# Greatest living American elimination game (game thread) **URL:** \ **Category:** Thread Games\ **Created:** [June 16, 2025, 7:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greatest-living-american-elimination-game-game-thread/1019715 "2025-06-16T19:12:04Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 6
**Author:** ![Thing.Fish](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thing.fish/32/9168_2.png) [@Thing.Fish](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thing.Fish)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2025, 1:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greatest-living-american-elimination-game-game-thread/1019715/101 "2025-06-27T01:09:23Z")
Oops, my bad. I nominated Magic. ---
**Author:** ![Bicycle\_Bill](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bicycle_bill/32/6208_2.png) [@Bicycle\_Bill](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bicycle_Bill)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2025, 1:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greatest-living-american-elimination-game-game-thread/1019715/102 "2025-06-27T01:45:31Z")
How say I? I’m sorry, Taylor Swift, you _ **ARE** _ the weakest link. Good-bye. _ **-“BB”-** _ ---
**Author:** ![Thing.Fish](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thing.fish/32/9168_2.png) [@Thing.Fish](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thing.Fish)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2025, 5:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greatest-living-american-elimination-game-game-thread/1019715/103 "2025-06-27T17:06:33Z")
By my unofficial count, we have a tie between the ex-coach and the ex-cheerleader. AFAICT Elendil hasn’t said how this situation will be handled. ---
**Author:** ![Maserschmidt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/maserschmidt/32/18829_2.png) [@Maserschmidt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maserschmidt)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2025, 7:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greatest-living-american-elimination-game-game-thread/1019715/104 "2025-06-27T19:02:14Z")
[![](https://i.imgur.com/0JST4cB.png) ](https://i.imgur.com/0JST4cB.png) ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2025, 9:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greatest-living-american-elimination-game-game-thread/1019715/105 "2025-06-27T21:26:26Z")
Ha! Our votes this round: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar: Athlete, writer, activist - 1 vote Simon Biles: GOAT gymnast - 1 vote Amanda Gorman: Poet, activist, prodigy - 1 vote Amory Lovins: Physicist, energy activist - 2 votes Taylor Swift: Musician, songwriter, icon - 5 votes Tim Walz: Honorable political messenger - 5 votes With a tie vote, both Taylor Swift and Tim Walz - each nemeses of Donald Trump, in different ways - are out. Future tie votes will have the same effect for those involved. Our remaining nominees: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar: Athlete, writer, activist José Andrés: Humanitarian, chef Joe Biden: President, uniter, overcomer Simon Biles: GOAT gymnast Judy Blume: Children’s literature icon Warren Buffett: Level-headed billionaire Bob Dylan: Poet of generation Anthony Fauci: Physician, immunologist, scientist Bill Gates: Futurist, philanthropist, billionaire Amanda Gorman: Poet, activist, prodigy Jesse Jackson: Civil rights leader Magic Johnson: Superstar, survivor, inspiration Mark Kelly: Senator, astronaut, aviator Stephen King: Great American writer Spike Lee: Filmmaker, Knicks fan Jim Lovell: Apollo 13 astronaut Amory Lovins: Physicist, energy activist Barack Obama: President, statesman, lawyer Dolly Parton: Artist, humanitarian Bernie Sanders: Democratic Socialist leader MacKenzie Scott: Philanthropist, prize-winning novelist Steven Spielberg: Director, writer, entertainer Bruce Springsteen: Singer, songwriter, activist Elizabeth Warren: Fighting political foes Janet Yellen: Economist, Treasury secretary **Eliminated** 1. Jim Gaffigan: Comedian, author, commentator 2. Craig Ferguson: Polymath, director-writer, comedian 3. Mitt Romney: Senator, impeachment juror 4. Buzz Aldrin: Second on Moon 5. Taylor Swift: Musician, songwriter, icon 6. Tim Walz: Honorable political messenger Voting for our second round will end at noon EST on Mon. June 30. I will vote this time for Simon Biles. A remarkable athlete but not GLA material, I’d say. ---
**Author:** ![iiandyiiii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/iiandyiiii/32/7924_2.png) [@iiandyiiii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iiandyiiii)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2025, 9:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greatest-living-american-elimination-game-game-thread/1019715/106 "2025-06-27T21:32:45Z")
Magic Johnson ---
