A different idea:

Route: Gather at Intramural fields. Wind through East Green dorms. Right down South Green drive to Richland. Up Richland and right to "new" Baker. Left on Univ. Terrace. Everyone (except bands) goes down jeff hill (or whatever) where the parade ends.

College Green Concert: Have a 110 and Alumni band hook a left at end of university terrace and head to college green for a 3-4 song jam session. This sends the route through campus and uptown at the end. And, keeps the route away from the plethora of juvenile, boorish, insulting, drunk students who can't handle alcohol. (These morons are why the parade will never be on Court ST.)

Close Court Street to traffic until game time - or screw it, all day. Add a little Octoberfest/tailgate atmosphere with local beer and food only: Jackie O's, Little Fish, Devils Kettle, Avalanche, etc.? Do what Athens and OU do second best: party.

I like the parade route this year more than the past couple years, but overall I agree it is a below average route. The Homecoming Parade route lately seems like they tried to imagine the most boring possible Parade route.

I've got two proposals:
1st route
1. Assemble at McCracken Field.
2. Left on Playground Dr.
3. Left on Mill
4. Mill merges with West State.
5. Left on Court.
6. Court straight on down to President Terrace or Park Place whatever the devil that road is called.
7. End parade at top of Morton.

2nd route
1. Assemble at McCracken Field
2. Right on East Union
3. UP JEFF HILL
4. Right on S College Street.
5. Left on Mill
6. Merge with West State
7. Left on Court
8. Whoever is still standing after I made them start the parade walking up Jeff Hill gets a handshake from me.

On a serious note, I think it'd be really cool to send the parade DOWN Richland. Watching the band walk down Richland Ave Bridge would be pretty cool and now that they put up barriers along the sidewalks on each side this would make for pretty ideal viewing I think.

Just out of curiosity, what was wrong with old route "back in the day"? The parade would assemble on the east side of town around Morris Avenue, then it would proceed up College Street and then either go to Peden via University Terrace some years and other years they went via Union Street to Presidents Street to Richland Avenue. There were times, also, when they went down Court Street instead of College, also. I, personally, always thought it went more smoothly on College.

The safety rules are making it hard to put floats in the parade. I understand why they have them, but it is limiting the number of floats.

I'd suggest a strongly worded letter to The Post and Athens News.

Not because it'll fix anything, but because it'll be entertaining to read.

They also include beer & booze. Maybe that's what it is. ;)

Amen, Bro'. I'm still up for an entertaining parade. My all-time fave I got to see only once - in 2012. It has been held annually on the first weekend in September for some 450 years. It's the closing highlight of a celebration called Pfifferdaj (translates as Feiffer's or Minstrel's Day) and it's held in the Alsacian village of Ribeauville. What I say about it next might strike you as hyperbole but assuredly is not. To wit,the parade runs about 4 hours and I was sorry it ended.

Early each year a village team settles on a theme. In 2012 it was the Legend of King Arthur. Then villagers get cracking on building floats, each of which is a playlet that tells part of the legend. About 30 floats. Plus more of the legend being told in playlets in between the floats. Plus a dozen bands all decked out in medieval uniforms.

The village - nestled between vine-covered hills with mountains rising at its north end - is only about 3 blocks wide. But it's about a mile and a half long. On the morning of parade day, roads into the village are blocked. Each person wanting to see the parade must pay 10 euros to enter the village. The year I attended more than 30,000 jammed the Grand Rue (winding main street).

Village population is about 3,000-4,000 and I'd say a majority are building floats or taking acting parts or both.

Try googling Ribeauville Pfifferdaj. I'm hoping to see it again.

Bull shit. Think Rose Parade, St. Patrick's Day Parade, Macy's Parade. Liability/safety is a convenient excuse to do nothing.

+1

Things I will be thinking of instead of meetings this morning:

1 - Mystic Mama, Chomolungma, Mandala, etc etc.
2 - Drumline at the J-Bar
3 - Casa Nueva
4 - Alumni Band
5 - Rufus
6 - Donkey Coffee

Screw it, I think it's time to leave for Athens....hold my calls.

I can't speak about the Columbus Day parade,but the Rose Parade floats are built by people working for large companies and professional float builders.

Macy's has people working year round on theirs.

I know the floats used for NYC sports parades pretty much come from 1 place.

They use the same chassis and just change colors and logos.

I heard last night there will be a review stand in front of city hall, can anyone confirm?

+1

Unfortunately I cannot make it in this weekend. But I will be back next week for a conference and liquor pitchers are calling my name, along with the Pigskin.....and Pub....and Cat's Eye.....and....you get the picture