hawaii vs uga - the ha'a

Interesting article from nola.com on the Hawaii Warriors and their ha'a dance
http://www.nola.com/timespic/stories/index.ssf?/base/sports-1/1198995678155080.xml&coll=1&thispage=1

You can see several videos of their old haka, as well as the new ha'a on YouTube.

Here's a good one, "Origin of the Haka"
http://youtube.com/watch?v=NDrKPwBIjNo

They've changed it recently, though, after complaints over the 'throat slitting' motion.

Here's a video from the Honolulu Advertiser, showing the new ha'a. Video notes say:

From The Honolulu Advertiser:

The University of Hawai'i football team debuted its new version of the haka before and after Saturday's 49-14 win over Nevada-Las Vegas.

Not to confuse people, this is actually the Hawaiian Ha'a and not the Maori Haka. If you listen closely, it's spoken in fluent Hawaiian and associates Hawaiian movements.

http://youtube.com/watch?v=0pCZ5RkhJkY

Great vids. There's a high school in the Dallas-Ft. Worth area, Euless Trinity, that performs a Haka before every game. CBS did a story about it: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sbHffGdbEpw

Thanks for that vid! Who knew there were Tongans in Texas? Although it was a little strange to see a pale, red headed haole starting that haka. 8)

I read somewhere else that the high school team takes a 15 yd penalty every time they do the haka, because other teams claimed it is unsportsmanlike. PLEASE! But they do it anyway.

My mother sent me a link to the Hawaiian fan party last night. The food menu was renamed things like "De Bess" crab cakes and "Warrior kine" gumbo.
Love it! She says there are 15,000 Polynesians in the city passing a good time.

I'm wearing my University of Hawaii t-shirt today.
Go (Rainbow) Warriors!

I was just telling a bunch of people about that cool dance last night.
I'm sure June Jones is one of the happiest people on earth.