# The Celebrity Death Pool 2009 **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Tags:** death-pool\ **Created:** [December 1, 2008, 11:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-celebrity-death-pool-2009/475262 "2008-12-01T23:40:42Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 15
**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:** [December 30, 2008, 10:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-celebrity-death-pool-2009/475262/281 "2008-12-30T22:25:52Z")
> [@VunderBob](#): > > If they take out half of his large intestine, does that mean he has a semicolon? Parenthetically, yes. I’ll shut up now. The problem with waiting until the last day to submit is that inevitably your own _SUPER DUPER RARE PICK_ Like, the best evar!!!111!! will crop up here and there in other peoples lists and therefore make it look like you just waited until the last moment and combed over other’s hard work. To this I say, not true. This thing is a bizarre obsession, TYVM. ---
**Author:** ![ErinPuff](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/dbc845/32.png) [@ErinPuff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ErinPuff)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2008, 10:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-celebrity-death-pool-2009/475262/282 "2008-12-30T22:32:28Z")
Colin Baker Pierre Boulez Dave Brubeck Jimmy Carter Fidel Castro Ted Kennedy Kim Jong-Il Henry Kissinger Michael Jackson Fred Phelps Prince Philip Margaret Thatcher Amy Winehouse Alternate: Dick Cheney ---
**Author:** ![Cunctator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/43a26b/32.png) [@Cunctator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cunctator)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2008, 10:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-celebrity-death-pool-2009/475262/283 "2008-12-30T22:58:11Z")
Queen Elizabeth II Philip, Duke of Edinburgh Barack Obama Gough Whitlam, former Australian PM Patrick Swayze Angela Lansbury Hazel Hawke, former wife of Bob Hawke, former Australian PM Dame Joan Sutherland Fidel Castro Baroness Thatcher Michael Jackson OJ Simpson Kylie Minogue ---
**Author:** ![NurseCarmen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/5daacb/32.png) [@NurseCarmen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NurseCarmen)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2008, 11:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-celebrity-death-pool-2009/475262/284 "2008-12-30T23:00:39Z")
> [@GIGObuster](#): > > :dubious: > > Both were mentioned by the press and they mentioned efforts other than just being terminally ill, but I will defer to the judge of the contest if there is a direct complaint. Looks like the rules let them in. It doesn’t absolve the picks as lame. Capital L. There just are so many picks out there that I would hope that Rahm Qoch’s yearly domination hasn’t sent us into desperation picks. We’re better than that, aren’t we? ---
**Author:** ![Baker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bb73d2/32.png) [@Baker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baker)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2008, 11:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-celebrity-death-pool-2009/475262/285 "2008-12-30T23:08:12Z")
> [@NurseCarmen](#): > > Looks like the rules let them in. > > It doesn’t absolve the picks as lame. Capital L. There just are so many picks out there that I would hope that Rahm Qoch’s yearly domination hasn’t sent us into desperation picks. We’re better than that, aren’t we? We’re playing a game in which we get points when people die, and you ask that?😛 Myself, if I was newsworthy and dying, I’d be honored to be someone’s pick. It’s not as if we want them to die(well, with one or two exceptions)😃 ---
**Author:** ![GuanoLad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guanolad/32/42_2.png) [@GuanoLad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuanoLad)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2008, 11:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-celebrity-death-pool-2009/475262/286 "2008-12-30T23:52:15Z")
Last year was my first try at this, so naturally I got none of them right. Many of the names below are from that list. Mel Brooks Christopher Lee Elizabeth Taylor George H W Bush Joanne Woodward Pele Ronnie Corbett Peter Sallis Gary Glitter Macaulay Culkin Terry Pratchett Bobby McFerrin Tim Conway Jackie Stewart ---
