Related News
Thousands cheer on Giants at San Francisco parade
Source: Agencies |
November 4, 2010, Thursday
|
Online Edition
Online Edition
TENS of thousands of fans flocked to downtown to toast the San Francisco Giants' World Series championship and see their hometown heroes take a victory lap yesterday 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 and castoffs.
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, floats and costumed mascots 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, fans climbed into trees and streetlights to get a better view, the police unable to reach most of them over the crush of bodies. 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" and dreaming about playing for the team one day.
"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."
The parade moved from the financial district, then down Market Street to the Civic Center where Newsom presented the team a key to the city.
Thousands of raucous fans had gathered at the same spot beneath City Hall's orange-lit dome on Monday to watch an outdoor big screen television that captured the team's Game 5 win over the Texas Rangers. The Giants finally achieved the World Series trophy that eluded them in 1962, 1989 and 2002 since leaving New York.
"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 and castoffs.
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, floats and costumed mascots 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, fans climbed into trees and streetlights to get a better view, the police unable to reach most of them over the crush of bodies. 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" and dreaming about playing for the team one day.
"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."
The parade moved from the financial district, then down Market Street to the Civic Center where Newsom presented the team a key to the city.
Thousands of raucous fans had gathered at the same spot beneath City Hall's orange-lit dome on Monday to watch an outdoor big screen television that captured the team's Game 5 win over the Texas Rangers. The Giants finally achieved the World Series trophy that eluded them in 1962, 1989 and 2002 since leaving New York.
- About Us
- |
- Terms of Use
- |
-
RSS - |
- Privacy Policy
- |
- Contact Us
- |
- Shanghai Call Center: 962288
- |
- Tip-off hotline: 52920043
- 沪ICP证：沪ICP备05050403号-1
- |
- 互联网新闻信息服务许可证：31120180004
- |
- 网络视听许可证：0909346
- |
- 广播电视节目制作许可证：沪字第354号
- |
- 增值电信业务经营许可证：沪B2-20120012
Copyright © 1999- Shanghai Daily. All rights reserved.Preferably viewed with Internet Explorer 8 or newer browsers.
