Posted on: Wednesday, December 10, 2003
PIGSKIN PICKS
Cash prize should help pay his bill
| • | Pigskin Picks panel |
Advertiser Staff
Honolulu's Arthur Dias Jr., 65, should consider paying a visit weekly to The Honolulu Advertiser News Building.
Because he was driving in to pay his three-month Advertiser subscription bill, Dias decided to drop off a Pigskin Picks ballot.
His ballot turned out to be the only perfect one. His 15-0 record earned the 1955 Kaimuki High graduate $500 from The Advertiser, a trip for two to Las Vegas, courtesy of Worry-Free Vacations and Non-Stop Travel, and two tickets to the Sheraton Hawai'i Bowl, featuring the University of Hawai'i against Houston.
"Usually, I fill out the paper, but I don't turn it in," he said. "Last week, I had to pay my bill, so I pulled in, handed the paper to the attendant, and walked in (to pay the bill)."
Dias Jr. said he didn't use a strategy, or extra ballots (he submitted just two). He relied on his knowledge of the game and teams.
He said he "loves football and golf. That's the only thing I watch on TV."
He also loves Notre Dame and that almost cost him. After some contemplation, Dias decided to stick with his first instinct of picking Syracuse over his favorite Fighting Irish.
"I like Notre Dame, because of that movie 'Rudy' and Knute Rockne," he said. "I almost (changed but decided) just go with my first hunch. I guess I was just lucky."
Dias also picked Kansas State's huge upset over No. 1 Oklahoma.
"I (picked) just on feeling. I really would have wanted to see USC and LSU play."
His win has made Dias a popular man in the family.
"My daughter called me and said, 'I wanna go to Vegas.' My brother-in-law called and he said he wanted to go."
Dias said he hasn't been to Las Vegas in 15 years. "My first time was 1956 and it wasn't like that."
