Allow me to share a few observations I picked up after another fun-filled weekend in Baton Rouge.
All of my loyal readers (a.k.a. my mom and my sister) know how much I loathe LSU’s new logo, better known as Toonces the Driving Cat. When the powers that be first unleashed Toonces into the wild and onto the shelves of Tigermania, I vowed never to buy anything with the not-so-ferocious kitten on it. And to this day I’ve kept my word.
But a strange thing happened to me during Saturday’s game against North Texas. Maybe it was the four margaritas I’d had in the Stadium Club (more on that later), but some time during the fourth quarter nothing but Toonces’ glowing eyes flashed onto the screens that stretch the length of the east and west sides of Tiger Stadium, and believe it or not, it looked pretty cool. Granted, they only showed about 3 percent of his face, but for that one shining moment it didn’t boil my blood to see Toonces staring back at me.
Acknowledging the importance of the moment, this afternoon I will purchase my first piece of Toonces memorabilia – a doormat. It’s perfect because I can support LSU athletics while expressing my hatred for our logo all at the same time. Got a little dog poo on your shoe? Let Toonces take care of it.
Speaking of the Stadium Club, my good friend Dick has been kind enough to let me sit there for three games this season. And let me tell you, that place is something special. The food is good (and free), the seats are plush and comfortable, and yes, they have all the alcohol you could ever want. Every time I go up there, I feel like Leonardo DiCaprio in Titanic, a fish-out-of-water rubbing elbows with the social elite. I’ve been able to blend in fairly well though – I’ve tricked half the people around me into thinking I’m heir to a fried chicken fortune started in Kentucky by my late great-grandfather.
I couldn’t help but feel guilty sitting in the Stadium Club while the rest of the ruffians toiled away in the regular seating (let’s call it steerage), but there’s one thing the paupers have on the blue bloods – enthusiasm. Most of the Stadium Club fans hardly make a sound, and the majority of them look at you like you’re crazy for screaming at the top of your lungs. Two ladies sitting next to us at the Auburn game left when LSU was losing by three in the fourth quarter because they “didn’t want to get stuck in traffic.” Stuck in traffic? Lady, this is Baton Rouge, you could leave at 4 a.m. and you’d still get stuck in traffic. Sit down, drink your mimosa and enjoy the game.
Physical limitations keep me from the reckless environs of the student section, and while I lounge with my legs outstretched eating shrimp pasta and drinking cold beer, I secretly long to be back down among the poor college students. In the student section, you’ve got to be like James Bond if want to sneak booze in, the sausage dogs are undercooked, there’s barely enough room to breathe and the place smells like stale nacho cheese, but that’s what makes Tiger Stadium so great.
And in the Stadium Club, as great as it may be, there’s very little appreciation for a Ziploc bag full of lukewarm whiskey.
Bill is a history senior. Contact him at bsanders@lsureveille.com