Kevin Haskin: Brothers chase golf dream together Posted: May 24, 2012 - 6:14pm

THAD ALLTON/THE CAPITAL-JOURNAL
Tony Finau and his brother, Gipper, are separated by only 11 months. Tony is the Golfweek Tour's leader on the money list.


MAYETTA — With a fierce wind blowing hard enough at Firekeeper Golf Course to almost steer a mishit back into your face, Tony Finau could not get enough of the range.

The long hitter struck knockdowns, bombs and pitches to watch how the gusts affected his blasts. And, when he changed clubs, he could not help but stand his bag upright.

Then, clang ... the bag blew over.

“I keep telling him it’s not going to stand up, but he keeps doing it anyway,’’ said Gipper Finau, watching and shaking his head.

This is what you get when brothers pursue their golf ambitions together. In the case of Tony and Gipper Finau, they are playing this week in the Firekeeper Tradition, a stop on the Golfweek National Pro Tour.

They are young, separated just 11 months at birth, with Tony, 22, the oldest.

Yet already, their paths included incredible opportunities after each turned pro as teenagers in May 2007.

They competed together in the Big Break, played a round with Michael Jordan and received deals from Callaway. All after Tony competed in the Ultimate Game, where he faced a spot decision to turn pro as one of 12 finalists. A $2 million first prize weighed into that decision.

The money was too good. Tony turned pro, stayed in the televised event and eventually won $100,000 facing the likes of Kevin Streelman, Spencer Levin, Scott Piercy and Erik Compton.

“This was right at the end of high school and I was almost committed to BYU or USC,’’ Tony said. “I had a big decision. But at the time, the way things were going, I thought that was the best thing for me, and my brother came in right behind me. That was it. I made $100,000 and that was some good cushion to get my professional career started.’’

As with most golfers, careers take unusual twists.

While Tony has competed in a handful of events on both the PGA and Nationwide circuits, those opportunities are not yet permanent. So this week, he is again playing on the Golfweek National Pro Tour, along with Gipper, who made his return to competition after dealing with an ailment.

Gipper missed the cut after a second-round score of 80 put him 8-over for the tournament. Tony, the leading money winner on the mini-tour with two wins in three previous starts, birdied five of his last eight holes Thursday to card a 4-under 68 and move to 4-under for the tourney. The last round of the 54-hole event begins at 8 a.m. Friday.

What is intriguing about the Finau brothers, in addition to their youthful beginnings in pro golf, is that on a tour where opportunities are coveted, each already received that Big Break.

The show captured their background, relationship and talents. Tony advanced the furthest, reaching the finals.

“It was a lot of fun to be part of,’’ Tony said. “It’s something you’ll never downplay if you were on there, especially to be with my brother. It’s not exactly a golf format, if you will. It’s doing challenges.

“In golf, you usually have time to recover. If you hit it short-side, or into a bunker, hopefully your short game can cover for you. But this is different, a spot shot that becomes a one-shot deal. That’s why the nerves are a little different.’’

Like so many other competitions, the brothers could lean on — and also try to out-do — each other.

Growing up in Salt Lake City, it was Gipper who first turned to golf.

“We were in kind of a bad element and it was very scary,’’ he said. “But we lived right next to a golf course. So when I’d walk home from school, I’d stop by and hit some balls. That’s how it started and it’s been good ever since.’’

By the age of 6, Gipper was winning tournaments. That put Tony, who started at 7, a little behind.

“It took me three to four years to compete with him as a junior golfer,’’ Tony said. “It’s good. We both like to compete and play with each other, and we do something when we’re practicing.’’

Often, dinner is on the line. Jabs are traded over just about anything. Like handling a golf bag in a stiff breeze.

“I’m the one who kind of has to be the peacemaker,’’ Tony contends. “Being older, I’ve got to be mature and not so competitive.’’

Competition is keen enough on tour. So much so that the decision by the two brothers to turn pro so early is still scrutinized. Yet the experience of playing in high-profile events gives them a potential edge as they progress.

“I’m 22 years old, but I feel like a veteran,’’ Tony said. “I’ve been a pro now for five years. Some are amazed because that’s when guys are just getting out of college, but I feel like I’ve got a leg up on them because of the experiences playing at the top level.’’

