Derby Dead Pool 2016

[Sir Creep 7,070]

Breaking news: My pick Pierre Boulez has died, now that's a celebrity, a giant of classical music:

 

http://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-35241250

 

Edit: I wonder if he was a unique. I was already scared when he got mentioned for reasons of age and french-ness by either Shaun or Davy Jones Locker, neither of them picked him in the end. By accident, I got to know that he was too sick to attend his own 90th birthday gala and later read that he was bedridden.

I picked him in the Pierre pool. Gotta be worth sumptin

SC

[YoungWillz 21,044]

Oh, controversy over the new rules begins. Rulings awaited.

[Toast 16,140]

I heartily disapprove of the famous-for-being-ill picks, especially the ones that aren't even famous but just happen to become news stories because of their circumstances. There's something deeply unpleasant about picking such people, in my opinion. It's not what the game should be about.

[Youth in Asia 1,087]

Yes - and Hassan Asif wasn't even famous enough to be famous for being ill. His parents became "famous" if that's the word, for getting a visa rejected and then getting it approved. Hassan himself never did a single thing positive or negative to warrant or get any kind of celebrity. Didn't write a blog, never did anything notable (poor chap was still a student) never made any kind of public statement of any sort, not even sure if he had a twitter account. Plus there is zero nada zilch connection with the UK at any stage of the story. If the Guardian didn't have a specific Australian version there is no chance it would have made the Guardian UK or any other approved source.

 

So I think it is an interesting test case for the new rules. Otherwise as mentioned it is starting to look like 2 competitions.

 

[full disclosure: I chose an even less famous twitter cancer victim for my list, named John Underwood, but at least he is a UK citizen, so has some connection]

[Spade_Cooley 9,525]

I think we've definitely turned some sort of corner from Brave Inspirational Cancer Sufferers (your Steven Suttons, Lauren Hills, etc) through to people who are.... I kinda wanna call them "warm corpses" really, the likes of Grace Sung Eun Lee, Marlissa Munoz, DDT's guy who died the other day and now Hassan Asif. People whose narrative isn't "I am fighting inspiringly against the disease that is killing me and am gaining a media profile to encourage awareness among others", but they are just people who didn't seek fame who are dead or as close to as possible.

 

It is an arms race though, nobody really wants to pick these folk.... part of the fun of deadpooling is that you learn about less-famous figures as part of your research. Mother Angelica's firebrand nun sermons, Thomas Fekete being part of an indie band who have the same strife illness and reprehensible rating as The Temptations managed, Luke Halpin having a weird following of people online who I can't tell if they are nostalgic for 1960s tv shows or if they're just nonces who like pictures of a shirtless 13-year-old, even if he is 70 and in a wheelchair now. Hassan Asif doesn't provide that. Neither does Taylor Swift's mother, Vanessa Hudgens' dad, your man from Geordie Shore's grandfather, Zayn Malik's nan, etc.

 

But yeah, it's an arms race because if one person makes that pick, everyone else has to. One possible solution that probably needs working on is, not the Wikipedia route (which would penalise people in certain fields and benefit those in others, do we really want every fucking webcomic artist ever to be a valid obit?), but maybe the celeb pick in question has to have been MENTIONED in a qualifying obit source for reasons other than illness prior to them being picked. So for this, say, Rowena Kincaid would count, Kris Travis would count, probably even Kate Granger as well, but your Lauren Hills and the like would get bupkiss.

 

John Underwood was nearly picked by me, I make him 50/50 to go this year. If he holds on for 2k17 he'll definitely be a draft pick for me, if he qualifies under new rules....

[Spade_Cooley 9,525]

I was kinda.... not upset, but dispirited by Living End's comments about people not caring about Jenny Diski other than for her points. Like I said, a good deadpooler is someone who, like a good obituarist, is interested in people. We learn about people through their illness, but they're still people and it certainly helps the trivia section of our brain playing this great sport of ours.

