# The Celebrity Death Pool 2005 **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Tags:** death-pool\ **Created:** [December 1, 2004, 9:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-celebrity-death-pool-2005/277574 "2004-12-01T21:22:00Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 24
**Author:** ![cbawlmer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/71e660/32.png) [@cbawlmer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cbawlmer)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2005, 8:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-celebrity-death-pool-2005/277574/461 "2005-01-26T20:22:46Z")
> [@Captain Lance Murdoch](#): > > Renowned architect Philip Johnson has died. He was only worth 2 points, but to any Twin Cities dopers his work has a (literally) massive presence in our lives. Yeah, he designed most of the buildings around the academic mall of my alma mater, University of St. Thomas in Houston. It’s a bunch of rectangles. It looks like a kid made it out of cereal boxes covered in construction paper. However, the east end of the mall is occupied by the Chapel of St. Basil, the ugliest freaking monstrosity I’ve ever seen. It was a campus joke that maybe that’s what happens when you ruin a perfectly good and necessary parking area by hiring a gay, fascist architect to design a Catholic church. The university’s website [has a page about the chapel](http://www.stthom.edu/chapel/index.html), but they fail to bring up the fact that due to the big split dome on top, many students took to calling it “Chapel of the Golden Butt”. Sure all its featues are symbolic, but they also fail to mention that in the afternoon, as the sun sinks toward the west, everyone on the academic mall is blinded by the glare from the giant white wall that reflects the sun. I realize Johnson was very influential and many of his other projects are probably fine blah blah, but after my personal experience with his work I think he was out to get the folks at St. Thomas. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Squonk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b5e925/32.png) [@Squonk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Squonk)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2005, 8:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-celebrity-death-pool-2005/277574/462 "2005-01-28T20:05:16Z")
It’s beginning to look like 2005 is going to be the year of the classic rocker. Jim Capaldi (Traffic) has died of stomach cancer [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/4216603.stm](http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/4216603.stm) ---
**Author:** ![BiblioCat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ed8c4c/32.png) [@BiblioCat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BiblioCat)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2005, 8:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-celebrity-death-pool-2005/277574/463 "2005-01-28T20:42:02Z")
> [@Squonk](#): > > It’s beginning to look like 2005 is going to be the year of the classic rocker. Hmm. Not to be morbid, but maybe my pick of Dan Fogleberg wasn’t so far off the mark after all. ---
**Author:** ![Omniscient](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/omniscient/32/3290_2.png) [@Omniscient](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omniscient)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2005, 10:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-celebrity-death-pool-2005/277574/464 "2005-01-28T22:08:24Z")
I’m endlessly miffed that I forgot to get my picks in this year. I can remember sitting in a bar New Years Day watching Bowl Games, hung over and drunk all at once, then bluirting out “shit!!!”. My friends were quite concerned, which led to the morbid confession of this little hobby of ours. I got some very strange looks,but I’m none the less bitter that I don’t get to play. and I expect to be reminded of this every time I see a damn headline this year. Craptastic. ---
**Author:** ![partlycloudy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/partlycloudy/32/3114_2.png) [@partlycloudy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/partlycloudy)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2005, 2:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-celebrity-death-pool-2005/277574/465 "2005-01-29T02:11:45Z")
> [@Squonk](#): > > Jim Capaldi (Traffic) has died of stomach cancer > > [BBC NEWS | Entertainment | Traffic band member Capaldi dies](http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/4216603.stm) Weird! I haven’t listened to Traffic in ages, but for some reason I was compelled to pop that into my cd player this morning… weird… ---
**Author:** ![williamweigand](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/b3f665/32.png) [@williamweigand](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/williamweigand)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2005, 10:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-celebrity-death-pool-2005/277574/466 "2005-01-29T22:54:09Z")
> [@Squonk](#): > > It’s beginning to look like 2005 is going to be the year of the classic rocker. I hope not! IIRC I have 5 classic rockers on my list - not because I hope, or expect, any of them to pass on this year - but more in a sort of reverse-psychology-this-way-they’ll-stay-alive way, since so many of my picks last year survived. ---
**Author:** ![hammos1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/ba8739/32.png) [@hammos1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hammos1)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2005, 10:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-celebrity-death-pool-2005/277574/467 "2005-02-01T10:41:10Z")
Chalk up 63 points for Capt. Lance Murdoch: [BBC journalist Ivan Noble](http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/4193093.stm) has died. ---
**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:** [February 1, 2005, 12:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-celebrity-death-pool-2005/277574/468 "2005-02-01T12:57:17Z")
> [@hammos1](#): > > Chalk up 63 points for Capt. Lance Murdoch: [BBC journalist Ivan Noble](http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/4193093.stm) has died. **Murdoch** again? I swear that guy is the _Grim Reeper_ ---
**Author:** ![VunderBob](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/839c29/32.png) [@VunderBob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VunderBob)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2005, 1:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-celebrity-death-pool-2005/277574/469 "2005-02-01T13:12:10Z")
Well, for a couple of weeks, I had more points than **Lance** … ---
