Picks members pierce the 13-victory stratosphere, and several earlobes, too

Ali, Blaine, Deej, Mark, Nicki and QT achieved a record-breaking level of success in Week 11 of the Sunday Football Picks.  They averaged 12 victories per person -- the highest average ever for a single week of picks!  The wins were rolling in as fast and furious as the money piling up in Donald Trump's bank account.  Well, almost as fast.

D.J., Mark and Nicki were 13-2, tying the Picks record for most victories in one week!  It's the second time Nickster has done that.  QT was 12-3, Blaine was 11-4 and Ali was 10-5.  Never in 25 years of Picks had four members earned 12 or more victories at the same time.  The group certainly pierced the stratosphere with that accomplishment, but that wasn't all that was punctured over the weekend.

As part of Nicki and Ali's 12th birthday celebration Friday night, all four females in the Picks had their ears pierced at Claire's Boutique in Yorktown Shopping Center.  The piercing parade set a family record for most violated earlobes in one day.  The twins were first timers, of course, while D.J. and QT now sport four holes each.

After enjoying the brash servers at Ed Debevic's at the mall, QT was first to step to the plate at Claire's.  The girls anxiously looked on, but their mother didn't flinch during the procedure.  "Mom, now you're scaring me even more," said D.J., knowing she was next.

But Girlie survived without a kick or scream, and Ali followed.  The Little Bird's reaction was being carefully watched by Nicki, who also appeared a tad nervous.  "Don't worry Nicki, it feels like a small pushpin going through your ear," Ali said bluntly, striking even more fear into her poor twin.  But Nicki was a tearless trooper, too, and there were smiles galore moments later.

The piercing of the Picks stratosphere and piercing of numerous earlobes garnered attention from around the country.  For instance, Pierce Transit in Lakewood, Washington, offered free rides to Picks members for the rest of the 2004 season.  The agency provides public transportation over a 450-square-mile area from Seattle to Tacoma to Olympia.

"Unlike your Pace system, we have a management team with functioning brains, and we'd love to show you the results," said Pierce Transit Marketing Manager Scott Morris.

Fifteen towns and five counties in the United States are named Pierce, and all seem eager to have Picks members as new residents.  The wilderness town of Pierce, Idaho, offered Mark a rent-free bungalow.  The incredible forests surrounding Pierce are great spots for fishing, hiking and hunting.  But the real catch according to their website is ATV riding, which has become a popular activity in the back-country area of 750 people.  Before relocating, Mark is negotiating for the construction of low-rise buildings and a railroad system for ATV jumping.

Pierce College in Woodland Hills, California, wants D.J. after high school.  The two-year public institution gave Girlie a full scholarship to bring her back to her native land.  Located on 427 acres in the western San Fernando Valley, Pierce College combines state-of-the-art technology and learning with the picturesque beauty of its rolling hills.

"Our campus is set among 2,200 trees, a nature preserve and a forest that boasts giant redwoods," said Dr. Tom Oliver, the school's president.  "This is her chance to graduate from climbing pipes in bathrooms to climbing the tallest trees on Earth."

French tennis star Mary Pierce, who dazzles crowds around the world with her impressive grace and brilliant shots, challenged Blaine to a battle on the court of his choice.  "I'm not Anna Kournikova, but I do fit into this Pierce story line," said the 29-year-old athlete.  Blaine responded, "You're right, you're not Anna Kournikova," and he declined.

Nicki and Ali were invited to attend Pierce Middle School in Tampa, Florida.  The school has a uniform policy that calls for everyone to wear a hunter green or white Polo shirt.  Not allowed to be worn are flip-flops, slippers and open-back shoes, as well as hats and bandanas.  A display of midriffs is also prohibited, so their older sister couldn't visit, according to Principal Victor Fernandez.

"This whole Picks story is sounding quite wacky to me," said actor Pierce Brosnan.

Maybe QT and Co. will take up residence in the rural bedroom community of Pierce, Nebraska, just 20 miles northwest of Norfolk along Nebraska Highway 13.  "We're a community of 1,774 residents, but we can change our population sign to 1,779 any time," said Mayor Shannon Stuchlik.  "Instead of Indiana Beach or Wisconsin Dells, they can visit Willow Creek Reservoir, which is 1,600 acres of camping, fishing, boating, swimming and water skiing."

Does anyone in the Picks want a high-paying job at the Pierce Chemical Company in Rockford?  You can help manufacture bulk chemicals and reagents for life science and biotechnology research, and risk burning the skin off both arms.  That keeps you focused and gets your heart beating.  Pierce is a pioneer and leader in many research disciplines, including protein chemistry, sample handling, immunology and chromatography, whatever the heck those things are.  Dr. Alan E. Pierce, the respected chemist who founded the company in 1950, died in February 1995 and was unavailable to explain.