The Dead Pool

Last year, on my old stomping grounds, I ran a dead pool.  In brief, this is where the players pick a group of celebrities they think will die within the next year.  Naturally, you aren't allowed to kill anyone on your list (nor anyone else's), as that would result in your immediate disqualification, whether or not you're convicted.

Most pools use the very simple 1 death = 1 point scoring system.  I, however, chose to utilize an age-factored points formula, with the notion that there is merit in rewarding people for playing the long shot and/or doing their homework.  The formula I chose, after great deliberation, and not an insignificant number of Miller High Life longnecks, was as follows: 

114 - [Celeb's age upon expiration] = points rewarded.

Why the magic number of 114?  Simple.  Upon the start date of the game, that was the age of the oldest living person in the world, as recognized by the Guiness Book of World Records.  By that formula, my Johnny Oates pick netted me huge points - 56 - while Eddie Albert's 99-year-old ass only got me 15.

Some (and by "some" I mean "most") people question the moral, ethical, and spiritual implications of playing a game based on guessing when someone's going to die - particularly someone such as, say, the Pope.  I say "So?"  We're all gonna die sooner or later - might as well embrace the idea.

I'm tossing about the idea of a Just Another Bad Dead Pool.  Let me know what you think - good or bad.  Post a comment, or send a message from the contact form.  I could use a laugh.  And NO - you can't put me on your list - having a blog does not make me a celebrity any more than operating a computer makes you smart.

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