Derby Dead Pool


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, and from 2010 The Man in Black...


Latest Stiffs: 3rd March 2015 by The Man in Black
[Picture of Leonard Nimoy]

He's dead, Jim...

Nimoy heads for the final frontier

Tricorder readings are finally negative for actor Leonard Nimoy who's died after a long illness. Nimoy's role of science officer Mr Spock in 'Star Trek' made him a TV icon. With his pointy ears and deadpan demeanor, he was the breakout character in Gene Roddenberry's 1960s cult classic. Although he initially distanced himself from the role after the TV series was axed in 1969, he returned to the franchise with gusto, appearing in (and even directing) most of the movies since 1979 (despite Spock seemingly being killed off in the second film 'The Wrath of Khan'. He also featured in the TV series 'Mission: Impossible' and directed the 80s hit film 'Three Men and a Baby'. He was 83 and the first from the Drop 40 to beam up to the stratosphere...

[Scorecard] [Points] [Points] [Points] [Points] [Points] [Points] (36 teams) = 6pts [Joker](1 team) = 12pts

Bish bash Benmosche

Financier Bob Benmosche is credited with steering the US insurance giant AIG through the choppy waters of the post-crash era (albeit helped by a government bailout), in his capacity of CEO from 2009-2014. He stepped down last September through illness and sure enough has died aged 70. Some key players had him in their teams, among them the reigning champion David Quantick's Showbiz Pals and Thomas Jefferson Survives, who is now joint top, after Crazycarl picked up points from Nimoy's passing...

[Scorecard] [Points] [Points] [Points] [Points] [Points] [Points] [Points] (7 teams) = 7pts

Ahmad no longer keeping it real

Hands up, who has actually heard of reality TV show contestant Ahmad "Real" Givens? No, me neither but a short potted history: Givens and his brother Kamal appeared on the reality show 'Real Chance Of Love' on the Vh1 channel in the late noughties. He died aged 33 from colon cancer. The Mail Online proves again what a key player it is in the DDP by delivering the UK obit needed.

[Scorecard] [Points] [Points] [Points] [Points] [Points] [Points] [Points] [Points] [Points] [Points] (5 teams) = 10pts

The Wreath of Kahn (February roundup)

Irving Kahn was the World's oldest financial investor. He shrewdly ducked the 1929 Wall Street Crash and was still trading past the 2008 slowdown. Well, Irving you can't take it with you now. Kahn was 109 and hit for 7 teams, with two getting only 8 points return on their jokers.
Theodore Hesburgh was a Catholic educator who transformed Notre Dame in Indiana USA into one of the leading religious education institutions in America. He died aged 97 with Obituarynotice picking up the points.
Yutaka Katayama was President of the US branch of Japanese car manufacturer Nissan. In the 1960s, he led the development of the Z-Car, a first attempt at an affordable sports car. It was an immediate hit on its release in 1969 and helped the Nissan brand expand into the 70s and beyond. "Mr K" retired from the company in 1977. He died aged 105 and was a unique hit for The Coffin Dodgers.

[Scorecard] (Kahn) [Points] [Points] [Points] [Points] (7 teams) = 4pts [Joker](2 teams) = 8pts
[Scorecard] (Hesburgh) [Points] [Points] [Points] [Points] [Points] + [Unique] = 8pts
[Scorecard] (Katayama) [Points] [Points] [Points] [Points] + [Unique] = 7pts

Gore blimey, I forgot about her!

The end of February will have seen 53 hits for the year so far and so not surprisingly, some are inadvertently overlooked. One of these is singer Lesley Gore who died on 16th February. Gore was best known for singing the original version of 'It's My Party', which was a US number 1 in 1963 when she was just 16. She died aged 68. As well as a singer, Gore dipped her toes into acting and appeared in the 'Batman' series of the 1960s and it's the theme team devoted to the cult show, Same Bat Time, Same Bat Channel, that take the points.
Staying with the 60s, we have the death of Sam Andrew. Andrew was a founder member of Big Brother and the Holding Company, who with their iconic singer Janis Joplin, enjoyed big success with their 1968 album 'Cheap Thrills' before the band disintegrated. He died of a hear attack aged 73. 2015 – And over...get a unique hit.
There's not too much to say about Müzeyyen Senar other than she was a Turkish classical music performer who died on February 8th aged 96 and Has an obit from the BBC (albeit not in English) and is an unique hit for theme team Dead Continent. And that is that for February...

