Archive for Monday, April 14, 2008
Super Sunday
Celebrations end thrilling season
An estimated 80,000 Jayhawk fans line Massachusetts Street to greet the Kansas University men’s basketball team, the 2008 national champions, including player Darrell Arthur, during a parade Sunday. The team also gathered for an awards ceremony Sunday afternoon at Allen Fieldhouse.
April 14, 2008
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2008 National Championship Parade
Past parades for the Jayhawks
Awards Ceremony
Sunday capped nearly a month of high-fives, hugs and impromptu celebrations, courtesy of Kansas University’s men’s basketball team. A victory parade in downtown Lawrence was the final chapter in a season that kept Jayhawk fans on edge but ultimately brought a national championship home.
Sunday’s parade drew about 80,000 people, according to a police spokesman, who called the tally “unofficial.” Earlier reports estimated about 100,000 fans showed up.
They were wrapped in blankets, cupping coffee in their hands and doing just about anything to keep warm.
But when the team puttered down Massachusetts Street with players perched atop convertibles, the cold didn’t matter. Fans mobbed players’ cars, shaking their hands and snapping on-the-go photographs.
Staking a spot
Parking spots on Massachusetts Street were nonexistent, as Jayhawk fans staked their claims early.
Lawrence resident Stan Ring grabbed a parking spot between Eighth and Ninth streets Saturday night. He waited for the parade to begin with his wife, Mary Ann, his daughter Elizabeth Hall, her husband Brian and their two children, Nathan, 7, and Garrett, 4.
They planned early “just so we could have a good place here today, get up close to the action, so my grandkids can see,” Ring said.
The Halls drove to Lawrence from Olathe, said Elizabeth, a 1997 KU graduate.
“It’s just really fun,” she said. “It’s fun to share it with my kids and my parents. It was nice to finally make it to the end.”
Scott and Kathy Gates snagged the last parking spot available in a parking lot at 10th and Massachusetts streets. Their two sons, Michael, 10, and David, 8, sat in the bed of the truck, waiting for their Jayhawks, and more specifically, their favorite player, Mario Chalmers.
Families and children populated every sidewalk, a marked difference from the boozy bashes that followed KU’s victories in the NCAA tournament.
“Families can come to do this,” Kathy Gates said. “Monday was a school night. By the time the game was over, a lot of kids were in bed.”
Youngest fan
One of Lawrence’s newest families celebrated the win with perhaps the parade’s youngest participant.
Angela and Isaiah Eberhart welcomed their daughter, Kaidren, on Saturday, and by Sunday had christened her a Jayhawk. Kaidren was released from the hospital at 1 p.m. yesterday, and was soon wrapped in a KU blanket — and a few others to keep warm.
“We bundled her up, and we were out for a couple of hours. So (the parade) was her first destination,” Angela Eberhart said. “She was great. She slept. She was totally out, and then the band got real close. Then all of a sudden she started getting a little fussy.”
‘Just pride’
Second-floor windows were open and fans stuck their heads out to watch the massing crowds, before the parade began. Music blared from cars and street musicians entertained passersby.
Felicia Miller sat with her parents on their flatbed truck outside Ernst and Sons Hardware, 826 Mass., which is owned by Miller’s father-in-law, Rod Ernst. They watched the parade celebrating KU’s 1988 national championship in virtually the same spot.
Ermina Gauna, Miller’s mother, said she felt “just pride, pride.”
“The national spotlight that has been on Lawrence and KU, anywhere you go, people know about the university and what it stands for,” Miller said. “There aren’t may schools that have a football team and a basketball team that are tops at the same time. The recognition for Lawrence, Kansas, is outstanding.”
‘Best sports year’
KU students Ashley Trent, Mike Courtney and Beau Winfrey found an open spot at Seventh and Massachusetts streets. They were surprised they were able to snag such prime real estate.
“I’m pumped. I’m really excited,” Trent said, as she did homework before the parade. “We’re trying to hit as many events as possible.”
The group planned to migrate from its spot — where the Jayhawks would pass at the beginning of the parade — to Allen Fieldhouse, to watch the basketball team’s awards ceremony.
Courtney, a graduate student from Boston, felt lucky to have seen KU win the national championship.
“This is the best sports year of my life. It’s like coming from championship city to a championship school,” he said, listing off New England’s recent athletic successes, such as the Red Sox’s World Series victory.
Business booming
It was a good day for business, as well. Bars were packed before the parade, and fans were hungry for anything and everything KU. After the parade, a line formed outside Joe-College.com, 734 Mass., a T-shirt vendor, as fans were eager to commemorate the victory. The store was at capacity and had an employee allowing customers in only as others left.
