This Week's Signs Of The Apocalypse

For nearly two decades, Sports Illustrated has stirred the tea leaves to discern a weekly Sign of the Apocalypse. Deadspin salutes the magazine's ongoing effort to cover the end of times but declines to cede the scoop on the biggest event in world history.

Here's SI's Sign of the Apocalypse this week:

The Dallas Cowboys opened a Victoria's Secret Pink Store inside Cowboys Stadium.

The stuff of prophecy, truly. Deadspin saw similar dark portents in the events of the week. Like what, you demand. Well, what about the Bengals cheerleader who boinked a high school student, now talking about going steady, after pleading guilty to sexual misconduct? Or that wacky New York Post headline that inadvertently suggested a recently deceased gentleman would be managing a Yankees playoff game? Or when the wife of Auburn's head football coach exhorted fans via Facebook to "RISE UP and snatch back what satan, himself, has stolen," presumably Auburn's football dignity?

Worthy contenders, all, for Deadspin's Sign of the Apocalypse. But here's what won out this week:

A rare fungal meningitis tied to steroid shots for back pain has sickened nearly 200 people, killing 15 of them, across 13 states.

Multistate Meningitis Outbreak Investigation [CDC.gov]