Lakers parade: For some, a rare visit to downtown L.A.
Cecilia Monge and her friends met at sports bars or friends' houses to watch every Lakers game -- at least the last half of the season. But Monge has never seen the team in person.
She and her friends, dressed in purple-and-gold T-shirts artfully cut to show off shoulders and cleavage, joined groups of 10 and 20 pouring out of the Metro 7th Street station to get an early Lakers parade viewing spot.
"We've been waiting for this for seven years," she said.
A Sheriff's Department canine unit with a German shepherd stood nearby as they asked directions; Monge, 30, of North Hollywood had never taken the Metro before, and has barely ever visited downtown Los Angeles.
But it was easy to follow the gold-clad crowds five blocks to the Staples Center, where the parade is scheduled to begin.
Unlike her friends, who called in sick to attend the celebration, Monge, a medical assistant, had the day off; her boss, a Tarzana dermatologist, is a fan and closed the office to watch the parade on TV, she said.
"It's too bad the real fans can't get here," she said as the arena came into view.
Monge said she hopes to see Kobe Bryant and Derek Fisher in the flesh. But like any true fan, she's already worried about next year.
"I hope Phil Jackson comes back," she said.
-- Gale Holland from the parade route
Caption: Lakers fan Ram Kanji from Oxnard wears his crazy Lakers wig on Figueroa Street, arriving at 6:30 a.m. to get a front row seat for the victory parade. Credit: Mark Boster / Los Angeles Times
There's only one legitimate place I've found to watch it, the rest seem like scams :-/ You can watch it over here though: http://tinyurl.com/per7xf
They make you do a little survey but after that it's good to go :)
Posted by: karena | June 17, 2009 at 10:29 AM