No Plans For Mavs Parade Yet, But Safety Preps Likely
DALLAS (CBSDFW.COM) - The Dallas Mavericks win over Oklahoma City put the club into the NBA Finals for the first time since 2006. While some fans want a rematch with the Miami Heat, most don't want a replay of the outcome (which Miami won) or of the controversy over a victory parade plan that was never put into operation.
At that time the city released the map of possible victory parade route, a "just in case" path if the Mavs beat Miami. Such plans were necessary because a 1993 Cowboys victory parade went terribly wrong and the city didn't want to be surprised again...in fact Dallas Cowboys victory parades in 1994, 1996, and a Dallas Stars event in 1999 went off fine. But the 2006 map's existence was misconstrued as arrogance by out-of-town media.
Today downtown boosters think that criticism was unfair. "I think it was a little overplayed," says Downtown Dallas, Inc. President and CEO John Crawford. He says then, as now, just about everyone from the team to the city to fans took things in the proverbial 'One Game At A Time.' "I think we need to keep our fire lit but I don't think we need to over-flame it," he tells CBS 11 of this year's preliminary matchup. "Frankly there's not been any discussion (of any parade) and I don't consider it a jinx, it's just a matter of timing and how you do anything."
While most at Dallas City Hall are afraid to talk about the "possibility" of a parade for fear of jinxing it, one outgoing councilman says the city has to at least begin making plans---for safety's sake. "There are logistics issues, public safety issues. There are a lot of things that if you have an event it's a safe, productive event for the city," Ron Natinsky tells CBS 11 News.
He cautions that no one wants a repeat of the 1993 parade. "That was one of those where the event was put together pretty quickly and we probably didn't do the right level of planning and on the other hand I don't think we expected near the crowd." Natinsky says such issues are quietly being examined now. "We've got a pretty good structure in place, we don't have to re-invent it from the start."
