Dominate the Super Bowl-Chapter 1581 - 1580: Farsighted Vision

The place was bustling with people coming and going, a lively and busy scene.

John Mara remained patient, quietly standing to the side, leaning on the railing, without urging, cutting in line, or even deliberately asserting his presence. There were no bodyguards, no entourage, no companions - he stood there all alone.

It wasn’t until the crowd slightly quieted down that Mara appeared in Li Wei’s line of sight.

Li Wei was taken aback, clearly not expecting Mara’s appearance. He stood up, searching his memory for Mara’s last name.

Mara seemed to already know, "John Mara. To avoid making a Tom Brady-esque faux pas, I’ve decided to introduce myself again."

With a graceful demeanor, Li Wei’s smile widened, "Why is Mr. Mara here?"

Mara walked up next to Li Wei, as the last few people also left. Some who were about to approach stopped in their tracks after witnessing the scene.

Within thirty seconds, everyone in Lucas Oil Stadium was discussing how the New York Giants’ owner personally approached Li Wei, and that too, under the watching eyes of many—

This offseason, Little Manning officially retired. Although the New York Giants have Barkley and no longer need a running back, they need a quarterback. But the New York Giants require a superstar, a mega-star, and without a doubt, Li Wei is the most popular NFL star in New York in recent years.

And so...

Speculations and murmurs quickly spread around.

Mara, however, remained exceptionally calm, having anticipated this scene long ago, "Why, can you chat happily with Stan, that silent block of wood, but worry about making the front page after some idle talk with me?"

These words carried a hint of tension.

Clearly, he was referring to "Silent Stan," Stan Kroenke.

One is the owner of the Los Angeles Rams, and the other is the owner of the New York Giants. On the North American continent, the East Coast-West Coast rivalry and competition are everywhere, especially in the Professional League.

Li Wei couldn’t help but chuckle, "No, I’m not worried, not at all."

"In fact, appearing on the ’Times’ front page with Mr. Mara is an honor. Whoever feels the pressure will not be me."

Barkley: ...Why not just mention my name directly.

Mara’s attention wasn’t on that. Li Wei called the "New York Times" the "Times," even though there’s more than one "Times" in North America. The West Coast has the renowned "Los Angeles Times," but when people say "Times," they specifically mean the one in New York.

That’s New York’s pride.

Mara showed a smile, "Clearly, you did grow up in New York."

Li Wei, "So, the next question wouldn’t be about my willingness to return home to play, would it?"

Mara, "No, the next question is, where’s your team manager? He really lets a piece of meat vanish in a pack of wolves, in such an environment?"

Li Wei, "Mr. Mara, who’s the meat and who’s the wolf? That’s still uncertain."

Mara didn’t continue speaking but rather carefully observed Li Wei.

Li Wei laughed, "Why, has a lot changed since the last time we met?"

Mara, "No, quite the opposite. You are almost unchanged compared to last time. What you looked like then, you still look like now."

Pause, "Just as difficult."

Li Wei gently lifted his eyebrow, "Thanks for the compliment."

Mara spread his hands and gently shook his head helplessly, "That’s not a compliment."

Li Wei burst into laughter, "Got it, now I’m certain, Mr. Mara didn’t specially come over to compliment me."

Mara glanced around, the entire Lucas Oil Stadium could feel the excitement and joy, not because of official promotional materials or for business, but entirely out of heartfelt admiration and reverence, a treatment not felt in the League for a long time.

Mara had to admit he had misjudged.

Two years ago, Mara believed Li Wei could become a star and sincerely hoped Li Wei would join the New York Giants, but that determination wasn’t enough because he didn’t predict nor did he want to believe Li Wei could become a unique mega-star, surpassing even the heights of Big Manning and Brady.

Now sitting next to Li Wei again, things were entirely different.

Reflecting on the New York Giants’ managerial mistakes over the past two years, Little Manning’s drama, Little Beckham’s departure, the succession quarterback’s indecision, underestimated Li Wei’s influence and value. From Super Bowl contenders to solid bottom dwellers was just a snap away. 𝚏𝕣𝕖𝚎𝚠𝚎𝚋𝚗𝐨𝐯𝕖𝕝.𝕔𝐨𝕞

Comparable to Thanos’s snap.

Then, everything happened just like that.

But the advantage of the NFL is with courage and determination, you can restart anytime, not to mention, the Cleveland Browns have rebuilt for the Nth time in the last decade.

Now, with Little Manning officially retired, the New York Giants are entering a rebuilding mode. If they don’t want to become the Cleveland Browns, they need to be careful.

As for a quarterback, the New York Giants selected one last season, Daniel Jones, sixth overall in the first round.

However, the 2019 season was still a disaster. The New York Giants once again hold the fourth overall pick in the first round, giving them a chance to rewrite history—

The New York Giants’ management believes they should be patient and give Daniel Jones some time to slowly grow; Mara, however, is considering whether they should seize the opportunity to switch lanes. Are quarterbacks like Burrow, Herbert, and Tua Tagovailoa worth the risk?

Mara turned to look at Li Wei—

Everyone knows Li Wei came because of Goodell’s invitation, to cheer for the young rookies, akin to being the Draft’s ambassador.

Mara didn’t buy it, "So, why are you really here? Don’t tell me Goodell’s spiel, no one believes that nonsense."

Li Wei smiled a particularly bright smile, "Mr. Mara, how about telling me your real reason for coming? Otherwise, if someone sees tomorrow’s ’Times’ headline, it might really blow their minds."

Mara’s aura and authority indeed made one feel pressured, but Li Wei didn’t fall for that. He wouldn’t play Mara’s game, firmly holding the reins.

Mara looked into Li Wei’s eyes, inwardly regretting a bit, because he knew Li Wei wouldn’t be easily manipulated.

Thoughts swirled in his mind, Mara shifted topics, looking towards the field, "The quarterbacks this year, what do you think? Burrow? Everyone’s talking about him, thinking he’s the League’s next star."

Li Wei still hadn’t answered, continuing to watch Mara’s profile, "Mr. Mara, are you asking for my draft advice now?"

Casually spoken, yet thunderous in impact.

Mara remained expressionless, "What if I am?"

For once, Li Wei didn’t immediately respond.

Mara turned once more to face Li Wei, "So, what do you think of this year’s quarterbacks? Should the New York Giants select a cornerstone for the team?"

For a moment, Li Wei couldn’t gauge Mara’s intentions. At this moment, Mara displayed his capability as a boss, showing a calm expression that revealed nothing. In a flash of a moment, thoughts raced through Li Wei’s mind, eventually settling on an answer.

"Jalen Hurts."