# 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:** 38
**Author:** ![Governor\_Quinn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/d26b3c/32.png) [@Governor\_Quinn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Governor_Quinn)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2008, 4:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-celebrity-death-pool-2008/428439/741 "2008-05-04T04:08:21Z")
[Jack Hanrahan, Emmy-winning television comedy writer whose homelessness resulted in a public reemergence in the last year of his life, is dead at 75](http://www.upi.com/NewsTrack/Entertainment/2008/04/28/scriptwriter_hanrahan_dead_at_age_75/7902/) ---
**Author:** ![Sternvogel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bc79bd/32.png) [@Sternvogel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sternvogel)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2008, 9:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-celebrity-death-pool-2008/428439/742 "2008-05-05T21:45:36Z")
[Quote=Paul in Saudi] What the heck do you buy a couple for a 68th wedding anniversary? [/Quote] [QUOTE=SpazCat] Apparently a headstone. _gets in handbasket_ [/QUOTE] Nope, granite isn’t traditional until the couple’s been [married ninety years.](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wedding_anniversary) Apparently, such a milestone has never occurred – the recordholders might be a Minnesota couple [married in 1925](http://wcco.com/local/oldest.couple.83rd.2.656050.html) and still together as of last February. ---
**Author:** ![BJMoose](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/5fc32e/32.png) [@BJMoose](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BJMoose)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2008, 9:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-celebrity-death-pool-2008/428439/743 "2008-05-06T21:40:59Z")
I seem to be in sole possession of next-to-last place. Well, it’s _something_. . . . ---
**Author:** ![Captain\_Lance\_Murdoch](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/47e85d/32.png) [@Captain\_Lance\_Murdoch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Captain_Lance_Murdoch)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2008, 7:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-celebrity-death-pool-2008/428439/744 "2008-05-07T19:13:00Z")
[This guy](http://youtube.com/watch?v=dA53406xGaM) will be on my list next year. He seems to be in unusually bad health. ---
**Author:** ![Sternvogel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bc79bd/32.png) [@Sternvogel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sternvogel)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2008, 9:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-celebrity-death-pool-2008/428439/745 "2008-05-07T21:35:54Z")
[Irvine Robbins,](http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/business/361972_obitrobbins07.html) who co-founded the Baskin-Robbins ice cream chain with brother-in-law Burton Baskin, has died at the age of 90. ---
**Author:** ![Moirai](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/96bed5/32.png) [@Moirai](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Moirai)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2008, 2:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-celebrity-death-pool-2008/428439/746 "2008-05-08T02:53:28Z")
[QUOTE=Sternvogel] [Buzzie Bavasi,](http://www.nytimes.com/2008/05/02/sports/baseball/02bavasi.html?ref=baseball) who served as an executive with several baseball teams over the course of a 45-year career in the game, has died at the age of 93. After working his way up from office boy to general manager of the Brooklyn club (with stops at several of the Dodgers’ minor-league franchises along the way), Bavasi helped preside over four World Series championships, including three after the team moved to Los Angeles. He later spent time as president and part-owner of the expansion San Diego Padres, then closed out his career by serving as the California Angels’ executive vice president. [/QUOTE] ☹ Been an Angels fan all my life- went to my first game when I was 3 weeks old. He and his sons were good baseball guys. ---
**Author:** ![Tristan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tristan/32/18058_2.png) [@Tristan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tristan)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2008, 1:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-celebrity-death-pool-2008/428439/747 "2008-05-08T13:22:15Z")
Holy Crap, I’m tied for 34th place… not a bad start, for my first year. Wonder how I’m doing over at the other page I did a Dead Pool on… ---
**Author:** ![FriarTed](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/friarted/32/1052_2.png) [@FriarTed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FriarTed)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2008, 2:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-celebrity-death-pool-2008/428439/748 "2008-05-08T14:50:50Z")
[http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2008/05/08/national/a065031D83.DTL&tsp=1](http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2008/05/08/national/a065031D83.DTL&tsp=1) Eddy Arnold (age 89, almost 90) just joined his wife, who passed away in March. “Make the world go away…” ---
**Author:** ![amarone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e0b2c6/32.png) [@amarone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/amarone)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2008, 8:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-celebrity-death-pool-2008/428439/749 "2008-05-10T20:59:49Z")
[QUOTE=Shirley Ujest] Hey! I almost scored! Can I help it if every other freakin terrorist has the last name of al-masri? I mean, _who freakin’ knew_? [/QUOTE] [It’s an easy mistake to make.](http://www.ajc.com/metro/content/printedition/2008/05/10/world.html) > [@](#): > > The U.S. military denied Friday that the leader of al-Qaida in Iraq, Abu Ayyub al-Masri, had been captured, saying a man with a similar name had been arrested in the northern city of Mosul. ---
