# Celebrity Death Pool 2018 **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Tags:** death-pool\ **Created:** [December 2, 2017, 1:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/celebrity-death-pool-2018/803331 "2017-12-02T13:44:46Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![phungi](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/phungi/32/395_2.png) [@phungi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/phungi)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2017, 1:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/celebrity-death-pool-2018/803331/1 "2017-12-02T13:44:46Z")
phungi (aka: the Death Shroom) checking in as your 2018 Death Pool chaperone. While I may only be a place-holder for Baker (aka: the Death Mistress), it remains an honor. In case anyone is new to this game, the rules are outlined below. There are a few new rules so read carefully. **The Rules:** [ol] [li]You pick 13 celebrities (plus 3 alternates) that you predict will die in the year 2018. 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. It’s rather simple. [/li] Please check the spelling if your celebrity’s names, as editing takes hours. Also, please do not put spaces between abbreviated letters. For example: “George H.W. Bush” instead of George H. W. Bush" [li]All picks must be made by December 31st, 2017, at 11:59PM, CENTRAL TIME. Late entries (i.e., ANY time after midnight of Jan 1st) will be turned away. [/li][li]Valid picks CANNOT be: [/li] a. already dead b. fictional d. under age 18 e. a registered member of the SDMB f. hostages held by terrorist organizations g. famous solely as a result of their illness or the events surrounding their death (see #14 below) [li]If you have any questions about who is or is not a celebrity, feel free to post to the thread or PM me. This is why we include 3 alternates, so if a pick is designated to be invalid, your first alternate will be elevated to your list.[/li][li]If we are uncertain about the celebrity’s age at death, we will go by the higher age (lower score). [/li][li]Prisoners held on death row count only if they die by means other than official execution.[/li][li]If you kill anyone on your list to try to get ahead or cheat, then you’re automatically disqualified. [/li][li]Editing your choices: You can change the people on your list as many times as you wish before the deadline above, just make sure that your FINAL list is known, otherwise I’m going to take the first 13 of yours I see listed.[/li][li]Alternates are important, in the case of a pick being invalid, or a pick dying prior to January 1st.[/li][li]If a player changes their username at some point, post this news on the thread, or PM me, so I know who you are. [/li][li]Tracking celebrity deaths is the job of each individual player. Wiki maintains a page of deaths each month, and is an excellent reference.[/li][li]I create and share a Scorekeeper in the form of an Excel Spreadsheet. I am happy to share this with any and all participants. I generally post to a DropBox folder, and update it after every death. If you do not have DropBox, sign up (it is free).[/li][li]We are instituting a new “secret posting” of picks this year, [through this Google Form](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeNkgra_O-YPvE-S16Z3MrVx07bp9ssN--Ebkv7oUMhJp1RuA/viewform?usp=sf_link) (all thanks to **Mahaloth** ). Should you not want to publicly post your list prior to Jan 1, you can post through the Form, and your picks will be posted publicly by me (phungi) after Jan 1.[/li][li]Determination of who is a celebrity will remain a subjective matter, but generally defined as “the person has some known presence in the form of a Wikipedia Page **and/or** notoriety in the news or such” and their fame or celebrity cannot be based solely on their having a terminal illness". Sole possession of a Wikipedia page will not constitute “celebrity”. If questioned, the person who posted that individual may be required provide such evidence.[/li] Questions may be raised about the appropriateness of a pick at any point after a list is posted, even after 1/1/18. Alternates picks play an important role, as “questionable” picks may be disqualified post-posting. [li]Themed lists will be submitted and tracked through a separate thread/pool, linked here.[/li][li]There is no exchange of money, that would be in poor taste. Rather, each year, we share the following awards:[/li] [ul] [li]The “Opening Kickoff” Award: awarded to the poster or posters who pick the first listed celebrity to die in 2018.[/li][li]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.[/li][li]The “Grim Reaper” Award: awarded to the poster or posters who had the most unique picks that died.[/li][li]The “Robbing the Cradle” Award: awarded to the poster or posters who pick the youngest celebrity to die in 2018, but see rule 3d. [/li][li]The “Final Hours” Award: awarded to the poster or posters who pick the last listed celebrity to die in 2018.