GO GIANTS!!!

It's Giants season again. The city of SF has been taken over by a sea of orange and black. Ecstatic fans march around in their signature black caps or furry panda beanies. The street vendors on Market Street lay out their generous assortment of Giants gear, T-shirts and hats of all sizes and colors, each with the unmistakable "NLCS Champions" printed boldly. Even the grumbly Muni buses have caught on to the festivities, with "Go Giants!" permanently flashing on their screens. The dreary BART station is decked out in the team colors, making the place seem suddenly cheery and inviting.

On game days, the 101 and 280 halt to a stop as fans file in from all over the bay area to cheer on the G-men. As they pile into AT&T park, the excitement and anticipation builds, culminating into a frenzy of cheering, shouting, and orange-towel waving as the much-awaited game finally begins.

Because it is really more than just a game. The Giants have brought the whole city, maybe even the entire bay area, together, at least for the time being. They are not only a great baseball team, but they have come to symbolize the "city by the bay" and everything we love about SF. Their triumphs and struggles, camaraderie and “don’t stop believin’” attitude have undoubtedly won our hearts. Men and women, old and young alike, all have the Giants on their minds during this time. Employees rush home after work to catch the first pitch at 5 pm PST. Facebook and twitter are swarming with status updates rooting for the Giants. Even if you are not a baseball fan, you can’t help but turn into a dedicated Giants fan.

When we win, the whole city goes wild and we have never been so proud to be “San Francisc-an”. And if we lose, everyone mourns together. And when the post-season games finally come to an end and those unforgettable hours of being glued to FOX TV are over, the Giants gear, and all the glory that came with it, is quietly stashed but not forgotten, in a back corner. The waves of orange and black that have covered the city gradually disappear in bits and pieces, and the city resumes its day-to-day business. That is until next season, when it will, once again, be unified by the team that has really lived up to its name.

What better way to end this than to say… GO GIANTS!!!