This is why I’m a Giants fan. This exact moment. Scratch that: this is why I like stupid, grunt grunt sports in general. San Francisco, this very moment.
It’s legitimately a magical time in San Francisco right now. I have the fortune of working approximately two blocks away from AT&T/”For Christsakes, it’s PacBell” Park, and it’s been absolutely surreal. If a unicorn came around the corner and high fived me right now and said, “Go Giants”, I wouldn’t even take an earbud out. I’d just high hoove him right back and point and smile.
For people who don’t understand why people love sports so much, move to a town where this kind of thing might happen, and you’ll get it.
This team has done something to this city that is unreal. It’s even more unreal because this is San Francisco. Home of the polarizing “I hate your district NO I HATE YOUR DISTRICT LET’S MAKE OUT THOUGH BECAUSE WE BOTH LOVE SAN FRANCISCO” landscape. Hipsters hate marina guys. Marina guys hate hipsters. We judge every goddamn thing on the planet that isn’t organic, and then can’t understand why people judge the crap out of us right back (irony alert). I mean…I work down the block from a fucking artisan grilled cheese store. This town is, by no means, indicative of the rest of the American landscape. We’re just weird, and we embrace the living crap out of it.
And right now, everyone is a Giants fan. Everyone. Your grandma. That homeless guy directing you into a wide open parking spot and then expecting you to congratulate him for his non-feat with a dollar. Right now? I’d give him two. Because this town is effing electric.
You know what? To all the people who hate “bandwagon” fans? Let it go. Who cares. You know who you are? You’re the guy who liked the Kings of Leon and then got mad when everyone else did. You’re the guy who said “this band is SO good”, and then when someone said, “hey I agree” you said NO YOU DON’T ONLY I CAN LIKE THEM. That’s silly. Knock it off. Let them in. Buy them a beer, or a kombucha. Whatever it is. I don’t care. Just let this happen and stop Eeyoring the crap out of our unlimited happiness we’re on the brink of.
I love sports for this reason. Every now and then, everyone just stops being so damn frumpy and acts like our city is just a big college. You ever been to a college town that really loves their team a scary amount? Like, Ray Finkel’s Mom amounts? It’s great. You know why? Because everyone is just actually nice to each other. You have a common bond. And whether or not it’s a bond that is contingent upon a guy throwing a ball or waving a wooden stick, it’s an awesome bond.
I love this time. I find myself smiling at people when I buy coffee. I see my friends who bicker over ridiculous crap calling each other and inviting each other to hang out. I see strangers hugging because a guy from the Dominican Republic is hitting sac fly’s. Marina guys are wearing the same goddamn t-shirt hipster guys are wearing. HOW CAN YOU NOT BOTTLE THIS MOMENT UP? We’re in a vacuum. Enjoy it.
I have grown up with the Giants. My brother and I spend half of our “that’s so adorable that they are ACTUALLY best friends” time talking to each other about them; it genuinely brings us together. It’s in the blood of my family, and I was taught from a very young age to bring a blanket to the ‘stick because it’s never a comfortable temperature in this city. My mother and father brought our family together with this ridiculous game. If you never lived here or you’re just getting on the bandwagon? Let me be your creepy metaphorical father and open the front door and hand you a beer. Welcome. We love you, too.
So fear the Just for Men beard. Embrace the fact that every woman in town is in love with the good guy (THAT NEVER HAPPENS IN REAL LIFE). Embrace the fact that we have a pitcher that resembles one of the greatest characters in film history, one Mitch Kramer (he even smokes pot…how San Francisco is that?). Embrace it.
No matter what happens, San Francisco, embrace it. This is why we like sports. Because they are ridiculous, and they make people really happy when we’d usually just bide the time complaining about what we don’t like about each other.
Embrace it, San Francisco. This is why we like each other. Right now.
Fear the goddamn beard.
{ 203 comments… read them below or add one }
Mitch Kramer: not only one of the great characters in film history, one of the great pitchers as well.
Exactly why I'm a Spartan and Detroit sports fan. Unity, fun, love and cities come together. Per usual Drew, you said it best. Go Giants. Go Cali. Get it done.
Way to go Erin! I am an MSU Spartan as well and I always catch hell when I root for the Tigers or the Lions (not so much the Wings or Pistons).
What about fired, car jacking and homicide. Being from Detroit you have to love that shit too right? Screw the Giants. Yeah I think they deserve to die!!! And I hope the BURN IN HELL!!!!!
deserve it, hell they earned it!!
I miss bitter, angry Drew.
KIDDING.
GO GIANTS!
(I do still hate hipsters though. Not even World Series baseball can change that.)
And you couldn't have picked a better picture to accompany this magnificent anti-rant…bravo sir. Bravo.
Great article Drew. I'm so pumped to be a San Franciscan I could hug a dirty Hipster.
this is the best letter i have ever read. will you marry me?
As someone who grew up in the bleachers in candlestick, this is epic. thank you. AND GO GIANTS! W00T!
This was adorable. I'm a total bandwagoner. Welcome me!!
Welcome!!!
Go to hell.
you had me at unicorn. this is really great…and so true! i'm one of those slightly bitter/condescending long-time fans, but i think i'll let it go and share the love! only cause you said so though.
Sorry-I don’t normally let my unicorn out in public alone-he must have gotten out when I was tending to my flying pigs.
Why must you be all endearing? Jesus. Stop.
You may appreciate this tidbit I learned today: my aunt knows Jon Miller. She held his head in her hands. (Because she cuts his hair.) (Not because she was testing it for a pike in her basement or anything.) Her boyfriend was giving her a crash course on baseball the day before he came in, quizzing her and tormenting her with suggested conversational gambits, until my aunt said "Fuck it" and talked to him about movies instead. My aunt rules.
