It's time to get ready for the 10th annual Celebrity Death Pool! Start compiling your lists for 2016. Rules are:

 

1.     Pick 25 celebrities that you think may pass away during 2015.
2.     Points are earned based on age. 100 minus their age. So if someone on your list dies and was 88 years old, you earn 12 points. If someone was 24, you earn 76 points.
3.     Celebrities are allowed per my approval. They need to be pretty well known. George Clooney's nephew does not count, but Michael Lohan would be allowed. I'll notify you if someone on your list doesn't meet the criteria.

- Send completed lists to me here via PM. Lists will be accepted through Jan 14th, 2016. Let me know if you have any questions. 

Just cause I'm to lazy at this point I'll use my list from last year with Ring Starr and Lou Nanne as replacements for the two I hit on last year. 

Edited January 11, 201610 yr by mikecgrimes

David Bowie, dead at 69.....whoa, very sad.

Two greats gone in 2016 ... most will know David Bowie, doubtful many of you will know Pierre Boulez who was even greater and more iconic in the classical music world. Both very sad departures and great losses. I knew Pierre; was fortunate to have worked with him many times. He was funny, gracious, generous of his time and knowledge, and such a gentleman.

Could use a few more entrants....Accepting lists through this week.  Get 'em in!

 

Could use a few more entrants....Accepting lists through this week.  Get 'em in!

 Might tweak my list, just saw the Bowie death and the deadline and figured it's now or never.  Of course there was no chance Bowie would have made my list.

Monte Irvin passed away. He got to have half a career in the major leagues, but he was very favorably compared to George Sisler when he was younger, I would have loved to see his career numbers all in the majors.

Former NFL RB Lawrence Phillips died in his prison cell this morning at age 40 of an apparent suicide. He was the RB on the national champion Nebraska Cornhuskers in 1994 and 1995, and the 6th overall draft pick of the St. Louis Rams. 

Some big names dropping early ... Alan Rickman, from cancer, at age 69. It was hard to see him as anyone else other than Hans Gruber, the big baddie in the first Die Hard movie, and then as Snape in the Harry Potter movies, but one of my early favorites of his was 'Truly Madly Deeply.'

Ugh, bad year for musicians so far, Glenn Frey, dead at 67.

The bad year for musicians continues... Jimmy Bain, bass guitarist of Dio and Rainbow, passed away. He was 68 years old. 

Abe Vigoda dead at 94.

 

Abe Vigoda dead at 94.

This day will be embalmed in history.

Edited January 26, 201610 yr by Craig Arko

Fish?! Say it ain't so!

Someone loading up on musicians this year would be off to an early lead:

 

Paul Kantner, founding member of Jefferson Airplane, passed away yesterday at 74.

I wouldn't normally post in here, but everyone the world over seems to have agreed that 2016 is NOT the year of the musician. Believe it or not, I feel partly responsible for this disaster. Not personally, but by association. Towards the end of 2015, my sister confessed that there were three celebrities whom she always assumed were dead until fairly recently: Bob Dylan, David Bowie, and Pierre Boulez. All musicians.

 

On January 5th, the world grew a bit dimmer upon hearing the news that Pierre Boulez had died. In honor of his memory, I wrote a password in the intended style of his music and still use that password to this day. (If you knew how often I change my passwords, that fact might be a little more surprising. Anyone besides myself who tries to log into my computer is going to have little success, but they'll have the satisfaction of seeing "Password hint: BOULEZ" when at first they fail.)

 

Just five days later, another musical legend passed away: David Bowie. I had in fact never heard him before (though he was on my list of people to listen to), so I don't have much to say on the subject, but since then I've listened to several of his albums.

 

I feel it is my civic duty to reverse this curse my sister has inadvertently brought on musicians. Only one remains on the list, Bob Dylan. In the past six months, I have learned to appreciate Dylan's music in a way I'd never thought possible before. If he also dies this year, I will feel wholly responsible for having done nothing in my power to prevent it. I'm a great believer in jinxes, and if my sister has somehow jinxed him, perhaps I can unjinx the jinx by predicting his death in 2016. It's risky business because I may end up being the deciding factor in the jinx, but desperate times call for desperate actions, and if Bob Dylan dies this year after Boulez (and Bowie, too, I guess), I'll be hurled into the depths of despair and will probably kill myself in my grief.

 

If I may, I would like to decline from compiling the other 24 celebrities ... it just doesn't seem ... ethical.

 

In this one instance, however, I hope my seemingly lowly actions are at least slightly principled. I am, in fact, only trying to prevent the death of a beloved, Minnesotan legend.

Harper Lee dead at 89. She's the ultimate one-hit wonder.

nicksaviking wrote it and deserves all the credit. When I promoted the blog to an article, I forgot to change the name, but corrected it right away...

We must be starting on the authors now. Umberto Eco, too.

 

Harper Lee dead at 89. She's the ultimate one-hit wonder.

Yeah, but a HUGE hit it was. HUGE.  Fantastic book!

 

Yeah, but a HUGE hit it was. HUGE.  Fantastic book!

Yeah, one could even say HUGE! for emphasis in terms of its impact for me. I can't remember when I first read it ... maybe 8th grade? 9th? I think it's time for a reread.

So, this wasn't posted, but former Athletic Tony Phillips passed away this week at 56 due to heart attack. He was key to me being the fantasy nut I am today as his position flexibility and production made him often more valuable than more "name" players. RIP.

Cricket player and commentator Martin Crowe dead at 53.

Current Standings

 

1. lecroy24fan (M. Crowe) - 47 pts

2. luke829 (R. Angelil) - 27 pts

Joey Fleek, country singer

Pat Conroy.

Nancy Reagan dead at 94

 

Joey Feek, country singer

FIFY

Current Standings

 

1. luke829 (R. Angelil, J.Feek) - 87 pts

2. biggentleben (J.Feek) - 60 pts

2. Pius Jefferson (J.Feek) - 60 pts

4. lecroy24fan (M. Crowe) - 47 pts

5. Musk21 (N.Reagan) - 6 pts

 

 

FIFY

 

I like my way better...

George Martin.