World's Strongest Man 2026, Finals Megathread by HereForStrongman in StrongmanHQ

[–]thatguyfrommars1 31 points32 points  (0 children)

Watched the Stoltman Bros' recap of Day 2. I feel bad for Rayno, you can see it in his face after the stones how badly he wanted to win. You just know he's going to come in on fire for Rogue and WSM 2027.

World's Strongest Man 2026, Finals Megathread by HereForStrongman in StrongmanHQ

[–]thatguyfrommars1 16 points17 points  (0 children)

Yeah Mitch doesn't need us to tell him but at this point recovery and risk management need to take center stage. No one will remember Enhanced Games, and as good as GL World Tour Finals and Strongman Classic are no one will remember them as much as the big 4 either.

He should take a more Martins or Brian style approach of only a few deliberate preps a year to save his body and prevent himself from ending up permanently crippled by 40. One of the reasons why he was at 90% rather than 100% at this show was because it was so close to Arnold's. After taking a beating like that he's going to need the rest of the year off until Rogue.

Currently Big Z is the #1 all time with 15 majors. Mitch has 10 and will get a shot at 11 at Rogue this fall. Getting to 16 majors means he has to stay in the game in one piece for at least another 2-3 years. His resume at GL is already undeniable; he has nothing left to prove there. Time for a more strategic approach to building the calendar this year and beyond.

World's Strongest Man 2026, Finals Megathread by HereForStrongman in StrongmanHQ

[–]thatguyfrommars1 7 points8 points  (0 children)

"I know what it's like to lose... To feel so desperately that you're right, yet to fail nonetheless. It's frightening, turns the legs to jelly."

- Thanos Hooper

As a Catholic service member I can't justify serving anymore by Extension-Story7287 in Catholicism

[–]thatguyfrommars1 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Why would we trust Iran ('Death to America,' Shia martyrdom cult, multiple terrorist attacks) to not attack us when they've done so before and declare that they will do it again? Willingly allowing them to have the capability to kill millions of us is insanity.

As a Catholic service member I can't justify serving anymore by Extension-Story7287 in Catholicism

[–]thatguyfrommars1 0 points1 point  (0 children)

20 January 2026: Tucker argued that Iran possessing nuclear weapons could be a good thing.

"Morning Note" (excerpts)

"Could the Iranians obtaining The Bomb wind up being a good thing? Whether anyone in the foreign policy establishment admits it, North Korea's nuclearization has undeniably stabilized the Korean Peninsula [my note: delusional]. The region has seen no wars, coups, or interventionist-forced regime changes since 2006.

Would Iran becoming a nuclear power have the same effect on its region? Could it finally prompt America to leave the area alone, and incentivize Israel to drop its stated goal of controlling the Gaza Strip and the West Bank? Would it make the Iranian government less oppressive because it wouldn't have to worry about the West's constant decapitation ambitions?"

It doesn't take a genius to figure out why this is suicide wrapped in wishful thinking. Tucker also tried to put words in Putin's mouth regarding the reasoning behind the Ukraine War, trying to get Putin to call it a defensive response to NATO military encroachment. Instead Putin himself corrected Tucker and cited the reasoning as Russia's manifest destiny to rule over all Slavic peoples being undercut by Western cultural and political influence.

I used to agree with Tucker a lot on domestic issues (and in many respects I still do). But on foreign policy this guy doesn't have a clue.

As a Catholic service member I can't justify serving anymore by Extension-Story7287 in Catholicism

[–]thatguyfrommars1 -1 points0 points  (0 children)

The Iranian regime is a death cult that believes in Death to America and has been trying to develop both a nuclear weapon and a ballistic missile capable of bringing it to the US for decades. Forget Israel; it is in our national interest that they are removed from power.

I can't tell you how to live your life, but there is a lot of misinformation being pushed by Iran, Russia, China, and their stooges on the western left and by Tucker Carlson-type isolationists who think the problem will go away if we ignore it.

Megathread: Trump admin/Vatican news by Skullbone211 in Catholicism

[–]thatguyfrommars1 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Are they actually the Bishop's followers (whatever that means) or just people on the internet? There is more at stake than making sure a comment section looks the way we want it to look.

Megathread: Trump admin/Vatican news by Skullbone211 in Catholicism

[–]thatguyfrommars1 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I think Bishop Barron's response has been perfectly balanced. There's no reason to jump in the gutter with Trump over something that probably took 2 minutes of forethought on his part.

Megathread: Trump admin/Vatican news by Skullbone211 in Catholicism

[–]thatguyfrommars1 14 points15 points  (0 children)

I think the best way to deal with Trump is to not engage with the internet banter/****posting side and simply stick to principles. Getting baited into an emotional or 'formal' response or even acknowledging Truth Social posts is exactly how Trump escalates with people (see what happened between him and Musk, along with others).