So your blog has been going around Facebook and I just read it today. I have no idea who you are but now I am completely in love with you. I hope no one tells my boyfriend that I'll be reading all of your blogs and admiring of all your pictures before I go to sleep every night. I would add you on Facebook but as much as I want to be your stalker, it's kinda unhealthy.
Looking forward to reading YOU again!
This IS pretty much SF. Promiscuous sports fans and promiscuous skanks who cheat on their BFs. The funny part is I probably already banged this one. At least the odds are high.
Haha! We all know you’re not fucking anybody… not even sluts wanna fuck you! You’re obviously one of those guys who spend their nights alone and on the computer. So, no your odds aren’t very high at all. Give yourself a wake up call, take a shower, stop masturbating, and stop being a douchebag or else you’ll end up all alone
aww I almost feeld bad for you. almost.
Everybody I know who doesn’t have a horse in this race is rooting for the Giants. Whether it’s because they hate Texas or the possibility that Brian Wilson might eat a live pony on the pitcher’s mound I can’t be sure, but he is the closest thing to Pedro Ceranno we’ve seen in quite some time. Fear the beard!
Brian Wilson is NOT Pedro Cerrano. Pedro Cerrano spoke like a man and beat people up if needed. Wilson sounds like a fucking sixth grader and has leather clad men with their dicks hanging out in his house. You think Cerrano would have that assbaggery going on in his place? Get the fuck outta here.
Secondly, I don’t have a horse in this race and I am rooting for Texas. Ask the entire A’s and Dodgers crowd who they are rooting for.
uh, i’m a true a’s fan (my uncle is gene nelson) and i’m still rooting for the giants. i appreciate when local teams win.
95% of A’s fans are pulling for the Giants. Guaranteed!
As an A’s fan, I’d say that A’s vs. Giants is at most a sibling rivalry, and when not directly competing against them, most people like to see their sibling do well.
Dodgers fans are probably conflicted – hating the Giants but still too Californian to root for a Texas team.
yeah, i’m an A’s fan and a Dodger’s fan… this World Series is a tough one for me, but it is amazing to see so many people actually be excited and nice to each other for a while, so I guess I won’t cry if the Giants win. (Shudder) I can’t believe I just said that
Both of ‘em?
Someone writes something positive about a magical baseball season and you reply with this nonsense. Go away texas fan. This series is not for you.
Thanks for the shout out……….We can’t even bear the torture any more, look up the score aftger the game, then go back and watch the Tivo. Perfect emotion.
Go Giants!
Just got this from a friend at work – totally with you. I’ve lived by the ballpark for 7 years waiting for this week… the place is totally electric, and regardless of what happens, given that this team was so unexpected, we just have to soak it in. It’s the most fun I’ve ever had being a fan, hands-down.
You’ve been a fan for ten minutes. If you try and say seven years count up the games you’ve watched on your phone through some stat gamecast. If it’s fifty plus then you are a fan.
uh… I think you missed the point of the article.
Go Giants!
Wake Up Call – You are a douche.
Great article, but hipsters are still a disease regardless.
So are Cal fans. I can’t wait to roll into your house this year and watch my Cardinal roll you bitches up by like fucking sixty!
Awww, come on, dont be jealous!!
Wake Up Call,
You did not go to Stanford. You barely speak English and you can’t spell. Please stop stalking this blog. You are a rediculous excuse for a human being. Go back to your hole and get out of the Bay Area.
funny that wakey wakey is spending her time on a Giants victory blog. What a loser you are Wakey. You went to Stanford eh? What for a football game? Did you drop your little brother off there once to pick up a Luck jersey? These events don’t warrant someone representing a university as you do in your messaging. You are a fraud. Go away. No one likes you. Go Giants. Get er done Timmy. And yes, I live and work in the city by the Bay. And that city is not Martinez.
dude fucking go bears…!
This is awesome. I’m not really a Giants fan, but you literally wrote what everyone is thinking right now. If it’s one thing that brings people together for one common cause, it’s sports.
This was my favorite thing you wrote “I work down the block from a fucking artisan grilled cheese store. This town is, by no means, indicative of the rest of the American landscape. We’re just weird, and we embrace the living crap out of it.” so true!
Beautiful, just beautiful. This being my first introduction into the world of Drew (courtesy of my co-worker), I have to say I am impressed…and inspired to at least temporarily temper my distaste for the Marina crowd. I may even be tempted to embrace one of those over-tanned lugs in a frenzied moment of Giants-inspired jubilation…maybe. Nevertheless, your vibrant observation of the feverish electricity surging through our eclectic population has only reinforced the fervent love and loyalty I have for our little city by the bay…thank you. xoxo
The best part about the mission douchebag versus marina douchebag thing is that…YOU ARE THE EXACT SAME PEOPLE. Literally right down to the core. You just care about slightly different things that make YOUR group cool. For the Mission you love getting drunk not eating. White girls in the marina love getting drunk and not eating too. In the mission you throw cigarette butts all over your streets. In the marina they just piss all over theirs. In the mission they judge this shit out of everyone for everything. Same thing in the Marina. The mission judges the marina for everyone being the exact same person then look around and see everyone wearing skinny jeans, beanies, plaid and missing a shower for at least a week. Not even Vagiants Utopia can bridge that gap of retardation.
