Dominate the Super Bowl

In the history of professional sports, Nike signed a unique contract with Jordan, allowing him to earn profit sharing from his product line.

However, all this had historical context, for at that time, Nike was on the decline, its market share being squeezed by Adidas and Converse. Without such a contract, Jordan wouldn't have given Nike a second glance—

Everyone knew that Jordan liked Adidas and had already decided to sign with them.

Nike took a gamble, which led to the birth of the only profit-sharing contract in professional sports history.

Unprecedented and never replicated.

Even to this day, not even LeBron James receives such treatment.

Of course, LeBron's market value still cannot compare with Jordan's.

According to statistics, last season, LeBron brought in $30 million in market value for Nike, far ahead of other professional players; meanwhile, the profit share given to Jordan by Nike was $100 million, a figure that only covers profit sharing, leaving one to imagine the astronomical market value actually generated by Jordan.

The gap is clear.

Regardless, Jordan's contract remains one of a kind.

Nike has made up its mind, refusing to offer any other player the same deal. Indeed, over the years, they have done just that.

Until now.

It turns out Donald was pursuing a profit-sharing contract.

3% of global sales?

Undoubtedly, this was aiming to match Jordan.

Without comparison, there is no hurt. Now, looking at the $10 million per year, it suddenly seems friendly and approachable, not such a big deal after all.

This is a negotiation tactic—

Donald gave Nike two options: either $10 million per year or $2.5 million per year plus profit sharing.

Compared to this, anyone would choose the former without hesitation.

It's a simple math problem.

But is it really that simple?

Edwards wasn't a fool; he knew there was a third hidden option:

Nike, to refuse outright, present their own terms, and not continue playing by Donald's rules.

In his mind, countless thoughts flashed by.

Leaning slightly forward, Edwards said, "Donald, Nike is willing to offer Li Wei a five-year contract at $5 million per year. So, what do you think?"

Profit-sharing? Out of the question!

Instead, Nike was willing to offer Li Wei a salary figure that would break the league's ceiling, showing their sincerity.

Now, Edwards's ability became apparent—

In a flash, he demonstrated decisiveness, refusing Donald's offer while at the same time throwing out a very convincing alternative. Explore more at My Virtual Library Empire

Any less resolute individual might have immediately nodded and signed on the spot.

For a brief moment, Donald admitted he was tempted.

But with an urgent halt, Donald controlled himself.

"It seems we can't reach an agreement today."

Donald knew that, regardless, Nike had shown sincerity, and the final bid was certainly above the level of NFL superstar. But with resolve falling short of audacity, Donald remained unsatisfied.

However, sitting here and continuing to haggle fruitlessly served no purpose; bargaining over $500,000 here and $500,000 there was meaningless. It was better for both parties to cool off and discuss the matter anew.

"Of course, I feel Nike's sincerity, and I will pass the message to Li Wei. I believe he will be flattered," Edwards said, "but I'm just an employee—I don't have the final say. How about we continue this next time?"

Capable of yielding and standing firm, neither servile nor overbearing.

One second he was aggressive and unyielding, the next he was as pleasant as a spring breeze, all smiles.

Donald, too, showcased his skill in quick transformation, decisively cutting off negotiations.

Edwards admitted that Donald was very tricky, extremely tricky. He could be both hard and soft when needed and always kept his mind clear, not easily swayed. He had an accurate understanding of his strengths and weaknesses—

With negotiations concluded for the day, Adidas and Under Armour would surely catch wind of this. What came next would depend on their internal decision-making and judgment.

Edwards realized they might once again be standing at a historical crossroads. Left or right, the next ten years could present entirely different landscapes.

So, was there a possibility:

All three brands thought Donald was asking too much, insatiable, and because they were dissatisfied with his greed, they might collectively refuse the collaboration?

Of course, that was a possibility. After all, the football market's development and profitability indeed faced numerous challenges, and the brands needed to weigh the pros and cons.

But the likelihood was very, very small.

With Under Armour lying in wait and Adidas always looking to get a share, Edwards did not think they would easily choose to give up.

On one hand, they needed to race against time—if Li Wei continued to win, Donald's bargaining power would only increase.

On the other hand, they needed to maintain their cool, observe their competitors' reactions, and watch Li Wei's performance in the follow-up.

What if—just if, Li Wei lost in the upcoming match? What if he underperformed?

While the brands might not completely turn the situation around, at least Donald wouldn't be so overbearing; moreover, the next week's game was...

After sending Donald off, Edwards thought it over and eventually decided that they should wait and observe one more game, especially since the fifth week featured a matchup of particular interest.

An absolute highlight!

The NFL thought so too.

On October 8th, Sunday night's game, the Kansas City Chiefs would visit the Houston Texans.

In the NFL, night games are of the utmost importance because they occur in prime time and often explode in viewership. Naturally, the scheduling of the three-night games each week is crucial—

Thursday Night Football, Sunday Night Football, and Monday Night Football.

Typically, the night game schedules are set when the season calendar is finalized, ensuring each team appears at least twice in these prime-time slots. However, the league also wants to drive viewership, so occasionally, there might be changes to the night game lineups based on how teams are performing throughout the season.

One example is the "America's Team," the Dallas Cowboys, often having at least three or even four night games in a season. This is because they perennially top the list of the league's fanbase, unshakable by any other.

For the fifth week of the regular season, one of the Sunday night games was set to be a major event.

The undefeated Kansas City Chiefs with four wins against the Houston Texans with two wins and two losses.

Some might wonder why this matchup suddenly became a headline event when the Texans' performance for the season has been so-so?

There are several reasons.

First, in the 2015 postseason, the Kansas City Chiefs and the Houston Texans met in the first round, where the then up-and-coming Texans were gearing up to defeat the Chiefs, who had been experiencing a postseason win drought of over twenty years. The general consensus favored the Texans to win.

The result? "0:30."

The Kansas City Chiefs gave the Houston Texans a humiliating defeat, ending their own long postseason losing streak, and leaving with overwhelming joy having broken free from their shackles.

Last season, in the second week of regular games, the two teams met again. This time, the Texans had their sweet revenge. The Defensive group firmly taught the Chiefs' Offensive group a lesson, not allowing a single touchdown throughout the game.

After the match, Texans fans jeered and mocked the Chiefs, venting their frustration in full force—

That's how their feud began.

And that was just one of the reasons.