**Author:** ![Hockey\_Monkey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/a183cd/32.png) [@Hockey\_Monkey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hockey_Monkey)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2008, 12:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-celebrity-death-pool-2009/475262/287 "2008-12-31T00:31:41Z")
I’m going to go ahead and post 'cause tomorrow is looking to be busy here at work, and I don’t want to forget. 1. Vasily Aleksanyan - VP of Yukos Oil, [del]currently imprisoned[/del] freed today on bail. Suffering from cancer, tuberculosis and AIDS and his spleen was surgically removed. 36 Years old. 2. Fidel Castro - die you bastard! 3. Rev. Billy Graham 4. Ted Kennedy - die you bastard! 5. Nancy Reagan 6. Patrick Swayze 7. Annette Funicello 8. Zsa Zsa Gabor - only 2 pts, but what the hey. 9. Elizabeth Edwards 10. Dom Deluise - suffering from prostate and penile cancer (Owie ☹ ) 11. Ronnie Biggs 12. Jon Anderson - lead singer of Yes - acute respiratory failure 13. Hank Cochran - country music singer and songwriter riddled with tumors no alternates at this time Clean version Vasily Aleksanyan Fidel Castro Rev. Billy Graham Ted Kennedy Nancy Reagan Patrick Swayze Annette Funicello Zsa Zsa Gabor Elizabeth Edwards Dom Deluise Ronnie Biggs Jon Anderson Hank Cochran ---
**Author:** ![GIGObuster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gigobuster/32/421_2.png) [@GIGObuster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GIGObuster)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2008, 3:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-celebrity-death-pool-2009/475262/288 "2008-12-31T03:51:58Z")
> [@Baker](#): > > We’re playing a game in which we get points when people die, and you ask that?😛 > > Myself, if I was newsworthy and dying, I’d be honored to be someone’s pick. It’s not as if we want them to die(well, with one or two exceptions)😃 That is the spirit of the season! 😃 IIRC several of **Rahm Qoch** ’s last year picks did look like they were selected from the journal of “Will bite the dust in a few days, 2008 edition” And I get the grief for picking a few from the 2009 list.. In these days diversifying is crucial like it is investing in the stock market. (Yet another deadly occupation nowadays) 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![OtakuLoki](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/ac8455/32.png) [@OtakuLoki](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OtakuLoki)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2008, 3:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-celebrity-death-pool-2009/475262/289 "2008-12-31T03:55:38Z")
> [@NurseCarmen](#): > > Looks like the rules let them in. > > It doesn’t absolve the picks as lame. Capital L. There just are so many picks out there that I would hope that Rahm Qoch’s yearly domination hasn’t sent us into desperation picks. We’re better than that, aren’t we? And how are those picks any worse than going through a list of Medal of Honor winners and guessing which ones will die during 2009? Or than picking the president-elect? I’m just not getting this distinction you’re trying to establish. ---
**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:** [December 31, 2008, 4:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-celebrity-death-pool-2009/475262/290 "2008-12-31T04:02:51Z")
Patrick Swayze Hugh Hefner OJ Simpson Kim Jong Il Pervez Musharaff Hamid Karzai Nancy Reagan Betty White Bob Barker Willaim Shatner Art Linkletter Barbera Bush Lindsey Lohan ---
**Author:** ![NurseCarmen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/5daacb/32.png) [@NurseCarmen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NurseCarmen)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2008, 4:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-celebrity-death-pool-2009/475262/291 "2008-12-31T04:25:55Z")
> [@OtakuLoki](#): > > And how are those picks any worse than going through a list of Medal of Honor winners and guessing which ones will die during 2009? Or than picking the president-elect? > > I’m just not getting this distinction you’re trying to establish. Because the people you are mentioning are famous for something other than just being sick. It seems to me the distinction is between famous people that just happen to be dying and dying people that just happen to be dying. ---
**Author:** ![Critical\_Mass](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f1d935/32.png) [@Critical\_Mass](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Critical_Mass)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2008, 4:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-celebrity-death-pool-2009/475262/292 "2008-12-31T04:51:06Z")
Thanks for putting this together again this year **amarone** Patrick Swayze Ted Kennedy Seve Ballesteros Robert Novak Jade Goody Vasily Aleksanyan Steve Jobs Samak Sundaravej Sara Douglass Sir Dai Llewellyn Genaro Hernandez Kim Jong Il Bobby Robson Alternates Paul Kraus Michael Jackson ---
