http://media.www.lsureveille.com/me...veille.com&MIIHost=media.collegepublisher.com I realize that LSU wants to project a more "family oriented" atmosphere for a game, however do you think that the outright banning of playing Tiger Rag during a game is a bit overstepping the boundaries of political correctness? There's certainly no better way to piss off 92,000 fans by coming in here and saying something that's been a tradition for nearly the entire life of a program is "obscene". The outright ban of Tiger Rag is a slap in the face to a tradition that has probably been here longer then our current administration has been alive. Someone powerful needs to step up and overule this petty issue, returning things to the way they should be, and let the student section holler a**hole a**hole all they want. Chuck :tigerhead
The band started playing Tiger Rag again in the early nineties right? (someone must know the right time frame) Not sure how that is longer than most of the administration has been alive.
According to 2 followups to the article in the opinion's section, you're correct. It was suggested that it started around the time of the East Upper's installation. Regardless, its a sorely missed part of the band's lineup. Chuck :tigerhead
Apparently the point is moot Red. The song wont be played either way, with or without a**hole. So I guess now, we'll never know if the student section can control themselves and not use profanity. You're right, the entire stadium pays the price. Reminds me of grade school tactics. Chuck :tigerhead
Frank Wickes read this to the band at rehearsal Friday. It's a band alum's response to the Reville. I agree with him 100%. Not only is your view regarding ‘Tiger Rag’ ridiculous, it’s just plain wrong and poorly researched. Contrary to the history you have decided to paint, the portion of ‘Tiger Rag’ the band has dropped from its pregame performance has not been part of their ritual for 30 years as you erroneously stated in last Friday’s publication. As a matter of fact, it hasn’t even been a ‘tradition’ for a single decade. As a former bandmember who performed in the mid to late-‘90s, I can attest to the fact that we NEVER played the first half of ‘Tiger Rag’ on the field during pregame, and the reasons were varied. First of all, the playing of ‘Tiger Rag’ was instituted prior to kickoff only within the last few years when it was determined the band should also turn their formed ‘LSU’ around on the field to face the fans on the East Side when the new suites were constructed. The widespread reason given at the time was those high-dollar fans in the new TAF suites felt they were being slighted and not able to see the band in all its glory anymore. ‘Tiger Rag’ was played when the band turned the ‘LSU’ around to face the opposite way to play the ‘First Down, Go Tigers!’ cheer. Secondly, ‘Tiger Rag’ wasn’t a part of the pregame festivities when I was at LSU because, for the first couple of years I performed, we weren’t allowed to play the full song. Want to guess why? Because of the exact same reason the first half of the song isn’t going to be played now – the profanity. Not until about the third or fourth year of my college days was the full version of ‘Tiger Rag’ reinstituted. Immediately the proud ‘tradition’ you seem to value so mightily started up again. It speaks volumes about your knowledge of our University’s ‘traditions’ when the chanting of profanity is a top-priority for you. Maybe I’m wrong. Maybe since I’ve been out of school since way back in 1998 and have a son who will be attending his first games in Tiger Stadium this year I’m just more concerned about the fact that I want him to realize there’s more to our University’s football ‘tradition’ than screaming ‘a**hole’ at the opposing team. Even without that bit of ‘tradition’ I’m going to have to explain to him why after the team makes a first down we no longer chant ‘L-S-U’ for the last three notes of the cheer the band plays, but “Kick their a**” instead. Well, that’s just another ‘tradition’ that has been around for three decades. Right? It’s not a kinder, gentler image that’s being pursued. It’s an image of decency, of sportsmanship, respect for your fellow man and, most importantly, respect for the University you’re supposed to be supporting and yourself. Don’t blame Linda Moorhouse for this. Don’t blame Frank Wickes for this, don’t blame the band, and don’t blame the University’s administration. One of the things I’ve learned as a parent and didn’t always believe when I was in college either is that sometimes the more mature and wiser adults are right. Sometimes they have to stop you from hurting yourself. Worse yet, sometimes they have to stop you from embarrassing yourself and the family, even if it means the kids are going to pout until they one day become mature and wise enough to figure it out for themselves. Unfortunately, that day may be many years down the road for some of you it appears. The sad truth is, most of you don’t know the true meaning of the word ‘tradition’ and wouldn’t know tradition if it walked up, looked you in the eye and called you ‘a**hole.’ Timothy E. Rodrigue Editor LSU Alumni Magazine 3838 W. Lakeshore Dr. Baton Rouge, LA 70808
The students are the only thing keeping the song from being played, amigo. Nope, its been tried. The chant started in the early 80's. The students were asked to stop and they did not, so Joe Dean banned it from Tiger Stadium in the late 1980's. In the late 1990's, they brought the song back, thinking that a new generation of students might leave the song alone. But no dice. If they want the song back, the students are going to have to step up. Let's see if they respect LSU tradition more than they want to yell vulgarities. They could actually have both if they would just stop doing it during the song. I'm not holding my breath.
The thing is, thanks to the Reveille, now thousands of students are experts on what the band does or does not. Who here actually knows how many times in the past 4 years Tiger Rag has been played in the stands? Answer: Once. And it was by accident because the new Drum Major didn't know better. So, we are now going from hearing the beginning of Tiger Rag once a game to none. Now, many people also don't know that when we score a touchdown, Tiger Rag is the song we play. The TIGERS spellout.... That's Tiger Rag! It is just without the first 20 seconds of the song that include the A__Hole chant. Leave it to the Reveille (and the media) to get things COMPLETELY blown out of proportion. When is the controversy about the Purple and Gold Confederate flag going to get stirred up again by the wonderful reporters at the Reveille? Here's how reliable the Reveille is. Two quotes from two different articles: How professional. In the same edition of the newspaper, two different people get quoted saying the same thing word for word.
I think the whole damn thing is stupid. Tv shows during primetime are allowed to say Ass without it being censored, and I promise any given Saturday in Tiger Stadium, in any given seat you will hear ALOT worse then @sshole. Not to MENTION how many times that single word is used in cars and trucks every single hour to describ the driving of idiot drivers. The SAD thing is, if LSU was still in the dark days this WOULD NOT be an issue. It is hypocritical to change something only because of what other people might think. Its BS and if this is the only problem that some people have to bitch and complain about I long to have their life.
I know last night during pregame where tigerrag should've been played all of the students still did the A**hole chant, so the students don't care if Tiger Rag isn't actually being played because they are gonna do the cheer anyway.
