Missed One

It was just realized that Bettie Paige died on December 11th. While her death is worth just 15 points, it begins to give me a respectable total for the year. And, of course, there's still a few more days for someone to kick it!

Merry Christmas Dave

On Wednesday author and playwright Harold Pinter died of cancer. Pinter was a Nobel-winning author as well as outspoken critic of Tony Blair and George Bush. He was 78 years old.

Pinter's death is huge for Dave. Not only does he jump into the lead with 85 points, it is quite likely that this will be final death for 2008. Our draft this year is scheduled for Jan 1, 2009.

Studs Terkel

On Friday October 31, legendary author Studs Terkel died peacefully at his home. He was 96 years old. Although most remember Terkel as a sports writer, particularly for his role in Eight Men Out, he was a serious activist and historian. He won the Pulitzer Prize in 1985 for his book The Good War which contained stories from World War II.

Terkel's death gives Jacob his third for the year and puts him in second place with 66 points. Although there are two months remaining there is a decent chance that this could be the last of the year giving Jacob the super-scoop on first and last deaths.

Sherrill "Psycho" Headrick Dead

Linebacker Sherrill Headrick was an AFL original. Teammates called him “Psycho” because of his fearless style of play and reckless style off the field. And his ability to play through pain was legendary. But Headrick, one of the most colorful characters during the formative years of the Chiefs franchise, died Wednesday, September 10th after a long battle with cancer. He was 71.

Headrick, inducted into the Chiefs Hall of Fame in 1993, was a five-time AFL All-Star and the franchise’s starting middle linebacker in the 1962 and 1966 AFL championship games and the first Super Bowl.

http://www.kansascity.com/sports/chiefs/story/791186.html

NY Times Obit

Not So Golden

Actress Estelle Getty has died at the age of 84. After struggling in Hollywood for many years, Getty finally got her break as Sopia on the Golden Girls. She had been suffering from dementia for the past few years.

Getty has been a regular in death pools for the past few years. This year our newest member Jacob snagged her in the fourth round. It is his second death of the year and gives him 62 points. That is just one behind Dave and three behind our leader Greg.

It appears that this year's pool is far from over.

Princeton High Grad Passes at 53

Former Fox Newsman and White House Press Secretary Tony Snow died Saturday from colon cancer.  Snow was born in Berea, Kentucky and raised in Cincinnati.  He graduated from Princeton High School in 1973.

He was 53 years old, giving Dave 47 points and moving him just 2 points out of the lead.

Since Snow died at 2am and Murcer died in the afternoon...sorry Izzy.

Izzy Goes Back-to-Back

On Saturday former baseball player Bobby Murcer died of a brain tumor. Murcer spent most of his playing career with the Yankees and worked in the New York booth as an announcer for a number of years. He was diagnosed with a brain tumor in 2006 and briefly returned to the booth last season before falling ill once again. He was 62 years old.

Murcer's death was the second for Izzy and jumps him up to second place on the season.

Izzy's on the Board!

Former Senator Jesse Helms died overnight at the age of 86. Although his death was said to be of natural causes, he had battled various illnesses over the years. Helms served in Congress for 30 years.

The death of the Senator gives Izzy his first points of the 2008 season. His 14 points keep him in last place but for now he has the last death of the year. It could hold up!

Nah!

Holy Fucking Shit! George Carlin died!

On Sunday afternoon comedian/actor George Carlin died of heart failure. No one in this death pool had him but if they did he would have been worth 29 points. I just wanted to make a post with that title and give my respect to a man that I am sure would appreciate the absurdity of a death pool.

Bo knows....

Legendary guitarist Bo Diddly died on monday. He had been quite ill since suffering a heart attack and stroke last year. He was 79.

After nearly two months without a death it is the second in our pool in two days. The passing gives Greg the lead with 65 points and three deaths. Bo is the ninth person chosen by Greg to die in the last year and a half. The other members have a combined total of 13 deaths in that same span.

Fashionable Pick Dies

One of the most prominent fashion designers of the 20th century, Yves Saint Laurent, died in Paris on Sunday. Laurent had been battling brain cancer for nearly a year. He was 71.

Laurent is the first of my picks to pass this year. And while I may be late in joining the party it is nice to be here. The 29 points are not only my first of 2008 they jump me into third place. That's not as good as the Mt. Pilot Moonshine in fantasy baseball, but I'll take it.

Pry The Gun

Moses is dead. So is Michaelangelo, El Cid, Ben-Hur and the guy from the Planet of the Apes. That's right, Charlton Heston has died at the age of 84. Heston earned numerous accolades for his (over-) acting throughout his career as he portrayed some of the most glorious figures in history. Along with acting he also served as the head of the NRA for a number of years. It was his work that has protected the rights of those individuals who wish to shoot innocent squirrels in their backyards. Our forefathers would be proud.

Heston's death is the first of the year for Dave and puts him on the board with 16 points.

Rug keeps Rolling

After nearly sweeping the 2007 death pool, Greg has now already landed his second death of 2008. Former Indonesian president Suharto died on Saturday. He had been very ill for quite some time and his death is being listed as multiple organ failure. That'll do it. He was 86 years old.

That gives Greg a total of 44 on the young season. He still trails Jacob by two but with eight deaths in the last 13 months or so, I sure wouldn't want to be on Greg's list.

Good Night Bob

On Saturday evening actress Suzanne Pleshette died of lung cancer. She was 70 years old.

Although Pleshette appeared in numerous movies and broadway shows, she is best known for her role as Bob's wife on The Bob Newhart Show in the 1970's. In 2001 she married another Bob Newhart regular, Tom Poston. He died in April of last year.

Pleshette moved up in the recent draft. Last year she was a third round pick for Izzy. This year she was chosen by Greg as his first pick. Her death is just the second in the Circling Buzzards this year and gives Greg 30 points.