Three things were synonymous with the 2013 Bayou Bash: food, beer and LSU football.
Every year, a congregation of Tiger fans gets together at the Baton Rouge River Center to celebrate the class of new Tigers they will see playing for their beloved purple and gold.
“This event is great because right now there is a lull in the football world,” said LSU fan Mike Tabiolo, who was at the Bayou Bash. “The Super Bowl just ended, so this event is great for fans looking to take in some LSU football with their friends.”
Instead of putting on their work attire, Tiger fans don their favorite LSU shirts, drive down to South River Road and hang out with coworkers and friends to slurp down cold beer and enjoy the food from local restaurants.
In years past, LSU has been rocked by expected Tigers signing with other schools, but this year was devoid of any major upset.
“It’s all about the camaraderie between LSU fans,” Tabiolo said. “You get to come here and drink beer with your best friends and talk about football all day. What could be better than that?”
The only surprise of the day came with the announcement of four-star recruit Tashawn Bower signing with LSU. When his name was announced over the loud speaker, fans cheered and raised their hands in joy.
The recruit who seemingly had the most buzz around the Bash was defensive end prospect Frank Herron.
Herron’s combination of size and speed reminded one LSU fan of former LSU defensive end Barkevious Mingo, a sentiment echoed by LSU coach Les Miles.
“He’s just what we need to take over for the losses of Mingo and Sam Montgomery,” Miles said.
While most people came for the football, a strong congregation came exclusively for the food and beer — LSU football was just a bonus.
A table of LSU fans said while they didn’t know much about any of the recruits, they could point someone directly to the Bud Light trucks.
Walk-Ons, TJ Ribs and Pluckers were all in attendance, serving select dishes to the people filling the River Center. According to most Tiger fans, Walk-Ons took home the best food crown, with a much raved about shrimp and grits dish.
“The shrimp and grits were phenomenal,” said LSU fan and 10-year Bayou Bash veteran Hubie Branch. “Walk-Ons has done a really good job the past couple of years.”
The beer started flowing around 9:30 a.m. and five minutes later, the line was already 20 people long, but a few fans had some complaints.
“Last year, they had big plastic beer bottles that you could drink out of,” said LSU fan Bryan Addington. “This year it’s just these tiny little plastic cups out of a tap. I’m going to have one big hangover tomorrow.”
The highlight of the day came around 4:30 p.m. when the Golden Band showed up and performed a 30-minute concert for the fans still in attendance.
The band’s performance set the stage for Miles, who closes the event every year with a speech. While last year’s recruiting process led to Miles claiming a certain quarterback didn’t have the “chest” to play in Tiger nation, this year Miles seemed pleased with the crop of talent headed to Baton Rouge.
“You will enjoy these men, they will fight for you,” Miles said. “The people that come here come to enjoy the day, and it just doesn’t get much better than this.”
