JOHNNY DERANGO WINS 2009 PIGANAPOLIS 500
For once he backs up his talk with a convincing victory By: Mike Hunt
May 30th, 2009
Marina del Rey CA -- For many years now Brennan's Pub in Marina del Rey has been known for their hosting of turtle races every week. After this past Saturday however, Brennans will now be known for another lively event - The Piganapolis 500! Previously known as a fill-in tournament to the fill the gap between the Masters and the huge Pig Madness tournaments, The Piganapolis 500 has grown into one of the more tougher tournaments of the NPPL. As opposed to the usual goal of 100 points, this tournament is played by any number of players at once with the first to reach 500 points to be the winner. To prevail as the champion of this tournament, one needs to overcome any lack of patience, stamina, and oinkers and as always...one must know when to pass the pigs.
Johnny Derango was that champion on this day.
The night started off with the surprise showing of reigning champion Eric Fieland who was believed to still be in wandering around in South America trying to speak Spanish. His presence alone put shivers into everyone that played last year. As soon as he arrived, everyone knew this tournament was not going to be easily won. But hosting a field of 11 players, more than any other Piganapolis 500, Johnny Derango played a solid steady match throughout the night. He utilized the name of the game and passed his pigs often...and smartly. Never being too greedy and letting patience guide his pigs. As if he's studied the Zen of Pigs upon hours end with Master Green - a work of art...like the Art of War. And Derango was even the first player to OINKER - at 16 points! But he overcame this setback and had belief in his Pigs... Master Green would be proud.
Derango won a small box of Six Pigs from Iowa and $250!
1st and 2nd Place finishers Holly Dreier and Johnny Derango
It was anybody's game well into the 200s as Mark Rago showed his usual promise throughout the night which has won him 4 Piganapolis titles in the past, and John Coscia showed his respectable game leading the match most of the way until a blasphemous OINKER knocked him back to the bottom of the ladder. From 352 points to zero all in in one roll. Devastating, crushing, demoralizing. Everyone knew someone's Pigs would touch again - little did anyone know that Coscia would be served the first devastating setback... and two more were on the way...
Sasha Couch, a loyal and dedicated fan of the NPPL, was the second to knock her score back down to zero. Although peddling in the middle of the pack at the time, the OINKER gave her little hope afterwards as Derango was well into the 400s at the time of her pigs doing the wild thing! Not far behind Derango at that time were Mark Rago and newcomer Holly Dreier. Holly rolled her Pigs like a true veteran of the game and overcame Rago to finish in 2nd place. There's no argument whatsoever - Holly Dreier can pass some mean Pigs. In fact, this writer is curious to see how she would do at the legendary Pig Madness competition on August 1st. This writer thinks she would do well.
The last to oinker and finishing last in his 2nd NPPL tournament was Gary Williams. Oh wait, sorry, force of habit - Bob Bacon finished last at this years Piganapolis 500. Bacon, famously known for his last-place prize of Michael Bolton records after finishing dead last at Pig Madness II, had bad luck once again. But this begs the question, did Bacon, a pig-passer with a very fitting last name for the NPPL, catch Swine-Flu from Gary Williams and start one of the worst streaks in the history of the NPPL. Is it possible Bacon got infected from Williams? Can Bob Bacon be considered a source of spreading Swine Flu in the future? Afterall, Bacon is the first player to be shutout in the 500 since the famous Joe Coia back in 1999! Pig Madness V on August 1st will be a telling day for many but in the meantime GREAT PIGS JOHNNY... GREAT PIGS!!
FINAL STANDINGS:
(play stopped after 2nd place finisher reaches 500)
1) Johnny Derango 500 (1st place)
2) Holly Dreier 407 (to 500 - 2nd place)
3) Mark Rago 422
4) Ashley Hurd 360
5) Gary Williams 348
6) Eric Fieland 309
7) Mike K 301
8) Maria Skelly 286
9) Sasha Couch 90
10) John Coscia 51
11) Bob Bacon 0
2008 Piganapolis champion Eric Fineland gives his Pigs a roll...
"This is mine!", Derango said after seeing that Coscia had OINKED.
