re: Who here has been in TS when Mike the real Tiger was pulled around the stadium in a cage.

Amazing in so many ways.

Sure, they toted Mike around the stadium during pre-game, but it was not only the visuals but the accompanying sounds.

Upon returning to in front of the student section, some cheerleaders and the human mascot would yell and pound on the cage to get a response from Mike.

At times he'd actually spring at his "tormentors."

Then the best of all. When he'd growl with the sound going across the stadium, the students in one grand unison would answer him with a loud chant.

Sometimes that was repeated twice more, making it even more impressive.

But it was the sound that made some imagine it as a trip back into the past.

Making some wonder if this is how it was in Rome during the time of the Circus Maximus.

Only thing missing was hearing a chant from the participants something to the effect:

"Hail Caesar! We who are about to die, salute you!"

Why Tiger Stadium had its unofficial name: The Arena.

Why that grizzled announcer Beano Cook, who was so impressed with SEC football generally, specifically described the LSU pre-game ceremony at night as "nothing like it anywhere else in college football, and was the main course."