Death By Numbers 2023

[Gooseberry Crumble 5,342]

3 hours ago, YoungWillz said:

And just like that, Tina Turner is my 7th hit: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/65669653

And my 10th in this pool! I wonder if I am in this pools top ten yet?

[Banana 859]

Robert Zimmer QO https://www.nytimes.com/2023/05/24/us/robert-zimmer-dead.html

[Torva Messor 279]

Ed Ames (1927 - 21 May 2033) is in my Death By Numbers list.

New York Times now has a Qualifying Obituary for him

[gcreptile 10,970]

Alright, let us see if I can squeeze in an update in my lunch break.

Thankfully, the deaths in this update were not very obscure, and you notified me of the rest, so it should be easy.

 

Obviously, Rolf Harris was picked by almost everyone, even sam081 - meaning everybody is now on the board! He was a joker for a few players, too.

LadyFiona did get her obit for Kenneth McAlpine, nothing to worry about.

Cpt. Hemlocks unique left-field hits continue with Richard Riordan and Gordon Lightfoot, quite impressive.

Banana scores a unique hit with Robert Zimmer. While DDP QO was tricky, the NYT obit probably wasn't in doubt.

Barry Humphries was a unique hit for Goooseberry Crumble, who is indeed doing very well with all the minor but plentiful hits. 

Tina Turner was a sad hit, but maybe a little reading between the lines should have made her a more popular hit. Eventually, the tank runs out of gas.

Ed Ames was a unique hit for Torva Messor. He got Yahoo, too, but as with Robert Zimmer, the New York Times stepped up.

Here's a surprise: Superstar Billy Graham was a UNIQUE hit, for Death Impends. Everybody got kind of tired of him, but who can blame us...

Jim Brown was another unique hit, for tracy.

Tim Keller was a well-timed not-quite-gamble for a couple of players.

And finally SR Hinduja, member of the "UKs richest family" (even before the Windsors? If you factor in all the secret accounts and holdings, I guess not!) another unique hit, like, really unique, for msc.

 

Wait... that's not it. Denny Crum, of course. Already a while back. And Menahem Pressler, unique hit for Radguy, the only one to pick both Presslers. Larry is still taking his time though.

Oh, and Carolyn Bryant Donham, the Emmett Till accuser. You know, updating this pool always feels a bit like a mop-up situation, everybody picked in any pool anywhere already, is also picked here.

 

Okay, I am hoping that this is everything, but before I leave you with the scoreboard, one notice for the replacement period:
THE REPLACEMENT PERIOD ENDS on "the beginning of July 1st", meaning you have until the end of the 30th of June to give me 5 new names you want to use instead of five other names you want to switch out.

As soon as you give me the names for the switch, the old ones will no longer score, even if they die immediately afterwards. And the new names will only score with the beginning of July. That means, yes, there is a "dead zone" between submitting the replacements and July 1st, in which you'd score for neither name. Names that fail the fame requirement will not count. Once you submit your names to me, there can be no second list, i.e. this is it.

So please, be sure of the names you submit.

 

Rank	Team	Score
1	Banana	652
2	Salmon Mousse	524
3	Funeralopolis	515
3	Perhaps	515
5	JoeyRuss	487
6	Death Impends	419
7	RadGuy	403
8	Cpt. Chorizo	401
9	Grim Up North	390
10	gcreptile	361
11	Toast	356
11	Book	356
13	msc	353
14	Summer in Transylvania	350
15	Gooseberry Crumble	344
16	DeathBecomesThem	337
17	An Fear Beag	328
18	wannamaker	320
19	The Spinosaurus	310
20	ThereWillBeDeaths7	308
21	Joltin Joe	306
22	Drol	303
23	Sean	292
24	The Daredevil	290
25	Wormfarmer	285
26	DevonDeathTrip	283
27	YoungWillz	279
28	Diego	276
29	Buffalo Phil	272
30	The Old Crem	266
31	Hell	263
32	Mr. Wonderful	254
33	GuyFromFuture	251
34	Predictor	245
35	tracy	241
36	Thatcher	240
37	TheOldLady	239
38	Torva Messor	234
38	Etushipushingupdaisies	234
40	TheUnknownMan	228
41	Nick	212
42	MortalCaso	193
43	TheQuimReaper	192
44	Charles De Gaulle	186
45	chilean way	184
46	JoeMoneypenny	177
47	John Key	156
48	Famous6Eva	147
49	Annami	145
50	Cpt. Hemlock	143
51	Bibliogryphon	136
52	MariNisia	128
53	Liz Lemon	123
54	Mr. Custard	122
55	CalebH	116
56	Lady Fiona	104
57	etib80	92
58	Ghostofchristmaspast	68
59	Pedro67	64
60	Great Uncle Bulgaria	62
61	sam081	30

