Chapter 273: All or Nothing
Bart knew he had no way out—
Carrying the banner of "Anti-Li Wei" all by himself, he frantically denounced the League's only undefeated team as a sham. Do you know how much pressure that is?
The hormonal imbalances led to his scalp and back breaking out with acne, not to mention waking up to see handfuls of hair on his pillow. He literally felt like dying!
These days were unbearable for any human. Your next read awaits at My Virtual Library Empire
Now was the moment to put it all on the line.
If he succeeded, he'd be the only one in the League who held the truth; if he failed... No, no, no, that wasn't possible—he believed in the Pittsburgh Steelers.
He lifted his head, puffed out his chest, and straightened his back.
Bart faced the crowd with confidence and made his final declaration.
"The Pittsburgh Steelers can beat the Kansas City Chiefs, and they will beat the Kansas City Chiefs. They've proven themselves this season."
"Though it might seem unbelievable, the reality is that the Pittsburgh Steelers are becoming a team that relies on offense to win games. They have Ben Roethlisberger, Antonio Brown, and Le'Veon Bell—a lineup that could make any team envious."
"However, the fact is that the defensive blood in the Steelers is not yet dry; anyone who underestimates this defensive group will pay the price."
"They have the league's most efficient and toughest cornerback duo, Mike Hilton and Joe Haden, whose combination in the past few weeks has given quarterbacks like Joe Flacco and Mitchell Trubisky a hard time."
"And the real hope of the Steelers' defensive group comes from Cameron Hayward, a veteran defensive end who had the best performance of his career last season and continues to dominate this season. He is every quarterback's and running back's nightmare."
"Additionally, there is first-round pick linebacker TJ Watt, yes another Watt, the brother of Houston Texans star defensive end JJ Watt. Being the first linebacker to start for the Steelers since 1988 says enough about his performance, which undoubtedly rivals that of his brother."
"Hayward's interceptions and Watt's coverage have become guarantees of efficiency for the Steelers' defensive frontline this season. It might not look pretty, but they always get the job done."
"Without a doubt, they will be a stern test for the Kansas City Chiefs' offense."
"Li Wei."
"Of course, how could we forget Li Wei."
"Clearly, Li Wei narrowly escaped last week without a direct confrontation with JJ Watt; but this week, he will face both Hayward and TJ Watt, an absolute must-watch matchup of the week."
Fluent and relentless, Bart finally found his voice. This past month had been awkward, constrained, and frustrating as he suffered one humiliation after another, swallowing the broken pieces of his pride time and again, and now he'd finally found his opportunity—
He firmly believed that the Pittsburgh Steelers could beat the Kansas City Chiefs and teach Li Wei a good lesson.
Even just imagining it, Bart couldn't contain his excitement.
"A few weeks ago, we discussed this; Li Wei's attention has already drifted, lost in the glitzy world of fame and fortune, just waiting to explode."
"Look, the tabloid news is everywhere, the season is still ongoing, but Li Wei's heart isn't in it anymore, and he's going to learn his lesson."
Nike: Tabloid news? Who are you calling tabloid news? You're the tabloid news, your whole family is tabloid news!
In the studio, Lawson looked at Bart with a face full of sorrow and pity. He felt Bart was likely envious of Li Wei's $3.5 million endorsement deal per year, already surpassing many League superstars at such a young age.
Bart's performance continued.
"Whenever we talk about Li Wei, we always compare him with Peterson, and now, Li Wei has the chance to learn in front of another top running back."
"Le'Veon Bell will demonstrate the correct posture of a top running back, and I believe that by the end of the game, Li Wei will have benefited immensely."
"Li Wei should seize this opportunity, after all, such chances are rare."
"Go for it!"
Bart, with a resolute determination on his face, shouted towards the camera from afar.
Of course, Bart had countless reasons to be confident—
Hayward and Watt being one reason, and Bell being another.
Selected by the Pittsburgh Steelers in the second round as the forty-eighth pick of 2013, running back Le'Veon Bell is undeniably the hottest top-tier running back in the League right now.
Bell, who isn't the fastest, nor the strongest, nor has the best tackle ability, has been considered the strongest running back in the league for the past three seasons.
Bell is a very special running back; he doesn't fit in any tactical system. He completely disregards the coach's tactical arrangements, advancing on the ground according to his own understanding, hence creating a unique style, jokingly dubbed by fans as—
Stop, Look, and Go.
It's just like standing at a traffic light intersection.
After receiving the ball, Bell often doesn't start running immediately but stops to observe before contact or collision, then looks for a breakthrough space.
He doesn't need the offensive line's protection, not even much blocking from teammates, relying entirely on his personal ability to break through, no doubt an anomaly; despite not having the advantage in speed, strength, or size, he always manages to create paths with his keen intuition.
In the past three seasons, in the rankings voted internally by League players, Bell was considered the number one running back in the League. As for honors like the Pro Bowl and All-America First Team and Second Team, those were easily attained.
Last year was supposed to be Bell's contract year. He demanded a high contract price which the Pittsburgh Steelers found difficult to accept, so they tagged him with a franchise tag—
The so-called franchise tag allows the team manager to strategically retain a crucial free agent, preventing exceeding the League's hard salary cap.
Once tagged, the team must offer the player a one-year contract, with a salary not less than the average of the five highest salaries at the same position in the League or 120% of the player's salary from the previous year, whichever is higher.
There are exclusive and non-exclusive franchise tags; if exclusive, they cannot be in contact with other teams; if non-exclusive, they are allowed to contact other teams, and then the team can decide whether or not to match the contract offered by competitors.
This meant that Bell was entering his contract year mode for the second consecutive season.
So far this season, Bell continued to prove his worth, unquestionably, he is one of the most dominant running backs in the League right now.
In the 2017 season rankings for running back rushing yards, Li Wei was first, and Bell was second; the two running backs are certainly making headlines.
From offense to defense, there are many highlights, and Bart had reason to believe this game would be a turning point.
Indeed, it was.
"12:10."
The visiting team ahead, the home team behind.
At this moment, the game still had six minutes and thirteen seconds remaining, and the Pittsburgh Steelers held the ball, just six minutes away from breaking the Kansas City Chiefs' season's undefeated record.