Dominate the Super Bowl

New York Manhattan, 345 Park Avenue, NFL Headquarters building.

Standing in front of the office's floor-to-ceiling window, the entire Manhattan steel jungle spread out before his eyes, the vast world seemingly at his feet.

Roger Goodell held a cup of coffee, taking in the view before him. The office desk behind him was cluttered with newspapers and magazines, indicating that he had just finished reading through them. His face reflected a look of satisfaction, and his eyes were filled with confidence and aspiration.

The time was right. The location was perfect. The people were in harmony.

All conditions were just right—

Just last month, on August 21, the NFL signed a three-year exclusive broadcasting rights agreement with Penguin Live of Hua Xia.

This agreement wasn't achieved overnight. As early as 2015, Penguin Sports had started discussions with the NFL about a potential collaboration; the negotiation and exploration process was anything but simple and only saw significant progress earlier this year, finally nurturing hope.

Li Wei appeared at just such a moment.

Actually, the influence of an individual player is limited; moreover, unlike the NCAA, countless NCAA talents are unable to adapt to professional play, falling early like shooting stars. Both the NFL and Penguin Sports couldn't place their bets on a rookie.

But at the same time, they couldn't deny the importance of a point of entry, like when Yao Ming entered the NBA. It marked the beginning, a base point, a turning point. With appropriate promotion, the push for Football in the Hua Xia Market could gain a significant foothold.

"Rookie vs. Goat."

Such a topic was indeed ludicrous. Anyone with a shred of sense knew this matchup was illogical.

But competitive sports thrive on this kind of absurdity.

It was, in fact, the sensational point.

As expected, Li Wei did not disappoint. Not only did he successfully complete his professional debut but he also unbelievably drove the ludicrous topic to new heights.

Before him lay a bright future.

Goodell was extremely pleased.

Without a doubt, Li Wei would be the face of the NFL this season, which was also a vital step toward global market expansion for the NFL.

Knock knock. Stay connected via empire

A knocking sound came from the door, and upon Goodell's affirmation, three marketing department staff members entered.

Goodell, holding his coffee, welcomed them with no idle chatter, getting straight to the point.

"Li Wei."

"We need to heat up the topic even more. By the time the next game rolls around, I want his name, face, and presence to flood the entire social network."

"And currently, the discussion around him and the New England Patriots is still not enough; not just on our official accounts, I need other media to join in the discussion."

Direct and to the point, a professional immediately asked, "Should it all be positive news?"

Goodell laughed, "No, no, no, promotions shouldn't unfold like that."

"All praise or all criticism, that's too one-sided. A one-sided debate loses its heat quickly; we need controversy, we need opposition."

"Yes, praise should dominate, but criticism should not be extinguished. We need to clash different views, initiating discussions from all angles."

"Then, everything builds up to the second week's game; we need to lay the groundwork for igniting the focus of the next game right now."

The intent couldn't be clearer.

Having spent four months to finally heat up the "Rookie vs. Goat" topic, they were now ready to enter the next phase of routine operations.

A professional expressed concern, "But what if Li Wei loses the game in the second week?"

Goodell wasn't worried, "If he wins, it's the emergence of a genius; if he loses, it's the tempering on the path to greatness. Winning or losing isn't what's important; what matters is keeping the topic hot."

"As for the game..."

Goodell paused for a moment, savoring the aroma of the coffee, "We'll sit back and see what Li Wei can bring to the table."

After all, not every player can achieve greatness; but at least, on the path to greatness, before achieving it, they are capable of creating enough impact and interest.

Professional sports are about competition, about matchups, about challenges, but they are also more than that.

Bustling and boisterous—

The focus, converging on all fronts.

An invisible force was quietly pushing forward, and the already prominent hot topic, now fully ignited.

Even Brady became fuel to the flames, let alone the rookies of the class of 2017.

"Everyone says the top three draft picks are bound to make a splash. Now that the Top Scholar has made his move, then..."

After all, this year's draft had attracted countless eyes, whether it was Cleveland Browns' smoke and mirrors, Kansas City Chiefs' aggressive moves, or Chicago Bears' patience under humiliation. The controversy of the first-round picks continued tumultuously into the preseason games.

As the season kicked off, Li Wei emerged out of nowhere, setting an incredible benchmark, naturally raising the pressure on the other rookies, making their knees quake one after another.

McCaffrey, running back, first round, eighth pick, rushed for 47 yards, received for 38 yards, and fumbled once.

Although the Carolina Panthers won the game comfortably, McCaffrey, once dominant on the NCAA field, got a harsh wake-up call in his first professional game.

In the postgame interview, McCaffrey honestly said, "I have a lot to learn. I think Li Wei has set a great example; he proved that rookie running backs can also perform well on a professional field. He's my target, and I hope to follow in his footsteps to find my own form."

His sincere and humble words won McCaffrey quite a lot of favor.

Also, McCaffrey said, "I'm going to give Li Wei a call, to ask him for tips on learning the playbook. God, I genuinely feel like an idiot—I have left college, but still need to review every day. Maybe I need a bit of tutoring from Li Wei."

From his words, it was clear that McCaffrey and Li Wei were on good terms.

No comparison, no harm.

Compared to McCaffrey, Fournette became the target of criticism.

Fournette, running back, first round, fourth pick, rushed for 100 yards and scored a touchdown.

Objectively speaking, such stats are impressive, not just for a rookie, but for any starting running back.

Moreover, the Jacksonville Jaguars won the game, which is what matters most.

At the beginning of the year, after missing out on Li Wei, the Jacksonville Jaguars hastily picked Fournette, causing fans to strongly criticize the team manager Caldwell; but now, it doesn't seem like a bad choice.

The problem is—

Li Wei.

Next to Li Wei, Fournette's performance suddenly seemed lackluster.

"Caldwell's heart ached. If only they hadn't been outmaneuvered by the Kansas City Chiefs..."

"Frustration. Regret. Remorse. But it's all in vain, the Jacksonville Jaguars missed out on Li Wei, missing out on a billion-dollar opportunity."

"Following NCAA, Li Wei has once again proven that he is a better running back than Fournette."

Fournette was as if poked in the backbone and ignored, worse than being scolded and cursed.

Fournette: ??? Who did I provoke, why are you not criticizing the top drafts, but picking on me? What kind of logic is this?

Then, Fournette checked and was stunned.