The online competition to guess which famous people won't make it to the end of the current year. If they're elderly, ill, or just live a high-risk lifestyle, stick 'em in your team, and for each one whose death you correctly predict, you'll score points. DDP was dreamt up in Derby, England (hence the name...) by Big-Iain back in 1996, then was run from 2003 to 2007 by Siegfried Baboon and Rude Kid. From 2008 to 2009, it was run by Octopus of Odstock, but from 2010 onwards it's the turn of The Man in Black to run the DDP.
| Latest Stiffs: 29th April 2013 |
![[Picture of George Jones with Tammy Wynette]](/images/celebs/2013/jones.jpg) |
He Stopped Living Here Today |
| George Jones, considered by many as one of the greatest country singers of all time, has died.
Jones' distinctive baritone was heard on a number of country hits such as 'He Stopped Loving Her Today' and 'If Drinking Doesn't Kill Me (Her Memory Will)', most of his songs did reflect the turbulent
life he lived. Jones went through several mariages (including the legendary Tammy Wynette, with which he had several hits with), cocaine addiction and alcoholism. He was arguably the Godfather of the
"Outlaw" country genre as well as being a direct continuation of the Honky Tonk style most famously associated with Hank Williams. That's enough of the musicology,
Jones died aged 81. Several teams cash in, including a couple of country theme teams.
|
![[Scorecard]](/images/score.png)
![[Points]](/images/death.gif)
(7 teams) = 6pts |
Starker bows to the inevitable |
| Cellist János Starker has died. Starker was born in Budapest, but moved to the USA after the second world war. He became one of the World's most respected cellists. Think of a bald Jacqueline du Pré and you're halfway there. He was 88. Something Original profits.. |
+
![[Unique]](/images/unique.gif) = 9pts |
Knockout for Nosher |
| Boxer, stuntman and bit part actor "Nosher" Powell, has died aged 84. Powell appeared as a stuntman in several Bond films and sparred in the ring with the likes of Muhammad Ali and the legendary Joe Louis. Powell even had an unlikely association with the alternative comedy movement of the 1980s, often parodying his roles as a "heavy" such as the part of Home Secretary in the Comic Strip film 'Eat the Rich'. He was called Nosher incidentally for his prodigious eating... |
|
+
= 9pts |
For M*A*S*H get smashed |
| Actor Allan Arbus has died. Arbus started off as a successful photographer, turning to acting only in his 40s. He is best known for his role of Dr Sidney Freeman in the hit 1970s series 'M*A*S*H', despite only appearing 12 episodes. Arbus was 95 and hit for 2 teams, including a M*A*S*H-themed one... |
|
(2 teams) = 5 points |
Jacob's knackered |
| Geneticist François Jacob has died. Jacob won the Nobel Prize in 1965 for his work on genes in bacteria, building on the work of Crick, Watson and Wilkins' discovery of DNA. He was 92. A Million To One Shot get a unique hit. |
|
+
= 8pts |
There's no vaccine for death, Hilary... |
| Amongst the hullaballoo surrounding Margaret Thatcher's death, I almost missed on the death of immunologist Hilary Koprowski aged 96, until I was of course reminded of the delivery of the requisite obit. Koprowski created the first vaccine for polio, which isn't a bad thing at all is it? |
|
+
= 8pts |
| Latest Stiffs: 23rd April 2013 |
Richie the hit is Havens sent |
| Folk singer Richie Havens has died. Havens emerged from the New York folk scene in the 1960s and had a unique, hard-strumming style and authentic vocal to match.
He was memorably the first act on at the legendary Woodstock festival in 1969 and as was impressive with his acoustic guitar was Jimi Hendrix would be with his electric.
Havens was 72. The beardy-weirdies will be heartbroken...
