I just can't get enough of these old Black and White photos of the ancient Roman Colosseum, here are some photos of the interior, the Black and White just gives it that effect, like your looking back thousands of years through time at the place in it's heyday.
FYI - I saw computer animations around ten years ago, of what the Roman Colosseum looked like in its heyday, I'd have to believe any animations done recently are even more accurate.
Besides the crumbled concrete, don't forget all the wood throughout the stadium, rotted away a long time ago. The animations brings it back to life, and I'd imagine that today's AI may possibly enhance the reality further.
I certainly don't know much about this, but I do know in Italy they have kept records of real estate transactions and such for thousands of years, and to my knowledge these records still exist. I wonder if there are records of sporting events that took place during that time? Would be quite fascinating if AI could bring back the action and results of say a chariot race along with the real names, etc of the drivers.
I realize in Hollywood movies, particularly Ben Hur that I watched, classic movie, there was an interesting depiction of a chariot race. That was very well done, but something done AI may be even more fascinating.
FYI - I saw computer animations around ten years ago, of what the Roman Colosseum looked like in its heyday, I'd have to believe any animations done recently are even more accurate.
Besides the crumbled concrete, don't forget all the wood throughout the stadium, rotted away a long time ago. The animations brings it back to life, and I'd imagine that today's AI may possibly enhance the reality further.
I certainly don't know much about this, but I do know in Italy they have kept records of real estate transactions and such for thousands of years, and to my knowledge these records still exist. I wonder if there are records of sporting events that took place during that time? Would be quite fascinating if AI could bring back the action and results of say a chariot race along with the real names, etc of the drivers.
I realize in Hollywood movies, particularly Ben Hur that I watched, classic movie, there was an interesting depiction of a chariot race. That was very well done, but something done AI may be even more fascinating.
The ancient Roman Colosseum is a true wonder of the world, absolutely fascinating that they could build something like that back then without modern technology. When you look around today at the various Colosseums and stadiums throughout American cities, it's crazy to think that the ancient Romans really started it all with their Colosseum. Of course, a lot of horrible things went on there in reality, the ancient Romans could be bloodthirsty savages when it came to entertainment, but the place is just absolutely fascinating, it has a mystique to it, and it really lures you in and grabs ahold of you and won't let go. I've done quite a bit of reading about it, seen plenty of images of what it must have looked like in it's prime, and of course it was featured in both Gladiator movies as well. Here's a pretty good depiction of what it looked like within the time period, absolutely mesmerizing for that period in history.
I often wonder what it would have been like to stand in the Roman Colosseum in it's day, 50,000 spectators yelling, the emperor glaring down upon you, it must have been both exhilarating and frightening, knowing you might not survive the experience.
FYI - I saw computer animations around ten years ago, of what the Roman Colosseum looked like in its heyday, I'd have to believe any animations done recently are even more accurate.
Besides the crumbled concrete, don't forget all the wood throughout the stadium, rotted away a long time ago. The animations brings it back to life, and I'd imagine that today's AI may possibly enhance the reality further.
I certainly don't know much about this, but I do know in Italy they have kept records of real estate transactions and such for thousands of years, and to my knowledge these records still exist. I wonder if there are records of sporting events that took place during that time? Would be quite fascinating if AI could bring back the action and results of say a chariot race along with the real names, etc of the drivers.
I realize in Hollywood movies, particularly Ben Hur that I watched, classic movie, there was an interesting depiction of a chariot race. That was very well done, but something done AI may be even more fascinating.
The ancient Roman Colosseum is a true wonder of the world, absolutely fascinating that they could build something like that back then without modern technology. When you look around today at the various Colosseums and stadiums throughout American cities, it's crazy to think that the ancient Romans really started it all with their Colosseum. Of course, a lot of horrible things went on there in reality, the ancient Romans could be bloodthirsty savages when it came to entertainment, but the place is just absolutely fascinating, it has a mystique to it, and it really lures you in and grabs ahold of you and won't let go. I've done quite a bit of reading about it, seen plenty of images of what it must have looked like in it's prime, and of course it was featured in both Gladiator movies as well. Here's a pretty good depiction of what it looked like within the time period, absolutely mesmerizing for that period in history.
I forgot about the "Gladiator" movies which I didn't see. The movie Spartacus with Kirk Douglas which I did see, was also a good movie about gladiator fighting.
If I recall correctly, the Colosseum depiction I saw also had views of the interior with nothing else inside it pictured. I'd be fairly certain that during the time it was active, the interior contained concession stands, rest rooms, etc, just like today's stadiums.
Perhaps they even sold souvenirs as well. A genuine garment from a slave who was killed in a gladiator fight selling for one silver coin. Make sure it was Roman PSA certified, probably a lot of fakes were being sold out there - LOL
FYI - I saw computer animations around ten years ago, of what the Roman Colosseum looked like in its heyday, I'd have to believe any animations done recently are even more accurate.
Besides the crumbled concrete, don't forget all the wood throughout the stadium, rotted away a long time ago. The animations brings it back to life, and I'd imagine that today's AI may possibly enhance the reality further.
I certainly don't know much about this, but I do know in Italy they have kept records of real estate transactions and such for thousands of years, and to my knowledge these records still exist. I wonder if there are records of sporting events that took place during that time? Would be quite fascinating if AI could bring back the action and results of say a chariot race along with the real names, etc of the drivers.
I realize in Hollywood movies, particularly Ben Hur that I watched, classic movie, there was an interesting depiction of a chariot race. That was very well done, but something done AI may be even more fascinating.
The ancient Roman Colosseum is a true wonder of the world, absolutely fascinating that they could build something like that back then without modern technology. When you look around today at the various Colosseums and stadiums throughout American cities, it's crazy to think that the ancient Romans really started it all with their Colosseum. Of course, a lot of horrible things went on there in reality, the ancient Romans could be bloodthirsty savages when it came to entertainment, but the place is just absolutely fascinating, it has a mystique to it, and it really lures you in and grabs ahold of you and won't let go. I've done quite a bit of reading about it, seen plenty of images of what it must have looked like in it's prime, and of course it was featured in both Gladiator movies as well. Here's a pretty good depiction of what it looked like within the time period, absolutely mesmerizing for that period in history.
I forgot about the "Gladiator" movies which I didn't see. The movie Spartacus with Kirk Douglas which I did see, was also a good movie about gladiator fighting.
If I recall correctly, the Colosseum depiction I saw also had views of the interior with nothing else inside it pictured. I'd be fairly certain that during the time it was active, the interior contained concession stands, rest rooms, etc, just like today's stadiums.
