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The Sal "Scoop" Palazzo Column
---When he’s not hung over or at the strip joints, Scoop has been a freelance writer for the NPPL for many years, and now…he has his own column. A dedicated fan of the Pigs and the NPPL for many years, Scoop has always voiced his true feelings of the league – good or bad. His no-holds-barred approach and unmerciful opinions have led to almost-chaos throughout the entire league and its fanbase. Why would the NPPL hire an alcoholic, mobster wanna-be, blow-snorting writer that hates most of human society… for his love of the Pigs. That’s right - The Love of the Pigs. Check back every week to read his new columns and see who’s life he fucks up next!
---Disclaimer: The opinions or comments expressed by Sal “Scoop” Palazzo in this column are those of the author only, and not of the NPPL, nor should it be a reflection thereof.
Check back next week to read Scoop's next column: "Golf sucks without playing Pass the Pigs on the green??"
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August 7, 2010
THE PASS THAT WASN'T - FATEFUL PAPPAS PASS WILL HURT FOR A LONG TIME
Chicago Pig Madness 3 will be remembered for lots of things. The crappy weather that almost changed the location. The influx of many new, enthusiastic pig passers, growing the tournament to 21 players. The great burgers. The intense playoffs, in which all but one matchup went the distance.
And the fateful pass.
It's been 2 weeks since the tournament concluded, and in that time, Jim Pappas is still haunted by his deciding game 5 rubber-match with Erika Elliott. Up 85 to 50 with the game & NPPL championship firmly within his grasp, he chose to pass after reaching 95 points, the logic being that he had pigged out in 2 prior attempts to reach 100. He reasoned that he'd be poised for a one roll victory, probably nailing a razorback to lock the championship up. More importantly, with Elliott needing to get 50 points to win in one roll, the odds were against her.
Unfortunately for Pappas, she did just that. In the blink of an eye, a championship was won. And lost.
PASS DEBATABLE, BUT STILL HARD TO SWALLOW
Now I'm not writing this column to bash Pappas. I've played this game for many years and have been in that situation many times myself. I understand the argument for passing in that situation. His pigs were cold for 2 prior rolls, and it's not like Elliott was putting together anything either, pigging out in 2 attempts at 50 points and never really coming close the 100 point threshold. With the average roll bringing 5 points, it would most likely take 3 rolls to win. Add in that pig outs were happening at a rapid rate during the match, and the fact that Elliott was so far behind. It was almost like taking one more snap to line up that game winning field goal perfectly.
Only the snap was fumbled.
And yes, there were many that thought the roll was a mistake. "I don't know what the hell he was thinking!" said one bitter player who wished to remain anonymous for fear of an enraged Pappas beating the shit out of him afterwards. "At 85, ya go for the kill! A terrible, terrible, move!". I see that argument as well. The best pig passers are usually the ones that go for the kill. Who don't fear the pigout. Reckless, yes, but also confident in their moves. Sometimes you just have to go for it. Points can come in bunches, so be on the offensive instead of having the defender mentality. Of course this can backfire as well, so who really fucking knows? It is a game of luck after all. But in a championship match, it's probably better to come out swinging.
PAPPAS DIDN"T LOSE IT--ELLIOTT WON IT
Lost in all the hoopla surrounding the Pappas "should he have or shouldn't have" rolled, everyone seems to be forgetting that Elliott won the match by rolling 50 points in one turn to grab the victory. Anyone who has played this game for a long enough time knows that a 50 point roll is not an easy thing to do. And to her credit, she had been doing that all night. Don't forget that she won her division and posted the best record in the tournament that day. Pappas, meanwhile, was a true underdog, squeaking into the playoffs at 4-5 in a weak division, until finally getting hot in the playoffs and taking out Day & Hamlin. In the end, the unproven rookie taking out the veteran regular season champ was probably too much to expect.
In the end, Pappas can keep his head high and know that he gained valuable experience to take to the next tournament. And somewhere, sometime, someday, he will be faced with a similar situation as the one he was in this summer. We will all be waiting to see his next move.
Hopefully, whatever it is will be the right one.
