# The Celebrity Death Pool 2004 **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Tags:** death-pool\ **Created:** [December 1, 2003, 10:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-celebrity-death-pool-2004/216359 "2003-12-01T22:29:28Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 36
**Author:** ![Cosmopolitan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/94ad74/32.png) [@Cosmopolitan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cosmopolitan)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2004, 11:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-celebrity-death-pool-2004/216359/701 "2004-11-25T23:50:31Z")
Nitpick: It was not Alex Haley, the author of _Roots_ who died this month, but Arthur Hailey. Mr Haley has been deceased for at least a year or two now, I think. ---
**Author:** ![Largo62](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/45deac/32.png) [@Largo62](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Largo62)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2004, 12:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-celebrity-death-pool-2004/216359/702 "2004-11-26T00:00:08Z")
Sorry to rain on anybody’s parade, but that was _ **Arthur** _ Hailey. Alex Hailey, author of _Roots_, died some time ago. ---
**Author:** ![h.sapiens](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e0b2c6/32.png) [@h.sapiens](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/h.sapiens)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2004, 1:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-celebrity-death-pool-2004/216359/703 "2004-11-26T01:28:24Z")
Actually its Arthur Hailey. Alex Hailey wrote “Roots”. He died in 1992. ---
**Author:** ![Squonk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b5e925/32.png) [@Squonk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Squonk)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2004, 2:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-celebrity-death-pool-2004/216359/704 "2004-11-26T02:31:09Z")
:smack: Sorry about that Alex/Arthur thing. Nice to see everybody’s paying attention. The Pope’s still alive, right? ---
**Author:** ![Baker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bb73d2/32.png) [@Baker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baker)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2004, 2:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-celebrity-death-pool-2004/216359/705 "2004-11-26T02:37:11Z")
The 2005 pool should be opening soon. I’m excited, I’ve been around for a while but never participated in one of these things. Got eleven choices so far, need two more. ---
**Author:** ![Largo62](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/45deac/32.png) [@Largo62](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Largo62)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2004, 8:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-celebrity-death-pool-2004/216359/706 "2004-11-26T08:45:40Z")
> [@Squonk](#): > > The Pope’s still alive, right? I think so, but according to all sources I have been able to access, Generalissimo Francisco Franco is still dead. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![BiblioCat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ed8c4c/32.png) [@BiblioCat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BiblioCat)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2004, 2:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-celebrity-death-pool-2004/216359/707 "2004-11-26T14:02:49Z")
> [@a35362](#): > > Aaaaand nobody picked him. And I’m still waiting to know just how many times you’ve typed that phrase. 😛 ---
**Author:** ![Gyrate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gyrate/32/3588_2.png) [@Gyrate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gyrate)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2004, 2:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-celebrity-death-pool-2004/216359/708 "2004-11-26T14:13:38Z")
To be fair, a number of media outlets (including BBC Radio 4) did call him “Alex” Hailey initially, much to my own confusion. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Great\_Zamboni](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/4bbf92/32.png) [@The\_Great\_Zamboni](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Great_Zamboni)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2004, 4:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-celebrity-death-pool-2004/216359/709 "2004-11-27T16:17:50Z")
Remember, for 2005 pick more obscure celebrities over well-known people. Obscure celebrities always die more often because there are more of them. ---
**Author:** ![kka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/54ee81/32.png) [@kka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kka)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2004, 5:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-celebrity-death-pool-2004/216359/710 "2004-11-28T17:04:14Z")
Anybody know when the 2005 pool opens? ---
**Author:** ![a35362](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3da27b/32.png) [@a35362](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/a35362)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2004, 5:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-celebrity-death-pool-2004/216359/711 "2004-11-28T17:11:18Z")
December 1st. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Great\_Zamboni](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/4bbf92/32.png) [@The\_Great\_Zamboni](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Great_Zamboni)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2004, 8:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-celebrity-death-pool-2004/216359/712 "2004-11-28T20:41:11Z")
Yep, about time to start cutting down the list. What a year it’s been so far. ---
**Author:** ![Spiff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spiff/32/9852_2.png) [@Spiff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spiff)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2004, 2:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-celebrity-death-pool-2004/216359/713 "2004-11-29T14:12:52Z")
> [@The Great Zamboni](#): > > Yep, about time to start cutting down the list. No, no! Killing celebrities on your list is strictly forbidden! ---
**Author:** ![Baker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bb73d2/32.png) [@Baker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baker)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2004, 12:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-celebrity-death-pool-2004/216359/714 "2004-12-01T00:47:15Z")
I have my 2005 list ready! Doesn’t the new one start at midnight? ---
**Author:** ![The\_Great\_Zamboni](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/4bbf92/32.png) [@The\_Great\_Zamboni](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Great_Zamboni)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2004, 5:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-celebrity-death-pool-2004/216359/715 "2004-12-01T05:00:37Z")
> [@Spiff](#): > > No, no! > > Killing celebrities on your list is strictly forbidden! Wow, I only meant editing. You sure seem paranoid. Have you done “the unspeakable?” You know, what you accuse me of. ---
**Author:** ![Diceman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/22d042/32.png) [@Diceman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diceman)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2004, 12:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-celebrity-death-pool-2004/216359/716 "2004-12-01T12:48:09Z")
> [@The Great Zamboni](#): > > Wow, I only meant editing. You sure seem paranoid. Have you done “the unspeakable?” You know, what you accuse me of. You know, they never did say what Yassir Arafat died from. I hope **Spiff** has an alibi for November 11th :dubious: ---
**Author:** ![Spiff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spiff/32/9852_2.png) [@Spiff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spiff)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2004, 1:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-celebrity-death-pool-2004/216359/717 "2004-12-01T13:58:57Z")
I guess I should use more smileys when I post my lame attempts at humor. ---
**Author:** ![VunderBob](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/839c29/32.png) [@VunderBob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VunderBob)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2004, 4:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-celebrity-death-pool-2004/216359/718 "2004-12-01T16:57:08Z")
It’s noon EST on December 1st, and my picks for next year’s pool have been chilling for a month. Where’s the 2K5 thread? :dubious: ::: taps foot impatiently::: ---
**Author:** ![DeVena](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/dec6dc/32.png) [@DeVena](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DeVena)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2004, 5:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-celebrity-death-pool-2004/216359/719 "2004-12-01T17:38:42Z")
He’s making a list… checking it twice… gonna find out who’s been put on ice… \*\*Vunderbob \*\* is coming to town. 🙂 I made my list this morning. ---
**Author:** ![NurseCarmen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/5daacb/32.png) [@NurseCarmen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NurseCarmen)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2004, 5:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-celebrity-death-pool-2004/216359/720 "2004-12-01T17:54:02Z")
**VunderBob** , don’t go rushing into this. I plan on submitting my list at 11:59 pm GMT on December 31[sup]st[/sup]. You don’t want anyone stealing your brilliant picks, do you? I’ve got a couple doozies that I’m holding close to my vest. Next year I may just be accused of knocking them off myself my list is so brilliant. My 2004 list was rushed. I’m not making the same mistake. My only fear is I’ll lose a couple before the 31[sup]st[/sup]. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-celebrity-death-pool-2004/216359.md?page=35) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-celebrity-death-pool-2004/216359.md?page=37)