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Officer threatens to arrest LSU football players smoking victory cigars in locker room, reports say

Posted at 11:31 AM, Jan 14, 2020
and last updated 2020-01-14 13:32:44-05

After a season in which he was named college football's best player, led his team to an undefeated record, and helped his team win the national championship, all LSU quarterback Joe Burrow wanted to do was relax with a victory cigar.

But police officers stationed at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome in New Orleans apparently weren't pleased.

According to Michael Casagrande, a reporter with AL.com, officers told LSU players and coaches smoking cigars in the locker room following the college football National Championship that anyone smoking a cigar is "subject to arrest."

AL.com reports that several LSU players "laughed at the warning," but the police officer reportedly wasn't amused.

Another officer reportedly told players that he thought it was OK to celebrate with cigars, but was told by his commander that smoking indoors in the lockerroom was, in fact, illegal.

No one was arrested.

In 2007, Louisiana passed a ban on smoking indoors in public places, excluding bars, hotel rooms, casinos, vehicles, and certain other designated areas.

The police officer's concerns did not dissuade LSU from posting a video of players smoking celebratory cigars in the locker room following the Tigers' 42-25 victory over Clemson.

Alex Hider is a writer for the E.W. Scripps National Desk. Follow him on Twitter @alexhider.