I've never understood the fuss over Nostradamus and his supposed premonitions written down in vaguely worded quatrains. They are so vague that they could apply to any situation when looked at through a lens examining a long history.
On the other hand, it's hard to argue that Dostoyevsky's passage, in Crime and Punishment, describing the killing of Ivanova by Raskolnikov, was not based on his watching the Vikings-Packers game way in the past. Prepare to have your mind blown by Dostoyevsky's prescient description of the game. Here's what he wrote [with my clarifying interpretations in brackets]:
"He [Surely you can see Raskolnikov is just a slightly modified form of Rodgers] pulled the axe quite out, swung it with both arms, scarcely conscious of himself, and almost without effort, almost mechanically [see, that's a perfect description of Rodgers' throwing motion last Thursday], brought the blunt side down on her head [Ivanovna clearly represents the Ponder-led Vikings -Alyona and Ponder have the same number of letters, she beats up regularly on Lizaveta (Lions) but is powerless to resist Rodgers (Raskolnikov)] ... As she was so short, the blow fell on the very top of her skull [see, a description of the opening drive]. She cried out, but very faintly, and suddenly sank all of a heap on the floor [referring to Ponder's feeble attempt at running an offense], raising her hands to her head...[this was an attempt at trying to surrender that Rodgers (Raskolnikov) ignores] Then he dealt her another and another blow with the blunt side and on the same spot [Touchdown, Touchdown, Touchdown, Touchdown, Touchdown. Mercifully, Dostoyevsky suspends the description after the second blow because, from a literary standpoint, you have gotten the idea by then]. The blood gushed as from an overturned glass [a beautifully poetic description of the Vikings game plan after the first quarter], the body fell back [yes, it did]. He stepped back, let it fall, [he did] and at once bent over her face; she was dead. Her eyes seemed to be staring out of their sockets, the brow and the whole face were drawn and contorted convulsively. [it was only then that Rodgers-Raskolnikov stepped back and allowed Matt Flynn to step in]"
Mind. Blown. Right? Clear evidence that Dostoevsky watched this game way back in 1865. Nostradamus should never impress you ever again.
Oh, and this game was more evidence that the NFL is full of biased bastards. The NFL-darling-Packers can do no wrong. They can hold, pull, celebrate, pray, dance, pull, but get no penalties. Let a Viking attempt a tackle or deep coverage, and they get called. If there was any justice in the league, the entire Packers team would have been put on the "exempt" list for the "butt-whoopin'" they put on the Vikings on Thursday. Are you listening, Mr. Goodell?
This week, things get easier. Hey, it's the Lions after all. How tough can that be? There are rumors that Megatron may be injured and sit out the game. Matt Stafford is no Rodgers. Of course the Lions are whining about the loss of their star players. As if that will get any sympathy from the Vikings (do we need to remind them of Peterson, Rudolph, Simpson, Fusco, etc.?).
Hopefully Christian Ponder will not play. The last time Christians were thrown to the lions, things didn't turn out that well. But, Zimmer was very clear after the Packers game that Teddy Bridgewater would play. Even if he has to be pushed out in a wheelchair, he will play. So, that bodes well for the Vikings. Since I have become so good at predictions, I'm going to predict the Vikings winning this game by a touchdown: 24-17 Vikings. Come help cheer the Vikings to victory.
