I'm not ashamed to admit that at one point in time Burt Reynolds was my favorite actor. (Granted, that point in time was 1981. I was 13, and my friends and I had many discussions/arguments about which was better: Smokey and the Bandit or The Cannonball Run. I honestly can't remember which one I argued for. Probably Bandit. (I hope it was Bandit))

Anyway, Bandit Burt has left us at the age of 82, and 10 players picked him: Natalie Tyler's Diet of Worms List, Nathan Raupach, Sarah Wallace, Gene Kaufman and Aunti Di's List two each pick up their 3rd hit of the game, taking up residence on the scoreboard starting at 2nd place.

Natalie Tyler's I`m Ready for my Close-Up, Mr. Reaper List, Shelley Brown's List 1 and Bob Broadhurst all get their second hit, while Jim Bull and Grady Harmon snagged their first.

Congratulations, all!

Blurb credit: Rich Place, but holy crap did you guys make it tough to choose one!
Honorable Mentions:
The Longest Two Yards (Mike Spinney)
Smokey and the casket (Rich Place)
The banjos have stopped playing for Burt Reynolds (Laura Welliver)
Burt Boogies Into the Evening Shade (Natalie Tyler)
The Infinite Yard (Bob Lyhus)
Deliverance Delivered (Bob Lyhus)
Bandit Smoked (Bob Lyhus)

That was a lot of fun, thanks everyone that submitted a blurb!

Playwright Neil Simon has died at 91, with Natalie Tyler's Old Writers Never Die.... List picking up the solo as she becomes the first player this year to get four hits and further solidifies her lead. This is Natalie's 3rd solo on that list!

Congratulations, Natalie!

Blurb credit: Natalie Tyler

This is one of those hard ones to write up... Senator John McCain has died at the age of 81. I grew up in Arizona, and his name was always around. Even though I may have not agreed with everything he stood for, I've always had a lot of respect for him, and what he's gone through over the last 2 years has infuriated and saddened me.

Senator McCain is our biggest hit of the year, with 28 players picking him:

Kevin Byrnes and Kelly Keegan's List 2 each get their 3rd hit of the game, and move up to 3rd and 4th place

Players getting their second hit:
Natalie Tyler's Diet of Worms List, Most Likely to Succeed: Class of 2018 List, Republicans Reposing List, Old Friends List and Food For Worms List, Bob Razem, John Downey, Shelley Brown's List 3 , Brave Sir Robin, Nathan Raupach, Michelle Downey, J.R. MacDonald's List one , Sarah Wallace, Bob Lyhus, Lindsey Roke, Gene Kaufman, Paul Lineback and Katy Conlin's List 2 .

Players getting their first hit of the game:
Natalie Tyler's Politics Can Be Deadly! List, I`m Ready for my Close-Up, Mr. Reaper List, `M` is the Deadliest Letter List, Golden Oldies List and The C Files List, Kelly Keegan's List 1 , Carol Ann Roke and Sheila Place.

The Queen of Soul Aretha Franklin has died at 76, and Natalie Tyler's Rock and Roll Heaven List picks up the solo with her first hit of the game. She leaps up to 8th place

Congratulations, Natalie!

Blurb credit: Mike Spinney

Hockey guy Stan Mikita died at 78, and 2 players got the hit: Joe Biasi picks up the hat-trick (and only one day since his last hit!) and becomes only the second player this year to get 3 hits (IT`S AUGUST, FERCRYINGOUTLOUD!). Joe leaps to 2nd place up from 22nd. Mike Roche's Sports People List snags his second hit of the game.

Congrats, Joe and Mike!

Blurb Credit: Mike Roche

Diff`rent Strokes and Facts of Life Actress Charlotte Rae has died at 92, and 4 players picked up the hit: Aunti Di's List two, Joe Biasi and Kevin Byrnes each get their second hit, moving to 2nd, 3rd and 4th place, respectively. Bob Razem gets his first hit of the game.

Congratulations, all!

