What Current NFL Players Are Hall of Fame Bound

                                                      Courtesy of profootballhof.com

The 2016 Hall Of Fame induction ceremony takes place tonight, which means it's the official return of football as we usher in some of the best players in the history of the NFL.  Sunday night sees the Packers take on the Colts in the first NFL preseason game of 2016, which will be played at the Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium in Canton, Ohio.

                                                      Courtesy of profootballhof.com

This year's inductees include Brett Favre, Kevin Greene, Marvin Harrison, Orlando Pace, the late Ken Stabler, Dick Stanfel, Tony Dungy, and 49ers owner Ed DeBartolo, Jr.  It's an impressive list, and all of these men are clearly worthy of football's highest honor, but every year at this time we debate what current players may be headed to Canton when they retire so let's take a look at the likelihood of some of today's best NFL players entering the halls of football glory.

QUARTERBACKS

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Tom Brady - In.  No question about this.  He's got 4 Super Bowl rings with 6 appearances and tons of passing stats.  He's a 1st ballot HOFer and will likely go down as the best QB ever. 

                                                     Courtesy of bigeasybeliever.com

Drew Brees - In.  Again, I don't think this even debatable.  If he's not a 1st ballot guy, it's a travesty.   He's basically Dan Marino with a Super Bowl ring.  He's got 9 Pro Bowls, 2 times he's been NFL Offensive POY, he led the NFL in passing yards 6 times, TDs 4 times, he threw 7 TDs in 1 game, and had 54 consecutive games with a TD pass.  He could retire today and he'd have a bust in 5 years.

                                                      Courtesy of foxsports.com

Carson Palmer - Out.  He's had a good career, but he falls short of being legendary.  He was AFC player of the year in 2005 and is a 3 time pro bowler, but that's about where his numbers stop.  He's played well for both Cincy and Arizona, and he may very well get a ring before his career ends but at 36, his window is closing fast.  

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Tony Romo - Out.  He's in the Hall of Very Good, but right now I don't see how you can put him in the Hall of Fame.  He could have been a HOFer but he's largely been plagued by injuries and miscues in big spots.  Like Palmer, he's 36 and Dallas would love to get to the big game before he retires.

                                                        Courtesy of giants.com

Eli Manning - In.  This one is probably the biggest debate for QBs, and you hear it a lot.  So let's take a look at the facts.  2 time Super Bowl Champion and 2 time Super Bowl MVP.  4 Pro Bowls.  He has just under a 60% completion ratio though, and has trouble with interceptions.  If he didn't already have 2 rings, I'd say he'd be left out, but being that he not only won 2 Super Bowls but beat Tom Brady in both of them, along with putting up respectable numbers, I think he gets in.  It may take some time, but he plays in the largest media market in the country and I think he'll eventually be welcomed into Canton.  

                                                  Courtesy of cbssports.com

Philip Rivers  - Out.  Eli and Rivers will forever be linked based on the draft which saw San Diego swap picks with the Giants, and then the fallout from those decisions.  Rivers has a had a very very good career, but history usually shows, if you don't at least make it to the Super Bowl, you have to have a phenomenal career to get into the hall.  Rivers is a 5 time Pro Bowler with nearly a 65% completion ratio, but he never got to the big game even with LT as his running back and with the way the Chargers are going it doesn't look like he'll ever make it.  Again, he's in the Hall of Very Good, but outside of multiple years with passing titles and a Most Valuable Player award he's likely not getting a bust in Ohio.

                                                Courtesy of youtube.com

Ben Roethlisbeger - In.  He's got 2 rings and 3 Super Bowl appearances.  Big Ben is also a 4 time Pro Bowler while completing 64% of his passes.  He's been hobbled by injuries throughout his career, but it's nearly impossible to imagine a guy with 2 rings and 3 SB appearances along with his passing stats to not get in.    