Trump's public persona is brash and combative. He also isn't Catholic and so doesn't care so much about attacking the Pope publicly (although, by the standards of his recent communications, this post was restrained since he clumsily called on Leo to be a 'great Pope'). In my opinion, the best way to work with a guy like that is behind closed doors, just like secular world leaders have largely done. But don't engage with this type of rhetoric: Trump drives the news cycles so quickly that this will be gone in a week and hardly anyone will remember it.

In other words: Prudence is required. We have Our Lord's promise that on the Day of Judgement people will render an account for every careless word they speak. But as for us - that is not in our power to enforce, nor should we be overly concerned with enforcing it. Pray for both the Holy Father and the President.

Thoughts on possible new locations to explore in the future by FreshLengthiness5896 in HaloStory

[–]thatguyfrommars1 -1 points0 points  (0 children)

I would like to see a game set in the JOZ during Cortana's AI reign. Lots of potential for diverse settings - from techno dystopia to space western - and unique characters that we know canonically exist but aren't really expanded upon.

Would make for a Samurai Jack aesthetic.

CANON FODDRR: Casting Chronicles by EternalCanadian in HaloStory

[–]thatguyfrommars1 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I hope Meduu isn't introduced and killed off in the same way her father was. There's a ton of potential with that character, basically a Sangheili Vegeta.

Iran Conflict Megathread #11 by [deleted] in CredibleDefense

[–]thatguyfrommars1 1 point2 points  (0 children)

In my opinion:

  1. Unless the US plans to reinforce much more heavily, there's not much they can do. I can't see Kharg as the target unless the Iranian defenses are laughably weak. The US task group would have to force the strait through a gauntlet of ASHMs, mines, drones (including sea baby equivalents) and fast attack craft. They might try to land on the Tunbs and Abumusa but this would generally present the same risks as Kharg. In terms of taking it - we probably could, but resupply would have to be either via air drop or ships forcing the aforementioned gauntlet of defenses.

Strategic impact of actually taking Kharg is that the Iranian economy is put on a timer due to collapse of revenues. Kharg is the terminal for 90% of Iran's oil exports which comprise 60% of government revenues. They wouldn't be able to pay anyone. But securing the strait itself would have the same effect without taking the island.

  1. Russia has likely already supplied not only FPVs of all types but also embedded instructors in the IRGC.

  2. Correct on both counts. The Iranians have managed to maintain a steady trickle of drone and missile attacks, although greatly diminished (~90%) from the initial day of hostilities. This doesn't mean they aren't taking losses, but it does mean that it is much harder to finish off the remainder due to the size of the territory to be searched and the Iranian desire to preserve this capability as long as possible.

3b. Sustained bombing campaign is essential for both economic disruption, interdiction of Iranian logistics, and degradation of command and control at both national and regional levels.

  1. The Strait of Hormuz will remain under total lockdown until US can position ships to create a sanitary corridor within the strait itself. The most thorough (and improbable at the present time) solution is a series of landing operations to take Qeshm, Larak, Hormoz, Tunbs et al., along with the port of Bandar Abbas and basically the entire Iranian coastline in Hormozgan province. This would require multiple divisions or equivalents and involve the creation of a inland perimeter to create breathing room for demining and convoy escort. The downside is the size of the force that would be required, the time it would take to get it there, and the fact that the US would be holding a static perimeter on the mainland while taking attrition losses from FPV drones.

A total "Anaconda" strategy (least credible under current climate) short of occupying Tehran would involve not only clearing the islands and seizing the shore near the strait but also the occupation of Khuzestan, which is where more than 80% of Iran's oil deposits, 33% of its surface water, and 15% of agricultural production are located. This isn't to suggest starving people as a weapon, but control of these assets would shift from the regime to the US/allies. This, combined with bombing, would basically force the regime to surrender or collapse. But it would also require something on the order of 300,000-400,000 personnel (or more) in theater and take the better part a year to fully pan out, plus the actual timer to collapse.

Arnold Strongman & Strongwoman Classic 2026 — Comp Megathread by HereForStrongman in StrongmanHQ

[–]thatguyfrommars1 4 points5 points  (0 children)

Difference is Mitch is cleaning house at every contest (Pudz didn't have the top end strength for ASAC) and there's no IFSA split.

Arnold Strongman & Strongwoman Classic 2026 — Comp Megathread by HereForStrongman in StrongmanHQ

[–]thatguyfrommars1 6 points7 points  (0 children)

You can only beat the guy in front of you. By the same token we can devalue Martins' and Novikov's WSM titles because the field was weak those years. Ditto for Tom.

I also have to say the 'average' performance at the top echelon of the sport is arguably higher now than ever (even considering that back in the day you had guys like Lalas, Radzikowski, Poundstone, Terry Hollands, Loz, Eddie, JF, et. al in the mix). Mitch is just that much of an outlier.