**Author:** ![amarone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e0b2c6/32.png) [@amarone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/amarone)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2008, 8:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-celebrity-death-pool-2008/428439/750 "2008-05-11T20:58:44Z")
[QUOTE=FriarTed] Eddy Arnold (age 89, almost 90) just joined his wife, who passed away in March. [/QUOTE] A unique pick for **Dinah Steeler**. ---
**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:** [May 11, 2008, 11:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-celebrity-death-pool-2008/428439/751 "2008-05-11T23:19:51Z")
[QUOTE=amarone] [It’s an easy mistake to make.](http://www.ajc.com/metro/content/printedition/2008/05/10/world.html) [/QUOTE] GAH! ---
**Author:** ![Captain\_Lance\_Murdoch](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/47e85d/32.png) [@Captain\_Lance\_Murdoch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Captain_Lance_Murdoch)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2008, 2:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-celebrity-death-pool-2008/428439/752 "2008-05-13T14:45:05Z")
Robert Rauschenberg, one of the giants of American art has passed away. ---
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2008, 7:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-celebrity-death-pool-2008/428439/753 "2008-05-13T19:11:39Z")
[QUOTE=Captain Lance Murdoch] Robert Rauschenberg, one of the giants of American art has passed away. [/QUOTE] I worked on an installation with him once. He drank, heavily, every single day. This was nearly 20 years ago. I’m astounded he lived so long. ---
**Author:** ![Sternvogel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bc79bd/32.png) [@Sternvogel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sternvogel)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2008, 8:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-celebrity-death-pool-2008/428439/754 "2008-05-13T20:59:22Z")
[QUOTE=Boyo Jim] I worked on an installation with (Rauschenberg) once. He drank, heavily, every single day. This was nearly 20 years ago. I’m astounded he lived so long. [/QUOTE] Did he drink only whisky (the spirit mentioned in [this obituary),](http://entertainment.timesonline.co.uk/tol/arts_and_entertainment/visual_arts/article3927224.ece) or were his tastes more catholic? ---
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2008, 9:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-celebrity-death-pool-2008/428439/755 "2008-05-13T21:58:24Z")
[QUOTE=Sternvogel] Did he drink only whisky (the spirit mentioned in [this obituary),](http://entertainment.timesonline.co.uk/tol/arts_and_entertainment/visual_arts/article3927224.ece) or were his tastes more catholic? [/QUOTE] He drank Jack Daniels, straight, from a very large tumbler – like maybe 32 or 40 oz. ---
**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:** [May 14, 2008, 1:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-celebrity-death-pool-2008/428439/756 "2008-05-14T01:21:15Z")
[QUOTE=Boyo Jim] He drank Jack Daniels, straight, from a very large tumbler – like maybe 32 or 40 oz. [/QUOTE] No need for embalming. But I would be careful if he is to be cremated. ---
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2008, 3:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-celebrity-death-pool-2008/428439/757 "2008-05-14T03:16:11Z")
He did a large installation at the National Gallery of Art in the late 80’s, which I helped install. When they opened it to the public, he offered a lecture on the opening day which did not go over well. He had his tumbler very prominently on the podium and was quite noticeably smashed. So much so that when question time came a woman stood up, said something very nice about how talented he was, but ended by asking why he felt it necessary to appear drunk in front of his fans. His reply was, “Why is it necessary for for you to be such a bitch?” The curator came on stage, pimped a round of applause out of the audience, and kind of hustled him off stage. ---
**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:** [May 14, 2008, 9:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-celebrity-death-pool-2008/428439/758 "2008-05-14T21:32:24Z")
[John Rutsey](http://www.classicrockmagazine.com/page/classicrock?entry=john_rutsey_dies) the original drummer for Rush is dead at 55. He played on their first album including the song _Working Man_. ---
**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:** [May 15, 2008, 1:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-celebrity-death-pool-2008/428439/759 "2008-05-15T13:40:25Z")
Favorite villain of the MST3K crowd, [John Philip Law](http://www.latimes.com/news/obituaries/la-me-law15-2008may15,0,4156367.story), has finally convinced Calgon to take him away. ---
**Author:** ![Captain\_Lance\_Murdoch](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/47e85d/32.png) [@Captain\_Lance\_Murdoch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Captain_Lance_Murdoch)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2008, 2:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-celebrity-death-pool-2008/428439/760 "2008-05-16T14:26:11Z")
Serial killer Daniel Lee Siebert died April 22nd at the age of 53. He was on death row, but died of natural causes. I was too distraught with anguish to write about it until now. Collecting the points will somehow help me get over my sense of loss. [http://www.al.com/news/birminghamnews/index.ssf?/base/news/1208938578226240.xml&coll=2](http://www.al.com/news/birminghamnews/index.ssf?/base/news/1208938578226240.xml&coll=2) [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-celebrity-death-pool-2008/428439.md?page=37) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-celebrity-death-pool-2008/428439.md?page=39)