                                                    Courtesy of thecomeback.com

Jay Cutler - Out.  Not getting in.  He's had a decent career, but nothing really noteworthy.  He's made 1 Pro Bowl and 1 NFC Championship game, but that's about it.  

                                                         Courtesy of nbcprofootballtalk.com

Aaron Rodgers - In.  He's arguably the best QB in football right now.  He's a Super Bowl Champion, with 5 Pro Bowls, and 2 MVPs.  I'm somewhat surprised he hasn't been to more than one Super Bowl, but he's clearly been a top 3 QB in the league for some time.  

                                                        Courtesy of bleacherreport.net

Alex Smith - Out.  He's been the blueprint of consistency, but nothing flashy.  He doesn't turn the ball over, but he also doesn't wow you in any area.  He's a very good check down QB, and he does have a Pro Bowl to his credit, but he's not in the discussion for the HOF.  

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Joe Flacco - Out.  Flacco does have a Super Bowl title and a Super Bowl MVP along with a Rookie of the Year title.  But, he doesn't have a Pro Bowl to his name and he's been in the league since 2008.  If he gets another title under his belt, then we can revisit the discussion, but with only 1 ring, you historically have to put up big stats and Flacco hasn't done that so far.  

                                                       Courtesy of sportsonearth.com

Matt Ryan  - Out.  Matty Ice does have 3 Pro Bowls to his credit, along with a Rookie of the Year award, and a strong 64% completion percentage.  But, he's only made it as far as the NFC Championship game once, losing to the 49ers in 2012.  If he's able to grab himself a ring and pad some more stats, he could work his way into the conversation, but right now he's on the outside looking in.

                                                     Courtesy of thescore.com

Andy Dalton  - Leaning towards Out.  Dalton has put up decent numbers in his first 5 seasons, making 2 Pro Bowls.  He's made the playoffs every single year, but yet to win a playoff game and his INT ratio in the playoffs is 1 TD to 6 INTs.  Ouch.  Still, his passer rating increased significantly last year, and if he can translate his regular season success to the playoffs, he could become one of the top QBs in the league.

                                                    Courtesy of newerascouting.com

Matt Stafford  - Out.  Stafford will always be a gunslinger.  He's got a top level arm and has already thrown for over 25,000 yards in 7 seasons.  However, he's 42-51 overall and 0-2 in the playoffs.  Add that to the fact that he doesn't have Megatron to throw to anymore and it would take a big turnaround for Stafford to get to Canton. 

                                                       Courtesy of blog.ticketmonster.com

Russell Wilson  - Leaning towards In.  Had it not been for a late interception in Super Bowl 49, Wilson would have 2 rings before the age of 26, and he'd be well on his way to Canton.  Still, he's developed into a excellent signal caller and his ability to throw through passing lanes rather than over them is extremely impressive.  At 27, he has 3 Pro Bowls already and led the NFL in passer rating in 2015.  It'll be interesting to see if Wilson and the Seahawks can maintain their dominance with Lynch retiring, but the first half of Wilson's career has been extraordinary.  

                                                   Courtesy of bleacherreport.net

Cam Newton - Leaning towards In.  3 Pro Bowls, a Super Bowl appearance with a 15-1 regular season record, Rookie of the Year, NFL MVP, and countless other awards at age 27 have put Newton on the path to immortality.  He's hovered right around a 60% completion ratio his entire career, but his ability to hurt you with his arm and his legs is well documented.    

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Andrew Luck - Jury still out.  The anointed future of NFL QBs has had some success in his first 4 seasons, making an AFC title game in 2014 and 3 Pro Bowls (2012, 2013, 2014), but 2015 saw an injury plagued season, and Luck has struggled his entire career with INTs.  His yards passing is impressive, when you discount 2015 due to injury, as he's averaging over 4,000 yards a season, but if he doesn't get some help with his offensive line and defense, he's going to struggle to make it to a Super Bowl.    

