If there is one thing evident after the Giants World Series parade–which brought a reported one million people to San Francisco for the celebration and festivities–it is that the fans are just as much freaks and outcasts as the players. Both sides showed their appreciation for the other on Wednesday.
“The Giants win and the new era of San Francisco begins,” smiled Joe Vendetti, 28 of San Jose, who stood for more than an hour in a packed train from San Jose, which Vendetti and his friends said, “felt unsafe due to the number of fans who squeezed in packed cars.”
It didn’t get much easier when fans arrived to the areas surrounding the Civic Center and city hall where fans packed in tight for a look at the new World Series champions, despite poor sound and video aids for fans.
Included in the on-stage celebration that took place in front of city hall was Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, who received loud boos and jeers from the crowd a day after finding out that Democrat Jerry Brown will be succeeding him.
This day however belonged to the Giants players, and their fans, some who have waited decades to erase the bad memories of 2002 and 1989 where the Giants came up short in the World Series.
“Yankees buy teams, we patched it in!” James Nash, a 57 year-old tile worker from San Francisco, yelled over and over as he watched two-time Cy Young winning pitcher Tim Lincecum, deemed “The Freak”, grab the microphone and celebrate with the fans.
Lincecum and closer Brian Wilson have molded into the two most iconic pitching stars in baseball due to their quirky looks and personalities, which most say do not fit the typical baseball look or vibe.
Wilson and Lincecum are the most popular figures in the business of unlicensed Giants merchandise and memorabilia as well. A majority of the audience had “Fear the Beard” t-shirts for Wilson, and “Let Timmy Smoke” shirts with pot leaves on them for Lincecum, who has been embraced by the marijuana community after he was cited in his home state of Washington last year for having less than 3.5 grams of marijuana in his car.
Cody Ceverha, 19, student at SF State and his friends all donned “Let Timmy Smoke” as they and many others at the parade burned marijuana in celebration of these Giants; even in the defeat of Proposition 19 the previous day.
Asked whether his classes were cancelled Ceverha stated, “They might’ve been, but I wouldn’t know!”
On Wednesday it seemed whether you were a first year fan or a fifty year fan, whether you could see and hear everything of the parade or nothing, it was clear that these Giants who were called freaks and misfits all year did something incredibly special, and united this city together for one great party that may not stop till the first pitch next season.
Editor-in-Chief: Heather Spellacy
Chief Copy-Editor: Burke McSwain
Sports Editor: Matt Steinbach
