Any student, alumnus, or faculty member of the University of South Carolina has probably seen Sir Big Spur at a sporting event. This proud gamecock-or rather, a long line of them-has served as USC's live mascot for nearly twenty years. In Cock Tales, for the first time, the history of USC's mascot program is detailed through the eyes of the current Sir Big Spur.
Sir Big Spur's caretaker, Mary F. Snelling, has been a University of South Carolina sports fan since she was a little girl. She is also an avid rooster raiser. When she discovered a way to not only combine her passions but also bring joy to fans and children at the games, the tradition of Sir Big Spur (first called Cocky-Doodle-Lou) was born.
It hasn't been smooth sailing for Sir Big Spur. Controversy has plagued the mascot program. When a booster complained about his presence, fans and students led a movement to keep Sir Big Spur. From these hometown spats to the fun and adventure of away games, Sir Big Spur's journey captures the sometimes whimsical and sometimes strange life of live sports mascots.
Author Biography:
Born and raised in Aiken, South Carolina, Mary F. Snelling has been a Gamecock since birth. She received her bachelor of science in nursing and her master of science in public health from the University of South Carolina. Snelling served more than thirty years as an RN, largely with veterans affairs. Along with her husband, Ron Albertelli, she owns and cares for the family of Sir Big Spurs.
Cock Tales is Snelling's first book. She loves sports, music, reading, and all things Gamecock.
Choose a destination to see accurate shipping times, delivery options, pricing and product availability.
Afterpay logo
Shop now. Pay later. Always interest‑free.
Swing through the checkout with Afterpay.Get your order now, pay in four fortnightly payments.
Afterpay offers simple payment plans for online shoppers, instantly at checkout.Buy what you want today, pay for it over time. Interest free, with no additional fees if you pay on
time.
1
Select Afterpay as your payment method
Use your existing payment card
2
Complete your checkout in seconds
No long forms, instant approval
3
Get your items just as fast as always
Your order ships straight away
4
Pay over four payments, interest free
Enjoy now, pay later
How it works
Simply select Afterpay as your payment method in the checkout or when picking up your items from the Mighty Ape distribution centre,
and enter your details at Afterpay to complete your order
Your payment schedule will be shown in the checkout, and emailed to you
If you are a new Afterpay customer, the first payment will be made at the time of purchase, with
remaining payments over the next 6 weeks
Once you have been an Afterpay customer for 6 weeks, on subsequent orders you may be eligible to
make your first payment in 14 days, with final payment in 8 weeks
If you need to return your items for a refund, the payment plan can be cancelled
If you fail to make a payment, you will be charged a late payment fee of $10 with a further $7
fee added 7 days later if the payment is still unpaid