BATON ROUGE, La. -- Louisiana State Universitys live tiger mascot died Tuesday following months of treatment for a rare form of cancer.Mike VI was euthanized in its night house on the Baton Rouge campus by Dr. David Baker of the LSU School of Veterinary Medicine, the school said in a statement.The announcement triggered a wave of online tributes for the 11-year-old tiger, which LSU has said was one of only two live tiger college mascots in the U.S. and the only one living on a college campus.Rest in peace, (at)MikeTigerVI, Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards said in a Twitter post. Thanks for the memories and all the joy you brought to the (hash)LSU family.LSU said there wont a formal memorial service for Mike VI, but the school encouraged fans to share their memories, stories and photos of the mascot on social media.Mike VI was diagnosed in May with a rare and inoperable form of cancer. At the time, veterinarians said treating its spindle cell sarcoma with radiation therapy could extend the tigers life by one or two more years.However, Baker announced last week that a CT scan and physical exam showed a tumor in the tigers skull had grown and the cancer had spread to other parts of its body.The 420-pound tiger was 2 years old when it arrived at LSU in 2007, donated by an Indiana animal sanctuary. It lived in a 15,000-square-foot enclosure and yard next to Tiger Stadium.Last month, LSU announced that Mike VI wouldnt take the field during home football games this season and instead would remain in its campus habitat.Baker said last week that LSU has asked him to begin searching animal rescue facilities for a Mike VII.We intend to obtain a young male tiger in need of a good home, he added. So many of these facilities take on perhaps more animals really than they can manage. The NBA and the National Basketball Players Association have expressed optimism over reaching a new collective bargaining agreement in the coming weeks before a key December date, according to a report by The Vertical.The current 10-year deal, signed in 2011, has a Dec. 15 opt-out clause, but both sides are looking to hammer a deal in place before that date.Sources have told ESPN that there is optimism on both sides of the table for a new agreement that would eliminate the possibility of a work stoppage in 2017.?With the league flush with money from its current television rights deals, both sides are motivated to get a deal done and avoid another lockout. The 2011-12 season was reduced by 16 games after the league and NBPA failed to reach a deal until Decembeer.ddddddddddddNBA commissioner Adam Silver and NBPA executive director Michele Roberts have had a high spirit of cooperation during the talks and are expected to make joint appearances in conjunction with the start of the season.An official update on the state of negotiations is likely in two weeks, when Silver makes his annual October address after a board of governors session.Among the items on the table, according to The Verticals report, are a higher rookie contract scale and two-way contracts between the NBA and NBA Development League.There have also been some discussions about making minor changes to the max contract scale. ' ' '
