Nothing could keep these fans away

By Justin Rocket Silverman | jsilverman@am-ny.com

February 6, 2008

Work, school and a morning of dreary skies couldn't keep many Giants fans away. They painted their faces, donned their team jerseys, and waited for hours to see the Giants parade up Broadway. Here are some scenes from the celebration.

While some parade-goers made signs with freshly purchased poster board and markers from Broadway drug stores, Omar Owens, 24, of Staten Island, got a little more creative. He ripped up the box from his cough-syrup bottle to hastily pen his own sign: "18-1," referring to the Patriots' less-than-perfect record this season.

"I took it from Robitussin," he said, holding up the small box. "I've got a sore throat."

With an opportunity to get an autograph but nothing immediate to have signed, Jasmine Marin, 17, of Far Rockaway, threw the only thing she could think of at the spur of the moment: her right gym Giants colored gym shoe. The odd request was not lost on linebacker Chase Blackburn, who obliged by signing his initials and jersey number 57 on the lip of the shoe and tossing it back.

Just at that moment she got a call from her mother.

"He signed my sneaker! He signed my sneaker!" Marin jumping up and down shrieked into a cell phone to her mother. "I'll call you back!"

Amidst the rain of confetti and toilet paper falling over Broadway during the Giants victory parade, there landed a full ream of bright yellow Xerox paper. The 500-odd sheets hit the asphalt with a dramatic thud, causing a nearby sanitation worker to jolt upright.

He scanned the open office building windows above for the source of this paper-bomb, and then shook his head in dismay as he began sweeping it away. "A few years ago someone threw a whole telephone book out of one of these windows," he said.

Tuesday was not a school holiday, but judging by the number of teenagers lining Broadway, there was a whole lot of hooky being played.

Among the only students who had official permission to be there were those in the marching bands.

As the band from Midwood High School in Brooklyn headed north, one of its supervising music teachers recognized a student in the crowed. "Hey, Jeff, grab your clarinet and join us!" cried the teacher.

Jeff grew bright red, and looked mighty relieved when the marching band and his teacher moved on.