Fidel Castro
Raul Castro
Kim Jong-Il
Than Shwe
Mahmoud Ahmadinejad
Robert Mugabe
Jean Kennedy Smith
Sargent Shriver
Ethel Skakel
Noam Chomsky
James Carter
Walter Mondale
Harry F Byrd Jr.
A revised, hopeful list:
Fidel Castro
Raul Castro
Kim Jong-Il
Than Shwe
Mahmoud Ahmadinejad
Robert Mugabe
Julian Assange
Charles Manson
Omar al-Bashir
Fred Phelps
Bradley Manning
Ayman al-Zawahiri
Mohammed Omar
Yep, sorry.
It’s probably nothing but I thought I would offer this little tidbit in the morbid spirit of the game.
A Boston radio host has a popular Death Pool segment (I believe it’s sponsored by a local funeral home), and the latest episode aired on Friday, thanks to Elizabeth Edwards.
Anyway, a conversation with one of the callers went roughly like this:
CALLER: At the risk of being accused of having inside information, I’d like to submit Nicolas Cage.
HOST: Really?! Do you actually have inside information.
CALLER: Um. I don’t remember, heh heh.
Again, it’s probably nothing but I have to admit that I found the exchange very curious. Nicolas Cage? He’s only in his late-40s, right? Damn, that would be some sweet points…I mean, God, that would be tragic.
So if anyone wants to take a wild chance with his or her SMDB Celebrity Death Pool picks, I figured I’d pass along the information. I’d also like to ask: are there any rumors out there about Cage?
sounds more like a stalker planning a kill to me
If there is anything on a Nicolas Cage illness/death rumor, it’s buried more deeply in Google than I’m willing to search.
Yeah, I can see how it reads like that, but it certainly didn’t sound like that, if you know what I mean. Obviously, anyone can say anything about anybody during an anonymous radio show phone call, but this guy (who said he lived on Martha’s Vineyard, by the way) really sounded like someone who knew that some big news was about to break.
Either that, or someone trying to bluff everyone into jumping on a Nic Cage bandwagon so they waste a spot on their list.
'Cause some folks take their death pools way too seriously.
None of us, of course.
Amarone:
Are you going to validate whether or not a pick is celebratory enough and let us select another, or disqualify suspicious picks after January 1?
There is no concept of “celebratory enough”. There are several specific exclusions in the rules (under 18 etc.) but outside that you can choose anyone. There are some posters, myself included, who make their own decision as to whether someone is a celebrity, but they don’t have to.
As for disqualifications, I don’t pay much attention to the picks as they are made. There were 846 different celebrities in 2010, a good number of which I have never heard of - I am certainly not going to vet them all. I would only notice a suspicious pick later on should that person die and be brought to our attention.
Not to nitpick too keenly, but … wasn’t there a Can’t Be Famous Just For Being Sick rule?
Yes - that is one of the exclusions I referred to.
I don’t have a theme. But with one exception all of the following would get me at least twenty points if they shuffle off this mortal coil on 1/11/11. And with one exception they are, as of today, unique picks. With one exception I don’t want to see ANY of them dead. With one exception I’ve heard no rumors of illness for any of my picks. The exceptions are all the same person, heh, heh.
Fred Phelps hatemonger
Leslie Caron French actress
Haya Harareet Israeli actress
Desmond Tutu South African cleric
Debra Paget actress
Tina Louise actress
Jean M. Auel author
Colleen McCullough author
Brian Blessed actor
Angel Cordero jockey
Tom Clancy author
Spider Robinson author
Lindsey Davis author
Clean list:
Fred Phelps
Leslie Caron
Haya Harareet
Desmond Tutu
Debra Paget
Tina Louise
Jean M. Auel
Colleen McCullough
Brian Blessed
Angel Cordero
Tom Clancy
Spider Robinson
Lindsey Davis
It sounds as if your theme is “Celebrities expected to live through 2011”
Well, the most picks I’ve ever had die on me was three, so it’s not like I have a talent for choosing. That was when I waited until 12/31 to post my list, and used the top twelve vote getters, plus one other.
Betty White
Dick Clark
Amy Winehouse
Michael Douglas
Abe Vigoda
Nancy Reagan
Vince Young
Nick Hogan
Bob Barker
John Glenn
Eddie Van Halen
George Bush Sr.
Scott Steiner
Alternates:
Kirk Douglas
Jack Lalanne
He has a perchant for rough gay sex.
Primaries
Aretha Franklin
Michael Douglas
Amy Winehouse
Abe Vigoda
Nancy Reagan
Kim Jong-Il
Fred Phelps
Ariel Sharon
Zsa Zsa Gabor
Dick Cheney
Margaret Thatcher
Steve Ballestoros
Courtney Love
Alternates
Lindsay Lohan
Steve Jobs
Andy Rooney
Steve?
Here is my 2011 list, eerily similar to every one of my lists since 2006… 
Ariel Sharon
James Garner
Natalie Cole
Peter O’Toole
Aretha Franklin
Butch Patrick
Kirk Douglas
Margaret Thatcher
Ruth Bader Ginsberg
Orlando Thomas
Annette Funicello
Stephen Hawking
Bob Feller
Ariel Sharon, former Israeli Prime Minister, permanent vegetative state
James Garner, actor, cigarettes & red meat
Natalie Cole, singer, hep C
Peter O’Toole, actor, lifestyle choices
Aretha Franklin, the Queen of Soul, cancer
Butch Patrick, child actor (Eddie Munster), lifestyle choices
Kirk Douglas, actor, old age
Margaret Thatcher, politician, old age
Ruth Bader Ginsberg, former US Supreme Court justice, cancer
Orlando Thomas, former NFL player, ALS
Annette Funicello, Disney Mouseketeer, various ailments
Stephen Hawking, physicist, ALS
Bob Feller, noted former MLB player, leukemia
Alternate #1- Courtney Love
Alternate #2- Lindsay Lohan