Few problems
The crowd was well-behaved and there were no serious problems, Lawrence police Sgt. Michael Monroe said.
“Everything went very well. Everybody was having a good time,” he said.
Traffic near the downtown area moved slowly, but that was to be expected, Monroe said.
Few disturbances were reported, but at least one parade-goer suffered a bruised foot after a car carrying Chalmers ran over her foot.
The 12-year-old girl’s mother, Lois Orellana, was upset that no one helped her daughter, who walked from Massachusetts Street to Lawrence High School to meet her mother.
“She took a picture, and the next thing she knows, she heard a crunch,” said Orellana, who took her daughter to Lawrence Memorial Hospital for treatment.
The parade route took the team, which followed the KU pep band and cheerleaders, south on Massachusetts Street from Seventh Street to 19th Street and west on 19th Street to Naismith Drive. The team was met by some 10,000 fans at Allen Fieldhouse for one last chance to commemorate an unforgettable season.
— Staff writer Mike Belt contributed to this report.
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14 April 2008 at 7:37 a.m.
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jamnjohnks (Anonymous) says…
I am truly sorry for the girls injuries. Police should have kept people at a distance form the moving cars and they did not. With that said, gee..you might not want to stand so close to a moving vehicle, even if it only crawling along at a snails pace. A little common sense goes a long way. I saw a lot of people swarming the cars near where I was watching and I'm amazed that more people weren't injured. I won't even comment on the fact that apparently a 12 year old girl was allowed to roam around on her own in that sea of people. Sorry to be indignant but maybe, had Mom been around, the girl would have had quicker medical attention.
14 April 2008 at 7:57 a.m.
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Haiku_Cuckoo (Anonymous) says…
Police should have kept people at a distance form the moving cars and they did not.
==========
The cops were *slightly* outnumbered. If the cops had been forceful in keeping people off the street, we would here tons of complaints about how they ruined the parade for everyone. The girl's injuries resulted due to a massive lack of common sense. If mom had been there, she could have used her parenting skills to keep her little girl away from moving vehicles. I'm glad she only ended up with a bruised foot. I doubt she “heard a crunch” over the sounds of thousands of screaming fans.
14 April 2008 at 8:04 a.m.
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coolmarv (Anonymous) says…
The parade was pretty good. Too short though. We had a parking place in the 800 block of Mass but that was about 6 rows of people deep by the time the players went buy. Standing on the street I could see their heads. In 1988 I stood on the east side of Mass. at South Park. Much better parade in '88 or at least my memories are better. I'm probably just getting old.
I agree that the 12 year old maybe should not have been downtown without some adult supervision. I can't imagine she was the only one to get a toe crunched though.
14 April 2008 at 8:20 a.m.
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DaREEKKU (Anonymous) says…
I think it is funny that the city took it laying on their back to accommodate this many people in town. Their justification was that it would generate revenue on Mass St. however, they pretty much took a big heaping sh*t on the people that worked down there. I know several people that had to work during the phallic worshiping ceremony. They were ordered not to park in their assigned parking, were given “alternate” parking (which of course was full), and then had their cars towed for parking in their normal spots so they could be doormats for attendees. Thanks Lawrence, yet again.
14 April 2008 at 8:46 a.m.
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jkilgore (Anonymous) says…
The girl's injury? Regrettable. DaREEKKU's comments, just plain weird. REEK, do you think that, oh, about once every 20 years, Mass Street vendors can stand a horde of 80,000 potential customers? Good businesses thrive in such a setting. . .
These incidents do not detract from what was a wonderful, maybe once-in-a-lifetime experience for KU fans. It was for me. I think that the university and the police force have performed well during all these celebrations. Life will return to normal now.
14 April 2008 at 9:02 a.m.
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mkjayhawk2006 (Anonymous) says…
I agree that the girl's injury is unfortunate, but seriously? People were everywhere! Adults, children, pets, everyone was as close to the cars as possible, and not many people had any respect for anyone else, I was one of those up close people right near the cars (because I had been there all morning), and was pushed even closer by fans who didn't think they were close enough, there was nothing the police could have done due to the huge amount of people there! It was a great celebration, and so wonderful to see the huge amount of support that KU has-and everyone is right, who knows when this will happen again. On the other hand, who lets their children get in a situation like this in the first place? common sense!
14 April 2008 at 9:03 a.m.
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hilary (Anonymous) says…
Next time we win the championship and have a parade, get a huge, open firetruck for the band to ride on while they play, so they can do the whole route.