RUNNING BACKS

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Adrian Peterson - In.  Not up for discussion.  7 Pro Bowls (5 of them 1st team All Pro), 2012 MVP, 3 Rushing titles, Rookie of the Year, a 2,000 yard season, and a bunch of other stats pretty much guarantee Peterson a place in the Hall of Fame.  

                                                     Courtesy of colts.com

Frank Gore - In.  5 Pro Bowls, 8 1,000 yard seasons, 4.5 yards per carry, and he's currently 15th on the all-time rushing yards list, just behind Thurman Thomas.  He may not be a 1st ballot guy, but if he just rushes for 500 yards this year he'll pass Thurman Thomas and Franco Harris, and the top 10 is not out of reach if he has the type of season he had last year. 

                                                         Courtesy of sportsmockery.com

Matt Forte - Out.  Hall of Very Good worthy, but not HOF worthy.  He's a 2 time Pro Bowler, and he's been consistent his entire career, playing no less than 12 games a year, and rushing for at least 900 yards a season, except for 2015, when he rushed for 898.  However, his numbers aren't enough to put him over the top.  

                                                              Courtesy of espn.com

Jamaal Charles - Leaning towards Out.  This one is probably the hardest one to pick, because Charles could still very well get in.  He's got 4 Pro Bowls, 2 first team All Pros, and 5 1,000 yard seasons.  What's really hurt his chances though is injury, as he basically missed 2 seasons in his prime due to injury; 2 seasons in which he likely would have totaled another 1,000 yard season and possibly another pro bowl.  He's 29 right now, so you figure he's probably got a minimum of 3 years left, and if he gets over 10,000 career total yards, he may have done enough to convince the voters to get in.  

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LeSean McCoy - Leaning towards Out.  Similar to Charles, McCoy is still young enough to up his stats to get in.  He has 7,687 career yards, with 4.6 yards per carry, 4 1,000 yard seasons, and 4 Pro Bowls to his credit.  McCoy just turned 28 so he likely has 4-5 more years in the league, and if he averages close to a 1,000 yards per year, he could make it.

WIDE RECEIVERS

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Andre Johnson - In.  7 Pro Bowls, twice he was the NFL season receiving yards leader, and he's currently 9th all time in receiving yards.  Personally, I think he could have retired this year and still been a Hall of Famer, but in a year in which he'll largely pad his stats as Tennessee has too many holes to make a major run in 2016, he should finish ahead of Marvin Harrison and Reggie Wayne by the end of his career.

                                                      Courtesy of fanduel.com

Steve Smith, Sr. - In.  Steve Smith, Sr. is right behind Andre Johnson in his number of receiving yards, sitting at 11th on the all time list.  He has 5 Pro Bowls and 8 1,000 yard seasons and if Flacco and Smitty are both healthy this year, it's likely that he'll break into the top 10 in all time receiving yards along with Andre Johnson.   

                                                  Courtesy of azcardinals.com

Larry Fitzgerald - In.  Fitzgerald just signed an extension this week, that will prolong his career in Arizona.  He's an astounding 9 time Pro Bowler, with 7 seasons of 1,000 yards or more.  He's No. 15 on the all time list, and at 32 if he likely has at least 2 more seasons of top quality performance, he'd easily finish in the top 10 in all time receiving yards.

                                                      Courtesy of mlive.com

Anquan Boldin - Jury still out. Boldin has very similar numbers to Fitzgerald in terms of receiving yards.  Additionally, he has 3 Pro Bowls, a Rookie of the Year award, and being that he's playing in Detroit, he's going to get the ball thrown to him a lot, because that's what Matt Stafford does.  Right now he sits at 13,195 yards for 17th all time, and while he may retire at the end of this year, if he gets 700 yards receiving which he has for the last decade, he'll break into the top 15.   That usually would get you into the hall, but with the passing era being in full swing you're going to see a ton of guys break records, so the voters are going to have to take into account more than just yards.

