Hartlepool Deadlypool 2021

[Death Impends 7,953]

I don't believe in superstitions.

"Never 11 without the 12th"

I believe in one superstition.

 

As sad as Betty White not making 100 (or 2022) after all is, fortunately at least isn't too migraine inducing around the Hartlepool, having only been selected by two teams this year. CalebH was the only one to have her as a main team pick, receiving 33 points (15 base, plus bonus points for unique and Squares). Torva Messor hits her first sub for 25 points. Masterful timing for both as neither were picking White again next year!

 

 

[Death Impends 7,953]

Posting the penultimate 2021 scoreboard now, with interesting team and 13th place bonuses to come after the deadline:

 

1.	Funeralopolis	319
2.	Perhaps	289
3.	Eesti	260
4.	CaptainChorizo	255.32
5.	Annami	254
6.	maryportfuncity	237
7.	markb4	231
8.	msc	230.32
9.	Dying Probably	218.19
10.	Book	215
11.	Pedro67	210.19
12.	Sean	208
13.	drol	202
14.	chilean way	193
15.	gcreptile	191.32
16.	An Fear Beag	185
17.	GuyFromFuture	182
18.	DeathByArsenic	177
=19.	En Passant	175
=19.	Torva Messor	175
21.	LizLemon	165
22.	Death Impends	161
23.	Lynchian	155
24.	the_engineer	153
25.	Charles De Gaulle	152
26.	Exu	150
27.	The Quim Reaper	145
28.	Great Uncle Bulgaria	135.19
29.	theoldlady	135
30.	The Daredevil	129
31.	CalebH	113
=32.	JoeMoneypenny	105
=32.	The Old Crem	105
34.	YoungWillz	101.19
=35.	DevonDeathTrip	70
=35.	YorkshireBanker	70
37.	The Unknown Man	65
38.	sheldondinkleberg	55
=39.	Joey Russ	45
=39.	time	45
41.	Toast	25
42.	BabyBlue	10
43.	Bibliogryphon	3.9

 

I will make sure to check the masterlist again at some point, to see if I missed any hits. And yes, I know the teams on the masterlist are not fully up to date, but they are all up to date in my Excel file. I might have to do something where I only update the masterlists to mark who is dead, rather than how it moves other names scores up and down, to work it with my busier life.

[Death Impends 7,953]

And that's a wrap on the 2021 Hartlepool Deadlypool and a win for @Funeralopolis. It was a dodgy year for the canon, with Toms Smith/Parker and James Whale extremely popular names that failed to score points, along with frail, deliberate bonus HPDP picks Jimmy Carter and Leslie Phillips. But there were heavy hitters such as Floyd Little, Leon Spinks, Dai Davies, Carlos Menem, Rush Limbaugh, Prince Philip, and David Gulpilil that still made for good competition, if not quite at 2020's level of excitement.

 

The year was off to a sporting start with three US sport giants hits for teams. NFLer Floyd Little meant a strong start for many teams, while basketballer Paul Westphal and baseballer Tommy Lasorda screwed over the unlucky sods who didn't closely read the bonuses! Perhaps was off to a sterling start with 6 hits by the time of Rush Limbaugh's death, though CaptainChorizo hitting three 50-pointers in a row also made him a team to watch (I thought he was the favorite early on, but the potential in his three super ancient picks never bore fruit). Eventual champion Funeralopolis was in third by that point. Prince Philip shook up the chasing pack somewhat before Squares participant Norman Lloyd saw Funeralopolis sneak into the lead for the first time. Perhaps hit his first sub with corrupto Louisiana guvna Edwin Edwards, which restored the lead to him, but another sub hit in Sarah Harding saw it fly back to Funeralopolis, this time for keeps. Bernard Tapie extended his lead, and while subsequent deaths Frank Williams, David Gulpilil, and Bob Dole closed the gap again between the chasing pack and Funeralopolis, none of the other teams found their silver bullet and Funeralopolis glided anticlimactically to HPDP glory.

