Pigeons have been a part of Mike Tyson's life from before he threw his first punch. The former heavyweight champion says he owns "about 2,500" of the birds in various locations all over the country.

ANDALUSIA, Ill. — It's a sport with an aerial race track. The starting line can be hundreds of miles away from the Quad Cities, and the finish line is home. A group of people raise and train pigeons ...

For the uninitiated the world of the pigeon fancier conjures up an image of an old man in a flat cap, with the sport of racing the birds perhaps considered a pursuit for those of a certain vintage.