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Tiger Tales: Mike the Tiger
Located in the center of the Pete Marivich Assembly Center, Tiger Stadium, and the Bernie Moore Track Stadium sits Mike the Tiger's enclosure. It is visited by hundreds of LSU fans, alumni, and students each year. Mike the Tiger is as much a symbol of LSU as the colors purple and gold or the Memorial Tower. The image of the Bengal Tiger can be seen on LSU shirts, hats, and other memorabilia. From Mike's traditional growl before every home game to the LSU Fight Song that says, "Make Mike the Tiger stand right up and roar," Mike is a part of LSU tradition. "I almost never go to Mike's enclosure without someone being there," explained Dr. David Baker, Mike's personal veterinarian and director of LSU's Division of Laboratory Animal Medicine. Mike's significance is different for each person, but the live Bengal Tiger is more than a mascot for LSU. For alumni, Mike represents the best of LSU. "For the most part for the alumni, Mike represents everything positive that they remember about the University. They are really passionate about us having a tiger and are very supportive of Mike being here on campus," Baker explained.  During the years that Baker has been Mike V's veterinarian, he has seen first hand the positive effect that Mike the Tiger has on LSU supporters. Baker recounted a story that a friend shared with the veterinarian. According to Baker, this man's mother was dying in the hospital, and the man wanted to show his appreciation for all she had done for him. "He wrote out 60 things that he wanted to thank her for, had a calligrapher rewrite them, framed them, and then presented the list to his mother in the hospital. One of the first things on the list was 'Thank you for taking me to see Mike the Tiger.' This is a great thing for a kid—time spent with his mother," explained Baker. "This is a very positive memory of Mike and of LSU, which is where he eventually went to school." Baker also remembers visiting Mike V on his birthday, October 19, 1997. As he approached the tiger's enclosure, he noticed a young girl dressed in a LSU cheerleader outfit taping something to the outer fence that surrounds Mike's home. The girl explained that it was her eighth birthday and that she and Mike V shared the same birthday. Every year her grandmother brought her to visit Mike on their birthday, and this year she had made Mike a card and was taping her gift to Mike's enclosure. "I took her in between the two fences, inside the outer fence. Mike happened to be lying beside the inner fence. I stood her next to him and took a picture with her grandmother's camera. She was excited. I suspect that she will have that picture for the rest of her life," explained Baker. For others, the thought of Mike is closely tied to LSU "The first experience that I had with Mike was my first ever LSU football game my freshman year. I didn't really expect for Mike to roar or that I would hear it if he did. But when he roared, the entire stadium went crazy. It gave me chills," explained Laura Rockett, a junior in mass communication at LSU. Allison McKenzie, a senior in communication disorders, shared a similar experience during her first football game of her freshman year at LSU. "I was filled with pride and admiration for my new school when Mike let out one of his great roars."  "It is tradition, and almost a superstition, that I visit Mike before every major LSU football game," explained Daniel Jordan, a sophomore in mass communication. After being married in August 2003, LSU students Nelson and Carly Santa Ana decided to make a LSU tradition of their own. "This past football season, my wife and I made a tradition of driving around campus the Friday night before every home football game. This particular night, Carly and I brought along two of our friends, Bradley and Patty King," explained Nelson, a senior in management. As part of the tradition the two couples decided to visit Mike the night before the LSU vs. Auburn football game. "Mike was roaming in the large circles that he makes around his enclosure, and we were admiring how powerful our tiger looked. After this experience, I would like to thank Mike for making this unforgettable night possible," explained Nelson. Even the youngest LSU supporters are captivated by Mike. "Two years ago when my cousin, who is from Sulphur, brought her two children to spend the day with me, we had a picnic at Mike's enclosure. The kids thought he was the coolest animal in the world. We had to make a stop at Tiger Mania on the ride home to get them stuffed Mikes to bring to show-and-tell the following week," explained McKenzie. "Their excitement over seeing Mike is something that I will never forget." Contact Erin Fink or Kristine Calongne | LSU
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football games in Death Valley. One of LSU's many traditions is for Mike the Tiger to parade around the field with the LSU cheerleaders perched on top of his cage-on-wheels. Mike's trailer stops in front of the Tiger Band and the student section. Tradition dictates that the Tigers will score a touchdown for every time Mike growls before the game. Tiger fans watch the large screens located at each end of the field as Mike the Tiger roars. Each of the tiger's roars are followed by the roar of the crowd filling Tiger Stadium.
