curry is in some ways realizing the potential Grant Hill had before Hill had his ankle injury and was never a super star level player again. Hill was a great role player but never dominant in the way he had the potential to be before the injury.

In the 1990s Steph Curry would get eaten alive due to being so small but in today's basketball where they do not bang in the paint and if you drive the lane come heavy or not at all is not allowed, Curry is incredibly dominant. It is tremendously high praise when greats like Reggie are praising and in awe of your game. Nothing but respect for Steph Curry as far as I am concerned. Curry is more or less the ideal prototype for today's game. Curry is so silky smooth with the ball and so excellent at anticipating the reactions his opponents will have that it is unreal. No one comes to mind in any period of the NBA that compares to how smooth Curry is with the ball.

I think one thing that is really missing in today's NBA is a star player who also has a great personality. Players like Lebron and Curry, athletically they are tremendous and amongst the greatest of all-time, but they lack the charisma and flair that players like Reggie Miller, Shaq, and Michael Jordan had. I love players who are great and project that onto other players getting in their mind and dominating them psychologically. It is tons of fun to watch as a fan. The only player who comes close to this is Rondo but he is on a shit team that is not competitive. Kevin Garnett had that kind of personality but his shit talking would be all bleeps so is not really airable lol.

I wish people would figure out a way to magically improve the fidelity of the 1990s basketball games so we could see MJ et al. in HD. The old games are way better gameplay and competitiveness with no bitchassness allowed but it is like watching a potato quality capture of their greatness.

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Originally Posted by Dawlin

Off topic: What do you guys feel about the change that players like Steph Curry brings to basketball?

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I'm not a fan of the three-point shot, but we're 30 years into it -- I'm counting from when the NCAA adopted it in 1986 (as opposed to the NBA, which actually started with it in 1979), because basketball skills and individual play styles are largely set in college -- so it's not going anywhere. Bitching about the 3-point line is akin to complaining about the DH in baseball or whining about pass interference and defensive holding in football.

Once the 3-pointer was firmly entrenched in the game, someone like Steph Curry was bound to come along, just as liberalized passing rules in the NFL were inevitably going to lead to QBs putting up Manning/Brees/Brady statistics. Unless the rule (or at least the officiating) changes, I suspect that almost every NBA team 20 years from now will have at least one guy who plays like Curry, even if he doesn't quite match his numbers.

Greatest NBA starting five of all time (individual teams), since 2000, and single best player. Begin:

Quote:

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Originally Posted by PPatty

I'm not a fan of the three-point shot, but we're 30 years into it -- I'm counting from when the NCAA adopted it in 1986 (as opposed to the NBA, which actually started with it in 1979), because basketball skills and individual play styles are largely set in college -- so it's not going anywhere. Bitching about the 3-point line is akin to complaining about the DH in baseball or whining about pass interference and defensive holding in football.

Once the 3-pointer was firmly entrenched in the game, someone like Steph Curry was bound to come along, just as liberalized passing rules in the NFL were inevitably going to lead to QBs putting up Manning/Brees/Brady statistics. Unless the rule (or at least the officiating) changes, I suspect that almost every NBA team 20 years from now will have at least one guy who plays like Curry, even if he doesn't quite match his numbers.

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IDK why anyone would complain about the 3 pointer. It is a harder shot and forces the defense to play at a higher level to cover a larger area of the court. Curry would dominate even without the 3 pointer though. At his position, he is the all around best player, great leadership, doesn't take plays off, doesn't bitch, and gets the best shot. He doesn't suffer from Kobe Bryant syndrome where the pass hasn't made it to the NBA yet. His ball handling abilities are the best in the league, and Curry can cut through every defense without problems. Curry is unguardable. The only reason Lebron James edges him out is that LJ can play any position on the court effectively, even center when necessary. I would still draft Curry over LJ though.

I lose some versatility but if I don't fill out the remaining roster well we aren't going to be winning any championships anyways as demonstrated by LJ's ability to carry a broke down team with a busted face to the finals but not clinch a title without comparable help. The way Stephen Curry plays he is going to get injured less also due to avoiding traffic instead of going into it for the foul. Also Curry doesn't flop which is one of my main issues with today's game.

Things that make the NBA suck at the moment are
1) Rewarding players for playing the refs instead of the opponents (flopping, rewarding people jumping into a defender with fouls which is a bullshit call)

2) Terrible refs. Three refs is not enough to cover the entire court.

3) They should remove the charge/block, refs cannot call it correctly routinely anymore at any level and it affects game outcomes, especially late in the playoffs.

4) I don't have any problems with the "hack a Shaq" strategy. It is completely legitimate and works sometimes. Make your fucking free throws. It is super easy free points, suck it up. No excuses on missing free throws.

