Quo Vadis?
So the 2010 FIFA World Cup has ended. Spain are the champions. And so is Octopus Paul. But what is going to happen to Octopus Paul now? That’s the question everyone is asking.
People For The Ethical Treatment Of Animals (PETA)
If PETA has its way, Octopus Paul would be moved out of its “small aquarium” into the wide blue sea. Marine biologist Tanja Breining from PETA said: “Paul is stuck in a small aquarium … We think that Paul would be fine in the sea.” And by “sea”, Tanja Breining meant the waters in a national park off the south of France, an area where fishing is banned.
But Sea Life Acquarium, home to Octopus Paul, disagrees. Its spokeswoman said: “Animals born in captivity are used to being fed and have no experience finding food by themselves. It is highly likely that he would die.”
Octopus Paul Has An Offer!
It was Miguel Sebastian, the Spanish Minister of Industry who cheekily called on Germany to allow Octopus Paul an “immediate” free transfer from Germany to Spain to “ensure his protection.” But now that Octopus Paul has proven himself to be 100% accurate in predicting the outcome of matches, his transfer value has just shot up.
Moreover his popularity too has taken a quantum leap. On Facebook, Octopus Paul has more than 4 times more fans than Chancellor Angela Merkel of Germany.
Just how much is Octopus Paul worth in the transfer market? Well if Miguel Sebastian’s offer of a free transfer is a non-starter, how about this offer from a group of Spanish businessmen? As an opening bid, a group of businessmen from a small village near Orense in north-western Spain called Carballino has just made a combined bid valuing Octopus Paul at €30,000 (approximately $38,000). But why would they want to buy Octopus Paul? They want to use Octopus Paul as their mascot at a gastronomic event in August. An annual event, this August festival focuses on squid specialities. Being businessmen, they think that the presence of Octopus Paul will attract many visitors to the festival.
But can they guarantee the safety of Octopus Paul? What if Octopus Paul ends up as part of the squid specialities? Manuel Pazo, a businessman running a fishing business in Carbillino gave this assurance. Manuel Pazo said: “We don’t want to eat Paul.” Why? Because the locals want Octopus Paul to continue predicting the outcome of football matches.
But what if the Sea Life Acquarium in Oberhausen, Germany refuses the bid? Well, they could try upping the ante with a higher bid. Or they could arrange a loan deal with Sea Life Acquarium.
The Bookies Have Plans For Octopus Paul’s Future
Bookmakers were busy quoting odds and accepting bets on what Octopus Paul might be doing next. They quoted 8-1 odds that Octopus Paul would become a bookmaker, 20-1 that he would release an octopus record, 100-1 that Octopus Paul would go into business with his own brand of calamari, 250-1 that Octopus Paul would become the new advisor to Chancellor Angela Merkel, and 1000-1 that Octopus Paul would become part of a paella.
Sea Life Acquarium Has Other Plans For Octopus Paul
Sea Life Acquarium has stated categorically that Octopus Paul is no for sale. In fact it has other plans for Octopus Paul. Spokeswoman Tanja Muzig said concerning Octopus Paul’s future: “He won’t give any more oracle predictions – either in football, nor in politics, lifestyle or economy.” In other words, Octopus Paul is retiring when he is at the peak of his psychic powers.
But what will Octopus Paul be doing in retirement? Tanja Munzig said: “Paul will get back to his former job, namely making children laugh.”
Sea Life Acquarium organized a ceremony to reward Octopus Paul for his tremendous success in picking winners. They dropped a shiny replica of the FIFA World Cup into his tank, and Octopus Paul immediately wrapped several tentacles around it. Then in front of the mass media, including the TV crews, Octopus Paul did the honor of eating the mussels tied to the trophy.
Why The “Early” Retirement?
Regrettably Octopus Paul isn’t that young any more. It is said that the average life span of an octopus (depending on specie) is anywhere between 6 months to 5 years. Octopus Paul is about 2½ years old. He is already in mid-life. He probably won’t survive to do any predicting at the 2014 FIFA World Cup competition in Brazil. Hence the need to retire Octopus Paul now, and return him to less stressful duty like entertaining children.
Think About It
There is no doubt that many gamblers will want to buy Octopus Paul, to enrich themselves by betting on what Octopus Paul is predicting, whether in football games, or other games where gambling is available. But nobody seems to ask whether Octopus Paul really has this ability to predict the outcome of games. In the wider context, why must sporting events be associated with gambling?
Previous posts
2010 FIFA World Cup – Octopus Paul Sends Bobbi Eden Twitter Followers Going Dutch As Spain Wins The Cup
2010 FIFA World Cup – Octopus Paul Just One Game Away From Perfect Score
2010 FIFA World Cup – Octopus Paul Predicts Spain To Lift 2010 World Cup
2010 FIFA World Cup – Indecent Proposals Galore
2010 FIFA World Cup – Germany Out Of Final As Octopus Paul Scores 6-0
2010 FIFA Word Cup – Octopus Paul Sees A German Defeat In Semi
2010 FIFA World Cup – Germany Through To Semi Final Stage
2010 FIFA World Cup Quarter Final – Germany Got A Boost
2010 FIFA World Cup – England’s Exit Due To German Secret Weapon?
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