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Before the Bay of Pigs
Before the Bay of Pigs
Louisiana State has one of the best environments to watch a college football game. Their live mascot, Mike the Tiger, is paraded onto the field before games and parked in front of the visiting fans. Tiger fans are among the loudest, rowdiest, and most energetic in the country. One of the unique things about an LSU crowd is that the fans bow to the defense whenever forcing a punt or a turnover. The band plays a song entitled "Chinese Bandits" while the fans alternately raise and lower their arms in respect to their defense. That tradition dates back to the 1958 national championship team. The coach of that team, Paul Dietzel, had named his defense that year the Chinese Bandits. Life magazine even featured a picture of the Tigers' defense wearing Chinese masks.
But winning at LSU dates back even farther than that. 50 years prior to great 1958 team, LSU put together the most exciting team in history. In 1907, LSU played its first ten game schedule, winning seven. Despite the losses to Texas, Texas A&M, and Alabama, the Tigers were extended an invitation to play in the Havana Bowl in Havana, Cuba. LSU would become the first U.S. college football team to to play an international game. The University of Havana had not lost a game against teams that were made up of American servicemen stationed in Cuba, and wanted to test their mettle against a U.S. college. On Christmas day, the Tigers would prevail 56-0.
The following year, though, would be a precursor of the great LSU teams to come. The 1908 Tigers would finish 10-0. This team would be nicknamed the "point a minute" squad, putting 442 points on the board in 450 minutes of play. LSU put up 50 on Mississippi State, 89 on Baylor, and blanked Texas A&M 26-0. The defense should not be overlooked, either, only allowing 11 points the entire season. Following a 36-4 win over Arkansas in Little Rock, the Tigers were named the Southern Intercollegiate Association champions.
The 1908 team is largely regarded as the first great team in school history, and certainly helped lay the foundation for one of the best football traditions in Dixie, and the nation as a whole.
Justin F. Cannon
Jcannon66@gmail.com
