FINALLY!!! Holy Grail Found Tonight!!!

[CW]

Very nice. Congrats!!

What's the significance of the little Chinese(?) guy wearing the hat and the pink robe?

[ChiefBenderForever]

That's awesome you must be very excited ! Must have been the 'year of the Tiger' in 59 ? Very cool piece.

[theantiquetiger]

Originally Posted by CW

Very nice. Congrats!!

What's the significance of the little Chinese(?) guy wearing the hat and the pink robe?

The 1958 National Championship LSU team was unranked at the beginning of the season. The NCAA made a rule that year, or the year before, that a player could only re-enter the game once after being substituted. The coach divided the team into three small sub teams, the White team, the Gold team, and the Chinese Bandits. Instead of substituting a couple players, he would substitute the entire team, and save his starters to go back in near the end of the third quarter.

Each team had it's strengths, and the Chinese Bandits were strong on defense. They would actually punt on third down sometimes if they were deep in their own territory.

This formula won LSU the national championship. When other teams were worn out toward the end of the third quarter, LSU was sending in their starters, freshly rested for two quarters.

They played iron man ball back them, both ways, offense and defense.

[CW]

Originally Posted by theantiquetiger

The 1958 National Championship LSU team was unranked at the beginning of the season. The NCAA made a rule that year, or the year before, that a player could only re-enter the game once after being substituted. The coach divided the team into three small sub teams, the White team, the Gold team, and the Chinese Bandits. Instead of substituting a couple players, he would substitute the entire team, and save his starters to go back in near the end of the third quarter.

Each team had it's strengths, and the Chinese Bandits were strong on defense. They would actually punt on third down sometimes if they were deep in their own territory.

This formula won LSU the national championship. When other teams were worn out toward the end of the third quarter, LSU was sending in their starters, freshly rested for two quarters.

They played iron man ball back them, both ways, offense and defense.

Thanks for sharing that, and I'm glad I asked. The Chinese Bandit story definitely adds to the "coolness factor" of that piece.

[slidekellyslide]

Congrats! Sweet pennant.

[theantiquetiger]

There is this famous (at least around here) photograph taken in 1959 and featured in Life Magazine in Oct.

One other Holy Grail of mine is one of these Chinese Bandit masks worn for the photo. I have heard Billy Cannon has two in his collection, even though he was not a Chinese Bandit.

I do have a copy of the magazine

[perezfan]

Congrats on a great acquisition! Same Tiger Mascot image as seen on many of the 1940s/50s Detroit Tiger Pennants. Of course, none of those have a little Chinese Bandit.

Awesome pennant and great story... thanks for sharing.

[Leon]

That's some great stuff and I don't even collect memorabilia. Thanks for sharing and congrats!!

[gregor197]

Originally Posted by theantiquetiger

There is this famous (at least around here) photograph taken in 1959 and featured in Life Magazine in Oct.

One other Holy Grail of mine is one of these Chinese Bandit masks worn for the photo. I have heard Billy Cannon has two in his collection, even though he was not a Chinese Bandit.

I do have a copy of the magazine

++++

Nice to see they were equal opportunity racists in Baton Rouge in the 1950s.

http://www.uwbadgers.com/history/black-history-lsu.html

[theantiquetiger]

Originally Posted by gregor197

++++

Nice to see they were equal opportunity racists in Baton Rouge in the 1950s.

http://www.uwbadgers.com/history/black-history-lsu.html

Chinese is not a race, Malcolm X!!!

It is a nationality!!!!

Plus, you are posting on a site that celebrates baseball when there was racial boundaries only 12 years before this picture was taken.