Be careful if you stroll around campus on gameday wearing anything other than purple and gold.
"We love football, and we love LSU," said James Hollier, biological engineering sophomore. "Anyone who gets in our way to prevent us from winning is kind of ruining that spirit."
Hollier, an avid football fan, said LSU fans can be more dedicated and aggressive than other teams.
Recently, FoxSports.com compiled a list of the top-10 "most obnoxious fan bases" in college football. LSU ranked No. 3 behind only Notre Dame and Michigan.
The Web site criticizes Tiger fans for, among other things, changing "Go" to "Geaux" on LSU apparel.
Fox Sports also writes: "Dare to play them in their own stadium and you'll be doused with beer and ‘Tiger Bait' chants."
But LSU students like Mark Davis, mechanical engineering sophomore, are not ashamed of their traditions, cheers or changed spellings.
"We're famous for it," Davis said of the chant.
Hollier said an inebriated, older crowd and rowdy student body create a rough atmosphere for visitors.
"Even during tailgating we chant," Hollier said. "We give any fans of opposing teams a hard time."
Fans visiting Tiger Stadium are not the only ones who experience firsthand the enthusiasm of the Tiger faithful. LSU fans' reputation extends beyond the capital city. Just ask Ole Miss history sophomore Devin Jerome.
"LSU fans are hated for being over the top," Jerome said.
Casey Ball, LSU history freshman, recalls one such "over-the-top" event that occurred after a game.
"[Some LSU fans] had made dummies of certain players and ripped them to shreds," Ball said. "To me, that's a little obsessive."
Samantha Power, LSU business freshman, said obsession is simply a by-product of enthusiasm.
"I just think people get really excited about LSU football," Power said. "Sometimes people get carried away."
So carried away that some LSU fans can't even keep their pants on.
"One fan went on the field and mooned the whole stadium," Ball said.
Some students, including kinesiology freshman Amanda Maurin, also said a winning team makes it easy for fans to get overly excited.
"It drives more people to the games and makes everything louder," Maurin said.
The defending national champion Tigers have a recent winning streak going, posting a 36-6 record since coach Les Miles arrived in 2005.
Power said she thinks recent LSU success brought out envy in opposing teams.
"They're just jealous of us," Power said.
But Davis thinks Tiger fans are too dedicated for that to be the case.
"Whether we win or lose, we're going to support our team," Davis said.
The student section in Tiger Stadium has a history of being loud. But lately the issue has been content, not volume.
"Some of the chants come off vulgar," Davis said.
Current NFL players Glenn Dorsey and Jacob Hester published a letter to fans last October in The Daily Reveille, saying "vulgar language directed at our opponents by the student section has been disappointing and embarrassing to our school."
Hollier said he was proud of the players' integrity to call out the student section after LSU's 28-24 win against Florida last season.
"It probably was necessary," Hollier said. "People were calling [Florida junior quarterback Tim] Tebow's cell phone number and chanting ‘Tebow sucks.'"
But Jerome said these types of cheers are nothing out of the norm in the Southeastern Conference.
Davis said a few incidents, like the language at the Florida game, might rub fans of opposing schools the wrong way. The rest of the time, he said, LSU fans respect their opponents and even shake hands with opposing fans after a game.
"For the most part, Tiger fans are well behaved," Davis said.
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Contact David Harvey at dharvey@lsureveille.com
LSU football fans voted third most obnoxious in NCAA
Tiger faithful proud of enthusiasm
Published: Wednesday, September 17, 2008
Updated: Thursday, September 18, 2008 15:09
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