Detroit Free Press

He ran back to the truck for his hunting jacket, because you're supposed to keep injured people warm, right? He ...

Usually, the stupidity of the masses is fought by the integrity of the few.Now and then, it's the other way around.Take the case of Jill Burstein. She is a security guard at Detroit's Renaissance Center. She sits behind a desk in one of the building's many hallways.The RenCen can be a cold, sterile place. So Jill decided to warm it up a little. At Halloween, she put a pumpkin on her desk. People smiled when they walked past.At Thanksgiving, she put up two paper turkeys and a balloon. People smiled again.

Chris Webber sat across the table, a plate of spaghetti in front of him. He wore a green sweatshirt, jeans and sneakers, and he looked even younger than his age. He spoke about turning pro. This was last February, when he was still a student, still part of the Fab Five."I can't imagine next year, when we play Duke, and me not being there," he said. "I already know the date, Dec. 11. I can't see myself with some NBA team, watching on TV. I've got to be there."

Rodney Peete was on one knee, his head down, as if in prayer. Wayne Fontes scowled. Willie Green stomped halfway ...

As someone who grew up in the '60s, the last sentence I ever imagined myself saying was "Kids, I don't understand ...