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So was this unlawful entry into Tiger Stadium?

Posted on 2/5/17 at 11:13 am
Posted by LSU Jax
Gator Country Hell
Member since Sep 2006
8834 posts
Posted on 2/5/17 at 11:13 am
On December 31st, 2014, I was driving my wife and kids through campus. Drove down the hill and between Tiger Stadium and the PMAC. My daughter said "Hey, that gate is open." I said "Really?" and asked her if she was sure. She swore it was so as skeptical as I was I went ahead and parked anyway. When we walked back, sure enough, she was right. The gate was wide open. Turned out there was a pickup truck pulled right inside the gate and parked and some workers working in a room right to the left on the inside. I just walked on in, my wife and kids following right behind, as if it was totally normal. I'm thinking the workers didn't even see us.

So once inside, we went up one level of ramps and into the stadium. Down to the student section and onto the field. We just hung out for awhile. The kids went onto the field, where my daughter pretended to be a Golden Girl, and my son pretended to be a player coming out of the locker room onto the field. And of course I took them about 10 rows up in the corner of student section and regaled them with tales of my days there, specifically the Earthquake Game. We were in there for at least 30 minutes. Very awesome.

So when we finally decided to leave, we went back down the ramp and rounded the corner, only to find the workers gone and the gate locked. Locked in Tiger Stadium with my wife and kids. LOL.

Here's where the really cool part starts. As we were pondering exactly what the hell to do, my wife caught a glimpse of some people through the window of another door right across from where the workers were. We went and looked in the window and I'll be damned if it wasn't the basketball team in the fitness center working out. The guys closest to the door at that moment were Josh Gray, Tim Quarterman, and Jaelyn Patterson. So my wife knocked on the door and motioned them over. I think it was Josh who came over and opened the door for us. Memory a little foggy on that detail, but I was just relieved to be finding a possible way out. We explained our plight to them and asked if we could just cut through. Of course they were like "Uh, sure. Go ahead". Was pretty cool to talk to them for a minute too. All three of them were very polite. Got them to pose for a picture with my son, Timmy Q. with his arm around him. So in parting I told them I was hoping for them to wind up in Jacksonville for the NCAA regional in March and to keep up the good play. We then walked on through and exited the fitness center to freedom outside.

So my question is... Would we have been cited for unlawful entry if caught??? I mean, the gate WAS open and we didn't break in.


ETA: Damn. Just now realized I got the year wrong. It was December 31st, 2014, not 2015. Edited accordingly.
This post was edited on 2/6/17 at 8:16 am
Posted by Volt
Ascension Island, S Atlantic Ocean
Member since Nov 2009
2958 posts
Posted on 2/5/17 at 11:15 am to
CSB

Posted by bromaphobic
Louisiana
Member since Dec 2014
25 posts
Posted on 2/5/17 at 11:16 am to
Yes, because you entered the stadium unlawfully. Breaking and entering doesn't always mean physically breaking in.

You're lucky those dudes were in the weight room. Its very possible to get locked in the stadium.
Posted by Vino24
Baton Rouge, Louisiana
Member since Mar 2016
1596 posts
Posted on 2/5/17 at 11:18 am to
quote:

December 31st, 2015


Security tapes being checked as we speak. Get ready for jail.
Posted by LSU Jax
Gator Country Hell
Member since Sep 2006
8834 posts
Posted on 2/5/17 at 11:18 am to
quote:

You're lucky those dudes were in the weight room. Its very possible to get locked in the stadium.

Believe me... I FELT extremely lucky. I was wondering what in the hell we were going to do before my wife saw them.
Posted by LSU Jax
Gator Country Hell
Member since Sep 2006
8834 posts
Posted on 2/5/17 at 11:19 am to
quote:

Security tapes being checked as we speak. Get ready for jail.

Posted by Pico de Gallo
Member since Aug 2016
1894 posts
Posted on 2/5/17 at 11:21 am to
Uh, yeah. Unlawful entry, trespassing, etc.
Posted by EarnYourStripes
Member since Aug 2014
553 posts
Posted on 2/5/17 at 11:26 am to
I'm sure technically it is unlawful entry. Although, I think a family with kids in the middle of the day would probably be viewed a little differently than some frat guys at 3am.

I would absolutely make it a Saturday trip every Spring to go tour Tiger Stadium with my wife and daughters. We have made at least one trip every year the past four years or so to see Mike. Would really be cool to pay for a tour and get to walk on the field in the Stadium.

