I like Mike

As a frequent visitor to http://www.lsusports.net/ this fall to follow the Tigers football schedule, I got into the habit of entering the "Taco Bell Behind the Scenes" competition.  The prize -- tickets to the game, of course, but also a coveted march into Tiger Stadium with the Golden Band from Tigerland. Unfortunately, I didn't win the big prize during football season but... I did recently win tickets to a basketball game!  We decided to get a babysitter for Hannah and take our big girl to enjoy a day on campus to see the Tigers play Vanderbilt.

In addition to getting to eat lunch in the "corporate VIP" room, we also got to watch the players warm up (according to Lucy, everything was TOO LOUD!),

pose with the cheerleaders,

watch the Bengal Brass band play,

meet Mike the Tiger,

dance along with Tiger Girls during their reunion halftime show,

and see the 2009-2010 Tigers football team with their Cotton Bowl trophy (I love the expression of the short white guy looking up at Jordan Jefferson!).

The highlight from the day for me was meeting Coach Miles ~ he shook my hand and gave Lucy a high five on our way to the restroom (having a cute kid wearing purple & gold in tow is a major plus in these situations). Apparently she was not at all interested in acknowledging this strange man, and everybody sitting near us thought her diss of the most popular man at LSU was quite hilarious.  :) 

Of course, Lucy's favorite part was getting to meet Mike.  Even though she wouldn't speak to him or touch him, she spent the entire game asking, "Where Mike go?".  We stopped by the real Mike the Tiger's outdoor mansion cage on our way home and caught him taking a cat nap.  Ever since the game a few weeks ago, Lucy's been asking to "go to LSU"... I guess I can consider my brainwashing campaign a complete success!