# The Celebrity Death Pool 2008 **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Tags:** death-pool\ **Created:** [December 1, 2007, 11:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-celebrity-death-pool-2008/428439 "2007-12-01T11:46:29Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 18
**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:** [January 2, 2008, 2:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-celebrity-death-pool-2008/428439/341 "2008-01-02T02:53:12Z")
[QUOTE=Hostile Dialect] **Rachm Qoch** is the undisputed master of the Celebrity Death Pool. [/QUOTE] Old news. You are only as good as your next win. We all start with a clean slate and have just as good a chance to win as RQ. Yeah I don’t believe it either. Just as I tried to do, only one pick in the top twenty. I wasn’t paying attention to see if any were unique. Had to stick with Ariel Sharon. He’ll come through for me some year. ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2008, 3:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-celebrity-death-pool-2008/428439/342 "2008-01-02T03:05:47Z")
[QUOTE=Baker] But there were 807 celebrities listed, and with 514 being unique, that means not quite 70 % of the choices are unique. [/QUOTE] I disagree. The 807 figure does not represent the total number of predictions. One prediction of Ken Kercheval is in no way equivalent to 85 predictions of Fidel Castro. ---
**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:** [January 2, 2008, 3:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-celebrity-death-pool-2008/428439/343 "2008-01-02T03:33:38Z")
[QUOTE=Fear Itself] I disagree. The 807 figure does not represent the total number of predictions. One prediction of Ken Kercheval is in no way equivalent to 85 predictions of Fidel Castro. [/QUOTE] apples oranges There is a difference between the number of celebrities and the number of predictions. This discussion could go on forever because you are arguing about two different things. Of course unique picks will be a lower percentage of overall predictions. That’s because they are unique. I think it is more interesting that 70% of the celebrities chosen were unique picks. That shows a definate stragedy on the part of most of the players. Your stat just shows that unique picks are unique picks. ---
**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:** [January 2, 2008, 3:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-celebrity-death-pool-2008/428439/344 "2008-01-02T03:35:01Z")
[QUOTE=amarone] Actually, there are fewer - 161 this year versus 192 last. [/QUOTE] I thought it felt lighter this year. I have a bad feeling that it is an indication of the health of the board in general. ---
**Author:** ![amarone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e0b2c6/32.png) [@amarone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/amarone)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2008, 3:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-celebrity-death-pool-2008/428439/345 "2008-01-02T03:46:07Z")
[QUOTE=Fear Itself] Well, sort of. Actually, there were 2093 predictions (161 entrants times 13 celebrities); [/QUOTE] Actually there were 2091 as two lists only had 12 valid celebs. ---
**Author:** ![Rachm\_Qoch](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/a8b319/32.png) [@Rachm\_Qoch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rachm_Qoch)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2008, 6:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-celebrity-death-pool-2008/428439/346 "2008-01-02T06:05:43Z")
[QUOTE=Captain Lance Murdoch] Your new list has seven of my guys on it. looks like we won’t be far apart this year. Come on Zdravko! [/QUOTE] Yep. Coming in second is gonna be real sweet, isn’t it? 😃 ---
**Author:** ![BJMoose](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/5fc32e/32.png) [@BJMoose](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BJMoose)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2008, 4:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-celebrity-death-pool-2008/428439/347 "2008-01-02T16:15:25Z")
Huh. Just one of my picks is in the top twenty. Hope that’s a good sign. ('Twould be ironic if I snagged the prize for Most Unique Picks when I was aiming for Most People. Not that I’d complain. . . .) (On re-reading the rules): There _isn’t_ a prize for Most Unique Picks. ☹ ---
**Author:** ![amarone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e0b2c6/32.png) [@amarone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/amarone)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2008, 4:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-celebrity-death-pool-2008/428439/348 "2008-01-02T16:37:12Z")
[QUOTE=BJMoose] Huh. Just one of my picks is in the top twenty. Hope that’s a good sign. ('Twould be ironic if I snagged the prize for Most Unique Picks when I was aiming for Most People. Not that I’d complain. . . .) (On re-reading the rules): There _isn’t_ a prize for Most Unique Picks. ☹ [/QUOTE] There isn’t a prize just for picking uniquely, but for picking unique celebrities that die, there is: > [@](#): > > The “Inside Track With the Grim Reaper” Award: to be awarded to the poster or posters who pick a celebrity that no one else picked. I think we should interpret that prize to being for the doper who picks the greatest number of unique celebrities that die. ---
**Author:** ![twickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2008, 4:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-celebrity-death-pool-2008/428439/349 "2008-01-02T16:44:05Z")
[QUOTE=amarone] There isn’t a prize just for picking uniquely, but for picking unique celebrities that die, there is: I think we should interpret that prize to being for the doper who picks the greatest number of unique celebrities that die. [/QUOTE] As long as we (i.e., you) are crunching numbers – which poster has the most unique picks? I think I’ve got at least five, but would imagine others might have more. ---
