A story from the Jerusalem Post about March Madness.
A narrow aisle, no more than a foot wide, divides the cluster of red sweatshirts from the cluster of blue ones. The fans on the right, the ones in red, are a visibly older bunch who know that one more victory brings their Bradley University Braves to a Land that is far from Promised to a Mid-Major school. The Sweet 16.
Segregated to the left, the fans in blue expect their University of Pittsburgh Panthers, a power team from a power conference, to take care of business. A victory is a victory, but the Final Four is the Final Four.
Although the driver has no choice but to sit on the left side, he has made a point to dress in a neutral white polo. His only loyalties are to his job, which consists of shuttling fans from the Big Bucks Brewery to The Palace at Auburn Hills for the NCAA Tournament’s second round matchups.
“Driver,” a Panthers fan shouts. “You sure you don’t want a Pitt sticker?”
The driver laughs off the offer.
“You know that after the game, you’ll have to drive us both home,” says a Bradley fan. “And only one of us is going to be happy.”
The woman has revealed a truth that leaves the men and women on the bus – both blue and red – silent and uneasy.
Unfortunately, we know which group that was.