Testimony Troy Polamalu Pittsburgh Steelers

Uaea Masina receives offers from Utah and most recently Colorado

Uaea Masina, LB, Salt Lake City (Utah) Brighton – Masina has quickly gone from an unknown Utah linebacker to a rising star out west. This 6-2, 210-pounder is really well-put-together, looks ready to add more good weight and plays with great length. His long arms and his speed in pursuit allows him to cover all kinds of ground in both the pass game and the run game.

Masina just picked up his second offer on Friday from Colorado, joining the one he already had from Utah. If he camps around, he could land several more this spring and summer.

FARINELLA: After season off, Tatupu looking to prove himself BY MARK FARINELLA SUN CHRONICLE STAFF Sunday, May 20, 2012 2:00 AM EDT

Former KP standout gets fresh start in Atlanta
Every now and then I like to fill you in on how some of our area's most accomplished athletes are doing in the professional ranks. So it was that I called the Atlanta Falcons last week, seeking to catch up with one of King Philip Regional High's all-time greats.

Lofa Tatupu, following a year out of football, has signed with the Falcons in hopes of regaining the form at middle linebacker that led him to three Pro Bowl berths with the Seattle Seahawks. He's so committed to the task, in fact, that he politely declined (through the Falcons' media relations staff) to be interviewed during the team's preseason conditioning period.

"At this point in time, we'd just like to take a pass on it," said Brian Cearns, the Falcons' football communications coordinator. "Lofa's focused on the offseason and getting ready for the year right now, and would just like to kind of lay low for a while."

Well, that's that. Having been around professional football for almost 40 years now, I can certainly understand why an athlete might want to go into bunker mode and shut out the distractions. This is a very important offseason for the Southern Cal product via KP and the University of Maine, and I'm sure he wants to give it his undivided attention.

But I hope he also knows how diligently his local fans support him and want to know how he's doing; no matter where I go in the towns we cover and beyond, people stop and ask about the progress of Tatupu and our other local emissary to the NFL, Arizona Cardinals' fullback Anthony Sherman of North Attleboro. No, I haven't forgotten about Nick Schwieger, former Bishop Feehan and Dartmouth standout, who's getting his shot with the St. Louis Rams as an undrafted rookie running back. But he's just at the beginning of his road. Tatupu, entering his seventh NFL season, is a lot farther along on his journey.

The last couple of years have been a pretty big speed bump for Tatupu, unfortunately.

He was riding high with the Seahawks after becoming their second-round draft pick in 2005 and leading their young defense to a Super Bowl in his rookie season. Three Pro Bowls later, the Seahawks extended his rookie contract through 2015, six years for $42 million including a guaranteed $18 million.

But suddenly, injuries started to dog the fiery middle linebacker. A torn pectoral muscle ended his 2009 season prematurely, and sore knees bothered him throughout the next season. And the Seahawks' fortunes were plummeting at the same time, prompting a coaching change from Jim Mora to Pete Carroll, Tatupu's former coach at USC, in 2010.

You'd think it would be a match made in heaven, right? The first thing Carroll did after the 2010 season was over was ask Tatupu to take a massive pay cut. Tatupu balked, he was released, and he spent the next year out of football as a result.

Fortunately, the Internet is vast and infinite. A search of the vastness brought me to a post-signing "five questions" interview that Tatupu did with Jay Adams of the Falcons' website, and I dutifully offer some of those responses here. Adams asked Tatupu if the quick transition from high-salaried starter to street free agent was hard to accept.

"That was definitely foreign territory for me," Tatupu said. "But it was kind of, at this point, like I know I can play, you know? I did just finish 2010. I finished that season. I played all 16 and I felt like I played well within the scheme we were in. I don't think it played to my strengths, necessarily, but I'm going to do whatever I can, whatever I'm told to do, to help us win and be successful. Not that I ever sat back and was like, 'I'm the man,' but it definitely does bring a taste of reality to you."

Adams asked Tatupu what it was like to be idle while the NFL was in full swing last season.

