harrymcnallysblueandwhitearmy

If we can have football, cricket, ruggerbuggers and baseball (hell, even wrasslin') threads, I don't see why there shouldn't be a US football version. These guys are always doing drugs, shooting and raping people, organising dogfights etc, so there should be plenty of DL action for them. And we have our fair share of transatlantic members to consider, don't forget. To get the ball rolling, today saw the college football equivalent of Carlisle (or summat) beating Man Utd, as tiny Appalachian State downed mighty Michigan in one of the biggest shocks ever. No-one died, though. Go Pack, go Badgers! Edit: on reflection, this is unfair on Carlisle. A more accurate example would be Man Utd losing to the bobbins robins of Altrincham.

The 'big four' minimalist composers are all edging towards their mid-70s. I wonder who'll be the first to reach the end of the drone? LaMonte Young Terry Riley Steve Reich (in the afternoon) Philip Glass ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ I feel sure this can be turned into another of my posted-in-once-in-a-blue-moon backwater threads, maybe as a home for all things classical and avant-garde, just for Twelvetrees, NAP and myself. One or two other interesting names to throw out there: Pierre Boulez, angry young man of serialism (now old). Milton Babbitt, even older serialist and theorist. Estonia's finest, Arvo Pärt.

I can find an Ali, a La Motta and even a Naseem Hamed thread, but no general boxing one. It seems a fairly dangerous activity to me, as evidenced by the appearance of Panto Frank on the 1989 DL as he was about to face Tyson. I'll get to my point, shall I? I guess even boxing is less dangerous than shooting.

I have a feeling there used to be a thread for this, but it seems to have been decommissioned. So, here are the currently-still-breathing-and-over-85 (subject to wiki accuracy, of course) Nobel Prize laureates, all handily wiki-linked. Not household names, I grant you, but probably obit-worthy for the more discerning ‘pooler all the same. Many have been discussed in other threads, but I thought it’d be nice to drag them in under one umbrella. I’ve probably missed one or two; I’m not the most diligent of researchers. Physics: when will they quark it? Willis Lamb (Canadian Paul‘s very own CL-S), 94. Chen Ning Yang, 85. Charles Townes, 92. Aage Bohr (son of Nils), 85. Nicolaas Bloembergen, 87. Leon Lederman, 85. Jack Steinberger, 86. Norman Ramsey, 91. Hans Dehmelt, 85. Chemistry: soon to be inert? Frederick Sanger, 89. John Cornforth, 90. William Lipscomb, 87. Herbert Hauptman, 90. Jerome Karle, 89. Paul Boyer, 89. Jens Skou, 89. William Knowles, 90. John Fenn, 90. Literature: the final chapter? Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn, 89. (7-time DL laureate i.e. someone you‘ve heard of) Jose Saramago, 85. Doris Lessing, 88. Only three, but they often receive it later in life, for a body of work. Peace: RIP? (hell, this stuff writes itself) Norman Borlaug, 93. Nelson Mandela, 89. Not many, as it’s often given to organisations or not given at all. That paragon of peace Kissinger doesn’t turn 85 till May. Medicine: Nurse, the screens!! Thomas Weller, 92. Andrew Huxley (Aldous‘s half-brother), 90. Francois Jacob, 87. Har Khorana, 86. Christian de Duve, 90. George Palade, 95. Rita Levi-Montalcini, 98 (oldest living laureate ) Renato Dulbecco, 93. Rosalyn Yalow, 86. Jean Dausset, 91. Robert Furchgott, 91. Edwin Krebs, 89. Joseph Murray, 87. Baruj Benacerraf, 87. Don Thomas, 87. Edmond Fischer, 87. Quite apt that the docs have the most living OAPS. Also, lots more of them, as they seem to work in teams more than other scientists. Economics: cashing their final cheque? Ronald Coase, 97. Maurice Allais, 96. Paul Samuelson, 92. Ken Arrow, 86. Larry Klein, 87. James Buchanan, 88. Douglass North, 87. Leo Hurwicz, 90. Tom Schelling, 86. (Acknowledgements: the lost Magere Hein for this and the equally disappeared Life Begins at 5 for this.)

I hate to tell you, Neil, but it ain’t 1969 anymore. The Man took over Glastonbury many years ago, man.

I was surprised to see that Santa Baby writer Philip Springer is still around at 98 (and no doubt in many deadpool teams). You can even duet ‘with’ him on the Smule karaoke site, though I wouldn’t expect a reply or a commendation. He looks in good nick, to be honest.

