As cockpits across the U.S. closed, or went underground, American breeders continued to produce pedigreed game fowl, maintaining bloodlines that date to 19th century England and Ireland. Some made millions of dollars exporting fighting cocks to countries such as the Philippines and Mexico, where the sport is still legal and enormously popular.
Berbano proudly paid an Alabama breeder $5,000 for a cock from a long line of champions, a thoroughbred sweater yellow legged hatch. But a new law is expected to cut off multimillion-dollar exports of American game fowl.
Last month, President Bush signed legislation that makes it a felony to transport across state lines, or to export, dogs and chickens used in fights. The penalty is up to three years in jail and a fine of as much as $250,000.
The Humane Society of the United States says that will help prevent American breeders from exporting fighting animals and "puts increased pressure on the airlines to stop shipping roosters to cockfighting hot spots."
ATLANTAN Johnnie Phillips was one of at least 17 Americans with roosters in the competition for this year's Slasher Cup. Bald, and with powerful, tattooed forearms, the retired AT&T worker learned to love cockfighting from his father while growing up on a farm in Alabama.
Phillips, 61, says he doesn't get why governments would ban fighting cocks from doing what comes naturally, when they aren't much good for anything else -- especially eating.
"They get 3 months old and they're like chewing leather," he said.
As animal rights activists won more state bans on cockfighting, staying ahead of the law became part of the sport for die-hard fans like Phillips. He was arrested on a misdemeanor charge with about 65 other people when more than a dozen police raided an Ohio cockpit in 1972.
"It was a Saturday night and they brought the county school bus out there to take us to the courthouse," he recalled. Phillips got out of the local lockup by posting a $50 bond, and after paying the fine, he got a $15 refund.
Some states are tougher on cockfighting these days, but it's still only a misdemeanor offense in 16 states, mainly in the South and West.
Phillips bred game fowl on a 33-acre farm until he sold it five years ago. He has won his share of derbies, but never enough to make a living from the shrinking fight circuit. He's afraid the new ban on exports will kill off centuries-old bloodlines.
