24 of the funniest Lord of the Rings Moneyball memes | indy100

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Now and again the internet produces something so inspired and wonderful that you just have to sit back and enjoy it and there is no better example we can think of in 2023 than 'The Lord of the Rings Moneyball' memes.

In what would seem like a very unlikely crossover people have been making memes about the assembling of the Fellowship of the Ring as if they were actual roster picks on a US sports team but by using the method popularised by the 2011 Brad Pitt film, Moneyball.

If you haven't seen Moneyball, the film revolves around the real story of the Oakland Athletics baseball team attempting to make a competitive squad on a limited budget out of undervalued players based solely on their stats. The Moneyball method has since become popular around the world and has been utilised in numerous sports.

Now a new iteration of the Moneyball philosophy has been adopted by Lord of the Rings fans. This all started on Christmas Day when former Deadspin editor Tom Ley tweeted on Christmas day a bunch of disparaging TikTok comments complete with the caption: "Saruman seeing that Elrond spent 4 Fellowship roster spots on hobbits."

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The idea here is that LOTR's big baddie Saruman underestimated the willpower of the Hobbits but Elrond the elf and Lord of Rivendell, saw their potential and picked four of them to join the Fellowship.

This then prompted the user HeylKatme to compare Elrond's decisions to those of Brad Pitt's Billy Beane and thus one of the most wholesome and creative memes of the year was born.

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Here are some of our favourites.

"Billy, the hobbits are about to realize... the King of Gondor, the people of Minis Tirith, even Arwen... see them as heroes. They saved Middle Earth. And they didn't even realize it."
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Other elves: \xe2\x80\x9cElrond why do you want Samwise Gamgee? We didn\xe2\x80\x99t even intend for him to be here, why do you like him?\xe2\x80\x9d\n\nElrond: *points at Gandalf*\n\nGandalf and everyone in unison: \xe2\x80\x9cBecause he will support Frodo.\xe2\x80\x9d\n\nElrond:
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Gandalf: "Boromir? He's tempted by the ring. He's not even the rightful heir of Gondor. We'll be lucky to get three battles out of him. Why do you like him?"\n\n-- Elrond clicks his fingers --\n\nAragorn: "Because he protects the halflings."
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Gimli: And my Axe!\n\nElrond:
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\xe2\x80\x9cWe got 4 Halflings in the Starting 9. This gives us enough roster picks for Gandalf the Grey, and yes he does have a few years on him, and he will disappear mid season for a few games but you\xe2\x80\x99re going to want him on a playoff run at the turn of the tide. Trust me on this.\xe2\x80\x9d
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Boromir learning that only two Men have been called up to the fellowship roster
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i'm not proud of the time i spent on this but i'm also not sorry for it
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"Billy, we have Tom Bombadil practically signed already. He's got some years on him, sure, but he was never once tempted by the One Ring."\n"If we give Tom Bombadil the ring, he'll just forget he has it. No, we take his 1 spot and bring in *sharpie noises* 4 halflings."\n*groans*
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Legolas: *to merry and pippin* \xe2\x80\x9cthis is lembas bread. one small bite is enough to fill the stomach of a grown man.\xe2\x80\x9d\n\nPippin:
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\xe2\x80\x9cElrond, this is Merry and Pippin, they\xe2\x80\x99re hobbits. They are two of the most undervalued people in middle earth. These guys should cost a thousand silver pennies each. We can get them for a second breakfast\xe2\x80\x9d
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\xe2\x80\x9cIf we try to play like Mordor in here, we will lose to Mordor out there\xe2\x80\x9d
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Elrond explaining why they can\xe2\x80\x99t afford to just have the Eagles fly them first class to Mount Doom
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Gandalf: "It is in men that we must place our hope" \n\nElrond:
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Swear, last one.\n\nAragorn: Would you rather destroy the weapon of the enemy or get five arrows to the chest and bleed to death?\xc2\xa0\n\nBoromir:
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\xe2\x80\x9cGuys, you\xe2\x80\x99re still trying to replace the Eagles. I told you we can\xe2\x80\x99t do that. Now what we might be able to do is re-create them in the aggregate.\n\nFrodo can carry the Ring, but can\xe2\x80\x99t walk 1,700 miles. This is Samwise Gamgee, he can\xe2\x80\x99t carry the Ring, but he can carry Frodo.\xe2\x80\x9d
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\xe2\x80\x9cthere is an epidemic failure within middle earth to understand what is really happening and this leads to those who run kingdoms to misjudge the strength of men and mismanage their realms\xe2\x80\x9d
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Billy Beane: Awwww, they're laughing at him.\n\nPeter Brand: And Gollum's about to find out why. Gollum's about to realize that he\xe2\x80\x99s delivered the Ring right into the fires of Mount Doom. He saved Middle-earth and didn't even realize it.
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"Billy, this is Gimli, son of Gl\xc3\xb3in. He's an able warrior, and at 139, he's in the prime of his career. The downside is he's racist, but I think he could overcome that by the end of the season..."
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Boromir: One does not simply walk into Mordor. \n\nElrond: Boromir, the last time I checked, you were not the general manager of this fellowship. I am. And I'm not looking for ten thousand men. I'm looking for nine. So either you're on board or you're not. What's it gonna be?
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\xe2\x80\x9cI want Aragorn at the sword, Legolas at the bow, Gimli at the axe, Frodo at the ring, and anyone but Boromir watching his back.\xe2\x80\x9d \n\xe2\x80\x9cYou want Frodo at the ring?\xe2\x80\x9d \n\xe2\x80\x9cThat\xe2\x80\x99s right.\xe2\x80\x9d \n\xe2\x80\x9cAnd his meekness?\xe2\x80\x9d \n\xe2\x80\x9cHis meekness does not matter!\xe2\x80\x9d
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@HeylKatme \xe2\x80\x9cSuzanne, get me the King of the Dead on the line\xe2\x80\x9d\n\n\xe2\x80\x9cYou thinking the Army of the dead?\xe2\x80\x9d\n\n\xe2\x80\x9cYeah, they won\xe2\x80\x99t serve anyone, they\xe2\x80\x99ll only serve the King of Gondor\xe2\x80\x9d
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We'll end on this note.

The destruction of the One Ring, but make it Moneyball
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