Monday, June 14, 2010

The World Cup in Civic Center 1: Opening Day



The San Francisco Recreation & Parks Department has decided to join the month of World Cup madness in South Africa with simulcasts on a large screen in Civic Center Plaza.



The crowd that showed up on Friday was fairly small, possibly because the major event was the earlier Mexico vs. South Africa game...



...and few people seemed to be interested in the France vs. Uruguay match which was being broadcast at 11AM.



Rec & Park Director Phil Ginsburg (above) introduced a long list of "public-private sponsors" for the recurring event, and then tried to get the crowd going in a rendition of the "Olay olay olay" song.



As with most initiatives from the Rec & Park Department, the idea was a good one but the execution was half-assed as there was nowhere to sit except for concrete or hard-packed dirt unless you were smart enough to bring along some beach chairs.



There are a couple of hot dog and sandwich operations on the plaza these days but they were completely overwhelmed by even a small crowd.



The happiest people seemed to be the kids playing soccer on a pitch that had been set up on a lawn to the right of the screen...



...and the children participating in a "GOOOOOOOOAAAAL!" screaming contest at the Verizon booth.



For a schedule of these public telecasts over the next month, click here, and be sure to bring your own chairs and refreshments if you want to join the communal viewing experience.

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