World Cup Soccer

[ewmayer]

Tough loss for an excellent German soccer team yesterday ... kudos to Spain for doing something [which I can't put my finger on, but whatever it was, it worked] to slow the previously-rampant Germans and keep them on the defensive for most of the game. Spain also showed a lot of class both on the field and in victory.

I've been day-taping/evening-watching the WC on Spanish-language TV [Telemundo/Univision, both part of the local basic $16/month cable pkg], which is way more fun than en Ingles. Of course they were just un poco biased para Espan~a. They like to use alternating terms for the various nationalities ... the Dutch are sometime Los Paises Bajos, at other times simply 'la Holanda'. Das Krauts are Los Alemanes, or la Germania, and sometimes even - this is my favorite - 'los Teutones'.

Does Paul the Octopus male stock market predictions?

[ewmayer]

Die Welt reports on the latest hubbub surrounding Paul the octopus, whose record of correctly predicting the outcomes of German-team matches in this year's World Cup extends to a perfect 6-0 after he correctly picked Spain in the semifinal. The latest big news is that Spain`s Premier wants to provide Paul with bodyguards (would those be "eight-armed bodyguards", or just the usual armed ones?):

Spaniens Premier will Krake Leibwächter schicken: Die Medien rund um den Globus berichten in Wort und Bild über das Superorakel Paul. Und die Spanier lieben ihn erst recht

Selbst den Fußballspielern ist der Wahrsager-Oktopus längst ein Begriff. „Dieser Paul ist ein Wunder“, sagte Spaniens Mittelfeld-As Xabi Alonso nach dem Halbfinalsieg. Etwas zweideutig wirkt der Facebook-Eintrag der in Dortmund lebenden Spanierin Charlotte: „I love Calamari!“

Tausende haben sich in den Netzwerken als Paul-Anhänger geoutet. Warnungen an Frittierwillige bleiben da auch nicht aus. „Oh Mann, da sieht man wieder einmal, wie hirnverbrannt Männer sind, wenns ums Verlieren geht. Dafür kann doch Paul nichts, regt euch ab“, meint Iris aus Plochingen. Vielfach soll Paul aber nur Wünsche erfüllen. „Kannst Du machen, dass Thailand zur WM kommt?“ heißt es aus Bangkok. „Wie sieht es mit den nächsten Lottozahlen aus?“ wird gefragt. Und Stefan aus Saarbrücken will Paul eine neue Chance zur WM 2012 einräumen. So alt dürfte der zweieinhalb Jahre alte Oberhausener Oktopus nicht werden. Er ist schon jetzt im Opa-Alter.

English translation:

Spain`s Premier wants to provide octopus with bodyguards: Media around the globe are reporting in words and pictures about super-oracle Paul. And the Spaniards really adore him

Even the football players are taking notice of the soothsayer-octopus. "This Paul is a marvel", said Spanish midfielder-ace Xabi Alonso after the semifinal win. Somewhat more ambiguous the Facebook-entry of Dortmund-resident Spaniard Charlotte: "I love Calamari!"

Thousands of internet users have outed themselves as Paul-fans. Warnings to octopus-fricassee-threateners are also common. "Oh Man, now we we see once again how brain-dead Men are when it comes to losing. That`s not Paul`s fault, calm yourselves", wrote Iris out of Plochingen. Paul is being asked to grant many types of wishes. "Can you make it so Thailand gets into the Worldcup?" comes out of Bangkok. "What do the next Lotto numbers look like?" is common. And Stefan from Saarbrücken wants Paul to get a Kraken crack at the 2012 World Cup. But the two-and-a-half-year-old Oberhausener Octopus is unlikely to reach that goal, as he is already a grandpa in octopus years.

My Comment: I think the penultimate sentence should have "2012 European championship" rather that "2012 World Cup".

Have failed to come up with an alliterative German analog of "soothsaying cephalopod" ... best so far is "Kluge Krake", which is rather schwach. The non-alliterative but internally-rhyming "Orakelkrake", perhaps?

Or has enough ink been spilled about this topic, do you think?

[ckdo]

Originally Posted by ewmayer

Have failed to come up with an alliterative German analog of "soothsaying cephalopod" ... best so far is "Kluge Krake", which is rather schwach.

"Wahrsagendes Weichtier" ?

"Siegverheißender Schrimpsucher" ?

"Toller Tintenfisch" ?

"Oller offensichtlich ordentlich orakelnder Oberhausener Oktopus-Opa" ?

[ATH]

Germany is going to win the bronze match and Spain is taking the gold according to Paul:

http://www.sport24.co.za/Soccer/Worl...third-20100709

The art of football predicting has become a dangerous job for the English-born clairvoyant cephalopod with some bitter German fans threatening to turn him into sushi after he predicted a semi-final defeat for the Mannschaft.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2...ul-picks-spain

Lets see if he gets up to a perfect 8 right of 8 in this world cup and 12 of 13 total :) Too bad octopus don't live longer, would have been fun to have him for Euro 2012.

