"Steven Popkes - [SS] Bread and Circus" - читать интересную книгу автора (Popkes Steven)

Bread and Circus
by Steven Popkes

Steven Popkes lives in Massachussetts and is currently working with NASA
on the Ares I. He gives credit for this story to his son Ben, who used to play
soccer (using pine cones) with his father while they waited for the school
bus. One day, Ben made a suggestion that triggered this fun tale of sports
and sauropods.

****

His phone rang as he was setting up for the game. He switched over, audio
only. “Paderewski.”

“Mike—”

“Barney, I’ve got to talk to the team. It’ll have to wait—you know how
they are.”

“Mike! Don’t switch off. I just talked to Jim Matteson.”

Mike hesitated. “Who is?”

“Husband of Kimberly Matteson who used to be Kimberly Ross. Who
is the niece of Commissioner Hack Ross.”

Mike sighed. “Rumors. There are always rumors. You always get
wound up on these end-of-season games.”

“This isn’t a rumor, Mike. Ross is going to add another team to the
majors.”

“That’s not funny, Barney.”

“It’s not a joke. They’re going to elevate one of the minor teams. You
know who it’s got to be: us or the Legs. Who else is there?”

Major league. As in wholly better than minor league. As in a real
budget. As in not being owned by some other major team.

“Arizona,” Mike said half-heartedly. “Miami.”

“Screw them both. It’s always us or the Legs in the playoffs. Are they
going to elevate a team that’s worse than we are?”
 Mike thought for a moment. “Who else knows?”

“I haven’t told anybody else. But other than that, I don’t know.”

Mike rubbed his face. “Don’t tell anybody. Not a soul.”