[/li][/ul] [li]You need to submit a clean list, with no explanations, dates of birth, titles, etc. If you want to add commentary, include this below your clean list.[/li]For example: Clean list: Chuck Barris Pope Benedict XVI Ashleigh Brilliant Don Cannon Joe DeNardo Murray Langston Tom Lehrer Agafia Lykov Katherine MacGregor Bill Mazeroski Art Rooney II Dan Rooney Bobby Vinton Alternates: Iris Apfel Anita Bryant Hugh Hefner Annotated list: Chuck Barris (host of “The Gong Show”) Pope Benedict XVI Ashleigh Brilliant (author & cartoonist) Don Cannon (former news anchor at WTAE & KDKA) Joe DeNardo (meteorologist at KDKA) Murray Langston (a/k/a “The Unknown Comic”) Tom Lehrer (composer & singer & mathematician) Bill Mazeroski (1960s Pittsburgh Pirate player) Agafia Lykov (Siberian hermit) Katherine MacGregor (actress - Mrs. Oleson in Little House on the Prairie) Art Rooney II (President, Pittsburgh Steelers) Dan Rooney (former U.S. Ambassador to Ireland) Bobby Vinton (singer) Iris Apfel (fashion icon) Anita Bryant Hugh Hefner [li]Scoring: When a celebrity dies, you get their age at death subtracted from 100. All celebrities who are 100 or over count, but you get “0” Points for their death, contributing to the “Quantity not Quality” award.[/li][/ol] If anyone has any questions, post to the thread, or PM me. [Here is the thread for the 2017 Death Pool](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=812514) Have fun, everyone. Good luck! ---
**Author:** ![phungi](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/phungi/32/395_2.png) [@phungi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/phungi)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2017, 1:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/celebrity-death-pool-2018/803331/2 "2017-12-02T13:51:16Z")
Missed the EDIT window. The [link to the THEMED pool is here](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=843566) ---
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2017, 3:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/celebrity-death-pool-2018/803331/3 "2017-12-02T15:04:20Z")
Since is this probably the only year this list will be valid: Jimmy Carter Rosalyn Carter Nancy Reagen George H.W. Bush Barbara Bush Bill Clinton Hillary Clington George W. Bush Laura Bush Barack Obama Michelle Obama Donald Trump Melania Trump Alternates: Ivana Trump Marla Trump Mike Pence ---
**Author:** ![RivkahChaya](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rivkahchaya/32/8919_2.png) [@RivkahChaya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RivkahChaya)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2017, 3:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/celebrity-death-pool-2018/803331/4 "2017-12-02T15:11:45Z")
Nancy Reagan died in 2016. ---
**Author:** ![Wallet](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e99b99/32.png) [@Wallet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wallet)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2017, 3:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/celebrity-death-pool-2018/803331/5 "2017-12-02T15:13:10Z")
Death Pool 2018 ( I am only submitting this one list, in case TPTB decide to have a separate thread for Themes - so please just accept this as my regular list)) Theme: Evil and its Minions (IMHO) - Donald Trump - orange hued evil incarnate - Mike Pence - evangelical hypocritical bobble-head - Steve Mnuchin - grandmother evicting , money fondling Treasury Secretary - Jeff Sessions - evil Keebler Elf - Ryan Zinke - killing our environment as Interior Secretary - Rick Perry - “It’s three agencies of government when I get there that are gone: commerce, education, and the uh … what’s the third one, there? Let’s see.” He went on to say: “The third one. I can’t.” He made it worse by adding: “Oops.” Fifteen minutes later he attempted to undo the damage, saying: “By the way that was the department of energy I was reaching for a while ago.” Yes, he’s the Secretary of Energy. - Betsy DeVos - paid for position of Secretary of Education - Scott Pruit - heads EPA, serving the fossil-fuel industry since 2017 - Mick Mulvaney - Budget Director who says Meals on Wheels doesn’t work; fighting climate change is a rip-off; After School programs have no effect on performance - Sarah Huckabee Sanders - a “serial congenital liar” who buries the American people"in an avalanche of horseshit" (Rick Wilson) - Steve Bannon - evil enabler, puppet master - Kim Jong-un - Supreme Leader of North Korea, and just as deranged as our own Dear Leader - Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi - putative leader of ISIS (and **still** not dead) Alternates: - Vladimir Putin - President of Russia, top puppeteer - Dick Cheney - throwback to when evil was just heartless, and didn’t include nuclear annihilation **Plain List:** Donald Trump Mike Pence Steve Mnuchin Jeff Sessions Ryan Zinke Rick Perry Betsy DeVos Scott Pruitt Mick Mulvaney Sarah Huckabee Sanders Steve Bannon Kim Jong-un Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi **Alternates:** Vladimir Putin Dick Cheney ---
