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No matter what you think about Joe Paterno, he was a great coach and a mentor to many young men that later became great people around this country. The scandal, and what Paterno knew, was a very unfortunate chapter in this man’s life, and fairly or not will now be his legacy throughout history. He made his own bed and he has no one to blame but himself, but it really is a heartbreaking story. I grew up looking up to this man and thinking he was beyond reproach, and this past several months have been hurtful as we witnessed the destruction of a man’s character.  Read more... (217 words, estimated 52 secs reading time)

Most of us saw this coming, as was evident in the massive amount of scores on her death yesterday.

Etta James, 73, the powerful rhythm-and-blues singer whose more than five-decade career spawned such enduring hits as “At Last” and “Tell Mama,” making her a profound influence on younger generations of female vocalists, died Friday.

Ms. James, who suffered complications from leukemia, according to her manager, had been beset with a variety of health problems. In 2009, she was diagnosed with dementia; the following year, she was hospitalized with a staph infection. In December, weeks after the release of The Dreamer, which was billed as her final studio album, Ms. James’ doctor told the Riverside (Calif.) Press-Enterprise that the singer, who also had been diagnosed with hepatitis C, was terminally ill with chronic leukemia.  Read more... (285 words, estimated 1:08 mins reading time)

As governor of South Dakota for 16 years, Bill Janklow was always in a hurry — pushing lawmakers to approve his proposals and racing to disaster sites to take charge. His need for speed also likely played a role in his one regret: the 2003 fatal traffic accident that landed him in jail and ended his political career.

Janklow died shortly before 11 a.m. Thursday of brain cancer after being moved to hospice care in Sioux Falls earlier in the week, his son Russ Janklow said. He was 72. At a final news conference in November, Bill Janklow had announced he had inoperable cancer and said his only regret was running a stop sign and killing a motorcyclist. The accident happened less than a year after Janklow was elected to the U.S. House.  Read more... (190 words, estimated 46 secs reading time)

Former St. Louis Blues general manager Ron Caron passed away Tuesday at the age of 82 after a long illness. “The Professor” as he was known, served as Blues GM from 1983 until 1994 and then as interim GM from ’96 through ’97.

Side note – I once ate dinner at the table right next to Mr. Caron way back when I first moved to St. Louis. Yep, diggity.

Once solo shot for this death – Dr. Death #1 scores on this one. We’re starting the year strong -giddyup…

Congrats to Pining for the Fjords on hitting the first death of the new season! Olympic and college basketball coach Gene Bartow died on January 3, 2012 at the age of 81 after a two year bout with stomach cancer. His career included stints at Central Missouri, Valparaiso, Memphis State, Illinois, UCLA, University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB), including two NIT Final Fours and an NCAA Runner Up. In addition to that, he coached the Puerto Rico national team in the 1972 Munich Olympic Games. Halls of fame include Alabama Sports HOF, Central Missouri State HOF, and the National Collegiate Basketball HOF.  Read more... (114 words, estimated 27 secs reading time)

… so let the bodies hit the floor!! 2011 was a slow year in terms of celebrity deaths. Oh sure, there were some HUGE names that left this place.. Steve Jobs, Amy Winehouse, Elizabeth Taylor, Betty Ford, Colonel Potter, Kim Jong Il {haaawk.. SPIT!), Andy Rooney, Gaddafi {haaawk.. DOUBLE SPIT!)… but all in all it was a slow year quantity-wise. Johannes Heesters – an old movie chick – was the last scored death of 2011, bringing us to a nice round 40. There were times I wasn’t sure we would pass 30, but YAY US, 40 was the number.  Read more... (449 words, estimated 1:48 mins reading time)

Boston Mike #3 has the honor (so far) of the last scored death of 2011 – unless reports come in during the next few days. Johannes Heesters, a really old former actress, lasted 108 years before earning Mikey 48 points.

As we end the year, I would suggest that everyone check their lists for any missed deaths and last minute scoring. The game isn’t official until January 10th, so hurry and make sure you’re all caught up.

Don’t delay, don’t procrastinate, and don’t dawdle!

With 8 hours left in 2011 (Central time), you have time to compile your list of the old, sick, dangerous, and addicted celebrities on who might croak during 2012. Imagine the twisted proud thoughts when players realized “Hey! I have Amy Winehouse on my list!” or when – after years of waiting and keeping a name on your list – Harry Morgan finally drew his last breath! Well don’t just imagine it anymore, do something about it! Get your list together, and submit it by CLICKING RIGHT HERE!  Read more... (199 words, estimated 48 secs reading time)

Kim Jong-Il, the mini-me version of a real dictator, died of a heart attack on Saturday while playing choo-choo. The 5 foot 3 inch (while 5-10 with his heels and hairdo counted) was an ornery little bastard. While the entire country of North Korea has been ordered to cry for seven days under risk of death penalty, it’s not known if a single person will miss him.

Kim Jong-un, the youngest of four known sons, will take over power effective immediately, assuming he lives through the upcoming, and well planned out, military coup attempt.  Read more... (125 words, estimated 30 secs reading time)

Christopher Hitchens, world renowned atheist and author about being an atheist, FINALLY died yesterday at the age of 62. I say finally, because he was many people’s #1 choice this year on the lists, and was fully expected to die within days of Ghoulpool 11 starting. Atheism aside, he was a really smart dude that knew a lot of stuff about a lot of things. You can read more about him on Wiki.  Read more... (191 words, estimated 46 secs reading time)