                                                     Courtesy of usatoday.com

Brandon Marshall - Jury still out.  This comes down to how long Brandon Marshall plays.  If Fitzpatrick gets a multi-year deal after 2016, and Marshall stays in New York for another 3-4 years, I think he's clearly in.  He has 11,273 career yards right now, which is good for 31st overall.  However, he has 6 Pro Bowls and 8 out of the last 9 years he's had 1,000 yards receiving.  If he keeps that average and plays for another 3 years he'll finish with close to 15,000 yards which will absolutely get him into Canton.  However, production often falls off after 32, and it's questionable if he'll play for another 3 years.  

Antonio Brown, Julio Jones, A.J. Green, and Dez Bryant are all off to great starts, but with the number of seasons they all have left to play, it's far too early to start predicting whether or not they enter the hall.  

TIGHT ENDS

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Jason Witten - In.  10 Pro Bowls!  Unreal.  He's also 32nd all time on the receiving yards list, and with at least 2 more years left on his deal in Dallas, he's going to probably climb a lot higher.  He's the all time leading receiver for the Dallas Cowboys and has over 1,000 reception for his career.  He's in.

Courtesy of sportsworldreport.com

Antonio Gates - In.  Other than Tony Gonzales and the next guy on our list, Antonio Gates stands out as one of the best Tight Ends in recent years.  He's 38th all time right now on the receiving yards list, but for a TE that's pretty impressive.  He has over 100 touchdowns and 10,000 receiving yards.  Additionally, he has 8 Pro Bowls, and 3 first team All Pros.  The voters aren't usually letting in TEs on the first ballot, but it would be hard to keep him out of Canton.  

Rob Gronkowski - In.  Unless Gronk falls of the face of the earth between now and the next 5 years, he's going to be in the Hall of Fame.  Objectively, he's the best Tight End I've ever seen.  He's a total mismatch for every single defensive player in football, and he's a 4 time 1st team All Pro player.  While I don't expect him to keep putting up the numbers he has been for the next 7-8 years, he's way ahead of the curve so far.

OFFENSIVE LINE

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Joe Thomas - In.  While it's hard to gauge stats for offensive linemen, Thomas has played 9 years in the league and made the Pro Bowl every year.  He's been the 1st team All Pro LT for the AFC 6 out of those 9 years, and doesn't look to be slowing down.  He's signed through 2018, and should receive a bust in Canton once he hangs up his cleats.

DEFENSE & SPECIAL TEAMS

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Adam Vinatieri - In.  4 time Super Bowl Champion, 3 1st team All Pros, he's 3rd all time in Field Goals made, and he's probably going to go down as the most decorated kicker in NFL History based on the kicks he made and when he made them.  

                                                        Courtesy of wikipedia.com

Devin Hester - In.  He's the all time leader in total returns for TDs with 20.  Hester has 4 Pro Bowls, and while Special Teams isn't a position where a lot of good players wind up, Hester has made a career out of making sure that if teams kick it to him, they'll pay for it.   

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Darrelle Revis - In.  Revis has been a complete shutdown corner for some time, and has been a perennial Pro Bowler with 7 Pro Bowls in 9 seasons, and one of those seasons he only played 2 games, and the other season he was a rookie.  He's made an absolute fortune by completely closing off half the field and making the best Wide Receivers in the NFL useless whenever they face him.  

                                                       Courtesy of realtor.com

Julius Peppers - Leaning towards In.  9 Pro Bowls, 3 1st team All Pros, Defensive Player of the Year 2004, 11 INTs for a DE, 48 Forced Fumbles, and he's 9th all time in Sacks.  He'll be an undrafted free agent at the end of 2016, and may call it a career, but he's had quite an impressive career and I think he's headed towards Canton.  

                                                          Courtesy of foxsports.com

Demarcus Ware - Leaning towards In.  9 Pro Bowls, 4 1st team All Pros, Defensive Player of the Year in 2008, 35 Forced Fumbles, and he's 11th all time in Sacks.  Ware's numbers are almost identical to those of Julius Peppers, and the fact he's a year younger means he'll likely post similar or better stats.  