So, would there be some NCAA rule broken for athletes to be employed by the Athletic Dept as Tour Guides for TS? Is their time too valuable? Seems like an easy job for them, and could possibly produce some nice revenues?
Posted by LSU Jax
Gator Country Hell
Member since Sep 2006
8834 posts
Posted on 2/5/17 at 11:26 am to
quote:

Uh, yeah. Unlawful entry, trespassing, etc.

Yeah. It's really a shame though because I remember very well the days when the stadium was left unlocked and you could just walk on in. Did this with my brother in the summer of 2000 in order to check out the new East upper deck.

Damn those punks who set the fire and ruined it.
Posted by Pico de Gallo
Member since Aug 2016
1894 posts
Posted on 2/5/17 at 11:27 am to
quote:

Although, I think a family with kids in the middle of the day would probably be viewed a little differently than some frat guys at 3am.


The most recent incident was 5 young kids in the middle of the day on a Saturday. From what I was told, related to the track meet that was going on.

They were still taken into custody.
This post was edited on 2/5/17 at 11:28 am
Posted by LSU Jax
Gator Country Hell
Member since Sep 2006
8834 posts
Posted on 2/5/17 at 11:28 am to
quote:

I would absolutely make it a Saturday trip every Spring to go tour Tiger Stadium with my wife and daughters. We have made at least one trip every year the past four years or so to see Mike. Would really be cool to pay for a tour and get to walk on the field in the Stadium.

Agreed. That would be cool as hell.
Posted by extremetigerfanatic
Denham Springs
Member since Oct 2003
5363 posts
Posted on 2/5/17 at 11:34 am to
It is crazy the times now.

When I was in school I walked into the stadium and sat in the bleachers and studied dozens of times. I watched them paint the endzone all the time.

Crazy that I would get arrested now.
Posted by bbrownso
Member since Mar 2008
8985 posts
Posted on 2/5/17 at 12:44 pm to
quote:

So was this unlawful entry into Tiger Stadium?

Were you authorized to be there? If not, then yes. It was unlawful entry.

Technically speaking, walking on your neighbor's property without permission is trespassing. However, due to the nature of the trespass, it's typically overlooked or not followed up on.

Naturally this changes according to the circumstances. A place like Tiger Stadium, which is owned by an institution of higher learning (and is a place that could cause more trouble if trespassing was even thought to be allowed) will more stringently deal with trespassing/unlawful entry. This is for the deterrent effect to hopefully keep people from just walking into the place even if a gate is unlocked.

Obviously, it doesn't always work though.
Posted by HoustonGumbeauxGuy
Member since Jul 2011
29462 posts
Posted on 2/5/17 at 12:49 pm to
Posted by Number 31
St. Tammany
Member since Jul 2016
4178 posts
Posted on 2/5/17 at 12:50 pm to
Lots of big schools leave their stadiums open for fans to self-tour. Why can't we do that again.

Make it a crime to steal or vandalize, not walk around and take pictures.
This post was edited on 2/5/17 at 12:51 pm
Posted by austintexastiger
Austin, Texas
Member since Aug 2006
1911 posts
Posted on 2/5/17 at 1:09 pm to
i broke into Tiger Stadium in 1976 the night before the LSU Nebraska game and hung a big banner on the press box that said Nebraska Shucks
Posted by TigersFan64
Baton Rouge, LA
Member since Oct 2014
4755 posts
Posted on 2/5/17 at 1:25 pm to
quote:

Lots of big schools leave their stadiums open for fans to self-tour


I would be in favor of this. The only question I would have is how this would affect the university's liability insurance, if at all? I'm not sure how that works, but say someone trips and takes a tumble down the stadium steps and gets injured, could LSU possibly be held liable?
Posted by tigersbh
Baton Rouge
Member since Oct 2005
10218 posts
Posted on 2/5/17 at 1:30 pm to
It's hard to believe you and your wife didn't consider that the people working might leave. You always have to have an exit plan, man!
Posted by TigersFan64
Baton Rouge, LA
Member since Oct 2014
4755 posts
Posted on 2/5/17 at 1:34 pm to
Posted by PsychTiger
Member since Jul 2004
98715 posts
Posted on 2/5/17 at 1:39 pm to
Did your wife "thank" the players?
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