TFD: One bar, two teams, major dilemma

Passed along by Stu, featuring the work of Leitch:

January 19, 2010 at 11:35PM

Passed along by Stu, featuring the work of Leitch:

Bar None, a beer-by-the-pitcher bar on Third Avenue, has long been the New York City headquarters for Minnesota Vikings and New Orleans Saints fans. For years, co-existence between the hundreds of fans jamming the bar on game day has been peaceful. But this Sunday, the Saints face off against the Vikings for the NFC championship. "We are meeting now to discuss strategy," said Bar None manager Pam Schon on Monday afternoon as she conducted a sit-down with unofficial Saints fan representative Ted Castator and his counterpart, NYC Minnesota Vikings Fan Club coordinator Marcus Grundahl. Like any self-respecting heads of state meeting to defuse a potential dispute, the two had their photo taken together for posterity. "It's détente!" joked Grundahl in a later phone interview. The bar has had affiliations with both teams for some time. Per Schon, a long-gone employee/Vikings fan initiated the Minnesota connection about a decade ago; neighborhood Saints fans adopted the establishment a few years later. The regular Sunday waitress, Swiss-neutral, wears a shoulders-exposed Flashdance–style T-shirt custom-made for flipping — Saints logo on one side, the Vikings on the other. The Vikings lay claim to the front room and the Saints the back.

about the writer

about the writer

Michael Rand

Columnist / Reporter

Michael Rand is the Minnesota Star Tribune's Digital Sports Senior Writer and host/creator of the Daily Delivery podcast. In 25 years covering Minnesota sports at the Minnesota Star Tribune, he has seen just about everything (except, of course, a Vikings Super Bowl).

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