[msc 18,450]

I was kinda.... not upset, but dispirited by Living End's comments about people not caring about Jenny Diski other than for her points. Like I said, a good deadpooler is someone who, like a good obituarist, is interested in people. We learn about people through their illness, but they're still people and it certainly helps the trivia section of our brain playing this great sport of ours.

 

Yeah, I've always viewed as a great opportunity to expand my horizons. A good example would be Oscar Niemeyer, whom I went within five years from going "Who the hell is that?" to actually having a twinge of sadness the night I saw he'd died on the BBC news. There was another DDP pick, brought to the forum's attention by DDT, who I wound up exchanging the odd email with.

[gcreptile 10,972]

 

But yeah, it's an arms race because if one person makes that pick, everyone else has to. One possible solution that probably needs working on is, not the Wikipedia route (which would penalise people in certain fields and benefit those in others, do we really want every fucking webcomic artist ever to be a valid obit?), but maybe the celeb pick in question has to have been MENTIONED in a qualifying obit source for reasons other than illness prior to them being picked. So for this, say, Rowena Kincaid would count, Kris Travis would count, probably even Kate Granger as well, but your Lauren Hills and the like would get bupkiss.

 

Ah, the Wikipedia entry is just a requirement to be a valid pick. The obit still needs to appear to make it count. For example, Pat Harrington Jr. can be chosen for your team, but whether he obits is unclear. There's still a risk of picking too marginal people.

 

I also think that a huge appeal of this game is knowing more about culture and the little details behind history. One of my favorite examples is Jackie Kennedy's assistant who died last year with daily mail obit., Providencia Paredes, which I think is an interesting tidbit of history. For this reason, I would not like to disqualify "fame by association" picks, like also René Angelil or Monty Brinson, who has very marginal Reality TV fame himself, but is mostly associated with Kim Richards, a major reality TV star and child star (and press magnet) in her own right. Rowena Kincaid is now probably on one notability level with Colin Bloomfield. Can't really cut them out either. Kate Granger is now an MBE, of course. Legit pick.

Disclaimer: My main team would still be 'robbed' of Linda Horan though. While she is a long-time labor activist, it wasn't really the activism that got her into the daily mail twice. Maybe the one-in-a-million exclusive morningstaronline obit appears, but that probability is very low.

[Toast 16,140]

But yeah, it's an arms race because if one person makes that pick, everyone else has to.

 

No. No, they don't. I'm not likely to win the DDP these days (I did come third once, and briefly led the board for a short thrilling time ) but I would gain no satisfaction from doing well with such picks. There is still plenty of interest in playing with what I consider to be acceptable picks.

[Sir Creep 7,070]

 

But yeah, it's an arms race because if one person makes that pick, everyone else has to.

 

No. No, they don't. I'm not likely to win the DDP these days (I did come third once, and briefly led the board for a short thrilling time ) but I would gain no satisfaction from doing well with such picks. There is still plenty of interest in playing with what I consider to be acceptable picks.

I agree with Spade. I made 3-4 picks strictly for defensive purposes 'in case' a young person croaks, I'll be damned if I'm going to fall behind 10 points (see: John Bain). I have zero expectations of their deaths. But if you're playing to win you can't simply rely on your own data, you gotta give some respect to the hoi poloi.

SC

[Toast 16,140]

 

 

But yeah, it's an arms race because if one person makes that pick, everyone else has to.

No. No, they don't. I'm not likely to win the DDP these days (I did come third once, and briefly led the board for a short thrilling time ) but I would gain no satisfaction from doing well with such picks. There is still plenty of interest in playing with what I consider to be acceptable picks.

I agree with Spade. I made 3-4 picks strictly for defensive purposes 'in case' a young person croaks, I'll be damned if I'm going to fall behind 10 points (see: John Bain). I have zero expectations of their deaths. But if you're playing to win you can't simply rely on your own data, you gotta give some respect to the hoi poloi.

SC

 

 

Pick whoever you like. I just said that nobody's forced to pick them. I will never pick anyone like Hassan wossname or that life-support girl.

