Film
We start with the big hit of the week and Bond-who-never-was Sam Neill. His breakthrough came in 1977 with New Zealand hit Sleeping Dogs before moving over to Hollywood in the 1980’s. His most iconic big-screen roles came in the 90’s with The Hunt For Red October, The Piano, Event Horizon, and of course the Jurassic Park franchise. He was no stranger to the small screen either, with well-received roles in Reilly: Ace of Spies, Merlin (the 1998 one), The Tudors and Peaky Blinders. Also known for his cracking wine making skills by all accounts.
As for what we’re here for, he announced a blood cancer diagnosis in 2023 but following treatment and a successful clinical trial he never got a huge look by most of our competitors. Only a few months ago his most recent scan was an all-clear but, well, here we are. Years of grueling treatment took a toll on his immune system and a terminal bout of pneumonia therefore leads to a deluge of tributes from the industry and seven points for his more morbid fans.
It’s also A Time to Kill for Brenda Fricker, the first Irish actress to win an Oscar. She got the supporting actress gong for My Left Foot in 1989, though later felt it hampered her career due typecasting. Other roles included Home Alone 2, Veronica Guerin, and being one of the original cast members of Casualty. She scores six points and while she never starred with Sam Neill in life, she does so in death on Irish themed The Sick-Bed of Cuchulainn’s team to help them creep into the top ten on the theme league.
Mexican cinema also said adiós to Elsa Aguirre, who had a prolific domestic career in the 50’s and 60’s. She became famous internationally for Minor Role (Uncredited), starring alongside James Dean and Elizabeth Taylor in 1956’s Giant. You don’t remember it? Well the Daily Express did so it’s five points for the letter A’s Final Adieu, and the Hispanic themed Hispanics and Lati-no’s.
Music
Not content to only write obituaries for renowned Mexican actresses, the Daily Express also chose to honour “iconic” and “legendary” Dutch musician and record producer Teije van Vliet, aka DJ Lenzman, who was so famous we’re not even sure what year he was born. Like myself, you might have thought that liquid funk referred to the aftermath of a particularly psychopathic curry but no, turns out it’s actually a subgenre of drum and bass that was his choice of “art”. Following a three year battle with kidney cancer he’s no longer Still Standing and goes from Looking at the Stars to joining them, leaving a week high fourteen point reward for Going Underground’s brave punt on a QO.
Politics
The first of two from the world of politics, Tony Christopher was a prominent trade unionist who spent most of his career working in the financial sector. He was made a life peer for Labour in 1998 and became the oldest sitting member in 2018. He was booted out just two months ago on account of the fact he hadn’t turned up to work in the last two years. Lazy bugger, as if being 101 is an excuse.
Over the pond, the equally geriatric political activist Mary Morello is also pushing up the daisies after 102 years of protesting and podcasting. She got into the sign-waving business while living in Kenya, marrying the pro-independence activist Ngethe Njoroge, with the pair later becoming the parents of Rage Against the Machine guitarist Tom Morello. On returning to the States she would be involved with the Civil Rights Movement, the Chicago Urban League and go on to found the Parents for Rock and Rap anti-censorship campaign. What’s the Story, Mourning Glory? get a unique hit for eight points, while Mitch McConnell (assuming he is in fact still among the living) gets to revel in just about outliving one of the meddling liberals who dared to interfere in his anti-porn crusade in 1991. Final note? She goes down in history as the 5000th recorded hit in the DDP’s 31 year history, yay!
Sport
Finally, it’s a case of 89 and out for the legendary West Indies cricket prodigy, Sir Garfield Sobers. The Barbadian was highly regarded in all three of batting, bowling and fielding and would hold the record for highest individual score in an innings for nearly forty years before Brian Lara finally eclipsed it. He hung up his bat in 1974 with a reputation as one of the greatest cricketers of all time, going on to be both knighted and declared a National Hero of Barbados. Remind me never to take cricket lightly if I ever visit the Caribbean. He gets six points for two teams and helps Play Ball! reach the top 10 of the theme league.
Scores
| Name | Age | Date of Death | Teams and Scores |
| Tony Christopher | 101 | July 11 | 5 Teams 💀💀💀💀 = 4 Points |
| DJ Lenzman | 47 | July 11 | Going Underground 💀💀💀💀💀💀💀💀💀💀+👻 = 14 Points |
| Mary Morello | 75 | July 12 | What’s the Story, Mourning Glory? 💀💀💀💀+👻 = 8 Points |
| Sam Neill | 78 | July 13 | 7 Teams 💀💀💀💀💀💀💀 = 7 Points |
| Elsa Aguirre | 95 | July 14 | 2 Teams 💀💀💀💀💀 = 5 points |
| Brenda Fricker | 81 | July 16 | 4 Teams 💀💀💀💀💀💀 = 6 points |
| Garfield Sobers | 89 | July 17 | 2 Teams 💀💀💀💀💀💀 = 6 Points |