Sorry to correct you Dude69, but the Vick fiasco happened in Virginia. Just because he plays in Georgia doesn't mean he stays, or puts down dogs, there.

"But, he's a Met, so I guess it's just part of his culture."

When is a baseball team a culture? Isn't A-Rod a Dominican? What if it was him in the stand? You're an idiot and makes no sense.

Anyway, I still don't think this is the same as Vick's case, who actually arranged, financed and participate in dog fights that are illegal in GA. Not that I favor having cockfighting, bullfighting or any activities that would involve the hurting and killing of animals for our entertainment, but that's within their borders and the Dominicans have to deal with it themselves. If any baseball player is caught watching a bullfight in Mexico would we be as outraged?? Americans have a history of imposing their beliefs and values in other cultures just because they are the most powerful nation in the world. This is a borderline case here. Ask any Dominican in DR if they have problem with cockfighting and I bet that more than 90% have no problem with it. Who are we to judge? No wonder people in other nations just can't stand Americans and our holier than thou attitudes.

Again PETA is the WORST thing to happen to animal rights in the last 30 years, I write this while I am enjoying a juicy burger!

Let's look at this for what it really is. It's a chance for Yankees fans to calls Mets players a bunch of losers and scumballs, when we all know that every player on the Yankees is the scummiest scum on the planet. The only difference is that Yankees players are forced to alter their facade to APPEAR to be upstanding citizens because we all know long hair=evil.

It may be part of the D.R. culture but think about it from an economic view as well. The wealth is so unevenly distributed in that country, unemployment is up, the GDP is predicted to fall in 2008...I'm sure that this is just another way for people of the lower classes to make a living there.

Source: CIA Factbook, more info here.

I believe this is the best current info, but someone please correct me if I am wrong.

I would of course prefer that animals were not abused for sport (and yes, I am a carnivore), but the D.R. does not have the same level of employment equality as we do. As a matter of fact, according to the factbook, we are their chief source of export income. And we are heading into an economic slowdown!

If the sport were declared illegal, I'm sure there would still be an underground sector, probably bribing policemen. And possibly more crime as well.

I agree that he didn't do anything wrong, but that since he is a public figure, he should have exercised some caution in attending an event of this type.

Just my $0.02

Wow, Pedro martinez being a douche. Go figure.

Watch the video. Kinda shoots the hell out of Pedro's "I was a spectator, not a prticipant" excuse, doesn't it?

Who cares if it's legal in the DR? It's cruel, scummy and very Pedro. But, he's a Met, so I guess it's just part of his culture.

Pedro Martinez. Scumbag in LA, scumbag in Montreal, scumbag in boston, scumbag in New York, scumbag in the Dominican.

"How is it not the same thing as what Vick did?"

It is the same thing that Vick did. The Dominican Republic has no laws concerning cockfighting so Pedro is in no legal danger. People are still free to boycott Mets games, protest Pedro's appearances, write angry internet comments, etc. I'm just happy that this wasn't a white, Russian hockey player participating in a cockfight back home because then this would balloon into a race issue instead of one that centers on common sense distinctions between international animal welfare laws.

PETA is also probably the worst thing that can happen to animals in the past 30 years.

If this is the same as Vick's, then people should be outrage next time the Post catches Derek Jeter or David Wright riding in a hansome carriage with his arm candy of the month. All sport celebrities should stop doing anything involving any form of animal cruelty!

Who gives a shit? Especially when in this country we eat animals raised on massive farms where they are abused in ways far worse than this.

For starters, I love all animals and think this is cruel. Pedro definitely exercised bad judgment and should have stayed away especially after the Vick episode. However, to say this is the same as what Vick did is overstating things a bit. This is a one-time incident that happened in another country where cockfighting is legal. Move on!

Double posts suck

Also it is not only legal but ingrained in their culture and has been fo a long, long time. To the people who claim this is on par with Vick you are the morons. What Vick did was illegal in THIS country not to mention gross....lets get real we are talking about chickens which I am positive were probably eaten shortly after death and even more positive that Vick didnt prepare the dogs to eat that they killed.

Also it is not only legal but ingrained in their culture and has been fo a long, long time. To the people who claim this is on par with Vick you are the morons. What Vick did was illegal in THIS country not to mention gross....lets get real we are talking about chickens which I am positive were probably eaten shortly after death and even more positive that Vick didnt prepare the dogs to eat that they killed.

Also it is not only legal but ingrained in their culture and has been fo a long, long time. To the people who claim this is on par with Vick you are the morons. What Vick did was illegal in THIS country not to mention gross....lets get real we are talking about chickens which I am positive were probably eaten shortly after death and even more positive that Vick didnt prepare the dogs to eat that they killed.

Cry, cry, cry, boo hoo hoo, a person from his native country does something legal in said country, cry, cry, cry, boo hoo hoo. Hey you gonna eat that drumstick?

Cry, cry, cry, boo hoo hoo, a person from his native country does something legal in said country, cry, cry, cry, boo hoo hoo. Hey you gonna eat that drumstick?

I insist, any kind of animal cruelty is for morons, be it Dominican, black, white, yellow , poor, rich or whatever. It's backward, as is a lot of stuff all over the world, even in NY.

And yes, I eat chicken ...

Overblown. I don't give a crap.

Overblown. I don't give a crap.

The type of domestic fowl used in cockfighting isn't the type that is used for food. It is a different breed, bred specifically for the sport.