Led by the dominant and historic pitching performance of World Series MVP Madison Bumgarner, the Giants authored their third championship in five years.
But for many Giants fans, the night turned sour when media coverage cut from Kansas City to San Francisco.
In a time that should have been filled with jubilation and celebration in the city, a mass of misled “fans” chose to resort to destruction and violence.
However, given the news and images that surfaced from within San Francisco, it is easy to argue that the Giants fan base was not as deserving of the title as the organization itself.
With multiple victims of stabbings, as well as shootings, thousands of Bay Area natives took away the joy of so many. And those who chose to rejoice in a civilized fashion could do nothing but sit back and shake their heads.
Upon the completion of the World Series’ game 7, the city of San Francisco was overcome with rioting. People and property were put in danger. At a time when a city is expected to come together in joy and feelings of success, so many resorted to violence.
I am long-time and very devoted Giants fan. I have suffered through the torture of the early 2000s, and I have reveled in every bit of the recent triumphs.
However, needless to say I was downtrodden by the images boastfully displayed on Facebook and Twitter – images of burning couches and vandalized police cars.
In this, a time that should be devoted joy and merrymaking, all local news feeds have been forced to report things under headlines like “Giants World Series Celebrations Turn Ugly, 2 Shot, Muni Buses Suspended” (CBS SF Bay).
When did we begin celebrating the ventures of our favorite sports organizations by partaking in mass destruction? And why does it continue?
When the final out was recorded, I took a few minutes to celebrate with my wife and son before beginning to contemplate the out-of-the-box content of this column. My first thought was to express my displeasure with Royals fans, who enthusiastically booed their guy being hit in the back with a 78 mph curveball, when just last week they cheered in glee as a 99 mph fastball sizzled past the head of a Giants outfielder.
I also considered pledging my appreciation of the Royals organization, with their 25 admirable players and worthy coaching staff, or their decision to display orange lights beneath their stadium’s iconic fountains.
But those ideas took an immediate backseat when I saw that a man had been shot in a makeshift, impromptu parade “celebrating” the Giants’ success.
I couldn’t be prouder of the Giants. Being a long-time fan of the orange and black, World Series success is something that will never get old.
But I am embarrassed by those whom I days ago considered my brethren.
In fact, this year I chose to forgo the championship parade for the first time. The reason? I legitimately feared the possibility of violence breaking out.
If this is the way Giants “fans” will continue celebrating their team’s success, then this fan base is not deserving of further success.