Perhaps they even sold souvenirs as well. A genuine garment from a slave who was killed in a gladiator fight selling for one silver coin. Make sure it was Roman PSA certified, probably a lot of fakes were being sold out there - LOL
Roman PSA certified. It's been a long hot day here in my city, I needed that. 😭😭
Mt. Vesuvius, the volcano that sits above the Roman city of Pompeii, erupted in the year 79 A.D., it's one of the most famous disasters, volcanic eruptions, in world history, it wiped out the entire city of Pompeii. Sitting directly underneath Mt. Vesuvius, the city of Pompeii had little chance as the volcano violently erupted out of nowhere. If you ever wondered what it was like, it's shocking to witness the power of nature.
@Saint Ezzard said:
Mt. Vesuvius, the volcano that sits above the Roman city of Pompeii, erupted in the year 79 A.D., it's one of the most famous disasters, volcanic eruptions, in world history, it wiped out the entire city of Pompeii. Sitting directly underneath Mt. Vesuvius, the city of Pompeii had little chance as the volcano violently erupted out of nowhere. If you ever wondered what it was like, it's shocking to witness the power of nature.
From what I recall reading, the toxic gases killed most if not all of the residents very quickly, I'm guessing there was a weather inversion at the time, whereby instead of rising upwards, the gases spread and were blown towards ground level. The people of Pompeii never stood a chance. Just horrific bad luck. Then the lava came down and buried the city.
@Saint Ezzard said:
Mt. Vesuvius, the volcano that sits above the Roman city of Pompeii, erupted in the year 79 A.D., it's one of the most famous disasters, volcanic eruptions, in world history, it wiped out the entire city of Pompeii. Sitting directly underneath Mt. Vesuvius, the city of Pompeii had little chance as the volcano violently erupted out of nowhere. If you ever wondered what it was like, it's shocking to witness the power of nature.
From what I recall reading, the toxic gases killed most if not all of the residents very quickly, I'm guessing there was a weather inversion at the time, whereby instead of rising upwards, the gases spread and were blown towards ground level. The people of Pompeii never stood a chance. Just horrific bad luck. Then the lava came down and buried the city.
Hollywood always adds a little extra to these types of things, it makes for more entertainment, ticket sales, etc. But it is a horrible event, and you feel terrible for the people that lived there during that time. I won't post the photos here out of respect for the dead, but over time, archaeologists figured out a way to bring the people if Pompeii back to life, by pouring plaster cast into the cavities where the victims died, the flow of the lava actually left imprints of the people of Pompeii that died, casts, and you can actually see their faces as they were that day, people and animals. These casts offer a glimpse into the final moments of the victims, as they capture the poses they were in at the time of their death. It's mind blowing stuff.
Kimbo Slice was mentioned earlier in the thread, if you're not familiar with Kimbo Slice, he was an intimidating presence, built like a miniature tank, he had nasty look about him, the bald head and beard, he just looked like a guy you didn't want to mess with. He was famous for holding bare knuckle street fights in Florida and filming them and uploading them on YouTube. He eventually got into the cage fighting, UFC, Bellator, and had a handful of fights. But he was a fierce street fighter, relied on his raw power and usually swung for the fences to try and take you out, but he was tough as nails. My favorite fight of his was in 2015, he was past his prime but he stepped in the cage against the famous Ken Shamrock, also a legendary MMA fighter. Anyway, Shamrock gets Kimbo in a rear naked chokehold, and gets it locked in perfect, and this usually spells doom for anyone caught in that hold, because you can just squeeze like a python and cut off the blood supply to the head, usually guys tap out pretty quickly rather than risk passing out. But Kimbo refuses to tap out, passing out be damned, he's not going to tap out, some real warrior stuff. Anyway, Shamrock gives it all he's got but loses control of the chokehold, and Kimbo gets up swinging and puts Shamrock away, ridiculous Heart from Kimbo not to tap out from that chokehold, to be willing to pass out rather than tap out.
This is one of my favorite fights, Brock Lesnar vs Cain Velasquez, 2010, I always like seeing Brock Lesnar get beat, he's such a jerk in real life. There's a video on YouTube of him ignoring a pregnant woman at an airport, she wants an autograph and picture and he just stands there completely ignoring her, such a jerk move. He also hunts and kills animals for fun, which I detest. Anyway, in this fight, Lesnar goes for broke and tries to take Velasquez out at the start, Lesnar gets the takedown but Velasquez was a two-time all-American at Arizona State University so he knows how to wrestle. Lesnar eventually gasses out, and Velasquez begins to methodically take Lesnar apart. He catches Lesnar with a big knee to the midsection which puts Lesnar down, and Velasquez starts teeing off, great stuff.
Getting back to wrestling, I just heard that Ric Flair is battling skin cancer, I hope he kicks cancers a$$. I met Ric Flair back in the mid 90s at a signing at a Gold's Gym in my city, I shook his hand, he had one hell of a firm handshake. I just want to say this about Ric Flair, I truly believe that he is the GOAT of professional wrestling, he is the epitome of what a professional wrestler should strive to be, he checked all the boxes. Here's the highlights of one of my favorite Ric Flair matches, Flair vs Terry Funk at the Great American Bash in 89', and as always Flair brought it, but he was really intense that night. Put it this way, if aliens invaded Earth and wanted a professional wrestling match with one of us, I'd send in Ric Flair from the 89' Great American Bash. This is what a freaking wrestler is supposed to look like, professional wrestling at it's best.
I love this artwork featuring Ric Flair, someone fusioned him into the famous Leonardo Da Vinci drawing "Vitruvian Man", this drawing is meant to symbolize Ric Flair's status as the GOAT, as the perfect wrestler. Da Vinci drew the Vitruvian Man based on the writings of the Roman architect Vitruvius. Vitruvius believed that the human body was in perfect proportion with the universe, and the belief is reflected in the drawing. The male figure is positioned within both a circle and a square. The circle symbolizes the cosmos, while the square represents the Earth. Da Vinci's placement of the figure within both shapes suggests that humans are both a microcosm of the universe and a part of the terrestrial world. The Vitruvian Man is often interpreted as a symbol of human perfection, the harmony between the human form and the universe, and the connection between art and science. It has been used to represent various ideals throughout history, including human health, wellness, and the pursuit of knowledge.
I don't care what anyone says, Leonardo Da Vinci is the greatest genius the world has ever known. You look at his work, all of his work, his art, his Codex books of drawings and sketches of inventions, it's looking into the mind of a genius. He was inventing things 500 years before they were invented, he was into everything, art, sculpture, architecture, engineering, science, anatomy, mathematics, you name, he was into it. He used to get bodies from the morgue and dissect them because he wanted to know everything about the human anatomy, he wanted to know everything there was to know about life, his mind was always working, always looking for more, his thirst for knowledge was an obsession, the man literally wanted to have God's knowledge. Do yourself a favor, someday when you get some time, pour over everything you can find about him, look at every sketch and drawing in his Codex books, it's just unbelievable where his mind was at, he's the greatest genius our species has ever known. Here are a couple of highly recommended reads.