Yikes, drink much ‘Wake-up Call’? The only wake-up call you’ve provided here is one that alludes to your own apparent “douchebaggy” nature, as you have so eloquently stated. It’s gems like you that give the Marina an unfavorable reputation. I sense you are bitter that your team didn’t make it to the Series, and are feeling a little insecure about the fact that you can’t pay someone to sleep with you in this city, a shocking point in light of your overwhelming charm. Given this standpoint, I am not totally surprised at the drunken outburst of verbal diarrhea that you have displayed here. However, this does not give you license to poison an otherwise brilliant blog that seeks to simply celebrate this rare occurence of unity in a city defined by its diversity. As you nurse your hangover this morning, I hope you are hanging your head in shame at your immature attempt to rain on everyone’s parade.
People like you just make the dominating wins over the rangers that much more enjoyable. Your the guy that cries at the end and doesn’t understand why the other team won, u just babble and cry like a 2nd grader
Hilarious! Go Giants!!!
sweet ace ventura reference.
Awesome piece. Freaking awesome.
I’m equally obsessed with the guys in Affliction t-shirts hugging the guys who talk about gentrification. The city-wide common denominator is Orange October! Can you say “warm fuzzies”?
And I agree. There’s plenty of room on the bandwagon. I mean. I cheered for the A’s til ’89. I was so sad for the Giants getting swept, I changed camps out of sympathy. But I was 10. So no matter how they join the fold, we should embrace them. At minimum they need a distraction from this 49er mess.
You know that’s almost some sentiment worth following. If it weren’t for douchebaggy Giants fans pushing their “We have a better stadium than you so we must be a better team” bullshit over the A’s fans for the past ten years maybe the A’s fans would be cheering along with them. Instead we hope they die in their plane over the rockies on the way to Texas.
The A’s have all the titles and here is to the Giants keeping nothing but cobwebs in their trophy case.
This is pure awesome…Fact!
As Timmy would say “F ** K YEAH!
Do you think Timmy said fuck yeah when he got pulled over with that weed?
Or what about that girl told him he wouldn’t sleep with him cause he looked like a crack baby?
Drew…good stuff. I was kinda one of those stuffy “you just discovered my favorite band” guys until I read this post. Fuck it, lets just enjoy the World Series. I also wrote a little Giants piece at http://www.soulfocussports.wordpress.com
You keep writing them, I’ll keep reading ‘em.
That is awesome piece of work. I especially liked your Dazed and Confused reference… Well done and GO GIANTS!!
Hey,
I would like to say i have been a giants fan since I have been born and
I would like to have a world series go to you guys. It would really inspire the
bay area teams, since they all mostly suck.
GO GIANTS
Dude – that’s awesome! I don’t want to spam your comment feed but I think you’ll really like this Giants post. Go Giants!! http://www.wehelpyourock.com/2010/10/07/the-will-to-win-supported-by-community-%E2%80%93-go-giants/
I hope you are the Mike Walsh that lives in Chico. If you are you’re a total pussy.
I almost agree you except I remember when this is all over everyone will go back to ignoring each other.
A bum on the street with a Giants hat on will be avoided.
Everyone will forget this time.
Be cool to everyone every day, not just now.
-R
Great point actually. The funny thing is for the rare, real Giants fan out there this great feeling…if they actually win…will last for months. Probably even to next years all star break when the Giants remember they are the Giants and go back to sucking.
But for all the band wagoners they can talk all the shit they want…forget about how much rent they pay…and about their shitty jobs for a while but it will all go away next week.
Really if you ask me…this is all just another in a line of excuses people who live in the city use to go out on a week night and drink. We will party for anything.
Nice!!!
I think we have the same life, Drew…right down to where we work haha. This is amazing and I love every word. And I completely agree, if you want to jump on the bandwagon, let me give you a hand! LET’S GO GIANTS!!!!!!!
I hope you just got done purelling your hand after hi fiving the guy below and who ever you pull up on that bandwagon slips and gets the wagon wheel.
You’re a disease. Ive finally classified you. I feel so much better. Go Giants
Drew! – Great post! I read it via FB and loved it, and that was without realizing you were the author. As a Red Sox fan, and committed Giants bandwagon bigamist, the paralells between Boston ca. 2004 and San Francisco now are striking. I high-fived a homeless guy on BART last night when the conductor announced 8-2, Giants. That is the prevailing vibe right now. Nicely captured!
The parallel is that both teams sucked for DECADES and through the entire time had fans convinced they were actually good. So nice point. Hope you purelled that hand after the high five.
I just discovered this. Amazing. You nailed it and are just as hilarious as you were in high school! I’m in Dallas right now (in my gear) and can feel the GIANTS love from there!!!! Thanks Drew
Footnotes for the books: Sportscasters love it, too.
Before World Series: “The Giants in the World Series? The world could care less. They have no offense, … (yada yada insult, slash, burn)”
During World Series: “Boy, these San Francisco fans are great. You can just feel the electricity here.”
That’s the thing. They are hyping how great the fans are here but you guys didn’t even sell out game three of the Phillies series nor did you sell out many of the eighty two games you played at home this year. The rest of the country calls Giants fans Fair Weather Fairies.
I hope the collapse is epic.
Wake Up Call: You’re an asshole and a moron. Fair weather? Telephone Company Park ranked fifth in the major leagues in percentage of seats filled with 90.3%. Go fuck yourself.
FACT CHECK: NLCS Game 3 attendance was 43,320, 104% of capacity. Sounds like a sell out.
http://scores.espn.go.com/mlb/recap?gameId=301019126
On related news, Stanford called. They would like their degree back. Unless, of course, you were in the band in which case you are entitled to be an idiot.
The rest of the country thinks your teams sucks:
http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/fp/flashPollResultsState?sportIndex=pollindex&pollId=100224
But we’re in the World Series, so maybe we don’t suck. Have an angry day. I’m sure you are. Cheer!
