Yeah, but that was just silly reasoning based on someone modifying when year zero was on a calendar sometime back in the middle ages. This s**t is REAL, man.
People can try to rationalize that the Mayans thought carving 500 years into the future was good enough, or that they were lazy...but those stepped-pyramid-building folks knew their stuff.
As for the people who argue that the Mayans saw this as the beginning of a great time, think about it. They bowled human heads. If them thinking this is going to be a good time isn't a big stone banner for "the zombies shall arise," I don't know what is...