American winner takes all

Chapter 378: Captured without mercy?

Ethan looked at the group of women in the room. Catherine, of course, needless to say, Grace also had a sad look on her face. Kelsey, who was the leading performer at yesterday's Super Bowl, had a lump in her throat and had obviously just cried.

Lisa stared at herself, looking a little angry. She probably felt that she didn't take her body seriously.

My mother Mia's expression was similar, more of a complaint.

Why do everyone seem to be terminally ill like me? Ethan thought.

When we think about the fact that CTE, a chronic disease, will become more serious as time goes by, and will eventually turn into dementia or commit suicide by swallowing a gun, these cases are all bloody facts before our eyes, and they are almost equivalent to a death sentence.

But the "symptoms" on my body are different from those of ordinary cases.

"I'm very normal..." As soon as Ethan opened his mouth, Catherine broke away from his arms and asked seriously: "Who am I?"

Who else could you be?
Ethan's throat was throbbing, and he was originally going to mention that special vision, but then he thought, if he said this now, he would be immediately regarded as a madman.

He suddenly felt as powerless as a normal person in a mental hospital.

So he changed his words: "I also know that CTE is very serious, but not every CTE patient will become dementia. Stephen Young is an example. He is still fine and can still commentate on the game. Before you come in, Laila and A group of doctors gave me detailed examinations and tests, and it turned out that I was perfectly normal, with no sequelae and everything was the same as before.”

Last night, the most authoritative brain doctors on CTE were invited to Atlanta, and Laila happened to be here as an assistant. Their diagnosis is certainly credible.

Catherine nodded: "We talked with the doctor. Thank God you are still normal now. But the doctor also said that as long as you no longer enter the stadium, the condition will be minimally likely to worsen."

Ethan was silent for a moment and said earnestly: "I will protect myself."

"Stop joking, Ethan. You can't return to the court no matter what! This is not a persuasion, but an order." Catherine gritted her teeth.

Ethan shook his head, his attitude seemed very determined.

Catherine took a deep breath, it was obvious that Ethan was no longer the obedient "younger brother" he once was.

She turned her head and exchanged glances with the people behind her.

"I can't figure it out, so you guys should do it." Catherine whispered.

Catherine walked back into the crowd, and then Grace came out.

"Save it Grace, I don't want to waste any more time on this matter." Ethan looked very determined.

Grace smiled and said: "I'm not trying to persuade you. My dear, we will support you no matter what you do."

Then she started talking about the club. Although they lost the Super Bowl, this year's Angels were still the American League champions. This was a gratifying result for a new team, let alone this year's match with the Angels. The Browns, who returned to the league with the team, and the Jacksonville Jaguars and Tampa Bay Buccaneers, who previously joined the league, have had their best results so far only in the second round of the playoffs.

Even the Chicago Bears in 1921 won their first championship only in the second year after the team was founded, and at that time there were only four teams in the entire league.

Teams formed later, such as the Packers, took eight years to win their first championship. Later, as the number of teams in the league increased, the time for teams that emerged in the 8s, such as the Cowboys, to achieve dazzling results was extended to at least fifteen years.

In such a comparison, the Angels are an out-and-out "Tianhu start."

Then Grace mentioned something about next season.

"Andy and the others are also outside. I asked them to come in." Grace turned her head and signaled.

McKenna, who was standing at the door, opened it immediately. The three coaches were standing at the door at this time, and the conversation in the room just now might have been heard by the three of them.

"By the way Ethan, there's going to be a bunch of quarterbacks emerging in this year's draft..." Holmgren pretended to be casual.

"Among the defensive players, several veterans' agents have proactively contacted the team, hoping to join the Angels next year." Redes also laughed.

"Ethan, the shortcomings of the Angels will be made up for next season. Even without you, we can bring the team's strength to a higher level." Andy assured, patting his chest.

"Are you done?" Ethan looked at the three of them.

Holmgren poked Andy with his elbow, and Andy had no choice but to bite the bullet and said: "Ethan, the current popular tactics are more focused on passing the ball, which is not suitable for you. We are not going to let you continue to serve as the next season." Quarterback."

