Dominate the Super Bowl-Chapter 652
Chapter 652: 651 twists and turns Chapter 652: 651 twists and turns Over the past two seasons, NFL games at Mexico City’s Aztec Stadium have been tremendously successful—
In the 2016 season, the Oakland Raiders narrowly defeated the Houston Texans.
In the 2017 season, the New England Patriots swept the Oakland Raiders.
Both games saw capacities at the Aztec Stadium exceed 97%, warmly welcoming the peak of football in Mexico City, which also gave the League confidence to stride forward with resolution.
This year, during the off-season, the League and team owners engaged in deep discussions about continuing to schedule regular-season games in London and Mexico City, with plans to add one or two more in Tottenham next year—
This was a great opportunity for the teams to tap into the international market; however, they also had to face the hassles of long-distance travel.
Mexico City was still manageable, but London and Tottenham required crossing the Atlantic, which would inevitably impact the players’ condition.
How to make these choices was a key consideration for every team owner.
...
Goodell’s gaze quickly fixed on the Kansas City Chiefs and the Los Angeles Rams.
Last season’s potential clash between “Li Wei vs Donald” hadn’t materialized, much to Goodell’s regret, as he was very eager to see the two faces of the League’s next marquee players spark together.
If not once, then a second or a third time.
Goodell hoped the game between the Kansas City Chiefs and the Los Angeles Rams could move to London, leveraging the influence of Li Wei and Donald to ignite the passion of the British Isles; however, the owners of both teams expressed resistance—
Indeed, the overseas market was attractive and an important venture, and both owners were enticed; but they hadn’t lost their rationality, as they knew that the most important task for their teams was the championship.
Super Bowl first, market expansion later.
The team owners were unwilling to cooperate, and Goodell couldn’t force a bull to drink; after negotiations and tug-of-war, Goodell realized their true intention:
It wasn’t that they were unwilling to cooperate; it was a matter of bargaining.
Well, that made things simple.
After mediation and negotiation, a consensus was finally reached for a Mexico City game.
Traveling to Mexico City would only take three and a half hours from Los Angeles; the journey from Kansas City was almost the same length as traveling to Los Angeles.
And importantly, there was no time difference.
In other words, the trip was almost no different from a regular season game; yet, both teams could take their first step into the international market.
Everyone was happy.
At that time, all Goodell looked forward to was that Li Wei and Donald, the League’s best offensive and defensive players from last season, would generate significant buzz.
And now, the situation was heating up bit by bit, shifting the entire scene—
“Midseason Super Bowl”?
A collision between the midseason National Conference champion and the midseason American League champion couldn’t be more perfect.
It immediately elevated the status of international games to a new height, no longer just about bottom-tier teams or those without hope stirring up a topic in London and Mexico City.
The quality of the games also wouldn’t be criticized time and again.
Not only would there be no criticism, but the game would also become the focus of social networks worldwide.
Everything was perfect.
Right time.
Right place.
Right people.
Nothing could go wrong.
In those upcoming days in Mexico, Goodell walked with a spring in his step.
However!
As the saying goes, extremes meet.
When everything seems too perfect, it might just swing to another extreme.
First came an issue with the timing: days of torrential rain had been drenching all of Mexico City, nearly causing a flooding disaster, and Aztec Stadium was no exception.
Then there were the locational disadvantages: Aztec Stadium was booked solid throughout November, with events ranging from Shakira’s concert to charity soccer matches to large public gatherings.
The field, soaked by torrential rain, never had a chance to be repaired—
It was a sorry sight.
As the annual NFL Mexico City game approached, attention increasingly turned as it drew closer, and people then realized that the condition of the Aztec Stadium field was a disaster, fit only for the children of slums to play on.
The situation became problematic.
NFL league officials immediately went to Mexico City to solve the problem, and Goodell also tried to reassure the media inside and out, promising that the field would be ready.
It seemed the Mexico City game was bound to happen—
Visit freёnovelkiss.com for the 𝑏est n𝘰vel reading experience.
There was no choice, as the interests and global expansion involved were too significant to ignore, and the opportunity presented by the Kansas City Chiefs and Los Angeles Rams this year was too good to miss.
Goodell did not want to and could not afford to miss it.
Day after day.
The problems with Aztec Stadium showed no signs of improvement, and the players could no longer contain their frustration.
It was not just one or two players expressing their strong protest against the league, stating that if the league insisted on holding the Mexico City game, they would refuse to play due to the severe injury risk posed by the terrible condition of the field.
In the end, human factors also began to fundamentally waver.
The situation took a dramatic turn for the worse, with the promising event quickly becoming a fiasco.
So, what about Li Wei?
In fact, Li Wei and Donald, the two star players, had not spoken up.
It wasn’t that they didn’t dare to, but Li Wei knew that the matter was entangled with wide-ranging interests, and mere protest by individual players was not enough to change the overall situation, especially for young players like them who had been in the league for two or three years and had no substantial foundation or connections.
They may seem glorious on the surface, but in reality, their words carried little weight.
If they wanted to take the initiative, they needed a twofold approach: utilizing public opinion to build momentum while tackling the issue at its core.
Li Wei contacted Donald, and together they split up to persuade other players like Gurley, Wentz, and Mahomes to submit a formal protest through the players’ committee, hoping that the league would prioritize their health.
Last, they went through the coaches and team managers to present their concerns to the team owners.
This way and that—
Goodell clung to a faint hope until the very last moment, but ultimately he could not hold out and wisely chose to step back in the face of the situation.
The Mexico City game was canceled.
The entire league was in an uproar.
The NFL’s best opportunity to tap into the international market once again unexpectedly hit a wall.
What seemed like perfect readiness ended in total loss, astonishing everyone.
There were rumors that Goodell lashed out at Mexico City’s partners and the stadium contractors, even considering canceling the Mexico City games altogether, or at least changing the venue.
The aftermath was complete chaos; nonetheless, nothing could undo the missed opportunity.
Perhaps, from the beginning, it was never truly an opportunity.
It was precisely because of this series of setbacks that there was an even greater focus on the showdown between the Los Angeles Rams and Kansas City Chiefs—a mid-season Super Bowl battle of sorts.
Even those who previously had no interest or even opposed the NFL’s international games, were now all paying attention.
Fascinating, time for spectators to enjoy the drama.
The Mexico game was canceled, but that did not mean the regular season games were not happening.
This event, according to schedule, was supposed to be a home game for the Los Angeles Rams.
The game was still held at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum and proceeded at the originally planned time; both teams returned to their regular season trajectory.
November 19, 2018, Monday Night Football.
