Celebrity Death Pool 2023
Spike
Admin Emeritus
in The Circus
After an absence of a few years and following discussion with the Admins and the Circus hosts, I’m pleased to announce the return of the Celebrity Death Pool.
The rules are simple. You must pick up to 13 well-known people who you think will shuffle off this mortal coil in 2023. That is, starting from 00.01 GMT on 1st January 2022 and ending at 23.59 GMT on 31st December 2023.
The definition of "well-known" is that their deaths will be reported by at least one major news outlet. This would include (but is not limited to) The BBC, CNN, The New York Times, The Guardian, The Church Times, The Tablet etc. You get the idea
All selections must be real natural born people. No fictional characters, abstract entities or "corporate persons" will be accepted.
Points are awarded according to the following formula: 100 minus the celebrity's age at the time of death. For example, if the person you choose dies at the age of 67 you will earn 33 points. Should you pick someone who is 100 years old when they die you will receive no points; should your person be over 100 you will lose points.
You cannot choose anyone under the age of 18.
You are disqualified if you contribute in any way to the death of one of your chosen candidates.
All entries must be submitted on this thread no later than 23.59 GMT on 31st December 2022. No entries will be accepted after this time. No exceptions - you've got nearly a month, after all. You may make changes to your list up until this time but only if someone pops their clogs before the beginning of the year or if you've put someone in twice. Surprisingly this has happened in the past
There are also some bonus awards:
Inside Track with the Grim Reaper Award: given for picking the first death of 2023
Quantity Not Quality Award: given for picking the most people who croak in 2023, regardless of their points value.
Sudden Death: given for picking the last death of 2022
This is only a game. The Ship, its management and their associated lackeys do not necessarily endorse the death any human being. This is not in any way a "wish list". Reviewing past years will show that truly evil and nasty dictators seem to have a habit of lingering while those figures we truly respect and admire often don't. The Circus is a place for games, not discussion of the rights or wrongs of those games. If you want to discuss the ethics of this one there are other places you can do that. If you find the game distasteful, that’s fine - you’re under no obligation to take part.
There are no prizes other than the warm fuzzy feeling you get for being a winner.
I will keep records through the year and will occasionally post scores and other interesting facts.
Good luck to all players and bad luck to your nominees
The rules are simple. You must pick up to 13 well-known people who you think will shuffle off this mortal coil in 2023. That is, starting from 00.01 GMT on 1st January 2022 and ending at 23.59 GMT on 31st December 2023.
The definition of "well-known" is that their deaths will be reported by at least one major news outlet. This would include (but is not limited to) The BBC, CNN, The New York Times, The Guardian, The Church Times, The Tablet etc. You get the idea
All selections must be real natural born people. No fictional characters, abstract entities or "corporate persons" will be accepted.
Points are awarded according to the following formula: 100 minus the celebrity's age at the time of death. For example, if the person you choose dies at the age of 67 you will earn 33 points. Should you pick someone who is 100 years old when they die you will receive no points; should your person be over 100 you will lose points.
You cannot choose anyone under the age of 18.
You are disqualified if you contribute in any way to the death of one of your chosen candidates.
All entries must be submitted on this thread no later than 23.59 GMT on 31st December 2022. No entries will be accepted after this time. No exceptions - you've got nearly a month, after all. You may make changes to your list up until this time but only if someone pops their clogs before the beginning of the year or if you've put someone in twice. Surprisingly this has happened in the past
There are also some bonus awards:
Inside Track with the Grim Reaper Award: given for picking the first death of 2023
Quantity Not Quality Award: given for picking the most people who croak in 2023, regardless of their points value.
Sudden Death: given for picking the last death of 2022
This is only a game. The Ship, its management and their associated lackeys do not necessarily endorse the death any human being. This is not in any way a "wish list". Reviewing past years will show that truly evil and nasty dictators seem to have a habit of lingering while those figures we truly respect and admire often don't. The Circus is a place for games, not discussion of the rights or wrongs of those games. If you want to discuss the ethics of this one there are other places you can do that. If you find the game distasteful, that’s fine - you’re under no obligation to take part.
There are no prizes other than the warm fuzzy feeling you get for being a winner.
I will keep records through the year and will occasionally post scores and other interesting facts.
