Offside Chat Archives (2014-2021)

I suppose even the dark continent has its own legendary stallion when we begin discussing great military commanders.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cetshwayo_kaMpande

Bill, it's game over. People aren't blind!

When looking at peaceful eras, I think the Song Dynasty really stands out. They probably developed one of the first truly modern societies back in the 10th through 13th centuries, featuring massive, organized cities and complex systems for economics, science, and culture. That level of socioeconomic growth was probably unheard of again until industrial-era Britain. We don't talk about it much here in the States, since our history books tend to focus more on the European colonial powers that rose up after the plague. Before the Mongols and the Black Death, the Song Dynasty was arguably the most advanced nation in human history. It’s a bit sad how they eventually fell under the Mongol boot.

Adolf is absolutely revolting, honestly...

Noah Roberts46 said:Napoleon or Augustus.

The first one actually drove massive progress for society across basically every field imaginable.

Starting with the Roman Emperors, I have a real soft spot for those who managed to maintain order and restore even a flicker of the Empire's former glory while navigating chaotic, decadent eras surrounded by complete incompetents—think guys like Aurelian, or our own Valentine. 😉

But if we're talking absolute TOP1, for me, it’s Marcus Aurelius. Purely sentimental reasons.

Good recommendations. Check out GQ; it's some interesting reading.

dustyviper8 said:Anyone following Snookee knows exactly who "the rocket" is.

When this guy’s actually focused—meaning he’s sober and his head is in the right place (he’s a recovering alcoholic, after all, and deals with depression)—watching him work is honestly just as entertaining as some NBA playoff games.

Covik set the record for the fastest 147 ever in just five minutes about twenty years ago. Honestly, there isn't a god alive who's going to break that.

It’s a brutal sport. If you want to realize how difficult it actually is, you need to see a table in person. You can claim any sport is the toughest, but this one? It definitely belongs at the very top.

Anthony Wright30 said:I suppose even the dark continent has its own legendary stallion when we begin discussing great military commanders.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cetshwayo_kaMpande

Man, you just had to bring that up, didn't you? Now I can't stop thinking about it...

Shaka Zulu

Amanda Evans2 said:Adolf is absolutely revolting, honestly...

And yet, everyone would probably draft him in the first round. As if they wouldn't just block him immediately ☕

Amanda Evans2 said:Adolf is absolutely revolting, honestly...

Bill Burr actually nailed this description perfectly.

I mean, just imagine being so evil that your name basically vanishes from the lexicon because nobody wants to name their kid Adolf.

🙏

brightpilot6 said:And yet, everyone would probably draft him in the first round. As if they wouldn't just block him immediately ☕

Or maybe user Put99 would grab him, and then he'd probably complain about his whole offensive strategy getting totally messed up.

Which ruler was this again? Not BMK, but... the Phoenicians.

steelharbor9 said:Or maybe user Put99 would grab him, and then he'd probably complain about his whole offensive strategy getting totally messed up.

🤣 🤣 🤣

Susan Kim2 said:It’s a brutal sport. If you want to realize how difficult it actually is, you need to see a table in person. You can claim any sport is the toughest, but this one? It definitely belongs at the very top.

Yeah, that's true. I suppose the difference between a billiards table and a snooker table is kind of like the difference between playing soccer on a small field versus a full-sized pitch. I don't think I'm exaggerating too much there.

Paul Sanders5 said:It’s long, absolutely, but somehow Europe always manages to pop up at the top. Look, Napoleon was going up against the top 5 nations in the world back then—technologically speaking, anyway. It’s like a Golden Boot; scoring a goal in the Premier League counts for two points, while a goal in Cyprus is worth like 0.1. Why even bring up Russia's conquests in Siberia? Sure, they have the quantity, but they just don't have the quality :Stico:

I’d also mention Suleiman the Magnificent—equally massive on both fronts.

Word. But the massive downside is how quickly he hit his peak, burned out just as fast, and ended up fading into obscurity—far from the spotlight where he belonged.
🤷

steelharbor9 said:With an FG percentage under 40% and, like Paul Pierce mentioned earlier, having Juan Dallavedova as the second-best player...

He basically carried that ragtag group to a 2-1 lead. And man, that one loss went to overtime because—I think it was just yesterday I saw this—Josh Shumpert couldn't sink a layup from two feet out right at the end of regulation in game one. 🙏 🙏

The guy probably led in pretty much every statistical category out there. Seriously, give me any player in history—even a 21-year-old Jordan—and they wouldn't be able to take those two games off the Golden State Warriors with that Cleveland Cavaliers squad.

Fine, but that was the first time the Warriors had ever made the Finals. That 2016 squad was a much more formidable unit once they actually found their rhythm, so the achievement carries more weight there, even if you want to nitpick certain details. I’ll give him credit, though. Then again, he had nothing to lose back in 2015; there just wasn't that kind of pressure in that specific series.

Jessica Gonzalez said:Yeah, that's true. I suppose the difference between a billiards table and a snooker table is kind of like the difference between playing soccer on a small field versus a full-sized pitch. I don't think I'm exaggerating too much there.

I'm a pro on both fields, I guess. ☕

urbanhawk17 said:Bill Burr actually nailed this description perfectly.

I mean, just imagine being so evil that your name basically vanishes from the lexicon because nobody wants to name their kid Adolf.

🙏

It was about a last name, though. Like, what, did he have no relatives left? How much of a monster do you have to be for people to change your entire surname.

Charles Roberts33 said:Starting with the Roman Emperors, I have a real soft spot for those who managed to maintain order and restore even a flicker of the Empire's former glory while navigating chaotic, decadent eras surrounded by complete incompetents—think guys like Aurelian, or our own Valentine. 😉

But if we're talking absolute TOP1, for me, it’s Marcus Aurelius. Purely sentimental reasons.

Good recommendations. Check out GQ; it's some interesting reading.

🤣 🤣 🤣 🙏 🙏

steelharbor9 said:Or maybe user Put99 would grab him, and then he'd probably complain about his whole offensive strategy getting totally messed up.

Alternatively, I might find myself sitting there on ATD1 with both Stalin and Adolf in my lineup, yet everyone would still be making a huge deal out of Benito down south.☕

Charles Roberts33 said:Starting with the Roman Emperors, I have a real soft spot for those who managed to maintain order and restore even a flicker of the Empire's former glory while navigating chaotic, decadent eras surrounded by complete incompetents—think guys like Aurelian, or our own Valentine. 😉

But if we're talking absolute TOP1, for me, it’s Marcus Aurelius. Purely sentimental reasons.

Good recommendations. Check out GQ; it's some interesting reading.

Can't let this one go by unnoticed 🤣 🤣 🤣