Earlier this week, the college football world went crazy over the news of a surprise guest during the upcoming Alabama vs. LSU game. No, it’s not Nick Saban. Rather, it’s something no one could have imagined ever! Actually, the Tigers and Brian Kelly came up with an idea to restart their year’s old tradition to bring an actual tiger to the game. That’s insane! Is it true? Is it a metaphor? Let’s find out.

Well, the current buzz about the Tiger news started when Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry talked about his move to bring a Tiger to the sidelines. “I think the opportunity to bring our mascot back onto the field is an unbelievable opportunity,” Landry said back in September. More recently, the news solidified after HC Brian Kelly’s clear-cut message while talking with ESPN’s College Gameday crew member Pat McAfee.

“When you are recruiting those kid’s coaches, and there’s a huge story for tomorrow. Do you ask them? Hey, will you be nervous if there’s a live tiger?’ McAfee asked Kelly. To that, Brian Kelly replied, “I’m a tiger fan, okay, tigers, I’m a tiger fan, period. Tigers. I like live tigers. There’s a tiger living outside here, right there? Did you go see Mike separately? Mike Seven, see this side. I love, I love our habitat over there. Way we do things over there. I mean, did you know those rocks are cooling rocks and heated rocks for Mike? Why? Not only the best, great. You know, the exact loss in the story it sounds like.”

If you’re still getting confused about it, let us give you a clear picture of it. Well, bringing an actual tiger has been a tradition at LSU football games, dating back to the 1930s. The name ‘Mike’ was given after 1934’s LSU trainer, Chellis “Mike” Chamber, who, along with AD and head coach, decided to bring in an actual tiger to the sidelines.

Since then, it has been a thing for LSU games to witness ‘Mike’, the tiger’s presence in their games. However, since 2015, LSU football has decided to put an end to this custom, but after nine years, the officials have thought to restart their years-long ritual. Well, if all that comes true, the Tiger Stadium will be full of fans! It adds an X factor to the upcoming Alabama vs. LSU game.

Brian Kelly’s move is being criticized all over the place

But wait, there’s been an issue with this whole live tiger thing! Looking at the seriousness of this game, after all, Alabama is coming out of a major win over Mizzou, and LSU is entering this week off of its loss against the Aggies. This game will be a direct ticket to the college football playoffs. That’s why it holds so much importance.

Amidst all that, the thought of bringing a tiger seems unnecessary to some concerned fans and critics. It ignited a debate among fans on social media where some fans are lashing out at LSU, saying, “LSU is planning on having a live tiger from out of state be on the field for this weekend’s game with over 100,000 in attendance.” Not only that, are you aware? Over 7,000 people have already signed a petition to stop the officials from bringing a live Tiger to the Alabama game!

Oops! That’s something serious, you all! Brian Kelly and the officials should think about the safety of those fans. On top of that, what about the safety of the animal? The last time this tradition got canceled was because of the safety of the tiger! The lights, the fireworks, the loud cheering, and, of course, music! All that will not be an ideal situation to be in for a wild animal! We’ll keep you updated on the latest developments in this story, so check back with us later!