Fans turn out in droves to salute 'misfit' Giants
Source: Agencies |
November 5, 2010, Friday
|
Print Edition
Print Edition
TENS of thousands of fans flocked to downtown San Francisco to toast the San Francisco Giants' World Series championship and see their hometown heroes take a victory lap on Wednesday in a ticker-tape parade reminiscent of the one held when the team moved from New York 52 years ago.
"This is Christmas, New Year's and your first-born all rolled into one," said Steve Williams, 51, an usher at AT&T Park as he gathered with Giants employees at the start of the parade in the financial district. "I'm on cloud nine."
Fans crowded the sidewalks and flooded Civic Center to salute a team of self-described misfits.
Under a sunny sky, confetti rained on team members and civic dignitaries as they rode down the parade route in convertibles and cable cars on wheels. Street lamps were festooned with orange and black - the team's colors. Marching bands and floats added to the street party.
"I've never seen anything like this in my life," center-fielder Andres Torres said as he greeted fans behind a barricade. "The parade has been amazing."
Fans of Brian Wilson, the quirky reliever whose facial hair has become a local obsession, paid tribute to him by painting beards on their faces and wearing T-shirts that read, "Fear the Beard." He stoked the crowd by jumping up and down and giving people high-fives.
Slugger Aubrey Huff, who threatened to unveil his lucky red thong at the parade, made good on his words by waving it at fans. They roared with deafening approval.
At the Civic Center, the scent of marijuana wafted in the air even though a ballot measure aimed at legalizing pot was defeated in Tuesday's elections.
Mayor Gavin Newsom was giddy as he described growing up a fanatical Giants fan.
"I thought I'd see (a World Series championship) in my lifetime, but never thought I'd see it as mayor," Newsom said. "It's incomprehensible that this happened."
"This is Christmas, New Year's and your first-born all rolled into one," said Steve Williams, 51, an usher at AT&T Park as he gathered with Giants employees at the start of the parade in the financial district. "I'm on cloud nine."
Fans crowded the sidewalks and flooded Civic Center to salute a team of self-described misfits.
Under a sunny sky, confetti rained on team members and civic dignitaries as they rode down the parade route in convertibles and cable cars on wheels. Street lamps were festooned with orange and black - the team's colors. Marching bands and floats added to the street party.
"I've never seen anything like this in my life," center-fielder Andres Torres said as he greeted fans behind a barricade. "The parade has been amazing."
Fans of Brian Wilson, the quirky reliever whose facial hair has become a local obsession, paid tribute to him by painting beards on their faces and wearing T-shirts that read, "Fear the Beard." He stoked the crowd by jumping up and down and giving people high-fives.
Slugger Aubrey Huff, who threatened to unveil his lucky red thong at the parade, made good on his words by waving it at fans. They roared with deafening approval.
At the Civic Center, the scent of marijuana wafted in the air even though a ballot measure aimed at legalizing pot was defeated in Tuesday's elections.
Mayor Gavin Newsom was giddy as he described growing up a fanatical Giants fan.
"I thought I'd see (a World Series championship) in my lifetime, but never thought I'd see it as mayor," Newsom said. "It's incomprehensible that this happened."
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