Janet Halley should move here! This Outsports writer observed:
… South Carolina may be the only place in the nation, where a stadium full of 80,000 rabid, gun-lovin’ fans will yell”Go Cocks!” without any hint of irony or shame. In South Carolina there are two major NCAA Division 1 schools, South Carolina (The REAL USC) and Clemson. South Carolina’s mascot is the Gamecocks. For those unfamiliar with southern traditions and history, the gamecock is a fighting rooster (the first and real cockfights featured roosters with spurs battling to the death) and it was also the nickname of Thomas Sumter, a famous Revolutionary War hero who was nicknamed”The Gamecock.”
Grown men, who have never heard of WeHo and probably have never seen”Will & Grace,”will wear baseball caps with”Cocks”emblazoned across the front. T-Shirts proclaim”You Can’t Beat Our Cocks”on game day. When USC plays a hated SEC rival or when we used to play Miami, fraternity-sponsored banners adorned the stadium proclaiming”Dem Dogs Can’t Lick Our Cocks”or”The Hurricanes Can’t Blow Our Cocks!” I mean is this not the ultimate for a gay sports fan or what? …
I think South Carolinians would be okay with postmodern football as long as that means the Gamecocks win!
–Ann Bartow
Hey Ann, I am in the upstate, Clemson country, but I lived in Columbia for about a year.
I can still remember the shock I felt when I saw a carload of frat boys with “You can’t beat our COCKS!” t-shirts. I thought–HUH? I am still amazed by all the “cocks” stuff, and the Clemson people do it the other way: The Cocks were limp! etc.
You are the only person I’ve seen comment on this!