# 2021 SDMB Celebrity Death Pool **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Tags:** death-pool\ **Created:** [December 1, 2020, 2:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2021-sdmb-celebrity-death-pool/926881 "2020-12-01T02:10:52Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Baker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bb73d2/32.png) [@Baker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baker)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2020, 2:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2021-sdmb-celebrity-death-pool/926881/1 "2020-12-01T02:10:52Z")
It’s the most wonderful time of the year!!! This past year has been a strange one, in many different ways, and 2021 hopefully will be better. Okay, as usual, let’s get the rules out of the way and get to playing. The Rules: 1. You pick 13 celebrities (that’s thirteen, not ten) whom you predict will die within the calendar year 2021. If any of your celebrities dies, you score 100 points minus their age at death. Whoever has the most points at the end of the year wins the undying _snort_ admiration of the SDMB. 2. All picks must be time- and date-stamped by midnight Chicago time, Dec. 31st, 2020. (That’s U.S. Central time, which is six hours behind Greenwich.) 3. Valid picks are not: a. already dead b. a fictional character c. non-human d. under age 18 at death, 'cause we’re macabre but not THAT macabre. e. a registered member of the SDMB, 'cause that would be weird f. hostages held by terrorist organizations g. famous solely as a result of their illness or associated actions/events. h. listed as “any member of whatever group” It’s really hard to define “celebrity” Best we can do is someone who’s death is rather widely reported in major media outlets, because of something they’ve done, be it art, politics, athletics, science, music, the military, or even serial murder. It’s not going to be your Aunt Mabel who was in the local paper because her apple pie won first place in the county fair. HOWEVER, if you DO have a question about whether or not someone elses choice qualifies, please, I’d prefer a PM about it to start off with, rather than thrashing it out in public and possibly causing resentment. Remember, people, it’s only a game! It’s supposed to be fun, Fun FUN!!! 1. You can pick people who are 100 or more years old but you won’t score points for them. See the “Quantity Not Quality” award, below. 2. If we are uncertain about the celebrity’s age at death, we will go by the higher age (lower score). 3. Prisoners held on death row will be valid for scoring points only if they die by means other than official execution. I call this the “Whitey Bulger“.rule. 4. Any poster who kills or otherwise contributes to the death of any celebrity mentioned in this thread is disqualified. It’s just a game, people. The only exceptions to this rule would be deaths caused by those posters serving as members of the police or armed forces of any country, in the line of duty. 5. Editing your choices: be careful! You can make changes to your list before the end of the year, but it has to be clear which names are your final choices. It might be advisable to submit one or more “alternates” with your list, in the event that one of your picks dies during December 2020. If you have no alternates, and one of your picks has died the remaining twelve will be all you have. You may have no more than 13 picks. If you pick more than 13, or if any of your picks is otherwise invalid, I may ask for clarification. Otherwise, I will submit the first 13 names on your list. Do me a favor: check twice, post once. Sharing news of celebrities in ill health and whatnot is up to individual posters. If a poster playing the game gets banned during the year, this does not invalidate their entry, although they won’t be able to gloat in the thread if and/or when they do get points. If a player changes their username at some point, post this news on the thread, or PM me, so I know who you are. Players who pass away themselves during the year will still have their points counted, and will receive a special award, or notice, when the year is over. Some celebrities have common, identical or similar names. It is helpful to be specific. Spelling counts! Please try to spell celebrities’ names correctly. Names that weren’t originally spelled in English can be tricky, I know, but if you aren’t sure of a name, try looking at what a major news outlet, like CNN or the BBC, uses. In 2020 I found Trebek, as in Alex, spelled four different ways. While all deaths garnering points must occur during the calendar