WikiLeaks doubles down; releases Nostradamus sports picks for May 1st, 2011
Another Nostradamus-related WikiLeaks document drop has historians as well as the gambling public scurrying for insight into how accurate and reliable the noted French profit was as a handicapper of modern-day sporting events, many that hadn’t existed during his lifetime.
Today’s release is notable in that it contains picks for events which have not taken place.
WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange, stung by allegations of concealing classified documents for personal gain, is widely suspected of wagering on the 500-year old sports picks and releasing them only after events have transpired. Assange has repeatedly denied this claim, however the Swiss government last week moved to freeze any assets WikiLeaks holds in the country’s banks, this after the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (S.E.C.) traced more than $65 million in recent transfers originating from an unnamed Bodog.com account.
Is this release a sincere appeasement to those angered by past actions? An evasive maneuver in public relations? A trick? Are the picks legitimate? Can the latest prophecy be authenticated and interpreted correctly? Can Assange be trusted?
Questions will be answered Sunday, May 1, a notable date on the Nostradamus calendar. An otherwise random Major League Baseball game between the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim and the Tampa Bay Rays suddenly has the eyes of history anxiously awaiting an outcome.
The 16th century physician and astrologer intentionally obscured his prophetic quatrains through the use of symbolism and metaphor, thus the predictive power behind them has been often misinterpreted or bent to suit a predetermined conclusion. This could send gamblers flocking in one of several possible payday directions, if this thought-to-have-been disregarded passage from The Prophecies is to be correctly understood.
Sources at the Las Vegas Hilton Race & Sports Book say The Prophecies, originally published in 1555, is a collection of large-scale, long-term predictions interpreted to foretell of plagues, floods, earthquakes, wars, droughts, the Great Fire of London, the rise of Adolf Hitler and Napoleon as well as the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks. While hoaxes often circulate, superbook.com reports these newly discovered quatrains consist of scores, gambling tips, futures and prop bets plus include crude diagrams that appear to resemble modern day racing forms.
By a length of four, a biscuit from the sea,The conquering clash in an admiral war.— The Pimlico Prophecies
The initial WikiLeaks dump of Nostradamus sports scores, in April 2010, focused only on events prior to the start of World War II. The Wimbledon Prophecies correctly predicted a woman would win the 1922 Wimbledon Championships however Jim Feist suggests this was a virtual lock.
“Nostradamus had no way to know there’d be a woman’s bracket — in addition to the men’s — 400 years after his death,” he said. “What’s more, I’ve circled an NBA game on tonight’s card where one team has HUGE EDGES with ATS trends so while it’s great Nostradamus saw equal opportunity existing in the future, my guaranteed NBA winners will get you ready to BLAST THE BOOKS and win TONIGHT!”
Hailed by believers, gamblers worldwide ridiculed the documents. French government officials demanded a full release in order to authenticate and better quantify the historical significance.
Last July, WikiLeaks raised eyebrows by releasing documents appearing to suggest Spain would win the 2010 FIFA World Cup — this just days after the website credited a “significant angel investor” with making a hefty donation to the operation. Asked to explain the timing, Assange claimed it to be coincidental. WikiLeaks responded less than a week later by publishing 92,000 pages of U.S. military memos, further muddying the waters and shifting priorities away from these allegations.
The serpent selects from a chalice of gold,Engraved with name of the Spanish king.The king seeks warmth as the talent embarks,Count the extra time down to a never land sleep.— The Vuvuzela Prophecies
Of course it was Paul the Octopus that correctly predicted the winner of each of Germany’s matches as well as the outcome of the final, Spain defeating the Netherlands 1-0 in extra time. USA Today’s Danny Sheridan pointed out that Nostradamus also predicted LeBron James signing with the Miami Heat in this quatrain and demanded an inquest into the sources Assange used to acquire the picks.
Other cables released have been determined meaningless: The Joyce DeWitt Prophecies; some proven less lyrical, such as: Prophecies of That Guy who Played “Uncle Jesse” on Full House; while last fall’s release was pointedly specific: The Prophecies of October 23, 2010 — UFC 121: Lesnar vs. Velasquez:”
An early fall champions a supreme combat crownCain will rise, strike down the son of Webster.Pound the money line laying the ace in the hole,Stay clear of Ortiz on the undercard.
Cain Velasquez scored a 1st round TKO to defeat Brock Lesnar in UFC 121. Lesner is a native of Webster, SD.
The public groundswell stirred up by yet another after-the-fact release forced calls in November for a congressional inquiry into WikiLeaks and Assange, however the issue has not been taken up on Capital Hill. A Facebook group is demanding Assange release all Nostradamus prophecies relating to sports events so that everyone may wager on the picks.
Six five or six one wings of angeles cheer,The victors of rays seek a split now in Boston.Over patchwork slabs a parlay sparks flame,Against the spread of darkness, daylight becomes.— The Prophecies of the Express Written Consent of Major League Baseball
Many suggest the prophecy predicts a 6-1 or 6-5 win by the Angels over the Rays and experts have questioned how the added spotlight will effect the pitching matchup of the 1:40pm start. “I wasn’t aware Nostradamus had such a firm grasp of the schedule,” MLB Commissioner Bud Selig said, adding the game may flip to 8pm prime time on ESPN if public demand supports it.
Scholars and NBA analysts suggest the plural use of “rays” refers to Ray Allen and Rajon Rondo and the “patchwork slabs” form the Celtics parquet floor, hence the reference to Boston. A columnist at docsports.com suggests riding this half-millennium old tip by parlaying the Angels money line with the Celtics, assumed to be involved in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals on or around May 1st. Adding insight to omen, Allen is 6-foot-5 and Rondo is 6′ 1″.
Lakers fans suggest on thelakersnation.com that they’re still the team from “Angeles” and any cheering will be the result of a Celtics loss on May 1. Further, they demand: 6+5+6+1=18, the number of titles in the team’s history with another this year; “the darkness” refers to the San Antonio Spurs and the flames lighting up the night will be those set in random cars surrounding the Staples Center win or lose, home or away.
Just 40 minutes south in Anaheim, the Angels are already preparing. “We’re viewing this as a must-win and plan to treat it that way,” skipper Mike Scioscia said. “I never read a lot of Nostradamus but if 500 years ago he knew enough to play for a split on the road, that’s genius. But, one game at a time.”
**UPDATE** — May 2, 1011 —Nostradamus, a winning streak
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