Bringing the attention to boxing, this is one of my favorite fights of all-time, Ali vs Frazier 1, the fight of the century, 1971 at Madison Square Garden. The hype surrounding this fight was unreal, it wasn't called the fight of the century for nothing. You have Muhammad Ali, who was in many people's eyes still the rightful heavyweight champion, but was stripped of the title because of Vietnam. And then you have Joe Frazier, who was the current heavyweight champion. It was the fight to determine who really deserved the title. Like I said, the hype surrounding this fight was unreal, pretty much every major celebrity of the day was there. I love both of these guys, Ali and Frazier, but watching this fight, it is my favorite performance from Joe Frazier, the man fought like he was possessed. Frazier just comes out and applies absolute relentless pressure on Ali throughout the fight, and walks through everything Ali throws at him, even taunting Ali and smiling at him at times. He bombards Ali with brutal hooks to the head and body the entire fight, hurts Ali and even puts him down in the final round. You have to give credit to Ali for even making it to the final bell, Frazier really laid some heavy leather on him, Ali was tough as nails. But this is my favorite performance from Frazier, he was in his prime, at his best, and it really showcased how brutal he could be, the way he came at Ali was almost frightening.
Back to Joe Frazier for a minute, I really love watching Frazier operate in the ring, his style was very complex to master, and it was a nightmare for opponents to deal with. Fighting Joe Frazier was like playing a game of Russian roulette, his swarming, crouching, bob-and-weave pressure style, it was a difficult style to master and it made it nearly impossible to predict when he was going to explode out of that crouch and catch you with one of those brutal left hooks to the head, he put Ali through pure unadulterated hell with that style, Ali suffered tremendously in his three fights with Frazier, and Ali stated that Frazier was his toughest opponent because he always had to be at his absolute best when he fought Frazier, you couldn't play around with Frazier. After the Thrilla in Manila, Ali stated that the Thrilla was the closest he ever came to death in the ring. That was Joe Frazier, that was the hell he put you through. I love these photos of Yancey "Yank" Durham and Eddie Futch with Frazier, Yank Durham and Eddie Futch are the ones who turned Joe Frazier into the monster that he became. When Frazier first walked into the PAL (Police Athletic League) in the early 60s and met Durham, Frazier wanted to box, Frazier would dance around the ring like Ali. Durham reined that in, conveying to Frazier that he was too short to fight on the outside like Ali, and that to be successful Joe had to get inside and make his 73-inch reach work for him. When Frazier turned pro in 1965, Ali was the undisputed champ. And it was Durham who profoundly told Frazier that if he ever wanted to be the champ he would eventually have to beat Ali who would be the one standing in his path when he got there. Frazier absorbed everything Durham said, and then worked hard to develop his style so he could nullify Ali’s jab, then work Ali's body with brutal body shots as he was cutting the ring off in the process. And of course Eddie Futch joined Frazier's team in 1966 and showed Frazier how to bob-and-weave which only made him more lethal and difficult to predict. Frazier became so proficient fighting as a swarmer that he was successful against every opponent he ever fought not named George Foreman. I guess you could say, Yank Durham and Eddie Futch were the Dr. Frankenstein's and Frazier was their monster.
This video game featuring Joe Frazier captures exactly what I was talking about, fighting Joe Frazier was like playing Russian roulette, you never could predict when he was going to explode out of that crouch and nail you to the wall, and he had the best left hook in boxing history, it was explosive, powerful, and brutal.
This is one of my favorite Joe Frazier fights, Frazier vs Bob Foster, and it showcases exactly what I was talking about, how Frazier's style was just a nightmare for his opponents. Now, Bob Foster was a murderous puncher himself, and had one of the best jabs in boxing history, but his jab was completely useless against Frazier because of the bob-and-weave, crouching, swarming pressure of Frazier, and it made impossible to predict when Frazier was going to strike with those hooks, and the end result was Foster being brutally taken out.
Frazier was such a fascinating fighter, that left hook just came out of nowhere, like a snake striking. Here he catches Jerry Quarry with it, Frazier disguises it by throwing a quick short left jab first, then boom, he detonates the left hook. Russian roulette, you never knew when the bullet was coming, Frazier's style was an absolute nightmare for his opponents.
And one more thing about Joe Frazier before I move on, he was a brutal body puncher, he would slam wear your body the heck out. I've had rib injuries twice in my life, and they are the worst. When you injure your rib area, it affects your entire body, your entire way of living, it hurts to move, hurts to breathe, hurts to eat, you can't sleep on the injured side, it's agonizing, and it something that has to heal in it's own over time, there's no medicine to cure it. Body punching in boxing is designed to zap your energy from you, or outright take you out. I've seen guys in boxing get hit and immediately go down to one knee and not be able to get back up, they'll try and just go right back down, their body won't let them stand up. It's a thing of beauty watching a good body puncher work his magic, and Joe Frazier knew how wear you out. This is one of the greatest boxing photos ever taken, Joe Frazier standing over Jerry Quarry with a menacing look on his face after catching Quarry with a wicked left hook to the body, which sent Quarry down to one knee, you can see the agony in Quarry's face.
One last thing about Joe Frazier before I move on, he was great at attacking in sequence, ripping shots to the body and then following it up immediately with hooks to the head, a bombardment that was devastating to his opponents. And when he unleashed that attack, he really let it rip, throwing everything he had into it. Case in point, his fight with Terry Daniels, watch at the end when he finishes Daniels off, knocking him through the ropes, he tears into Daniels with hooks to the body follows it up with hooks to the head, throwing everything with full force, just a brutal and devastating attack. Joe Frazier was one hell of a fighting machine.
I want to say one last thing about Joe Frazier, his performance against Ali in 1971 at Madison Square Garden, the fight of the century, is one of the greatest performances I've ever seen in a boxing ring, he was a freaking machine that night, he was not going to be denied that victory, I don't think I've ever seen someone so determined in my life, and it came against the greatest with the pressure of the world on his shoulders. That is peak Joe Frazier at his best and it was a thing of absolute beauty, and that left hook he caught Ali with in the final round has to be the most cinematic punch in boxing history, and was Frazier's exclamation point on that fight, an exclamation point on one of the greatest performances in boxing history. I swear, that left hook belongs in a damn museum.
How about a Michael Jordan gambling story for a change? Everyone knows Jordan is a big-time competitive gambler, he was competitive at everything. That sounds tasty, let's have that. Here's the famous Jordan luggage story.
Michael Jordan Once Fixed a $1000 Bet With Teammates Over Travel Luggage
Every once in a while, the world of the NBA embraces itself with a ridiculous storyline circling Michael Jordan. To the fans’ delight, Bob Starkey recently narrated an instance from MJ’s playing days that undoubtedly fit the bill. The LSU head coach reflected on when Jordan fixed a $1000 bet with his Chicago Bulls teammates over travel luggage.
