Game Day in Tiger Stadium Part Two: The Fans Speak

This series is sponsored by Muscle Milk…

This past Saturday’s match up with Mcneese State had all the makings of what it turned out to be, which was a snoozer of a football game. The Tigers were coming off two draining victories against Tennessee and Florida, while Mcneese, as spirited and proud a program as they are, had no chance to stand up to the athletic test that the LSU would put them through. So what you basically got was LSU disappointing its fans with a lack of touchdowns, while Mcneese thrilled their supporters with every first down that they managed. Predictable. LSU ended up outlasting Mcneese, and taking the contest 32-10, but it was much closer than the final score.

Still, it was a night game in Tiger Stadium, one of the most breathtaking venues in all of College Football. A violin recital could be going on there, and it’d be the hottest ticket in town.

The game actually had a little in-state significance. It was the first ever meeting between LSU and Mcneese State, which is an FBS power from Lake Charles, Louisiana. When LSU meets up with the smaller schools in the state, it’s normally a battle of allegiances. Most Louisianans take pride in the flagship school from Baton Rouge, but if they attended another school, those rooting roots take hold as well. The Mcneese fans were there to see their team achieve, but I’m willing to bet that most of them wouldn’t want to cost The Bayou Bengals a shot at a National Title with an unprecedented upset, especially since their division actually has a playoff.

DeathValleyVoice.com caught up to a group of fans outside Tiger Stadium from both schools that were eager to talk to us about the first encounter between the two schools.

As we mentioned yesterday, there’s a rather uneasy feeling around Baton Rouge these days. It’s not because of results; the team is 7-0. It’s because many around these parts are wondering how the Tigers got to that unblemished mark. For a fan base that is used to excellence, good fortune is not a satisfying reason to be undefeated. The debate is raging, and it’s starting with the head man. Many are wondering if Coach Les Miles is a suitable steward for the hyper talented yet raw athletes that Louisiana produces every year. Is Miles a bold maverick leader with his own approach to football success, or is he a good natured, middle of the road coaching talent in over his head at a national Power? Most agree that this how this season ends up will tell the story of Miles. He’ll be judged on what he does with this group more than any other he’s had at LSU.

Coach Miles in under a microscope not just from the national media who’ve made him into sort of a tragic figure, but from one of the savviest bunch of fans in the country. They know their football in Louisiana. They follow recruiting, know the depth chart by heart, and are aware of the goings on around the conference and on a national scale. You can’t pull one over on them. If you’re not the genuine article, they’ll sniff it out. On our journey we ran into a couple of  Tiger devotees who were eager to give opposing viewpoints on the head man. One of these men has launched an all out crusade to remove Les over at Loseleswinmore.com.

As we moved around the Stadium we ran into more Tiger fans of all shapes and sizes. There was a young cub, painted up and ready for the game…

And wouldn’t you know it, Tigers aren’t the only cats in Baton Rouge, there are some Cougars too…

We caught some just laying back, taking in the sights, and sounds…

While for others, it was truly a family affair…

When it’s Saturday, there is nothing else for us. It’s all LSU, all the time. We at DeathValleyVoice had a blast covering Game Day, and hope that we were able to scratch the surface of what it means to be a Tiger Fan.

I’d like to personally thank two lifelong brothers for helping make the coverage possible, Walter “Geno” McLaughlin, and Tommy Talley of Contrast Films. Without them it would have just been camera phone pics and passionate writing. Thanks, guys.

P.S.

We’re not back to L.A. quite yet. We may stick around and milk Baton Rouge for all the LSU related content we can, stay tuned…