5) Allowing the players to enter the draft early has ruined the overall talent pool compared to 90s era basketball. IDC if they defect to some off-brand league in the interim.

6) The Spurs are the only team that drafts well and utilizes the D-league effectively. Just an observation on that front, nothing the front office can really change there that comes to mind.

7) They should instate a 4-point line, somewhere between the current 3 point line and the half-court line. Make the half-court line a 5-point shot.

8) Remove over and back, they very rarely call it when it happens in the first place and it doesn't make sense in the modern era to have around.

9) Figure out a way to determine who touched the ball last and when players step on the 3-point and out of bounds line automatically. It is impossible to tell frequently without the NBA installing high speed cameras.

10) Refs should be able to retroactively call a penalty during reviews. We saw Virginia fall to Duke when the player traveled before getting the shot off before the buzzer. That was a missed call and unreasonable to expect to refs to be able to watch both the clock, the rim, and the player's feet simultaneously with 2 of the refs always out of view of the play.

11) Rain down fines and suspensions on refs who fuck up majorly. There are too may situations entirely contributable to a NBA ref being butthurt and a crotchety old bastard that don't get called out properly.

12) Automate the 5 second penalty when bringing the ball in play. They hardly ever call this and it happens a lot more than they do, sometimes in critical game situations.

13) Remove the salary cap. It is total bullshit that players have to get paid much less than they are worth in the real world due to the cap being in place. It is very exploitative, and the cap does not work in the NBA in the first place. It is still routinely the same handful of teams that go deep in the playoffs. It has not helped balance teams in any way, only made the logistics byzantine.

14) Reduce the trade deadline window by half. Drafting players near the deadline never works out because they cannot integrate into the team effectively before the playoffs arrive.

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Originally Posted by Daxil Solshok

Greatest NBA starting five of all time (individual teams), since 2000, and single best player. Begin:

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Is this in their prime or are we looking at their entire careers for ranking?

PG: Stephen Curry
SG: Kobe Bryant
SF: Lebron James
PF: Kevin Garnett
C: Tim Duncan

There are a lot of great players that got left out there due to positions Dwayne Wade, Paul Pierce, Pau Gasol, Ray Allen amongst others. Dwight Howard should be on the list if he had not wasted all of his potential being a lazy ass fuck drama queen. Howard and Stoudemire are people whom are so insanely talented then just don't put in the work necessary to be at a championship level. They should be dominating every game with their physicality but they don't. They are routinely disappointing. It would be interesting to see how Howard would end up if he had played for a great coach early on that would have rode him hard to change his approach to the game and life, but that never happened so he continues to be mediocre, overpaid, and make horrible life decisions.

Pop is the coach of course.

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Originally Posted by MI Redeux

Is this in their prime or are we looking at their entire careers for ranking?

PG: Stephen Curry
SG: Kobe Bryant
SF: Lebron James
PF: Kevin Garnett
C: Tim Duncan

There are a lot of great players that got left out there due to positions Dwayne Wade, Paul Pierce, Pau Gasol, Ray Allen amongst others. Dwight Howard should be on the list if he had not wasted all of his potential being a lazy ass fuck drama queen. Howard and Stoudemire are people whom are so insanely talented then just don't put in the work necessary to be at a championship level. They should be dominating every game with their physicality but they don't. They are routinely disappointing. It would be interesting to see how Howard would end up if he had played for a great coach early on that would have rode him hard to change his approach to the game and life, but that never happened so he continues to be mediocre, overpaid, and make horrible life decisions.

Pop is the coach of course.

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I was just joking but that is very good. Standard Graffe' derail.

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Originally Posted by Daxil Solshok

I was just joking but that is very good. Standard Graffe' derail.

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The main thing is I can't really remember many players from 2000-2006 that were aging and how good they still were. I considered putting David Robinson on there and some others but from what I recall the Admiral was pretty reliant on a young Duncan for his championship. The same deal with Hakeem Olajuwon. Hakeem in his prime someone would have to be retarded to not put on their starting 5 at center. He is without any peers at center. I don't think we will ever see someone comparable at center again.

And Hakeem was doing it during the most difficult era of basketball as well for a very long time. Rodman technically was an option and he is one of my favorite all-time players but I cannot remember how good his defense was in his last year. Also a negative for Rodman is while he is insanely great over his career, he is a drama queen also which I don't like.

Alan Iverson is tough to leave out of my roster but PG/SG is so deep in Hall of Fame talent that it is difficult to push out Kobe or Curry for AI. I think I would select Wade in his prime over AI still due to better defense even ignoring attitude problems. AI is also in the pool of players who did not get the most out of their talent along with Howard et al.

