Some Christians only go to Church on Christmas. For one time a year they are enthusiastic followers of Christ and the rest of the time leave their faith to be ignored. Some other people, like me, are only football fans for the Super Bowl. For two to three games a year, I become a perfect Giants fan: I wear blue, I eat subs and drink beer, and I stare wide-eyed as Eli Manning darts across the screen. When the Giants won the Super Bowl, I thought that I might die of ecstasy (while wishing I could explain first and ten…).
“Go Giants!” I yelled before running around the house. I knew immediately what a pseudo fan’s next move would be; I needed to go the Giants parade. If for nothing else, than to stare at Victor Cruz’s slammin’ body. Getting up at six and dragging my ass to the city by 8:30 was all going to be worth it, I told myself, when I got to feast my eyes on some athletic man-candy. I ended up shocked at how many packed subways and streets there were two and a half hours before the parade even started. By 9:30 access to the parade was blocked and all late sleepers would be shit out of luck. Dammit, we all thought as we saw police officers closing street after street with heavy metal gates. After jumping around a substantial barricade and finding an ideal location, 2 of my friends joined the diehard fans in the cold, cheering and throwing toilet paper at each other until we could hear the sound of a band playing in the distance.
Some of the high school bands (and their outfits) left something to be desired, but it was impossible not to join in the thrill of the crowd when the NY Giants MVP waved in our direction.
“Oh, my God there he is!” People cried over the old men playing bagpipes. I was entangled in a mess of arms, reaching out from the crowd, trying to get one millimeter closer to the great Eli Manning, while he grinned goofily at his adoring fans. When the parade ended I reflected on how quickly it all passed by – one big blur of gorgeous men and a bunch of other people that I didn’t really know. I was proud of my boys for bringing home another trophy. I was thrilled to be dressed un-blue. I vowed to actually watch a full season next year…and to not be too distracted by their bodies.
Alysia Slocum