Random Sports Thoughts: Cockfights, Canceled Midweeks, and One Marylander’s Gift to Dawg Nation
Top jockeys Jose and Irad Ortiz Jr. are under potential scrutiny over alleged involvement in cockfighting, with social media photos and videos linking them to illegal events. Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Edwin Diaz is also implicated, despite his claim that cockfighting is legal in Puerto Rico, which has been false since a 2019 federal ban. Meanwhile, college baseball teams are facing criticism for canceling midweek games to protect their records ahead of the postseason.
- ▪Jockeys Jose Ortiz and Irad Ortiz Jr. are linked to illegal cockfighting through social media photos and a video from November 2025.
- ▪Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Edwin Diaz is associated with cockfighting events, including advertisements using his likeness and a photo of him in a cockfighting arena.
- ▪Cockfighting has been illegal in Puerto Rico since 2019 due to a federal ban, contradicting Diaz's claim that it is legal there.
- ▪The NCAA has expressed concern over Division I baseball teams canceling non-conference midweek games to protect their rankings for the national tournament.
- ▪Some college teams are canceling games against lower-ranked opponents to avoid losses that could negatively impact their RPI and tournament positioning.
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Random Sports Thoughts: Cockfights, Canceled Midweeks, and One Marylander’s Gift to Dawg Nation Chris Queen | 2:16 PM on May 16, 2026 AP Photo/Gene Blythe, File Since I’m your Saturday editor today, filling in for the estimable Robert Spencer, who is under the weather, I figured I’d share some random sports stories. We’ll start with a scandal that could ensnare some top athletes. Advertisement googletag.cmd.push(function () { googletag.display("div-gpt-300x250_3"); //googletag.pubads().refresh([gptAdSlot["div-gpt-300x250_3"]]) }); Little Jerry was unavailable for comment.Two jockeys racing in Saturday’s Preakness Stakes have allegedly been taking part in cockfighting.
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