Paul, the so-called "Oracle Octopus" of a German aquarium,
became an international sensation during the World Cup for
consistently predicting the results of Germany's games.
Now it might become dinner.
"Nothing beats grilled octopus," German fan Dolores Lusch told
Reuters. "Cut him up in thin slices and grill him on all sides with
a dash of lemon juice, olive oil and garlic on it. Delicious!"
Paul's problem? He accurately
picked Spain to beat Germany prior to Wednesday's World Cup
semifinal, which has led some fans to believe (humorously) that he
jinxed their beloved team. They've responded with death/dinner
threats.
Prior to Germany games, aquarium workers lower two containers
holding food into his tank. Each contains a flag of the nations in
an upcoming game. The food he chooses is deemed his selection. In
this case, Paul ate from Spain's container.
The choice rattled German players, who acknowledged their
surprise that he went with their opponent after choosing Germany in
four World Cup victories. Paul also accurately predicted Germany's
loss to Serbia in group play.
His ability to accurately pick the winners drew throngs of media
after the gimmick caught on during the 2008 European Championships.
Some television stations carried his choice live. PETA demanded he
be set free. Fans claimed he was Germany's good luck charm.
At least until Paul's predicted result came in, Spain 1-0. Then
fan anger on the Internet intensified. Twitter, Facebook and even
old-school media were overrun with opinions suggesting Paul meet
his demise for making such an un-patriotic choice.
"Throw him in the frying pan," the Berliner Kurier newspaper
wrote in an editorial.
The death threats have done nothing to frighten Paul, claimed
his caretaker, Oliver Walenciak.
"There are always people who want to eat our octopus but he is
not shy and we are here to protect him as well," Walenciak said.
"He will survive."
Walenciak even said Paul would offer a prediction for Germany's
third-place game against Uruguay on Saturday. If the octopus knows
what's good for him, he'll pick the Deutschland.
