Hawaii has gone Alabama crazy, and everyone is Tua's cousin

Aerial fireworks are illegal in Hawaii.

It's a big deal on the island of Oahu, and the police there vigilantly enforce the law. Before New Year's Eve, for example, the Honolulu Police Department released a statement and phone number for tipsters to snitch on their neighbors. This all probably sounds ridiculous to folks in Alabama, considering our love of fireworks superstores, but in Hawaii, Roman candles, rockets, exploding mortars, fountains, tubes, novelties, spinners, heck, even sparklers, are illegal.

The state can and will prosecute anyone caught "purchasing, possessing, storing, setting off, igniting or discharging aerial devices" with a felony that could lead to five years in prison.

In other words, Crazy Bill would go to jail for a long time.

On the night Alabama quarterback Tua Tagovailoa launched himself into the national consciousness, Honolulu broke all the rules. Tagovailoa's national-championship touchdown throw to DeVonta Smith set off a spontaneous, and highly illegal, fireworks show.

"It was powerful," said Tichael Amosa, one of Tua's cousins who lives in Ewa Beach, Hawaii. "Honestly, it was so powerful. Fireworks were going off left and right."

Turns out, the biggest celebration of Alabama's stunning national championship the night of the game might not have happened in the state of Alabama. Or even the continental United States.

"When Tua won the national championship, it's kind of like the whole island won the national championship," said Adam Amosa-Tagovailoa, an offensive tackle for Navy, and another of Tua's cousins. "Everyone was so proud."

It's almost like everyone in Hawaii, on that one night, was a part of Tua's extended family. Only here's the thing. When everybody in Hawaii awoke the next day, a lot of people literally started claiming to be a part of Tua's family. Tua has over 40 first cousins, but the day after he became the hero of Hawaii he might have had 4,000.

"It got kind of crazy back home," said Diane Tagovailoa, Tua's mother.

So many people started saying they were related to Tua, that the phrase "Tua is my cousin" has become something of a running joke on the island. Some hilarious sketch comedy has popped up on YouTube, and, according to Diane, people have started making "Tua's my cousin" T-shirts.

Tichael and Adam, who were quoted in the beginning of this column, are Tua's first cousins. and they can prove it. That's kind of important because, apparently, arguments broke out after the national championship between people saying they were Tua's cousins, and Tua's actual cousins. Galu Tagovailoa, Tua's father who now lives in Alabaster, had to break up some fights over the phone.

"I had friends calling me up, like, 'Hey, do you know this guy because he's saying that you guys grew up and he's family,'" Galu said. "I'm like, dude, you got to relax, man. If they want to be cousins, let them be cousins. But they take it personal."

Tichael, who grew up with Tua and is more like a sibling than a cousin, says she twice has been in awkward situations with people who have claimed to be Tua's cousins.

"They were trying to tell me they were Tua's cousins without knowing I was actually Tua's cousin," Tichael said. "It's so funny. I told my mom, I have never experienced anything like this before -- others trying to be someone's cousin because of their fame."

To fully understand the joke, some quick insight into Polynesian culture could help.

Large families are common, and, similar to Alabama's culture, friends often get lumped into the extended family as well. Everyone in Alabama has a few aunts and uncles who aren't actually aunts and uncles.

It's the same in Hawaii, only the families are bigger.

Add a little island pride to that folksy sensibility, and suddenly everyone is related when a kid from Ewa Beach shocks the country with one of the most stunning plays in college football history. Saying "Tua's my cousin" is a way of expressing pride, but with a touch of self-effacing humor.

"It's a joke, but at the same time it's real," Adam Amosa-Tagovailoa said. "It's a claim to fame, but at the same time it's like an honor. Islanders are proud of him, and want to be a part of Tua somehow."

Tua's actual cousins -- the ones he grew up with him in Ewa Beach -- are hoping their cousin's fame spreads the message of their Christian ministry. The tight-knit Tagovailoas were all raised by the family's grandfather, Seu Tagovailoa, in their family's church. Message of Peace Ministry helped shape Tua and his cousins into evangelical followers of Christ. The Tagovailoas want Tua's fame to help spread the message of the ministry in Hawaii and beyond.

"There are some new faces we've seen at the ministry because they want to see it themselves because of the way Tua carries himself," said Tuli Amosa, the church's pastor and Tua's uncle. "We want our kids to do great things. Tua has followed that path and people now look at him like, who is this guy, and where did he learn all of this stuff?"

Tua's cousins know, and these days that means the whole island.

LINK