AR-News: PA Sports Columnists Ridicules Cockfighting Boxer

[Political Animal]

http://www.timesleader.com/mld/timesleader/sports/8698344.htm

Wednesday, May 19th

Knockout of Roy Jones Jr. for the birds


>From the what goes around comes around department:
It was nice to see Roy Jones Jr. wobble along the
ropes of the boxing ring at Las Vegas' Mandaly Bay
hotel like a drunken old bum on his way home from a
long night at the local tavern.

The supposed greatest pound-for-pound fighter in the
last decade was KO'd in the second round of Saturday's
night's light heavyweight title fight by Antonio
Tarver, who taunted Jones before, during and after the
bout.

The crowd got into the act as well, cheering loudly as
a bruising left had by Tarver nearly sent Jones out of
the ring.

Jones, reportedly, didn't show up at the post-fight
press conference, which should comes as no great
surprise. Bullies usually take the coward's way out
after meeting their match.

Though Antonio Tarver likely doesn't know it, he
scored one for the thousands of people who have been
waiting for Roy Jones Jr. to get a taste of his own
medicine, and have been fighting all their lives to
put creeps like him out of work.

But this isn't about boxing.

For most of his life, Jones has been one of the
leading advocates for gamecock fighting, which is
illegal in all but three states - Louisiana, New
Mexico and Oklahoma. Jones, who actually breeds the
birds to be slaughtered, and those like him will try
to pass off their vicious and inhumane hobby as sport.
But judge for yourself.

In cockfighting, two roosters are placed in a pit to
fight, usually to the death. Their natural spurs are
sawed off and replaced by razor sharp steel blades
from one to three inches long or by curved implements
called gaffs measuring up to three inches in length.
The birds are also given various legal and illegal
drugs to make them more aggressive and harder to kill.


This activity is held before an arena of cheering
spectators who often wager large sums of money on the
outcome of the contest.

According to statistics provided by the Humane Society
of the United States, one-third to one-half of the
birds are killed. Winners as well as losers suffer
severe injuries including broken wings, punctured
lungs, and gouged eyes.

Cockfighting, which still goes on illegally in many
states, including Pennsylvania, is similar in its
savage cruelty to the illegal "sport" of dogfighting,
in which dogs and cats are thrown into a fenced-in
area with trained pit bulls, who more often than not
maim their overmatched victims beyond recognition.

The fortunate ones die on the spot.

Moronic spectators wager on, among other things, the
length of time it takes for the doomed animal to
succumb. The carcasses are then discarded in fields or
garbage disposal units.

Former NFL player and current pro wrestling star Bill
Goldberg has been one of the most outspoken critics of
these criminal practices. Goldberg has been featured
in a public service announcement for the Humane
Society.

It's titled, "Real Champions Care About Animals. All
Animals."

Again, that's real champions.

Guess that eliminates Roy Jones Jr. right off the bat.

Contact Kellar at jkellar at leader.net or 829-7243.



	
		
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