year, I know that a death might go unreported for a day or so. So, I will not post official total points for at least 24 hours after 12/31/2020. If you find that one of your picks died, say, late on 12/31/2021, and you didn’t hear about it until late on Jan. 1, 2022(this is a not so subtle hint to check your lists)then post a cite at once, and you will get your points. After that you will be out of luck. Additional awards: The “Opening Kickoff” Award: awarded to the poster or posters who pick the first listed celebrity to die in 2021. The “Quantity Not Quality” Award: awarded to the poster or posters who pick the greatest number of celebrities who died, regardless of their actual point value. The “Inside Track With the Grim Reaper” Award: awarded to the poster or posters who had the most unique picks that died. The “Robbing the Cradle” Award: awarded to the poster or posters who pick the youngest celebrity to die in 2020, but see rule 3.d. The “Final Hours” Award: awarded to the poster or posters who pick the last listed celebrity to die in 2021. List Format: I have a spreadsheet that allows me to post game standings and produce various other statistics. The pain is “loading” the data into the sheets. I can do each list in a single cut and paste if you do the following two things. First, please observe, what I, Baker, refer to as the “Pope” rule, that is, use the name a celebrity is most commonly known by. It isn’t necessarily their birth name. If a person is known primarily by a titled name, please use that. So it wouldn’t be Jorge Bergoglio, it would be Pope Francis. And don’t put down Elizabeth Windsor, put down Queen Elizabeth II. For all I know there are other celebrities with the plain names. If you do pick George or Lizzy, under their lesser known names, I might not notice it, to give you those points if and when they shuffle off this mortal coil and go to join the choir invisible. And please, let me mention again, check your spelling of names!!! And second, post your list in a plain format. An example of a plain list follows here: Sam Brownback Jeff Colyer Pat Roberts Jerry Moran Tim Huelskamp Mike Pompeo Kevin Yoder Derek Schmidt Kris Kobach Ron Estes Ken Selzer Donald Trump Mike Pence However, I know that many of you like to include commentary within your lists, such as: Donald(Pumpkin-in-Chief)Trump Sam(only 26% approval rating as governor)Brownback That’s fine, it’s entertaining. But if you do that, please include the list again in plain format for me to copy & paste. It’s good to be the Death Mistress! Have fun, sickos, and “May the odds be ever in your favor!” ---
**Author:** ![Stephe96](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Stephe96](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stephe96)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2020, 2:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2021-sdmb-celebrity-death-pool/926881/2 "2020-12-01T02:28:48Z")
Rush Limbaugh John Williams Gene Hackman David Geffen Thomas Pynchon Dustin Hoffman Stephen King Tina Turner David Crosby Val Kilmer Shannen Doherty Paul Simon Ridley Scott Alternates: Matt Lauer Dick Van Dyke Madonna ---
**Author:** ![Happy\_Lendervedder](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/happy_lendervedder/32/8488_2.png) [@Happy\_Lendervedder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Happy_Lendervedder)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2020, 7:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2021-sdmb-celebrity-death-pool/926881/3 "2020-12-01T19:14:06Z")
I’m finalizing my list which I’ll post in the next 1 to 30 days. ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2020, 7:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2021-sdmb-celebrity-death-pool/926881/4 "2020-12-01T19:50:11Z")
Tom Parker Gary Paulsen Rush Limbaugh Jeff Bridges Tommy Lasorda Ed Asner Linda Nolan Don Wildmon Jimmy Carter Nick Bollettieri Doyle Brunson Bob Newhart Henry Kissinger Alternates: Jack Nicholson Melissa Jaffer ---
**Author:** ![RollOutTheBarrel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rolloutthebarrel/32/1649_2.png) [@RollOutTheBarrel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RollOutTheBarrel)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2020, 3:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2021-sdmb-celebrity-death-pool/926881/5 "2020-12-02T03:33:24Z")
I went with a mix of young and old this year. Note that the Pete Wilson on my list is the former governor of California (Wikipedia tells me there are other famous Pete Wilsons. 🙂 ). Buzz Aldrin Bob Barker Justin Bieber Stephen Breyer Harrison Ford Angela Lansbury Jake Paul Logan Paul Pat Sajak Clarence Thomas Betty White Vanna White Pete Wilson alternates: Sandra Day O’Connor William Shatner ---
