Game of Death

The Game of WHAT??

A friend of mine organized The Game of Death solely for fun. We each came up with a list of 25 people whom we thought would die between October 31, 1995 and October 31, 1996. If any of the people dies by October 31, 1996, whomever picked that person gets a point. The player with the most points at the end wins.

New game started! Entry deadline was October 31, 1996.

We're not sick, really.

We aren't encouraging their death, we're just predicting it. Each player did agree to contribute $5 to the game, but for that amount of money, it's really just a token. One of the rules explicitly states that no player may contribute to the death of any people on the list (though it's not specified whether this applies to paying taxes in the case of a government assassination...).

The one pro-lifer

Player 0 is the Angel of Life. Before the lists were even submitted, he decided that if no people on anyone's list die in the whole twelve months, he wins. The rules were appropriately modified to accomodate his request. Of course, with the death of Dean Martin, he's out of the race. However he stalwartly insists that the total game score will still be kept to a minimum. For a long time he was sitting pretty, but lately he's been cringing in his halo.

Other sites

Various other games like this are going on, too, some of them fairly widespread and some not. The Deadpool Main Page is the home of one and has a lot of good pointers to others. It also has pointers to related sites, including some of the hate mail that's been generated. (These links have been down for a while, so click to see if they've returned.)

Game status

The first score! On December 25th, Dean Martin died. This means that I take the lead with 1 point, everyone else has 0, except for the Angel of Life, who is now out of the game. Sorry, Dean.

Two more. Gene Kelly and Audrey Meadows passed away the weekend of February 3rd. Score is now tied at one apiece between Larry Biederman, John T. and me.

Dropping Pearl. I regain the lead March 4 when Minnie Pearl utters her last 'Haowwwwwww-dee!'

Say goodnight, Gracie. Having made it to his own much-awaited centennial January 20th, George Burns scores points March 9th for six different players. (Including me, so I'm still in the lead.)

Drop out, turn off, stay tuned. For nearly three months the Angel's power holds sway. Then Timothy Leary finally makes his much-anticipated departure from Cyberspace, scoring game sponsor Qbryzan's first point.

"Poetic Justice?" All is quiet for another three whole months. Then Death Row recording artist Tupac Shakur is fatally wounded September 7th in a drive-by shooting, dying six days later. Player 2 joins Larry and John in a three-way tie for second place with two points each.

Go quietly...or else. Less than a week later, my lead increases when Spiro Agnew dies and my score climbs to four points.

The road to eternity. Only five more days have passed when Dorothy Lamour dies September 22. With celebrities dropping like flies, Mike is now the fourth player with two points.

THE WINNER! It's official: the Game of Death 1996 ended October 31, and no one ever did overtake my early lead! Our official officiant, Qbryzan, has declared me the winner with four points, and I get to collect the kitty while folks ante up for the new game.

Now, by the way, is as good a time as any to mention that 'I' haven't been the one writing all this. I put together the original text, but ever since February of '96 the page has been edited and maintained by Player 0, writing in the first person as if he were me. This has been very gracious of him; he is far more capable and competent than I, and his additions to the page have been much better than anything I could ever have done. I am a boob. Not only that, I'm not even wearing any pants.

File last updated November 10, 1996.

The Players

0 - Mark Jackman

1 - Rob Konigsberg

2 - KM

3 - Larry Biederman

4 - Mike P.

5 - ROD

6 - EH

7 - Qbryzan (Game's Sponsor)

8 - Diane

9 - John T.

Names are listed only of players who have given their permission.

The List

Even though each of the nine players (other than player 0) independently produced a list of 25 celebrities, overlap among those lists resulted in just 147 names. They're presented here in a table showing which players chose each listed celebrity. Celebrities who've died are indicated in boldface type.