I love this blog so bad. New. Favorite.
Word. Thank you.
Brilliant piece. The rest of the year I’m a fan of my hometown team in another NL West town [ahem! blue!] and feel out of place now that I’ve moved to SF. But now I’ll just say thanks for the hand up onto the bandwagon, and the next beer is on me. Go Giants!
Wait you are a Dodger fan and you just said go Giants??? You gotta’ be kidding me right??? I know Dodgers fans that would kill you over that.
Like literally kill you. Here is a whole facebook fan page full of them. http://www.facebook.com/pages/I-Hate-The-Giants-So-Im-A-Rangers-Fan-For-October/164134633613921
Yep. All 235 of you are just setting the world on fire with your enthusiasm. I certainly hope Facebook adds more servers to handle the sheer volume of ‘likes’ the page is getting.
I know i know, im just a douche bag, sorry guys i cant help it. Im secretly a closet giants fan and i dont know how to express my self. Sincerely Wake Up Call
The Beard Abides!
The beard is made of Pablo Sandovals pubes.
Dear “Shoes”:
I am a native San Franciscan (Lowell High, class of ’60) who now lives in West Des Moines, IA (Hey, it’s cheaper here for those of us oldsters on Social Security!) I’m a die-hard Giants fan since 1958, who has suffered through it all. I loved the DODGERS but then they moved from BROOKLYN to LA-LA-LAND!! I am probably the ONLY Giants fan in WDM or in Iowa for that matter. Your blog was not only beautiful, but so true. I’ve suffered with the O&B in Seals Stadium, the ‘Stick and PACBELL/SBC/AT&T/WHATEVER park. Suffice it to say, I’ve got the creds. I really feel like this time is for real. . . (Course, I said that during GAME 5 in 2002 as well.)
My tattered, faded Giants flag is flying proudly off my back porch right now. Thank you for your special words, especially for this SF-XPAT.
SEC109
Fantastic article. Very well said, especially the bandwagon fans part. Keep it up!
hell yes.
Dude you are fucking delirious. I saw a douchebaggy white guy Giants fan talking shit to some hipster kid with a fake beard on because his shirt was blue and not orange. It ended with him calling him a fag and spitting in his direction. This was IN the mission. You don’t see this because you are balls deep in your orange and black utopia right now, but there are PLENTY of us out there who hate the Giants, Giants horrible fair weather fans and everything BOTH stand for. Wise up dumbass.
You know, I’m not sure you really expressed your opinion on this blog post. You may want to write in a few more comments on the subject.
It’s what real fans do.
being 2-0 in the world series deserves something far more clever than this. pathetic and in no way indicative of the city and fans at large is no way to represent a huge moment in franchise history
Unfortunately, this city is not just full of hipsters and Marina people. What about the Chicano and Black and Asian or other non-white, non-hipster or non rich bro’s that would seriously substantiate your magical equation? Maybe spend more time around other types of people during this World Series and you’d write a much more thoughtful post about what it means to people here in San Francisco. Not just a waste-of-time, shallow diatribe about how cool your life in the SOMA is. Seriously, I think you’d have a much more compelling argument if you walked Roccapulco after SF wins and made 10 new friends.
Sean,
Get over yourself. He took the time to write a damn good piece about his life in the city and the Giants. Sorry he did not give a “shoutout” to your neighborhood. Perhaps you could enlighten everyone by writing a piece about Roccapulco. I have no clue what that is.
LIKE, LIKE, LIKE, LIKE
You’re an idiot. And this guy is right…this piece does suck. It’s only about how cool SOMA is.
Mark, it’s nice that you can use your own ignorance as a defense against my observation that this article is written from an ignorant and shallow perspective, but in doing so you completely miss the point of what I’m trying to say. My comment had nothing to do with shoutouts, but when someone writes publicly about how SF is coming together around the Giants and only thinks to mention two insulated, mostly-white social groups as examples, I believe its ok to be critical and to question the validity of this writer’s premise.
dude, the rest of the country feels you too (outside of texas maybe)
Actually no they don’t.
And this is why I hate the Giants. Your fans know nothing.
http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/fp/flashPollResultsState?sportIndex=pollindex&pollId=100224
Hey wake up call, of course an ESPN poll has the Rangers winning it, they (and FOX) spend all their time talking about how great the Rangers are and how lucky the Giants are to be here. And, we all know the rest of the country simply goes along with whatever the talking heads from the TV say.
Yo Lincecum, you got a joint? It’d be a lot cooler if you did.
I loved your article and I am totally joining this bandwagon!!!!!!
I loved your article and I want to hop on the bandwagon! It’s great to see everyone getting on board!
such a solid post dude. Four years ago I got a tattoo of the Giants SF on my right arm. While it was obviously emblematic of my deep driving love for the team, it was also a talisman of my family, my friends and my native home. This just feels good for our city and I love that. Humm fucking Baby. Awesome blog brother. By the by, it was sent to me by a couple of friends in NYC. You got some reach homie. Niiiiiiiiiice.
Found you courtesy of Mr. Earl’s blog. My son is a Californian, made me care about this World Series, and you’ve just amplified his argument for why I should pull for the Giants. I am. It must be happy times there today. Well done.
I’ve just been posting about the darker side of sport, though I’m something of a fan. So your sunny take is welcome. Thanks.