I am definitely having Robert Horry on my bench though and put him in whenever I need some clutch plays. I really wanted to put Rondo on there also because of how creative he is and how he leaves it all out on the floor but he's just not comparable to Kobe and many other players at his position. Chris Paul is a tremendous talent also but Curry literally runs circles around him during the game so doesn't make the cut.

Kevin Durant is also very good but I really don't like his personality in the context of championship ball. I want every person on my team to have some grit to them and throw down on the court when the situation calls for it.

Basically, this:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rE5avOC6Hgg

I really like Westbrook as well and personality wise is something I am looking for in my roster but as much as I like his fierceness he's just not on the same level as my other options. If I could have Kobe play every position I probably would except for center. Passing on Old Man Riverwalk would be unwise.

If I could select young Shaq before he became a refridgerator I would but that is pre-2000.

I really like Paul Pierce especially when it comes to crunch time but I like KG a little bit better personality wise. It is a coin toss on Pierce v. KG in their prime for me. Pierce would give me a bit more versatility on defensive matchups though, tough call. I don't think either is a bad decision.

The only negative for Kobe IMO is letting his ego force out Shaq instead of focusing on what was best for the team. But, after Kobe matured a lot and got the rape scandal behind him, he's pretty much the prototype for dedication to his craft and always playing to win.

Stuff like this is why I love Pop

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bFFvShURQ5k

He runs a bullshit free team where if you get lit up you had it coming and expects perfect execution out of all of his players. The Spurs team is always improving over time as a result. He's not just arbitrarily screaming at people or couching his response in how big of a star the player is like a lot of coaches do across sports. People are just going to tune you out doing the latter.

I think I may select Scottie Pippen on my bench also. Even though it was the twilight of his career, he was still really good with the Trailblazers and very nearly won another title with them. The Lakers once again pulled out victory from the jaws of defeat in the 12th hour though. I wonder if people would put Pippen over MJ though had Pippen won another title with the Trailblazers.

Steve Nash is another player that is insanely good that doesn't make the starting 5 due to his position. An All-Star team really does not need someone who is just a distributor like Nash and Kidd are.

It is criminal how poorly paid Pippen was during his stay with the Bulls due to the cap. No one got paid what they were worth during the Pippen/MJ era.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scottie_Pippen#Salaries

http://i.imgur.com/kRavBah.png

Yeah, no one is going to cry tears that a gross millionaire isn't making more money, but it is exploitative due to the NBA and the Bulls earning proportional to the team while the players never are in the NBA due to the cap preventing them from doing so and having any hope of winning games.

In the US the only league that does the cap well is the MLB which does not have one, as a result the player's value is reflected in how much they pay generally, unless it is the Yankees then they hemorrage cash with old famous people who are not worth what they are being paid (except for Rivera who was god).


And while Tayshaun Prince doesn't have the talent for the team we are talking about, this block still gets me fully erect:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8QJ4iwqnLKc

I remember watching that on TV when it was live and it was the greatest play I had ever seen in a playoff game. It remains the goat block for me due to the stakes and complete commitment on Prince's part, giving up his body completely to make it happen.

This is still my favorite all-time play though because of how fucking mad Ewing and Spike Lee get over it and how boisterous Pippen and the rest of the Bulls are after the dunk (skip to 4:37 for the play)

https://youtu.be/-go6B_OxpoY?t=254

Runner up is Shaq dunking on the Chris Dudley and teabagging him while hanging onto the rim. Worth the technical.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0ICBi-ku-G0

If we are considering international play, Vince Carter's "Dunk of Death" has to be conceded as goat on the basis that it was so devastatingly nasty that it ended the guy's NBA prospects.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PZsj9ceoHO4

If your dunk ends someone's career it wins by default IMO. I think it's my favorite dunk all-time even considering the dunk contests. It was in game, ended someone's career, and over a monstrously huge dude that VC uses like an EZ-chair.

Outside the game, Craig Sager interviewing Popovich is the best: https://www.youtube.com/results?sear...ch+craig+sager

goat there though is KG telling Craig Sager to burn his clothes
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ltpqPd3t5V0

This fight is fucking insane also (skip to 15:50)
https://youtu.be/3oH6ktHACTs?t=950

That doesn't have anything on the fights that break out in soccer but worst one in the NBA all-time I think. Looked like the entire arena descended on the NBA players by the end of it all.

@PPatty, 2:39 where Chris Paul, a well respected defender at his position, cannot keep up with Curry's ball handling and awareness. Oh yeah, then he drains a 3 in his fucking face.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gFN0F6VPKCU

Stephen Curry reminds me of a much, much, much better and refined version of The Professor
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vglS7j0c4To
Curry has yet to incorporate the stare down while you blow past them taunt of The Professor though. It's the last element he needs to move to most entertaining as that is hilarious to me everytime.