Should the State House take the fight out of the Gamecock?

[Mr.Marc]

I may be wrong but I believe spurs are a natural feature on gamecocks; like ankles are a natural feature on humans albeit some are more visble than others.

[goodbye]

Except that the spur on the mascot is clearly a sharp metal object meant for cutting. The chicken can't fight fair, so it is given a device to help attempt victory over it's enemies. (JUST JOKING everyone!)

[waccamatt]

I think it's kind of funny that the state's flagship university has a mascot that's illegal.

The MASCOT isn't illegal, fighting the mascot in a ring against another animal is illegal. Good grief.

[Spartan]

I may be wrong but I believe spurs are a natural feature on gamecocks; like ankles are a natural feature on humans albeit some are more visble than others.

The spurs are definately not natural. The image I showed earlier doesn't show it very well, but the talons of the gamecock are suppsed to be an orange/yellow and the spur is a grey/silver color. In cockfighting, spurs are attached to make the animals tear eachother up faster. Thats why the sport is illegal.

[Mr.Marc]

The spurs are definately not natural. The image I showed earlier doesn't show it very well, but the talons of the gamecock are suppsed to be an orange/yellow and the spur is a grey/silver color. In cockfighting, spurs are attached to make the animals tear eachother up faster. Thats why the sport is illegal.

Ok, now that I look at your pic I do see the artificial spurs. But why should they be removed? If the spurs should be removed, then there are several other things that need to be removed from mascots all over America. For instance, someone may have a problem with the tomahawk that is synonymous with the Braves. They may say that Indians used the tomahawks to kill their enemies, which is illegal in todays society. Or someone could blow Notre Dame's mascot out of proportion and say "The Fighting Irish" sobriquet is stereotypical, because it evokes in ones mind that all Irishmen have bad tempers.

Just a thought

[monsoon]

Ok, now that I look at your pic I do see the artificial spurs. But why should they be removed? If the spurs should be removed, then there are several other things that need to be removed from mascots all over America. For instance, someone may have a problem with the tomahawk that is synonymous with the Braves. They may say that Indians used the tomahawks to kill their enemies, which is illegal in todays society. Or someone could blow Notre Dame's mascot out of proportion and say "The Fighting Irish" sobriquet is stereotypical, because it evokes in ones mind that all Irishmen have bad tempers.

Just a thought

Native Americans have taken issue with the tomahawk depictions of the Atlanta Braves. Native Americans were no more blood thirsty than the white men who came here and subdued them, but the the tomahawk continues perputuate the myth that Native Americans were brutal savages that had to be tamed by white civilization.

[GvilleSC]

The MASCOT isn't illegal, fighting the mascot in a ring against another animal is illegal. Good grief.

Ummm, The University of South Carolina "Fighting Gamecocks". YEA, ok, that's NOT indicating fighting against another animal.

[jfl25]

I think everyone is missing the point why should a State represetitive who we are paying wasting our hard erned money on something as trivial as a spur on a college mascot. I guess all of the important issues like High college tuition and job loss to other countries were already solved. I am a Clemson tiger thru and thru, But I say save the spur if for no other reason than to show the government were there focus should be.

[krazeeboi]

^EXCELLENT point.

[goodbye]

And add that students should really not expend valuable time they could use on their education to dispute such a minute and ridiculously unimportant change. Great point, jfl25

[Greenville]

At SC, students can master the material and still have plenty of time to goof off and debate such matters.

[krazeeboi]

I wish graduate school students were afforded the same luxury.

[Greenville]

I wish graduate school students were afforded the same luxury.

I couldn't resist some friendly rivalry banter, krazee. Are you in grad school at SC?

[krazeeboi]

^Nah, at Winthrop; but we're also known for mastering the material and still having plenty of time to goof off and debate such matters.