**Author:** ![phungi](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/phungi/32/395_2.png) [@phungi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/phungi)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2017, 3:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/celebrity-death-pool-2018/803331/6 "2017-12-02T15:32:41Z")
These both appear to be themed lists, please clarify… ---
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2017, 4:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/celebrity-death-pool-2018/803331/7 "2017-12-02T16:53:16Z")
If one were to have only a themed list should they submit the same list to both threads? ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2017, 5:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/celebrity-death-pool-2018/803331/8 "2017-12-02T17:02:11Z")
Same as last year: Harlan Ellison Meat Loaf Jimmy Carter Rosalynn Carter The Amazing Johnathan Pat Boone Pat Robertson Joe Piscopo John Rhys-Davies Hal Holbrook Donald Trump Larry Flynt James Randi Alternates: Mary-Kate Olsen Ashley Olsen Dan Rather ---
**Author:** ![Wallet](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e99b99/32.png) [@Wallet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wallet)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2017, 5:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/celebrity-death-pool-2018/803331/9 "2017-12-02T17:09:11Z")
> [@phungi](#): > > These both appear to be themed lists, please clarify… I was unsure of the rules about the two games - one themed, one not. In the original thread about proposed rule changes, it said, _- All Dopers may submit two separate lists: a “Normal” list, and a “Themed” list No celebrity can be in both of the lists submitted by a single player The Themed List must have a name different than the 'Doper’s SDMB profile name There will be a separate “award” for “Highest Ranked Themed List”, but In the unlikely event that a Themed List has the most total points, the 'Doper could win the “Quality Award” as well._ In the actual thread, it now says: _15: Themed lists will be submitted and tracked through a separate thread/pool, linked here._ Questions: Will anyone actually be looking at the second themed thread, or will most “action” be in the main thread? What if a celebrity passes - will posters have to post it in both threads, in case the dead person is on a themed list? Do we need to have a sock to submit a themed list? (“The Themed List must have a name different than the 'Doper’s SDMB profile name”) I think the themed thread might fall by the wayside - that’s why I decided to make my “themed” list just a plain one. ---
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2017, 5:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/celebrity-death-pool-2018/803331/10 "2017-12-02T17:20:26Z")
> [@RivkahChaya](#): > > Nancy Reagan died in 2016. Whoops. I’m going to repost my list in the theme list thread. ---
**Author:** ![kayT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayt/32/3633_2.png) [@kayT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayT)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2017, 5:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/celebrity-death-pool-2018/803331/11 "2017-12-02T17:44:52Z")
I don’t know about everyone else, **Wallet** , but I’ll be checking the Themed Pool even tho I don’t intend to submit a themed list. I like seeing what all the [del]smart alecs[/del] Dopers have to say. ---
**Author:** ![phungi](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/phungi/32/395_2.png) [@phungi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/phungi)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2017, 6:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/celebrity-death-pool-2018/803331/12 "2017-12-02T18:51:13Z")
> [@Wallet](#): > > I was unsure of the rules about the two games - one themed, one not. In the original thread about proposed rule changes, it said, > _- All Dopers may submit two separate lists: a “Normal” list, and a “Themed” list > No celebrity can be in both of the lists submitted by a single player > The Themed List must have a name different than the 'Doper’s SDMB profile name > There will be a separate “award” for “Highest Ranked Themed List”, but In the unlikely event that a Themed List has the most total points, the 'Doper could win the “Quality Award” as well._ > > In the actual thread, it now says: > _15: Themed lists will be submitted and tracked through a separate thread/pool, linked here._ > > Questions: Will anyone actually be looking at the second themed thread, or will most “action” be in the main thread? What if a celebrity passes - will posters have to post it in both threads, in case the dead person is on a themed list? Do we need to have a sock to submit a themed list? (“The Themed List must have a name different than the 'Doper’s SDMB profile name”) > > I think the themed thread might fall by the wayside - that’s why I decided to make my “themed” list just a plain one. There was support for a separate thread, so there is a separate thread, but no specified rule in the “Rules” (the discussion is just that) that a celeb cannot be on both lists. If you can figure out a way to double-dip, have at it. I will be following, tracking, and cross-posting relevant deaths. Think of it as a “trial year” ---