[Scorecard] (Gore) [Points] [Points] [Points] [Points] [Points] [Points] [Points] [Points] + [Unique] = 11pts
[Scorecard] (Andrew) [Points] [Points] [Points] [Points] [Points] [Points] [Points] + [Unique] = 10pts
[Scorecard] (Senar) [Points] [Points] [Points] [Points] [Points] + [Unique] = 8pts
Latest Stiffs: 22nd February 2015 by The Man in Black

Casper the ghost and other...er ghosts!

I reckon it's fair game to say that things have been a little slow moving on the site recently, even when they haven't on the hit front. However, progress is being made on the pics and bios front and thanks to reigning champion David Quantick's Showbiz Pals for their remarkably quick contribution as well as a pointer to an illegal pick! So let's get on with it and we start with golfer Billy Casper who has died aged 83. Casper was one of the most successful players of his era, winning over 50 PGA titles as well as three majors. Golf theme team In The Hole! birdie in a unique hit. The sporting theme continues with the death of Ed Sabol. Now that name may ring a bell and so it should as Ed and his son Steve founded NFL Films, which helped American Football overtake Baseball as the USA's most popular sport. Three years after Steve died, Ed joins him aged 98. One of the trio of point-scorers for this hit is Crazycarl, who takes the lead, for now...
The "other" popular sport in the US of A is basketball and one of the sport's most successful coaches at college level was Jerry Tarkanian. "Tark the Shark" led the UNLV Runnin' Rebels to the national championship in 1990. He died aged 84 and was a hit for 2 teams, including theme team 20 Names 20 Sports who move to second in the Theme Team League, which is finally up.

[Scorecard] (Casper) [Points] [Points] [Points] [Points] [Points] [Points] + [Unique] = 9pts
[Scorecard] (Sabol) [Points] [Points] [Points] [Points] [Points] (3 teams) = 5pts
[Scorecard] (Tarkanian) [Points] [Points] [Points] [Points] [Points] [Points] (2 teams) = 5pts

McCabe and Mrs Chiller

John McCabe was a prolific composer and pianist, writing over 200 pieces. He is considered the definitive player of Haydn's sonatas. He was 75 and a hit for 2 teams, one of which, Thomas Jefferson Survives is considered a contender and moves into 2nd place. Another member of the famed sitcom 'Dad's Army' is demobbed. Pamela Cundell's output varied between battleaxes and somewhat more flirtatious women of which the most notable was Mrs Fox in the 1970s classic, who always managed to get a bit more meat out of Corporal Jones during the rationing of World War Two, Oo-er! She was 95. Another veteran actor, this time displaying male charm was Louis Jourdan, who has passed away aged 93. Jourdan invariably played the "French" part after hitting the big time with his role in the Oscar-winning musical 'Gigi' in 1958. He's also the latest Bond villian to bite the dust. You would imagine Jourdan would had been comfortable chomping on a Ferrero Rocher, although probably not speading Nutella on his toast, but confectioner Michele Ferrero didn't get where he was by narrowing his market. The Italian made his millions through such hazelnut/chocolate interface products as well as the Kinder Surprise. Well it was no surprise to Down In Devil Gate Drive who get a unique hit from the 89 year old's passing.

[Scorecard] (McCabe) [Points] [Points] [Points] [Points] [Points] [Points] [Points] + [Unlucky Thirteen] (2 teams) = 9pts
[Scorecard] (Cundell) [Points] [Points] [Points] [Points] [Points] (4 teams) = 5pts
[Scorecard] (Jourdan) [Points] [Points] [Points] [Points] [Points] (7 teams) = 5pts
[Scorecard] (Ferrero) [Points] [Points] [Points] [Points] [Points] [Points] + [Unique] = 9pts

Betty b-Lou

Betty Lou Motes was the mother of Hollywood superstar Julia Roberts. She died aged 80 and is a unique hit for last year's runner-up Drunkasaskunk. George Mackie was a Liberal MP for Caithness and Sutherland in the 1960s before becoming a life peer in 1974. He was 95. Going Green grab a unique hit. Mexican-born Lorena Rojas was an actress who mainly earned her corn in soap operas or "Telenovelas". She aged only 44 after a long battle with cancer. Interestingly, the BBC have weighed in with an obit, no need for Mail Online this time! DDP veterans Carne And Sarne, Plus Eighteen get a unique hit.