Starkey revealed how Jordan allegedly bribed the flight attendant. That’s how the 6x champion tampered with the unspoken rules before setting the trap. He then perfectly executed his plan by toying with his teammates’ egos. And expectedly, the trick paid dividends as he earned thousands of dollars instantaneously.
“[Michael Jordan] tells the flight attendant, ‘Do you have any control over which bag comes off the conveyor belt first?’. She said, ‘Well, I’m sure I can arrange something. What do you need?’…’I need bag number 23 to come off that conveyor belt first’… Jordan rolls out a few hundred dollars and gives it to her… You know how you stand around the conveyor belt… Jordan says, ‘What the heck! I got a $1000. Mine is the first one to come off… So, they all throw a thousand dollars on there. Boom! Here comes 23 off the conveyor belt.”
This story possibly happened during one of the Bulls’ away games during Jordan’s time with the franchise. On one hand, it captured Jordan’s reported addiction to gambling during his playing career and beyond. On the other, it highlighted his competitiveness which helped him excel in various aspects of life.
This ruthless approach was his key to terrorizing his opponents on the court. However, at times, his teammates also had to suffer for this.
A glimpse into Michael Jordan’s competitiveness
Michael Franzese, a former New York City mobster, once revealed the intricate details of Jordan’s addiction to winning at any cost. During an appearance on Mike Tyson’s Hotboxin podcast in April 2020, he opened up about MJ once squaring off against the then-Bulls head of security. Mentioning the details, Franzese stated,
“Michael was playing the head of security in table tennis for five bucks. Of course, Michael wins, he wins at everything. So Horace has his warm-up suit on, and Michael goes where are my five bucks? He said that it’s up in his room, so he goes up and tells him to go out to get it. Horace looked at him and said, ‘Five bucks Michael’. He said, ‘Yeah, this is my trophy, I beat you’. He puts it in his pocket and walks away’“.
This further proved MJ’s drive to be the best at everything he did. This included a range of actions – from intentionally petrifying his opponent to using underhand tactics to defeat his teammates – Jordan’s single-minded focus to win forced him to insane lengths. In hindsight, that was the price he had to pay to become unforgettable.
This is one of my favorite fights of all-time and it showcases why boxers are the toughest athletes, David Tua vs Ikea Ibeabuchi, 1997. The possibility of dying in the ring be damned, each man refused to back down to the other's brutality. It made for some real Thrilla in Manila type chit.
It was a clash of unbeaten heavyweight bangers. Sluggers. Raw, hard punchers. Two men who knew how to inflict hurt, damage……pain. And both guys could take it as well as dish it out. It was on this day back in 1997, when heavyweight juggernauts Ike Ibeabuchi and David Tua collided in what might well have resulted in the greatest-ever combo of, not only Immovable Object Vs. Unstoppable Force, but Immovable Force Vs. Unstoppable Object.
Indeed, both men could file a description act as either, as both.
Tua was an all-out wrecking machine – the Samoan bringing an impressive and quite chilling 27-0(23) record to the party. Ibeabuchi was a real force of nature – the Nigerian sporting a 16-0(12) ledger as he stepped between the ropes with a desire to inflict God knows what damage on his foe.
Together, these two finally-conditioned, starving hungry, granite chinned power-punchers went to war for our entertainment as well as their own ring futures. To this day, we fans owe Ike and David a debt of thanks, while it must be recognised that neither man was ever the same after what they put each other through inside the Arco Arena in Sacramento; Ibeabuchi especially.
For 36 beautiful, thrilling, and brutal minutes, Ibeabuchi and Tua traded bombs, they checked each other’s heart, chin and desire. It was punch-for-punch stuff all the way. Neither man tired, neither man was willing to yield, and neither man backed off, much less fall. After 12 of the greatest heavyweight rounds seen since the epic (and damaging) Thrilla in Manila of 1975, had fans been taken so deep as they watched two big men willing to die to win.
This was a funny moment in sports history, back in 2024 at The Masters, Tiger Woods took a moment during his round and approached legendary broadcaster Verne Lundquist for a handshake, a tree hilariously blocked the view, turning the encounter into a viral meme. Lundquist’s hand appeared to emerge from the tree trunk, creating a funny and unforgettable moment for viewers.
WWE Monday Night Raw, 7/25/11, the legendary Rey Mysterio finally becomes WWE Champion. It was so smooth the way he did it, the hurricanrana, 619, the diving splash, boom, just like that, after climbing for 16 years he reaches the top of the mountain.
Time for a little sports story, how about the Steve Young referee story? Steve Young told this story in his autobiography QB: My Life Behind The Spiral, and it's hilarious.
Young recalled an interaction he had with a referee during a 1985 game vs. the Indianapolis Colts (via Peter King of MMQB.com):
"Partway through the second quarter I'm in the huddle when the head referee taps me on the shoulder. 'Can I talk to you for a second?' he says. I step away from the huddle. 'Hey, listen, my daughter's going to BYU,' he whispers. Next thing I know he starts trying to convince me that I should meet his daughter. 'I'd like you to take her out,' he says."
"I cannot believe this. We're in the middle of a game! 'Oh, okay,' I said. 'What's her name?' He tells me and I return to the huddle...Late in the game we're down 31-23 and I'm trying to mount a comeback. I scramble out of the pocket and take a brutal hit. It causes me to fumble just before the whistle blows to stop the play. I am lying on the ground when the defense recovers the loose ball, all but sealing our defeat. Suddenly out of nowhere a yellow flag lands next to me. The referee whose daughter is headed to BYU calls a personal foul on the defense. First down, Tampa Bay. I get up and brush myself off. Then the ref walks past me and whispers she likes Italian food."
You know, I just can't get enough of this place, a beautiful shot of the inside of the ancient Roman Colosseum. In it's prime, the place could seat some 50,000 spectators, the Roman emperor had his own box where he could see all the people and they could see him.
The best fight in martial arts movie history, Bruce Lee vs Chuck Norris at the ancient Roman Colosseum in the film "Way Of The Dragon", this was Bruce Lee at his peak greatest. The best part of the fight is at the end when Bruce Lee breaks Chuck Norris's arm and leg, in sequence.
Random sports photo of the day, this is an image of Rick Barry sitting in the Warriors lockerroom in 1967, deep in thought. I love this image, Barry looks like a high school preppie, very unassuming looking, you would never know he was a basketball bada$$ who could torch you for 50 points if he got the urge to.