**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:** [February 1, 2005, 2:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-celebrity-death-pool-2005/277574/470 "2005-02-01T14:42:37Z")
> [@hammos1](#): > > Chalk up 63 points for Capt. Lance Murdoch: [BBC journalist Ivan Noble](http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/4193093.stm) has died. Ooh … I’ve been reading Ivan’s online journals about his brain tumor on the BBC Web site. Quite a sad story. Never thought to pick him for the SDMB Celebrity Death Pool, though. I guess I was too intent on wishing that his story would have a happy ending. I guess that’s what separates the pros like \*\*Lance \*\* from the rest of us amateurs… ---
**Author:** ![a35362](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3da27b/32.png) [@a35362](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/a35362)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2005, 7:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-celebrity-death-pool-2005/277574/471 "2005-02-01T19:35:21Z")
As of the 1st of February, our Death Pool stands as follows: **Captain Lance Murdoch** , last year’s Death Pool winner, again takes the lead with 63 points for Ivan Noble, a unique pick! Wow! **amarone** and **VunderBob** are tied for second place with 56 points each for Charlie Bell. They will share the “Opening Kickoff” award for first Death Pool scorers. **Anastasaeon Club 33 Diogenes the Cynic dwc1970 eman77 infamousmom Lockz MissTake Mr. Babbington Mona Lott Omega Glory Pablito plnnr Qwisp Skammer trublmaker Wicked Blue yellowval zamboniracer** and **Zsofia** - have 21 points each with the death of Johnny Carson. And finally, yours truly, **a35362** scores 2 points for the death of Philip Johnson, a unique pick. My “gimme” pick paid off! And nobody picked Zhao Ziyang, Charlotte MacLeod, Virginia Mayo, Ruth Warrick, Lamont Bentley, Rose Mary Woods, or Jim Capaldi. Congratulations, scorers! ---
**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:** [February 1, 2005, 8:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-celebrity-death-pool-2005/277574/472 "2005-02-01T20:34:39Z")
> [@a35362](#): > > And nobody picked Zhao Ziyang, Charlotte MacLeod, Virginia Mayo, Ruth Warrick, Lamont Bentley, Rose Mary Woods, or _ **Jim Capaldi** _. It wasn’t the cancer that laid him to rest, was the low spark of high-heeled boys. I had such high hopes for January. Damn you Jerry Orbach! ---
**Author:** ![Shirley\_Ujest](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/45deac/32.png) [@Shirley\_Ujest](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shirley_Ujest)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2005, 12:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-celebrity-death-pool-2005/277574/473 "2005-02-02T00:01:43Z")
I think there should be a new ruling: If _I_ have never heard of the Dead Person Whom **Lance Murdock** The Angel of Death or anyone else gets that I don’t get they don’t get the points. I mean, _really_. /nuts. ---
**Author:** ![edwino](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/35a633/32.png) [@edwino](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/edwino)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2005, 12:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-celebrity-death-pool-2005/277574/474 "2005-02-02T00:06:11Z")
Pope in hospital. Get those scorecards ready. [http://www.cnn.com/2005/WORLD/europe/02/01/pope.health/index.html](http://www.cnn.com/2005/WORLD/europe/02/01/pope.health/index.html) ---
**Author:** ![Catamount](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/catamount/32/2840_2.png) [@Catamount](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Catamount)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2005, 3:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-celebrity-death-pool-2005/277574/475 "2005-02-02T03:15:09Z")
Come on John Paul II! The Catholic Church hasn’t had any drama yet this year, and this could be Your Big Chance! It’s not polite to keep God waiting! ---
**Author:** ![Squonk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b5e925/32.png) [@Squonk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Squonk)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2005, 4:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-celebrity-death-pool-2005/277574/476 "2005-02-02T04:55:13Z")
> [@Loach](#): > > > [@a35362](#): > > > > And nobody picked Zhao Ziyang, Charlotte MacLeod, Virginia Mayo, Ruth Warrick, Lamont Bentley, Rose Mary Woods, or **Jim Capaldi**. > > It wasn’t the cancer that laid him to rest, was the low spark of high-heeled boys. 😃 They should put that on his tombstone. ---
**Author:** ![Rilchiam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/2bfe46/32.png) [@Rilchiam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rilchiam)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2005, 11:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-celebrity-death-pool-2005/277574/477 "2005-02-02T11:25:13Z")
[Pope’s condition stable](http://www.cnn.com/2005/WORLD/europe/02/02/pope.health/index.html) ---
**Author:** ![Sean\_Factotum](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/50afbb/32.png) [@Sean\_Factotum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sean_Factotum)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2005, 2:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-celebrity-death-pool-2005/277574/478 "2005-02-03T14:08:46Z")
> [@CNN](#): > > MOSCOW, Russia (CNN) – Georgia Prime Minister Zurab Zhvania has died of apparent “gas poisoning” at the Tbilisi home of a friend, a top official has told CNN. Is he on anyone’s list? I’d expect **The Grim Reaper** , er, I mean **Captain Lance Murdock** to score on this one too. ---
**Author:** ![a35362](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3da27b/32.png) [@a35362](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/a35362)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2005, 2:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-celebrity-death-pool-2005/277574/479 "2005-02-03T14:28:55Z")
No, nobody picked old Zurab. ---
**Author:** ![amarone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e0b2c6/32.png) [@amarone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/amarone)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2005, 4:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-celebrity-death-pool-2005/277574/480 "2005-02-03T16:36:11Z")
> [@Spiff](#): > > Ooh … I’ve been reading Ivan’s online journals about his brain tumor on the BBC Web site. Quite a sad story. > > Never thought to pick him for the SDMB Celebrity Death Pool, though. I guess I was too intent on wishing that his story would have a happy ending. > > I guess that’s what separates the pros like \*\*Lance \*\* from the rest of us amateurs… There is an earlier exchange where I questioned Ivan’s celebrity status. However, the real purpose of this post is to aim people at Ivan’s [final column](http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/4211475.stm). I read this a few days before he died and I have to say it has made me think twice about turning someone else’s tragedy into a trivial game for my amusement. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-celebrity-death-pool-2005/277574.md?page=23) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-celebrity-death-pool-2005/277574.md?page=25)