The three coaches would say this, obviously at Grace's request, forcing herself to leave.

A smile appeared on Ethan's lips: "Really? It seems that I don't need to stay on the court anymore, but should retreat behind the scenes."

The three people nodded like chickens pecking at rice.

"Then should the team hire a better coach? I think the Rams' offensive coordinator is good, and the Buffalo Bills' defensive coordinator is also great." Ethan changed the subject.

The Angels, who were founded last year, had nothing, but this year's situation is completely different. In terms of coaching, the team has a sufficient budget.

The expressions of Holmgren and Rhodes immediately changed.

"Who told you to say this?" Ethan looked at the three of them and raised his voice.

"It was all instigated by Grace!" Holmgren chose to rebel on the spot and immediately raised his finger to point at Grace.

"It has nothing to do with us!" Rhodes also added.

This time it was Grace's turn to be embarrassed, her face turned blue and red.

"Ethan, your physical condition does not allow you to continue playing." Andy was still insisting.

"Whoever mentions this to me again will submit his resignation and leave." Ethan said expressionlessly.

Andy laughed sarcastically and turned to Grace: "Madam, you'd better think of other ways. We still need to support our family."

After saying that, the three people left in despair.

"Grace, I will find a professional manager to take over most of your work next season." Ethan looked at Grace.

"Then don't let me do anything. I want to resign and go home for a few days." Grace kept doing it.

The home she mentioned was not Ethan's mansion, but her parents' home.

"No problem." Ethan agreed, then turned to the others.

"Who else wants to move away?" Ethan glanced at everyone.

The girls remained silent.

"Let's all go, I want to be alone for a few days." Ethan shook his head.

All the available tricks were used, but they had no effect at all. Everyone felt helpless.

Do we really want to watch Ethan become dementia?

"You are not allowed to leave!" Mia, who had been silent just now, said coldly.

Mia looked at her son.

"They are your wives. Although there is no wedding, they are already a marriage in the legal sense. They are not your servants who can come and go at a moment's notice. Everyone is here out of concern for you. Have you ever considered their feelings? Your current behavior is so chilling!" Mia's words were fierce.

As Ethan's biological mother, Mia's words have a completely different weight than others.

Ethan shook his head, and just as he was about to speak, Mia blocked him.

"This is all my arrangement. I asked Grace to do this, and it has nothing to do with her. Come at me for what you have!"

"I was too indulgent to you before, Ethan. This time, no matter what, I won't let you come back to the court unless you kill me!"

"I asked Grace to speak to the media as a spokesperson this morning, saying that you are preparing to retire. Lisa, arrange a retirement ceremony for Ethan now!" Mia ordered.

"This..." Lisa was caught in the middle, a little embarrassed.

Seeing that Ethan was still indifferent, Mia turned to look at her son again.

"The Angels are your club, and your legs are your own. I don't care how you choose, but if you choose to stay on the field, I can only send all your wives away. I can't bear to watch them. It’s so unfair to them to waste the rest of their lives on a person with dementia!”

Combined with the "fact of marriage" mentioned by Mia at the beginning, it seems that she is ready to take action.

"Want this family or football, it's your choice."

Mia issues an ultimatum.

"Let's go! Let him think about it." Mia crossed her arms.

"Why are you still standing there? Get out!" Mia said again.

The girls woke up one by one from a dream and filed out.

Mia was the last to leave, deliberately closing the door hard.

·
"So handsome! Mia, you are simply my god!"

"Mia, without you, we really don't know how to persuade Ethan." "If you want this family, you still want football. Mia, your words are so classic!"

"Did you see Ethan's expression in his last moments? He looked like a homeless stray cat!"

After leaving the ward, the wives immediately surrounded Mia. They said they had no conflicts with Ethan, but they really didn't want Ethan to really become dementia. They were struggling with how to persuade him, but at this moment Mia If a magic weapon descends from the sky, those words will simply "kill" Ethan, which instantly makes Mia's status rise to N levels in their hearts.

