As I explained last year around this time, there are two "dead pool" lists. One is just a random list of people who I think will pass in the upcoming year. The other is a competitive list where you pick ten (and only ten) people-to-die, and you score your points by subtracting their age-at-death from 100. For example, Amy Winehouse was in my 2011 Dead Pool list, and she indeed did die that year. Since she was 27, I received 73 points (100 minus 27).
So, let's see how I did with my 2012 Dead Pool(s).
First, the generic list of people I thought might die:
- Zsa-Zsa Gabor – still alive
- Olivia de Havilland – still alive
- Billy Graham – still alive
- Eli Wallach – still alive
- Stan Musial – still alive
- Al Jarreau – still alive
- Norman Lear - still alive
- Jean Stapleton - still alive
- Yogi Berra - still alive
- Lauren Becall - still alive
- Jack Klugman – died December 24, 2012
- Mickey Rooney - still alive
- Fidel Castro - still alive
- Ernest Borgnine – died July 8, 2012
- Pete Seeger - still alive
- Nanette Fabray - still alive
- Monty Hall - still alive
- Sid Caesar - still alive
- Rose Marie - still alive
- Jerry Lewis - still alive
All told, I did VERY badly this year. And even worse for my Competitive Dead Pool list:
- Eli Wallach (born 12/07/1915)
- Zsa Zsa Gabor (born 2/06/1917)
- Billy Graham (born 11/7/1918)
- Margaret Thatcher (born 10/13/1925)
- James Garner (born 4/7/1928)
- Dick Cheney (born 1/30/1941)
- Penny Marshall (born 10/15/1942)
- Robin Gibb (born 12/22/1949)
- George Michael (born 6/25/1963)
- Charlie Sheen (born 9/3/1965)
The only one who died there? Robin Gibb, on May 20, 2012, at the age of 62.
Final score: 38 points.
That's terrible, especially compared to last year's 113 points.
And now onto my 2013 guesses. For my general list, I'm just going to keep what I had, minus a couple of names:
- Zsa-Zsa Gabor
- Olivia de Havilland
- Billy Graham
- Eli Wallach
- Stan Musial
- Norman Lear
- Jean Stapleton
- Yogi Berra
- Lauren Becall
- Mickey Rooney
- Fidel Castro
- Pete Seeger
- Nanette Fabray
- Sid Caesar
- Rose Marie
And for my competitive list, I'm going to play it safe. No "Charlie Sheen" longshots:
- Eli Wallach (born 12/07/1915)
- Zsa Zsa Gabor (born 2/06/1917)
- Billy Graham (born 11/7/1918)
- George Bush (born 6/12/1924)
- Margaret Thatcher (born 10/13/1925)
- Fidel Castro (born 8/13/1926)
- John McLaughlin (born 3/29/1927)
- James Garner (born 4/7/1928)
- Dick Cheney (born 1/30/1941)
- Stephen Hawking (born 1/8/1942)
Gerard Depardieu came soooo close to getting on this year….