Super Bowl Domination

Chapter 1588 Blood Lessons

Not far away, the team managers of the Jacksonville Jaguars and the Cleveland Browns were still making moves, their covetous eyes on Levi were almost undisguised.

Greed. Excitement. Desire.

If Vic had been a little slower, he, the team manager, would probably have had to wait in line. These guys were blatantly poaching players right in front of Vic!
Is there no law anymore?!
Viktor glanced at Levi with a hint of helplessness. "So busy that there's no time to catch your breath."

Li Wei, however, seemed remarkably composed. "I'm not tired at all. I'm just sitting here talking. So, how have you been so far?"

Vickers looked at the nonchalant and composed Levi, and a smile still crept up his face. It seemed that even surrounded by a group of old foxes and seasoned veterans, Levi remained completely at ease. He didn't need to worry about the leader of the Kansas Chiefs; he should worry about his job instead.

Is that what Li Wei meant?

As expected of Li Wei, a unique individual. Even surrounded by wolves, he remained calm and composed. This kind of courage is not limited to the arena.

In fact, Viktoria has been thinking about his position all along.

Indeed, the Kansas City Chiefs, having achieved a three-peat, were at the height of their power and in high spirits. It was only natural that they would aim for a fourth consecutive championship, and everything was on track.

As the saying goes in competitive sports, there's nothing a champion can't solve; if one isn't enough, then two will.

However, there is another saying in the world of competitive sports: you can share hardship but not prosperity. At the peak of a sport, internal strife often arises. Players develop various ideas, and once a rift forms, it can never be repaired. The collapse of a dynasty can be easy.

After the Los Angeles Lakers won three consecutive championships at the beginning of the century, the "OK combination" fell apart, not only ending a dynasty, but also preventing the two top superstars, Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O'Neal, from replicating the glory of the "OK combination" era.

Similar cases abound, from basketball to football to rugby; almost all competitive sports are no exception.

Leaving aside distant examples, the fates of Brady and Billitcher are undeniably poignant.

However, that's reality; nothing lasts forever.

Now, the Kansas City Chiefs are inevitably facing a similar situation. How should the relationship between team manager Vicki, head coach Reid, and team captain Levi be defined? If we broaden the scope, the positions of team owner Clark and quarterback Mahomes are also equally important.

As Hubble said, no team manager wants players to have authority over them.

Once a team manager loses control over the overall strategy of the team, it becomes a hidden danger. If not carefully managed, it may become the first ant hole to cause the collapse of a thousand-mile dike.

At the same time, the relationships between team managers and head coaches, and between head coaches and team captains, are different in terms of their roles and natures.

Viktor has been avoiding this issue all along, not because he doesn't care, but because he's afraid—

Li Wei's influence has exceeded all expectations.

Let alone the Kansas City Chiefs, the league is now cooperating while simultaneously suppressing them.

Goodell doesn't want the carefully cultivated "pass-is-king" era to be overturned, and he especially doesn't want players, led by running backs, to unite against the league.

At the same time, Goodall needs Levy to open up overseas markets and lay the foundation for the global expansion of rugby, which is a more ambitious and long-term plan.

Therefore, mastering balance and finding the right measure is an art. Vickers also worries that the monster they've nurtured might eventually become a threat that devours them.

Intentionally or unintentionally, Vicchie was resisting the further infiltration of Levi's influence, trying to exclude Levi from the decision-making process in free agency, the draft, and player retention.

Just like how Billitcher treated Brady.

However, the fates of Billyczek and Brady are already clear, and the same is true for Denver Broncos general manager John Elway and Big Manning.

The lessons learned in blood are still fresh in our minds.

Viktor had to consider whether he should change his strategy.
Therefore, Reed advised Vickers: "Levy is different. His mind and vision are different. He has a true leadership quality."

From Levi's own contract extension to Mahomes and Kelsey's contract extensions, and then to Watt's joining the team this offseason, Levi's magnanimity and boldness can be seen everywhere.

In Li Wei's view, salary figures are very important, and no one can ignore these numbers. But beyond the numbers, the team as a whole is equally important. Victory and championships are the core of the operation of the professional league. With a championship, you have everything; without a championship, it is difficult to move forward. This is a virtuous cycle.

In every aspect, Li Wei was thinking about the team. In other words, Li Wei and Wei Qi had the same interests and were on the same side.

Viktor understood all of this, but precisely because of this, he was even more vigilant and more afraid.

The abilities that Li Wei demonstrated were exactly what a team manager should do; the magnanimity that Li Wei displayed made Vic realize his own insignificance and despicableness.

Nobody wants to stand next to a superhero who constantly reminds them how insignificant they are, even though they themselves are a superhero.

Vicki knew how foolish these thoughts were, all stemming from his arrogance and conceit, but he couldn't control himself. The entire league was talking about his excellence, and his brilliant move in the 2017 NBA Draft completely changed the fate of the Kansas City Chiefs and even the entire league's landscape.

Deep down, Vickery knew that it all stemmed from Reed's advice; but after everyone said it a hundred or a thousand times, he began to take it for granted that it was his own achievement, even though it was Reed's advice, the final decision to implement it still came from himself.

He himself longed to become a superhero.

Until today.

Today was purely a league event; Goodell invited Levi to the rookie training camp, and the Kansas City Chiefs were simply going along with it. However, Vicki still raised an alarm, worried that Levi might start interfering with the draft.

Now, Vickers realizes how insignificant his worries and fears were—

Other teams were eager to ask Levi for his opinion and views, and Levi generously shared information and threw smokescreens for the Kansas City Chiefs; he did not interfere with Vicki's work from beginning to end, nor did he even ask him any questions, but instead consciously kept his distance.

Vickery thought that perhaps Li Wei had already seen through it, but Li Wei just didn't expose it. The boldness revealed by this attitude made him feel ashamed.

While he was preoccupied with his own spotlight, Li Wei was always thinking about the team.

If they are all willing to put the team before themselves, and find solutions even when problems arise, all for the Kansas City Chiefs, then they should be able to accomplish a true feat: building an unbreakable team in the NFL, not just relying on wins and championships, but leaving their own shining mark in the history of competitive sports.

Viktor, Reed, and Levi joined hands and worked together.

(End of this chapter)