[xilman]

Originally Posted by ATH

Germany is going to win the bronze match and Spain is taking the gold according to Paul:

http://www.sport24.co.za/Soccer/Worl...third-20100709



http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2...ul-picks-spain

Lets see if he gets up to a perfect 8 right of 8 in this world cup and 12 of 13 total :) Too bad octopus don't live longer, would have been fun to have him for Euro 2012.

Eight out of eight!

Paul (the other one).

[ATH]

8 out of 8! Odds 1 in 256.
12 out of 13! Odds 1 in 630.

It's actually a bit spooky :) I'm listening to "Hitchhiker's guide to the galaxy" on audio boook these days (I read them many years ago), and this octopus oracle sounds like something out of Douglas Adam's imagination.

[davieddy]

I feel like the headmaster admonishing a deflated balloon:

"You've let the school down, you've let me down
and above all, you've let yourself down".

David

[cheesehead]

Before the Saturday game, commentators mentioned the record that third-place games tend to be looser than the final game. I watched both,and regretted not telling my friends to tune in Saturday.

BTW, let's note that there was one conspicuous instance of sportsmanship where the Dutch simply corner-kicked the ball to the Spanish goalie after a questionable call that the goalie had touched a Dutch kick on its way out of bounds. Sad that it was so conspicuous in that regard.

[ATH]

Originally Posted by cheesehead

BTW, let's note that there was one conspicuous instance of sportsmanship where the Dutch simply corner-kicked the ball to the Spanish goalie after a questionable call that the goalie had touched a Dutch kick on its way out of bounds. Sad that it was so conspicuous in that regard.

Actually that wasn't the reason. Spain had kicked the ball over the sideline due to an injured player, and as usual according to the unwritten rule the dutch team shot the ball back to Spain, but it was kindoff a dangerous bouncing ball, which I think shouldn't have been a corner kick, but at least they were kind enough to kick the corner kick to the goalie.

I wonder what had happened if that bouncing ball had been a goal :) If the dutch had given Spain a free goal in return.

[ewmayer]

Originally Posted by ckdo

"Wahrsagendes Weichtier" ?

LOL, very nice ... Having nothing left to prove, let's hope el Pulpo Pablo retires ... I suggest the spanish national-team uniforms should henceforth carry a small tasteful octopus logo by way of thanks.

That has got to be one of the funnier World Cup subplots of all time.

The consolation match was indeed far more lively than the final, which was IMO marred by some very questionable refereeing and rough play.


[EDIT] Breaking News: Octo-Paul's retirment has indeed been announced, but now an international dispute over ownership has broken out:

Octopus Paul retires, international dispute over ownership begins: Octopus Paul has used his alleged psychic powers for the last time. Octopus Paul will be retiring from the oracle business, say officials at his aquarium in Germany.

Spain might be sad to see Paul step down, especially after he picked them to win their first ever World Cup trophy on Sunday, keeping with the octopus' perfect record for the tournament.

IN PICTURES: Paul the Octopus predicts World Cup outcomes

The Dutch however, are pointing tentacles fingers. Some are blaming the referee, criticizing the British ref for being too quick to call fouls on the Netherlands. And others are blaming Paul the Octopus himself.

While Paul is no stranger to death threats, it seems that some nations still have a bone to pick with the invertebrate (who himself has no bones).

An Argentine TV presenter, Roberto Pettinato, apparently harboring a severe grudge against Paul, proceeded to kill one of Paul's eight-limbed relatives on the air and put it in a blender.

And that's just the beginning of the continuing international octopus controversy.

In retirement Paul will "step back from the official oracle business. He won't give any more oracle predictions - either in football, nor in politics, lifestyle or economy," Tanja Munzing, spokeswoman for Sea Life in Oberhause, Germany, said. "Paul will get back to his former job, namely making children laugh."

But children where, you ask?

There's the rub. Several nations are now "claiming" Paul the Octopus, saying that he should live in their country. England says it owns Paul, stating he was born in Weymouth prior to his trade to Sea Life Aquarium. Italy has claimed that Paul the Octopus was caught in Italian waters and that Italy is his "rightful homeland." France has claimed that Paul was found near Elba, Napoleon's home in exile, and is therefore truly a French octopus.

And Spanish Prime Minister Jose Zapatero has even offered Paul political asylum in the wake of Spain's World Cup victory and the many death threats Paul has received. "I am concerned for the octopus ... I am thinking of sending him a protective team," Zapatero told Radio Cadena Ser.

