I’ve sat on the first row and the top row of Tiger Stadium,
the dorm where my dad lived. I have sat in the rain even though they say that’s
a never. I’ve been in a suite once. I’ve been on the field during a game twice
and once for pre-game after winning the grand prize at Lady Tiger 101. I’ve
been to Lady Tiger 101 several times, listening to coaches, doing drills,
touring the Football Operations Building, touching the win sign and going on
the field where I did pick some grass.
I never missed a game while attending LSU. My parents bought
me six new outfits to wear to the games my freshman year. I had a date to every
game all four years (I recall Acacias and Phi Delts as a freshman until I got a
boyfriend) except one time that I recall was with a guy friend and girl friend.
It’s hard to believe, but I almost fell asleep at one game, having stayed up
all night as assistant homecoming chair for AOPI. My brother was homecoming
chair for Theta Xi and got on the field for winning a prize. I was so jealous.
My senior year, I went to two away games, Bama being one.
I have been to a game by myself after college when I lived
in New Orleans. I also amazingly got in a regular gate with a press pass that
year. I’ve been to the 2011 and 2019 national championship games, other bowl
games (Sugar in the Commissioner suite), out of town games—Houston for
Wisconsin. I used to be the one to have bowl parties; I recall an Orange Bowl
centerpiece.
I’ve met Billy Cannon, Paul Dietzel, Tommy Casanova (dad’s
favorite player), Bert Jones, Kevin Mawae, Jarvis Landry, Matt Flynn, Jacob
Hester, Early Doucet, Tony Moss and Les Miles, to name a few. I first started
listening to games on a transistor radio on Horton Avenue in the fifth grade on
our orange plastic couch. Because that’s what my dad did.
I simply don’t understand why anyone schedules a wedding or
party or event on game day. I have never missed a game that was available to
watch on TV. I paid for them on cable or DISH. Thank goodness for the SEC
Channel. I particularly recall the Bluegrass Miracle with my dad and watching
the Texas A&M overtime game last year by myself while David was
hunting. We were captured in the crowd on TV one year and I have a DVD of
it.
I was ashamed to fly my flag sometimes during the Gerry DiNardo
years. I must admit I wasn’t the biggest fan of Coach Ed Orgeron's rough,
hard-to-understand voice that you have to pick apart like wondering what is in
your gumbo. I do not dislike Coach Nick Saban and have his book and recall
hearing him speak about his father asking him how big is your frying pan?
I’m easy to buy for; I love anything LSU. I know many have
massive collections, too. I have had the most fun with my gnome, Barkevious
Mingnome, who has been to the 2011 game and some out-of-town travels I’ve made.
The funniest thing was when I introduced Coach Miles to him and he said, “We
have a player with that name.” Duh, sort of. Some people were happy when the
first gnome broke. But I got another! Now I have nesting dolls, too.
I wanted our sunroom to have carpeting that looks like a
football field when we moved in, but got overruled. It’s where most of my LSU
paraphernalia is. I have a whole closet with LSU clothes--socks, shoes, slippers,
gloves, scarves, purses, hats and a tux coat with tiger lapel. A favorite find
was an LSU cowboy hat outside the stadium when I was in school. Nothing is a
special good luck charm like my sister-in-law wearing the same shoes for 14
years because they were lucky. But I do wear regular jewelry, my name
embroidered on a purple and gold bracelet made in Cabo San Lucas, a purple and
gold Disciple’s Cross and my self-designed ‘58, ‘03, ‘07 now ’19 necklace that
very few people understand. I’ve painted the eye of the tiger and made a wreath
and I’m the least artistic person on the planet.
One of my most prized possessions is a photo of my dad
standing at LSU in 1948. I stood in the same spot in 1984 because I didn’t
think of it when I was in school. My favorite picture of him is with a large
LSU sucker taken three days before he died. He and I and other family members have
a brick near Mike’s cage.
I was a Bengal Belle when we had the group here. I was once
mistaken for an LSU cheerleader at the Reeves Marine store when I was nowhere
near 20. Best compliment ever! He was a former player, now an artist, Jack
Jaubert. I have great LSU artwork, the front pages from the last three
championships, news clippings and autographs of the 1958 team when they came to
the Louisiana State Exhibit Museum. It was great to shop with my dad at the old
Sheraton Hotel after the 2003 championship—clothing, mugs, etc. I have the best
memories of LSU and the Tigers.
Of course my diploma is my most prized possession.
Some of my oldest items from dorm days are an odd-shaped LSU glass from the
Spaghetti Store, a stuffed Tiger and pennants. Dad gave me LSU checkers. I even
have Tiger bandages, a decorative Kleenex box and gift bags, paper bag clips
and wine stoppers that make music. I might have drunk the LSU wine. There is
soap, candles, a bank, beads, fishing bait, cake trinkets, decals, nail polish, notecards, ice chests and a Frisbee. One room has a Tiger stripe bedspread and the purple
and gold blankets stay out all year. Every game I put out a few of the
keepsakes—flashlight, pen, fan, slammer, towels. A tiny purple and gold tree
stays up all year and the real tree has some collectible ornaments. I haven’t
drunk from a commemorative Coke can or the coffee or eaten the purple and gold
pasta.
You can hear us say some of the same lines over and over
again. “There’s that same girl (because all the Golden Girls look alike), my
mama can kick better than that (Delamissaye days), waa waa when opposing team
members cry and TIGENS instead of TIGERS because of a mix-up in excitement.
Before kickoff, we march to the LSU band album.
And I haven’t even gotten into baseball and basketball yet.
Not much to say because I only went to one game of each while there, but I was
at the College World Series when we beat Texas!
And don’t get me started on Bayou Country Superfest, also
held at Tiger Stadium.
