How can S.C. keep their mascot?

[southpaw75]

Serious question, please keep this G-rated and set suggestive jokes aside.

Why do they have a mascot emblematic of an illegal activity? Cockfighting is not only stupid, it’s distasteful politically to fight animals (think Michael Vick), and it appeals to a heritage of ignorance that most southerners would rather forget. Besides, who wants to be known as the chickens? I have chickens and love them as pets, but there is a reason they are at the bottom of the pecking order (so to speak). Whatever history lesson SC fans can provide as explanation has been irrelevant for at least a generation.
Hawks? I like it.
Eagles? Nice.
Ravens? Cool.
Owls? Ok.
Chickens—seriously?

 

[northknoxvol]

Their fight song is called "step to the rear"....they have a lot of issues

 

[b_gann]

Serious question, please keep this G-rated and set suggestive jokes aside.

Why do they have a mascot emblematic of an illegal activity? Cockfighting is not only stupid, it’s distasteful politically to fight animals (think Michael Vick), and it appeals to a heritage of ignorance that most southerners would rather forget. Besides, who wants to be known as the chickens? I have chickens and love them as pets, but there is a reason they are at the bottom of the pecking order (so to speak). Whatever history lesson SC fans can provide as explanation has been irrelevant for at least a generation.
Hawks? I like it.
Eagles? Nice.
Ravens? Cool.
Owls? Ok.
Chickens—seriously?

I'll do you one even better. My high school is Cocke County Fighting Cocks. Hard to get much better than that. We did have to change our logo recently though. Copyright laws w/ SC's logo.

 

[walkenvol]

Guess they’re not woke yet

 

[TNinSC]

it's a reference to thomas sumter. a SC revolutionary war legend. he was compared to a fighting gamecock by the British because of how wild of an opponent he was.

 

[Other_Guy]

Because no one gives a crap about USCjr.

 

[rgvol]

Ignored

 

[Brave Volunteer]

Serious question, please keep this G-rated and set suggestive jokes aside.

Why do they have a mascot emblematic of an illegal activity? Cockfighting is not only stupid, it’s distasteful politically to fight animals (think Michael Vick), and it appeals to a heritage of ignorance that most southerners would rather forget. Besides, who wants to be known as the chickens? I have chickens and love them as pets, but there is a reason they are at the bottom of the pecking order (so to speak). Whatever history lesson SC fans can provide as explanation has been irrelevant for at least a generation.
Hawks? I like it.
Eagles? Nice.
Ravens? Cool.
Owls? Ok.
Chickens—seriously?

Interesting. I never once equated SC's mascot to the illegal act of cockfighting. Should all schools with a dog mascot change because of illegal dogfighting? I'm just not understanding the connection I guess. I mean, I wouldn't want my school's mascot to be poultry either but, to each their own.

 

[Panthro]

Guess they’re not woke yet

You don’t have to be “woke” to recognize that cock fighting is messed up.

 

[Doberman]

Seems cool and unique to me.

Like Volunteers, or Razorbacks.

Do we really need more generic eagles, tigers, and bulldogs?

Say no to woke.

 

[VOL_Lyfe]

If it would end that horrible cock-crow noise they blast in the stadium every 30 seconds, I'm all for it.

 

[VFL-82-JP]

Interesting. I never once equated SC's mascot to the illegal act of cockfighting. Should all schools with a dog mascot change because of illegal dogfighting? I'm just not understanding the connection I guess. I mean, I wouldn't want my school's mascot to be poultry either but, to each their own.

Brave, that's what a game cock is. The "game" in the name is cockfighting.

break/break

I don't mind it. If South Carolina wants to honor the dude Fort Sumter was named after by adopting his nickname, that's fine.

Way too much political correctness these days. We don't need to erase the past, we only need to grow from it.


EDIT and p.s.: Kind of reminds me of the 504th Parachute Infantry Regiment. Just as our enemies, the British, gave General Sumter the nickname "Fighting Gamecock," and South Carolina now embraces it, our later enemies, the Germans, called soldiers of the 504th "those devils in baggy pants," after running into them a couple of times on the battlefield. That is now the 504th's regimental nickname. I don't think using it means the 504th is condoning the devil, any more than the Gamecocks are condoning cockfighting.