|
|
(2 teams) = 7pts |
Shea Deadium |
| Gospel singer George Beverly Shea has died. Shea had a long association with the Reverend Billy Graham and recorded over seventy religious music albums. He died aged 104. Seven teams thank the Lord. |
(7 teams) = 4pts,
![[Joker]](/images/joker2.gif) (1 team) = 8pts |
You only live once, Bond |
| David Bond, was the last surviving British gold medalist from the 1948 London Olympic Games. He died just short of his 91st birthday on 23rd March. If he died this time last year, then it would be all over the papers. But time moves on. It took a while but ITV news come in with the obit. Carkers Convention breathes a sigh of relief... |
|
+
= 8pts |
|
|
| Once again, a brief announcement of the Death of another Hillsborough Justice campaigner aged 62. The main upshot of this is that Going Underground moves into second place. |
|
(23 teams) = 9pts,
(9 teams) = 14pts |
| Latest Stiffs: 14th April 2013 |
Winters end? |
| Comedian Jonathan Winters has died aged 87. Winters' innovative improvisational style influenced a generation of American comedians, including Robin Williams, whom Winters appeared on his breakthrough TV series 'Mork and Mindy' rather improbably as his "son". Reuters come in with the obit. |
|
(6 teams) = 6pts |
Edwards goes down the tubes |
| Robert G Edwards, who pioneered In vitro fertilisation (IVF), has died. Edwards developed the process for creating embryos outside of the womb in the late 1960s but it wasn't until 1978 that the first baby, Louise Brown, was born using the technique. Since then, some 5 million babies have been born from IVF and Edwards was recognised for his efforts with the Nobel Prize in 2011. Edwards died aged 87. Octopus of Odstock retakes the lead with his 10th hit in just over three months... |
|
(4 teams) = 6pts |
Annette's dead and I'm not taking the Mickey... |
| Actress Annette Funicello has died aged 70. Funicello made her name at a young age as a "Mouseketeer" in 'The Mickey Mouse Club' variety show in the US. The club's alumnus
includes pop stars Britney Spears and Justin Timberlake as well as actor Ryan Gosling. The show as also a springboard for Funicello, mainly for a career in beach movies.
She had been battling MS for an number of years.
|
|
(28 teams) = 7pts,
(1 team) = 14pts |
Quit pro Kuo |
| David Kuo, who led George W. Bush's faith initiative has died aged 44. Kuo had been suffering from a brain tumor for a decade. Once again the Guardian pop up with an unlikely obit. The Beatles Are Dying In The Wrong Order profit, taking them into the top 10... |
|
+
= 13pts |
| BREAKING NEWS: Margaret Thatcher is dead |
![[Picture of Margaret Thatcher]](/images/celebs/2013/thatcher.jpg) |
The lady's not for turning in her grave... |
| Margaret Thatcher, Britain's first female Prime Minister, has died. What can you say about Margaret Thatcher that hasn't already been said?
There will be plenty about her being the best PM ever, with others of almost equal volume arguing the oppostite. She was certainly a divisive, influential figure, the like of which the UK
may not have again, so let's deal with facts. Born Margaret Hilda Roberts in 1925 in Grantham. Daughter of a local shopkeeper, met industrialist Denis Thatcher in 1951. Elected as MP for Finchley in 1959. Was a member of Ted Heath's troubled government in the 1970s as Education Secretary. Famously abolished school milk for children (hence the nick name "milk snatcher"). In 1975, after two election defeats for the Conservatives,
Thatcher took on Heath for the leadership and against expectations, she won. Four years later she became Britain's first woman Prime Minister. It was a eventful administration: the Miner's strike, the Falklands War, the Special Relationship
with Ronald Reagan, privatisation, monetarism, mass unemployment, the "big bang" (deregulation of the Stock Market), Europe and the policy that would prove her downfall, the Poll Tax.
Through all this she swung her handbag, slept just 4 hours a night, narrowly avoided assassination by the IRA, closed down the Greater London Council and won landslide election victories in 1983 and 1987 (although one might argue this was as much to do with the split
in the Labour Party during the 1980s than just popular acclaim - the government would be massively unpopular for long stretches and yet still turn round to win). Much of the time she triumphed through her bruising style, however the seeds of her political downfall were sown
in 1986, with the "Westland Affair", which put her on a collision course with Michael Heseltine. It all came to a head in 1990, when after a devastating resignation speech by her long-time erstwhile political ally Geoffrey Howe, criticising her style of leadership, the party moved against her and she resigned as PM.
In DDP terms, she's the biggest hit ever: 264 in all, with 33 picking her as the joker. Thatcher had been ill with dementia for many years and died of a stroke
at the age of 87. Her impact on British and indeed World politics may last way beyond her passing, for good or ill.
|
|
(264 teams) = 6pts, (33 teams) = 12pts |
| Latest Stiffs: 8th April 2013 |
Gone sta, la Luna |
| Right, plenty to get through before the news of you know who. First up we have Spanish (or rather more pertinently) Cataluyan film director
Bigas Luna, who has died. Luna's best known film was 'Jamon Jamon' in 1992 which kicked off the careers of Penelope Cruz and Javier Bardem.