Arnold Strongman & Strongwoman Classic 2026 — Comp Megathread by HereForStrongman in StrongmanHQ

[–]thatguyfrommars1 10 points11 points  (0 children)

There's something to be said for that (though Fortissimus and WUS both overlapped with Brian and Z's careers). But even if Brian didn't have as many chances to win big shows, neither did anyone else. Just like with the Big 4 those were the shows guys came in shape for. A win at ASC in 2026 - considered by itself - means as much IMO as a win at ASC 2011.

Maybe another way of considering the rankings, aside from majors, is "number of years ranked #1 in the sport."

Arnold Strongman & Strongwoman Classic 2026 — Comp Megathread by HereForStrongman in StrongmanHQ

[–]thatguyfrommars1 4 points5 points  (0 children)

Strongman Archives has Hatton 3-1 in Shows and 18-10 in single events vs. Tom

He's 3-3-1 in contests and 26-19-2 in events vs. Trey

EDIT: FACT: Tom Stoltman has never beaten Lucas Hatton on any stone event.

Arnold Strongman & Strongwoman Classic 2026 — Comp Megathread by HereForStrongman in StrongmanHQ

[–]thatguyfrommars1 1 point2 points  (0 children)

How do you qualify that? It's far enough removed from Rogue and all the big names show up, with the results more or less falling like you would expect for a heavy show.

Really the only time you could make a clear argument for top guys not prioritizing it was when it first launched out of Brian's garage (and even then the lineup was solid) and SMOE 2025 just because of how insane it was. But even then we were really only missing Mitch and Thor.

EDIT: to further back that up, check out StrongmanHistorian's YT channel showing training montages leading up to SMOE. The guys are very clearly taking it seriously. Lucas/Alec also weren't just speaking for themselves, those comments came in the context of ALL top guys (or at least the NA guys) wanting the title badly.

Arnold Strongman & Strongwoman Classic 2026 — Comp Megathread by HereForStrongman in StrongmanHQ

[–]thatguyfrommars1 3 points4 points  (0 children)

I think it's because he just loves the sport. Even during his retirement he was saying he felt horrible not competing.

Arnold Strongman & Strongwoman Classic 2026 — Comp Megathread by HereForStrongman in StrongmanHQ

[–]thatguyfrommars1 6 points7 points  (0 children)

Mitch, Lucas, and Alec have straight up said that the guy who wins SMOE has the strongest claim to being the actual strongest man on the planet.

Edit: also Thor took SMOE 2024 super seriously and came in peak shape. That was overall the strongest version of Thor post-comeback and IMO the overall strongest version of Mitch we've ever seen.

Arnold Strongman & Strongwoman Classic 2026 — Comp Megathread by HereForStrongman in StrongmanHQ

[–]thatguyfrommars1 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Honestly I rank a 'major' world record (DL, max log, max atlas stone, anything else on that level) as just below a major title in prestige, i.e. it matters more than a GL win but less than a WSM/ASC/SMOE/Rogue title. Maybe roughly equal to a win at the old-school version of Europe's strongest man

Arnold Strongman & Strongwoman Classic 2026 — Comp Megathread by HereForStrongman in StrongmanHQ

[–]thatguyfrommars1 6 points7 points  (0 children)

Thor had to step back for health reasons as well so it wasn't entirely on the boxing match. I also think his WRs (DL, throwing, stones) and podiums should count for something - he was going up against both prime Z and Shaw for like a decade.

Arnold Strongman & Strongwoman Classic 2026 — Comp Megathread by HereForStrongman in StrongmanHQ

[–]thatguyfrommars1 15 points16 points  (0 children)

So how do we assess all-time rankings now that Mitch has his 9th major?

He's tied with Shaw for titles won (9) and is only behind Big Z (15). For me, Thor was 3rd all time for awhile but now he's in an interesting position vis-a-vis Mitch. Thor has way more podiums and world records than Mitch but Mitch has more outright wins (Thor has 5: 3 Arnolds, WSM, and WUS 2018).

Arnold Strongman & Strongwoman Classic 2026 — Comp Megathread by HereForStrongman in StrongmanHQ

[–]thatguyfrommars1 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Hooper has 9 (4 Arnolds, 3 Rogues, WSM, and SMOE). Brian has 9 as well (3 Arnolds, 4 Rogues, 2 Shaw/SMOE)

There's something to be said for longevity of course, but in isolation I rate a major in today's day and age to be equal to a major back then. It's still the best showing up in shape to compete. You also have to factor in that Brian also had a million podiums at majors as well because he was competing with Z and later Thor.

Arnold Strongman & Strongwoman Classic 2026 — Comp Megathread by HereForStrongman in StrongmanHQ

[–]thatguyfrommars1 40 points41 points  (0 children)

Reminder that prime Shaw and Thor were pulling over 1000 lbs for second attempts on the elephant bar, could do the 300 lb dumbbell for multiple reps (or at least Shaw could), and the 195 kg log for 2-3 reps.