Mia, who was surrounded by all the young daughters-in-law and praised her, felt a little carried away at the moment. She grabbed the hands of the young daughters-in-law and nodded frequently:
"I have raised Ethan since he was a child. I know his character very well. Don't worry, he will retire obediently this time."

Then Mia looked at Grace: "You can't leave. You have to take charge of the overall situation. The Angels can't leave you. Ethan needs you very much. If he says similar things to you again in the future, tell me. I Justice for you!”

Objectively speaking, Grace has indeed been responsible for the daily management of the club. Being praised by Mia, she felt happy. She had forgotten most of the angry words just now and nodded immediately.

At this moment, two women appeared at the end of the corridor. As soon as they saw Mia, they trotted towards her quickly.

It was Gisele Bundchen and her twin sister Patricia. After learning about Ethan's injury, they took the fastest flight over as soon as possible. However, the distance was too far, so they arrived a little late. .

"How is Ethan?" Giselle looked at Kelsey, whom she was most familiar with.

The other women told the two of them everything that had just happened in the ward.

Once she heard that Ethan was fine and that his mother held his head and forced him to retire, Giselle's worries finally subsided for the most part.

"Mia, you are so awesome. I will listen to you no matter how you cooperate this time!" Giselle told Mia that she wanted to stand on the same front.

Unexpectedly, Ethan's mother, who is usually quiet and discreet, actually has some ideas when it comes to matters, so I just listened to her this time. Giselle thought.

She also knew that it was not easy to let a player leave the field, but considering Ethan's condition, the only way was to give up football.

She wants to work with everyone to retire Ethan.

"It's very simple. During this period, you have to leave Ethan alone and leave the rest to me!"

·
A week later, at the NFL's annual meeting.

Unlike last year's interim meeting, this meeting will serve as a summary of the season. In addition to announcing some changes to the league for next season, it also includes announcing each team's share of this season.

The division is mainly composed of three parts: television broadcasts, tickets, and derivative products.

Stadium merchandise sales, luxury box sales, stadium sponsorship, stadium naming rights, and parking lot sales are all divided within the team and do not participate in the league's share.

League Commissioner Paul stood on the stage and spoke impassionedly about the NFL continuing to dominate the global sports market this season, with all revenue being far ahead. Not only that, the league's development has also entered a new level.

Regarding this point, he first mentioned this year’s Super Bowl. The comprehensive ratings of this year’s Super Bowl broke the record set by the 30th Super Bowl.

Then the construction of the alliance cheerleading team was mentioned. The Angels were used as a model, and their record-breaking sponsorship fee of 30 million was also highlighted by Paul.

"In the end, each team will receive US$2.8 million in revenue sharing this year!" Paul led the applause.

In the conference room, all the bosses also applauded.

This number is almost twice as high as last year, and the results can be described as quite dazzling.

Ethan was also in the meeting seat, with Ovitz sitting next to him.

In addition to the alliance's share, Ethan is also calculating additional income. This year, this part mainly focuses on the cheerleading team, including sponsorship fees, derivative product development, etc. After deducting some income-related taxes and fees, there is still a surplus of tens of millions.

Ovitz was obviously so shocked by this number that he was stunned for a moment.

"I didn't expect my income to be so high this year!" Ovitz sighed.

"What are you going to use this money for?" Ethan, who had just been discharged from the hospital, asked.

“Part of it is used to cover previous shortfalls.”

"What about the rest?"

Ovitz couldn't answer.

"Why don't you invest in Internet companies? I noticed that there were a lot of Internet ads in this year's Super Bowl. Didn't your technology company also sell for a good price?" Ethan tried.

He told Lisa to stop before, but now he lets Ovitz enter. His ambition is self-evident.

"The Federal Reserve has just raised interest rates. It's better to be more cautious this year." Ovitz shook his head, obviously not listening to Ethan's advice.

"That's exactly what it should be."