The Game of Death
Name	#0	#1	#2	#3	#4	#5	#6	#7	#8	#9
Agnew, Spiro (17 Sep '96)	No	Y	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.
Albee, Edward	No	.	.	.	.	Y	.	.	.	.
Aldrin, Buzz	No	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	Y	.
Ali, Mohammed	No	.	.	Y	.	Y	.	.	.	.
Arafat, Yassir	No	.	Y	.	.	.	Y	.	.	.
Arthur, Bea	No	Y	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.
Autry, Gene	No	.	.	.	.	Y	.	.	.	.
Baryshnikov, Mikhail	No	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	Y	.
Barks, Carl	No	.	.	.	.	.	Y	.	.	.
Barnard, Christiaan	No	.	.	.	.	Y	.	.	.	.
Barry, Marion	No	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	Y	.
Beatrix, Queen of the Netherlands	No	.	.	.	.	Y	.	.	.	.
Berle, Milton	No	Y	.	.	Y	.	.	Y	.	.
Billingsly, Barbara	No	.	.	.	.	Y	.	.	.	.
Borgnine, Ernest	No	.	.	.	.	.	Y	Y	.	.
Brimley, Wilford	No	.	Y	.	.	.	.	.	.	.
Burns, George (9 Mar '96)	No	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	.	.	.	Y
Bush, George	No	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	Y	.
Buttons, Red	No	Y	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.
Carney, Art	No	.	Y	.	.	.	.	.	.	.
Carter, Amy	No	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	Y
Carter, Jimmy	No	.	Y	.	.	.	.	.	.	.
Cash, Johnny	No	.	.	.	Y	.	.	.	Y	.
Castro, Fidel	No	.	.	.	.	Y	.	.	.	.
Charisse, Cyd	No	Y	.	.	Y	.	.	.	.	.
Child, Julia	No	.	.	.	.	Y	.	.	.	.
Clooney, Rosemary	No	.	.	.	Y	.	.	.	.	.
Comenici, Nadia	No	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	Y	.
Cousteau, Jacques	No	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	Y
Cronkite, Walter	No	.	.	Y	.	.	Y	.	.	.
Cronyn, Hume	No	Y	Y	.	.	.	.	Y	.	.
Crosby, David	No	Y	Y	.	.	.	.	.	.	.
Culkin, Macaulay	No	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	Y
Day, Doris	No	.	.	Y	.	.	.	.	.	.
Denver, Bob	No	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	Y
Depp, Johnny	No	Y	.	.	Y	.	.	.	.	.
DiMaggio, Joe	No	.	.	Y	.	.	Y	.	.	.
Dixon, Jeanne	No	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	Y	.
Dole, Bob	No	.	.	.	.	.	Y	.	.	.
Doohan, James	No	.	Y	.	.	.	.	.	.	.
Durning, Charles	No	.	.	.	.	.	Y	.	.	.
Elizabeth II, Queen	No	.	.	Y	.	.	.	.	.	.
Farrakhan, Louis	No	.	Y	.	.	Y	Y	.	.	.
Ford, Gerald	No	.	Y	.	.	.	.	.	.	.
Funicello, Annette	No	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	Y
Gabor, Zsa Zsa	No	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	Y
Gadhafi, Moammar	No	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	Y	.
Gates, Bill	No	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	Y
Getty, Estelle	No	Y	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.
Gingrich, Newtie	No	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	Y
Graham, Billy	No	.	.	.	.	Y	.	.	.	.
Gramm, Phil	No	.	.	.	.	.	Y	.	.	.
Greenspan, Alan	No	.	.	.	.	Y	.	.	.	.
Hackett, Buddy	No	.	.	.	Y	.	.	.	.	.
Hagman, Larry	No	.	Y	Y	.	.	Y	.	Y	.
Hatch, Orrin	No	.	.	.	.	.	Y	.	.	.
Hawking, Stephen	No	.	Y	.	.	.	.	.	.	.
Hines, Gregory	No	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	Y	.
Hooker, John Lee	No	.	.	.	.	.	Y	.	.	.
Hope, Bob	No	.	Y	Y	Y	Y	.	Y	.	Y
Hopper, Dennis	No	.	.	Y	.	.	.	.	.	.
Hussein, Saddam	No	.	Y	.	.	.	.	.	.	.
Iacocca, Lee	No	.	.	.	.	.	.	Y	Y	.
Jennings, Waylon	No	.	.	.	.	.	.	Y	.	.
John, Elton	No	.	.	.	.	.	Y	.	.	.
John Paul II, Pope	No	.	.	Y	.	Y	Y	Y	.	Y
Johnson, Magic	No	.	.	.	Y	.	Y	Y	.	Y
Kalin, Kato	No	.	.	.	.	Y	.	.	.	.
Keeshan, Bob	No	.	.	.	.	Y	.	Y	.	.
Kelly, DeForrest	No	.	Y	.	.	.	.	.	.	.
Kelly, Gene (2 Feb '96)	No	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	Y
Kennedy, Rosemary	No	.	.	.	Y	.	.	.	.	.
Khaury, Herbert (Tiny Tim)	No	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	Y
Klugman, Jack	No	Y	.	.	Y	.	.	.	.	.
Koch, Ed	No	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	Y	.
