FINALLY!!! Holy Grail Found Tonight!!!

[theantiquetiger]

After ten years of collecting LSU, a 1959 LSU Sugar Bowl pennant came up for sale!!!!

I emailed the guy, asked him to add a $400 buy it now, and he did!!!!

The only other one I have ever seen is in the Sports Museum at LSU!!!

Now I have to list a few items to pay for it.

[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