**Author:** ![Maserschmidt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/maserschmidt/32/18829_2.png) [@Maserschmidt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maserschmidt)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2025, 9:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greatest-living-american-elimination-game-game-thread/1019715/107 "2025-06-27T21:42:15Z")
In doing pairwise comparisons of similar people, I don’t think Jim Lovell belongs any more than Aldrin did - some great astronaut work, followed by various small business executive jobs and a restaurant. I’m voting Jim. Magic vs Kareem is very interesting. I think Magic was, well, more magical - the guy played every position (including center a couple of times) and sped up the game massively. I like Kareem better outside of playing, however. Not voting for either yet, just thinking about it. ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2025, 9:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greatest-living-american-elimination-game-game-thread/1019715/108 "2025-06-27T21:45:01Z")
Jim Lovell was even more heroic an astronaut than Buzz Aldrin. I hope he stays on the list for a lonnnnnnnng time to come. ---
**Author:** ![FlikTheBlue](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fliktheblue/32/10972_2.png) [@FlikTheBlue](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FlikTheBlue)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2025, 9:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greatest-living-american-elimination-game-game-thread/1019715/109 "2025-06-27T21:56:15Z")
I’ll go with Bob Dylan. Maybe I’m of just the wrong generation\*, but I just don’t get his music. Since other than his music I’m not sure what else is supposed to make him great, he gets my vote. - I think that people tend to find the icons of the generation just before them as being old fashioned. For me as a Gen Xer, a lot of artists popular with the Boomers seem old fashioned in a way that artists and things in general from even older generations don’t. ---
**Author:** ![penultima\_thule](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/penultima_thule/32/3833_2.png) [@penultima\_thule](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/penultima_thule)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2025, 10:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greatest-living-american-elimination-game-game-thread/1019715/110 "2025-06-27T22:41:07Z")
Simone Biles “Icon. Champion. Human.” Probably the minimum epaulettes needed to make this GLA list, after being living. ---
**Author:** ![SunUp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ea5d25/32.png) [@SunUp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SunUp)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2025, 10:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greatest-living-american-elimination-game-game-thread/1019715/111 "2025-06-27T22:50:42Z")
Amanda Gorman. Based, in essence, on impact. Her reading of “The Hill We Climb” at Biden’s inaugural was inspiring, but I don’t see how much of a change it made. Could she have more impact later in her career? Quite likely. She has more potential for future greatness than anyone else on this list, as I see it - but in terms of right now, and what I know, I don’t see her passing others on this list. ---
**Author:** ![Southern\_Yankee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/southern_yankee/32/2800_2.png) [@Southern\_Yankee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Southern_Yankee)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2025, 10:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greatest-living-american-elimination-game-game-thread/1019715/112 "2025-06-27T22:56:46Z")
I’ll vote for Judy Blume this round. Nothing against her, just not that important, IMO. ---
**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:** [June 27, 2025, 11:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greatest-living-american-elimination-game-game-thread/1019715/113 "2025-06-27T23:01:34Z")
Judy Blume ---
**Author:** ![Bicycle\_Bill](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bicycle_bill/32/6208_2.png) [@Bicycle\_Bill](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bicycle_Bill)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2025, 11:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greatest-living-american-elimination-game-game-thread/1019715/114 "2025-06-28T11:53:24Z")
Mark Kelly – there have been scores of astronauts, and a couple who have dabbled in politics. The only reason he’s on here instead of John Glenn, for example, is that Kelly ain’t dead yet. _ **-“BB”-** _ ---
