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10:45 AM: Via KRON4 and Ustream comes the above live feed of today’s Giants ticker-tape parade (hang on through the ads, KRON4 needs to get paid!) through an already-crowded, Appeal contribs confirm, downtown San Francisco. Since the event’s over and the feed’s no longer live, check out the below video of the event, sent to us by Appeal reader “San Frustration.”
“Civic Center totally packed” texts Chris Roberts. “Everyone going off.” He notes that the Civic Center Farmers Market’s still open today, and that “business is brisk.”
Over 100,000 people are expected to participate in the celebration (for perspective, it’s good to note that SF Pride typically attracts around 300K), which will begin at 11 a.m. on Montgomery Street at Washington Street and will funnel down Market Street, turning onto McAllister Street as it makes its way to Civic Center Plaza.
Once there, Mayor Gavin Newsom will present the players with a key to the city during a ceremony in front of City Hall set to begin around 12:30 p.m.
And the players, they are very near — SFist has this video of their “presidential” escort through SoMa.
We’ll be updating as the parade continues, so come on back to check out the live feed and what our correspondents report as the parade continues.
Are you in the area? If so, chime in, let us know what you’re seeing!
10:57 AM: “Packed swarms on Market St.” IM’s Katie Doze from the parade area.
And she’s not kidding — even BART’s given up fighting the crush, announcing at 10:55 that “Trains are not stopping at Montgomery St due to crowds for the SF Giants Ticker-Tape Parade. Please use Embarcadero, Powell or Civic Center stations.”
11 AM: More details on what you can expect from today’s parade, from Bay City News: Leading the players along the route will be the command staff of the San Francisco Police Department’s Traffic Company, Capt. Al Casciato, Lt. Jim Calonico and Lt. Mike Favetti will ride motorcycles in front of the team, all while dressed in vintage uniforms worn in 1958.
11:10 AM: As you probably expected, lots of streets downtown are closed: AlertSF helpfully notes that Market Street is closed to traffic for the duration of parade, as is Mission Street from Embarcadero to South Van Ness Avenue.
All streets between Howard Street and Market Street will remain closed to vehicular traffic from Embarcadero to S. Van Ness, they say. Obviously, drivers should avoid Mission Street and Civic Center.
Emergency vehicles and Muni will continue to operate on Mission Street.
Muni’s also packed, as are all pedestrian areas.
11:20 AM: Oh, there’s (Can we call him Lt. Gov yet?) Gavin, in an orange tie! Of course.
11:30 AM: Katie Doze says “We can’t see anything unless you’re on top of something.” This is the plight of short people at parades. She sends in the above photo as proof of this claim. The crowd, she says, is “(e)xcited but not assholey.”
11:51 AM: Doze sends this picture from downtown, of fans atop Muni.
12:00 PM: BART says they’ve reopened their Montgomery station, so trains are stopping there again.
From the field, Katie Doze continues her series of “people standing on things” with this shot of parade spectators who’ve taken over a USPS truck.
12:17 PM: KRON reporter Vern Glenn just threw himself into the Civic Center crowd, and was passed around like he was Courtney Love in 1993.
12:20 PM: BART is reporting 10-minute delays in all directions in San Francisco due to crowd control for the parade.
12:28 PM: Holy shit, Aubrey Huff is wearing his rally thong around neck. I have no words.
12:31 PM: No sooner had I IMed Brock Keeling saying “I need to see (Brian Wilson’s) shoes” when correspondent Chris Roberts texts from Civic Center
“It’s going completely off. Pat Burrell is giving beers out. Brian Wilson is wearing silver moon boots.”
12:44 PM: I kind of want someone to swear during these live broadcasts. Because I am 12.
12:47 PM: Yeah, Prop 19, the CA state measure that would have legalized recreational pot use, failed at the ballot box yesterday, but Giants fans don’t care: correspondent Chris Roberts says Civic Center has “(w)eed smoke everywhere.”
Roberts also confirms what Doze showed us photographically, saying that “(p)eople are on buildings, on bus stops, on roofs.”
12:52 PM: Muni says that the 47, 49 and 5 routes are delayed due to the crowds in the Street at Van Ness and McAllister.
12:56 PM: So the parade’s over, but there’s still the ceremonial stuff at Civic Center to enjoy. Market’s slowly reopening to traffic, and crowds along the route are dispersing, some heading back to work, some heading down to Civic Center.
Boy oh boy, Civic Center is packed. It is very orange!
1:08 PM: It is weird and surreal to see Steve Perry singing along with himself.
1:10 PM: The program’s beginning on the steps of City Hall. They just introduced Arnold, and people booed!
1:20 PM: So now they’re introducing the members of the team, and Pat Burrell (aka The Machine) is wearing a collared shirt beneath his sparkly Giants t-shirt. This is an odd decision, I feel. So is Cody Ross!
1:25 PM: I’m hearing a lot of ladies chanting FEAR THE BEARD at Brian Wilson. But, speaking as a lady who is not immune to Wilson’s charms, I can tell you that I would bitch at him about it (the beard) incessantly were I in the position to do so. God, bitches, right? All they want to do is change a bro.
1:30 PM: Beach Blanket Babylon takes the stage to sing “San Francisco.” I am curious to see how this fairly rowdy crowd responds to this! So far. they’re pretty quiet and respectful. Gavin’s clapping along like a loon. Aw, that sounds so mean! Gavin, we’re all gonna miss you and your clap.
1:34 PM: Gavin’s speaking now, he just called Arnold “The Terminator.” He is quoting Jerry Garcia! He seems so happy.
1:38 PM: “This town’s going to need a new mayor soon, and I just have three words: ‘fear the beard.'” DID GAVIN JUST SAY BRIAN WILSON SHOULD RUN FOR MAYOR.
1:43 PM: Arnold just said we were “the most beautiful city in the most beautiful state.” Aw, we win!
“Let me just say congratulations also to the beard…and I thought I was the only machine as Terminator, but now you also have a Machine, I heard…so congratulations to the Machine, also” he says before running off to deal with “pressing business.”
2:03 PM: OK, Brian Wlson’s up to address the crowd, says he’s having a “mini heart attack,” makes a Prop 19 joke. He thanks Gavin for offering to allow him to “take the reins” to run the city, but says he’s not up for it. DAMNIT. As a reporter and a San Franciscan, my heart breaks.
2:09 PM: Oh my lord, Huff just pulled the rally thong out of his pants and held it aloft. It was hard to hear him above the roar of the crowd, but there was something about offering it to the hall of fame, or just wearing it next year. MY GOD I LOVE THESE GUYS.
2:18 PM: That’s it. folks! The crowd’s dispersing, very very slowly. Expect BART, Muni, and surface streets in the area to be packed. Get home or back to work safe, be nice to each other, and try not to set anything afire, OK?
2:20 PM: We can’t stop! Chris Roberts says “Giants exiting City Hall, giving autographs, but looking very much like they want to go home.” Which is understandable, right? I mean, you think YOU’RE tired?
2:34 PM: And with that, says Roberts, the “players are slowly getting on their buses” to return to wherever they came from. Space? Heaven? Who knows.
