That's the real Al Roker.Photo: Al Roker's Twitter page

Sultan Kosen, an eight-foot-one-inch Turk, is in the midst of his first-ever trip to New York City after recently being crowned the World's Tallest Man (suck it, seven-foot-nine Bao Xishun!). In accordance with the main, and possibly sole, responsibility of his new title, Kosen's time here has mostly been spent delighting the average-heighted by posing for embarrassing photo ops: Hunching over to use a pay phone! Hitting his head against an awning! Making Al Roker look like a hobbit! But despite the joviality of his visit, Kosen's life up until now has been tough. He was teased as a child, and suffers pain in his legs for which his family has been unable to afford proper treatment. Perhaps most important, the 26-year-old "gentle giant" is lonely. "To this day, I haven't had a girlfriend because, with my height, they're generally frightened," he said. "But eventually that's one thing I really want to have — and she doesn't have to be as tall as me." Ladies, if that doesn't warm your hearts, you might also consider that Kosen also has the largest hands and feet in the world. Just saying ...

Tallest man in the world - 8-foot-1 Sultan Kosen - visits New York City [NYDN]
World’s tallest man: ‘I’ve had difficult life’ [Today/MSNBC]