Super Bowl Domination

Chapter 652 Twists and turns

The NFL has had great success at the Azteca Stadium in Mexico City over the past two seasons.

In the 2016 season, the Oakland Raiders narrowly defeated the Houston Texans.

In the 2017 season, the New England Patriots swept the Oakland Raiders.

In both games, the attendance rate of the Azteca Stadium exceeded 97%, which showed Mexico City's welcome to the rugby world in a gratifying manner. This also gave the league confidence and allowed it to take further firm steps.

During this offseason, the league and team owners had in-depth exchanges and discussions. They plan to continue to arrange regular season games in London and Mexico City, and to add one or two regular season games in Tottenham next year.

This is a good opportunity for the team to open up the international market; but at the same time the team also needs to face the trouble of long-distance travel. Mexico City is relatively convenient, but London and Tottenham need to cross the Atlantic, which will inevitably have an impact on the players' condition.

How to make a choice is the key factor that every team owner needs to consider.

Goodell immediately set his sights on the Kansas City Chiefs and Los Angeles Rams.

Last season, the confrontation between "Levi and Donald" did not take place, which made Goodell particularly frustrated. He very much hoped that the two players who would become the next face of the league could create sparks.

If it doesn’t work once, try a second and a third time.

Goodell hopes that the game between the Kansas City Chiefs and the Los Angeles Rams can be moved to London, using the influence of Levi and Donald to ignite the enthusiasm of the British Isles; however, the owners of both teams have expressed resistance.

It is true that the overseas market is attractive and a very important layout, and both bosses were tempted; but the two bosses did not lose their minds, as they both knew that the most important task for the team at present is still the championship.

First the Super Bowl, then expand the market.

The team owner refused to cooperate, and Goodell could not force the bull to drink water; after discussion and tug-of-war, Goodell realized their true intentions:

It’s not that they are unwilling to cooperate, but they are bargaining.

Then, things become simple.

After mediation and tug-of-war, the three parties finally reached a consensus on the Mexico City tournament.

It only takes three and a half hours to get to Mexico City from Los Angeles; the time from Kansas City is almost the same.

Also, there is no time difference.

In other words, the schedule is almost the same as that of a normal regular season; but at the same time, both teams will be able to take their first step in the international market.

All are happy.

At that time, Goodell was just expecting that Levi and Donald, the two best offensive/defensive players in the league last season, could trigger traffic.

Now, things are heating up little by little, changing the situation in all aspects——

"Half-time Super Bowl"? The clash of the half-time NFC champion and the half-time AFC champion couldn't be more perfect. It immediately pushed the status of international games to a whole new level. It was no longer a topic for underdog teams or weak teams with no hope in the season to go to London and Mexico City to hype up topics, and the excitement of the game would not be criticized again and again.

Not only that, but it will also become the focus of global social networks.

Everything is perfect.

The weather. Convenient location. People and.

No luck.

In the days ahead in Mexico, Goodell walks with the wind.

however!
Everything has its limits. If everything is too perfect, it may go to another extreme.

First, it was the weather. Heavy rain that lasted for several days flooded the entire Mexico City and almost caused a flood disaster, and the Aztec Stadium was no exception.

Then there was the location. The Azteca Stadium was packed throughout November, with events every day, from Shakira's concert to charity football matches to large-scale public welfare rallies, so much so that the venue, which was soaked by heavy rains, was never repaired - it was a horrible sight.

As the annual NFL Mexico City game is about to kick off, more and more eyes are drawn to the game because of the nature of it. Only then do people realize that the condition of the Aztec Stadium is a disaster and only children from the slums play football there.

Things are in trouble.

NFL league officials went to Mexico City to resolve the issue as soon as possible, and Goodell also reassured the media inside and outside, assuring that the stadium would be ready.

It seems that the Mexico City race is inevitable.

There is no way. The interests and global layout involved are too extensive. In addition, the opportunities with the Kansas City Chiefs and Los Angeles Rams this year are too rare. Goodell doesn't want to and can't miss it.

day after day.

The problems at the Aztec Stadium continued to show no signs of improvement, and the players could no longer hold back.

Not just one or two players have expressed strong protest to the league and stated that if the league forces the Mexico City game to be held, they will refuse to play because of the serious risk of injuries caused by the terrible venue.

Finally, harmony among people was also fundamentally shaken.

Things took a sharp turn for the worse, and we watched helplessly as a good situation turned into a farce.

So, what about Levi?

In fact, neither star player Levi nor Donald spoke.

It's not that he doesn't dare, but Levi knows that the interests involved in the whole matter are too wide, and relying solely on the individual protests of the players is not enough to change the overall situation, especially for those of them who have been in the league for two or three years and have no roots or connections in the league. Although they seem to be in a glorious position on the surface, they are actually powerless.

If they want to take the initiative, they need to take a two-pronged approach, using public opinion to create momentum while also addressing the root causes.

Levi contacted Donald and divided his forces into two groups to persuade Gurley, Wentz, Mahomes and others to submit a formal protest through the Players' Committee, hoping that the league would prioritize the health of the players.

Finally, give advice to the team owner through the coach and team manager.

All kinds, all kinds——

Goodell still held on to a glimmer of hope until the last moment, but ultimately he was unable to hold on and wisely chose to retreat in the face of the situation.

Mexico City race, canceled.

The entire alliance was in uproar.

The NFL's best opportunity to expand into the international market hit a wall again. Everything was originally ready except for the east wind, but in the end it lost everything, which surprised everyone.

Rumor has it that Goodell was furious with the Mexico City partners and stadium contractor, and even considered canceling the Mexico City game. Even if not, at least changing the stadium, and the subsequent mess was completely chaotic; however, it was still of no avail, and the opportunity was missed.

Maybe, from the beginning, this was not an opportunity.

It is precisely because of this series of twists and turns that more attention has been focused on the half-time Super Bowl showdown between the Los Angeles Rams and the Kansas City Chiefs.

Even the passers-by who had no interest in the NFL international games before and were even resistant to them are now paying attention to them.

Wonderful, enjoy the show.

The Mexico Open has been cancelled, but that doesn't mean the regular season won't go on.

According to the schedule, this game should be the home game of the Los Angeles Rams. It is still being held at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum and is proceeding as scheduled. The two teams are back on track for the regular season.

2018, November , Monday Night Football.

(End of this chapter)