“There is a pantheon of concrete and steel. It is a city that rises quietly in the delta alongside the father of waters. It is the humidity of autumn evenings that great stately oaks and broad magnolias. It is haunted and it is loud. It is Halloween night and cannon blasts. It is a Louisiana gum bowl of humidity that cheers it’s tigers to victory and destroys the dreams of appending foes. Chance of rain is never.
It is the cathedral of college football and worship happens here when the sun finds its hold in the western sky. It is a field of glory, but much more than that. It is a sacred place.
It is Saturday night in Death Valley.”
- Dan Borne
Just picture it: 7 p.m., the sun is just going down on a warm autumn night. You walk up from the tunnel near your seat seeing a beautiful green field hearing the song “Calling Baton Rouge” playing from the speakers. The stadium is filled with different shades of purple and gold. You can’t help but smile and feel butterflies in your stomach from the pure beauty. Yet, on the other hand, your mind is preparing for the pregame performance from LSU’s very own Golden Band from Tigerland.
You sit down at your seat and can just feel the hype and excitement of the crowd.The stadium has a certain roar and feel to it that makes you think anything is possible. You look up at the scoreboard and see the two words "Death Valley," and your heart starts to beat quickly.
You await the amazing performance of pregame by our own Golden Band from Tigerland. When the drum major takes the first step onto that beautiful green field in the decadent white with glittered purple and gold suit, the crowd prepares for what is to come. We clap slowly along with the beat of the drumline. Clap, clap ... clap clap clap. Our golden girls and color guards stand alongside the band walking at the beat of the drums with the look of fierceness on their faces. When the band stops, the crowd goes wild and chills scatter across the stadium. The drumline and cymbals start to play as the drum major raises their arms and points at the crowd. The band exclaims the four notes “BA BA BA BA!” while the golden girls arms go with the beat. The crowd goes crazy, and the stadium roars with excitement. The trumpets point at each wing of the stadium to let everyone have a turn to roar. We all clap along with the band as we start to chant “LSU LSU LSU LSU.” The band plays our first down cheer of "Geaux Tigers," so every fan is prepared to cheer when our coaches and players run out on the field.
They run out in between the band with cannon blasts and fireworks bursting in the air. You cannot hear your own voice because the stadium is bursting with uncontrollable noise. The players feel our enthusiasm and are ready to have another victory.
The coin is flipped, the first ball is kicked, and now it is just another football game in the glorious stadium of Death Valley.
