LSU Reportedly Plans To Have A Live Tiger On The Sideline For Game Against Alabama

A live tiger on the sidelines of a high-stakes college football game between Alabama and LSU with thousands of fans screaming their heads off. What could go wrong? The No. 15 LSU Tigers have the No. 11 Alabama Crimson Tide coming into town for a big-time Death Valley matchup with College Football Playoff implications this weekend, and they're pulling out all of the stops. However, the internet is advising them to maybe rethink pulling out one of those stops, because it just so happens to be a live tiger. Sources are telling LouisianaSports.net that the Tigers plan on bringing back a tradition to their sidelines in the form of a real, caged tiger. LSU's mascot is obviously the Tigers, but since 2015, they've just allowed that mascot to be represented by a traditional person-in-tiger-costume. To be clear, LSU only stopped bringing in their live tiger mascot that they keep on campus in 2015. They had a rich history of bringing in the live animal to act as their mascot since 1936. Veterinarians stopped it a decade ago because of health concerns with what was then Mike VI. The university never restarted the tradition, even when Mike VI passed on and Mike VII was introduced as the next mascot (they just name the tiger mascot the same thing every time). And interestingly enough, this weekend's potential presence of a live tiger isn't being initiated by LSU. It's actually being driven by Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry. In a September news conference, the state's governor publicly advocated for the return of the tradition, saying: "I think the opportunity to bring our mascot back onto the field is an unbelievable opportunity." The word "unbelievable" is carrying a lot of weight in that statement. Unbelievable as in, "How cool would that be?" Or unbelievable as in, "What in the hell are we thinking?" I guess we'll find out come Saturday night when Alabama and LSU face off on ABC, because according to the multiple sources that have touched base with Louisianasports.net, it's happening: "Landry has received some push back from LSU. The university has concerns about the potential trauma a tiger could undergo being driven around the stadium in front of over 100,000 screaming fans. In the past, cheerleaders have induced the live tiger to roar by stomping or beating on the mobile cage repeatedly. In more recent years, a stuffed tiger was waved in front of the cage to provoke the live animal. Because of those university concerns, Mike VII, LSU’s current eight-year-old mascot, will be kept in his 15,000 square foot habitat across the street from Tiger Stadium. Instead, Landry has facilitated the delivery of a tiger from an out-of-state refuge to assume the role for Saturday night’s game." https://twitter.com/1045espn/status/1854587863435755817?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1854587863435755817%7Ctwgr%5E31a0aaf818cd36e097919dfe1f53f5321d26bf9b%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fbrobible.com%2Fsports%2Farticle%2Flsu-under-fire-live-tiger-alabama-football%2F Wait, wait, wait. They're planning on bringing a tiger from out-of-state? With what I'm assuming has no experience being around large crowds? I know that beating Alabama when they come to town is a big deal for SEC schools (not Vanderbilt), but this seems like it's taking it all a bit too far. As you might imagine, the internet has been quick to call out question the decision by LSU (or I guess the state's governor) to bring a live tiger that has never been around crowds before to their big game against Alabama:

LSU is saying no and the governor is...doing this on his own? What?

— Laura Wilhite Gieseke (@Laura_W_Gieseke) November 7, 2024

Not a fan. Cats are nervous animals with sensitive ears. A loud stadium is the last place a cat wants to be. I'm not even PETA. I eat cows. This however is cruel.

— hondaman (@hondamankev) November 7, 2024

A live tiger with 100,000 fans screaming that mf going be traumatized

— Choke (@CChokeske) November 7, 2024

There’s a reason this stopped in 15. If LSU won’t even bring Mike out there it’s almost worse to bring a second tiger out there like a sacrifice.

— Breyton Keneker (@BreytonKeneker) November 7, 2024

Bama gotta bring an elephant now

— Anthony Russo (@Anthony_Russo97) November 7, 2024

Seems fair to me. I hate to come out and blatantly say this, but if these rumors and sources end up to be true, this has disaster written all over it. And frankly, it reminds me of the movie Semi-Pro, where the Flint Tropics brought in a live bear for Jackie Moon (played by Will Ferrell) to wrestle with post game. Someone should show Governor Landry this video, because bringing a live tiger into a college football stadium could end up looking a lot like this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gDH6Hg-0iUg