 

 

[Death Impends 7,970]

1 hour ago, gcreptile said:

Here's a surprise: Superstar Billy Graham was a UNIQUE hit, for Death Impends. Everybody got kind of tired of him, but who can blame us...

 

I had him because I thought still picking Superstar in things was the most hilarious looking shitpost. Somewhat similar to how picking Napoleon XIV here and there just looked funny. Rule of funny wins big this year.

[Toast 16,140]

1 hour ago, gcreptile said:

Tina Turner was a sad hit, but maybe a little reading between the lines should have made her a more popular hit.

 

My guess is nobody wanted her to die, so we were all in denial.

[Captain Hemlock 742]

Comedian Pat Cooper is a hit for me 

 

https://www.nytimes.com/2023/06/07/arts/pat-cooper-dead.html

[Joltin Joe 149]

Pat Robertson, a hit for me and some others.

[YoungWillz 21,044]

Not for me but I believe someone here picked Edna Child: https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/child-britain-british-olympic-association-twitter-london-b2354607.html

[Gooseberry Crumble 5,342]

Ronnie Knight is a 'hit ' for me in this pool.

I'm doing much better in this pool than the Derby Dead Pool!

[Gooseberry Crumble 5,342]

Glenda Jackson is my second 'hit' this week in this pool after Ronnie Knight. 

[ladyfiona 2,580]

Anita Cornwell died 27th May so is a hit for me. (obit)

[YoungWillz 21,044]

Winnie Ewing takes me to 8 hits here: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-65988094

 

[gcreptile 10,970]

Hits, hits, hits!!

 

Thank you all for mentioning the names above, especially the rarer ones. Especially Gooseberry Crumble and Cpt. Hemlock continue their streak of left-field unique hits. Researching night club owner/criminal figure Ronnie Knight was enjoyable, I remember. Pat Cooper as well... I added him to my longlist and even gave him a "50% chance of dying this year"... missed chance for me I guess, but not for Cpt Hemlock. Glenda Jackson another hit for Gooseberry Crumble, who needs one more hit to share the "most hits of the year" record.

Edna Child, unique hit for Joe Moneypenny, was another gem to research. Though I guess, being the oldest olympian of the UK at the time should have put her on more radars (she floated kind of under the surface, hurr hurr). She was not picked for the DDP, but here!

There were also the big names Silvio Berlusconi, Ted Kaczynski, Pat Robertson, Gordon McQueen, Teresa Taylor and the like. Frequently picked names.

Christy Dignam, also very prominent, but picked here only once, by Sean, who kept the faith, congrats!

I thought I had picked Frederic Forrest in everything, but I guess news arrived too late to pick for me in this pool. But three of you score.

Winnie Ewing is a unique hit for YoungWillz, and Francoise Gilot is a unique hit for Death Impends.

 

Anita Cornwell does not have a QO for this game. I am not sure if it will come, to be honest. Let's see.

 

Scorewise it wasn't that exciting at the top, but SalmonMousse missed Kaczynski, which might make a difference in the end.

The field catches up though.

 

Finally, another reminder to email me your midyear substitution picks, you can switch up to five names (with those on your team who are still living).

I will put my two own substitutions in this thread in a couple of days to give you a heads--up. Currently debating with myself whether to pick Yevgeni Prigozhin....