If I had to guess, I would say 1980s Hulk Hogan was the biggest draw for money in pro wrestling history as well as the most popular star in wrestling history. Hogan was big, and I mean big in the 1980s, he was so big that Sports Illustrated put him on the cover of their magazine, they couldn't ignore his superstardom, and he is still to this day the only professional wrestler to appear on the cover of Sports Illustrated strictly as a pro wrestler, strictly in the pro wrestling capacity.
So, it's a known fact that back in the 1980s, pretty much all the major pro wrestlers in the WWE were on steroids, Vince McMahon actually more or less required them to be on steroids because he wanted them to be as big as possible, it attracts more attention if the wrestlers are walking out there looking like bulked up monsters, it sells more tickets, so Vince McMahon required his wrestlers to be on steroids. And Hulk Hogan was no exception, he was on steroids, back then he denied it, but he later admitted it, and everyone knew. But Hogan was absolutely huge, the steroids really made him big, he was already a big guy, but the roids made him an absolute unit, 6'7", over 300 lbs, and his arms were 24 inches in circumference. He was so big, and his arms were so big that if he got a normal man in a choke hold, he could literally put him out. As was the case in 1984, right before WrestleMania 1, Hulk Hogan and Mr. T made an appearance on a talk show, they were there to promote their match and to promote WrestleMania 1 for Vince McMahon. The talk show they were on was hosted by Richard Belzer, who would later go on to star in the TV series "Law and Order", but at the time Belzer was the host of this talk show. So Hogan and Mr. T are on the talk show being interviewed by Richard Belzer, and there was a lot of talk going on at that time about pro wrestling being fake. So Richard Belzer decided to ask Hogan if pro wrestling is really fake, Hogan sort of takes offense to the question and volunteers to show Belzer a few wrestling moves and let him decide for himself if pro wrestling is fake. So Hogan puts Richard Belzer in a guillotine choke hold, with his huge arms, and Hogan squeezes just a little bit, and Richard Belzer passes out, falls down and the back of his head slams into the hard stage, busting it open. Belzer lays there for a few seconds, unconscious, and then comes to and pops right up like nothing happened. It was a famous incident and Belzer later sued WWE and won some money because of it. But Hogan was a genuinely frightening guy with his size. You can see how big he is in these photos, he was fully capable of breaking a man's neck with those arms. He used to call those arms his "24 inch Pythons."
Comments
That staredown was epic.
I just can't get enough of these old Black and White photos of the ancient Roman Colosseum, here are some photos of the interior, the Black and White just gives it that effect, like your looking back thousands of years through time at the place in it's heyday.
The old pics are very interesting.
FYI - I saw computer animations around ten years ago, of what the Roman Colosseum looked like in its heyday, I'd have to believe any animations done recently are even more accurate.
Besides the crumbled concrete, don't forget all the wood throughout the stadium, rotted away a long time ago. The animations brings it back to life, and I'd imagine that today's AI may possibly enhance the reality further.
I certainly don't know much about this, but I do know in Italy they have kept records of real estate transactions and such for thousands of years, and to my knowledge these records still exist. I wonder if there are records of sporting events that took place during that time? Would be quite fascinating if AI could bring back the action and results of say a chariot race along with the real names, etc of the drivers.
I realize in Hollywood movies, particularly Ben Hur that I watched, classic movie, there was an interesting depiction of a chariot race. That was very well done, but something done AI may be even more fascinating.
The ancient Roman Colosseum is a true wonder of the world, absolutely fascinating that they could build something like that back then without modern technology. When you look around today at the various Colosseums and stadiums throughout American cities, it's crazy to think that the ancient Romans really started it all with their Colosseum. Of course, a lot of horrible things went on there in reality, the ancient Romans could be bloodthirsty savages when it came to entertainment, but the place is just absolutely fascinating, it has a mystique to it, and it really lures you in and grabs ahold of you and won't let go. I've done quite a bit of reading about it, seen plenty of images of what it must have looked like in it's prime, and of course it was featured in both Gladiator movies as well. Here's a pretty good depiction of what it looked like within the time period, absolutely mesmerizing for that period in history.
I often wonder what it would have been like to stand in the Roman Colosseum in it's day, 50,000 spectators yelling, the emperor glaring down upon you, it must have been both exhilarating and frightening, knowing you might not survive the experience.
I forgot about the "Gladiator" movies which I didn't see. The movie Spartacus with Kirk Douglas which I did see, was also a good movie about gladiator fighting.
If I recall correctly, the Colosseum depiction I saw also had views of the interior with nothing else inside it pictured. I'd be fairly certain that during the time it was active, the interior contained concession stands, rest rooms, etc, just like today's stadiums.
Perhaps they even sold souvenirs as well. A genuine garment from a slave who was killed in a gladiator fight selling for one silver coin. Make sure it was Roman PSA certified, probably a lot of fakes were being sold out there - LOL
Roman PSA certified. It's been a long hot day here in my city, I needed that. 😭😭
Mt. Vesuvius, the volcano that sits above the Roman city of Pompeii, erupted in the year 79 A.D., it's one of the most famous disasters, volcanic eruptions, in world history, it wiped out the entire city of Pompeii. Sitting directly underneath Mt. Vesuvius, the city of Pompeii had little chance as the volcano violently erupted out of nowhere. If you ever wondered what it was like, it's shocking to witness the power of nature.
From what I recall reading, the toxic gases killed most if not all of the residents very quickly, I'm guessing there was a weather inversion at the time, whereby instead of rising upwards, the gases spread and were blown towards ground level. The people of Pompeii never stood a chance. Just horrific bad luck. Then the lava came down and buried the city.
Hollywood always adds a little extra to these types of things, it makes for more entertainment, ticket sales, etc. But it is a horrible event, and you feel terrible for the people that lived there during that time. I won't post the photos here out of respect for the dead, but over time, archaeologists figured out a way to bring the people if Pompeii back to life, by pouring plaster cast into the cavities where the victims died, the flow of the lava actually left imprints of the people of Pompeii that died, casts, and you can actually see their faces as they were that day, people and animals. These casts offer a glimpse into the final moments of the victims, as they capture the poses they were in at the time of their death. It's mind blowing stuff.
Pompeii as it appears today, with Mt. Vesuvius hovering above the city in the background.
Kimbo Slice was mentioned earlier in the thread, if you're not familiar with Kimbo Slice, he was an intimidating presence, built like a miniature tank, he had nasty look about him, the bald head and beard, he just looked like a guy you didn't want to mess with. He was famous for holding bare knuckle street fights in Florida and filming them and uploading them on YouTube. He eventually got into the cage fighting, UFC, Bellator, and had a handful of fights. But he was a fierce street fighter, relied on his raw power and usually swung for the fences to try and take you out, but he was tough as nails. My favorite fight of his was in 2015, he was past his prime but he stepped in the cage against the famous Ken Shamrock, also a legendary MMA fighter. Anyway, Shamrock gets Kimbo in a rear naked chokehold, and gets it locked in perfect, and this usually spells doom for anyone caught in that hold, because you can just squeeze like a python and cut off the blood supply to the head, usually guys tap out pretty quickly rather than risk passing out. But Kimbo refuses to tap out, passing out be damned, he's not going to tap out, some real warrior stuff. Anyway, Shamrock gives it all he's got but loses control of the chokehold, and Kimbo gets up swinging and puts Shamrock away, ridiculous Heart from Kimbo not to tap out from that chokehold, to be willing to pass out rather than tap out.