**Author:** ![opiewan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/opiewan/32/3566_2.png) [@opiewan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/opiewan)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2020, 3:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2021-sdmb-celebrity-death-pool/926881/6 "2020-12-02T03:40:14Z")
Long time lurker, first time participant. Here is my list. Shannen Doherty Michael Schumacher Eddie Murphy John Travolta Harvey Weinstein Ozzy Osbourne Dick Wolf John Madden Bill Cosby Berry Gordy Alternates: Ted Turner Carl Bernstein Robert Smith ---
**Author:** ![Baker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bb73d2/32.png) [@Baker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baker)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2020, 9:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2021-sdmb-celebrity-death-pool/926881/7 "2020-12-02T09:28:58Z")
**opiewan** , you have only ten picks.Would you like me to use your alternates to round out selections? And welcome to the game! Always good to have another. ---
**Author:** ![kitap](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/b9e5f3/32.png) [@kitap](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kitap)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2020, 9:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2021-sdmb-celebrity-death-pool/926881/8 "2020-12-02T09:47:46Z")
My picks: Ed Asner Queen Elizabeth II Prince Philip Betty White Tony Bennett Ghislaine Maxwell Mel Brooks Jimmy Carter Joe Biden Kamala Harris Alternates: Robert Wagner George R R Martin William Shatner ---
**Author:** ![Superdude](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/superdude/32/13450_2.png) [@Superdude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Superdude)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2020, 10:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2021-sdmb-celebrity-death-pool/926881/9 "2020-12-02T10:26:04Z")
Tom Parker of The Wanted Leon Spinks Al Roker, tv personality Olivia Newton John Shannen Doherty Phil Lesh, bass player of Grateful Dead David Letterman Bob Dole Linda Ronstadt Peter Cetera Barry Manilow John Mellencamp Mel Brooks Alternates Yoko Ono Chloris Leachman David Allen Coe ================================ Clean list Tom Parker Leon Spinks Al Roker Olivia Newton John Shannen Doherty Phil Lesh David Letterman Bob Dole Linda Ronstadt Peter Cetera Barry Manilow John Mellencamp Mel Brooks Alternates Yoko Ono Chloris Leachman David Allen Coe ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2020, 1:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2021-sdmb-celebrity-death-pool/926881/10 "2020-12-02T13:29:56Z")
@kitap It is 13, not 10. ---
**Author:** ![kitap](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/b9e5f3/32.png) [@kitap](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kitap)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2020, 2:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2021-sdmb-celebrity-death-pool/926881/11 "2020-12-02T14:30:45Z")
Sorry! I’ll fix that. ---
**Author:** ![opiewan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/opiewan/32/3566_2.png) [@opiewan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/opiewan)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2020, 2:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2021-sdmb-celebrity-death-pool/926881/12 "2020-12-02T14:40:54Z")
@Baker yes, let’s do that and move the alternates to the main list. My apologies, I did read that we were allowed 13 plus alternates, but for whatever reason my mind then decided to pick 10 + alternates. I blame getting older! If I am allowed to pick “new” alternates to replace the 3 that are getting promoted to my main list, then I’d like to add the following to my alternates list (if not, then I’ll go with 13 and no alternates, and just hope the Grim Reaper waits 29 days to do his work). New alternates for opierat (if possible): Kim Jong-un Julian Assange Kanye West ---
