Number One

Playing for the New Orleans Saints, Ron Catlan, referred to as Cat in familiar circumstances, is considered in many circles as the best quarterback that ever played. Although he has talked about retiring for the past five years, he has never been serious about it, until now at age forty, not because he wants to give up the game which has been his entire identity, but because there is pressure from many circles for him to do so. His body can't handle the constant punishment anymore, he suffering from a chronic knee injury. And the team has just ended a disastrous preseason, many fans in particular placing the blame squarely at his feet in he no longer being at the top of his game. It is especially noticeable as rookie Kelly Williams is prepared to show him up at any turn. Head coach Jimmy Southerd is up front to him that he thinks Cat has another good three years left in him, and is not prepared to let him go, yet, especially as Kelly isn't ready for the starter position and they don't have another seasoned quarterback on the roster. Adding to Cat's crisis of himself is not knowing what his post-quarterback life will be, he not wanting to turn into his friend, retired player Richie Fowler who is wealthy in running his car leasing business, but hangs onto his football past in the way he conducts his social life and who, according to Cat, is not happy. And Cat doesn't feel he gets the all adoring support he deserves from his wife, Julie Catlan, as she is successful in her own right with her own burgeoning fashion design business. His further feeling of emasculation by Julie is that she still uses her maiden name Millard professionally. As such, Cat contemplates turning to Ann Marley, a tennis shop owning friend of Richie's, as she provides him with that ego boost his bruised psyche needs.