**Author:** ![Mehitabel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/8797f3/32.png) [@Mehitabel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mehitabel)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2008, 5:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-celebrity-death-pool-2009/475262/293 "2008-12-31T05:37:58Z")
Yay, it’s time to play Angel of Death! I missed it last year and everybody lived, but waiting this late will prevent other posters from poaching from my brilliant picks. like I did for about 80% of mine The humans-only rule prevents me from getting 81 points for Socks Clinton :mad: but here are the rest, with birthdates if they haven’t been already mentioned upthread: _Known to be Sick:_ Elizabeth Edwards (born 7/3/49), wronged would-be First Lady Corazon Aquino (1/25/33), ex-president of the Phillipines Peter Falk (9/16/27), angel with Alzheimer’s _This year’s Big Star Trek Death:_ William Shatner Himself, whose heart will be broken by a) not being in ST 11 and b) supporting his increasing girth over the years. Bonus pathos points if it happens near movie premiere. _A couple of dicks:_ Dick Cheney Andy Dick (12/21/65) _…And Speaking of the Drug-Addled…_ Jeff Conaway (10/5/50), professional rehab patient Paul “Gazza” Gascoigne (5/27/67), soccer player _The Ancients:_ Walter Cronkite (11/4/16), anchorman among anchormen Nancy Reagan Abe Vigoda (2/24/21), who surprises people by a) not being dead and b) not Italian (son of Russian immigrants) _Endangered Species:_ Bernard Madoff (4/29/38), who’s just made tons of enemies, one of whom stole a statue off his property the other day. Maybe his life is next. Asif Ali Zardari (7/26/55), 14th President of Pakistan and widower of Benazir Bhutto; his nation seems to be full of people who want to reunite them. _Alternate:_ The one, the only, the immortal Elizabeth Taylor, whose ailments have been chronicled in the papers since the Eisenhower Administration. **Plain Vanilla Version:** Elizabeth Edwards Corazon Aquino Peter Falk William Shatner Dick Cheney Andy Dick Jeff Conaway Paul “Gazza” Gascoigne Walter Cronkite Nancy Reagan Abe Vigoda Bernard Madoff Asif Ali Zardari Elizabeth Taylor ---
**Author:** ![NurseCarmen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/5daacb/32.png) [@NurseCarmen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NurseCarmen)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2008, 6:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-celebrity-death-pool-2009/475262/294 "2008-12-31T06:50:23Z")
[Patrick Swayze](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Patrick_swayze) actor [Wendy Richard](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wendy_Richard) actress [Vasily Aleksanyan](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vasily_Aleksanyan) enemy of Putin [Roger Ebert](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roger_Ebert) film critic [Chi Cheng](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chi_Cheng_(musician)) deftones bassist [Abdel Basset Ali al-Megrah](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abdel_Basset_Ali_al-Megrahi) Lockerbie bomber [Robert Novak](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Novak) asshole [Steve Jobs](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steve_jobs) Applehead man [Joe Andruzzi](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joe_Andruzzi) Former NFL [Orlando Thomas](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Orlando_Thomas) Former NFL [Steve Smith]([Steve Smith (running back) - Wikipedia](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steve_Smith_(running_back)) \<[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steve\_Smith\_(running\_back)>](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steve_Smith_%28running_back%29>)) Former NFL [Abdul Aziz al-Hakim](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abdul_Aziz_al-Hakim) Iraqi politician [James Blake Miller](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Blake_Miller) Marlboro marine, sad footnote. Alt [Farrah Fawcett](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Farrah_Fawcett) Angel. Alt [Seve Ballesteros](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seve_Ballesteros) Spanish golfer Patrick Swayze Wendy Richard Farrah Fawcett Roger Ebert Chi Cheng Abdel Basset Ali la-Megrahi Robert Novak Steve Jobs Joe Andruzzi Orlando Thomas Steve Smith Abdul Aziz al-Hakim James Blake Miller Alt Leonid Stadnyk Seve Ballesteros ---