"When you've been playing the game since you were 7 years old, every part of it is engrained in you," he said, "and when you're playing in college, you've got more of a job - you're regimented. So, I'm waking up at 6, 7 o'clock like, 'I'm supposed to be somewhere right now.' My body knows, even though I don't have anything to do or anywhere to go, I feel like I should be at breakfast right now, going to my 8 o'clock meeting after that. That was kind of the weirdest part about the whole thing."

The time away from football hopefully will have given Tatupu's sore knees a chance to heal and strengthen for the challenge ahead. If he can prove to the Falcons that he can still play at a high level, he's got a legitimate chance to start at middle linebacker in their base 4-3 defense.

So far, Tatupu said, he feels welcome in Atlanta - although he and his wife were in the process of selling their Seattle house and trying to find one in Massachusetts when this opportunity arose.

"From top to bottom, this organization and the guys they've brought in, they've been great, standup guys," he said. "I don't see attitudes or egos coming between any of us. I look forward to working with them, but also getting to know them off-field. It's tight. It's like a family here. Some teams don't have that feel and people just kind of go in their opposite directions."

But he also told Adams that he knows he has something to prove. His accomplishments in Seattle are in the past, and the future remains uncertain.

"I have to earn the respect of my teammates and earn their trust, but also earn a place on this roster." he said. "That's why I came here because they said I could compete for a starting spot, and I don't expect anything to be given to me. I just wanted the opportunity to fight for a spot."

That's exactly what he's doing, allowing no distractions along the way. Local fans will have to be satisfied with highlights or NFL cable-TV packages to follow him; unlike Sherman and the Cardinals, who'll be the Patriots' foes in the Gillette Stadium home opener, they won't be able to see Tatupu in person unless the Patriots play the Falcons in Super Bowl XLVII in New Orleans.

Right now, however, Tatupu is just looking ahead to his next workout and his next organized team activity, and is taking his NFL comeback one step at a time.

"I look forward to the challenge, most definitely, yes," he said in the online interview. "I definitely have a chip on my shoulder and I'm looking forward to it."

And I'm definitely looking forward to wishing him well in person later this season.

Kyle Goon: Edwin Mulitalo going out on a limb in Samoa

Former NFL player Mulitalo will uproot family from Utah for distant coaching job.
First Published May 19 2012 06:05 pm • Last Updated May 20 2012 12:08 am

Imagine: You’ve retired from a long and successful NFL career after making millions. You have a wife, four children and a lot of spare time.

What do you do with your money and your influence? Right — uproot yourself from the U.S. to move to Western Samoa to help start its first American football program.

No? That wouldn’t be your first choice? Well it’s a no-brainer for Edwin Mulitalo, the offensive guard who once won a Super Bowl with the Ravens. And he knows already that he’s in for a challenge.

"This isn’t like American Samoa — it’s still a little bit raw," he says. "We’ll be going up against rugby, and that’s going to be tough."

It was only a few months ago when Mulitalo started hearing some requests from St. Joseph, a private school in Western Samoa. They needed helmets and pads — could he help?

Mulitalo used to own an arena football team, so he sent the essential equipment over. It was a cause that played to his heart: helping young men learn life through the game of football.

St. Joseph then asked for more. Could he volunteer his time? Could he possibly coach?

The 37-year-old Mulitalo, his football career behind him, slowly warmed to the idea.

"One thing led to another, and sure enough that’s what happened," he says. "I decided I would love to do this."

So, next month the Mulitalos will head from Herriman to Samoa, where the NFL vet will serve as — get this — offensive line coach, a position he could probably take anywhere he wants.

Guard Peyton Siva’s summer plans are simple:

1. Get enough rest so that the ankle he sprained back in November finally can fully heal.

2. Shoot a lot of jumpers. Lots and lots of jumpers.

Cardinals coach Rick Pitino said toward the end of the season that the coaches had tweaked Siva’s shot. Pitino said the main adjustment they made was correcting the junior’s tendency to fade away instead of jumping straight up on his shot. The result helped him shoot 42.8 percent (6 of 14) from 3-point range in the postseason after making just 20 percent (11 of 55) during the regular season.

