Jeff Landry doubling down on stupid

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ATON ROUGE — Gov. Jeff Landry, at a news conference on the LSU campus Tuesday, reiterated his desire to parade a tiger around Tiger Stadium at a football game this fall — though it might not be Mike VII.

Landry last month suggested that LSU have a live mascot in the stadium during games. The People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals says the idea is "boneheaded." Football coach Brian Kelly said he should not be among the decision-makers.

The governor recalled his days on campus, when Mike VI was the on-campus mascot, and how he'd like to return to the days when Mike could intimidate opposing teams.

"How about we try to honor him (Mike VI) by bringing us a live tiger on the field?" Landry asked. "That's what we’re going to try to do."

Pressed on whether LSU would take Mike VII into the stadium, Landry referred only to "a tiger," not Mike VII specifically. In recent weeks, discussion has turned into whether a substitute tiger might be available.

In 2017, LSU said as it searched for Mike VII that it would not take the new tiger into the stadium on game days. The university holds a U.S. Department of Agriculture permit to house a tiger on campus, but said it would drop the practice of taking him into the stadium because the "responsible care for live exotic animals has evolved throughout the years."

Mike was often parked on a concourse directly across from the visiting locker room, and decades ago cheerleaders would beat on the cage to elicit a roar.

Landry said tigers fare better in captivity because of the level of care they receive.

"There are no veterinarians looking to treat tigers in the wild," he said at the news conference, which was initially scheduled to address free speech issues.

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