Back up off my Kimbo Slice action figure, you don't want none of this.
Nothing beats watching Ric Flair go full nuclear meltdown.
This is one of my favorite fights, Brock Lesnar vs Cain Velasquez, 2010, I always like seeing Brock Lesnar get beat, he's such a jerk in real life. There's a video on YouTube of him ignoring a pregnant woman at an airport, she wants an autograph and picture and he just stands there completely ignoring her, such a jerk move. He also hunts and kills animals for fun, which I detest. Anyway, in this fight, Lesnar goes for broke and tries to take Velasquez out at the start, Lesnar gets the takedown but Velasquez was a two-time all-American at Arizona State University so he knows how to wrestle. Lesnar eventually gasses out, and Velasquez begins to methodically take Lesnar apart. He catches Lesnar with a big knee to the midsection which puts Lesnar down, and Velasquez starts teeing off, great stuff.
Getting back to wrestling, I just heard that Ric Flair is battling skin cancer, I hope he kicks cancers a$$. I met Ric Flair back in the mid 90s at a signing at a Gold's Gym in my city, I shook his hand, he had one hell of a firm handshake. I just want to say this about Ric Flair, I truly believe that he is the GOAT of professional wrestling, he is the epitome of what a professional wrestler should strive to be, he checked all the boxes. Here's the highlights of one of my favorite Ric Flair matches, Flair vs Terry Funk at the Great American Bash in 89', and as always Flair brought it, but he was really intense that night. Put it this way, if aliens invaded Earth and wanted a professional wrestling match with one of us, I'd send in Ric Flair from the 89' Great American Bash. This is what a freaking wrestler is supposed to look like, professional wrestling at it's best.
I love this artwork featuring Ric Flair, someone fusioned him into the famous Leonardo Da Vinci drawing "Vitruvian Man", this drawing is meant to symbolize Ric Flair's status as the GOAT, as the perfect wrestler. Da Vinci drew the Vitruvian Man based on the writings of the Roman architect Vitruvius. Vitruvius believed that the human body was in perfect proportion with the universe, and the belief is reflected in the drawing. The male figure is positioned within both a circle and a square. The circle symbolizes the cosmos, while the square represents the Earth. Da Vinci's placement of the figure within both shapes suggests that humans are both a microcosm of the universe and a part of the terrestrial world. The Vitruvian Man is often interpreted as a symbol of human perfection, the harmony between the human form and the universe, and the connection between art and science. It has been used to represent various ideals throughout history, including human health, wellness, and the pursuit of knowledge.
I don't care what anyone says, Leonardo Da Vinci is the greatest genius the world has ever known. You look at his work, all of his work, his art, his Codex books of drawings and sketches of inventions, it's looking into the mind of a genius. He was inventing things 500 years before they were invented, he was into everything, art, sculpture, architecture, engineering, science, anatomy, mathematics, you name, he was into it. He used to get bodies from the morgue and dissect them because he wanted to know everything about the human anatomy, he wanted to know everything there was to know about life, his mind was always working, always looking for more, his thirst for knowledge was an obsession, the man literally wanted to have God's knowledge. Do yourself a favor, someday when you get some time, pour over everything you can find about him, look at every sketch and drawing in his Codex books, it's just unbelievable where his mind was at, he's the greatest genius our species has ever known. Here are a couple of highly recommended reads.
Bringing the attention to boxing, this is one of my favorite fights of all-time, Ali vs Frazier 1, the fight of the century, 1971 at Madison Square Garden. The hype surrounding this fight was unreal, it wasn't called the fight of the century for nothing. You have Muhammad Ali, who was in many people's eyes still the rightful heavyweight champion, but was stripped of the title because of Vietnam. And then you have Joe Frazier, who was the current heavyweight champion. It was the fight to determine who really deserved the title. Like I said, the hype surrounding this fight was unreal, pretty much every major celebrity of the day was there. I love both of these guys, Ali and Frazier, but watching this fight, it is my favorite performance from Joe Frazier, the man fought like he was possessed. Frazier just comes out and applies absolute relentless pressure on Ali throughout the fight, and walks through everything Ali throws at him, even taunting Ali and smiling at him at times. He bombards Ali with brutal hooks to the head and body the entire fight, hurts Ali and even puts him down in the final round. You have to give credit to Ali for even making it to the final bell, Frazier really laid some heavy leather on him, Ali was tough as nails. But this is my favorite performance from Frazier, he was in his prime, at his best, and it really showcased how brutal he could be, the way he came at Ali was almost frightening.
I have to say, I'm enjoying this, I love building threads for future generations to look at someday, to read over someday, this is fun.
How about a little Van Halen.
Back to Joe Frazier for a minute, I really love watching Frazier operate in the ring, his style was very complex to master, and it was a nightmare for opponents to deal with. Fighting Joe Frazier was like playing a game of Russian roulette, his swarming, crouching, bob-and-weave pressure style, it was a difficult style to master and it made it nearly impossible to predict when he was going to explode out of that crouch and catch you with one of those brutal left hooks to the head, he put Ali through pure unadulterated hell with that style, Ali suffered tremendously in his three fights with Frazier, and Ali stated that Frazier was his toughest opponent because he always had to be at his absolute best when he fought Frazier, you couldn't play around with Frazier. After the Thrilla in Manila, Ali stated that the Thrilla was the closest he ever came to death in the ring. That was Joe Frazier, that was the hell he put you through. I love these photos of Yancey "Yank" Durham and Eddie Futch with Frazier, Yank Durham and Eddie Futch are the ones who turned Joe Frazier into the monster that he became. When Frazier first walked into the PAL (Police Athletic League) in the early 60s and met Durham, Frazier wanted to box, Frazier would dance around the ring like Ali. Durham reined that in, conveying to Frazier that he was too short to fight on the outside like Ali, and that to be successful Joe had to get inside and make his 73-inch reach work for him. When Frazier turned pro in 1965, Ali was the undisputed champ. And it was Durham who profoundly told Frazier that if he ever wanted to be the champ he would eventually have to beat Ali who would be the one standing in his path when he got there. Frazier absorbed everything Durham said, and then worked hard to develop his style so he could nullify Ali’s jab, then work Ali's body with brutal body shots as he was cutting the ring off in the process. And of course Eddie Futch joined Frazier's team in 1966 and showed Frazier how to bob-and-weave which only made him more lethal and difficult to predict. Frazier became so proficient fighting as a swarmer that he was successful against every opponent he ever fought not named George Foreman. I guess you could say, Yank Durham and Eddie Futch were the Dr. Frankenstein's and Frazier was their monster.
