Bill Vergos 2010 Pig Masters Champion........ Indeed!
Los Angeles CA -- On February 27th at exactly 6:08 pm in the heart
of Hollywood, history was made. Bill Vergos became only the second
player in the NPPL to win a Masters championship as well as a
Madness title in what was arguably the most competitive Masters
competition ever! Vergos maintained his calm throwing style throughout
the tournament and rose victorious...once again.
This particular Masters tournament was doomed from the start,
and I'm not even talking about my host venue where there was water
dripping from the ceiling and dog crap littered in by Johnny Derango.
Even the usually reserved Elvis Greene from the East Coast bracket
sent negative e-mails doubting the weight of this particular event.
True, last years Champion Adam Meyer (along with the championship
jacket coincidently) was a no-show. Same for Perry Day, the 2-time
Masters champion whose antics shake up every event, was also nowhere
to be found. The drop-out rate was so bad that the field consisted of
only eight players.....but what an eight they were...
The bar was set early when, in only the second game of the tourney,
John Coscia rolled a Double Leaning Jowler against a surprisingly quick
upstart in myself to take game two of our best of three matchup. MY
APARTMENT ERUPTED and from that moment on everyone involved
meant business. But even Coscia's double jowler was not enough to
launch him into the playoffs on this day. In fact he found himself in a
3-way tie for the last playoff spot that had to be determined by a 3-man
playoff. Three-man playoffs!! Double Leaning Jowlers!! Six oinkers!! I'm
telling you my friends this Masters tournament was a donnybrook!
During all the commotion Eric Fieland quietly took care of business. From the start Fieland threw the most consistent pigs. Keep in mind Fieland had already won a Piganapolis 500 and has finished well in the Madness competitions. At one point Fieland was so confident that in the quarterfinal match between Derango and Vergos, Eric strutted by them proclaiming "It doesn't matter which one of them wins!"
As for me... only Mark Rago's failed sweep of Eric in the final match of the day kept me from finishing last place again. In fact, it was a miracle since Rago had been throwing come from behind pigs all day going on 60 point runs at will. In the end it was his four oinkers that killed him...and saved me! It is sad and pathetic that Rago and I came in 7th and 8th, but with all due respect I missed the playoffs by two games and one that I lost was at the hands of a Leaning Double Jowler. Rago and I beat both Vergos and Fieland in our matches. We weren't throwing bad pigs....everyone else was just throwing better. I must confess I almost threw up when Rago went on his final run but alas Mark Rago will be engraving the trophy this year. Thank the Pig Gods!
The championship was set for the top two seeds - Eric Fieland vs Bill Vergos. The rink was brought out and before you could blink an eye Vergos was victorious! Ironically Fieland, a part-time hockey referee, couldn't get a grip on the championship rink. He kept pigging out left and right...
" I was on the bubble early....and then I swept Derango and I channeled my 2006 Madness Pigs", Vergos stated. "From then on I felt I was going to win!"
....Indeed Bill... Indeed!
1. Bill Vergos 12-9
2. Eric Fieland 12-9
3. Ashley Hurd 11-10
4. Johnny Derango 11-10
5. John Coscia 11-10
6. Matt Janssen 10-11
7. Gary Williams 9-12
8. Mark Rago 8-13
Fieland beat Hurd 3 games to 2
Vergos beat Derango 3 games to 1
Vergos beat Fieland 4 games to 2
by Gary Williams February 28, 2010
Newcomer Ashley Hurd made quite an impressive debut reaching
the playoffs in only his first try. In fact, some suggest if he hadn't leaned
too hard on his medicinal medicine he might have taken the tournament.
Eric Fieland took him out in the semifinal after one of the most
controversial oinker calls in NPPL history! With Ashley up 2-0 in a best
of 5, Fieland threw a costly oinker that needed a third Master's decision!!
It would have seemed to give Hurd a great opportunity to sweep his way
into the Finals, but all it did was give Fieland the motivation to roll a quick
60 points afterwards, and then take the next 3 games for himself. It was
an amazing battle to the end!
Matt Janssen was up and down all day. Watching his Pigs was
similar to riding a bull. He started the day by being swept, only to bounce
right back and sweep the next match. However Janssen was too
inconsistent and ended up in 6th place and missed the playoffs.
Johnny Derango was up to his old tricks again. Psyching out other
opponents with his onslaught of insults and very poor hygiene. Derango
celebrated his 30th birthday by getting swept 3-0 by Vergos early on.
However, Derango fought back and in the 3-man playoff won a playoff
birth. Sadly that playoff was with his nemesis Bill Vergos who quickly
dispatched Derango to the spectators section for the championship
match.
Cosh enjoying his 2nd Double Leaning Jowler - both in NPPL tournaments.
Vergos now hopes to one day make a living just by playing Pass the Pigs tournaments.
