Sports in American Samoa
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Sports plays a large role in the national culture of American Samoa. Sports in American Samoa is not that different from Samoa. The main difference is the popularity of American sports such as American football and its league, NFL. Samoans tend to follow rugby union.
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[edit] American football
About 30 ethnic Samoans, many from American Samoa, currently play in the National Football League. A 2002 article from[1] estimated that a Samoan male (either an American Samoan, or a Samoan living in the 50 United States) is 40 times more likely to play in the NFL than a non-Samoan American.
Pittsburgh Steelers safety Troy Polamalu, though born and raised in the mainland U.S., is perhaps the most famous Samoan in the NFL, having not gotten his haircut since 2000 (and only because a former USC coach told him he had to) and wearing it down during games in honor of his heritage.
[edit] Wrestling
A number of American Samoans have also ventured into professional wrestling (see especially Anoa'i family). World Wrestling Entertainment has employed many members from the Anoa'i family, most famously The Rock. The company currently employs Anoa'i member Eddie Fatu, better known to wrestling fans as Umaga, who has a traditional Samoan gimmick and is also known at times as the Samoan Bulldozer.
[edit] Soccer
American Samoa's national soccer team is considered one of the weakest teams in the world. It also has the distinction of suffering the worst loss in international soccer history: they lost to Australia 31-0 in a FIFA World Cup qualifying match on April 11, 2001.
[edit] Other sports
The bloodsport of dog fighting is legal in American Samoa.[2]
- American Samoa at the 1996 Summer Olympics
- American Samoa at the 2000 Summer Olympics
- American Samoa national rugby union team
- American Samoa national rugby league team
- American Samoa national soccer team
[edit] References
[edit] See also
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