That basically sums it all up and I couldn’t have thought of a better way to say it myself. I love sports and I have always been a Giants fan. GO GIANTS!!
astonishingly articulate. hear, hear!
this has got to be the best blog post ever…totally made me laugh because literally yesterday i got a text message from some random number (obviously a wrong number) check out the convo:
anon: “Go giants!!!! Yeah baby, this is it”
me: “Sry who is this?”
anon: “This is Dash”
me: “Sry dude wrong number. But fuck yesss GO GIANTSSSS!. peace”
peace love harmony and some good ol’ “FU TEXAS! this is my city!” shittalkin
have a good one
Ditto
Brilliant
Thanks! -h
Thanks for articulating the current magically SF vibe, Drew. To steal from Mae West, “It’s not the men in your life, but the life in your men.” Now, onward to Texas!
exactly.
and he kinda looks like Jackie Greene as well.
F**K YEAH…THAT’S WHAT I’M TALKING ABOUT! Fist bump
AND it’s supporting the state economy! Buy giants t-shirts, bandwagonners! Buy, buy, buy!
This was so ridiculously awesome I don’t even know what to say. As a Padres fan married to a Giants fan (we make it work by our common hatred of the Dodgers) currently exiled in Philadelphia, the Giants beating the Phillies was nothing short of sweet. Can’t wait to see the Giants win the World Series and we can’t wait to move back to the Golden State!
As another someone who grew up with their family in left field at candlestick (pre-bonds bleachers) this sums it up.
Thanks for the chills – rock on Giants.
Side-note: not just the city has this lovey dovey– ooey gooey feeling. All over the Bay the Orange and Black fever is burning. The North Bay and Ptown love our Giants. Let’s Go Giants!!!!!
Truer words could not have been written. Bravo for capturing the essence of the “Magic” everyone is talking about, feeling and experiencing in such an elloquent manner.
Go F$%&ing Giants!
You rock my friend!
Love the new site and love the sentiment of this Love Letter.
Oh, and GO GIANTS!
Who doesn’t hate hipsters?!
Even the hipsters hate hipsters!
Girls should never be allowed to write about sports. you are a fair weather fan and your article is garbage.
And assholes are like opinions, everybody has one so shut your sphincter.
Great post. I wish everyone would read this and remember it the next time there is a debate over building a new stadium. Sport has the ability to unite a city/region unlike anything else. It’s worth the investment, every time.
The Giants built their own stadium and were the first team in pro sports to finance it themselves. They have been in contention for dead last ever since because they had to hold onto Bonds to keep tickets being sold in order to pay off that stadium. Typically the stadiums are financed by the taxpayer. With the economy in the shitter that notion is gone. No new stadiums for anyone. AND financing your stadium is a really bad idea as well…as proven by the Giants futility the past decade.
Actually the Dodgers financed their own stadium, with the help of Union 76 Oil back in the 1960′s, which is probably why they advertised so much on their games back in the day. There’s nothing wrong with a privately-financed stadium. I’m sure you’d be real pissed if your tax money went to the Giants stadium. Hell, you probably wake up pissed every day, because you seem like that kind of a person.
Well said – VAMOS GIGANTES!!!!
I only root for the winning team.
As a lifelong Dodgers fan (please…spare the comments), I’m certainly not on the bandwagon, but I couldn’t help but smile at this post. You said it best, sports unifies and makes people happy. You will always remember where you were when your team was in the championships….that feeling never goes away. So…congrats Giants fans, enjoy the moment and 2011 is a whole new season!
My thoughts exactly. And Go Dodgers
I am, proudly, a member of the fair weather fan club. Thanks for sticking up for us, Drew. We appreciate it.
Found the column on facebook, loved the unicorn thread.
That burning smell Texas has been so worried about was coming from their bullpen.
@Wakeup Call: you’re just another armidillo in the headlights of the Giant bandwagon.
Here is a profile of Kruk & Kuip fans may be interested in.
Exactly why I’m a Toronto Maple Leafs, Toronto Blue Jays, and Buffalo Bills fan.
*sob*
I’m amazed that Wake Up Call has the patience and time to post on almost every single comment about how much he hates the Giants.
I’m an A’s fan who hasn’t quite jumped on the bandwagon yet – though you gotta give some love for Bay Area teams – but Wake Up Call is probably worse than all the “bandwagon fans” he’s hating on. Seriously dude the Giant’s are straight killing right now. So much anger, did mommy not love you when you were a kid?
Also feel free to reply to this I probably won’t check this again, half because I don’t really care what you have to say, and the other half because I don’t have so much time to respond to everyone’s comments. And then respond even more when they respond.
BAY AREA love. Go Giants.
Sorry to say, but I’m siding with Wake Up Call on this. SF’s self-congratulatory air of smugness is boring – not like Dallas’ “We are America’s Team” attitude but the whole city’s self-satisfaction is rivaled only by New York’s, but at least NYC is one of the coolest cities on the planet.
http://www.southparkstudios.com/full-episodes/s10e02-smug-alert
Bandwagons are fine, but for people to take such extreme delight in doing so suggests either a lack of self-awareness or a chronic case of SF fake enthusiasm. I lived there for 3 years and thought the city’s self admiration killed what would otherwise be a pretty cool place to live.
I’m ready to fear the beard, but that the bandwagon materialized just in the last few weeks shows how lame SF sports fans are and how hollow their love for the Giants is.
I’m not really a big Giants fan. I never liked Bonds and what he represented during that whole steroid era of baseball. I appreciate a well-pitched game with close scores and doubles or triples. I do love their stadium and go to one or two games a year. Over the past couple years, I have come to appreciate this team, which is built on pitching. There are no superstar hitters and it has been a real team effort. This playoff run has been really fun. It’s like everyone is into the game, no matter where you are. Last Saturday, I went to the Bridge School concert and people were following the game, which was cool. Then for game 1 of the world series, I went to a Sharks game, and we had the ball game on the radio while we parked. After we got out, we heard yelling, as Uribe hit a 3-run homer. Then inside the Shark arena, people were all watching on TV before the Sharks game and during intermission. It’s a real cool buzz all over the Bay Area. I hope they keep it going. I could never root for a team from Texas anyway, except when they were playing the Yankees.
