20 Mind-Blowing Facts You Never Knew About George RR Martin
14. Sir Patrek Was The Result Of A Lost Bet
Whilst he hasn't shown up properly in the TV show, Sir Patrek Of King's Mountain has a small but significant role in the book A Dance With Dragons, where he is slain at Hardin's Tower by the giant, Wun Weg Wun Dar Wun. It's a ignominious end to a character that Martin created under duress in the first place: Patrek was the result of a lost bet. Besides being a huge dork, Martin also loves football. Triarch Belicho of Volantis, also torn limb-from-limb by giants, was based on the coach of the New England Patriots, whose run of victories was broken by Martin's team the New York Giants. Martin had a bet that the Giants would also go on to triumph over the Dallas Cowboys. That bet was made with Patrick St Denis, who runs a fantasy football website. Eventually the Giants fell behind the Cowboys, so he invented a character...and described his heraldry as looking somewhat like the heraldry of the Dallas Cowboys with the silver star on a white field. And then I had him ripped apart by a giant. At least he keeps to his word, even if it's not pretty.
Tom Baker is the Comics Editor at WhatCulture! He's heard all the Doctor Who jokes, but not many about Randall and Hopkirk. He also blogs at http://communibearsilostate.wordpress.com/
