Death Pool 2014. 10th Anniversary Special!

[Atticus Grinch]

Originally Posted by notcasesensitive

IIs the point of this game to find the most obscure possible person who possibly could be a "celebrity"? I think not. If you are looking up people you don't already know who appear on death watch lists on the internet, I think that is sort of against the spirit of the celebrity death pool. Just my opinion, but I guess my opinion sort of matters here. By including these questionable people who I then need to research and waste my mental energy on deciding whether technically they are celebrities, it makes my job running this pool less fun.

First, please accept my thanks for moderating this every year. It brings a weird thrill into an otherwise drab life.

Second, I apologize for treating your question as rhetorical. I feel especially guilty because it drives me CRAZY when I ask similar questions ("Hey guys, which approach is more consistent with what we're trying to accomplish here, A or B?") and I get no responses, or responses only from the people who want to change what the organization is trying to accomplish.

That said, to the extent it helps with this issue going forward next year, I have no objection to the use of celebrities whose famousness originated from crime. The purpose served by the no-death-row rule isn't to redefine "celebrity"; it's to avoid the hazard to the game of allowing picks whose death is a scheduled event, period. There is no "reward" to bad people for making them famous enough for a death pool, as I see it.

My policy preference is to expand the definition of celebrity as broadly as possible so the DP lists don't become permutations of the same 25 people. I'm guilty of adopting the best people from last year's lists, and anyone who takes a gamble by adding in new blood is making this more fun, not less (IMHO). It would be a shame if everybody's list were the nine oldest people on aretheydeadyet.com plus one person who was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer last year. The truly memorable hits here were Mindy McCready and Amy Winehouse — indisputably celebrities, yes, but we admire the spirit of gambling in spending a precious spot of 10 on something that risky.

I guess what I'm saying is that I respect your desire to make the right decision about eligibility, but as a player I'm not terribly disturbed by other people's idea of who's a celebrity. If you decided to get out of the gate keeping business, I wouldn't feel like the game had gone to shit.

[Hank Chinaski]

Originally Posted by Atticus Grinch

First, please accept my thanks for moderating this every year. It brings a weird thrill into an otherwise drab life.

Second, I apologize for treating your question as rhetorical. I feel especially guilty because it drives me CRAZY when I ask similar questions ("Hey guys, which approach is more consistent with what we're trying to accomplish here, A or B?") and I get no responses, or responses only from the people who want to change what the organization is trying to accomplish.

That said, to the extent it helps with this issue going forward next year, I have no objection to the use of celebrities whose famousness originated from crime. The purpose served by the no-death-row rule isn't to redefine "celebrity"; it's to avoid the hazard to the game of allowing picks whose death is a scheduled event, period. There is no "reward" to bad people for making them famous enough for a death pool, as I see it.

My policy preference is to expand the definition of celebrity as broadly as possible so the DP lists don't become permutations of the same 25 people. I'm guilty of adopting the best people from last year's lists, and anyone who takes a gamble by adding in new blood is making this more fun, not less (IMHO). It would be a shame if everybody's list were the nine oldest people on aretheydeadyet.com plus one person who was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer last year. The truly memorable hits here were Mindy McCready and Amy Winehouse — indisputably celebrities, yes, but we admire the spirit of gambling in spending a precious spot of 10 on something that risky.

I guess what I'm saying is that I respect your desire to make the right decision about eligibility, but as a player I'm not terribly disturbed by other people's idea of who's a celebrity. If you decided to get out of the gate keeping business, I wouldn't feel like the game had gone to shit.

hmm, on a Paig's sis's pool, some wag is now crowing about Kim's Uncle's wife. the wife of the guy who got fed to the dogs was his pick? WTF- not right- I just ncs-ed his ass on that one. I mean shit, they arrested 80 of his family- the 10 youngest would be really good picks-

[Jack Manfred]

Originally Posted by notcasesensitive

I'm not gonna look it up, but if [Charles Manson is] technically on death row, I don't think he's an eligible pick here (even if CA doesn't currently apply the death penalty).

Just Wonking here, but Manson is not on death row. When the death penalty was ruled unconstitutional, all prisoners sentenced to death had their sentences commuted to life (and not life without parole, which is why you read about his parole hearings every couple of years). California's Death Row is at San Quentin. Charles Mansion is housed at Corcoran. Sirhan Sirhan, who also has a life sentence instead of a death sentence, is down in San Diego, but I could have sworn he was just up the road a bit at Pleasant Valley. CDCR must have moved him. You can track your favorite California prisoner, even if they're not a celebrity, here. The nice thing about looking up Sirhan Sirhan, is of course, that you can search under his first OR his last name.

I also agree with ncs's decisions, and not just because they mirror my votes. Atticus is right about the rationale for the "No Death Row" rule, but I think the reason that the Amy Winehouse and Mindy McCready hits were so memorable was, in large part, because they were actually celebrities, not the anchor of the morning news in Portland, but someone the board knew about BEFORE the game.*

* I didn't know who Mindy McCready was until a couple years ago, and it was because of her problems with substance abuse and the law, but then again, my taste in female country singers runs more to Kacey Musgraves, who should have gotten a best album Grammy nomination instead of merely one for best country album.**

** None of the above statement should be taken as a dig against Neko Case, whose music I still adore. It's just that with her last album, I think she's completed her transition from alt-country to alt-rock.