As is the case with the Wide Receivers, there are a number of defensive players off to Hall of Fame-type careers, J.J. Watt, Von Miller, Luke Kuechly, Patrick Peterson, Richard Sherman, the list goes on, but it's still early to determine if they are HOFers, but so far it sure looks like they are headed that way.  

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Football is officially back underway in America.  Rejoice in the fact we'll have football every weekend from now until February.  Cheers!

Are The Kingdoms In Game Of Thrones Based On Actual Countries?

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Yes, the Kingdoms Westeros along with the Free Cities and Essos are almost certainly based on real countries in Europe and Asia.  George R.R. Martin has done a fantastic job of borrowing from history in creating this medieval, patriarchal (for now), feudal society.   Looking at the map of Westeros, it's apparent to anyone that the continent strongly resembles the British Isles with England, Scotland, and Wales turned to face the opposite direction, and Ireland placed underneath it.  That theory has pretty much been argued ad nauseam, so I'm not going to address that any further.  Also, let me be clear, that not every single detail of every country is going to match up with the kingdom it most closely resembles.  There's clearly room for interpretation and debtate here, but that's what makes this theory interesting.  

Courtesy of gameofthrones.wikia.com

THE NORTH - SCOTLAND

This one is pretty hard not to see.  The North is cold and damp with exceptionally harsh winters.  Check.  It is surrounded on the east and west by the sea.  Check.  The Northerners are known as a hardy, tough breed, with clan like warrior instincts for those living in remote villages.  Check.  

                                                      Courtesy of gameofthrones.wikia.com

The Northerners also worship the Old Gods, those of rocks and trees, and spirits of the forest, which is very similar to the Celtic religious traditions of the first inhabitants of Scotland.  Catelyn Stark, formally a Tully from the Riverlands, tells Ned she still feels like an outsider when she comes to the godswood based on the religious beliefs she was raised with, the Faith of the Seven.  This scene in the first epsiode does an excellent job of illustrating the differences in the religion between the North and the rest of the 7 Kingdoms, and you can see how politically beneficial marriage alliances aren't exactly free from challenges and the assimilation even decades later isn't always a smooth one.

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The Wall separating The North from the Free Folk, is pretty obviously a reference to Hardrian's Wall.  Built by the Romans, the wall acted as the Northern edge of the Roman Empire, and was used to act as a border to stop invaders from areas they considered not worth conquering.  Sound familiar?  Now, Hadrian's Wall separates all of Scotland from all but the northernmost portion of England, so there are some differences, but it's still fairly easy to see the similarities. 

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Lastly, the North has tried to secede from the rest of the Seven Kingdoms twice since Season 2, during The War of the 5 Kings with Robb Stark, and now with Jon Snow who has just been proclaimed the new King in the North.  If you study Scottish history, you'll see that the Scots have repeatedly considered themselves independent from British rule, fighting for their freedom on numerous occasions, most notably during 1st and 2nd Scottish Wars for Independence under William Wallace, Robert the Bruce, & Thomas Randolph, and also the Jacobite Rising of 1745 led by Bonnie Prince Charlie.  

                                           Courtesy of awoiaf.westeros.org

THE IRON ISLANDS - NORWAY (SCANDINAVIA)

While, Norway is not largely a collection of islands, it does share a lot of the similar traits with the Ironborn in Game of Thrones.  The inhabitants of the Iron Islands are a seafaring people, with a knack for marauding and pillaging kingdoms with more prosperous food and wealth.  

                                                Courtesy of awoiaf.westeros.org

The Ironborn live on these craggy rocky formations, whereby they have built their castles connected by wooden bridges, and their homeland is devoid of valuable natural resources, so they are forced to use their maritime knowledge to sail to other lands and plunder those cities.  It's a pretty easy gap to bridge to say that Martin based the Iron Islands off of the Viking culture, with their extensive knowledge of the sea and we take what is our's mentality.  

