# 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:** 59
**Author:** ![amarone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e0b2c6/32.png) [@amarone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/amarone)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2009, 12:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-celebrity-death-pool-2009/475262/1161 "2009-07-02T12:26:50Z")
> [@Dung\_Beetle](#): > > Go, **42fish**! Go! 😉 In case anyone does not know why **42fish** appears one place higher than all the other zero pointers, it is because of a successful pick of a centenarian - no points, but one correct pick. ---
**Author:** ![Sternvogel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bc79bd/32.png) [@Sternvogel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sternvogel)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2009, 3:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-celebrity-death-pool-2009/475262/1162 "2009-07-02T15:10:18Z")
[Harve Presnell](http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/news/arts/la-me-harve-presnell2-2009jul02,0,916577.story), whose baritone voice was featured in such Broadway hits as _The Unsinkable Molly Brown_ and _Annie_, has died at the age of 75. Presnell also appeared in films as varied as _Paint Your Wagon_, _Fargo_, and _Saving Private Ryan_. ---
**Author:** ![MsWhatsit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/eb8c5e/32.png) [@MsWhatsit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MsWhatsit)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2009, 3:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-celebrity-death-pool-2009/475262/1163 "2009-07-02T15:12:55Z")
Can I dare to dream of a top-10 finish this year? :eek: ---
**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:** [July 2, 2009, 7:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-celebrity-death-pool-2009/475262/1164 "2009-07-02T19:02:59Z")
31st place now. I was in the top 15 until June 25th. The tsunami of Michael Jackson-Farrah Fawcett will haunt me forever. ---
**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:** [July 2, 2009, 7:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-celebrity-death-pool-2009/475262/1165 "2009-07-02T19:14:04Z")
> [@Shirley\_Ujest](#): > > 31st place now. I was in the top 15 until June 25th. I’m sorry. I’d take him back, if I could… ☹ Like hell ---
**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:** [July 2, 2009, 9:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-celebrity-death-pool-2009/475262/1166 "2009-07-02T21:08:44Z")
> [@amarone](#): > > Happy news - you really did [have MJ](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=10609195&postcount=219) (so to speak). You modified your list to add him. Sweet! Thanks! ---
**Author:** ![imthjckaz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/imthjckaz/32/3223_2.png) [@imthjckaz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/imthjckaz)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2009, 10:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-celebrity-death-pool-2009/475262/1167 "2009-07-03T22:13:33Z")
Clarification: I am an idiot. Earlier in this thread I wrote [this](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=11280308&postcount=1059). I followed up with [this](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=11281426&postcount=1087). I checked my picks again and I did in fact put MJ and Swayze on my list, but misrembered that fact. I guess I picked the wrong time to stop smoking crack. I have Palin as an alternate, but would Political Suicide count. ---
**Author:** ![critter42](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/7ba0ec/32.png) [@critter42](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/critter42)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2009, 9:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-celebrity-death-pool-2009/475262/1168 "2009-07-04T21:32:27Z")
Now turning to the world of sports, and mentioned in another thread in The Game Room, [Steve McNair](http://www.commercialappeal.com/news/2009/jul/04/former-titans-quarterback-steve-mcnair-dead/) has been killed in either a double homicide or a murder-suicide ---
**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:** [July 4, 2009, 10:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-celebrity-death-pool-2009/475262/1169 "2009-07-04T22:14:15Z")
Could be a double suicide. ---
**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:** [July 4, 2009, 10:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-celebrity-death-pool-2009/475262/1170 "2009-07-04T22:53:25Z")
[QUOTE=critter42;11307120 [Steve McNair] ([http://www.commercialappeal.com/news/2009/jul/04/former-titans-quarterback-steve-mcnair-dead/](http://www.commercialappeal.com/news/2009/jul/04/former-titans-quarterback-steve-mcnair-dead/)) [/QUOTE] Is that a common way to wear a football helmet? I’ve seen kids wearing motorcycle helmets in that way. ---