[ewmayer]

[Hat tip Jensmeister:] The German news magazine Der Spiegel reports that one Spanish town has indeed officially honored Pulpo Paul, but with a twist:

Pulpo Popular: Krake Paul wird "Ehrenbürger" in Spanien: Große Ehre für einen Achtarmigen: Weltmeister Spanien hat Fußball-Orakel Paul zum Ehrenbürger der Gemeinde Carballiño ernannt. Einziger Haken: Der Ort nahe Orense lebt von der Tintenfisch-Verarbeitung.

Orense - Es ist in etwa so, als würde man ein Schwein zum Maskottchen eines Schlachthofs ernennen. Oder einem Fisch die Ehrenmitgliedschaft in einem Anglerverein andienen.

Die kleine nordwestspanische Gemeinde Carballiño hat den weltberühmten Tintenfisch Paul zum "Ehrenbürger" erklärt. Die Entscheidung des Stadtrates sei einstimmig gefallen, berichtete die örtliche Presse am Dienstag.

Mit der Anerkennung wolle sich der Ort nahe Orense, der ausgerechnet von der Tintenfisch-Verarbeitung lebt, dafür bedanken, dass "Pulpo Paul" den WM-Sieg Spaniens richtig vorhergesagt habe.

Ein führender ungarischer Verhaltensforscher warf dem Aquarium in Oberhausen derweil vor, Paul manipuliert zu haben. "Der Krake ist ein kluges Tier, das in der Lage ist, Probleme zu lösen. Er hat ein gutes Gedächtnis, doch hellsehen kann er nicht", sagte Vilmos Csanyi dem ungarischen Nachrichtenportal Origo.

Ein Polyp sei fähig, eine Box zu öffnen, wenn er darin einen Leckerbissen vermutet. Aber, so Csanyis Vorwurf: "Hinter dem Tier stand wahrscheinlich ein Fußballexperte, der die Lieblingsspeise der Krake in der Box verbergen ließ, die jener Mannschaft zugeordnet war, deren Sieg er erwartete."

Translation:

Pulpo Popular: Octopus Paul becomes "honorary citizen" in Spain: Great honor for the eight-armed one: World Champion Spain has named Football-Oracle Paul an honorary citizen of the township of Carballiño. The only snag: The village near Orense lives from the octopus fishery.

Orense - It is rather as if one named a pig to be the mascot of a an abattoir. Or gave a fish an honorary membership in a fishing club.

The little northwest-Spanish township of Carballiño has named world-famous octopus Paul an "honorary citizen". The decision of the city council was unanimous, reported the local press on Tuesday.

With the honorarium the locale near Orense, which of all things lives from the octopus fishery, intends to thank "Pulpo Paul" for correctly foretelling Spain`s World Cup victory.

Meanwhile, a leading Hungarian behavioral scientist accused Paul`s home aquarium in Oberhausen of having manipulated Paul. "The octopus is an intelligent animal,capable of solving problem. It has a good memory, but is incapable of soothsaying", said Vilmos Csanyi to the Hungarian news portal Origo.

A cephalopod is capable of opening a box when it suspects it to contain a tasty morsel. But, according to Csanyi: "There was likely a football expert behind the animal, who put the favorite food of the octopus into the box bearing the flag of the team the human punter expected to win."

My Comment: So what Dr. Csanyi asserts is that Octo-Paul only did what came naturally to him as he was "hungary" ... methinks someone needs to take themselves just a wee less seriously.

One of the following paragraphs, however, leads me to question the motives of the upstanding Spanish townspeople:

Bürgermeister Carlos Montes aus Galicien sieht das anders. Er will nach Oberhausen reisen, um dem Kraken eine Auszeichnung zu überreichen. Sie besteht aus einer durchsichtigen Urne, wie sie bei Pauls richtigen Vorhersagen benutzt wurde, aber mit dem Wappen Carballiños.

Montes möchte auch erreichen, dass das Aquarium in Oberhausen Paul für einige Tage an die galicische Ortschaft ausleiht, um ihn dort anlässlich eines großen Gastronomiefestes am 8. August auszustellen. Für adäquaten Transport und Unterbringung sei gesorgt.

Translation:

Mayor Carlos Montes from Galicia sees things differently. He wants to travel to Oberhausen to present the octopus with an award of a transparent urn, like the ones used for Paul`s correct predictions, but bearing the seal of Carballiño.

Montes would also like to arrange for the Aquarium in Oberhausen to lend Paul for several days to the Galician township, in order to display him as part of a large Gastronomy festival on 8. August. The township would arrange for suitable transport and accommodations for the octopus.

My Comment: Question: Imagine you are a world-famous football-match-predicting octopus. You find that a village in a country you correctly predicted would win the 2010 World Cup wants to honor you by making you an honorary citizen, and wants your home aquarium to loan you to the town so you can be "guest of honor" at an upcoming gastronomy festival. As sheer happenstance would have it, said town happens to live from octopus fishing. Should you go?