Yank Durham with Frazier
Eddie Futch with Frazier
This video game featuring Joe Frazier captures exactly what I was talking about, fighting Joe Frazier was like playing Russian roulette, you never could predict when he was going to explode out of that crouch and nail you to the wall, and he had the best left hook in boxing history, it was explosive, powerful, and brutal.
This is one of my favorite Joe Frazier fights, Frazier vs Bob Foster, and it showcases exactly what I was talking about, how Frazier's style was just a nightmare for his opponents. Now, Bob Foster was a murderous puncher himself, and had one of the best jabs in boxing history, but his jab was completely useless against Frazier because of the bob-and-weave, crouching, swarming pressure of Frazier, and it made impossible to predict when Frazier was going to strike with those hooks, and the end result was Foster being brutally taken out.
Another instance, Joe Bugner never even saw this left hook coming, Frazier crouches and then detonates, just brutal.
Frazier was such a fascinating fighter, that left hook just came out of nowhere, like a snake striking. Here he catches Jerry Quarry with it, Frazier disguises it by throwing a quick short left jab first, then boom, he detonates the left hook. Russian roulette, you never knew when the bullet was coming, Frazier's style was an absolute nightmare for his opponents.
And one more thing about Joe Frazier before I move on, he was a brutal body puncher, he would slam wear your body the heck out. I've had rib injuries twice in my life, and they are the worst. When you injure your rib area, it affects your entire body, your entire way of living, it hurts to move, hurts to breathe, hurts to eat, you can't sleep on the injured side, it's agonizing, and it something that has to heal in it's own over time, there's no medicine to cure it. Body punching in boxing is designed to zap your energy from you, or outright take you out. I've seen guys in boxing get hit and immediately go down to one knee and not be able to get back up, they'll try and just go right back down, their body won't let them stand up. It's a thing of beauty watching a good body puncher work his magic, and Joe Frazier knew how wear you out. This is one of the greatest boxing photos ever taken, Joe Frazier standing over Jerry Quarry with a menacing look on his face after catching Quarry with a wicked left hook to the body, which sent Quarry down to one knee, you can see the agony in Quarry's face.
Another great boxing photo of Joe Frazier, targeting the body of Jerry Quarry, getting ready to unleash hell on those ribs.
One last thing about Joe Frazier before I move on, he was great at attacking in sequence, ripping shots to the body and then following it up immediately with hooks to the head, a bombardment that was devastating to his opponents. And when he unleashed that attack, he really let it rip, throwing everything he had into it. Case in point, his fight with Terry Daniels, watch at the end when he finishes Daniels off, knocking him through the ropes, he tears into Daniels with hooks to the body follows it up with hooks to the head, throwing everything with full force, just a brutal and devastating attack. Joe Frazier was one hell of a fighting machine.
My favorite image of Joe Frazier, holding a pistol during target practice.
I want to say one last thing about Joe Frazier, his performance against Ali in 1971 at Madison Square Garden, the fight of the century, is one of the greatest performances I've ever seen in a boxing ring, he was a freaking machine that night, he was not going to be denied that victory, I don't think I've ever seen someone so determined in my life, and it came against the greatest with the pressure of the world on his shoulders. That is peak Joe Frazier at his best and it was a thing of absolute beauty, and that left hook he caught Ali with in the final round has to be the most cinematic punch in boxing history, and was Frazier's exclamation point on that fight, an exclamation point on one of the greatest performances in boxing history. I swear, that left hook belongs in a damn museum.
How about a little music break.
I'll say it again, I am loving this, I love building threads for future generations to look at, just something to entertain.
How about a Michael Jordan gambling story for a change? Everyone knows Jordan is a big-time competitive gambler, he was competitive at everything. That sounds tasty, let's have that. Here's the famous Jordan luggage story.
Michael Jordan Once Fixed a $1000 Bet With Teammates Over Travel Luggage
Every once in a while, the world of the NBA embraces itself with a ridiculous storyline circling Michael Jordan. To the fans’ delight, Bob Starkey recently narrated an instance from MJ’s playing days that undoubtedly fit the bill. The LSU head coach reflected on when Jordan fixed a $1000 bet with his Chicago Bulls teammates over travel luggage.
Starkey revealed how Jordan allegedly bribed the flight attendant. That’s how the 6x champion tampered with the unspoken rules before setting the trap. He then perfectly executed his plan by toying with his teammates’ egos. And expectedly, the trick paid dividends as he earned thousands of dollars instantaneously.
“[Michael Jordan] tells the flight attendant, ‘Do you have any control over which bag comes off the conveyor belt first?’. She said, ‘Well, I’m sure I can arrange something. What do you need?’…’I need bag number 23 to come off that conveyor belt first’… Jordan rolls out a few hundred dollars and gives it to her… You know how you stand around the conveyor belt… Jordan says, ‘What the heck! I got a $1000. Mine is the first one to come off… So, they all throw a thousand dollars on there. Boom! Here comes 23 off the conveyor belt.”
This story possibly happened during one of the Bulls’ away games during Jordan’s time with the franchise. On one hand, it captured Jordan’s reported addiction to gambling during his playing career and beyond. On the other, it highlighted his competitiveness which helped him excel in various aspects of life.
This ruthless approach was his key to terrorizing his opponents on the court. However, at times, his teammates also had to suffer for this.
A glimpse into Michael Jordan’s competitiveness
Michael Franzese, a former New York City mobster, once revealed the intricate details of Jordan’s addiction to winning at any cost. During an appearance on Mike Tyson’s Hotboxin podcast in April 2020, he opened up about MJ once squaring off against the then-Bulls head of security. Mentioning the details, Franzese stated,
“Michael was playing the head of security in table tennis for five bucks. Of course, Michael wins, he wins at everything. So Horace has his warm-up suit on, and Michael goes where are my five bucks? He said that it’s up in his room, so he goes up and tells him to go out to get it. Horace looked at him and said, ‘Five bucks Michael’. He said, ‘Yeah, this is my trophy, I beat you’. He puts it in his pocket and walks away’“.
This further proved MJ’s drive to be the best at everything he did. This included a range of actions – from intentionally petrifying his opponent to using underhand tactics to defeat his teammates – Jordan’s single-minded focus to win forced him to insane lengths. In hindsight, that was the price he had to pay to become unforgettable.
This is one of my favorite fights of all-time and it showcases why boxers are the toughest athletes, David Tua vs Ikea Ibeabuchi, 1997. The possibility of dying in the ring be damned, each man refused to back down to the other's brutality. It made for some real Thrilla in Manila type chit.