The parade was great, and well worth the wait, and I don't just mean the several hours before. I'm talking all 20 years.
14 April 2008 at 9:16 a.m.
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gmemusic (Anonymous) says…
“Next time we win the championship and have a parade, get a huge, open firetruck for the band to ride on while they play, so they can do the whole route.”
Yeah, since they advertised the route going all the way to 19th, then up to Naismith, we waited for over an hour at 19th and Vermont just to see the players and coaches ride along in the back of cars, all of 5 minutes. Then found out they had the band and cheerleaders and all downtown, what a ripoff. We shouldn't have been penalized because we didn't want to wade through the throngs of people to see that stuff, especially when all the hoopla was made over exending the route. A+ to the team for a GREAT season, D- to the parade organizers for half a parade.
14 April 2008 at 9:33 a.m.
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kansassportsnutgal (Anonymous) says…
I would never leave my 12 years old child without adult supervision! I feel badly about the little girl but the Mother should not complain if she left her there with out any kind of supervision! What is wrong with these parents these days??? I just don't get it! If the Mother even thinks to sue the city I think someone should sue her for leaving her child!!!!!
The parade was awesome– being at the fieldhouse was awesome! Rock Chalk Jayhawks! We are so proud of you!
14 April 2008 at 9:41 a.m.
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simplykristib (Anonymous) says…
Every article appears that the crowd was downtown. I was on 19th Street near Maine (two blocks east of Naismith Drive). It was not nearly as crowded but there were a number of people towards the end of the parade. I bet the crowd estimate came from downtown.
14 April 2008 at 9:50 a.m.
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moo (Anonymous) says…
A) 12 is old enough to go to a parade alone. However it is also old enough to realize that if you are very near a moving car you should probably try and keep your feet out of the way. I'm glad she was only bruised.
B) The parade was for fun, so everyone should lighten up a little. Crowd control probably should have been better, but I got to slap hands with all the starters, and apparently the worst injury was a bruised foot! I'm definitely not going to complain.
C) It definitely sucked that the band didn't go the whole way, luckily we heard that was going to happen and moved northward along the route.
Thanks to downtown and KU athletics for a fun, short celebration.
14 April 2008 at 9:58 a.m.
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cheeseburger (Anonymous) says…
The mother knowingly shirked her parental responsibilities by not being alongside her daughter in an environment which required a modicum of parental supervision, and now wants to blame everyone else for not accepting responsibility for her child. How typical !!
14 April 2008 at 10:29 a.m.
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supercowbellninja (Anonymous) says…
Parade was awesome! Rock Chalk!
14 April 2008 at 10:54 a.m.
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mistygreen (Anonymous) says…
The 12-year-old girl’s mother, Lois Orellana, was upset that no one helped her daughter, who walked from Massachusetts Street to Lawrence High School to meet her mother.
Hey Lois, just be glad I did not see your daughter or stop to help her. Believe me, your daughter's foot would of been the least of your problems. I have no sympathy for parents that use poor judgement. I really do not want to hear a bunch of whiners complain that the mother could not be there for whatever reason. A responsible parent would of worked out something. Hey sometimes you might just have to say no to a child for whatever reason. I told my kids NO on plenty of occasions, and you know what??? They turned out just fine.
14 April 2008 at 11:46 a.m.
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marxisnotdead (Anonymous) says…
Will a large celebration be enjoyed by all when one of our faculty members at KU receives a national award for outstanding scholarly activity? And, will classes be cancelled when the area gets hit with a huge ice or snow storm to ensure the safety of those who need to commute to work and/or class?
14 April 2008 at 11:56 a.m.
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stuckinthemiddle (Anonymous) says…
marxisnotdead
is there a particular KU professor that you're a fan of?
if so, and he or she wins such an award you should organize a celebration so that all of that professor's fans can attend…
classes have been cancelled when ice and or snow have hit but it's a judgement call on the part of the University Administrators…
it is also a judgement call on the part of each and every person… student, faculty and staff alike, to decide whether or not it is safe for them as an individual to make a commute to work or class…
14 April 2008 at 12:01 p.m.
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RuralKsGirl (Anonymous) says…
During the parade, my 8, 10 and 12 year old boys stood right up against the cars going by while I stood several people behind them. However, I told them many times prior to the start of the parade to watch their toes and limbs if they were going to stand out there. I also had my eye on them the entire time and we were fortunate enough to be around people who didn't feel the need to push and shove to get closer to the players. (My 12 year old also managed to get Coach Self to sign his Sports Illustrated… injury-free!)
