Cockfighting rooster kills California man

We've seen matadors get their comeuppance before, but here's another entry in Boing Boing's ongoing series of animal karma: during the commotion at a police raid of a cockfight, one of the roosters decked out with razor-sharp blades cut a guy so badly he died. The headlines write themselves, so please add yours in the comments. Also, cocks.

Tulare County man dies after being cut by knife attached to cockfighting rooster's leg (Tulare Advance Register) Image: Cockfighting spurs via Wikimedia Commons

Andrea James is a writer, director, producer and activist based in Los Angeles. Her work often focuses on consumer activism, the free culture movement, exogenous mysticism, humor, and LGBT rights.

MORE: cockfighting • Culture • Delightful Creatures • guestblog

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Gabriel C.

Cockbath, FTW!
querent

In before anyone values human life above that of “animals.”

Humans are animals. :)
- t3knomanser
  
  Humans are animals, but my genes are far more invested in the health and well-being of humans than other animals.
  
  In any case, this is hilarious. I imagine after slaughtering him, the cock spit in his face.
mbdrake

A very restrained headline, Boing Boing. If this were a tabloid (except the UK’s Daily Mail who would probably complain that the guy wasn’t paying tax on the razor blades or something), I would imagine it would have actually read:

“Californian guy killed by cock”

in big bold letters, enticing the curious to read on.

That said, I’m increasingly reading about instant karma and that of animals extracting their revenge on clueless humans. Forget “Rise of the Machines”, it’s more of a “Rise of the Cocks”.

With those bad puns out in the open, I bid you adieu..
- silkox
  
  “Californian killed by own cock.”
  - Felton / Moderator
    
    “Californian killed by cock attachment.”
    - Phikus
      
      Hard to top that one…
      
      …Wait, that didn’t come out right.
      - Felton / Moderator
        
        Heheh!
  - Elmo Gearloose
    
    Charlie Sheen died?
    - Anonymous
      
      as far as i know, not yet: http://www.ischarliesheendead.com/
      but things have been pretty dicey lately.
- Andrea James
  
  @mbdrake: “Docs: Cock’s sharp hocks put guy in box.”
Prometeopr

That’s one rooster that is not going into a pot of boiling water. The first truly killer rooster in history.
EH

I’m pretty sure putting spurs on a gamecock is against the law.
Brainspore

The man was provoked into that fight. The rooster was making taunting noises which clearly called his courage into question.
Godfree

@ William George:

YEEEEEEAAAAAAAHHHHHH!!!!
nox

I saw cockfighting in rural Thailand recently. They actually tied back the talon to prevent them from damaging each other and separated them once one lost.

Not sure if the razor blades come out eventually.
duop

Revolting cock kills man
Jack

I think in this case, the chicken definitely came first. *rimsohot*
Anonymous

Well, he sure cocked that one up!
Johnny Cat

“Fill yer hands, you sonofabitch!”
Anonymous

There’s a Mexican song about something like this. The song is by Legendary singer Vicente FernÃ¡ndez, here are the lyrics in Spanish:

http://www.lyricsmania.com/la_muerte_de_un_gallero_lyrics_vicente_fernandez.html
Andrea James

“Angry bird goes on destructive rampage upon seeing pigs.”
- Anonymous
  
  Ha! Well played.
Anonymous

http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/news/3360068/Fowl-play-as-fight-cock-kills-owner.html

“I gotta go back in? I say, that’s a joke son, that’s a joke.”
Counterglow

A little cock can be a dangerous thing.
Oren Beck

Having lived in an area that allowed cockfighting it was well known how dangerous some gamecocks can be if you get on their bad side. Or even just too close. They’re a VERY easily spooked, not at all caring of or for humans at all sort of bird. Totally not even comparable to the bird in recent TV ads that’s got no nuggets. If you’ve ever had a bred fighter take a run at you? It might forever change your perception of birds in general.

In theoretical concept- breeding for fighters is supposed to be over and there “should be” no more of their kind around by one reading of such laws. In reality? there’s several bloodlines of damned dangerous birds still around quite legally depending on state laws.

I’d not suggest underestimating what even an unbladed bird can do to an unsuspecting human or animal. If the bird’s survived a few fights? Being around it if it’s got blades strapped on is edging into Darwinbaiting even if you think you “know” that bird as they’re not like a dog trainable to respect it’s handler! Let’s be honest here..humans setting animals upon each other as a dubious entertainment should be suspected of being sociopaths.

In many cases we called it the Serial Killer Trifecta. Bedwetting of psych basis+Cruelty to animals+Pyromania. That grouping being a very high correlation to Mental Pathologies often strongly ending up criminally violent. The connection to the original article? Looking at the demographics of what sort of person is into animal fighting as entertainment should say a lot.

