Bert Trautmann

I don't know if it's safe to make a victory speech yet but I would like to take this opportunity to make my retirement speech. It's been an interesting, strange and sometimes morally questionable few years for myself. I've enjoyed finding out about random personalities and their stories I would have otherwise been ignorant of. However having, I think, claimed the title this year or at least given it my best shot I'm going to hang up my boots. There's only so many Christmases I can spend googling 'terminally ill with' before needing to step back. I considered entering a more 'proper' celebrity based team but I want to be able to compete and this is my best opportunity to go out on top. I'm especially pleased to have beaten the legendary DQSP this year, with it being the last chance to do so for the foreseeable future as he takes over the reins. I had a fair bit of luck this year with so many risky picks going my way so it feels right to at least take a break from it. At times in the past I've allowed myself to put far too many hours into researching the dying so I'm going to be focusing my energies elsewhere. There's more to life than death. I'll still be around the forums occasionally and may return to chase top spot again. Good luck to everyone competing next year and to the new host Mr DQSP. And big thanks to the Man in Black for all his efforts. Arrivederci, bon voyage and fare thee well.

I prefer Pep time personally...

In hindsight I should have picked Meads over someone like Ricketts. But at the time the internal debate I was having was Meads vs Forsyth. I went against logic and chose Forsyth but what a pointless use of time. 9 points each within 24 hours of each other. The race tightens.

I was thinking about this exact scenario as it would put me just one point above DQSP. I still don't have much room for error even after nabbing Golmard and Forsyth.

It's getting harder to play down my chances... But with no Meads, no Stefan Karl and no Rayya Elias I could still be overhauled. If I don't win it this year with Golmard and Forsyth going my way, I probably never will. An intriguing run-in ahead...

Well, that is a surprise... I'm still far from wrapping this one up but that does keep me in the hunt as I looked like fading away. Golmard was probably my least logical pick, pretty much based off one unsourced tweet in French saying he had deteriorated. I wanted to have a unique in my team as well, but one other team picked him. Forsyth and Cryne are necessities from here. I still think ultimately I'm going to fall slightly short.

I've seen users actually win the DDP and be less self-congratulatory than this. Personally I find it funny when people joker someone who doesn't obit. Just sayin'.

It's up in the air whether there's even going to be a DDP 2018, but if Shameless take the title this year that'll probably be the end regardless for me.

I think the Jay Clark obituary is going to prove to be this season's turning point. Without it I was beginning to see a realistic path to victory, but with it I'm going to be relying on a huge amount of luck to finish ahead of DQSP. Every year I take at least one needless punt based on a gut feeling and this year it's Golmard. This one was also motivated by wanting to crowbar a unique pick in but I didn't even manage that. If he goes I think he'll obit but I also think I've used up my ALS luck on Joost. Has anyone ever won before with two ALS picks? I think I'm going to need Golmard and a huge slice of luck to been with a realistic shot. Forsyth was another gut pick when the more coldly logical 9 pointer would have been Meads. It's quite an amateurish pick but one I couldn't resist. Having said that things don't look great for him. Another important differential I'd put at an optimistic 50/50. PC is actually one I may have had a little extra info on, but still by no means a gimme. Simon Ricketts is another one I'll probably need but he's responding well to treatment and I think he'll see 2018 with relative ease. Again if I'd been more coldly logical in picking my team, I shouldn't have ignored his 1-2 years to live assessment from November. I think this one will prove costly to me and TJS. King Michael and PvZ are not nailed on either but I think they'll probably go before the year's end. Bracknell and Downie are irrelevant as all the contenders have them. Christie would actually hurt my chances as he's TJS joker. Nevin and Magill sure goners. On top of all this I've got a sizeably lower ceiling of points so I'm going to need at least one more death than DQSP and TJS which is hard to envisage. This is really just a long winded way of saying I need a lot of luck. I need Karl and Bradley to stay well. I could do with at least one of Gilbert, Elias and Meads defying the odds. And I could probably do with Bagrag Singh failing to get an obituary but I think that's very unlikely. Still it's great to be in the mix, and we all like an underdog story don't we....

A screenshot to cherish

I don't think Suisala is as famous as you think he is. Anyone can be a rugby 'hopeful'. For me he definitely falls into the Sims category (if that).

Didn't expect an obituary so quick. When I saw the top teams who hadn't picked him, I had a familiar sinking feeling given my dodgy history of calling QOs. Hey ho, 6 down with 70 on the board is my best start by miles...

It's been a good start; Joost and McGiffin in particular I didn't expect to go so soon. DQSP and TJS still have the strongest teams in my opinion and will eventually pull clear. Even though I've had 5 hits, I think the DDP has reached a point where even an actual hit may turn out to be a bad pick. I think that will turn out to be the case with 5 point Mario Soares. I would probably swap him out for Stefan Karl in hindsight, someone I didn't think would make the Drop 40. For me to have a real shot I think most if not all of Golmard (annual traditional punt), Forsyth, Cryne, King Michael, Ricketts and Magill will need to pop off. Ultimately i think deciding against Stefan Karl, Gilbert and Meads + failing to spot Briggs and Elias will see me falling back into the pack. But hopefully I'll be able to enjoy the view for a little while...

http://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/rugby-union/south-africa-rugby-legend-joost-9754587 In critical condition...

I came across it, as I'm sure many others did. But it's prostate cancer, albeit stage IV. No dice.