                                                   Courtesy of aediculaantinoi.wordpress.com

The Iron Islanders worship the Drowned God, which is essentially a sea god who the Iron Islanders believe was a great sailor who sailed across the world terrorizing it with fire and steel.  Lastly, in keeping with Viking traditions, when an Ironborn drowns, it is believed that he will spend eternity feasting in the watery halls of the Drowned God and attended to by mermaids with drinks and other earthly desires, which is almost identical to the Viking belief that warriors who die in battle will enter Valhalla, a kingdom of heaven with maidens to attend their every need and unlimited food and drink.  

                                                                  Courtesy of gaiaonline.com

THE WESTERLANDS - ENGLAND

The Westerlands might not have a ton of geography in common with England; it's similarities are more based on the inhabitants and the sigil of the ruling house.  Still, there are distinct characteristics physical of The Westerlands that do compare with England.  The Westerlands have hills and mountains that dot the landscape along with castles that guard their major cities.  The southern portion of the country contains flatter land that is more arable and better for farming.  All of these are characteristics are common to England.  

Courtesy of awoiaf.westeros.org

Courtesy of wikipedia.com

The golden lion of House Lannister strongly resembles the 3 golden lions that sit on the royal crest of England.  The 3 lions on the English crest, were used to represent England, Normandy, and Acquitaine.  Though not present on their crest, it could be argued that the 3 golden lions in Game of Thrones represent the three Lannister children: Cersei, Jaime, and Tyrion.  

                                            Courtesy of gameofthrones.wikia.com

The Westerlands are neither the largest nor the most populous part of the Seven Kingdoms, nor do they have the most fertile lands, but they are the wealthiest due to a number of reasons.  Firstly, they have great natural resources in gold and silver, and while England does not share those traits with The Westerlands, they do share this.  The occupants of The Westerlands have made their region wealthy and powerful due to their ability to raise a strong military force both through an army and navy as well as their ruling house's cunning ability to grasp and maintain power.

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The Lannisters have been experts at using politics and their military to their advantage, much in the way the British have for centuries.  England is clearly not the largest, most populous, or fertile land in the world, but they managed to build both a superior army and navy to most nations and used their political and military power to colonize most of the earth.  The sun never sets on the British Empire, and in looking at this map of areas they colonized, it's remarkable how an island nation with such a small population could control most of the known world.  

THE RIVERLANDS - BENELUX (BELGIUM, THE NETHERLANDS, LUXEMBOURG)

This theory is a little tougher to follow, but I think there's still ample evidence for The Riverlands being mostly a reference to the BENELUX countries.  The Riverlands are a very prosperous region with arable land for crops and a bustling economy.  There is a large amount of commerce in this region, and the fertile lands as well as the use of the rivers as highways by the merchants make this nation ideal for prosperity.  The BENELUX countries also have traditionally had bustling economies along with fertile lands based on much of the terrain being around sea level, especially in Holland.  If you look at modern day cities like Rotterdam, Holland which sits on a river and is considered the largest port in Europe, it could be argued that is an inspiration for Riverrun, while Loevestein Castle, which itself sits on a point where two rivers converge and was used to exact tolls on merchants was the inspiration for The Twins controlled by the Freys.  

                                                     Courtesy of wikipedia.com

Additionally, the BENELUX countries have had a history of feuding lords and countries as do The Riverlands, though usually the bigger issue is the invading forces outside The Riverlands or BENELUX.  If you look at the history of armed conflict in Game of Thrones, every time there is a major conflict, Robert's Rebellion, War of the 5 Kings, etc. The Riverlands just gets hammered by larger forces from other countries, as they're caught in the middle of warring factions.

