PIGSKIN PICKS
Tamanaha knew he had a winner

• Pigskin Picks (graphic)

Advertiser Staff

Todd Tamanaha, 40, of Honolulu doesn't always submit his Pigskin Picks ballot.

And why not? "I don't think I ever got more than 10 right," he said.

This time, for some reason, he "made sure" to drop off his ballot at The Advertiser, even predicting victory.

And this time, he got more than 10 right, correctly picking the outcome of 14 of 15 games in winning the weekly contest. His ballot was selected from among 13 with 14-1 records.

There were no perfect ballots among the 8,018 ballots entered.

Tamanaha, a 1980 Kaimuki High School graduate, wins $500 from The Advertiser and a trip for two to Las Vegas, courtesy of Non-Stop Travel and Worry-Free Vacations, and two tickets to the 2003 Hula Bowl Maui on Feb. 1.

His entry, and all others submitted, are eligible for the grand prize of use of a new four-door Honda Civic LX for a year, courtesy of Windward Honda.

Tamanaha, a computer consultant, didn't use high-tech to make his selections. In the NFL, he chose all the home teams, including winless Detroit over unbeaten New Orleans and twice-beaten Kansas City over undefeated Miami.

He even predicted victory when handing his ballot to security officer Frank Rossi, who helps staff the Advertiser parking entrance to relieve congestion caused by those dropping off ballots.

"There was a guard in the front and I gave it to him and I told him to make sure to put it in (the box) because that's the winner," Tamanaha said.

Rossi remembers the conversation but says, "They all say that."

Tamanaha said he probably will take his mother, Fay, with him to Las Vegas. "She's my Vegas partner," he said.