Tagging along with the rest of the crowd, a father and his son with a thick Long Island accent joined the surrounding ‘Giants Nation’ in a celebratory chant. Weeks of faithful support for their home team finally paid off. ‘Giants Nation,’ a term used by many New Yorkers, was embodied by the mass of fans that congregated along the southern tip of Manhattan to commemorate the New York Giants for winning Super Bowl XLVI.
It was unifying yet chaotic experience at the same the time. Boisterous chants frequently broke out at random as approximately one million fans funneled in along the street to see their favorite players hold up the prestigious Lombardi Trophy. The crowds of fans transformed the streets and the park outside of City Hall into disorganized free for all, every fan for himself. This was not at all like Occupy Wall Street, which took place just five blocks down the street. Unlike the moderate protests, Giant’s fans would rather spend their weekends downing beer and wings instead of refuting America’s distribution of wealth. Knowing this, street meat vendors lined up along Centre Street. Perhaps the long line for a lamb gyro was an indication of Mayor Bloomberg’s willingness to host a massive celebration. Had Bloomberg denied Giant’s fans the right to celebrate, there would be no street vendors selling championship T-shirts to outcasts in normal attire, there would be no restaurant owners enticing passing fans to enter their eateries, and there would’ve been subway cars making their daily commutes without paying customers.
A bolt of movement caught a police officer's caught eyes as he tried to move against the swarm of blue. It was like plankton against an ocean current. His eyes were set on a teenager, a greenhorn not a day older than 16, who made a frantic attempt as he jumped the fence in pursuit to reunite with friends. The boy made it to his friends across the street barely scathed. They all celebrated like Ferris Bueller on his day off and disappeared into the mob.
Others were not as successful as they made every effort to reach the perfect vantage point for the parade. Across the street one fan made an attempt to climb into the window of an office building. The surrounding Giants Nations cheered the daring individual on as he nearly reached the window on the second level. Making it within arms reach, office workers dressed in professional attire denied him access as he disregarded the physical consequences for the chance to capitalize on his moment of fame. The young male disappeared into the sea boo’s as he fell from the ledge.
Fans inched closer and closer and closer as parade time drew near. Any other time men huddled this close together would have been considered ‘gay’, and would likely result in a physical altercation fueled by male dominance. However, crunched close together around a tall oak tree, in this instance, was permissible for the time being. Still, at ground level, people shared a level of discomfort. Not only because of violation of personal space, but because the looming uncertainties of missing something important. On the opposite side of the oak tree, a father supported the ankles of his son as he reached for a branch. Aware of the surrounding crowd, the adolescent teen made sure not to make the same mistake of the boy who fell from the ledge. Triumphant in his efforts, he did not hesitate to redirect the surrounding scowls into a chant, yelling “Lets go Giants!” Others in the crowd, quick to catch on, forwarded their attention to other vacant trees within the park. With the assistance of the masses surrounding each tree, select individuals were raised to recognition as they mimicked the adolescent teen in the tree. As a result of quick thinking and successful bargaining, only a few watched the parade from the perfect vantage point.
Everyone in the crowd craned their neck while they tried to identify their favorite players passing by. The floats carting the media and photographers preceded the floats that carried the esteemed football players, in aim of capturing the perfect snapshot. Whistles and shrieks turned into a round of applause as Eli Manning, the Super Bowl MVP, hoisted the Lombardi trophy in the air. For a moment, the crowd reveled in awe while trying not to blink. The parade itself only lasted ten minutes. The Giants Nation quickly dissipated within seconds after the last float went by. As the fans quickly shifted to the other end of the park, they failed to notice the people stuck in the tree hailing for assistance.
It was unifying yet chaotic experience at the same the time. Boisterous chants frequently broke out at random as approximately one million fans funneled in along the street to see their favorite players hold up the prestigious Lombardi Trophy. The crowds of fans transformed the streets and the park outside of City Hall into disorganized free for all, every fan for himself. This was not at all like Occupy Wall Street, which took place just five blocks down the street. Unlike the moderate protests, Giant’s fans would rather spend their weekends downing beer and wings instead of refuting America’s distribution of wealth. Knowing this, street meat vendors lined up along Centre Street. Perhaps the long line for a lamb gyro was an indication of Mayor Bloomberg’s willingness to host a massive celebration. Had Bloomberg denied Giant’s fans the right to celebrate, there would be no street vendors selling championship T-shirts to outcasts in normal attire, there would be no restaurant owners enticing passing fans to enter their eateries, and there would’ve been subway cars making their daily commutes without paying customers.
A bolt of movement caught a police officer's caught eyes as he tried to move against the swarm of blue. It was like plankton against an ocean current. His eyes were set on a teenager, a greenhorn not a day older than 16, who made a frantic attempt as he jumped the fence in pursuit to reunite with friends. The boy made it to his friends across the street barely scathed. They all celebrated like Ferris Bueller on his day off and disappeared into the mob.
Others were not as successful as they made every effort to reach the perfect vantage point for the parade. Across the street one fan made an attempt to climb into the window of an office building. The surrounding Giants Nations cheered the daring individual on as he nearly reached the window on the second level. Making it within arms reach, office workers dressed in professional attire denied him access as he disregarded the physical consequences for the chance to capitalize on his moment of fame. The young male disappeared into the sea boo’s as he fell from the ledge.
Fans inched closer and closer and closer as parade time drew near. Any other time men huddled this close together would have been considered ‘gay’, and would likely result in a physical altercation fueled by male dominance. However, crunched close together around a tall oak tree, in this instance, was permissible for the time being. Still, at ground level, people shared a level of discomfort. Not only because of violation of personal space, but because the looming uncertainties of missing something important. On the opposite side of the oak tree, a father supported the ankles of his son as he reached for a branch. Aware of the surrounding crowd, the adolescent teen made sure not to make the same mistake of the boy who fell from the ledge. Triumphant in his efforts, he did not hesitate to redirect the surrounding scowls into a chant, yelling “Lets go Giants!” Others in the crowd, quick to catch on, forwarded their attention to other vacant trees within the park. With the assistance of the masses surrounding each tree, select individuals were raised to recognition as they mimicked the adolescent teen in the tree. As a result of quick thinking and successful bargaining, only a few watched the parade from the perfect vantage point.
Everyone in the crowd craned their neck while they tried to identify their favorite players passing by. The floats carting the media and photographers preceded the floats that carried the esteemed football players, in aim of capturing the perfect snapshot. Whistles and shrieks turned into a round of applause as Eli Manning, the Super Bowl MVP, hoisted the Lombardi trophy in the air. For a moment, the crowd reveled in awe while trying not to blink. The parade itself only lasted ten minutes. The Giants Nation quickly dissipated within seconds after the last float went by. As the fans quickly shifted to the other end of the park, they failed to notice the people stuck in the tree hailing for assistance.
