Game of Clones: Matching Sports Figures to Game of Thrones Characters

In HBO's Game of Thrones, you win or you die. And the characters who play that game in the fictional world of the Seven Kingdoms have plenty in common with the real-life figures of our own sports world. Here is a slideshow that attempts to match characters from Game of Thrones with their equivalents from the sporting landscape.

WARNING: Spoiler Alert.

King Robert Baratheon-Mike Tyson

After winning the World Heavyweight Boxing Championship when he was only 20 years old, Mike Tyson became lazy and disinterested in the sport as his career went on. By the time he retired he was overweight, followed by conspirators and was a notorious philanderer.

Tyson's story is not unlike that of King Robert Baratheon, who was a determined and courageous warrior until he reached the throne of the Seven Kingdoms, where he grew fat and apathetic with nothing left to accomplish. Like Tyson, Baratheon was a known womanizer who surrounded himself with sycophants and other devious characters.

Promoter Don King aligned himself with the young Tyson after he first won the heavyweight title, and proceeded to finagle him out of millions of dollars through broken contracts during the following years.

But despite the vast fortune Tyson still received, he recklessly squandered it until he had to file for bankruptcy. Similarly, King Robert's lavish spending left his crown in heavy debt after he died.

Lord Eddard Stark-Jim Tressel

If there's one thing Lord Eddard Stark and former Ohio State football coach Jim Tressel have in common, it's that both met their ends during the past month. Furthermore, they did so while trying to protect those around them.

Tressel's demise came after he withheld information from the NCAA about his players trading memorabilia to a tattoo parlor for money and discounted tattoos. He resigned at the end of May in an effort to lessen potential NCAA penalties against OSU. Stark's execution came after he was forced to falsely admit to crimes of treason against King Joffrey in order to save his family. He was double-crossed and beheaded with that admission.

Additionally, both characters presented a righteous and honest image about themselves, even though they had their own flaws. Tressel's reputation was damaged after he lied to the NCAA, and Stark's character was tarnished by having a son, Jon Snow, from an extramarital affair. Both characters were also excellent at their craft. Tressel won seven Big Ten championships and a national title at OSU. Stark was a heroic fighter and lord of his land in Winterfell.

Joffrey Baratheon-Lane Kiffin

It's easy to find similarities between Joffrey Baratheon and Southern California football coach Lane Kiffin. Both are unproven leaders, undeserving of the thrones they sit on and remorseless for their actions.

Lane Kiffin was hired as head coach of the Oakland Raiders in 2007 despite being only 32 years old and having had only one year of NFL assistant coaching experience. Many believe the under qualified Kiffin was hired because of the success his father Monte had as a defensive coordinator in the NFL.

He went 5-15 and lasted less than two seasons with the Raiders. He was then hired to coach the Tennessee Volunteers but left after just one year to become head coach at USC. Although his departure left his players' futures in jeapordy and the athletic department in chaos, Kiffin was oblivious to the backlash that ensued after he left Knoxville.

But for all the hoopla that has followed Kiffin he has yet to show that he's actually deserved any of the coaching jobs he's received. As a college coach, his two-year record is a mediocre 15-11 to go along with his dismal mark in Oakland.

Like Kiffin, Joffrey receives his crown before he has come of age, assuming the throne after the death of King Robert. And like Kiffin, he doesn't deserve it. Not only is he grossly unqualified to rule a kingdom, but he isn't even the rightful heir to the throne, which King Robert intended to give to Lord Stark after he passed. Joffrey is a poor fighter but a bully nonetheless. His most evil deed came when he tricked Eddard Stark and had him murdered in a public demonstration. As Kiffin did when he left Tennessee, Joffrey showed no remorse for his dishonesty.

Tyrion Lannister-Dan Gilbert

Three things that Tyrion Lannister and Dan Gilbert have in common are wealth, intelligence and small stature.

As owner of the Cleveland Cavaliers, Gilbert helped raise the team to elite status after the first two years with LeBron James failed to produce any playoff appearances. The feisty Gilbert made it clear that money wouldn't be an object as he acquired the hefty contracts of Larry Hughes, Mo Williams and Shaquille O'Neal during the 2000s.

Even after James left and the Cavs returned to the NBA cellar, Gilbert and general manager Chris Grant were able to virtually steal the eventual No. 1 draft pick from the Los Angeles Clippers. Like Gilbert, Lannister is sharp-tongued man who uses his cunning and wit to compensate for his physical shortcomings, and his money to bail him out of bad situations. Both may be short, but neither should be underestimated.

Queen Cersei Baratheon-Jamie McCourt

Like Jamie McCourt, Queen Cersei Baratheon was a visible presence in her husband Robert Baratheon's kingdom. Both are smart, ambitious women, and both were unfaithful to their powerful husbands.

Although McCourt's extramarital affair wasn't as bizarre as Cersei's incestuous relationship with her brother, it was just as messy.

In October 2009, Jamie's husband and Los Angeles Dodgers owner, Frank, fired her as the team's CEO and filed for divorce after he learned of her relationship with a team employee. The future of the Dodgers has been in limbo ever since. The McCourts haven't reached an agreement on a settlement and the team has since declared bankruptcy.

Viserys Targaryen-LeBron James

What Viserys Targaryen and LeBron James share is a desire to reach the throne by the easiest method possible. Early in his career, James was hailed as "the king" when he turned the Cleveland Cavaliers from perennial losers into NBA title contenders. But last summer he was exiled from his proverbial throne when he joined the Miami Heat with all-stars Dwayne Wade and Chris Bosh.

James was criticized for trying to take the easy route to a championship, and subsequently became one of the most hated athletes in professional sports.

Targaryen was once a prince until he fled his father's kingdom after he was overthrown. Nicknamed "the beggar king," he offers his sister to Kahl Drogo, a nomadic warlord, in an attempt to take control of Drogo's armies and recapture his lost throne.

Both James and Targaryen are front-runners, and both are easy to hate.

Jon Snow-TCU football

Despite having 98 wins under coach Gary Patterson, the Horned Frogs of Texas Christian University have been ridiculed for playing in the Mountain West Conference and labeled inferior to college football's elite teams. All of this was evident when Ohio State President E. Gordon Gee famously mocked them for playing the "little sisters of the poor" last November.

But they have excelled in the face of criticism by going to two straight BCS bowl games and finishing second in the AP and coaches polls in 2010. The Horned Frogs will become an even stronger national title contender when they join the Big East Conference in 2012.

TCU's struggle is paralleled by Jon Snow, a talented swordsman who is often chastised for being born out of wedlock. While Snow is in training he is mercilessly ridiculed by his Master-at-arms, who discredits all of his achievements in practice because he faces weak competition. But like the Horned Frogs, Snow perseveres and grows up poised to become a leader.

Arya Stark-Laila Ali

Both Laila Ali and Arya Stark are fighters, and so were their fathers. Laila's legendary father, Muhammad Ali, didn't want her to take up boxing when she first expressed interest in the sport. But the determined Laila was going to box regardless of what her father wanted. She began fighting when she was 18 and retired as perhaps the greatest female boxer of all time with a 24-0 record.

Like Muhammad, Arya's father Eddard Stark wasn't enthusiastic about his daughter's aspirations to fight. He wanted her to become a princess, but Arya made it clear that she wanted to learn how to sword fight. Her father conceded to her demands and arranged for her to begin training with an expert. As Laila did in boxing, Arya displays an aggressive demeanor and bravado whenever she meets a challenge.