# 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:** 7
**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:** [July 1, 2025, 1:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greatest-living-american-elimination-game-game-thread/1019715/121 "2025-07-01T13:01:11Z")
I’ll go Spike Lee this round. He’s far from our greatest living director and I’m not sure how much he’s contributed to making America great. ---
**Author:** ![Snarky\_Kong](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a183cd/32.png) [@Snarky\_Kong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snarky_Kong)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2025, 1:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greatest-living-american-elimination-game-game-thread/1019715/122 "2025-07-01T13:03:33Z")
Amanda Gorman, who thinking more about it probably should have been the first off this list. The person who if you erased all their contributions, the least would change? Probably. ---
**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:** [July 1, 2025, 1:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greatest-living-american-elimination-game-game-thread/1019715/123 "2025-07-01T13:13:00Z")
Ananda Gorman ---
**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:** [July 1, 2025, 1:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greatest-living-american-elimination-game-game-thread/1019715/124 "2025-07-01T13:13:41Z")
> [@iiandyiiii](#): > > Also, @Elendil_s_Heir, it appears that Biles was just eliminated, but you voted for her again. And Judy Blume is still on the master list ---
**Author:** ![Cheesesteak](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cheesesteak/32/3694_2.png) [@Cheesesteak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cheesesteak)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2025, 1:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greatest-living-american-elimination-game-game-thread/1019715/125 "2025-07-01T13:21:01Z")
Amanda Gorman ---
**Author:** ![madmonk28](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/madmonk28/32/20811_2.png) [@madmonk28](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/madmonk28)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2025, 1:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greatest-living-american-elimination-game-game-thread/1019715/126 "2025-07-01T13:25:40Z")
Amanda Gorman, simply because she hasn’t done enough yet, but I wouldn’t be surprised if her greatest impact is still ahead of her. ---
**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:** [July 1, 2025, 1:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greatest-living-american-elimination-game-game-thread/1019715/127 "2025-07-01T13:56:13Z")
Jim Lovell ---
**Author:** ![SunUp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ea5d25/32.png) [@SunUp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SunUp)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2025, 2:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greatest-living-american-elimination-game-game-thread/1019715/128 "2025-07-01T14:46:47Z")
Gorman again. ---
**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:** [July 1, 2025, 3:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greatest-living-american-elimination-game-game-thread/1019715/129 "2025-07-01T15:33:42Z")
I’m going to stick with **Amory Lovins** until someone convinces me otherwise, but I also approve of the Gorman yeet. ---
**Author:** ![SunUp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ea5d25/32.png) [@SunUp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SunUp)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2025, 4:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greatest-living-american-elimination-game-game-thread/1019715/130 "2025-07-01T16:31:00Z")
I’ll take a crack at that convincing sometime today or tomorrow. ---
**Author:** ![SCAdian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scadian/32/3292_2.png) [@SCAdian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SCAdian)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2025, 4:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greatest-living-american-elimination-game-game-thread/1019715/131 "2025-07-01T16:55:35Z")
Kareem Abdul Jabbar I’m sticking with him until he’s off the list; then I’ll switch to Johnson, if he’s still around. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Kent\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kent_clark/32/105_2.png) [@Kent\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kent_Clark)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2025, 9:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greatest-living-american-elimination-game-game-thread/1019715/132 "2025-07-01T21:31:29Z")
I’ll stay with Amory Lovins. ---
**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 2, 2025, 3:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greatest-living-american-elimination-game-game-thread/1019715/133 "2025-07-02T03:02:59Z")
D’oh! I was definitely having a scatterbrained day. Sorry. Our remaining nominees: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar: Athlete, writer, activist José Andrés: Humanitarian, chef Joe Biden: President, uniter, overcomer 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 I vote for José Andrés again. ---
**Author:** ![Snarky\_Kong](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a183cd/32.png) [@Snarky\_Kong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snarky_Kong)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2025, 3:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greatest-living-american-elimination-game-game-thread/1019715/134 "2025-07-02T03:16:36Z")
Amanda Gorman, who affected the people that watched Biden’s inauguration for 15 minutes and then nobody else until this thread. ---
**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:** [July 2, 2025, 3:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greatest-living-american-elimination-game-game-thread/1019715/135 "2025-07-02T03:22:32Z")
Jim Lovell ---
**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:** [July 2, 2025, 10:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greatest-living-american-elimination-game-game-thread/1019715/136 "2025-07-02T10:51:34Z")
Lovell for me. ---
**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 2, 2025, 11:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greatest-living-american-elimination-game-game-thread/1019715/137 "2025-07-02T11:52:09Z")
Magic Johnson ---
**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:** [July 2, 2025, 12:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greatest-living-american-elimination-game-game-thread/1019715/138 "2025-07-02T12:19:18Z")
I’ll go with Amanda Gorman this round. Due to her youth she hasn’t had the time to achieve greatness that most of the others on this list have. I’m not discounting her achievements, merely noting that her greatness is likely in the future rather than the past. ---
**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:** [July 2, 2025, 12:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greatest-living-american-elimination-game-game-thread/1019715/139 "2025-07-02T12:26:02Z")
I’ll go along with @FlikTheBlue, @Snarky_Kong, and the others. You can’t score something like this solely on potential, so out you go, Amanda. _ **-“BB”-** _ ---
**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 2, 2025, 8:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greatest-living-american-elimination-game-game-thread/1019715/140 "2025-07-02T20:53:40Z")
Our votes this round: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar: Athlete, writer, activist - 1 vote José Andrés: Humanitarian, chef - 2 votes Amanda Gorman: Poet, activist, prodigy - 7 votes Magic Johnson: Superstar, survivor, inspiration - 2 votes Spike Lee: Filmmaker, Knicks fan - 1 vote Jim Lovell: Apollo 13 astronaut - 3 votes Amory Lovins: Physicist, energy activist - 2 votes Amanda Gorman is gone, but perhaps she’ll be able to write a nice poem about her moment of glory here on the SDMB. Our remaining nominees: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar: Athlete, writer, activist José Andrés: Humanitarian, chef Joe Biden: President, uniter, overcomer Warren Buffett: Level-headed billionaire Bob Dylan: Poet of generation Anthony Fauci: Physician, immunologist, scientist Bill Gates: Futurist, philanthropist, billionaire 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 9. Amanda Gorman: Poet, activist, prodigy Voting for our next round will end at noon EST on Fri. July 4. I vote for José Andrés again. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greatest-living-american-elimination-game-game-thread/1019715.md?page=6) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greatest-living-american-elimination-game-game-thread/1019715.md?page=8)