Putting on a major parade in downtown Miami takes a lot of planning.
So here’s a question the Miami Heat probably don’t want to answer right now: Should the Heat and the city of Miami be quietly planning an NBA championship parade?
If you remember the Heat's June 2006 NBA victory parade, it was scorching hot like the team. But it didn't just happen. A parade of this magnitude takes days of planning.
So, as Heat fans streamed toward the AAA on Thursday night for Game 2's loss against the Mavericks, the question was “should there be planning underway quietly now for a possible parade down Flagler and onto Biscayne?” Or would that give Dallas some extra motivation?
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"I mean, maybe they should like half plan it. You know, like, maybe just part of the logistics but not the super details!” said Heat fan Leslie Barreiro, “You know, so it's kind of prepared but not all the way."
The Heat didn't get back to calls from NBC Miami on Thursday regarding the idea of a parade down Flagler and Biscayne. They were no doubt a tad too busy. But they told the Miami Mayor's office they didn't want to plan details until late next week, suggesting they too think it's a little audacious to plan a parade at this juncture.
"No,” disagrees Miami City Commissioner Marc Sarnoff with a bit of a grin. “You start it now because they are going to win the championship. There's no two ways about it."
The parade would be in Sarnoff's district. He says, with swagger and confidence, plan away. "So, yea, we plan the parade now. Whether they do four games or five games, that's up to Dallas," he said.
If the Heat win, their parade (they'd pay the $60,000-100,000 for police and other costs) would follow "immediately" says the mayor's parade planner. But that probably means 2-3 days.
And remember, downtown Miami is now full of high rise condos, great for ticker-tape. And one guy, with a Heat banner hanging over his high rise balcony, was already in place.