Siva, however, said the change was more psychological than physical.

“(Pitino) just told me to stay balanced, stop thinking about it and just keep confidence staying with my same shot,” he said. “I didn’t change it at all, just keep my same routine. That’s all I’ve been doing — just playing in open gym, just working on it.”

Siva said the left ankle he injured Nov. 14 still swells up after he plays, but it’s improving.

“It was a longer ankle sprain than a lot of people thought,” he said. “It was probably like an 8-10-week (injury), and I came back after the first week. I didn’t want to sit out that long; I didn’t want to do that to my teammates. It’s getting healthier now, and I’m just now starting to get back to jumping off of one foot.”

Now or Never for Bengals’ Rey Maualuga

Around The NFL
May 19th, 2012 at 4:41 pm by jasonAround The NFL

As we continue break down all of the Bengals who are set to be free agents after the 2013 season, we now look at the quarterback of the Bengals top-10 defense, MLB Rey Maualuga. Its’ been a bumpy road for the former All-American out of USC, as he’s struggled with arrests, injuries, and inconsistent play while playing the hardest position on defense for one of the toughest defensive minds in football in Mike Zimmer.

On the field, Rey has been an enigma. He began his NFL career as an outside linebacker after playing at USC in the middle. After two seasons, he moved inside last season and had mixed reviews. Rey started out the year playing at a high level, but his play fell off late in the year and he became a liability. He can be very physical and land the big-hit, but often whiffs on tackles leading to big plays given up. His inconsistency, and tendency to be out of position by either over-pursuit, or getting caught up in blocks hurt the defense late last season as the Bengals were gashed up the middle by the Ravens and Texans in the midst of the teams’ 2-game losing streak to end the season. He attributed his poor play down the stretch to an ankle injury, the same ankle he broke that cost him the remaining 2 games of the 2009 season. Rey has only missed 4 games in his 3-year career, so he clearly knows how to play with pain, but he has to be more consistent with his play if wants to remain the starting MLB for the Bengals.

Off the field, Maualuga has been in trouble multiple times and hasn’t shown he can be counted on to stay out of trouble. He did have his assault charges dropped after a judge agreed to throw out the charges against him, which were stemming from his offseason arrest in which he assaulted a bar owner in a downtown Cincinnati bar. He was also arrested in 2010 and charged with driving under the influence, to which he plead guilty, and now is facing an NFL suspension because he’s a repeat offender, and the number of games he’s expected to miss is between 1-4 games, meaning he’ll already start the 2012 season behind the 8-ball.



Backup-Plan

The Bengals have no real security behind Rey if they decide not to re-sign him. Brandon Johnson is still a free agent and he’s started several games at the MLB spot. Roddrick Muckelroy was a promising young MLB going into last season, but tore his achilles the first day of training camp. If the team loses Rey this offseason, they’ll have to find a replacement via free agency or the 2013 NFL Draft.

BRENDEN FARNEY, grandson of Olosega, Manu'a Native drafted by the Oakland A's

manufou.com - COCONUT WIRELESS
www.manufou.com, 5 Jan 2012

Vacaville Highs Brenden Farney makes a throw during Mondays high school all-star game. Farney and Vacaville teammate C.J. Jacobe were drafted by the Oakland As in the MLB first-year player draft. (Mike Greener/Daily Republic)
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It feels good, said Farney, who played three seasons at Fairfield before transferring to Vacaville. Im very excited, very excited.
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In helping the Bulldogs tie for the Monticello Empire League title, Farney, a shortstop, led the team in hitting (.487), runs scored (29) and triples (3), tying Jacobe for the top spot in home runs (5).
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I had long talks with a bunch of different organizations, Farney said.
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They didnt draft just me, they drafted my best friend, Brenden Farney, Jacobe said.

Tribal Tattoos Reflect Football Players Culture By Lauren Gandara As of Friday, March 30, 2012

Coach Tupuola

Several Pacific Islanders on the Cerritos College football team represent their culture by getting tribal tattoos to represent something significant in their lives. However, the difference between the significance of the tattoos is what sets them apart.


Defensive tackle Alex Tava is from the Tongan tribe has the symbol for warrior tattooed on his arm, which he has since he was 16 years old.

