Tuesday, January 18, 2011

Octopus honored with German shrine

As featured on Fox Sports, NewsCore, Jan. 17, 2011 07:29 PM
http://sports.mobile.msn.com/en-us/articles.aspx?aid=504586&acid=2&afid=0

Paul the Psychic Octopus may have gone to that great aquarium in the sky
but the wizard of World Cup predictions will live on in a German shrine
featuring a six-foot statue of him atop a soccer ball, plus his ashes, The Local
reported Monday.

Paul won worldwide acclaim, and a Facebook fan club, by correctly
predicting the results of seven Germany matches and Spain's 1-0 triumph over the
Netherlands in last summer's World Cup tournament in South Africa. Following
that triumph, the tentacled tipster passed away peacefully in his sleep last
October at his home at the Sea Life Centre in Oberhausen, Germany. He was almost
three.

Now his aquarium has announced the unveiling later this week of "Paul's
Corner," featuring a statue 1.80 meters (six feet) high of Paul atop a soccer
ball. In the middle will be a see-through window with a golden urn containing
Paul's ashes, The Local's German edition said, citing AFP. Last November, the aquarium revealed a French-born cephalopod replacement, Paul II, whose skills have not yet been tested.

It was unclear if he would follow Paul's simple yet succulent technique
of choosing between two boxes, each decorated with a team's flag and containing
a tasty mussel. The team represented on the box Paul chose then went on to win.
At one point, his predictions were carried live on German television.

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