[Death Impends 7,975]

For me this year's an interesting experiment, as I'm attempting to go through the year without any famous-for-being-ills, even if I still picked the ex-husband of a has-been child actress turned reality TV trainwreck. I do accept that it means my chances of being a threat like I was in 2015 (when I indeed picked someone in the iffy category in Lauren Hill - and could have won had I jokered her or one of 11 other people - and interestingly, the gap between the top 3 and the rest last year was so large I still would have been third if I didn't pick Hill) ain't gonna be there, but I guess in a way it feels more satisfying to see if I can crack the top 10 or even 5 without the assistance of those kinds of picks in lieu of trying for the gold with a few of those on hand. I don't judge those who pick the Hassan Asifs of the world, of course, under the current set of rules he still counts. But for me I'd rather not.

 

I do agree part of the fun in deadpooling is how it expands your cultural scope, at any rate. I think of the points prospects, of course, but I also make sure to read about the lives of those I pick. This is also why I've never gotten why there are people out there who complain about DL picking people they've never heard of when it's usually a case of someone being iconic in the UK and not very much elsewhere. Once again, I welcome how that lets me learn a bit more about some new people.

[YoungWillz 21,044]

Just to thank TMIB, I received my email confirmation that my teams are entered. I doubt I'll trouble the higher echelons, but I'm still waiting for my first point scoring hit in any deadpool - maybe this time, I'll be lucky...*launches into Liza like warble*...wait a minute! I forgot about Liza this year! Live, Liza, live!

[DevonDeathTrip 2,358]

Pat Harrington Jnr died last night - I'm sure a link will appear to this effect shortly.

 

Must rush!

[Spade_Cooley 9,525]

Family confirmation here. Presume the Mail will roll out an obit about 20 minutes after TMZ does.

[msc 18,450]

So, that's 3 hits awaiting obits/confirmation in six days, Spade? Starting slow, I see.

[Spade_Cooley 9,525]

Hoping for my usual strong start, no deaths at all between Valentine's Day and St Andrews and then another late run to finish things off.

[Eesti 151]

Early first hit for me too

[themaninblack 2,112]

So, that's 3 hits awaiting obits/confirmation in six days, Spade? Starting slow, I see.

 

To be fair he was only in the lead for just the six days last year. Needs more of a run at it this time round...

[The Dead Cow 620]

Daily Mail obit for Harrington Jr.

 

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-3389119/Pat-Harrington-Jr-best-known-playing-Schneider-70s-TV-series-One-Day-Time-dies-age-86.html

[themaninblack 2,112]

Daily Mail obit for Harrington Jr.

 

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-3389119/Pat-Harrington-Jr-best-known-playing-Schneider-70s-TV-series-One-Day-Time-dies-age-86.html

 

Quelle surprise...

[Death Impends 7,975]

Mail also delivers for Chocolate Armenteros...

 

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/wires/ap/article-3389324/Cuban-trumpeter-Alfredo-Chocolate-Armenteros-dead-87.html

[msc 18,450]

Mail also delivers for Chocolate Armenteros...

 

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/wires/ap/article-3389324/Cuban-trumpeter-Alfredo-Chocolate-Armenteros-dead-87.html

 

 

Well done, DI, a gamble well chosen there!

[maryportfuncity 10,646]

In other news I'm probably the last to get round to sharing my line up, kinda uninspired but bankable I'd say:

 

 

Glen Cambell – JOKER

Tony Booth

Richard Petty

Oskar Groenig

Paul Lamb – right do die guy

Brunhilde Pomsel

Gaston Glock

Joseph Kony

Joey Feek

Gazza

Rene Angelil

Bhumibol Adulyadej

Martin Crowe

Jenny Diski

Clarissa Eden

Zsa Zsa Gabor

Billy Graham

Dr. Kate Granger

Jeanne Little

Kirk Douglas

[Youth in Asia 1,087]

 

Daily Mail obit for Harrington Jr.

 

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-3389119/Pat-Harrington-Jr-best-known-playing-Schneider-70s-TV-series-One-Day-Time-dies-age-86.html

 

Quelle surprise...

 

Any official judgement regarding Hassan Asif and the "UK version of the paper/site" question?