Calling Baton Rouge

Garth Brooks sings a country song about calling his girl who lives in Baton Rouge.  Our daughter is in college in Baton Rouge and we figured we'd do better than calling.  We'd just make the trip this past Saturday to Baton Rouge and go visit her in person.  My parents gave us tickets to the LSU - South Carolina game, so we were able to visit with Laura Lee all day and then go to the game.

Louisiana State University and Agricultural & Mechanical College is located in Baton Rouge, has its origins as a land grant institution and was founded in 1860.  The football team's official nickname is the Fighting Tigers.  No, bengal tigers are not indigenous to Louisiana.  Actually, LSU's nickname is the Ole War Skule as it was founded as a military academy.  The term "Fightin' Tigers" came from a rowdy Confederate Brigage known as the "Louisiana Tigers" that served in the Confederate infantry during the American Civil War and fought fiercely in the Battle of Bull Run.

Here's my tie-in to the farm!  LSU is an agricultural school and Russ is seriously considering attending LSU in the Fall of 2013 and is planning on majoring in Agriculture.  We try to always go to the LSU Dairy Store, a store on campus where students in the Dairy Science Department make delicious ice cream for sale to the public and for use in the University's dining halls.  I took a picture below of the "Tiger Cow" that is on display in the LSU Dairy Store (pardon the flash).

Tiger Cow

Laura and Tricia had some black cherry ice cream.  Benjamin and I had the mint chocolate chip.  We visited with a girl from our home town who is majoring in Dairy Science and working at the store.


Laura, Tricia and Benjamin enjoying ice cream

While at Mike the Tiger's cage, I took the opportunity to pose with Elsie the Borden milk cow.  Borden must be a sponsor of LSU.  The odd thing about Elsie the milk cow, is that she doesn't have udders, but I felt that was an awkward question to bring up with her, so we just said Geaux Tigers to each other and left it at that.


Kyle and "Elsie"

Here's Mike the Tiger pacing back in forth in his habitat.  They try to get him in his trailer and bring him into the stadium during the football games, but sometimes he's uncooperative.  He's a big, beautiful cat.   


Mike the Tiger



Laura & Benjamin in front of Mike's habitat

 

Welcome to Death Valley

 

Football Coach Les Miles and the team walking down Victory Hill



Brad Wing & fellow Tigers in business suits and headphones

Cheerleaders getting the crowd worked up

 Here is Mike the Tiger firing up the fans.  All I keep thinking is that it must be awfully hot in that outfit.


Mike the Tiger (the mascot)



Drum major leading the Golden Girls and Golden Band from Tigerland to Tiger Stadium



Drum line



Whipping the crowd into a frenzy

Gorgeous Afternoon with a strong South wind

The picture below is taken from inside the stadium and faces north.  You can see the Maravich Assembly Center in the background named after 'Pistol Pete' Maravich.  Pistol Pete played basketball at LSU from 1968 - 1970, and according to Wikipedia, is still the all-time leading NCAA Division I scorer with 3,667 points scored and an average of 44.2 points per game. (All of his accomplishments were achieved before the three-point line was introduced to NCAA basketball, and despite being unable to play varsity as a freshman under then-NCAA rules).  Unbelievable!  Sadly, Pete passed away at the young age of 40 due to a heart defect.


Student section fills in early

Looking South, you can see to copper top of Parker Coliseum aka "The Cow Palace", where Pistol Pete and the Tiger basketball team played prior to the Pete Maravich Assembly Center being built.  If you look to the left of the Cow Palace you can see the brick smokestack to a working sugar mill that used to operate on campus.  Now the smokestack is used for a gas turbine that produces power and steam for the University.

Looking South from the Upper West Side

Benjamin and I climbed to the very top of Tiger Stadium and photographed the I-10 bridge over the Mississippi River.

I-10 Bridge in Baton Rouge

Pre-game festivities by the Golden Band from Tigerland.  Da Da Daaa Da!!!


Enjoying pre-game with 92,789 of our closest friends

The football team amidst a fireworks display, runs out of the tunnel to a roaring crowd.

Geaux Tigers!

The band, located in the middle of the Student Section, keeps the fans energized!

LSU beat South Carolina in a thrilling game.  At the end of the game, the team and coach assembles in front of the student section to sing the Alma Mater.


Singing the Alma Mater after a win.

We enjoyed visiting with Laura Lee and taking in an exciting game.  Getting home at 2 am?  Not so much!