A Gamecock is a special cock bred and trained for cockfighting. Though cockfighting has been outlawed in many parts of the world, it is still popular in Latin America and Southeast Asia. Gamecocks breeding and trading can be a very profitable business. Today the birds are still bred in several states and cockfighting remains legal in Louisiana and New Mexico.
Gamecocks are known to be strong and aggressive fighters, therefore the term is sometimes used as a nickname for people who are considered fierce fighters. During the American Revolution, General Thomas Sumter earned the nickname in his battle against the English forces in South Carolina.
Today cockfighting, like most blood sports, is outlawed in most of the United States today and the term has become better known as a nickname for athletic teams. The University of South Carolina is the most prominent institution to use the name for its athletics teams. Other schools are Jacksonville State University and Sumter High School, in Sumter, South Carolina
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