[Flinty_McFlint]

Originally Posted by Jack Manfred

... I think the reason that the Amy Winehouse and Mindy McCready hits were so memorable was, in large part, because they were actually celebrities, not the anchor of the morning news in Portland, but someone the board knew about BEFORE the game.*

I'm still waiting for my Terrell Owens or Ochocinco picks to hit, but I must say that I was a little bit proud to have gotten those two picks. Even if I never actually win this thing.

[Sparklehorse]

Originally Posted by Flinty_McFlint

I'm still waiting for my Terrell Owens or Ochocinco picks to hit, but I must say that I was a little bit proud to have gotten those two picks. Even if I never actually win this thing.

I'd had Amy Winehouse on my list for a couple of years and the year she died was the year I forgot to submit my list by New Year's Eve. I still feel like that was my greatest death pool achievement.

[barely_legal]

Originally Posted by Atticus Grinch

First, please accept my thanks for moderating this every year. It brings a weird thrill into an otherwise drab life.

Second, I apologize for treating your question as rhetorical. I feel especially guilty because it drives me CRAZY when I ask similar questions ("Hey guys, which approach is more consistent with what we're trying to accomplish here, A or B?") and I get no responses, or responses only from the people who want to change what the organization is trying to accomplish.

That said, to the extent it helps with this issue going forward next year, I have no objection to the use of celebrities whose famousness originated from crime. The purpose served by the no-death-row rule isn't to redefine "celebrity"; it's to avoid the hazard to the game of allowing picks whose death is a scheduled event, period. There is no "reward" to bad people for making them famous enough for a death pool, as I see it.

My policy preference is to expand the definition of celebrity as broadly as possible so the DP lists don't become permutations of the same 25 people. I'm guilty of adopting the best people from last year's lists, and anyone who takes a gamble by adding in new blood is making this more fun, not less (IMHO). It would be a shame if everybody's list were the nine oldest people on aretheydeadyet.com plus one person who was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer last year. The truly memorable hits here were Mindy McCready and Amy Winehouse — indisputably celebrities, yes, but we admire the spirit of gambling in spending a precious spot of 10 on something that risky.

I guess what I'm saying is that I respect your desire to make the right decision about eligibility, but as a player I'm not terribly disturbed by other people's idea of who's a celebrity. If you decided to get out of the gate keeping business, I wouldn't feel like the game had gone to shit.

I think it's also important to add that the level of somebody's "celebrity" varies greatly depending on who the audience is. I couldn't name 10 professional soccer players bc I don't care about the sport, but I'm sure there are "famous" soccer players that nobody else here would question are celebrities even though I'd have to google to figure out who they are. However, I'm fascinated by serial killers, and have been since middle school when I first read Helter Skelter. So yeah, I know about the Moors Murderers because I've read about them in many books about serial killers and they seem, to me, to be more famous than people who starred in a couple of movies in the 1940s that nobody has watched in 50 years, but have their own Wikipedia pages.

[Flinty_McFlint]

Originally Posted by Sparklehorse

I'd had Amy Winehouse on my list for a couple of years and the year she died was the year I forgot to submit my list by New Year's Eve. I still feel like that was my greatest death pool achievement.

I looked back and you were the first, back in 2007-8, but I swear I didn't copy you . Props to Sparklehorse for being the most prescient though.

[Hank Chinaski]

http://www.cnn.com/2014/01/11/world/...html?hpt=hp_t1

Sharon

[LessinSF]

Originally Posted by Hank Chinaski

http://www.cnn.com/2014/01/11/world/...html?hpt=hp_t1

Sharon

How many years have I waited for him to die? Maybe getting a hit this early is a sign. Let the rest of my picks pile on.

[Hank Chinaski]

Originally Posted by LessinSF

How many years have I waited for him to die? Maybe getting a hit this early is a sign. Let the rest of my picks pile on.

We can't possibly count a man who was in a coma for 8 years can we? Bad form to pick him. Perhaps if he had died from something other than the cause of the coma, say if he'd been hit by a car, or shot, then it might be valid, but if we count this there is no integrity to the game.

[Atticus Grinch]

Originally Posted by Hank Chinaski

We can't possibly count a man who was in a coma for 8 years can we? Bad form to pick him. Perhaps if he had died from something other than the cause of the coma, say if he'd been hit by a car, or shot, then it might be valid, but if we count this there is no integrity to the game.

I'll tell you what's bad form: having an argument with a scoreboard. Suck it, loser!

[Adder]

Originally Posted by Hank Chinaski

We can't possibly count a man who was in a coma for 8 years can we? Bad form to pick him. Perhaps if he had died from something other than the cause of the coma, say if he'd been hit by a car, or shot, then it might be valid, but if we count this there is no integrity to the game.

Who wants to win that way anyway? Let them have their easy, shallow victory. It will give them no succor when they are cold and alone of their own deathbeds'.

[Greedy,Greedy,Greedy]

Originally Posted by Adder

Who wants to win that way anyway? Let them have their easy, shallow victory. It will give them no succor when they are cold and alone of their own deathbeds'.

You go wishing nice Mary Tyler Moore will kick and give you some points. One thing about Sharon - not a lot of tears at scoring points off him.

[Hank Chinaski]

Originally Posted by Greedy,Greedy,Greedy

You go wishing nice Mary Tyler Moore will kick and give you some points. One thing about Sharon - not a lot of tears at scoring points off him.

do you wish the Boston police should all die for how they responded to terrorist bombings?

[Atticus Grinch]

Originally Posted by Hank Chinaski

do you wish the Boston police should all die for how they responded to terrorist bombings?

Personally thought it was excessive when Boston PD occupied Chechnya.