An Fear Beag

Probably not, because if she didn’t have her illness, she wouldn’t have been campaigning to get a treatment licensed. In the same way that few would have heard of Vicky phelan if she didn’t have cervical cancer because she wouldn’t be campaigning on behalf of cervical cancer patients. And Pete Frates probably wouldn’t have been famous without ALS because he wouldn’t have started the Icebucket challenge to raise funds for it. There is obviously a big difference between someone who just talks to the Mirror or the Mail about their diagnosis, and someone like Frates who did a huge amount of work raising funds for research into his condition. But there is also a big spectrum of activity in between those two extremes. And somewhere along that spectrum, someone stops being FFBI and achieves their own level of fame. I have no idea where along the spectrum that turning point is, and it is certainly debatable whether Jaci Hermstad had crossed that threshold. But I’m happy to accept the ruling of the host as to whether or not someone has achieved their own level of fame, as I was earlier in the competition when a debatable pick of mine was allowed in, and another was ruled out. As should everyone else - it seems hard enough running one of these pools without someone whinging and bitching about a decision. It’s a game for fuck sake, and one that your not even taking part in.

I’ve no idea whether Jaci Hermstad did anything of note before her diagnosis, but I would have thought that her campaigning work to get a treatment licensed was enough to pass the fame test. They even named the drug after her! https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2020-02/cuim-aap021220.php

Thanks YoungWillz. My prediction of a bloodbath in the last round were woefully wide of the mark. The Reaper was far too busy with the Covid-cases to be bothered with the Frank Ifields of this world.

My team is in. I will now spend the next 6 hours googling frank ifield every 15 minutes!

Michael Robinson and Jill Gascoine takes me to 11 hits with 3 wildcards. At this rate, I’ll run out of picks by the time the first update of the year comes in November!

The “pick-a-covid-victim” strategy seems to have been the best one in this round. It might be stagnation for the non-covid picks but the corona hits keep trickling in. https://www.alabamanews.net/2020/04/17/retired-army-command-sgt-maj-bennie-g-adkins-medal-of-honor-recipient-from-opelika-dies-after-covid-19-illness/

A bit harsh on him, he’s not even dead. What has he ever done to you?

That’s not quite what it means. It says that the tests in China gave 70% positive results, whereas 90% of the people SHOWED SYMPTOMS of Coronavirus. However with further testing, you cannot be certain that they actually had it. They could also have had another severe respiratory infection whose symptoms were similar to Coronavirus. I do agree though that testing with that level of accuracy is next to useless and is not much better than an educated guess.

No it isn’t. Old people die of pneumonia all the time. The mortality rate for old people with pneumonia is about 20% and it is considered the 3rd or 4th most common cause of death in the old. In the US alone, approximately 50,000 a year die of pneumonia, most of them elderly. it is perfectly reasonable to accept that an 86 year old woman died of pneumonia that was not Covid-19 related. No doubt some cases of Covid-19 will not be diagnosed, and will be put down to “ordinary” pneumonia. But there will also be a lot of people dying due to pneumonia that has nothing to do with Coronavirus, so speculating that a pneumonia death must really have been Covid-19, when the family says otherwise, does not make any sense.

Ok, maybe I’m missing something on this Deane Sutherland debate. Surely the obituary posted above is the typical paid for obit that families and funeral directors pay to put into local papers every day of the week. I am very new to this whole deadpooling thing, but my understanding was that these type of obits are not accepted in any pool, regardless of how august the publication is. Otherwise any of us could pay to put a death notice in a local rag and claim it as a legitimate obit. Or am I missing some obvious (or indeed subtle) aspect of deadpooling?

I’m Very disappointed that you haven’t kept faith Quim. After correctly predicting my wins in the last 2 rounds, you’ve given up on me when the going gets tough Hopefully that’s all the motivation my team needs to not fight to the bitter end! thanks for the e though

Just so we are clear msc, if I lose to a Frank Ifield hit, you have made an enemy for life .

I'm in Sorry for the last minute theatrics. Half the people at work are off sick with tickly coughs, self isolating for 2 weeks as they pretend to be worried about Corona. Working day and night to keep the business going, so had to chuck the team together at the minute.

Well there goes another one of the April team. Corona victims it is so.

That’s the second person on my February team that went in March after I’d dropped them. I really must learn to be a little more patient.

This next round could be an absolute bloodbath. Definitely some high scoring matches on the cards. I guess the tactic is to wait until the last minute, and pack the team with oldies who are in hospital with Coronavirus.

Yeah - because only the Irish have an issue with alcohol and violence. And alcohol, sport and violence would definitely not be a problem in England for example. You dumb fucking cunt.

I’ve just noticed that John Prescott, the professional Tom Jones impersonator, is apparently on 5 teams, including a theme team of uk labour politicians. I’m going out on a limb here, but I suspect that may not be the John Prescott they meant.

The 70’s? They were prime time on Irish television in the 90’s, and still regularly appear on various shows now. There is a lot of shite music on Irish television.

I have Kirk Douglas on my team.

https://www.lancasterguardian.co.uk/health/morecambes-fundraising-sooty-man-passes-away-peacefully-lancaster-hospice-2444930 It appears that Keith “Sooty Man” Ainsworth has made his last collection.

If you don’t like « the flag man » then I guess you are really not going to like « The sooty man »

Amen to that. Very disheartening when you spend hours googling for good names, then you see names on the master list that 5 or 6 people have picked and you have never heard of them.

Out of curiosity, does anyone know what the latest a cup pick ever died to win a match.? Have there been many last day deaths to settle a tie?