honoluluadvertiser.com

Sponsored by:

Comment, blog & share photos

Log in | Become a member
The Honolulu Advertiser
Posted on: Wednesday, November 4, 2009

Nii won going against odds


Advertiser Staff

Elmer Nii's secret to winning Pigskin Picks? Go against his gut.

"Well, I usually pick all the favorites but I was doing so terrible so I said, 'I'm gonna pick some favorites and pick some out-of-this-world picks' and by golly, it worked," said Mililani's Nii, who correctly picked the winners of all 15 games.

Some of his against-the-odds picks were Oregon over USC, the winless St. Louis Rams over Detroit and the Carolina Panthers over the Arizona Cardinals.

"I figured, Oregon, that Saint Louis grad QB (Jeremiah Masoli), give him a crack," said Nii, who will be 72 on Saturday. "St. Louis and Detroit. Detroit's at home, they'll probably win, but, nah, 'I'll take St. Louis. Arizona was favored by nine points, so this is the one I go opposite.' ... My logic wasn't working so just go opposite."

Nii, who was notified of his victory by radio personality Billy V, wins a trip for two to Las Vegas and $100 worth of pizza from Papa John's.

"I'm retired, retired, (I) go to Vegas," said the Kaua'i-born Nii, who was in the army for 23 years and later worked nearly 20 years with an O'ahu sugar company. "I go to Vegas about three times a year. This will be the fourth trip."

• • •