National Sports

NEW YORK (CBS) ― Millions of Yankee faithful lined the streets of lower Manhattan Friday, joining N.Y. Gov. David Patterson, rapper Jay-Z, Mayor Michael Bloomberg and former New York City mayor Rudy Giuliani to celebrate the team's 27th World Series victory.

As the players on floats made their way through Wall Street toward City Hall Plaza, a loud roar rose above Broadway as confetti rained down on the parade.

Vincent Rogner, an 18-year-old senior at a Catholic high school in Queens, skipped classes Friday with some friends to attend the parade.

"I'm a die-hard Yankees fan," he said. "I love the intensity."

"The greatest feeling in the world, living in the best city in the world with the best team in the world," said "Mike," a Yankee fan from Brooklyn.

Fans packed lower Broadway to see the championship ballclub, and the lucky ones who got to sit curbside said they earned their spots by showing up during the night.

"We got to Penn Station about 10:30 and got here around 11 o'clock," said Yankee fan Joe Ingraffia. "I'm tired!"

By arriving early, they avoided the fate of thousands who ended up behind barricades on Church Street, a full block from the parade. Seeing the Yankee stars up close, though, seemed to make the memory of the long wait dissolve.

"Oh it was amazing, the crowds, the fans, the energy," said Yankee fan Regina Moore.

"A-Rod was so sexy in those glasses and that little black hat and Derek Jeter, Oh my God, forget it," said Yankee fan Rosa Fernandez.

There was a small fire at one point, and a guy in a Mets outfit who attracted some trouble, but overall it was smooth sailing. Smooth, but loud.

"Awesome, awesome. New York all the way! Next year #28, #28 baby!" one fan screamed to WCBS-TV .

Some 200 ticker-tape parades have been held at the "Canyon of Heroes," for heroes ranging from astronauts to sports champions to five-star generals.

Yankees players, coaches, and team members, and some lucky significant others, were riding up Broadway on a dozen parade floats assembled by workers in Clifton, N.J.

Bond Parade Floats has been responsible for creating the floats for the Yankees' parades since 1996. The owner, Rob DeVito, said it never gets old.

"Ever since the first parade – the first parade was, of course, the best – but this is good," DeVito said.

Reggie Jackson said the Yankees' 27th title has him thinking "a lot" about owner George Steinbrenner.

"I wish he was here," Jackson said.

George Steinbrenner has made few public appearances since his health deteriorated in recent years. He attended the first two games against the Phillies, returning to the new Yankee Stadium for the first time since opening day.

His son, Hal, took over the day-to-day operations of the team last November.
"A magical day," Hal Steinbrenner said. "New York just has the best fans in the world."

Former Yankee great Chris Chambliss was also on hand and talked to WCBS-TV about what it meant to be a part of the parade.

"This is an exciting time, I remember this and you don't see anything, but a sea of people. It's just exciting and you see all the ticker-tape coming down and it's just wonderful," said Chambliss, who won two championships with the Yankees as a player and four as a coach.

The World Series victory comes during the inaugural season of a newly built $1.5 billion Yankee Stadium. Attendance this year was 3.72 million, or an average of 45,918 for 81 regular-season home games. That's down from 4.29 million, an average of 52,928, for the final season at the old Yankee Stadium.

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