 

Rank	Team	Score
1	Banana	756
2	Salmon Mousse	628
3	Funeralopolis	593
3	Perhaps	593
5	JoeyRuss	591
6	Death Impends	482
7	Grim Up North	468
8	gcreptile	465
9	Cpt. Chorizo	463
10	Book	460
11	RadGuy	445
12	DeathBecomesThem	415
12	msc	415
14	Gooseberry Crumble	414
14	wannamaker	414
16	Sean	404
17	Summer in Transylvania	392
18	An Fear Beag	390
19	Joltin Joe	378
20	Wormfarmer	357
21	Toast	356
22	Buffalo Phil	350
23	Drol	345
24	The Daredevil	332
25	tracy	319
26	The Spinosaurus	310
27	ThereWillBeDeaths7	308
27	YoungWillz	308
29	Hell	305
30	Etushipushingupdaisies	296
30	Mr. Wonderful	296
32	DevonDeathTrip	283
33	Thatcher	282
34	TheOldLady	281
35	Torva Messor	276
35	Diego	276
37	MortalCaso	271
38	TheUnknownMan	270
39	The Old Crem	266
40	GuyFromFuture	251
41	Predictor	245
42	Charles De Gaulle	222
43	Annami	217
44	Nick	212
45	JoeMoneypenny	199
46	John Key	198
47	TheQuimReaper	192
48	chilean way	184
49	Cpt. Hemlock	172
50	Liz Lemon	159
51	Famous6Eva	147
52	Bibliogryphon	136
53	MariNisia	128
54	Mr. Custard	122
55	CalebH	116
56	Lady Fiona	104
57	etib80	92
58	Ghostofchristmaspast	68
59	Pedro67	64
60	Great Uncle Bulgaria	62
61	sam081	30

 

 

[ladyfiona 2,580]

I emailed the obituary team at The Guardian to see if they are going to do Anita Cornwell anytime soon and apparently they are overwhelmed and may not be able to do one for her. #worthashot

[gcreptile 10,970]

Yeah, she should be Guardian catnip... good luck!

[Torva Messor 279]

Harry Markowitz is a hit for me. The New York Times published an obituary for him.

[ladyfiona 2,580]

John B Goodenough is a hit for me. (NY Times)

 

A hit for Diego I think as well.

[The Unknown Man 584]

OUT:

Tori Black

Dick Van Dyke

Alberto Fujimori

Kate Keltie

Miloš Zeman

 

IN:

Stanley Baxter

Liza Minelli

Mark Rydell

Ethel Kennedy

Michael J. Fox

[Joey Russ 7,225]

1 hour ago, The Unknown Man said:

OUT:

Tori Black

Dick Van Dyke

Alberto Fujimori

Kate Keltie

Miloš Zeman

 

IN:

Stanley Baxter

Liza Minelli

Mark Rydell

Ethel Kennedy

Michael J. Fox

You’re very early with those 

[The Immortal 634]

 

Posting my replacements here just in case (originally sent via PM) since I won't have the time to post them later.

 

Replace Naina Yeltsina with Yuriko, Princess Mikasa
Replace Kate Keltie with Ryan Minor
Replace Buzz Aldrin with Henri Pescarolo
Replace John Devitt (Swimmer) with Zoleka Mandela
Replace Christina Applegate with Johnny Ruffo

[gcreptile 10,970]

I am receiving your PMs. I won't adjust the longlist here in this thread, because it's so big, it's a pain in the ass.

I have received Perhaps, Spinosaurus, LadyFiona and wannamaker.

 

[ladyfiona 2,580]

Just putting my replacements here that I sent a few days ago via message. Lets see if I regret this in 6 months time.

 

Remove

• Kate Keltie
• Dalai Lama
• James Earl Jones
• Ozzy Osbourne
• Paul Hogan 

Replace with

• June Squibb
• Esther Rantzen
• Duchess of Kent
• Prunella Scales
• Micheline Presle

[Captain Hemlock 742]

I also pm’d them but in case they didn’t go through:

 

Mid year substitutions

 

Out:

Dan Rather

John Cleese

John Fetterman

Linda Ronstadt

Lucinda Williams

 

In: 

Bob Barker

George Alagiah

Gay Talese

James Whale

Yevgeny Prigozhin

[gcreptile 10,970]

Trying to remember here in the office, but I think that if Daniel N Paul fails to get the QO, and Lord Ogilvy gets one, then Gooseberry Crumble advances to having hte most hits so far.