Rick Dardenne-Welcome to Death Valley-A Good Read

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It is a pantheon of concrete and steel.

It is a city that rises defiantly in the delta alongside the father of waters.

It is the humidity of autumn evenings that drapes stately oaks and broad magnolias.

It is haunted ... and it is loud.

It is Halloween night and Cannon blasts.

It is a Louisiana gumbo of humanity that cheers its Tigers to victory and destroys the dreams of invading foes.

Chance of rain is ... never!

It is the cathedral of college football and worship happens here.

When the sun finds its home in the western sky, it is a field of glory for sure...

But much more than that, it is a sacred place.

And it is Saturday night in Death Valley.

—“Saturday in Death Valley” by Dan Borne

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I grew up a Tiger.

Nevermind the handful of pictures of toddler me in A&M shirts or sweatshirts; I was born in Bryan, Texas — practically in the shadow of Kyle Field — and I don’t remember wearing them, anyway. I have no memory in my life of a time before purple and gold, nor of spelling “go” without a few extra vowels.

I grew up attending games, but my first year as a student brought me the 2003 season, and the UGA game in particular. I got chills just from typing that, as I do every time I think about the crowd spontaneously bursting into the L-S-U chant after the Bulldogs tied it up late. The crowd willed victory into existence. Skyler Green’s ensuing catch was preordained.

Then followed a slew of great memories of LSU football’s modern glory years:

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