 

Unlike 2020, which had no LotLers (although Tom Belso came close before a dramatic rescue by the BBC sports roundup!), 2021 had six. Kathy Shaidle did get mentioned in an Australian news source, but unluckily not a HPDP QO one. Rodion GA made little splash outside of Romania, and astonishingly being the oldest woman in the UK wasn't enough for Lilian Priest. Ezra Nawi failing to obit was actually quite lucky for An Fear Beag, as the early January death was dead last on his team and allowed his subsequent hits to be worth a little more! Less lucky? maryportfuncity could have finished in a podium place had US elector Jack Arends QOd. Ditto for gcreptile and medieval musician Belinda Sykes. Both were uniques, and Sykes would've carried the drummer bonus too. It is at least some consolation that neither team would've won outright if said names QOd.

 

Another spot of bad luck? Joan Copeland, picked by markb4 in 2021, and dropped for 2022, died mere days after the year ended! She also would have put markb4 on the podium, though not enough to win.

 

One last weird bit of misfortune was Bibliogryphon thinking he sent a team with Shirley Williams on it, but she was not on it in the end and died in April. He didn't score a single hit from his actual team throughout the year. However, a few consolation points for the Williams mix up meant he did finish with points, in a year in which no team was nul points.

 

But enough of that, time for the two end-game rewards. The 13th place bonus goes to drol, which meant that he would've gotten 50 points irregardless of Kathy Shaidle QOing! She was one of his subs, and his other sub, Pat Martino, died with a QO.

 

Most interesting team? It was a bit of a tough decision. YoungWillz's Toms and BabyBlue's eclectic selection certainly piqued me, but ultimately it goes to GuyFromFuture. An interesting team with some quirky gambles such as Sinead O'Connor, what sets him apart is that one of his more intriguing picks, Biz Markie, paid off! The rapper in fact led me to discover a rap edition of Hollywood Squares existed, which may well open up interesting strategy in the future! Perhaps the pick of the year, despite his picker not being anywhere near winning. So with his midtable placing in mind, it's instead good enough for me to bequeath an additional 20 points upon GuyFromFuture.

 

And with that, the final scoreboard. Congratulations to Funeralopolis!

 

1.	Funeralopolis	319
2.	Perhaps	289
3.	Eesti	260
4.	CaptainChorizo	255.32
5.	Annami	254
6.	drol	252
7.	maryportfuncity	244
8.	markb4	231
9.	msc	230.32
10.	Dying Probably	218.19
11.	Book	215
12.	Pedro67	210.19
13.	Sean	208
14.	GuyFromFuture	202
15.	chilean way	193
16.	gcreptile	191.32
17.	An Fear Beag	185
18.	DeathByArsenic	177
=19.	En Passant	175
=19.	Torva Messor	175
21.	LizLemon	165
22.	Death Impends	161
23.	Lynchian	155
24.	the_engineer	153
25.	Charles De Gaulle	152
26.	Exu	150
27.	The Quim Reaper	145
28.	Great Uncle Bulgaria	135.19
29.	theoldlady	135
30.	The Daredevil	129
31.	CalebH	113
=32.	JoeMoneypenny	105
=32.	The Old Crem	105
34.	YoungWillz	101.19
=35.	DevonDeathTrip	70
=35.	YorkshireBanker	70
37.	The Unknown Man	65
38.	sheldondinkleberg	55
=39.	Joey Russ	45
=39.	time	45
41.	Toast	25
42.	BabyBlue	10
43.	Bibliogryphon	3.9

 

[Funeralopolis 240]

thank you all!

[gcreptile 10,963]

Well done, congratulations!

[maryportfuncity 10,630]

So congratulations to a worthy winner and thanks to a dedicated manager for running it. 

[TQR 14,384]

Grats @Funeralopolis, well played!

[The Old Crem 3,580]

19 hours ago, Funeralopolis said:

thank you all!

 Congratulations