There is an Australian Olympic high jumper named Brandon Starc. There is a character on Game of Thrones named Brandon Stark. In August, this is all it takes to get someone to write a story.
It is worth examining what these two men — one fictional, one real — have in common despite their obvious differences.
• Brandon Starc takes part in the Olympics, which are boring
• Game of Thrones has a Brandon Stark storyline, which is (often) boring
• Brandon Starc enjoys ascending to great heights before landing safely on his back
• Brandon Stark enjoys ascending to great heights before landing on his back and becoming paralyzed from the waist down
• Brandon Starc will be carried by his friends in celebrations if he wins gold
• Brandon Stark is already carried by his friends, one of whom he let die so he can get away from zombies
There are some problems with lining up Starc and Stark, as one resides in a beautiful warm climate while the other has been living in the snow-drenched north for years. Brandon Starc’s brother is Mitch Starc, a famous cricket player. Brandon Stark’s brother is Robb Stark, who is dead.
But all it takes for fans of the show to cheer for someone is seeing a person on TV with the name of a character from the show. If there were a British ping pong player named Joffrey Baratheon, we’d all be rooting for him despite his namesake’s propensity for torture and mayhem.
Twitter is enjoying the newest member of the Starc clan.
You're the 3-eyed wombat now, Australian high jumper Brandon Starc.
— Aaron S. Weber (@Short_epics) August 15, 2016
https://twitter.com/Sam_Vecenie/status/765005560517320705
Just watched Brandon Starc compete in the High Jump… Strange, coz I thought he's actually better at the Long Drop pic.twitter.com/GB1HXxXO4B
— kate ellora (@katellora) August 15, 2016
https://twitter.com/Brandonstarc93/status/765027119915208705
If Starc wins gold, when he touches the mat after clearing the bar, that will truly be a … King’s Landing.