We like to party.Of course we do. We’re 18, 19 and 20-somethings who go to LSU. And many of us party our hardest on game days.But maybe we should take it a bit easier this Saturday.
And even though half our audience just tuned out, the rest of you should listen. We’re not saying don’t drink or have fun, but let’s face facts:This game is being hyped as one of the best showdowns of the year.All of you Tiger faithful who haven’t made a tidy profit from your tickets are (hopefully) going to want to remember every minute of the game — especially if it turns out to be the matchup everyone is anticipating.How many of you out there have missed a game for an alcohol-related reason? Probably a lot. You have four home games left after Florida, so pick this one to stay at least semi-sober. Let’s fulfill the cliché of Tiger Stadium being “the worst place in the world for a visiting team” for the right reasons.A lot of us tend to get a little out of hand behavior-wise when we are drinking. You don’t want to be “that guy” who gets in a fight with a Florida fan because he or she looked at you the wrong way. Treat the other team’s fans and players with respect. Don’t jeer at Tebow for being hurt — he didn’t do anything wrong. You can’t deny he’s one of the greatest players in college football and brings positive attention to our conference. Hate him because he gets more attention than you think he is entitled to, or because he has the most legitimate chance of embarrassing our team, but don’t mock his pain — no player deserves that treatment.It’s a time-honored tradition to “Tiger Bait” opposing fans, but don’t use curse words or offensive language. And while the whole country watches, show the power of the Oh-Wee-Oh cheer as it is supposed to be — with the questionable lyrics replaced by “Tigers!”And wear gold! How much extra effort does it take to pull a gold shirt out of your closet instead of a purple one? Not much. The stadium would look pretty cool if everyone coordinates colors, and this “gimmick” adds to the shared experience of fans. When people recall this game in 20 years, you’ll be able to say how the sea of gold helped the common efforts of the 12th man.If the issue of the 12th man is ever relevant, it will be on Saturday.It’s pretty hard to cheer your heart out if you’re puking in the bathroom, passed out somewhere beneath the seats or getting in a fight and being escorted from the game by irritated security guards.Plus, what kind of an impression does that make on the opposing team? We want people to be scared to come here because their teams can’t perform well in Death Valley, not because LSU fans are idiots and may throw a punch at any given second. And don’t rush the field. It makes us look like we expected to lose.So let’s exceed our already fearsome reputation — and help our team send the Gators packing.—- Contact the Editorial Board at [email protected]