Super Bowl Domination

Chapter 265: Historical Crossroads
In the history of professional sports, Nike and Jordan signed a unique contract, which allowed Jordan to share in the profits of his product line.

However, all of this has a historical background, because Nike was going from bad to worse, and its market share was squeezed by Adidas and Converse. If there was no such contract, Jordan would not even look at Nike.

Everyone knows that Jordan likes Adidas and has decided to sign a contract with Adidas.

Nike chose to go all in, which led to the birth of the only profit-sharing contract in the history of professional sports.

unprecedented.

Until now, even LeBron James has not received such treatment.

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

According to statistics, last season, the market value that LeBron brought to Nike every year was 30 million US dollars, far ahead of other professional players; at the same time, Nike gave Jordan a dividend of 100 million US dollars, and this is just a dividend. It can be imagined that the market value created by Jordan is another astronomical figure.

The difference is obvious.

Regardless, Jordan's contract is unique.

Nike has also made up their mind that they refuse to give the same contract to any player again, and in fact, they have kept their word over the years.

Until this time.

It turned out that Donald was seeking a profit-sharing contract.

3% of global sales?

There is no doubt that this is a benchmark against Jordan.

There is no harm without comparison. Looking back at the condition of 10 million US dollars a year now, it suddenly becomes friendly and seems not a big deal.

This is the negotiation skill.

Donald gave Nike two options, either $10 million a year or $2.5 million a year plus dividends.

After comparison, anyone would choose the former without hesitation.

This is a simple math problem.

But is that really the case?

Edwards is no fool. He knows there is a third hidden option:

Nike rejected all of them, put forward its own conditions, and refused to play by Donald's rules.

Thoughts are running wild in my mind.

Edwards leaned forward slightly. "Donald, Nike can offer Levi a five-year contract worth five million dollars a year. So, what do you think?"

Dividends? No way!
Instead, Nike is willing to give Levi an astonishing annual salary that breaks the league's ceiling. This is the sincerity shown by Nike.

At this point, we can see Edwards' ability——

In a flash, he showed a decisive attitude, and while rejecting Donald, he also threw out a very convincing condition.

If one is a little less determined, he might just nod and sign immediately.

For a brief moment, Donald admitted that he was moved.

However, with an emergency brake, Donald was able to control himself.

"It seems that we can't reach a consensus today."

Donald knew that no matter what, at least Nike showed its sincerity, and the final offer was indeed above the level of current NFL superstars, but Donald was still not satisfied because he had determination but no courage.

However, it is useless for both parties to sit here and continue to haggle. There is no point in bargaining over $500,000 here and $500,000 there. It would be better for both parties to calm down and have a good discussion again.

"Of course, I feel Nike's sincerity. I will tell Levi and I believe Levi will be flattered. But I'm just an employee and the final decision is not in my hands. Why don't we continue next time?" He is flexible and neither humble nor arrogant.

He was aggressive and tough one second, and smiled as if in spring breeze the next.

Donald also demonstrated his ability to change his face and cut off the negotiations with a sharp knife.

Edwards admitted that Donald was very difficult, very, very difficult. He was tough when necessary and soft when necessary. He always kept a clear mind and was not easily shaken. He had an accurate understanding of his own strengths and weaknesses.

The negotiations are over today, and both Adidas and Under Armour should have heard the news. It will then depend on their internal decisions and judgments.

Edwards realized that they might once again be standing at the crossroads of history, and whether to go left or right, the next ten years might bring completely different pictures.

So, is there a possibility:
All three brands thought that Donald's demands were too high and that human nature was insatiable. So they all refused to cooperate because they were dissatisfied with Donald's greed?
Of course, this is a possibility. After all, the development and profitability of the rugby market do face many challenges, and the brand itself needs to weigh the pros and cons.

But the possibility is very, very small.

Under Armour is eyeing the market, and Adidas has also been trying to get a piece of the pie. Edwards doesn't think they will give up easily.

On the one hand, they need to race against time. If Levi continues to win, Donald's voice will become more and more important.

On the one hand, they need to remain calm, observe the reactions of their competitors and observe Levi's subsequent performance.

What if—just what if—Levy loses next? What if he performs poorly?

It won’t be a complete turnaround in terms of branding, but at least Donald won’t be as aggressive; and, next week’s game is…

After sending Donald away, Edwards thought about it carefully and finally decided that they should wait and see one more game, after all, Week 5 was a focus.

Absolute focus!

The NFL thinks so too.

On October 8, Sunday night game, the Kansas City Chiefs traveled to face the Houston Texans.

In the NFL, night games are of utmost importance, because they are in prime time at night and often trigger explosive ratings. The arrangement of three night games a week is naturally crucial.

Thursday night game, Sunday night game, Monday night game.

Generally speaking, when the schedule is released, the night games are also arranged, and the league needs to confirm that each team will take the stage for the night game at least twice; but the league also hopes to mobilize ratings, so the night game arrangements will occasionally change temporarily and be adjusted according to the performance of the teams during the season.

One argument is that the Dallas Cowboys, known as "America's Team," often have at least three or even four night games a season because their number of fans consistently ranks first in the league and no one can shake their position.

In the fifth week of the regular season, a major event was scheduled for the Sunday night game.

The 4-0 Kansas City Chiefs faced the 2-2 Houston Texans.

Some people may wonder, the Houston Texans have had a mediocre record this season, so why did this game suddenly become the highlight?
There are many reasons.

First, in the 2015 playoffs, the Kansas City Chiefs and the Houston Texans met in the first round of the playoffs. At that time, the young and energetic Houston Texans were on the rise and were ready to defeat the Kansas City Chiefs, while the Kansas City Chiefs were experiencing a playoff slump of more than years, and public opinion generally favored the Texans to win.

The result is, “0:30”.

The Kansas City Chiefs handed the Houston Texans a humiliating defeat, ending their long playoff winless streak. This dealt a heavy blow to the Houston Texans' heart, and they walked away with the ecstasy of breaking free from their shackles.

Last season, the two teams met again in the second week of the regular season. This time, the Houston Texans achieved sweet revenge. The defense team severely taught the Kansas City Chiefs' offense a lesson and did not lose any touchdowns throughout the game.

After the game, Houston Texans fans mocked and attacked the Kansas City Chiefs, venting their anger.

The feud was thus formed.

And that’s just one of the reasons.

(End of this chapter)