**Author:** ![42fish](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/4/b487fb/32.png) [@42fish](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/42fish)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2008, 6:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-celebrity-death-pool-2008/428439/350 "2008-01-02T18:50:35Z")
The inevitable happens as Rachm Qoch gets his first points with the death of Korean boxer Yo-Sam Choi, age 35 ([Choi Yo-sam - Wikipedia](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yo-Sam_Choi)) ---
**Author:** ![Rebo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rebo/32/13005_2.png) [@Rebo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rebo)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2008, 7:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-celebrity-death-pool-2008/428439/351 "2008-01-02T19:16:24Z")
Are you serious??? Day-um, that boy is _gooood_. ---
**Author:** ![amarone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e0b2c6/32.png) [@amarone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/amarone)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2008, 7:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-celebrity-death-pool-2008/428439/352 "2008-01-02T19:19:39Z")
[QUOTE=42fish] The inevitable happens as Rachm Qoch gets his first points with the death of Korean boxer Yo-Sam Choi, age 35 ([Choi Yo-sam - Wikipedia](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yo-Sam_Choi)) [/QUOTE] Sounds like he died in 2007 but was only declared dead in 2008… Hey, I only took the job in the hope it would give me enough power to invalidate some of **Rachm Qoch** ’s picks. ---
**Author:** ![appleciders](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/85f322/32.png) [@appleciders](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/appleciders)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2008, 7:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-celebrity-death-pool-2008/428439/353 "2008-01-02T19:33:21Z")
That’s an intriguing one- at what point do we determine that death has occurred? When the doctor calls it or when it actually occurs? It won’t matter anyhow- if he did die in 2007, **Rachm Qoch** ’s alternate will be moved up and will promptly die, just to keep him (her?) in the lead. ---
**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:** [January 2, 2008, 7:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-celebrity-death-pool-2008/428439/354 "2008-01-02T19:40:22Z")
[QUOTE=amarone] Sounds like he died in 2007 but was only declared dead in 2008… Hey, I only took the job in the hope it would give me enough power to invalidate some of **Rachm Qoch** ’s picks. [/QUOTE] Is this a Democracy? I would suggest that the guy dies when a physician declares him dead. 🙂 ---
**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:** [January 2, 2008, 7:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-celebrity-death-pool-2008/428439/355 "2008-01-02T19:50:11Z")
Here’s the scoop on [the boxer.](http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2008/more/01/01/brain.dead.boxer.ap/index.html) Went into a coma last week at the end of the fight, declared legally dead today at the request of his family so that his organs could be harvested. So who is going to defend his title? ---
**Author:** ![mobo85](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b19c9b/32.png) [@mobo85](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mobo85)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2008, 7:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-celebrity-death-pool-2008/428439/356 "2008-01-02T19:50:14Z")
This seems like one of those Terri Schiavo controversies- at what point can we say a comatose person on life support has truly died? [Wikipedia](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brain_dead) states that brain death is considered a form of death in most countries. So is the official date of death December 25, 2007 or January 2, 2008? I guess the judges will have to decide. ---
**Author:** ![Lok](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e8c25b/32.png) [@Lok](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lok)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2008, 8:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-celebrity-death-pool-2008/428439/357 "2008-01-02T20:01:26Z")
I think it should be when he was declared dead. He went into the coma last year, but it took some time for them to figure out he wasn’t coming out of it. If he had been in a coma for 2 years and just died it would still be a death for this year. ---
**Author:** ![Quartz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quartz/32/267_2.png) [@Quartz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quartz)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2008, 8:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-celebrity-death-pool-2008/428439/358 "2008-01-02T20:12:45Z")
And he gets the opening kick-off award too. ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2008, 8:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-celebrity-death-pool-2008/428439/359 "2008-01-02T20:15:07Z")
[QUOTE=Quartz] And he gets the opening kick-off award too. [/QUOTE] And very good chance at the Robbing the Cradle award. I smell a three-fer. ---
**Author:** ![Quartz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quartz/32/267_2.png) [@Quartz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quartz)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2008, 9:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-celebrity-death-pool-2008/428439/360 "2008-01-02T21:04:34Z")
[QUOTE=Fear Itself] And very good chance at the Robbing the Cradle award. I smell a three-fer. [/QUOTE] ITYM four - Winner, Opening Kick-off, Robbing the Cradle, and Inside Track. I guess the rest of us are just batting for the last one to die in 2008. Jeez, I’m all but declaring the contest a clean sweep only one day in. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-celebrity-death-pool-2008/428439.md?page=17) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-celebrity-death-pool-2008/428439.md?page=19)