**Author:** ![Thing.Fish](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thing.fish/32/9168_2.png) [@Thing.Fish](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thing.Fish)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2025, 3:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greatest-living-american-elimination-game-game-thread/1019715/115 "2025-06-29T15:52:12Z")
Until someone convinces me otherwise I’m sticking with Amory Lovins. ---
**Author:** ![Thing.Fish](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thing.fish/32/9168_2.png) [@Thing.Fish](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thing.Fish)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2025, 3:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greatest-living-american-elimination-game-game-thread/1019715/116 "2025-06-29T15:56:57Z")
Well, he’s our only living Nobel Prize winner for literature, for one thing. ---
**Author:** ![Maserschmidt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/maserschmidt/32/18829_2.png) [@Maserschmidt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maserschmidt)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2025, 4:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greatest-living-american-elimination-game-game-thread/1019715/117 "2025-06-29T16:34:25Z")
Oof, I didn’t even realize Louise Glück had died. ---
**Author:** ![Thing.Fish](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thing.fish/32/9168_2.png) [@Thing.Fish](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thing.Fish)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2025, 4:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greatest-living-american-elimination-game-game-thread/1019715/118 "2025-06-29T16:38:55Z")
To expand: We have two candidates on the list best known for poetry. One is a Nobel laureate who is also one of the best-selling musicians in history, whose music inspired millions of young Americans to support the civil rights and anti-war movements, and who continues to perform and make critically acclaimed new music well into his eighties. The other was once on TV for a couple minutes. Not really seeing how this is a tough call. ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2025, 12:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greatest-living-american-elimination-game-game-thread/1019715/119 "2025-07-01T12:56:24Z")
Sorry, this slipped my mind yesterday. Our votes this round: Simon Biles: GOAT gymnast - 2 votes Judy Blume: Children’s literature icon - 2 votes Bob Dylan: Poet of generation - 1 vote Amanda Gorman: Poet, activist, prodigy - 1 vote Magic Johnson: Superstar, survivor, inspiration - 1 vote Mark Kelly: Senator, astronaut, aviator - 1 vote Amory Lovins: Physicist, energy activist - 1 vote Another tie vote, and so both Simone Biles and Judy Blume are out. Our remaining nominees: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar: Athlete, writer, activist José Andrés: Humanitarian, chef Joe Biden: President, uniter, overcomer Judy Blume: Children’s literature icon Warren Buffett: Level-headed billionaire Bob Dylan: Poet of generation Anthony Fauci: Physician, immunologist, scientist Bill Gates: Futurist, philanthropist, billionaire Amanda Gorman: Poet, activist, prodigy Jesse Jackson: Civil rights leader Magic Johnson: Superstar, survivor, inspiration Mark Kelly: Senator, astronaut, aviator Stephen King: Great American writer Spike Lee: Filmmaker, Knicks fan Jim Lovell: Apollo 13 astronaut Amory Lovins: Physicist, energy activist Barack Obama: President, statesman, lawyer Dolly Parton: Artist, humanitarian Bernie Sanders: Democratic Socialist leader MacKenzie Scott: Philanthropist, prize-winning novelist Steven Spielberg: Director, writer, entertainer Bruce Springsteen: Singer, songwriter, activist Elizabeth Warren: Fighting political foes Janet Yellen: Economist, Treasury secretary **Eliminated** 1. Jim Gaffigan: Comedian, author, commentator 2. Craig Ferguson: Polymath, director-writer, comedian 3. Mitt Romney: Senator, impeachment juror 4. Buzz Aldrin: Second on Moon 5. Taylor Swift: Musician, songwriter, icon 6. Tim Walz: Honorable political messenger 7. Simon Biles: GOAT gymnast 8. Judy Blume: Children’s literature icon Voting for our next round will end at noon EST on Weds. July 2. I will vote again for Simone Biles. ---
**Author:** ![iiandyiiii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/iiandyiiii/32/7924_2.png) [@iiandyiiii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iiandyiiii)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2025, 12:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greatest-living-american-elimination-game-game-thread/1019715/120 "2025-07-01T12:58:29Z")
Magic Johnson. Also, @Elendil_s_Heir, it appears that Biles was just eliminated, but you voted for her again. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greatest-living-american-elimination-game-game-thread/1019715.md?page=5) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greatest-living-american-elimination-game-game-thread/1019715.md?page=7)