Ledger to Sleeping Pills: "I Don't Know How to Quit You"

Brad Renfro was one thing, but this is entirely different. Heath Ledger, star of Brokeback Mountain and several other major motion pictures, was found naked and dead in his/Mary-Kate Olsen's Manhattan apartment today, surrounded by sleeping pills. Ledger, seen here as a young Joker in the upcoming Batman prequel The Dark Knight (which, by the way, looks pretty bad-ass), was 28 years old. Already the usual song-and-dance media display is in full effect, with articles constantly referring to this as a tragedy. We beg to disagree. Tragedy is when you die in a plane crash on a relief mission trying to help the disadvantaged in your native country, like Roberto Clemente. Tragedy is a car accident you have no control over. Tragedy is not popping a few too many pills while waiting for your daily rubdown. Leaving a two-year old daughter behind, that is a tragedy. But whether this was merely an "accident," as his family is already quick to claim despite the fact they probably know little more than you or us at this point, or whether it is suicide, as other sources are suggesting, this is no tragedy, and we have no problem posting about it in reference to our Death Pool.

As to potential Death Pool ramifications, this is truly a shock. If Amy Winehouse was the sure thing (more to come), Brad Renfro was the one who got away, and Ledger was the one we never saw coming. It would have been quite a bold pick, and even with the Olsen connection, it would have been a last-round throwaway at best. After all, there were so many deserving candidates still out on the board! Heath Ledger would have been the Buster Douglas or Michael Moorer of his generation, had he been in the pool. Alas, it was a 2-point knockout punch without a recipient. RIP, dumbass.