Another goes that the oldest cockfighting pit in the world resides at No. 10 Downing Street in London, having been placed there by the Duke of Marleborough three centuries ago. In 1366, Edward III outlawed cockfighting, even though it was and continued to be considered a royal sport. A third tale tells of Phoenicians introducing pugilistic chickens to the British Isles two millenniums or so ago.

    Of course, enthusiasts just had to pass along to the uninitiated at the cockfight last weekend near St. George, just safely across the Arizona state line where such mischief is legal, that the killer rooster lost out to the American eagle for our place on the official seal of the United States by one vote during this nation's fledgling years.

    Enough trivia. That Salt Lake Tribune Reporter Christopher Smith and Photographer Paul Fraughton gained entree to fighting pits at all, let alone witnessing the action, sharing the traditional Dutch oven dinner the night before and learning of the tradition and legacy of the ``sport,'' is unusual.

    ``Cockers,'' as the owners of these specially bred birds call themselves, are wary of the news media.

    ``To them, any publicity is bad publicity,'' says Smith. ``I took to stuffing my notebook into my waistband to avoid dirty looks. But as people warmed up to us, we were treated congenially.''

    There was a pre-stipulated ground rule, however: No camera would be allowed at the actual fights. Promoters had concerns that spectators and bettors (thousands of dollars exchange hands at one of these events) might not want to be photographed.

    For Smith, the cockfight itself was anticlimactic. ``It was not as gruesome as I expected. It is certainly not for everyone, but you would probably see more blood at a Mike Tyson prizefight.''

    Many of the cockers present at the Beaver Dam, Ariz., event are Utahns, whose pioneer roots and lifestyles have made them pillars in their Beehive communities. Indeed, there is some discussion whether Brigham Young himself may have occasionally enjoyed a good rooster battle when the sport was accepted and legal.

    Arizona is one of five states that permit cockfights. Even Nevada, land of few barriers to sins of the flesh, says not in our state. There is little understanding of cockfighting among the public, and that which is known is laced with stereotypes. The average cocker is not who or what you might think. A 1974 Clemson University study indicates they tend to be middle-class Americans and that there are ``no serious psychological differences between those who engage in this behavior and those who don't.''

    But the sport generates intense debate. Says Larry Bain of Layton, past president of the Utah Gamefowl Breeders Association and an avid chicken fighter: ``Chicken fighters support logical, realistic and fair animal-welfare laws written by people who know and deal with animals. They do not support rights for animals that raise them to an equal level with humans.''

    James Massey of Tucson, head of Citizens Against Cockfighting, is trying to get a measure on Arizona's ballot in November making cockfighting a felony. ``This was the last state to ban organized dog fighting [in 1979]. Should we be last again? Arizona's image should not be [that of] a haven for animal fighting.''

    The candid presentation by Smith and Fraughton begins on the front page this morning. Parts of their depiction of modern-day cockfighting and its connection to Utah are rough.

    But, as they point out, the same could be said for a boxing match.

    -----

    I don't relish finishing this letter with an ``I was wrong,'' but, as it turned out, I was -- on two counts.

    Last Sunday, I wrote that our new Weather Report would be debuting this past Friday and that meteorologist Bill Alder would have a daily weather presence with The Tribune.

    Alder, the name in Utah weather forecasting, had agreed to give readers his best quick shot on what to expect the following day. After reading that, National Weather Service brass had second thoughts about his excursion into the private sector and told him to downgrade that commitment to being a quoted source for regular weather stories.