It was a clash of unbeaten heavyweight bangers. Sluggers. Raw, hard punchers. Two men who knew how to inflict hurt, damage……pain. And both guys could take it as well as dish it out. It was on this day back in 1997, when heavyweight juggernauts Ike Ibeabuchi and David Tua collided in what might well have resulted in the greatest-ever combo of, not only Immovable Object Vs. Unstoppable Force, but Immovable Force Vs. Unstoppable Object.
Indeed, both men could file a description act as either, as both.
Tua was an all-out wrecking machine – the Samoan bringing an impressive and quite chilling 27-0(23) record to the party. Ibeabuchi was a real force of nature – the Nigerian sporting a 16-0(12) ledger as he stepped between the ropes with a desire to inflict God knows what damage on his foe.
Together, these two finally-conditioned, starving hungry, granite chinned power-punchers went to war for our entertainment as well as their own ring futures. To this day, we fans owe Ike and David a debt of thanks, while it must be recognised that neither man was ever the same after what they put each other through inside the Arco Arena in Sacramento; Ibeabuchi especially.
For 36 beautiful, thrilling, and brutal minutes, Ibeabuchi and Tua traded bombs, they checked each other’s heart, chin and desire. It was punch-for-punch stuff all the way. Neither man tired, neither man was willing to yield, and neither man backed off, much less fall. After 12 of the greatest heavyweight rounds seen since the epic (and damaging) Thrilla in Manila of 1975, had fans been taken so deep as they watched two big men willing to die to win.
This was a funny moment in sports history, back in 2024 at The Masters, Tiger Woods took a moment during his round and approached legendary broadcaster Verne Lundquist for a handshake, a tree hilariously blocked the view, turning the encounter into a viral meme. Lundquist’s hand appeared to emerge from the tree trunk, creating a funny and unforgettable moment for viewers.
So, getting back to wrestling, this is one of my favorite segments, Shawn Michaels slaps the crap out of Randy Orton.
WWE Monday Night Raw, 7/25/11, the legendary Rey Mysterio finally becomes WWE Champion. It was so smooth the way he did it, the hurricanrana, 619, the diving splash, boom, just like that, after climbing for 16 years he reaches the top of the mountain.
Time for a little sports story, how about the Steve Young referee story? Steve Young told this story in his autobiography QB: My Life Behind The Spiral, and it's hilarious.
Young recalled an interaction he had with a referee during a 1985 game vs. the Indianapolis Colts (via Peter King of MMQB.com):
"Partway through the second quarter I'm in the huddle when the head referee taps me on the shoulder. 'Can I talk to you for a second?' he says. I step away from the huddle. 'Hey, listen, my daughter's going to BYU,' he whispers. Next thing I know he starts trying to convince me that I should meet his daughter. 'I'd like you to take her out,' he says."
"I cannot believe this. We're in the middle of a game! 'Oh, okay,' I said. 'What's her name?' He tells me and I return to the huddle...Late in the game we're down 31-23 and I'm trying to mount a comeback. I scramble out of the pocket and take a brutal hit. It causes me to fumble just before the whistle blows to stop the play. I am lying on the ground when the defense recovers the loose ball, all but sealing our defeat. Suddenly out of nowhere a yellow flag lands next to me. The referee whose daughter is headed to BYU calls a personal foul on the defense. First down, Tampa Bay. I get up and brush myself off. Then the ref walks past me and whispers she likes Italian food."
Time for a music break, now this is what a rock video should look like.
You know, I just can't get enough of this place, a beautiful shot of the inside of the ancient Roman Colosseum. In it's prime, the place could seat some 50,000 spectators, the Roman emperor had his own box where he could see all the people and they could see him.
Beautiful shot of the Roman Colosseum during the day with people walking by.
The best fight in martial arts movie history, Bruce Lee vs Chuck Norris at the ancient Roman Colosseum in the film "Way Of The Dragon", this was Bruce Lee at his peak greatest. The best part of the fight is at the end when Bruce Lee breaks Chuck Norris's arm and leg, in sequence.
This is one of the baddest scenes in martial arts movie history, The Hunted (1995), the train scene with Takida.
Random sports photo of the day, this is an image of Rick Barry sitting in the Warriors lockerroom in 1967, deep in thought. I love this image, Barry looks like a high school preppie, very unassuming looking, you would never know he was a basketball bada$$ who could torch you for 50 points if he got the urge to.
If I had to guess, I would say 1980s Hulk Hogan was the biggest draw for money in pro wrestling history as well as the most popular star in wrestling history. Hogan was big, and I mean big in the 1980s, he was so big that Sports Illustrated put him on the cover of their magazine, they couldn't ignore his superstardom, and he is still to this day the only professional wrestler to appear on the cover of Sports Illustrated strictly as a pro wrestler, strictly in the pro wrestling capacity.
So, it's a known fact that back in the 1980s, pretty much all the major pro wrestlers in the WWE were on steroids, Vince McMahon actually more or less required them to be on steroids because he wanted them to be as big as possible, it attracts more attention if the wrestlers are walking out there looking like bulked up monsters, it sells more tickets, so Vince McMahon required his wrestlers to be on steroids. And Hulk Hogan was no exception, he was on steroids, back then he denied it, but he later admitted it, and everyone knew. But Hogan was absolutely huge, the steroids really made him big, he was already a big guy, but the roids made him an absolute unit, 6'7", over 300 lbs, and his arms were 24 inches in circumference. He was so big, and his arms were so big that if he got a normal man in a choke hold, he could literally put him out. As was the case in 1984, right before WrestleMania 1, Hulk Hogan and Mr. T made an appearance on a talk show, they were there to promote their match and to promote WrestleMania 1 for Vince McMahon. The talk show they were on was hosted by Richard Belzer, who would later go on to star in the TV series "Law and Order", but at the time Belzer was the host of this talk show. So Hogan and Mr. T are on the talk show being interviewed by Richard Belzer, and there was a lot of talk going on at that time about pro wrestling being fake. So Richard Belzer decided to ask Hogan if pro wrestling is really fake, Hogan sort of takes offense to the question and volunteers to show Belzer a few wrestling moves and let him decide for himself if pro wrestling is fake. So Hogan puts Richard Belzer in a guillotine choke hold, with his huge arms, and Hogan squeezes just a little bit, and Richard Belzer passes out, falls down and the back of his head slams into the hard stage, busting it open. Belzer lays there for a few seconds, unconscious, and then comes to and pops right up like nothing happened. It was a famous incident and Belzer later sued WWE and won some money because of it. But Hogan was a genuinely frightening guy with his size. You can see how big he is in these photos, he was fully capable of breaking a man's neck with those arms. He used to call those arms his "24 inch Pythons."