**Author:** ![Wallet](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e99b99/32.png) [@Wallet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wallet)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2017, 7:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/celebrity-death-pool-2018/803331/13 "2017-12-02T19:49:55Z")
> [@phungi](#): > > There was support for a separate thread, so there is a separate thread, but no specified rule in the “Rules” (the discussion is just that) that a celeb cannot be on both lists. If you can figure out a way to double-dip, have at it. I will be following, tracking, and cross-posting relevant deaths. Think of it as a “trial year” I actually liked the old method, where if a list was themed it would show the poster with an asterisk by his/her name. My fault for not giving my two cents in your other thread. So, just want to clarify - we can have two lists, with discrete names - one themed, one not. You’ll keep track of the two separate scoring spreadsheets, and post accordingly in each thread. Is this correct? Thanks. ---
**Author:** ![Dancer\_Flight](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dancer_flight/32/7601_2.png) [@Dancer\_Flight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dancer_Flight)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2017, 1:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/celebrity-death-pool-2018/803331/14 "2017-12-03T01:55:21Z")
Prince Philip Betty White Stan Lee Jimmy Carter George H.W. Bush Angela Lansbury Sean Connery Robert Duvall John McCain Jean Chretien Wilford Brimley King Salman of Saudi Arabia Loretta Swit Alternates: Morgan Freeman Jack Nicholson 50 Cent (Curtis James Jackson III) I already lost one of my original picks last month, let’s see if the rest of them stick around. -DF ---
**Author:** ![RTFirefly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c77e96/32.png) [@RTFirefly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RTFirefly)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2017, 6:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/celebrity-death-pool-2018/803331/15 "2017-12-03T18:08:41Z")
Looks like I can re-use most of my list from last year. Maybe they’ll get al-Baghdadi in 2018. ---
**Author:** ![kopek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kopek/32/337_2.png) [@kopek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kopek)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2017, 9:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/celebrity-death-pool-2018/803331/16 "2017-12-03T21:50:46Z")
I feel terribly honored to be sleeping next to greatness. Dethshroom used the wife’s list from last year as the example in the rules ---
**Author:** ![kopek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kopek/32/337_2.png) [@kopek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kopek)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2017, 9:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/celebrity-death-pool-2018/803331/17 "2017-12-03T21:51:52Z")
William Holly Johnson Michael C. Hall Michael J. Fox Dick Dale Mel Brooks Max Gail Earvin “Magic” Johnson Jr. Tom Brokaw Tracee Talavera Cloris Leachman Jimmy Carter Yoko Ono Carol Arthur Alternates: Valerie Harper Kenny Rogers Betty White ---
**Author:** ![Mona\_Lott](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ee7513/32.png) [@Mona\_Lott](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mona_Lott)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2017, 12:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/celebrity-death-pool-2018/803331/18 "2017-12-04T00:48:52Z")
Petula Clark Diana Ross Dionne Warwick Donald Trump Tony Danza Valerie Harper Burt Reynolds Loni Anderson Keith Richards Alan Alda Raul Labrador James Risch Mike Crapo Pete Rose Aretha Franklin Loretta Lynn ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2017, 1:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/celebrity-death-pool-2018/803331/19 "2017-12-04T01:04:42Z")
“Questions may be raised about the appropriateness of a pick at any point after a list is posted, even after 1/1/18. Alternates picks play an important role, as “questionable” picks may be disqualified post-posting.” Come on now, questioning after 1/1/18 ain’t fair. ---
**Author:** ![kayT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayt/32/3633_2.png) [@kayT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayT)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2017, 1:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/celebrity-death-pool-2018/803331/20 "2017-12-04T01:13:06Z")
Come on now, this is the Dope. We never **stop** [del]quibbling[/del] questioning. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/celebrity-death-pool-2018/803331.md?page=2)