Bravo, my friend. I don’t know who you are; a friend of mine put this on facebook. You said everything I ever wanted to say, more eloquently than I ever could. Years ago, I tried to explain to a suburbanite friend who hates sports why I love them so much. I used the 80′s Niners as my example of that camaraderie, that electricity in the air. She has since moved to the city, and called me this week to say “I get it now.” A lot of people finally get it now. I couldn’t be happier.
Sorry, I reserve the term “eloquent” for writers who can express themselves without gratuitous profanity. Call me old-fashioned.
You are old-fashioned. Not like there is anything wrong with that.
The above commenter isn’t old-fashioned. And he’s definitely not wrong. I thought the post was eloquent despite the language. In fact, the language may have helped.
Fuck. Yeah.
As part of the San Francisco diaspora (I’m in Colorado now), this panegyric to the City, its quirks, and its capacity for unity nearly brought me to tears. As you know, it’s difficult to get a native of the Bay to admit to having feelings that are genuinely free of irony, so well played, sir!
All should hella fear the beard! Go Giants!
“High-hooved me”! Brilliant piece! You do know Tim Goodman is leaving the Chronicle, right? Please replace him!
Couldn’t have said it better myself!! Viva Gigantes!!
Yes, there are people who live in San Francisco who aren’t rooting for the Giants. I am one of them because I’m a bay area transplant (8 years) and moved here from Dallas. Grew up watching Nolan Ryan pitch for his last few years. Supported the Giants in the NL up until Wednesday at 4:57pm. But, damn, I feel like the lone Ranger out here.
This post is so perfectly all encompassing of that feeling everyone in SF now has and wants to bottle up and hold on to forever. It’s one of those things that words can’t possibly do any justice, but I’ll go out on a limb here and say you’ve actually got it nailed. It was forwarded to me by my Dad actually, and i’ve posted it on FB to share with all of my friends. Cheers and Go Giants!
You nailed it! Well played..
Thank you for capturing my exact feelings. As a giants fan on the east coast I’m looking for the exact vibe you described..we have it in our house!
most hilarious blog ever.
This is great!! We don’t understand the beard (& don’t need to). GO GIANTS!!!!
soon i hope in baltimore we can realize the feeling with our orioles until then go ravens
SF is wannabe weird. Nothing is authentic and Kings of Leon have always sucked.
Best. Love letter. Evar.
Srsly.
“Wake Up Call” needs a big hug from a bearded dude wearing a Giants jersey, red diamond encrusted man thong, and a Panda hat.
Fear The Beard!
This is wonderfully well written and completely SF right now, and I’m pretty sure I work on the same block as you and I totally know that guy who waves people into spots. I’m a NYer so I thought the Giants were a football team. I was wrong, Fear the Beard!!!
The Giants really are bringing everyone together it’s a beautiful thing!
Gooooooooooo Giants!
Excellent post, really enjoyed it. I was in San Franciso playing a show when homeboy threw that no no last year, and the city was exploding that night. Thought you might enjoy this article too. http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2010/mar/15/green-consumers-more-likely-steal
Best of luck to your boys in SF! My sister lived there for over a decade, and when I spent a year in Eureka and couldn’t see my beloved Vikings I ended up a 49ers fan (and that was during the waning days of the DeBartolo ownership). I truly envy you your good athletic fortune this year, as I live in (Minneapolis) a town where every September we get our hopes up only to have them dashed by (in this order) the Yankees coming to town to crap on our Twins, and then the Vikings coming to town to crap on our Vikings. But for those twenty or so minutes right around the equinox every year, it’s great to be a Minnesota sports fan. Go Giants!
Everytime I see that counter go up, I feel more proud of you Drewbs!
Who’s in to pool together some scrilla to buy Wake Up Call a one way ticket back to amazing St. Louis or whatever crappy town he came from? My guess is that you’re not well endowed and feel the need to TORTURE the rest of us with this by ranting on and on about how many “chicks you’ve banged”. Cool dude. We’re not in high school anymore and your frat days are over. I can see that I’ve resorted to low blows, which I’m not particularly proud of, so I vow to never check back to see if this douche has responded. Because, after all, I can say with absolute conviction and abounding joy: I can sleep easy knowing that this jack off never boinked me. Amen for that. As someone who can vividly remember my first Giants game with my pops and as a native of this beautiful city (minus d-bags like Wake up call), I have only one thing left to say: Go Giants!
Not only am I not a baseball fan, I’m practically oblivious to it, but I LOVE this post.
Rock on.
Thanks for that. I really appreciate the way events like this can change face to face interaction in a city that is becoming more and more based in the virtual. Not that I hate it, I work in it. I get it. Sometimes I prefer it. But sometimes I fear I am getting rusty at the old fashioned meet and greet. I never watch baseball. But you know what? I made time to go out twice this week and even convinced my neighborhood watering hole in the Fillmore to get a tv and cable so I could catch what little I could after work in a SOCIAL ATMOSPHERE. It’s like I am a different person who knows stats and saw the last 5 games. This is bound to be over in one of two ways, and I hope it’s with SF winning. This town could use some unity without one-ups-man-ship and just enjoy. It’s life. Enjoy. The amazing thing is that this might be the most enlightened town in all of America socially/culturally speaking, but OK Computer was right in a lot of ways. The easier it becomes to access information and indirectly communicate, the easier it becomes to judge others outside the bubble (defined however you want it to be) and forget the human beneath, when all we really want is what we deny to others. OK rant over, here’s hoping others can see a small bit of truth in what I typed and not pick apart my spelling (something I fight to not pick on everyday. I’m trying.)