[Scorecard] (Motes) [Points] [Points] [Points] [Points] [Points] [Points] + [Unique] = 9pts
[Scorecard] (Mackie) [Points] [Points] [Points] [Points] [Points] + [Unique] = 9pts
[Scorecard] (Rojas) [Points] [Points] [Points] [Points] [Points] [Points] [Points] [Points] [Points] [Points] + [Unique] = 13pts
Latest Stiffs: 8th February 2015 by The Man in Black

The bitterest pill (Carl ever had to swallow)

This week we have six hits, all uniques. Carl Djerassi is credited as one of the developers of the contraceptive pill, which has proved hugely influential in society since its introduction in the 1960s. He later had a second career as a novelist. He was 91 and the Austrian is a joker hit for Death Is International. R&B singer Don Covay was an influence on the Rolling Stones and wrote Aretha Franklin's 1968 hit 'Chain of Fools'. He was 76. See You In Heaven grab the points. That brings a typically busy January to an end with 30 hits (who said it was the boring month?). February started with the death of German football manager Udo Lattek, who has passed away aged 80. Lattek was one of only two managers to win the three major European trophies, winning the European Cup with Bayern Munich, the European Cup Winners' Cup with Barcelona and the UEFA Cup with the brilliantly named Borussia Monchengladbach. He died aged 80 and is a second unique hit for 16 Is The Number, who at this rate may get 16 hits! Aldo Ciccolini was a virtuoso Italian pianist and continued to play concerts until well into his eighties. Ciccolini was 89 and a unique hit for pianist theme team Dead And Dusted 3. Charlie Stifford became the first African-American to play in golf's PGA in 1961. Last year he became only the third golfer to be awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom. He was 92 and a hit for The Bedsoring '20s, who are continuing to mine hits. Actress and singer Mary Healy acted opposite the legendary Orson Welles (who's centenary is this year) in his Broadway flop 'Around the World in Eighty Days' and had a long collaboration on stage and TV with her husband Peter Lind Hayes. She was 96 with You Could Have Waited, I've Just Put The Kettle On! getting off the mark. Taking The Michael maintains the lead and is in all likelihood the player of the month for January and leader of the Theme Team League, both facts will be confirmed in the next update, unless he is usurped by then...

[Scorecard] (Djerassi) [Points] [Points] [Points] [Points] [Points] + [Unique] + [Joker] = 16pts
[Scorecard] (Covay) [Points] [Points] [Points] [Points] [Points] [Points] [Points] + [Unique] = 10pts
[Scorecard] (Lattek) [Points] [Points] [Points] [Points] [Points] [Points] + [Unique] = 9pts
[Scorecard] (Ciccolini) [Points] [Points] [Points] [Points] [Points] [Points] + [Unique] = 9pts
[Scorecard] (Stifford) [Points] [Points] [Points] [Points] [Points] + [Unique] = 8pts
[Scorecard] (Healy) [Points] [Points] [Points] [Points] [Points] + [Unique] = 8pts


List of the Lost - Latest Entrants

Jeffrey Segal, Wim Ruska, Harold "Hercules" Johnson


List of the Missed - Latest Entrants

Gary Owens, Steve Strange, Dean Smith, Clark Terry, Yasar Kemal


Player of the Month - January

Taking The Michael - 26 points


Latest News

Glam Rock paedo Gary Glitter is jailed for 16 years for sex offences as Rolf Harris is stripped of his CBE. The Theme Team League with Taking the Michael leading the way...

Message to all current competitors: There will be no more regular emails except in certain circumstances, such as rules and invitation to next year's competition.

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, The Grey Horde, Thomas Jefferson Survives, Bibliogryphon, David Quantick's Showbiz Pals Dickie's Gone the Way of the Dinosaurs

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