"Tomorrow is your retirement ceremony. The club will be officially handed over to you next season, and I will give you an extra bonus." Ovitz patted the back of Ethan's hand.

Am I not in charge this year? You, Ovitz, haven't even fulfilled your most basic promise, right?
As for the extra bonus, it didn't appeal to Ethan at all.

Then Ovitz mentioned the reality show of the Angels cheerleading team. As for the team, Ovitz has already prepared it, and Ethan will be deeply involved in it this time.

As the meeting came to an end, Paul mentioned the XFL, which was about to officially start.

After a season of research and demonstration, the NFL is not afraid of this competitor. As for the "selling points" of the XFL, such as the more exposed cheerleaders, the NFL has also made arrangements in advance. Now it seems that the XFL is not a big threat.

The meeting officially ended, and many club owners chatted with Ethan and Ovitz.

Including Mrs. Rahm of the Rams, Huizenga of the Dolphins, and the executive president of the Green Bay Packers.

As we chatted, we talked about Ethan’s upcoming retirement ceremony.

"Don't you have any nostalgia for the stadium?" Huizenga asked with a smile.

Ethan was silent, of course he wanted to stay on the court, but Mia now mobilized almost everyone around her, even Giselle didn't answer her phone.

Mia was forcing herself to submit.

"It's a pity, maybe God is jealous of your talent." The Packers' president sighed. He was obviously not a believer.

"It's good to leave the court. You can turn your attention off the court." Mrs. Lahm thought this was okay.

Retiring actually has no impact on Ethan. After all, the "GOAT" will enter the league next year. It is quite suitable for him to be the quarterback of the Angels. With his relationship with him, there is no way he will not agree. .

So is it really time to retire?

Ethan really started to think about it at this moment.

·
Los Angeles, Angels headquarters, press hall.

Ethan sat there, with countless spotlights flashing violently in front of him, making him a little dazzled.

"According to the judgment of medical experts, Ethan's CTE is still in its early stages, but the doctor does not recommend that Ethan continue to enter the game. Repeated head impacts will cause Ethan to develop various symptoms, and in severe cases, his cognition will be affected. Impact, schizophrenia, and even suicidal tendencies." Ovitz, as the team owner, personally introduced Ethan's condition.

As the owner, he shouldn't have attended a player's press conference, but Ethan has a special meaning to the Angels. It can be said that without him, there would be no team. Moreover, Ovitz himself has to meet Ethan today. Discussing the details of the "reality show", he showed up unexpectedly.

Of course the reporters at the CTE site knew about it, but the news before was all based on rumors, and this time it was official confirmation.

For a time, the sigh of "I am jealous of talents" appeared in everyone's mind, and the entire press conference was enveloped in a sad atmosphere.

Although Ethan was sitting there perfectly fine, "player Ethan" might not have been sentenced to death at this moment.

It's time to say goodbye...

"Next, let Ethan say something." Ovitz walked off the podium.

Ethan stood up silently and passed by Ovitz. Standing on the podium, Ethan saw his relatives sitting in the first row, including Mia, who were all here.

Ethan looked down at the speech printed on the draft paper, looked into the microphone, and began to review his short but glorious football journey.

This made the atmosphere at the scene increasingly sad.

"Considering my condition, I think it's time to announce something..." Ethan raised his head and faced the camera.

"I will continue to stay in the competition! Even my illness cannot stop me!" Ethan said extremely firmly!
After saying this, even the flashing frequency of the spotlight suddenly decreased.

Ethan saw Mia's stunned face.

You don’t think I really want to retire, do you? Ethan groaned inwardly.

From the beginning to now, he only wavered for a moment at yesterday's alliance meeting.

As for those "playing house threats", Ethan never cared about them. Now that he has announced it, he can completely stop them from thinking about it, so as not to cause trouble for himself.

It's football, of course, but it's football! This is not a multiple-choice question at all. Women will only slow down their passing!
The women sitting in the first row all looked at Mia, completely confused.

"Let's go!" Mia took the lead and was the first to get up. She didn't know what she was planning in her heart.

(End of this chapter)