For the first time in over nine years, a live caged tiger will be returning to the sidelines of LSU football’s Tiger Stadium, following a desire from Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry to see the tradition return.
Yet, the return of a live mascot to inside the confines of the gridiron has not been well received from all LSU fans or public officials.
The tiger that will try to intimidate the visiting Alabama Crimson Tide, or give a blast from the past, is not even connected to the team’s past live mascots, all named Mike.
This is an out-of-state tiger being driven in to Baton Rouge that will be on the sidelines. Mike VII has never attended a football game since becoming the team’s live mascot in 2017.
Mike VI was the last to get to watch his Tiger brethren in person because he ‘had adverse reactions to visual and auditory stimuli during pre-game festivities and became resistant to getting into a trailer cage to attend the game,’ per the Louisiana Illuminator.
A live caged Tiger is returning to LSU’s sidelines this weekend for the game against Alabama
Fans and public officials have fallen on both sides of the argument about the tiger’s return
‘Animal abuse and and gimmicky,’ one LSU fan said.
‘This is a joke. It is an absolute waste of taxpayer money. All so Landry can have his little stunt. A man that didn’t even go to LSU. This is disgusting and I feel for that young tiger being put into such an environment. It makes LSU look like clown show.’
‘I think it’s awesome.’
‘We are going to put the tiger in the end zone. So the opponent knows not to go there.’
A collection of social-media messages criticizing or favoring the live caged tiger decision
The tiger that is not Mike is from Florida and has the name Omar Bradley, per the New Orleans Advocate.
LSU head coach Brian Kelly was asked about the decision on Thursday.
‘I’m a huge Tiger fan,’ Kelly said, dodging the question. ‘Go Tigers.’
Animal-rights group PETA has also slammed the decision to have a live mascot return to the sidelines at LSU.
‘It’s shameful and out of touch with today’s respect for wild species that LSU has bowed to Gov. Landry’s campaign to display a live tiger at its football games to amuse the fans,’ Klayton Rutherford, PETA Foundation associate director of captive wildlife research, told the Illuminator.
‘Whether the tiger is confined to campus or shipped in from elsewhere, no reputable facility would subject a tiger to such chaos and stress, and PETA and nearly 50,000 of its supporters have already called on Landry to let up and leave big cats alone – and are now urging LSU to grow a spine and just say no.’
It was last month Landry told reporters that the chance ‘to bring our mascot back onto that field is an unbelievable opportunity’ and added ‘everybody that has some anxiety over this needs to calm down.’