I kinda like them both.

 

[bray2milton]

I’m a card carrying Democrat but give me a break.

 

[Brave Volunteer]

Brave, that's what a game cock is. The "game" in the name is cockfighting.

"shrugs" I guess that's true but it's not something I've ever dedicated any brain power to think about or concern myself with. LOL.

 

[bigdaddy]

it's a reference to thomas sumter. a SC revolutionary war legend. he was compared to a fighting gamecock by the British because of how wild of an opponent he was.

Yup, that mean SOB died in his 90s which is amazing for the time he lived. He gave the Brits hell. SC was a bloody state for sure for both the rev and civil wars

 

[jarhead]

If you put two Game roosters in the same area (enclosed or not) they are going to fight. Anyone who has ever owned Game or "Banty" Roosters know this is a fact. You don't have to be a "cock fighter" or a gambler to see two roosters fighting. Just walk by any place where the roosters roam free and you will see it. It's the same with any male animals especially at mating time. Roosters fight; Game roosters just happen to be better at it than other breeds.
I don't endorse cock fighting as an organized gambling sport but then again I don't lose any sleep over it either.

 

[swampfoxfan]

Serious question, please keep this G-rated and set suggestive jokes aside.

Why do they have a mascot emblematic of an illegal activity? Cockfighting is not only stupid, it’s distasteful politically to fight animals (think Michael Vick), and it appeals to a heritage of ignorance that most southerners would rather forget. Besides, who wants to be known as the chickens? I have chickens and love them as pets, but there is a reason they are at the bottom of the pecking order (so to speak). Whatever history lesson SC fans can provide as explanation has been irrelevant for at least a generation.
Hawks? I like it.
Eagles? Nice.
Ravens? Cool.
Owls? Ok.
Chickens—seriously?

LOL all upset over a chicken, you do know left to their own chickens rosters will fight as long as they have breath. You remind me of the big bust in Cocke county a few years back. Law dogs rounded up a lot of participants at the chicken fights and the humane society stepped in to rescue the poor rosters from fighting and maybe being killed. HSUS put all the rosters in garbage cans so they suffocated because they could not be reabilitated. Bet the rosters didn't want rescued.

 

[FLVOL_79]

Better than having an Elephant as a mascot or a nick name based on poisonous algae blooms.

 

[IluvdoubleD's]

What other bird would be fitting for the "cockpit".

(that's what they call it)

 

[swampfoxfan]

You don’t have to be “woke” to recognize that cock fighting is messed up.

Yes, yes you do

 

[HooahVol]

Since you said keep it PG I guess we can't say we are going to beat them, lick them or spank them.

 

[American_PitVol]

I don't think they should change it. But for the people who didn't put it together....what do you think those spurs on their logos legs were for?

 

[USF grad in TN]

I'm offended by "Fighting Irish". Needs to be Gentlemen Irish.

 

[RhodesVol]

Serious question, please keep this G-rated and set suggestive jokes aside.

Why do they have a mascot emblematic of an illegal activity? Cockfighting is not only stupid, it’s distasteful politically to fight animals (think Michael Vick), and it appeals to a heritage of ignorance that most southerners would rather forget. Besides, who wants to be known as the chickens? I have chickens and love them as pets, but there is a reason they are at the bottom of the pecking order (so to speak). Whatever history lesson SC fans can provide as explanation has been irrelevant for at least a generation.
Hawks? I like it.
Eagles? Nice.
Ravens? Cool.
Owls? Ok.
Chickens—seriously?

I think that part of the reason there is no scrutiny for this is that cockfighting is no longer prevalent enough to be in the forefront of mainstream consciousness.

It's a federal offense, but due to that, it has been largely eradicated - outside of areas that are deeply rural - which a lot of the people that get up in arms about social issues just don't necessarily care about.

That said, I don't anticipate anything is done about it soon.

 

[Brave Volunteer]

You don’t have to be “woke” to recognize that cock fighting is messed up.

I think we all recognize that cockfighting is messed up. The difference is the common sense people also have the capacity to recognize context and time period whereas the woke crowd does not. To them, the "why" doesn't matter. All that seems to matter is the "is." I personally think that's an ignorant, unnuanced, and short-sighted way of looking at things but...that's just me I guess.