Peace,
Sean
Hi everyone. Thank you for reading this post and sending it to everyone and their mother. So cool to watch Giants and SF fans in general hug each other digitally. We’re great, and this has been legitimately surreal and special.
Thanks again for all the kind words. GO GIANTS!
giants what i can i say about you guys, well for starters you guys suck, there is no way you guys will win the world series so keep dreamin
giants SUCK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
GO RANGERS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
God damn Ray Finkle reference, Brilliant. LACES OUT!
Fantastic article. Makes this SF-expat wish he was home for the World Series.
Wow Drew you really started something. What is the deal with Wake Up Call and Valley Girrrl? Maybe you can set up a meeting with both of them, and they could battle it out in person. I think I see a youtube video in the future!
Okay Drew, are you sitting down. This is your Auntie B and I go nowhere now when there is a game on. Somehow these playoff games have turned me into a sportsnut. We talk about it in my exercise class of 50,60, and 1 seventy year old. We are all loonies. There is actually a player who went to Ben Lomond highschool. I love your blog. Fear the beard. Hugs, Auntie Barb. p.s. arisanal grilled cheese?, sounds good.
I hate you and I hate baseball. I’m glad it’ll be done in a few years.
You’re awesome! Love letter to YOU!
As a native New Orleanian, I completely understand exactly what you are describing. Believe me when I tell you that this time is magical!
Holy crap. I too work two blocks from the park…and I saw a unicorn on Friday walking on Fourth St (well, a guy dressed as a unicorn for Halloween). Open your arms, cause I’m coming in for a hug tonight when Big Time Timmy Jim locks this World Series down!
Did you say you started watching the Giants and learned to wear warm clothing at the ‘Stick?. I started watching the Giants at Seals Stadium and was born in SF before all this “hip” crap you speak of was going on. SF used to even elect Republicans once in a while. But this was long before the hippies came from all over the country and carpetbagger politicians from elsewhere took over. So now the population thinks they are hip? The Giants really belong to the natives who have lived and died with them for so many decades.
Yahoo!!!!!!!!!! They did it!
Next year everyone should wear unicorn costumes to the Giants games.
http://michaelfranti.com/media/videos/say-hey-i-love-you-giants-version
thought you might appreciate this one oh master of the mixtape
Thank you. You captured my feelings so well.
because 189 comments just isn’t enough.
and because i wanted to say i made out with brian wilson. no, just kidding. i wish.
You stack your words well…
Hey, I’m surprised no one has mentioned this, but using “Eeyoring” as a verb is fucking brilliant. Even if you didn’t invent that–kudos. As a fairweather fan who spent the majority of last night dodging fireworks and high-fiving unicorns, I’m glad we can all appreciate that this happened.
While this has been the greatest moment of my 26 years as a Giants fan, I would have to say that it would have been just as sweet without the bandwagoners. They will never have a place amongst true fans.
I love everything you said I miss my hometown SF and Im with all of you in spirit! Im smiling and trying to high five everyone here in Vegas but they just do not understand the feeling I have right now!!!
I agree, its a glorious time in the city. Standing in the middle of the parade, I still could not believe that the Giants are WORLD SERIES CHAMPIONS. Its all still quite surreal.
Right Feak’n On!!!
I love this entry. I’m an A’s fan who has gotten a lot of grief from people around me for wanting the GIants to win.
I just have to say that this is one of my most favorite pieces written about my beloved G-Men! And we did it ! 2010 WORLD CHAMPS! Thanks for writing it.
Hello, Nice work, I’ve bookmarked this page and have a feeling I’ll be returning to it regularly.
Nice notes….fear the beard….thats good. I was a kid when the giants moved to SF and have been a fan ever since. Until recently i have felt like a Cubs fan. Ouch its another season and i wonder how close to the cellar we will be. Hell even the 89 series was a earthquake bust. (I hate the A’s) Mostly I hate the Dodgers. Go giants
Why didn’t you sell out game three of the Phillies series? Show me a link to that made up stat. Where were all your fans for the entire 2000′s when you never finished higher than third?
Oh and why are you calling me names you internet fuckface?
I don’t even drink. So you’re wrong.
I don’t live in the Marina…and neither do I even frequent the place other than to drive through it when I got north over the bridge.
And finally, my favorite team is in the playoffs every other year so no I am not that upset about it.
And I’ve never paid for sex in my life. I won’t even buy a girl a drink before she sleeps with me so you are waaaaaaay off.
To call this piece brilliant is ridiculous. It was just a way for this dork Drew to talk about how cool his hood is. Give me a break. This piece is a piece of shit.
Have fun tonight puking up your dinner before you go out where you’ll spend all night pissed off that your hot friend is getting all the attention and the only guys that hit on you are the hot guys nerdy, bespectacled friends.
Ooh struck a chord did I? My apologies, I didn’t realize how horribly wrong I was about you…you obviously seem like a fine specimen of a man. Of course you don’t associate with the Marina crowd, you’ve proved you’re in a class all your own. Tell me something though, if Drew is such a “dork” then why are you spending your oh-so-precious time following his blog my dear? If you think the purpose of this piece is pure self-promotion on his part, then you are far more special than I originally gave you credit for. Bravo.
I hate to break it to you darling, but I am the hot friend…I just happen to have a brain as well, a phenomenon I doubt you ever have or ever will have the fortune of encountering on an intimate level. Keep up the “witty” diatribes, as I’m sure they’re a big hit with the ladies on your level.
