Death By Numbers 2025

[gcreptile 11,381]

Think I'll better get a quick update going, before I get buried under the avalanche....

 

First, golf writer Steve DiMeglio gets counted for Banana. A tweet says he died at the 1st of January and that's what we take. I have theories, but then, I wonder how many "official" death accounts are somewhat faked to give a better impression. We have to go with what we know!

Funeralopolis got a slightly late New York Times obit for progressive US theologician Richard B. Hays - and good that he did, as he was the joker.

Then we get to the popular and expected hits: Rick "Black Bart" Harris and Peter Yarrow. These names get most players off the ground and score joker points for a few, well actually, Black Bart only for Pedro, Peter Yarrow only for Steve. But the joker points matter immensely in these early scoreboards, as you'll see.

Linda Nolan, as popular a pick as these other two, also scores lots of points for people. She's a bit younger though, gives more points, and theoldcrem gets joker points, as well.

Legendary US avantgarde director David Lynch is a hit for 8 people. Not quite canon, but a valuable differential for a select few.

Shiu Ka-Chun is a hit for wannamaker and me. While we (?) wait with bated breath for a DDP QO, even a one sentence mention in a UK Hong Kong news item would be enough, thank you!, he already received a quick New York Times obit.

I am now awaiting an obit for fantasy author Howard Andrew Jones, let's see..probability...30%?

Looks like I hadn't previously scored Mike Rinder. A long-time member of scientology, then turned whistleblower. His involvement in a couple of prominent documentaries assured almost universal obits. A hit for deathbecomesthem and me.

Next up, "controversial" italian photographer Oliviero Toscani. He was prominent for the shocking Benetton adverts of the 90s, i.e. portraits of let's see...a nun kissing a priest, a black and a white woman adopting an asian child, a carpet of condoms... and similar stuff in that vein. Shocking! It's very shocking that only 4 players score.

Who else... oh, of course Jean-Marie Le Pen. He kind of bridged the gap between, uh... traditional European anti-semitism and modern alt-right hate represented by his daughter. I mean, the difference is basically, who do they hate more, jews or muslims? A popular hit in this game.

Finally, Chad Morgan is a unique hit for JoeMoneypenny. The Australian country musician had very prominent teeth, and I can't help thinking of a classic german skit, "Das Film-Monster", in which one of our classic german comedians plays a horror actor named "Vic Dorn" getting interviewed - and the joke is that he is not wearing a mask, as the interviewer presumed, but that this face is real. True story: I once played that guy on stage....

Edit: Forgot to mention, Joan Plowright is, of course, scored, too. She basically triggered this update. She won two Golden Globes and was Oscar-nominated. Her theatre career was equally important, and she was a Tony winner, too. Quite the resumé, even if not that widely known outside of the UK. 

 

Some teams didn't choose a joker in time. In this case, the first name on their list becomes a joker, that is Ann Margret for GreatUncleBulgaria, and Agnes Keleti for Torva Messor. Hope I didn't miss any messages from you, please tell if so!

 

The resulting scoreboard is this:

 

Rank	Team	Score
1	Funeralopolis	311
2	wannamaker	260
3	Steve	258
4	Banana	248
5	gcreptile	242
6	Pedro67	221
7	Sean	219
8	Thatcher	202
8	Hell	202
10	Book	187
10	TorvaMessor	187
12	Perhaps	184
13	Yorkshire Banker	176
14	theoldcrem	175
15	msc	173
15	etushipushingupdaisies	173
15	RadGuy	173
18	LadyFiona	171
19	therewillbedeaths7	153
20	BuffaloPhil	145
20	Summer in Transylvania	145
20	MariNisia	145
20	livingbygrace	145
20	Death Impends	145
20	Liz Lemon	145
20	An Fear Beag	145
20	Cpt. Chorizo	145
28	Toast	143
29	Death Becomes Them	141
30	YoungWillz	126
31	The Unknown Man	125
31	The Immortal	125
31	theoldlady	125
34	Diego	112
35	Bibliogryphon	110
36	Mr. Wonderful	107
37	Lord Insomnio	97
38	Bobytomi	87
38	Trome	87
38	etib80	87
38	Great Uncle Bulgaria	87
42	tracy	86
43	Charles DeGaulle	74
44	Joe Moneypenny	71
45	Wormfarmer	59
45	Dying Probably	59
47	DevonDeathTrip	38
48	Arghton	28
49	Neol Edmunds	0
49	Gooseberry Crumble	0
49	Imelda	0
49	Sod's Law	0
49	Cpt. Hemlock	0

 

[YoungWillz 21,705]

Denis Law for me in after the update above! https://www.theguardian.com/football/2025/jan/17/denis-law-manchester-united-scotland-legend-dies

[livingbygrace 584]

Law is my 4th hit so far.

[Steve 737]

Denis Law a 6th hit for me in this pool. 

[livingbygrace 584]

2 minutes ago, Steve said:

Denis Law a 6th hit for me in this pool. 

Doing well @Steve

[Steve 737]

Just now, livingbygrace said:

Doing well @Steve

Thanks @livingbygrace, so far so good.

[Pedro67 247]

5 hits with Denis Law, but sure many will have more