                                                     Courtesy of gameofthrones.wikia.com

The same could also be said for BENELUX throughout the Middle Ages, as they were conquered by Germany, France, Austria-Hungary, Spain, and the Vikings.  Even looking forward to the First and Second World Wars, some of the bloodiest fighting occurred in the BENELUX countries in regions like the Ardennes Forest and Arnehm.  Overall, when you look at the topography, along with the political system, and economy, it's not a stretch to see why The Riverlands look a lot like Belgium, The Netherlands, and Luxembourg.  

                                              Courtesy of westeroscraft.wikia.com

THE VALE - SWITZERLAND

This reference is fairly simplistic, so I won't spend a ton of time on it.   The Vale's geography and topography are what largely make it comparable to Switzerland.  The Vale is largely independent in geography from the rest of Westeros due to it's nearly impassible mountains that protect its people from invasion.  If you watch the scene where Arya and The Hound attempt to enter the gates of The Eyrie with knights watching them on both sides, it's readily apparent why this region has withstood invasion for so long.  The passes and narrow roads make conquering the region, without air support, almost impossible. 

                                             Courtesy of pinterest.com

Additionally, The Vale is known to have harsh winters which make many of it's roads unusable during the winter months, and there are numerous parts of Switzerland which remain impassible outside of the few months during the summer.   The Vale is also known to produce excellent crops of wheat, corn, and barley, despite it's harsh climate and terrain, and the same can be said for the Alpine region which despite it's difficult mountain passes and cold winters still produces crops at a sustainable level.  

                                                 Courtesy of newlyswissed.com

Politically speaking, The Vale's population are fiercely independent, with a strong reverence for honor and tradition, and until recently they remained largely neutral after the death of Robert Baratheon.  Switzerland is famous for it's neutrality in recent years, and based on their terrain and the fact the vast majority of the Swiss population has been trained militarily for combat, it's not wise to attack a country that could likely be defended by a handful of trained snipers.

                                                    Courtesy of gameofthrones.wikia.com

THE CROWNLANDS- ITALY

While not really a separate nation, it does hold the seat of the Seven Kingdoms, King's Landing, which rules over all the rest of Westeros.  King's Landing being the political and religious seat for most of the Seven Kingdoms would most closely resemble Rome, being that the political and religious power during the medieval period came from Rome and the Pope.  More than once you hear that "The Crown and the Faith are one," and this appears to be Martin's homage to the Holy Roman Empire and the Pope both ruling together.

                                                    Courtesy of gameofthrones.wikia.com

King's Landing is a diverse metropolis with artisans, laborers, politicians, and common folk from all across the known world converging throughout the city.  The Crownlands is seen as an amalgamation of almost every trade and profession from fishing and farming to skilled craftsman work.  It's fair to assess that these descriptions warrant a reference to the Renaissance era of Florence and Rome during the end of the Middle Ages. 

                                          Courtesy of elegantwaster.deviantart.com

The geographical make up of The Crownlands with it's peninsula and surrounding waters clearly resemble that of the Italian peninsula, along with the Island of Dragonstone being an island with a volcano just off the coast, similar to Mount Etna, being further evidence of their Italian connection.  The King's Road leads to King's Landing and travels throughout the Seven Kingdoms, and the Romans were well known for their ability to build roads and encourage travel throughout their borders.

                                                      Courtesy of gameofthrones.wikia.com

THE STORMLANDS - GERMANY  

The Stormlands share a long border with The Reach, which we'll get to in a minute, but based on that border, you'll see why the two countries are often characterized the way they are.  On the coast of The Stormlands are some of the worst storms on the continent, and the German coast is known to experience harsh storms from the North Sea.  To the south, the Red Mountains of Dorne close off the southern edge of The Stormlands similar in the way The Alps close off Germany's southern border.  

                                            Courtesy of world-placez.blogspot.com

The Stormlands are known for their extensive forests, similar to Germany's Black Forest region, and are excellent grounds for hunting, but it is not the most fertile region.  Additionally, the Stormlands have been in conflict with The Riverlands and The Reach on multiple occasions, which is consistent with Germany's history and conflict with it's neighboring countries.

