It’s a little slow on the football front right now so I thought I’d write a quick posts about a new LSU fan’s experience in Baton Rouge and Tiger stadium. I moved to Baton Rouge from State College PA in the summer of 2010. Being a big college football fan I couldn’t wait to get in some games at Tiger Stadium. Here are some of the positives and negatives I’ve experienced in my short time so far as a LSU tiger fan. Positives I absolutely love the traditions of Tiger stadium from Hail to the defense to Mike the Tiger being paraded around the stadium before games. The fans are as fanatical about their team as any fan base in the country. The tailgating at the baseball parking lot was great. The people surrounding us at the tailgates were very helpful and knowledgeable about LSU sports. Love the night games at Tiger stadium and the excitement leading up to the games. The busing system by CATS last year was a great way to get in and out of the games and save on parking. Absolutely love Les Miles as a coach. He reminds me a lot of a young Joe Paterno in terms of loyalty. What he did this offseason about Michigan speaks volumes about him as a person. Negatives The fans that I happened to sit around weren’t the most knowledgeable people in the world but that’s a small sample size. The area along the railroad tracks were absolutely trashed by LSU tailgaters. I think a better job needs to be done about parking prices and enforcing the area around the railroad tracks. I hated the fact that I wasn’t breaking the law and had to pay big money to park while others just trashed the other areas and were getting off without paying. It really gets hot for some of those early home games, which I know everyone in the south is used too.. But regardless it was hot. I’m sure I’ll get used to it as I adjust to the climate change. Although I don’t know if this is a negative after sitting through games at Beaver stadium in zero degree weather. Is there anything else I should be looking out for as the 2011 season approaches? Any traditions I missed that I have to catch on my next home game?
Did you get to see the band and team walk down the hill into the stadium? the heat? I've lived here all my life and can't stand the heat. So, you might not ever get used to it.
No I didn't see the band walk down the hill.. Didn't even know there were any hills on campus. But I'll be sure to check it out the next home game I attend.
Try to grab your spot early if you want to watch. It can be a tight squeeze between the guard rails and the buildings on either side of the street. The trash is a disgrace, and those pigs never have and never will care about that. Yeah, the early season heat and humidity are that much worse after you've knocked back a few. I've lived here my whole life and never gotten used to it. The VT game in 2007 was brutal, I still remember one of the sorority girls near our tailgate passing out from the heat.
The trash is bad but they never seem to have enough trash cans available. The good news is that many campus organizations raise funds from the athletic department by picking up trash inside and outside the stadium on Sundays. Essentially season-ricket holders are funding ROTC, Greek, and social organizations by buying football tickets and missing the garbage cans.
Yea, though I'm not sure if it's all on the tailgaters. I think some of it is thrown out of cars coming from Tigerland bars. It's definitely nasty though.
You have to get your spot on the road between Tiger Stadium and the Maravich Center about an hour to 90 minutes before the team walks and the Band follows and expect to stand in THAT PLACE for the duration. The cheerleaders come by first to greet the team, so that will be your indication somethings up. There are police all over the place, and they are doing their jobs, so if you are taking pictures, try to find a spot where no police are standing. They will stand in the way, and not be aware you are trying to get a good picture. Usually there are some good food grab joints close by, so you won't go hungry! Enjoy the experience. I fly down for ONE game a year, so I have to take it all in while I can.
I try to stay our of the way...most of the time. [ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yNXSRdwHxcA]YouTube - LSU BAND[/ame]