**Author:** ![Mollie\_Magill](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mollie_magill/32/20882_2.png) [@Mollie\_Magill](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mollie_Magill)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2020, 2:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2021-sdmb-celebrity-death-pool/926881/13 "2020-12-02T14:48:51Z")
I’ll go ahead and lock these in. ``` NAME Birthdate Known for Rush Limbaugh 12 January 1951 Big, Fat Idiot Shannen Doherty 12 April 1971 90210 Ian Anderson 10 August 1947 Jethro Tull Tom Parker 4 August 1988 Singer - The Wanted Jeff Bridges 4 December 1949 Dude! Ghislaine Maxwell 25 December 1961 A very fine woman Donald Trump 14 June 1946 Very stable genius Harvey Weinstein 19 March 1952 Human scumbag Grigory Rodchenkov 24 October 1958 Former head of the Russian doping labs Michael Schumacher 3 January 1969 Formula-1 Driver Terrible skier Jonathan Rhys Meyers 24 July 1977 Actor Kim Jong-chul 25 September 1981 Half-brother of Kim Jong-un David Allen Coe 6 September 1939 Not gonna call him Darlin' ``` Clean list: Rush Limbaugh Shannen Doherty Ian Anderson Tom Parker Jeff Bridges Ghislaine Maxwell Donald Trump Harvey Weinstein Grigory Rodchenkov Michael Schumacher Jonathan Rhys Meyers Kim Jong-chul David Allen Coe ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Girlfriend](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dr.girlfriend/32/193_2.png) [@Dr.Girlfriend](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Girlfriend)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2020, 6:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2021-sdmb-celebrity-death-pool/926881/14 "2020-12-02T18:24:57Z")
Queen Elizabeth II Donald Trump Rush Limbaugh Jimmy Carter Shannen Doherty Olivia Newton-John Bob Barker Mick Jagger John Travolta Harrison Ford Bill O’Reilly Nichelle Nichols Ringo Starr Alternate: Tom Brokaw William Shatner ---
**Author:** ![Gatopescado](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gatopescado/32/5711_2.png) [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2020, 8:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2021-sdmb-celebrity-death-pool/926881/15 "2020-12-02T20:04:18Z")
Fuck it. Cut/Paste last years. Who cares anymore. Just one change. I have never scored a single point. Prince Phillip Johnny Knoxville Queen Elizabeth Charlie Sheen Steve-O Travis Pastrana Bam Margera Andy Bell Josh Todd Bombshell McGee Danny Bonaduce Michael Schumacher Lizzo Again, a perverse pleasure in sandwiching the Queen between Knoxville and Sheen. 3rd year in a row! You people owe me! ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2020, 8:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2021-sdmb-celebrity-death-pool/926881/16 "2020-12-02T20:12:40Z")
> [@Gatopescado](#): > > 3rd year in a row! You people owe me! Warning! Prince Philip might turn 100 next year and be reduced to zero points. I cut Kirk Douglas loose in time. I think he made it to 103. ---
**Author:** ![Gatopescado](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gatopescado/32/5711_2.png) [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2020, 8:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2021-sdmb-celebrity-death-pool/926881/17 "2020-12-02T20:16:10Z")
Good call. I might re-think that. That will doom him for sure! I’d feel bad if I killed him by removing him from my list! ---
**Author:** ![Railer13](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/railer13/32/9742_2.png) [@Railer13](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Railer13)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2020, 9:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2021-sdmb-celebrity-death-pool/926881/18 "2020-12-02T21:50:59Z")
Same as last year. David Berkowitz Xi Jinping Pierce Brosnan Hulk Hogan Duane Chapman Tony Blair Cyndi Lauper Tim Allen Kim Basinger John Malkovich Kathie Lee Gifford Chaka Khan Howard Schultz Alternates: Marcia Clark Pat Benatar Amy Irving ---
**Author:** ![kitap](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/b9e5f3/32.png) [@kitap](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kitap)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2020, 10:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2021-sdmb-celebrity-death-pool/926881/19 "2020-12-02T22:48:17Z")
My picks: Ed Asner Queen Elizabeth II Prince Philip Betty White Tony Bennett Ghislaine Maxwell Mel Brooks Jimmy Carter Joe Biden Kamala Harris Robert Dr Nick Clarence Thomas Tom Brokaw Alternates: Robert Wagner George R R Martin William Shatner ---
**Author:** ![kitap](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/b9e5f3/32.png) [@kitap](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kitap)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2020, 12:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2021-sdmb-celebrity-death-pool/926881/20 "2020-12-03T00:41:05Z")
Bah! It should be Robert De Niro. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2021-sdmb-celebrity-death-pool/926881.md?page=2)