Louisiana State University Chinese Bandits Pinback Buttons
date: label: date made
content: ca 1958
label: date made
content: after 1958
name: label: referenced
content: Chinese Bandits
notes: label: Description
content: Pinback button representing the “Chinese Bandits” a nickname for the Louisianna State University football team's defense.The button is gold with purple lettering saying, “Chinese Bandits” and has purple Chinese characters.
label: Description
content: The Louisiana State University Tigers’ defense has been referred to as the Chinese Bandits originated in 1958. It was coined by the team’s head coach, Paul Dietzel, who used the term to describe the team’s ferociousness and recklessness. Dietzel likely got the term “Chinese Bandits” from a popular comic strip at the time, “Terry and the Pirates.” In the strips, the character of Terry Lee, is often depicted facing off against Chinese pirates and their leader, the Dragon Lady.
label: Description
content: At LSU, the Chinese Bandits nickname was used to describe the defensive team’s third string. At the time teams were usually organized into platoons due to subsitution rules. At LSU the first team was known as the “White team,” the second team as the “Go team” and the third as the “Chinese Bandits.” LSU's third string in 1958 was so dominant that were covered by articles in <i>Sports Illustrated </i> (November 17, 1958) and <i>Life</i> (October 12, 1959), with the TIgers going on to win LSU’s first National Title.
label: Description
content: Today, LSU retains the tradition, with the squad still celebrated with the song “Chinese Bandits” (also called, “Tiger Bandits) played by the school band.
label: Location
content: Currently not on view
place: label: Associated Place
content: United States: Louisiana, Baton Rouge
topic: label: web subject
content: Sports
label: level of sport
content: collegiate
label: Subject
content: College
setName: label: See more items in
content: Culture and the Arts: Sport and Leisure
dataSource: label: Data Source
content: National Museum of American History
identifier: label: ID Number
content: 1982.0257.102
label: accession number
content: 1982.0257
label: catalog number
content: 1982.0257.102
objectType: label: Object Name
content: button. scholastic
label: Object Name
content: button, collegiate
physicalDescription: label: Physical Description
content: metal (overall material)
label: Measurements
content: overall: 3 3/8 in; x 8.5725 cm