He was 67.Theme team The Last Picture Show get a unique hit.
|
|
+
= 9pts |
Ebert gets the thumbs down |
| Influential film critic Roger Ebert has died after a long illness. Ebert was film critic for the Chicago Sun Times for over 40 years and formed a memorable TV double act with fellow critic Gene Siskel, who was a DDP hit way back in 1999. Hugely respected as a film reviewer, he was awarded the Pulitzer Prize in 1975 for his work. In 2002, he had part of his jaw removed due to cancer, which eventually claimed his life aged 70. |
|
(19 teams) = 7pts
(1 team) = 14pts |
The remains of the week |
| Writer Ruth Prawer Jhabvala, has died aged 85. The German-born Prawer Jhabvala had a fruitful collaboration with filmmakers James Ivory and Ismail Merchant, writing the scripts for 'Howard's End' and 'A Room with a View', which both won her Oscars for Best Adapted Screenplay. Before that though she was a Booker-winning novelist. Literature theme team Bibliogryphon’s Bookworm Food get the points. |
|
+
= 9pts |
No more Milos on the clock |
| Irish actor Milo O'Shea has died. O'Shea made his name in the film adaptation of James Joyce's modernist classic 'Ulysses' in 1967, before going on to have a prolific career as a character actor mainly in the USA, appearing in shows such as 'The West Wing' and 'Cheers'. He was 86. Four teams pick up 6 points each, to be sure... |
|
(4 teams) = 6pts |
Sweet Jesus, he's snuffed it! |
| Cult Spanish film director Jesús Franco has passed away. Franco made well over 100 films, almost all of them of a sexual and violent disposition. Here's a list of a few he made: 'Vampyros Lesbos', 'A Virgin Among the Living Dead', 'Diary of a Nymphomaniac', 'The Erotic Exploits of Maciste in Atlantis'. You get the picture. Franco died aged 82. The Last Picture Show and RKAA34 prosper. |
|
(2 teams) = 6pts |
Timeout for Willard |
| Basketball referee Greg Willard has died aged 54. You would think it be hard to get a mention in the British press but the Guardian oblige with a mention right at the bottom there. Good news for RKAA34 who get another hit. |
|
+
= 12pts |
The Muir the merrier |
| Swimmer Karen Muir, has died aged 60. Muir became the youngest person ever to hold a World record in sport, when she broke the 110-yards record in England in 1965 at the age of just 12. The boycott of South Africa during apartheid era scuppered her chances of international success. Another hit for rookie Thomas Jefferson Survives moves him into second place... |
|
(4 teams) = 8pts
(1 team) = 16pts |
| Latest Stiffs: March round-up |
Ralph decline |
| Canadian politician Ralph Klein has died. Klein was Premier for the state of Alberta for 14 years and was known for his fiscal conservatism and tough no-nonsense approach as well as liking a drink or two. Klein was 70. Three teams bag the spoils... |
|
(3 teams) = 7pts |
Another oldie bites the dust |
| Elsie Thompson, the World's 4th oldest person, has died aged 113. You might think it would be hard for a British obit to be found, but the Daily Mail once more provide a lifeline for two teams... |
|
(2 teams) = 3pts |
| List of the Lost - Latest Entrants |
| List of the Missed - Latest Entrants |
|
Paolo Soleri, Pat Summerall, Allen Neuharth, Chrissy Amphlette, Kathryn Wasserman Davis |
| Player of the Month - March |
|
Wormer, He's A Dead Man! Niedermier Dead! Marmalard Dead! - 34 points |
| Latest News |
|
The ailing Nelson Mandela makes a rare public appearance alongside current South Africa president Jacob Zuma. Harry Redknapp's luck runs out as his team QPR are relegated. The Theme Team League is updated for April... |
| Message to all current competitors: If you haven't been receiving the notification mails that we send out whenever a celeb carks it, please check that we have your current email address (re-send it to us if unsure), your inbox is not full, and our address is not blocked by your mail system. The following teams are currently uncontactable; 50 Shades Of Grey Skinned Death,Minibus Of Death, This Mortal Coil. The following are also spamming: Gag Slow And Die, Dr Who(s) Next, What Goes Before The 5-0 Arrives?, Curse of Fame |
| Further Information |
| Derby Dead Pool is hosted by The Man In Black
with contributions from Big-Iain, Rude Kid, Siegfried Baboon, Octopus
of Odstock, WEP 2.0 - World's Eternity Prophet Reloaded and The Grey Horde
|
![[DDP 2013]](/images/ddp2013.png) |
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