From PETA’s latest press release :
This morning, PETA sent an urgent letter to Louisiana State University (LSU) Chancellor Sean O™Keefe urging him to permanently scratch live animal mascots from the LSU team rosters and use only humans in tiger costumes instead. PETA™s letter comes in the wake of the death of Mike V, the school™s Bengal tiger mascot, who died last Friday of complications from surgery. Mike was 17 years old. PETA points out that according to wildlife experts, tigers and other large carnivores suffer extremely in captivity because they are denied the opportunity to engage in many behaviors that are natural and important to them. PETA also reminds O™Keefe that replacing Mike with another tiger would mean taking a cub from his mother months before the two would normally part, causing both mother and cub to suffer severe stress and trauma.
“Most college teams”and all major professional teams”use human mascots, who are far more capable of interacting with fans than scared animals are,” says PETA Director Debbie Leahy. “The biggest tribute that LSU could pay to Mike would be to make sure that no more of these magnificent animals are forced to live a life of deprivation just to make a public appearance a few days a year.”
Though you might not be down with PETA’s tactics or philosophy, no one can dispute Ms. Leahy’s claim that human mascots are far more capable of interacting with fans.
All PETA nonsense aside, they’re right on this one: live animal mascots are really pathetic and schools should be banned from trotting live tortured live animals on the field.
I’d have to say that human mascots tend to border on ridiculous. I didn’t come to the game to watch them, so in that sense I’d prefer an animal on the sideline.
But in the greater scheme of things, I’m glad LSU is sticking to its guns. This country is way too hung up on political correctness.
I like Tigers.
terrific. Someone shows an ounce of concern for another species’ welfare, and “this country is way to hung up on political correctness”? wtf?
I didn’t know Clinton Portis was pushing his “behind closed doors/You’re putting him behind bars for no reason — over a dog fight” defense of Vick on the internet. I hope the LSU tiger eats some of these morons, balls first.
GC, this is where our country is at. Blue-collar bozos voting for Republicans, black people saying Barack Obama isn’t ‘black enough’, retarded politicians trying to make environmental issues into political issues to win elections and belittle the few intelligent folks we have left in this scraphead of humanity called a ‘democracy’, Jericho getting cancelled…I could go on.
PETA has absolutely no ground to stand on here. As Chancellor O’Keefe said in his response to PETA, Mike the Tiger enjoys all the ammenities that a tiger enjoys at a zoo. In fact, LSU exceeds federal requirements for bengal tiger habitats. Mike V died at the age of 17, which is 8 to 10 years longer than most tigers live in the wild. He is fed only the best food, given the utmost in medical treatment, and is an inspiration to fans and players alike. Yes, a human mascot can interact more with a fan, but they can make no noise, and any tiger fan out there knows, part of the intimidation of Death Valley is the roar of Mike.
Mike VI was rescued from the wild when he was found alone and crying