I’m obviously not the sensitive type. So no it didn’t strike a chord. You just make a bunch of assumptions but instead have your head up your ass.
I work in digital media so keeping up on a blog doesn’t take that much “precious time.” It’s just what true fans do.
As for you being hot. If that were actually true…I would gladly delete all of these posts and pretend I never saw this blog.
BUT! You gave yourself away as being full of shit when you said you had a braind AND were hot. Those don’t exist in this city. Hot chicks with brains. Give me a break…we don’t even have hot chicks here let alone ones with smarts.
And one more thing. Sarcasm is the lowest form or humor. It’s not funny.
I have had plenty of smart AND hot women. Just none in this town. So yes the idea of it escapes me.
And this isn’t for attention. This is for fun. My name isn’t attached to this. No one I know gets to see this rinky dink blog. This is all in good fun.
What’s in this for you?
Prove that.
http://espn.go.com/mlb/attendance/_/sort/homePct
Go back through the years to 2001; never worse than 10th in seats filled percentage, usually in the top 3.
I’m calling you names so that maybe you will realize that you’re an uninformed dumbass who shouldn’t be commenting in public.
FACT CHECK: NLCS Game 3 attendance was 43,320, 104% of capacity. Sounds like a sell out.
http://scores.espn.go.com/mlb/recap?gameId=301019126
On related news, Stanford called. They would like their degree back. Unless, of course, you were in the band in which case you are entitled to be an idiot.
Prove to me that people who attend Giants games are actual fans and not just people who got tickets from the company they work for in SOMA or the Financial District.
Yes a percentage of fans exist and go to the games. The Giants can’t have that strong a fan base for real. Everyone hates them. Like the Yankees of the west coast.
You prove it, you no talent hack. Stop littering this blog with your verbal diarrhea.
You just sound like a butt hurt loser who’s team couldn’t hack it this year.
There is still a long way to go to win it all, but they are off to a good start.
I LIKE LITTLE BOYS ANYWAYS SO JUST LEAVE ME ALONE
Verbal diarrhea is saying things like “You prove it.” Add something useful to the conversation.
“True fans” focus on supporting their own team rather than publishing lame commentary on another team’s blog for the sole purpose of getting attention.
I’m sorry you don’t appreciate my sarcasm, but I did find it rather amusing. I would’ve provided a more high-brow form of humor had I thought you would understand it. Forgive me to pandering to my audience.
As I said before, I am not surprised that you find the combination of beauty + brains to be an anomaly, as I can assure you that any lovely lady possessing such traits would not waste her time with a surly boy such as yourself. But not to worry, this self-fulfilling prophecy of yours should protect you from ever having to admit you were wrong.
Soooo, this is where drunken, washed up, World of Warcraft basement dwellers turn up. I heard about this awesome letter being overrun by a troll but I never realized his Speak-n-Spell would be so helpful in getting his ideas out there. Nice way to hijack a thread you ratard. Get more of your FB ‘I hate the Giants in October blah blah blah’ to come and share their thoughts. We love comedy and I could use the material for my expose piece on oxygen deprived, cheetos-stained sports fans.
Well then perhaps you should return to whatever town it is that you still harbor so much love for, and leave SF for those of us who actually value this wonderful city and the people in it.
My only purpose was to show appreciation for a piece well-written that promotes positivity. In a world full of complaints and negativity, commenters like you are a dime a dozen, spreading pessimism like it’s going out of style. It was refreshing to see Drew’s rosy perspective on a city united by its team.
No. Verbal diarrhea is whenever anyone uses the term “assbaggery” in a comment on a blog about sports.
I MEAN IM A TOTAL CREEP KEEP UR KIDS AWAY FROM ME
You were just as deep into the negativity as I was missy so careful with the judgments about mine.
And I am going to get back to other shit I have to do before the weekend. I wish I knew who you were though so I could hunt you down and sleep with you. And don’t give me some crap about how you never would…I am sure you would…seeing as you’d have no clue who I was.
Tell you what though. I am going to give you the last word on this. Have at it.
True, but my negativity was aimed at putting a douchebag in his place, not inserting meaningless snarky comments into a conversation among happy fans. I mean really, “assbaggery?”
While your attempt at being articulate is amusing, I can guarantee darling that I would NEVER sleep with you, as I do actually require getting to know someone before I give them that luxury. I could care less who you are or how good-looking you think you are, because you obviously don’t have the character to back it up. I am happy to hear you are finally leaving this blog alone though, apparently my work here is done.
GO GIANTS!!!
I think what Wake Up Call really means to say is that he needs to spend the rest of his weekend licking his own asshole. How else do you think he gets his charm? He really doesn’t have any more time to grace us with his well thought out commentary that clearly shows his excellent command of everything. Lick on, young Wake Up Call!
I wish i could lick my own ass, cause that would vastly improve my social standing. I live with my grandma and i eat frozen tv dinners every night. Then i get all upity and go looking for arguments online cause its the only way people will talk to me. GO GIANTS
I’m ready to pound you digital media boy. I work by the park. Feel free to drive by on your way to your fictitious job somewhere in the North Bay and we can take care of this the old fashioned way. This is a positive forum for fans to unite – but instead of sifting through and finding awesome things to collaborate with my fellow San Franciscans, I’ve had to sift through a bunch of smelly shit from your mouth. So, like I said, you let me know and I’m happy to meet up with you to resolve these matters. that is of course, if you choose to remain on this forum. Leave now while your ahead. PS – we’ve already dug up the IP address. Interesting stuff douche bag.
IM A DOUCHEBAG…