Blurb Credit: Mike Spinney

Science Fiction Grand Master Harlan Ellison has died at 84, bringing an end to Natalie Tyler's seven year solo vigil as her Old Writers Never Die.... List becomes the first list to get a THIRD hit this year.

Congratulations, Natalie!

Jackson 5 patriarch Joe Jackson has died at 89, and 2 players picked up the hit: Kelly Keegan's List 2 gets his third hit of the year, moving up to 3rd place. In addition, Shelley Brown's List 3 got her first hit of the game.

Congratulations, Kelly and Shelley!

Baseball HOFer Red Schoendienst has died at 95, and 2 players picked up the hit: Natalie Tyler gets another 2nd-hit, this time on her Sporting Chance List, which moves up to Second Place. Mike Roche's Sports People List gets his first hit of the game.

Congrats, Natalie and Mike!

Blurb Credit: Mike Roche

The last living Munchkin has died at 98. Jerry Maren ends Aunti Di's 3 year solo vigil as her List one picks up it's first hit of the year, moving up to fifth place.

Congratulations, Aunti Di!

Blurb credit: Mike Spinney

Author Philip Roth has died at 85, and we FINALLY have our second hit of the year as Natalie Tyler's Old Writers Never Die.... List picks up the solo and moves up to first place

Congratulations, Natalie!

Blurb Credit: Natalie Tyler

Actor Joseph Campanella has died at 92, breaking our 65-day dryspell, and giving Aunti Di's List two her first hit of the year. Amazingly, even though this is our 6th hit of the year, we still have 35 people with a single hit and nobody with more!

Congratulations, Aunti Di!

Physicist Stephen Hawking has discovered how time ends* at 76, and 2 players had him on 3 lists: Natalie Tyler had him on both her Old Writers Never Die.... and Diet of Worms lists, while Mike Roche included him on his Celebrities List. They move to the top of the standings in this order.

Congratulations, Natalie and Mike!

Blurb and write-up credit: Natalie Tyler and *Mike Roche

Roger Bannister was the first man to break the 4-minute mile, and he died at the age of 88. Natalie Tyler's Sporting Chance List picks up the solo on her first hit, and dashes up to second place.

Congratulations, Natalie!

Blurb Credit: Natalie Tyler

Old-time actress Nanette Fabray has died at 97, and 4 people have got their first hit: Shelley Brown's List 1 moves to 2nd place, while Brave Sir Robin and Natalie Tyler's Let`s Hear It For the Girls List move to Ninth and Judith Place jumps up to 13th

Congrats, all!

Blurb credit: Mike Spinney

Our #2 most-picked celeb Billy Graham has died at 99. At 25 lists, he was our fourth-highest picked this year, and our biggest hit since Zsa Zsa Gabor in 2016. 40% of the lists included him, and all are getting their first hit of the game. Therefore, the spread in the standings is all from Rank and Referral points.

We have a 4-way tie for 2nd place:
Shelley Brown's List 2
John Downey
Mike Spinney
Natalie Tyler's Most Likely to Succeed: Class of 2018 List

2 tied for 6th place:
Nancy Freebery
Toe Tag

2 tied for 8th place:
Nathan Raupach
Natalie Tyler's Republicans Reposing List

A 3-way tie for 10th place:
Joe Biasi
Bob Lyhus
Sarah Wallace

5 tied for 13th place:
Michelle Downey
Gene Kaufman
J.R. MacDonald's List one
Rich Place's Whiz List
Lindsey Roke

A tie for 18th place:
Kevin Byrnes
Natalie Tyler's Old Friends List

Sitting by himself in 20th place:
Bob Broadhurst

A 4-way tie for 21th place:
Kelly Keegan's List 2
Kelly Keegan's List 3
Paul Lineback
Natalie Tyler's Food For Worms List

And finally, a tie for 25th place:
Katy Conlin's List 2
Neil Hall

Congratulations, all!

Comedian Jerry Van Dyke has died at 86, giving us our first action of the game. Scoring the solo hit is Laura Welliver's Jerry Jerry Jerry List.

Congratulations, Laura!