Super Bowl Domination

Chapter 1607 Madden Cover
fanaticism!

This is Li Wei's current momentum.

It's hard to imagine that fans would create such a huge uproar on social media just to hear Li Wei's acceptance speech, and it's equally hard to imagine that the talk show "60 Minutes," in which Li Wei gave his acceptance speech, could attract more than ten million viewers and achieve its highest ratings in three years.

Turning hands is a cloud, covering hands is rain.

Without a doubt, this is the most vivid and accurate description of Li Wei's current influence, because his every move is indeed stirring up huge waves.

Exclamations, applause, and cheers filled the air.

The new season hasn't even started yet, and Nike's latest jersey for Levi has already topped the charts again.

What's truly baffling is that Nike launched a series of jerseys this time, with a total of five models, and all five models swept the top five spots on the jersey sales chart; and this wasn't just across categories, but also including football, basketball, tennis, and more, the list was still completely dominated by Levi.

Some people online joked that if you put a picture of Li Wei on a disposable paper cup, the value of the paper cup could easily increase a hundredfold. Just like the luxury brand effect, ordinary objects can have a different value just by putting a luxury brand logo on them.

It was a joke, but it was much more than just a joke.

Li Wei is becoming a trend, an indicator, and a phenomenon, permeating every aspect of daily life in a meticulous and comprehensive way.

Most surprisingly, there is no doubt about Levi's influence in the fashion industry.

When Louis Vuitton signed Levi Strauss as its brand ambassador, following Rolex, another top luxury brand partnered with the powerful sport of rugby. Fashion professionals thought Louis Vuitton was crazy, that they were risking their brand image and value.

It's not a problem with Levi's, but with brand positioning. The image and characteristics of rugby have absolutely no connection with luxury brands.

However, last August, the sales of the Louis Vuitton and Nike collaboration line were astonishing, shocking the entire fashion industry.

This time, the global fashion world has once again witnessed Li Wei's influence—

Firstly, when Li Wei was interviewed on "60 Minutes," he wore a Louis Vuitton shirt and suit, showcasing a handsome image completely different from that on the field. After the program aired, that shirt sold out immediately and became unavailable worldwide.

Not a single item was left; even the inventory was gone.

Secondly, after the show ended, Li Wei wore a scarlet hoodie, a simple and unremarkable outfit, paired with jeans and skate shoes. This was slightly different from his formal attire on the show and his sportswear during training, showcasing Li Wei's youthful energy.

This was a private outfit, taken in a private setting without cameras or in a public place, yet it was unexpectedly photographed by paparazzi. Even the paparazzi didn't think much of it and just posted it casually.

Unexpectedly, this outfit was a refreshing surprise, unlike anything Li Wei had ever worn before. It exuded a casual and relaxed street style, sparking widespread discussion on social media and igniting a massive frenzy.

Enthusiastic netizens delved into the details and realized that this was a collaboration hoodie launched by NASA and Nike last year, which didn't cause much of a stir. Almost a year has passed, and it still hasn't made a splash. It wasn't until now that it entered the public eye because of Li Wei.

Then, they all went crazy.

In less than 72 hours, this collaboration hoodie sold out completely, with Nike stores worldwide running out of stock.

A hoodie originally priced at $49.99 was resold for $800 on the secondary market, yet the frenzy persisted and the price remained high.

It's all because of Li Wei. These are all visible influences, ubiquitous and pervasive, no wonder brand sponsors are all setting their sights on Li Wei.

Levi has now surpassed David Beckham, Cristiano Ronaldo, and even most of Hollywood's top stars to become the best choice for brand ambassadors; more importantly, Donald Yu has always adhered to his principles and carefully selected his partners, which has driven brand sponsors even more crazy.

Everyone desires Livy, without exception.

This includes Madden Games.

So, what is Madden?

This is the only officially licensed football game from the NFL.

Maddenly offers different modes, which can be understood as "football manager" games where players can take on the roles of coach or player and experience matches firsthand. There's also a "Fantasy mode" where players can build their own teams through drafts and stay in sync with the league season.
It's no exaggeration to say that Madden is the most popular and established football game. Not only is there a special "Madden Bowl" game scheduled during Super Bowl week, but most players in the league own their own Madden and often play the game in their spare time.

One statistic from Madden stands out particularly—

They collaborated with officials to collect data on all players and matches from the previous season, and finally rated the players out of a maximum of 99 points.

Furthermore, this rating will be adjusted and updated in real time as the new season progresses.

Everyone knows that a game is just a game, and game ratings are only reference data. The difference between 97 and 98 points is negligible in real life, especially in a team sport like rugby. However, Madden's rating still has excellent reference value, and even team managers are willing to use it.

All of these things demonstrate Madden's status.

Madden has consistently maintained its dominance, releasing a brand new version every year and easily selling millions of copies annually, solidifying its position in the league.

Because of Madden's special status, the cover athlete for the game is always particularly eye-catching. They always choose the most representative and influential player in the league as the cover athlete. It is an honor and an affirmation. Everyone considers it an asset to be able to appear on the cover.

However, a strong performance does not guarantee a spot on the cover of Madden; the simplest and most direct example is Brady.

Despite Brady's nearly two decades in the league and numerous accolades, he didn't appear on the cover of Madden until 2017.

The difficulty is evident.

This year, just as the new season is about to begin, Madden has finally revealed the latest cover—

Chief Kansas No. 23, Levi.

Boom, boom boom boom!
Unsurprisingly, not unexpectedly, and even somewhat naturally, Li Wei finally won the glory that belonged to him.

However, when it actually happened, the alliance was still thrown into turmoil.

It's widely believed that Levi should have been on Madden's cover last year, but Madden chose Mahomes, proving that quarterbacks still have more influence than running backs.

This year, Madden could no longer deceive himself, and Levi rightfully took to the cover, pushing his perfect season to a new peak!

Glory, halo, applause—everything was pushed to its extreme. Li Wei finally conquered the last unknown territory, but at the peak of his career, suspicion and worry also began to quietly emerge.
Madden's Curse, what to do?
(End of this chapter)