"That's how I felt inside. I felt like I should've gotten it because it represents me," he said.

Former Cerritos College defensive end and now assistant defensive line coach Darrell Tupuola is full Samoan. His mother is American Samoan and his father is Upolu Samoan.

He got his first tattoo as a senior at Long Beach Poly High School and his second one while attending Cerritos College when he received a football scholarship from Azusa Pacific University.

Tupuola explained the meanings of his tattoos.

"They have different meanings but together, all the meanings tell a story of my ancestors and my family."

While playing for the Falcons back in 2006, Tupuola recieved the Z-Man Award after posting 18 tackles with three tackles for losses.

Ma' ataua Brown, defensive end for the Falcons, is Samoan but unsure of the specific tribe that he comes from.

He has his last name tattooed on his right forearm with the tribal symbols for "fala" tattooed inside his name. According to Brown, a fala is a type of mat for sitting or lying down in the Samoan culture.

He said that the reason for getting the symbols tattooed in his arm was his cousin's idea, just to add something extra.

Cerritos College wide receiver Silver Vaifanua is also Samoan and is unsure of the specific tribe that he comes from. His tattoo is a half sleeve, going from the left side of his chest to his lower biceps.

His reason for getting the tattoo was just to get it, but he also added, "It's just to represent my culture and the artwork."

Vaifanua said the spears on his tattoo mean protection and the ropes on his tattoo ties everything together. He is unsure about the rest of the symbols tattooed on his arm.

Amituanai's Ink Displays Family History

Cerritos College linebacker Donovan Amituanai bares his chest that displays the name of his daughter who is named after his deceased mother. Amituanai is one of several Falcon football players with tribal tattoos. Photo by Lauren Gandara.

By Lauren Gandara
Inked with the reminder of those closest to him on his arm and chest, Cerritos College linebacker Donovan Amituanai talks about the influence his tattoos has on his life.

Being Samoan and Polynesian, he has two very large tattoos. One is a half sleeve and the other one is across his chest.

He got his first tattoo when he was 18 years old as a graduation present from his father when he graduated at Long Beach Poly High School.

"The one that really stands out is the 'A' with the crown, that's for my last name, Amituanai. It symbolizes loyalty and royalty to my family. It means a lot to me," he said.
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"All the other stuff on my tattoos is also from my father. I wanted to be just like him growing up so I wanted to get the same things that he has on his tattoo. His father had some of the same things so its been passed on from generation to generation"

When turned 21, he got a second tattoo of his daughter's name on his chest after she was born. He also has angel wings to represent his mother who had passed away when Amituanai was 10 years old. His daughter Aima was named after his mother.

"We Polynesians are strong believers in getting tattoos that mean something, we don't just put anything on our bodies. Obviously, the things that I have are some things that my family had and I represent it with pride when I play on the field that people can see it on my arm."

Teammate and quarter back Paul Lopez said that he likes the fact that Amitauanai's tattoos are about his tribe and have a cultural meaning behind it unlike some people who just get tattoos for the sake of having them.

He added that Amituanai seems to be very passionate about his tattoos because he is also very passionate about his tribe.

"When we do that huddle in the beginning of the game, that's one way," Lopez said.

Amituanai said that he got his tattoos in the most sensitive areas on his body because he believes that he should endure pain for the things that mean the most to him.

"Growing up, I saw my father had one and I always just thought it was something cool and as I got older I realized that the things that he had on his arm weren't just tattoos, it actually meant a lot to him. It had tradition behind it and that's what I wanted, I wanted something that meant a lot to me."

Defensive end Ma'ataua Brown is Samoan who also has tribal tattoos. "I think it's pretty amazing the way his tattoos reflect our culture," Brown said.

Both on and off the field, Amituanai said that he smiles knowing that he always has those important and influential people with him.

"Whenever I look at them it puts a smile on my face."

"It makes me work harder when I'm out on the field and I just beat my chest sometimes when I'm on the football field because I know that I have this tattoo on my chest. I know that I'm representing every will. The one on my arm is the one I really like also because it's something that my father has and I know that he's with me wherever I go."