Best on the Block

A funny thing happened several years ago in New York City: five new pizza parlors with five different owners opened in the same block. It soon became apparent that there wasn’t nearly enough business in the neighborhood to support all five, so the competition to survive became fierce. As part of his campaign to attract customers, one of the owners put up a sign which read: “Ours is the best pizza in the city.” The others quickly followed his lead. “Ours is the best pizza in the state,” said the second owner’s sign. The third owner’s read: “Ours is the best pizza in the country.” Not to be outdone, the fourth owner erected a sign boasting, “Ours is the best pizza in the world.” Finally, the fifth owner’s sign went up. The clear winner, it read …

“Ours is the pizza best on the block.”

No doubt about it, the competitive spirit was alive and well in that neighborhood.

Who is a winner,…