                                                             Courtesy of tumblr.com

Lastly, the conflict between the two Baratheon brothers, Stannis and Renly could be an analogy for the conflict amongst German rival states during medieval times.  Germany didn't officially become a unified country until the 1800s, so during the Middle Ages it was still a myriad of city states and rival kingdoms, each with it's own ruler and claimant.  This prevented Germany from becoming a major political powerhouse on par with England and France until it was unified.  

                                                Courtesy of ironthronerp.wikia.com

THE REACH - FRANCE

Again, it's pretty hard to dispute the argument that The Reach is France.  It's know for it's wonderful climate, ideal for growing a number of crops, which has made it the breadbasket of Westeros, and it is the region most known for feeding the citizens throughout the other kingdoms.  It's also well known for having the best wine in Westeros and fields of flowers growing throughout it's landscape.  The fitting symbol of the ruling house, House Tyrell, is a rose, while France is often associated with it's own flower, the fleur de lis.  

                                                     Courtesy of wikipedia.org

The symbol above was the coat of Arms for the Kingdom of France during the Middle Ages, but even after English King Henry IV took holdings in significant portions of France, he adopted the fleur de lis into his own crests along with the English golden lions.  

                                                               Courtesy of fleurdelis.com

France was often seen as the most chivalrous and romantic of the regions during the Middle Ages and this is evidenced by the description of Ser Loras Tyrell, The Knight of Flowers, who is seen as one of the best knights in the Seven Kingdoms.  

                                                   Courtesy of gameofthrones.wikia.com

Geographically, The Reach shares a border with the Westerlands (England), a long undecided border with The Stormlands (Germany), The Crownlands (Italy), the Riverlands (BENELUX) and Dorne, which we'll get to next.  France maintains all of those borders today, though the border with England is a maritime border.  Based on these borders, the Tyrells and The Reach have often conflicted with their neighbors.  

Courtesy of screenrant.com

Finally, Oldtown is located in The Reach.  It is the oldest city in Westeros, and essentially is the center of knowledge to the known world.  It's not difficult to compare Oldtown to Paris, as Paris is a very old city with a wealth of culture, history, and knowledge, and is often viewed, like Oldtown, as the epicenter of art and learning.  

 Courtesy of powderoom.kinja.com

DORNE - SPAIN

Our last country, again is not difficult to distinguish, as Dorne is clearly Spain.  Dorne, like Spain, is probably the one region in Westeroes more ethnically, geographically, and culturally different from the rest of the continent, so let's examine each of these.

                                                       Courtesy of sea.ign.com

Ethnically, the people of Dorne are made up of Rhoyne refugees from a region similar to the Nile Delta in Egypt, who then intermarried with the local population of Andals and First Men.  Due to their unique heritage they remained fiercely independent from Westeros for some time, even after the other Seven Kingdoms were unified.  Based on these origins, the people of Dorne have more of a cultural relationship to Essos, similar to how Spain has more of a cultural and ethnic tie to North Africa based on the Moorish influence during the Middle Ages.

                                          Courtesy of watchersonthewall.com

As for the geography, Dorne has an arid climate, and the only desert on the continent.   It is also known for it's spices, citrus fruits, and wine.  Spain is a very unique country, because you can be in a lush mountainous region and an hour later be in an arid flat plain that resembles North Africa.   The region around Zaragoza, Spain looks more like Morocco than Europe and you can clearly see the Moorish influences based not just on the religion, but the architecture and food throughout the country.   

                                              Courtesy of boomtron.com

Alright, so that brings us to a close on the Busch Gardens tour of Westeros.  I may do some more historical comparisons in the future of different characters and scenes throughout the show, as Martin and the producers of the show have done a wonderful job of using historical events as the basis for political drama.  Season 7 can't get here fast enough.  Cheers!