I can't imagine how a parent thought it was appropriate to leave their 12 year old unattended in such a crowd. The child was downtown and the mother was by the high school? I wouldn't do that even if there weren't a parade! (This isn't, afterall, Lawrence, Kansas in 1988.)
14 April 2008 at 12:01 p.m.
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Eride (Anonymous) says…
If you don't want to have your foot run over don't stick it under a car tire, I mean jeeze people, take some personal responsibility!
Sue the city?! Please.
14 April 2008 at 12:17 p.m.
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dstavin (Anonymous) says…
“jeeze people, take some personal responsibility!”
I agree. When you take a calculated risk (to get up close to a moving vehicle in a hyped-up crowd) it might not turn out as you expected. This was not the city's fault, or the team's fault, or the car owner's fault, IMHO.
14 April 2008 at 12:25 p.m.
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acg (Anonymous) says…
Lord, I just can't understand why all the hubub. They won the championship and there was talk of their possibly not being a parade and people started whining. Then, they said, okay, we'll have a parade and people started whining about the route, the day, the time, the impending weather, etc. Then after the parade, people are whining about the band not walking the whole way, the crowd being too thick, the kid getting her foot run over, the inattentive mom who let her get her foot run over, blah blah blah. Not to mention the occasional comments re: what about Iraq? What about snow days? What kind of party are we going to have if professor what'shisface wins a nobel prize? How about, great season, great team, great parade, thanks to KU and the boys for all of their hard work and now let's move on. Holy crap, what does it take to make some of you happy?
14 April 2008 at 12:50 p.m.
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ModSquadGal (Anonymous) says…
acg: Amen!
You can please some of the morons some of the time, but you can't please ALL of the morons ALL of the time.
If you went to have fun, and did, great! If you went and hated it, stay home next time! If you didn't go and bitched about it, keep it to yourself!
Great season and wonderful memories from the Jayhawks. Priceless.
14 April 2008 at 12:56 p.m.
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knayte (Anonymous) says…
“Will a large celebration be enjoyed by all when one of our faculty members at KU receives a national award for outstanding scholarly activity?”
When students are lining up days in advance to hear a professor's lectures, which are also being viewed on national television by millions of rabid fans, maybe we'll give him a parade for winning Prof of the Year.
Not saying that watching sports is more important than academics, but let's be serious please.
14 April 2008 at 12:57 p.m.
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Peaty (Anonymous) says…
My family and I had a great time. Our kids are still talking about it. If you missed the band I put pics up here :)
http://peatpics.com/gallery2/main.php/v/…
Way to go Jayhawks!
14 April 2008 at 1:23 p.m.
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verity (Anonymous) says…
Really great photos–thanks for posting them.
I had a great time also, but my pictures weren't as good as yours.
I'm not the biggest sports fan, but this was something special, especially since the team played as a team, no one person trying to take all the glory and I think that is why they won.
14 April 2008 at 1:59 p.m.
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cloggedjhawk (Wendy magillicutty) says…
well, I tried to get my MommyVan parked downtown saturday night, but (heavy sigh) the spots were all already taken. My husband came down with a virus so we skipped it all anyway. Kinda glad we did, sounds like we would have had a great view of the back of 40 peoples' heads as they stood between us and the parade. Ohsie wellsie, there's always next year :) Those who chose to have a good time did, thanks for all the great pix!!!
Thanks to ALL the KU Jayhawk athletes/coaches/staff for handling themselves with such class. It is such a joy to watch you all on and off the playing fields/courts/courses…
14 April 2008 at 8:11 p.m.
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Yabut (Anonymous) says…
Coming next: spin-off article on bad parenting. I nominate the two mentioned in this article….the idiotic parents who took their newborn out into a crowd of 80000+ and the mother who left her 12 year old child without adult supervision in the same crowd…..they both deserve to have their parent cards revoked (incidentally, the child could have gone up to an officer or gone to the fire station downtown for help rather than walking to LHS to meet mom). Sounds like mom didn't want to be bothered with going downtown. CPS should investigate both sets of parents for child endangerment…..you have their names and admissions of guilt.
16 April 2008 at 9:28 a.m.
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marxisnotdead (Anonymous) says…
Obviously, my comment on the priority of athletics has risen over the heads of some and naivete has strucken others. My point was simply that the priorities of our society seems to be a bit misguided at best. I promise you: get an education and you most likely will go further in life than sitting in a lounge chair or on a bar stool hooping over a basketball game. Moreover, obviosly your experiences as a faculty member are a bit less understood, for the “individual choice” argument is such a lame one in this case as well as a justification for many decisions, ie smoking, drinking while driving and vice versa, beating your kids, paying taxes etc.