Turkey Trot & Parade SNAFU

The theme for this year's Turkey Trot is apparently "We Could've Planned This Better", by popular demand of those stuck in traffic on Jefferson for the past hour.

Can't see the reason for this gridlock, other than everyone trying to get into the Cobo garage at the same time.

Traffic is backed up well into I-375 to the east, and the Lodge is clearly a parking lot...most folks are still trying to U-turn at Woodward but nobody is getting anywhere.


I'm guessing Cobo only had one attendant again, and they needed exact change.

Attachment 28816


Attachment 28817

Wife and nieces ran the turkey trot. Parked over by the bus station - no parking problems over there. The start was a mess - they didn't have the chutes marked properly so people had problems figuring out where to start.

The finish backed up well onto the race course, so everyone's times were messed up unless you were in the front of the pack. This wouldn't be a huge deal, though I believe the trot is a qualifying race so if you wanted to use your time to get position in another race you'd be screwed.

Regardless, they had a great time. I stayed at home - out of the rain :)

Did anyone view the parade around the Fox Theater? Just south of the theater beginning at Montcalm Street, they have installed these huge traffic signal posts and arms. I was just curious. Did they remove these things for the parade balloons or did the balloons just have to go around them?

You'd think after 89 years they'd have their shit together.

I wish they had set up the parade grandstand area in a different spot this year. 1217 Woodward didn't make a great backdrop on TV... They interviewed Santa with a broken window in the background. While many locals knew it is being renovated, I'm sure anyone else watching in America just thought it was typical Detroit. Moving the grandstand and 'center stage' would have allowed for a better backdrop.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by jmarie

I wish they had set up the parade grandstand area in a different spot this year. 1217 Woodward didn't make a great backdrop on TV... They interviewed Santa with a broken window in the background. While many locals knew it is being renovated, I'm sure anyone else watching in America just thought it was typical Detroit. Moving the grandstand and 'center stage' would have allowed for a better backdrop.

---

I don't believe it's telecast outside of Michigan.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by hybridy

I don't believe it's telecast outside of Michigan.

---

Actually, it's syndicated and gets quite a wide distribution.

From The Parade Company's website:

Quote:

---

The Parade is televised live locally on WDIV-TV, Local 4 with a syndicated national potential reach of over 65 million households!

---

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by jmarie

I wish they had set up the parade grandstand area in a different spot this year. 1217 Woodward didn't make a great backdrop on TV... They interviewed Santa with a broken window in the background. While many locals knew it is being renovated, I'm sure anyone else watching in America just thought it was typical Detroit. Moving the grandstand and 'center stage' would have allowed for a better backdrop.

---

I felt the same way. The somewhat good news is that the national audience broadcast ended an hour before the parade broadcast ended. Hopefully, only expatriates will watch the parade through syndication.

I'm the guy in the Ford screaming, pounding my head against the wheel, slamming my fists into the dashboard, mouthing the words:"IgotupeeIgotupeeIgotupeeIgotupeeIgotupeeIgo tupeeIgotupeeeIgotupeeeIgotupeeeIgotupeee!!!"
Finally, had to pull off and barrel through a crowd to speed away to a safe spot.

Just two extra things about Thanksgiving God showed me to be grateful for [[that I wasn't always lucky to have when I was roaming the countryside)-a [[still) working "plumbing system" and the private resources to evacuate with dignity.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by downtownguy

Actually, it's syndicated and gets quite a wide distribution.

From The Parade Company's website:

---

Only the first hour is syndicated. Mort and Carmon signed off to the national crowd at 11.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by hybridy

I don't believe it's telecast outside of Michigan.

---

I don't think it's telecast outside of Metro Detroit. I'm pretty sure that if you're in Lansing, or Grand Rapids, or Traverse City, it isn't being shown on local programming[[unless something changed recently).

As to national, I would be surprised if it were telecast in random parts of the country, but who knows. Keep in mind that other cities have Thanksgiving parades too. It isn't just the Macys parade and the Detroit one.

"Michiganders and TV watchers across the country will also be tuning in — last year the event was watched by 21% of viewers in Detroit’s local TV market, and the parade was syndicated in 140 cities across America."

http://business.time.com/2013/11/27/...g-day-parades/

I'd always heard it was syndicated but never saw a solid number. Supposedly Detroit is one of the largest parades, second to Macy*s and maybe one other somewhere.

Not to mention WDIV is carried far beyond like in Canada on various cable systems and a satellite provider.

That's why you sometimes see weird things on WDIV like Wallside Windows commercials with text proclaiming "Now available in Ottawa, Ontario!"

I was able to watch the parade in its entirety at my mom's house in a Flint suburb. You could see the WDIV logo after every commercial break, then it would immediately be replaced by the local Flint station's logo.

Years ago I would watch Detroit's parade when I lived in North Carolina.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Honky Tonk

You'd think after 89 years they'd have their shit together.

---

Yes, but on the other hand, when you're 89, that's when shit lets loose.

I was in Nashville on Thanksgiving Day. No Detroit parade coverage via my daughter's satellite provider.

I was in Minneapolis-- no telecast there, just Macy's times 2 or 3 different networks. Interesting-- there is NO thanksgiving parade in that town. Kind of lame.

From the parade co. web site. The syndication list http://www.theparade.org/wp-content/...ation-List.pdf