Lamour, Dorothy (22 Sep '96)	No	.	.	.	Y	.	.	.	.	.
Landers, Ann	No	.	.	.	.	.	.	Y	.	.
Leary, Timothy (31 May '96)	No	.	.	.	.	.	.	Y	.	.
Lee, Stan	No	.	.	.	.	.	Y	.	.	.
Lewis, Al	No	.	.	.	Y	.	.	.	.	.
Linville, Larry	No	.	.	Y	.	.	.	.	.	.
Louganis, Greg	No	.	.	.	Y	.	.	Y	Y	.
Love, Courtney	No	.	Y	.	.	.	.	.	.	.
Lynn, Loretta	No	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	Y	.
Manson, Charles	No	.	.	.	.	.	Y	.	.	.
Martin, Dean (25 Dec '95)	No	Y	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.
McMahon, Ed	No	.	Y	.	.	.	.	.	.	.
Meadows, Audrey (3 Feb '96)	No	.	.	Y	.	.	.	.	.	.
Meredith, Burgess	No	Y	.	.	.	.	.	Y	.	.
Montalban, Ricardo	No	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	Y
Moore, Dudley	No	.	.	.	.	.	Y	.	.	.
Morgan, Harry	No	Y	.	Y	.	.	.	Y	.	.
Nelson, Willie	No	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	Y	Y
Nimoy, Leonard	No	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	Y	.
O'Connor, Carroll	No	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	Y	.
Ono, Yoko	No	.	.	.	.	.	.	Y	.	.
Parks, Rosa	No	.	.	Y	.	Y	.	Y	.	.
Pauling, Linus (19 Aug '94)*	.	.	.	y	.	.	.	.	.	.
Pearl, Minnie (4 Mar '96)	No	Y	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.
Peck, Gregory	No	.	.	Y	.	.	.	.	.	.
Perdue, Frank	No	Y	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.
Perot, Ross	No	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	Y
Philbin, Regis	No	.	.	.	.	.	.	Y	.	.
Pitt, Brad	No	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	Y	.
Pryor, Richard	No	Y	.	.	Y	Y	Y	.	Y	Y
Queen Mother, The	No	.	Y	.	Y	.	.	.	.	.
Quinn, Anthony	No	.	.	.	Y	.	.	.	.	.
Reagan, Nancy	No	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	Y	.
Reagan, Ronald	No	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y
Reeve, Christopher	No	.	.	Y	.	.	.	.	.	.
Reynolds, Debbie	No	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	Y
Richards, Keith	No	Y	Y	.	Y	.	.	.	.	.
Rickles, Don	No	Y	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.
Riefenstahl, Leni	No	.	.	.	.	Y	.	.	.	.
Roberts, Oral	No	.	.	.	.	Y	.	.	.	.
Rogers, Roy	No	.	.	.	.	Y	.	.	.	.
Rooney, Andy	No	.	.	.	.	Y	.	.	.	.
Rooney, Mickey	No	.	.	.	Y	.	Y	.	.	.
Russell, Nipsey	No	.	.	Y	.	.	.	.	.	.
Salinger, J.D.	No	.	.	.	.	.	.	Y	.	.
Scheider, Roy	No	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	Y	.
Schultz, Charles	No	.	.	.	.	.	.	Y	.	.
Shakur, Tupac (13 Sep '96)	No	.	Y	.	.	.	.	.	.	.
Shatner, William	No	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	Y	.
Simpson, OJ	No	.	.	Y	.	.	Y	Y	.	Y
Sinatra, Frank	No	.	.	Y	Y	.	.	Y	.	Y
Skelton, Red	No	.	.	.	Y	.	.	.	.	.
Slater, Christian	No	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	Y
Snoop Doggy Dogg	No	.	Y	.	.	.	.	.	.	.
Spock, Benjamin	No	.	.	.	.	.	.	Y	.	.
Steinbrenner, George	No	.	Y	.	.	.	.	.	.	.
Stewart, Jimmy	No	Y	.	.	Y	.	.	.	.	Y
Taylor, Elizabeth	No	.	.	Y	.	.	.	.	.	.
Teresa, Mother	No	.	Y	Y	.	.	Y	.	.	.
Torme, Mel	No	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	Y	.
Van Dyke, Dick	No	.	.	.	Y	.	.	.	.	.
Vedder, Eddie	No	.	.	.	.	.	Y	.	.	.
Vigoda, Abe	No	Y	.	.	.	.	.	Y	.	.
Waldheim, Kurt	No	.	.	Y	.	.	.	.	.	.
Walston, Ray	No	.	.	.	.	Y	.	.	.	.
Webber, Andrew Lloyd	No	.	.	.	.	.	Y	.	.	.
Williams, Ted	No	Y	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.
Wilson, Brian	No	.	.	.	.	.	.	Y	.	.
Wood, Ron	No	Y	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.
Wray, Fay	No	Y	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.
Yeltsin, Boris	No	.	Y	Y	.	.	.	.	Y	Y
Youngman, Henny	No	.	.	.	Y	Y	.	.	.	.
Score	Out	4	2	2	2	1	0	1	0	2

* - Linus Pauling was already dead a year before the game began. This was a miscalculation on the part of the player who selected him.

Page last modified March 20, 1997.

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