Good luck to all players and bad luck to your nominees
Comments
1. Joe Morgan (1930)
2. Whitey Herzog (1931)
3. Luis Aparicio (1934)
4. Bub Uecker (1934)
5. Sandy Koufax (1935)
6. Bill Mazeroski (1936)
7. Brooks Robinson (1937)
8. Steve Carlton (1944)
9. Rod Carew (1945)
10. Reggie Jackson (1946)
11. Nolan Ryan (1947)
12. Mike Schmidt (1949)
13. Cal Ripken, Jr. (1960)
In the event one of those departs the stage prior to the end of 2022, then my replacement name will be Tim McCarver (1941).
You and me both!
The internet never forgets.
1. Bob Newhart
2. Christina Applegate
3. Michael J. Fox
4. Pope Francis
5. President Biden
6. Steve Martin
7. Steve Carell
8. Dolly Parton
9. Britney Spears
10. Melissa Gilbert
11. Marlo Thomas
12. Jane Fonda
13. Donald J. Trump
1. Shane McGowan
2. Pope Emeritus Benedict
3. Boris Johnson
4. Paul Gascoigne
5. Adam Hart-Davies
6. Michael Schumacher
7. Michael Crawford
8. Mike Oldfield
9. Billy Connolly
10. Lionel Blair
11. Dick Van Dyke
12. Boy George
13. Donald Trump
I think they are all still alive. I hope some of them can achieve another year, and others cannot.
Lionel Blair died in 2021
Do you mean "and others cannot", or rather "even if others cannot"?
I will have Donny Osmond instead then. This is the problem of not keeping my lists up to date.
I meant it exactly as unpleasantly as I wrote it. Some of them are a waste of energy.
Cheers!
1 Ian Hislop - Editor
2 Nigel Farage
3 Rupert Murdoch
4 Gyles Brandreth
5 David Blunkett
6 Vladimir Putin
7 Donald Trump
8 Recep Tayyip Erdogan
9 Miriam Margolyes
10 Bob Dylan
11 Patricia Hodge
12 Boris Johnson
13 Piers Morgan
Reserve: Matt Hancock
Some of these I'd be sadder to see mature than others.
1. Pope Emeritus, Benedict XVI.
2. Paul Gascoine (Gazza).
3. Ronnie Wood (a Stone).
4. John Pilger (Australian journalist).
5. Paul Gambaccini (Presenter).
6. Vladimir Putin - not just because I don’t like him, though I don’t, but because there has been speculation over the last year about his health.
7. Nigel Lawson (Lord Blaby).
8. Douglas Hurd (Lord Westwell).
9. Joseph (Sepp) Blatter. (former President of FIFA and under a cloud)
11. Bashar Hafez al-Assad, (former west London doctor and now President of Syria).
12. Alan Bennett (National Treasure).
13. Dennis Skinner (Beast of Bolsover rtd).
14. Dame Julie Andrews.
If any should not make it through to midnight on the 31st of December 2022, my reserve is Sir Frederick Hugh Barclay, the surviving Barclay Brother.
1. Charlie Sheen
2. Matthew Perry
3. Daniel Radcliffe
4. Michael J Fox
5. Frankie Muniz
6. Elton John
7. Ben Affleck
8. Nick Cannon
9. Morgan Freeman
10. June Lockhart
11. Jimmy Carter
12. Donald Trump
13. Vladimir Putin
Spare just in case:
Tionne Watkins
1 Collins, Phil
2 Douglas, Michael
3 Fox, Michael J
4 Holder, Noddy
5 Manilow, Barry
6 Mitchell, Joni
7 Nolan, Linda
8 Rea, Chris
9 Ronstadt, Linda
10 Sheen, Charlie
11 Taylor, Andy (Duran Duran)
12 Thomsett, Sally
13 Wood, Ronnie
Include Pele in what? You haven't posted a list.
Justin Beiber
Mariah Carey
Jeremy Clarkson
Michael Douglas
Rolf Harris
Barry Manilow
Paul McCartney
Elon Musk
Priti Patel
Anne Robinson
Harry Styles
Donald Trump
Anne Widdicombe
Church
Benedict XVI
Lord (Richard) Harries of Pentregarth
Politics
Jimmy Carter
Henry Kissinger
Edith Cresson
Royalty
HRH The Duke of Kent
Sport
Bobby Charlton
Edson do Nascimento (Pelé)
Entertainment
Mel Brooks
Petula Clark
Harry Belafonte
Michael Aspel
Miscellaneous
Thomas Markle Sr
2. Putin
3. Kim John Un
4. Donald Trump
5. Joe Biden
6. Paul Macartney
7. James Galway
8. Rolf Harris
9. Stuart Hall
10. Pele
11. Michael Douglas
1! Really happy
.pp.19
It was merely a suggestion for others who do want to post a list.
