I had a beau in college who later owned a sports franchise. When my son was about 9 he became a fan of this team – a fanatic fan – he ate, slept, breathed for this sport. So I called my old beau and he invited me to bring Renny and some friends out to a home game. We arrived – two moms and two nine-year olds on the West Coast and were whisked in a limo to our luxury hotel where we were given the entire top floor. This meant we each had our own bathrooms, bedrooms, living rooms, terraces. All in all, quite plush. Next day we went out to meet the Team – quite large men who were so charming to us, the owner’s friends.

My son and his friend sat on the playing field during the game and Ann and I sat in my old beau’s box eating, drinking, laughing, acting as if we owned the team. Niggling my mind was the note on my bedside table last night, "All this could have been yours." It could have been my team. Just think what mischief I could have brought to that team. Hiring them for looks, not physical prowess; changing the colors of the uniforms to pale pink; changing the name to the Big Pandas; decorating the stadium seats in chintz; serving gourmet food and white wine instead of hot dogs and beer. Oh how lucky he was that all this was not mine.

By Tina