I’d go so far as to say perhaps the animals are more ethical than the humans due to a lack of pretending any claim to well- anything beyond bloodlust.
- bat21
  
  WTH?
Anonymous

Californian Cock Killed by Own Cock

Or do you guys not use “cock” interchangeably with “stupid idiot” like we do in NZ?
- mbdrake
  
  Yes, we use that here in Blighty to refer to stupidity as well as referring to it as the male member. If anything the double meaning gives it more potency..
  - george57l
    
    I don’t know about more potency but it sure made it stand out.
    
    But as well as cock for stupid idiot, we have ‘cocked up’ as in messed up, made a mistake:
    
    “Cock cocked up cock, died.”
- Anonymous
  
  Or do you guys not use “cock” interchangeably with “stupid idiot” like we do in NZ?
  
  Not generally used in the USA. We do call people dicks or dickheads, and in a few regions you’ll occasionally hear someone refer to something as being “cocked up”, but we don’t call people cocks, and even if we did it would mean someone we didn’t like, not necessarily someone stupid.
  
  In the USA people who are called dicks or assholes are people who have objectionable personalities or personal habits, they aren’t necessarily also stupid. A knucklehead, bonehead or “stupid fuck” is what we generally call someone stupid.
Anonymous

Clearly a candidate for a Darwin!
Frank S.

Interesting. A human harms an animal and boingboing’s comments are full of condemnation. A animal kills a human and it is full of bad jokes.
- MrJM
  
  I’m sure the tide will turn just as soon as chickens make humans fight to the death for their amusement.
- oldtaku
  
  Yes, because the humans had some choice in the matter. The guy routinely had animals fight to the death for his amusement – when one ends up killing him instead it’s karmic payback, not a tragedy. There’s no guilt at all in joking about it.
Stitch

Cockfight results: Cock wins.
Spikeles

I’m scared enough of the humble Magpie (having been on the receiving end of quite a few swoops in my day), the idea of a bird actually decked out in razor blades coming toward me is even more terrifying.
Anonymous

Cock has a slash: Man dies

(here in UK to ‘have a slash’ is to urinate)
willyboy

Tamales!
Anonymous

“Local Cock Beats His Man”
Anonymous

Too bad he wasn’t wearing a Gelaskin, huh? Huh?
William George

Looks like his chickens…

*sunglasses*

Came home to roost.
Smithereens

New book out…Simply cases of animals acting on instinct? That’s what the zoos and animal theme parks would have you believe. But historian Jason Hribal tells a different story. In the most provocative book on animal rights since Peter Singer’s Animal Liberation, Hribal argues persuasively that these escapes and attacks are deliberate, that the animals are acting with intent, that they are asserting their own desires for freedom. “Fear of the Animal Planet” is a harrowing, and curiously uplifting, chronicle of resistance against the captivity and torture of animals…
Anonymous

Obviously, should have cock-blocked.
Anonymous

California Man’s Cock Revenge Kills For Years of Beatings”
Anonymous

Californian man killed after interjection with razor sharp cock
brix

Man Succumbs to Bleeding from his Cock.
brix

alternately:
“California Man Straps Razors to Cock, Dies Of Blood Loss”
Felton / Moderator

Please use prudence in the presence of a possibly perilous pecker.
irksome

“Cock Cooks Goose.”

Film at 11.
MrJM

“Chickens come home to roost. Being an old farm boy myself, chickens coming home to roost never did make me sad; they’ve always made me glad. ”
– Malcolm X, December 1, 1963
TimDrew

“This cock will do You, Dude”
- Anonymous
  
  I believe we have a winner here.
facetedjewel

Rock ‘em, Sock ‘em Cock Kills Owner

Chicken from a Basket Puts Man in Casket

KFC = Killer Fighting Cock
Anonymous

Cock fighting has various styles including putting on blades to inflict damage and death. Let’s face it a person, no matter how ignorant or insensitive, died and that is not something to joke about. The type of person who takes part in cock fighting is no different than those who stage dog fights or bull fights. But they don’t deserve to die, but I didn’t mind reading that it happened.
oldtaku

You insensitive bastards! There’s a real tragedy here. Five dead birds.
zuludaddy

Shock! Stropped Cock Hocks Boxes “Jocks” – Doc
Anonymous

The Deadliest Cock.
Anonymous

I am Pollo Montoya. You killed my father. Prepare to die.
aldasin

He wasn’t killed by an animal so much as he was killed by very human stupidity, as an active participant. The chicken didn’t strap a knife to it’s own leg and go looking for trouble.
Teller

“Man, Rooster, Calf in Death Triangle”
thecheat

Obviously, this is a case where MORE cock blocking could have helped, rather than hindered.
Anonymous

Cock-A-Doodle DEATH!
- Felton / Moderator
  
  Ask not for whom the cock crows…
  - Antinous / Moderator
    
    Quoth the cock,
    “Take this, motherfucker!”
    - chgoliz
      
      Wouldn’t that be “take this, motherclucker!”?
Anonymous

Cock Pricks Dick.