We always find it interesting to look at which celebrities were the "big picks" for the year. We also like to see where Death Watchers are from and how many of 'em botched up their lists. Sure it takes hours to tally al this nonsense up. So what? Each and every minute we spend doing it, we get to drink beer. Let 'er rip.....

A total of 154 Death Watchers are playing this year. That's one less Death Watcher than last year. Death Watchers from 31 states in the U.S. are playing as are Death Watchers from 3 other countries. We also have 2 players from Washington D.C. (not quite a state). The states represented and the number of Death Watchers from each are: AK (1), AL(2), AZ(1), CA(10), CO(4), FL(6), ID(1), IL(10), IN(8), KY(1), LA(4), MA(4), MD(7), ME(2), MI(7), MN(3), MO(5), MS(1), NE (2), NJ(13), NY(8), OH(7), OR(3), PA(4), SC (1), TN(2), TX(6), VA(5), WA(4) and WV(2). The countries represented and the number of Death Watchers from each are: Australia(5), Canada(3), and United Kingdom(4). Then of course we've got the two (2) from Washington D.C. "Wait Guys!" you say, "That only adds up to 153 Death Watchers." Right you are! We've got one (1) Death Watcher playing from a U.S. military vessel. We'd tell you where the vessel is located but then we'd have to kill you. Uh, maybe we'll tell ya anyway....later.

Since 154 lists were entered into the 2009 Old Blue Eyes Memorial Celebrity Death Watch, we should have 2002 total names entered. However, we considered 57 people picked, to be ineligible as Celebrities. Those 57 people occupied a total of 68 pick spaces across 40 lists. This reduced the total number of picks to 1934 and will undoubtedly piss off either the complete set or some subset of those 40 Death Watchers. C'est la Mort.

Then, of course, we had two players who entered lists that were short one pick reducing the pick count to 1932. As always, we also had some Death Watchers who picked the already bleedin' demised. A whopping four (4) entries had a total of four (4) pick positions (one per list) that were already dead. Interestingly, two (2) lists had Lady Bird Johnson and two (2) lists had Mark W. Felt. This further reduced the total pick count to 1928.

As an aside, one (1) player had an alternate exercised. This player entered way back on December 14, 2008 and had Mark W. Felt on the list. Mr. Felt stopped feeling on December 18, 2008 and the alternate got exercised. The two (2) suckers who had Mr. Felt in the paragraph above entered after Mr. Felt was wrapped in satin. These facts did nothing whatsoever to the pick count.

Then there was this oddity. We had a Death Watcher enter a list that was blank with an indication that they believed that no other Death Watcher's picks would croak this year. Now, according to the rules we should not accept this list. However, four factors made us decide to say, "What the hell, let's have a beer." First, we thought it was clever. Second, we don't believe it will happen and thus it will have no impact on the game. Third, we love beer. And fourth, the Death Watcher sent in $20 to help support the game. That means that some of you non-donating slugs are leeching off a dude who was so generous that he didn't even try to win. A friggin' world of Bernie Madoff's we tell ya.

Anyway, the reduction of the total pick pool by another 13 picks leaves a total of 1915 picks..

Speaking of donations, 52 Death Watchers (33.8%) donated this year. The other two thirds of you ought to be ashamed.

"So Guys, what the Sam Hill does all this crap really mean?" Great question little camper! It means you should open a beer, pour it slowly into a glass, sit back and read this....

There are a total of 154 lists with a total of 1915 total valid picks entered. 392 different celebrities make up the 1915 picks. Of the 392 celebrities picked to buy the farm, 193 (49.2%) were on only one list (the Tad Szulcs), 60 (15.3%) were on only two lists (the double whammies), 49 (12.5%) were on three or four lists (the mortage a trois) and the remaining 90 (23.0%) were on five or more lists.

Now look, we still think that many of the picks aren't celebrities. To be fair, we allowed any pick that we had previously posted on the website as an "Oh Yeah!" and a "Probably." We also, with one exception, automatically eliminated any pick that was posted as a "Probably Not." The exception was Elizabeth Edwards. We felt she hit celebrity after her hubby, former presidential candidate John Edwards, got caught poking that Rielle Hunter chick. The publicly jilted wife thing threw her over the top for us.

One more thing....we WILL NOT entertain arguments, requests, pleadings, gripes, whines, or any other similar annoyance regarding which picks we allowed and which picks we didn't. You pay yer money (we hope) you take yer chances.

Next year, we'll be posting a database of celebrities you can pick from. This way there will be no question as to how we think. You'll be allowed to pick folks not in the database, but that will be at your own risk.

THE END!!

Oh. Right. The statistics. Sorry. Here goes....

The number one pick this year was Patrick Swayze. Clearly not having the time of his life, Patrick appears on 73 (47.4%) lists. The number two pick on the worm food menu is none other than that wind bag Ted Kennedy. Heck, the worms won't even need to order cocktails. The Chappaquiddick driving instructor is on 72 (46.8.6%) lists. Workers of the world may unite, but our number three pick, Fidel Castro, has nothing to lose but his pulse. The cigar chomping pinko appears on 69 (44.8%) lists.

As for the rest of the potential coffin stuffing... Well, the complete breakdown of celebrities and how many players picked 'em is presented below for your viewing pleasure and intellectual (heh) edification.