**Author:** ![wolf\_meister](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolf_meister/32/15202_2.png) [@wolf\_meister](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolf_meister)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2008, 6:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-celebrity-death-pool-2009/475262/295 "2008-12-31T06:59:19Z")
Here I am once again posting my list on the last day of the year. Although I scored zero points for 2008, (and for others who had similar scores), it’s really easy to compile a 2009 list - just copy 2008. 🙂 Ervin ‘Magic’ Johnson Jerry Lee Lewis Jerry Lewis Jayne Meadows Art Linkletter Ann B. Davis William Shatner Barbara Billingsley Larry Storch Professor Irwin Corey Charlie Daniels Les Paul Barbara Bain Chevy Chase ---
**Author:** ![SandyHook](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/dec6dc/32.png) [@SandyHook](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SandyHook)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2008, 7:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-celebrity-death-pool-2009/475262/296 "2008-12-31T07:45:01Z")
Ariel Sharon Billy Graham Elizabeth Taylor Farrah Fawcett Fidel Castro Kirk Douglas Nancy Reagan Patrick Swayze Ray Bradbury Stephen Hawking Ted Kennedy Zsa Zsa Gabor Bob Barker Alternates: John Goodman Walter Cronkite ---
**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:** [December 31, 2008, 9:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-celebrity-death-pool-2009/475262/297 "2008-12-31T09:54:08Z")
The quick list: Tara Jones Tom Buckley Elizabeth van Sickle Patrick Swayze Allister Boyd Abdel Basset Ali al-Megrahi Alex Macomber Pete Doherty Abdel-Aziz al-Hakim Steve Phillips Steve Jobs Seve Ballesteros Colin Howe Amy Winehouse Ariel Sharon Robert Mugabe Kim Jong Il The detailed list: 1. [Tara Jones](http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/wales/south_east/7617509.stm) 2. [Tom Buckley](http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/7766082.stm), [Thomas Buckley is fundraising for The Christie](http://www.justgiving.com/thebuckers) 3. [Elizabeth van Sickle](http://www.shelbycountyreporter.com/news/2008/oct/10/unusual-blessing/) 4. Patrick Swayze (Actor) 5. [Allister Boyd](http://www.gcal.ac.uk/news/pressoffice/releases/260908.html) 6. [Abdel Basset Ali al-Megrahi](http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/27295713/) 7. [Alex Macomber](http://weeklyvolcano.typepad.com/spew/benefits/) 8. [Pete Doherty](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pete_Doherty) 9. [Abdel-Aziz al-Hakim](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abdel-Aziz_al-Hakim) 10. [Steve Phillips](http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-548248/Fireman-cheated-death-discovers-terminal-cancer.html) 11. Steve Jobs (Apple) 12. Seve Ballesteros (Golfer) 13. [Colin Howe](http://www.colinhowe.org/) [The Times & The Sunday Times: breaking news & today's latest headlines](http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/health/article2600052.ece) 14. [Amy Winehouse](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amy_winehouse) A1. Ariel Sharon A2. Robert Mugabe A3. Kim Jong Il (Chief Korean nutter). Tara, Tom, Allister, and Alex should be checked for false starts (no reports of death as of typing). ---
**Author:** ![Rilchiam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/2bfe46/32.png) [@Rilchiam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rilchiam)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2008, 10:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-celebrity-death-pool-2009/475262/298 "2008-12-31T10:21:22Z")
1. John Goodman 2. Shane McGowan 3. Queen Elizabeth 4. Terry Gilliam 5. J.D. Salinger 6. Cliff Richard 7. Britney Spears 8. Patrick Swayze 9. Michael Jackson 10. William Shatner 11. Keith Richards 12. Ann B. Davis 13. Terry Pratchett ---
**Author:** ![Uvula\_Donor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/e19adc/32.png) [@Uvula\_Donor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Uvula_Donor)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2008, 10:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-celebrity-death-pool-2009/475262/299 "2008-12-31T10:43:06Z")
My picks, sliding in at the last minute: Dom Deluise Steve Jobs Michael Jackson Dick Cheney Coolio Patrick Swayze Kelsey Grammar Dick Clark Mary Kate Olsen Lindsay Lohan Fidel Castro Terry Pratchett Amy Winehouse ---
**Author:** ![Baker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bb73d2/32.png) [@Baker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baker)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2008, 12:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-celebrity-death-pool-2009/475262/300 "2008-12-31T12:42:19Z")
**Quartz** , you’ve got fourteen on your list. Who’s going to get bumped off and thereby rendered doomed? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-celebrity-death-pool-2009/475262.md?page=14) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-celebrity-death-pool-2009/475262.md?page=16)