Being a rubbish songwriter myself, it's time to salute the people who make the pop musical world go round. Most aren't on the verge of death, but never mind (all over 60, though). Off the top of my head, my living greats include: Chip Taylor Les Reed Arthur Hamilton Jackie DeShannon Barry Mason Geoff Stephens John Carter Tony Macaulay Bob Crewe Bob Gaudio Gerry Goffin Carole King Sandy Linzer Denny Randell Tony Joe White Jeff Barry Nicky Chinn Mike Chapman Hal David Burt Bacharach Mike Batt (just kidding) Bobby Hart Dan Penn Jimmy Lea Noddy Holder Jimmy Webb PF Sloan Roger Cook Roger Greenaway Pete Callander Mitch Murray Rob Davis Neil Sedaka Mike Stoller Barry Mann Cynthia Weil Tom T Hall Jerry Chesnut Chips Moman Kenny Gamble Leon Huff Holland-Dozier-Holland

Why start another utterly pointless thread? No idea, other than that I haven’t started one in ages, and to ponder on how best to avoid accidentally seeing or hearing ‘national treasure’ Easter Island statue-headed BBC presenter Clare Balding for two weeks. The over-under on this thread I’d put at 1.5 pages, assuming the wise yet tyrannical Paul ‘flag’ Bearer doesn’t smother it at birth. Ooh, there’s the Bhutan team tootling down the Seine in a pedalo. Not really, but I’m sure the USA will enter the opening ceremony on board an aircraft carrier equipped with nuclear warheads. No sign of the Albanian dinghy yet, but likely to be sinking off the Kent coast with several children aboard. You can bung anything in here, from inevitable terrorist atrocities to Paula Radcliffe shitting in a roadside gutter.

Chris Hoy has some type of cancer. Give him a thread if you wish. https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/cycling/68321710

Olympic road race champion from the 1992 Barcelona games, Pascal Hervé has died (I know, I should give a link but it’s Christmas Day and the internet is on holiday). Apart from that he was primarily known for various doping offences. Well, obviously - it was the 1990s. Edit: I’m talking bollocks. He didn’t win it, the ill-fated Fabio Casartelli did. But he took part, and that’s what counts.

Wasn’t it Ben Crouch’s Tavern near Oxford Street? I could well be wrong about that.

Merry Christmas, you fucking cunts.

Maybe they’re checking instant replay to see if he was safe at home.

Paul made Ronnie take the tube home with the hoi polloi? Get back (to Richmond Park, or is it Little Venice these days).

The minute you let ‘em under your skin, then you begin to make it better.

Despite having had one of the most dominant years in cycling history, Tadej Pogacar wasn’t even nominated for the SPOTY World Star award. I guess the clue is in this thread’s subtitle. Armstrong and his predecessors have cast a long, permanent shadow over the sport. Yeah, I’d rate Eddy ahead of Rik. And everyone else.

The upcoming Open Championship and the announcement of Seve’s long overdue retirement led me to wonder what old golfers are still out on the course but trudging towards the great clubhouse in the sky. The DL has a half decent record with golfers in past years (Gene Sarazen, Sam Snead, Byron Nelson) and while most of the game’s legends are either gone or not old enough (Nicklaus, Palmer, Player), there are currently, to the best of my knowledge, just 7 men who have won a Major still alive at 80+. No idea how their health is, but step forward: Tommy Bolt, 89 Kel Nagle, 86 Doug Ford, 85 Jack Fleck, 85 Jack Burke, 84 Roberto de Vicenzo, 84 Bob Rosberg, 80 None would be famous enough for the DL, but might be a consideration for other pools. Now now, don't all run at once to get involved in such a blockbuster of a thread...

I found myself (inaudibly) humming Another Rock n Roll Christmas, and misremembered it as being by Shakin Stevens or someone. But of course it’s by Gary Glitter, which is why it’ll never be played in public EVER AGAIN! Even if you surreptitiously listen on YouTube or Spotify, they’ll come for you in the middle of the night… and you will never be heard from again… Having said that, it’s hardly an essential artwork.

A receiver who struck fear into the hearts of us Packer backers, in the same way Justin Jefferson does today. Also memorable for the faux-mooning celebration and Joe Buck’s ludicrous reaction to it. I hope Randy can beat it like he did many a defensive back in his career.

Cilla was all those awful things and more, but you can’t really hang ‘faux Scouse’ at her door. Duncan Norvelle, the name rings a bell, but I’ve just watched a routine on 3-2-1 and, er, it’s even worse than Ted Rogers’ schtick.

I was wrong. He was too busy scoffing a Big Mac to notice the rozzers sneaking up on him.

I hope he had a Damascene conversion as he fled, but it’s unlikely.

In the traditional ‘fairly old obscure British actors who there’ll be no news of until their death’ genre, I’d like to see either Peter Cellier or Gerald ‘good shot, Hadleigh’ Harper as a possible addition. The latter apparently dated Sarah Alexander when he was 70 and she was 30, giving hope to all us ageing pervs. I say, well done old chap.

The funeral cortege will begin at Newport Pagnell services, career down the fast lane of the M1 at 90mph, jackknife on black ice causing a massive crash blocking the motorway in both directions, leading to a 15-mile traffic jam, before pulling into Watford Gap two days later.