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The Honolulu Advertiser
Posted on: Wednesday, September 19, 2007

In Tojo's case, mother knows best

 •  Pigskin picks

Advertiser Staff

Hawaii news photo - The Honolulu Advertiser

Gifford Tojo

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Hawaii news photo - The Honolulu Advertiser

Marjorie Tojo

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Waipahu's Gifford Tojo is the winner of Pigskin Picks Week 3.

But give the credit — if not the prize — to his mother, Marjorie, with an assist from her late husband.

Tojo correctly picked all 15 games on the ballot, including upsets such as Tampa Bay over New Orleans, Cleveland over Cincinnati and San Francisco over St. Louis.

He wins a trip for two to Las Vegas and $500.

But while Tojo's name was on the ballot, it was his mother who made all the picks.

Tojo, 46, said his mother told him, "I'm going to pick 'em, but I'm going to put your name."

Marjorie did that because she said, "I'm kinda shy."

But her emotions ran high early Monday morning when KSSK radio personality Michael W. Perry called to say Gifford had won.

"She was jumping up and down, and I was saying, 'I'm going back to sleep.' " he said. "(She said:) 'Oh, we going Vegas!' (I said) Yeah, I guess we are.' "

Marjorie, who turned 74 this past Sunday, said she got involved in playing Pigskin Picks decades ago because of her husband, Francis, who passed away last November.

"He used to play himself. I used to look and he got me interested in football," said Marjorie, who was married to Francis for 48 years and had three children. "Me and my husband, we never won."

She decided to keep playing. "For the fun of it; I'll continue on," she said.

Oddly, she said she felt a strange sensation in her right hand the past two weeks.

"When your hand gets itchy on the right side (that means money's coming in)," she said. "I took it as fun, a superstitious thing."

Now, Majorie and Gifford will be headed to Vegas. (Her other children are on the Mainland.)

"I'll give him half," she said.

"I'll probably deposit it all in the Four Queens," he said.