So we had a draft the other day or something. I dunno. Schneids is pissing me off lately. Keeps saying he’s too busy to come on adventures with me, and has to “start planning minicamp” or some shit. Ha! Doesn’t he know that the trick to a good minicamp is to just run 7-on-7s where instead of gloves, all the receivers have to wear full raw chickens on their hands? And pass rushers need to have night vision goggles on in the daytime? I keep telling him this, and he keeps scoffing and walking away. Fuck it. Whatever. He missed a hell of a beach day the other day, where I did some very productive exploration of the ocean floor…

THE BIMINI ROAD MYSTERY

Location: Atlantic Ocean near North Bimini Island, Bahamas

Date: First discovered September 2nd, 1968

The Story: In late 1968, a diving team on an expedition in the Bahamas made a very intriguing discovery on the ocean floor of the coast of North Bimini Island. After thorough investigation, the divers believed they found evidence of a man-made wall or road-like feature made out of limestone blocks. While researchers still debate about the exact nature of this rock formation, many believe that this is proof of the lost continent of Atlantis.

What’s Weird: There’s a lot of controversy about the formation and layout of the rocks in question that comprise the Bimini Road; while a number of geologists claim this type of land formation to be a naturally-occurring one, other investigators strongly believe that their arrangement indicates a man-made origin. Many of the blocks appear rectangular in origin, and due to the intricate layout, possibly indicate a city or settlement eventually submerged in water by a cataclysmic storm or flood of some variety. Some investigators have claimed to have observed tool marks or similar cuttings on the rocks in question, but there is a high probability that these originated from other research teams having made cuttings in order to investigate samples of the rocks for further analysis.

Another team of investigators has claimed to have found a second layer of stones, similarly-shaped with almost identical dimensions, claiming that their existence is evidence that the stones are thus clearly man-made due to being piles of rock placed on top of each other, similar to a wall or road-like structure, but this has not been properly proven yet. Ultimately, due to the current state of the stones, this may also end up being impossible to prove, because in its current, the rocks are not likely representative of typical masonry practises from any culture in history.

What might have happened?

Radiocarbon dating of these rocks puts their origin to around roughly 2,800 years old, thanks to sediments from about 1,300 years previous to that cementing due to pressure from gravity and the ocean, as well as strong currents, working to bond them all together. This is an extremely young variety of rock, especially when considering that we have rocks that are billions of years old currently visible on Earth. Some researchers claim that these rocks are actually even younger than indicated, due to the radiocarbon taking full rock samples that may have been contaminated by younger carbon from passing sediments in the ocean current. As such, while the weathered nature of the rocks is still most likely attributable to natural occurrences, the extremely young age of the rocks still lends some credence to the various things about man-made origins.

There have been a few other cases where natural rock formations have been mistaken as man-made structures, including in Australia, Tasmania, Oklahoma, Colorado, and Utah, each of which were similarly arranged in a manner that resembles walls or pavement stones. As such, the probability of the Bimini Road being a man-made formation is also comparatively lowered as well. That said, there are some diehards out there who refuse to stop believing…

In addition to the Atlantis ties, amateur historian Gavin Menzies has claimed that the road was possibly built by the Chinese navy somewhere around 1421, as they circumnavigated the globe… well before any known explorers from Europe or Asia to the Americas. Apparently the road was a method of hauling some damaged ships ashore for repair after a hurricane sprang up near Bimini Island.

Coach Carroll’s Hypothesis: Oh, men. MEN. There are SO MANY shows about this road. This is the white whale of mysteries. It’s scheduled viewing. I can’t miss it whenever it’s on. I sit in the film room for hours at a time, taking notes and sketching diagrams. I’m so close to a breakthrough. I can just feel it. If only we could get some added manpower to try and crack this one. So far, only Russ has come out to watch with me a couple times, but this Shaquem Griffin seems like a nice kid. Maybe I can convince him to try and find Atlantis with me.

Information for this article taken from here, here, here and here. 

Banner image courtesy of Low Commander of the Super Soldiers.