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BATON ROUGE, LA – OCTOBER 10: Emmanuel Moody #21 of the Florida Gators checks out Mike VI, mascot of the Louisiana State University Tigers, during pregame warmups at Tiger Stadium on October 10, 2009 in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)
For the first time in nearly a decade, LSU will have a live tiger on the sideline as ESPN’s College GameDay comes to town for a night game at Death Valley against the Alabama Crimson Tide in Week 11.
LSU has housed a live Tiger mascot, all named Mike, for almost a century. But this will be the first time a tiger has appeared on the sideline since 2015, and that decision hasn’t come without some controversy.
That’s mainly due to the fact that the tiger in question is not Mike, and the decision to bring the tiger to the game was made by Gov. Jeff Landry, who received pushback from LSU officials, according to a report from LouisanaSports.net.
It’s a strange situation, and you’ve probably got questions. Don’t worry, we have you covered with answers.
Wait, LSU has a live tiger mascot?
They sure do! Mike the Tiger first appeared in 1936 and has been a fixture in Baton Rouge ever since. The current Mike — Mike VII — took over in 2017 following the death of his predecessor, and he resides in a $3.7 million habitat adjacent to Tiger Stadium which was constructed in 2005.
But didn’t LSU stop the tradition of bringing Mike on the field?
Yes, back in 2016 following the death of Mike VI. The tiger used to be rolled out onto the field in his cage and situated in such a way that visiting opponents had to pass by him on their way to the locker room. Mike wasn’t forced to get into his trailer before games, so he would occasionally be absent and remain in his habitat for some games, but the tradition has since been done away with entirely.
So why are they doing it with a…
Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/drama-behind-lsus-live-tiger-211410755.html
Author : FTW Outdoors
Publish date : 2024-11-08 21:14:10
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