Senator: USC needs to revamp mascot

JIM DAVENPORT, Associated Press
Published March 16, 2006

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A state senator says the University of South Carolina needs to rethink its "Fighting Gamecock" mascot if the Legislature passes tougher penalties on cockfighting.

If the bill passes, "how can we as lawmakers and other leaders of this state justify a major institution in our state running ads and logos on billboards with a fighting gamecock with spurs on the feet?" asked Sen. Darrell Jackson, D-Hopkins.

Jackson's question came as Attorney General Henry McMaster testified Wednesday before a Senate Judiciary subcommittee asking lawmakers to pass a bill raising the penalties for cockfighting, which is currently is a $100 fine.

The comment came after McMaster said some arguing against the bill say cockfighting is a part of South Carolina's culture.

Murder, rape, robbery and other crimes also affect the culture, McMaster said. "The fact that it's been going on for a while, does not establish it as some sort of noble tradition in South Carolina. If it's a part of our culture, it's a bad part of our culture that we can do without," he said

Jackson's question was a tough one for McMaster, who earned his law and bachelor's degrees at the University of South Carolina.

"I think those two can coexist," McMaster said.

USC traces its gamecock history to Revolutionary War leader Thomas Sumter, whose fearlessness led the British to call him "South Carolina Game Cock."

Issue raised before

And the school has weathered similar questions in the past. "We don't glorify the cockfighting aspect," university spokesman Russ McKinney said.

Jackson said he doesn't want to get rid of the mascot, but just thinks the spurs should be taken off the gamecock's feet.

"God knows in this meeting I'm not suggesting we change it to the Fighting Peacock or something," said Jackson, who graduated from Benedict College.

The exchange didn't deter McMaster from talking about why he thinks the state's cockfighting law needs harsher penalties.

People convicted of participating in the bloody matches to the death now face a $100 fine that they see "as a cost of doing business," McMaster said.

The legislation calls for a $1,000 fine or up to a year in prison for a first offense. A third offense would be a felony with $5,000 fine or up to five years in prison. Participants also could face forfeiture of their cars, homes and other property tied to fights.

McMaster also wants penalties for parents who bring their young children to the fights. "Any father that takes a child to see one of these things deserves to be locked up," he said.

But "testing" chickens through death matches is good for bloodlines of the birds, said Mitchell Blackwell, president of the South Carolina Gamefowl Breeders Association.

"I do test my gamefowl so I can perpetuate the breed," Blackwell said. "Without the testing you will never know if you are creating genetically pure gamefowl," he said.

"We don't want the gambling. We don't want the drinking. We want the right to be able to raise, breed and to test our gamefowl," Blackwell said.

On the Net:

University of South Carolina gamecock: http://www.sc.edu/usc/gamecock.html