**Author:** ![Jack\_Batty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jack_batty/32/3201_2.png) [@Jack\_Batty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jack_Batty)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2009, 2:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-celebrity-death-pool-2009/475262/1171 "2009-07-05T02:13:42Z")
> [@Boyo\_Jim](#): > > Could be a double suicide. Or a suicide-murder, which, admittedly, would probably be pretty hard to pull off. ---
**Author:** ![critter42](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/7ba0ec/32.png) [@critter42](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/critter42)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2009, 4:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-celebrity-death-pool-2009/475262/1172 "2009-07-05T04:33:50Z")
Or, it they could have gone for the 1000 point bonus and attempted the never-before-attempted murder-suicide/suicide-murder paso doble with a lemon twist ---
**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:** [July 5, 2009, 7:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-celebrity-death-pool-2009/475262/1173 "2009-07-05T07:25:07Z")
> [@Jack\_Batty](#): > > Or a suicide-murder, which, admittedly, would probably be pretty hard to pull off. Perhaps in centuries past, sure. But with today’s technology it’s a snap. ---
**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:** [July 6, 2009, 1:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-celebrity-death-pool-2009/475262/1174 "2009-07-06T13:07:57Z")
Former Defense Secretary [Robert S. McNamara died Monday](http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5hpYadG_NUGd3Oxkz1i0VbFdXYKhgD998V93G0), according to his wife. He was 93. ---
**Author:** ![VunderBob](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/839c29/32.png) [@VunderBob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VunderBob)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2009, 1:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-celebrity-death-pool-2009/475262/1175 "2009-07-06T13:09:25Z")
JFK’s Secretary of Defense [Robert McNamara](http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/07/06/AR2009070601197.html?hpid=topnews). ETA: beat me by that much… :smack: ---
**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:** [July 7, 2009, 9:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-celebrity-death-pool-2009/475262/1176 "2009-07-07T21:19:27Z")
> **[John Keel](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Keel)** > > John Alva Keel, born Alva John Kiehle (March 25, 1930 – July 3, 2009), was an American journalist and influential UFOlogist who is best known as author of The Mothman Prophecies. > Keel was born in Hornell, New York, the son of a small-time bandleader. His parents separated and he was raised by his grandparents. He was interested in magic and had his first story published in a magicians' magazine at age 12. He left school at the age of 16 after taking all the science courses. > He worked as a f... Hope that you escaped the Mothman, John. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Librarian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_librarian/32/402_2.png) [@The\_Librarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Librarian)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2009, 5:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-celebrity-death-pool-2009/475262/1177 "2009-07-08T05:04:28Z")
Wow, > [@](#): > > 9 Critical Mass 111 2 > 10 The Librarian 100 3 > 11= Baker 88 2 top 10 I didn’t think my heroes/villains & sick people list would score so good. I only ‘hope’ 100 points isn’t 100% of its potential. ---
**Author:** ![Happy\_Lendervedder](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/happy_lendervedder/32/8488_2.png) [@Happy\_Lendervedder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Happy_Lendervedder)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2009, 5:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-celebrity-death-pool-2009/475262/1178 "2009-07-08T05:17:04Z")
I’ve now got four correct picks this year, an all-time high for me I believe. MJ, Karl Malden, Robert McNamara and Paul Harvey. Still nowhere near the top in points, seeing as three of the four were near 100… ---
**Author:** ![racer72](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/racer72/32/3075_2.png) [@racer72](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/racer72)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2009, 12:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-celebrity-death-pool-2009/475262/1179 "2009-07-08T12:43:33Z")
It’s O-S-C-A-R… [Oscar Mayer](http://www.chicagotribune.com/features/food/sns-ap-us-obit-oscar-mayer,0,4816762.story) dead at 95. ---
**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:** [July 8, 2009, 12:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-celebrity-death-pool-2009/475262/1180 "2009-07-08T12:54:06Z")
Oh man, I had no idea there was a real person named Oscar Mayer. Well… I suppose there would be someone in the whole world with it, but not actually affiliated with the company. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-celebrity-death-pool-2009/475262.md?page=58) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-celebrity-death-pool-2009/475262.md?page=60)