11. Ronnie Wood
12. Jeremy Clarkson
And a spare:
13. Noddy Holder
Michael J Fox
Pele
Prunella Scales
Dame Judi Dench
Ronnie Wood
Sir Cliff Richard
Sir Billy Connolly
Sir Michael Caine
Donald Trump
Joe Biden
Vladimir Putin
Kim Jong-Un
King Charles III
1. HM King Charles III
2. HM Queen Camilla
3. Tom Lehrer
4. Billy Connolly
5. Angela Rippon
6. Valerie singleton
7. St Cliff of Richard
8. David Beckham
9. Donald Trump
10. Mick Jagger
11. Paul McCartney
12. Richard Dawkins
13. George Carey
Well it's not up to me - just a thought.
A reserve would be wise though.
Michael J Fox
Prunella Scales
Dame Judi Dench
Ronnie Wood
Sir Cliff Richard
Sir Billy Connolly
Sir Michael Caine
Donald Trump
Joe Biden
Vladimir Putin
Kim Jong-Un
HM King Charles III
HM Queen Camilla
1. Princess Alexandra
2. Pope Emeritus Benedict
3. Patricia Greene (hoping this is the kiss of life )
4. Engelbert Humperdinck
5. Elton John
6. Ghislaine Maxwell
7. Liza Minelli
8. Elon Musk
9. Katie Price
10. Vladimir Putin
11. Donald Trump
12. Harvey Weinstein
13. Bruce Willis
Tony Bennett
Harry Belafonte
Frankie Valli
Willie Nelson
Joni Mitchell
Bill Wyman
Peter Purves
Bobby Charlton
Gary Player
John B Goodenough
June Spencer
David Jason
Khamtai Siphandone
1. Paul Gascoine (Gazza).
2. Ronnie Wood (a Stone).
3. John Pilger (Australian journalist).
4. Paul Gambaccini (Presenter).
5. Vladimir Putin - not just because I don’t like him, though I don’t, but because there has been speculation over the last year about his health.
6. Nigel Lawson (Lord Blaby).
7. Douglas Hurd (Lord Westwell).
8. Joseph (Sepp) Blatter. (former President of FIFA and under a cloud)
9. Bashar Hafez al-Assad, (former west London doctor and now President of Syria).
10. Alan Bennett (National Treasure).
11. Dennis Skinner (Beast of Bolsover rtd).
12. Dame Julie Andrews.
13. Sir Frederick Hugh Barclay, the surviving Barclay Brother.
If anyone else should not make it through to midnight tonight, my reserve is Princess Michael of Kent.
Church
The Rt Revd Thomas McMahon
Lord (Richard) Harries of Pentregarth
Politics
Jimmy Carter
Henry Kissinger
Edith Cresson
Royalty
HRH The Duke of Kent
Sport
Bobby Charlton
Rob Burrow
Entertainment
Mel Brooks
Petula Clark
Harry Belafonte
Michael Aspel
Miscellaneous
Thomas Markle Sr
Sir Garfield (Gary) Sobers
Nigel Farage
Ann Widdecombe
Vladimir Putin
Boris Johnson
Graeme Garden
Joe Brown
Adam Hart-Davis
Don McCullin
David Bailey
Priti Patel
Raman Subba Row
Harvey Weinstein
On the off-chance one of those pops off in the last 7.5 hours of 2022, UK time, I'll have Pope Francis on the bench.
Yeah, I know Kissinger is in the same boat as Jimmy Carter and won't be worth many points, but I just couldn't forgive myself if he dies before May 27 and I didn't get any points off the withered bastard.
Birth years are all gathered from Wikipedia. If they're wrong it's Wiki's fault.
Thanks! I obviously didn't read the rules properly! (and am a tad embarrassed at entering!)
And yes we wish June many more happy years.
Jeff Beck - whose Hi Ho Silver Lining was an absolute must at parties when I was partying.
Lisa-Marie Presley - only child of Elvis.