Chapter 452: 451 First Ticket King Chapter 452: 451 First Ticket King The preciousness of the All-America First Team/Second Team lies in its objectivity and professionalism—
Setting aside team records, it focuses solely on individual player performances throughout the season, selecting the best players for each position professionally.
Teams that make it to the Super Bowl do not necessarily secure more spots, nor are teams that sadly stop at the playoffs completely overlooked.
Because of this, the significance of the All-America First Team/Second Team is not trivial.
Understandably, Li Wei burst onto the scene as a rookie and disrupted the patterns, firmly securing the running back spot on the All-America First Team in his very first official season.
This clearly shows the momentum Li Wei currently has within the league—
Usually, professionals are extremely critical and strict, but when it really matters, the votes for Li Wei are promptly in place.
The mouth might not admit it, but the body is honest.
In the Pro Bowl selection, the rookie constraints are not so apparent.
Compared to other selections that focus on professionalism, popularity plays a more significant role in the Pro Bowl.
One might not secure a spot in the fiercely competitive All-America First Team/Second Team, but the stage of the all-star game is a different story.
Breaking out of the circle, this is the key point.
This season, the entire league was in chaos, from the regular season to playoffs filled with upsets.
So, who really won the fans’ recognition?
The Pittsburgh Steelers and the Los Angeles Rams.
The former boasts ten players selected, becoming the team with the most players in this year’s Pro Bowl.
The latter also has eight players selected, undoubtedly this year’s superstars in terms of public popularity.
As for the two Super Bowl teams, the Kansas City Chiefs and the Philadelphia Eagles, both ended up with six players selected for the Pro Bowl—neither outstanding nor ignored.
Within the Chiefs team, quarterback Smith, tight end Kelsey, wide receiver Hill, running back Hunter, and defensive group’s Houston were selected.
It was clear at a glance that the offensive group heavily skewed the balance, and people commonly believed that the Kansas City Chiefs relied on the offensive group to win games, or that the offensive group’s performance left a more profound impression.
Among them, Li Wei, with an overwhelming lead, became this year’s Pro Bowl’s top vote-getter.
Without doubt, this was another historical moment—
He was the first rookie ever to top the Pro Bowl votes.
Although people half-jokingly mentioned before the voting that fans from Huaxia were never afraid of anyone in voting, the overwhelming lead in Li Wei’s votes still involuntarily elicited exclamations of admiration.
The biggest difference between the Pro Bowl and the All-America First Team/Second Team lies in the fact that each position can choose three players, one starter and two backups.
Additionally, the American League and National Conference vote separately, ensuring that players who have had outstanding moments during the season are almost entirely selected.
In the American League running back position, the intense competition unfolded among Li Wei and Hunter from the Kansas City Chiefs, Bell from the Pittsburgh Steelers, and McCoy from the Buffalo Bills, with Li Wei significantly leading.
Even Bell, who had delivered phenomenal performances for the past three seasons, could not compare, indirectly showing Li Wei’s current popularity.
To be precise, even the quarterbacks’ votes like Brady, Rodgers, and Brees could not surpass Li Wei, let alone other positions.
On January 28, the Pro Bowl kicked off in Orlando, Florida.
In the past years, the Pro Bowl consistently took place in Honolulu, Hawaii, allowing professional players to find a sanctuary to briefly enjoy some leisure after a season of tension and busyness.
This year, for the first time in many years, the Pro Bowl did not travel to Hawaii but stayed on the North American continent, staging the all-star game in the spring-like warmth of Orlando.
Before the hectic off-season officially began, that is, before the Super Bowl concluded, the other thirty teams in the league could relax a little—
Strictly speaking, these two weeks might be the most leisurely and comfortable days, even more so than the off-season, which requires attention to transfers, drafts, the free market, etc., and the need to develop training plans.
While it’s supposed to be a holiday, there are still a bunch of tasks that require energy.
However, there are exceptions, and not everyone is willing to go to the Pro Bowl.
The All-Star game, as the name suggests, the Pro Bowl is just an exhibition game, a show; it doesn’t need to be taken too seriously, and no one is really persistent about it, comparable to a wild party.
For those veterans who have long been famous, even if they miss the Pro Bowl, it has no impact at all; it’s just a nominal title.
They might use injuries as an excuse to decline to go to the Pro Bowl and rest on their own instead, because if an accident happens, it would be utterly foolish—
Even though the Pro Bowl is an exhibition, no one can predict the potential risks during the competition.
But for those rookies or players who have finally made a breakthrough after years of ups and downs, the Pro Bowl is a stage to show themselves, whether it is potential transfer destinations or increasing their commercial value or even becoming recognizable to the audience.
Appearing on the stage of the Pro Bowl can prove they have achieved an important breakthrough.
Moreover, the Pro Bowl itself is an honor—
a moment to prove they are no longer nameless nobodies.
Li Wei did not go to the Pro Bowl.
In fact, this was not a surprise; it was even expected, as teams making it to the Super Bowl often miss the Pro Bowl.
The reasons are simple: tight schedules, injury concerns, and the need to conserve energy.
Compared to the exposure at the Pro Bowl, the Super Bowl is the true moment of the Huashan Swordsmanship Meeting.
As the NFL’s commercial operations become more perfected, the time and energy required to attend the Pro Bowl have increased, and it’s becoming a trend for Super Bowl teams to miss the Pro Bowl.
Li Wei’s absence was not surprising.
But what is special about Li Wei is that he was not only the ticket king of this year’s Pro Bowl but also dominated the recently announced NFL season awards, almost snatching the regular season MVP honor from Brady’s hands.
So when he announced his absence from the Pro Bowl, even Goodell and Donald had not anticipated the media’s reaction.
Massive, overwhelming, the news coverage focused entirely on it.
“Pro Bowl ticket king withdraws.”
“Li Wei withdraws from Pro Bowl, Pro Bowl suffers a severe setback.”
“Li Wei exits Pro Bowl, aiming for the Super Bowl.”
“Pro Bowl faces severe setback even before it starts, as ticket king announces absence.”
“This year’s Pro Bowl, the first ever to be broadcasted in Hua Xia, might face a cold reception due to Li Wei’s absence.”
“With the Super Bowl imminent, Li Wei refuses to be distracted, focusing entirely on the crown jewel.”
“Li Wei says ‘no’ to the Pro Bowl.”
The posture, the momentum, it was as if Li Wei’s absence was not from the Pro Bowl but from the Super Bowl itself, saying it’s the end of the world wouldn’t be an exaggeration.
Such a spectacle indeed was astonishing, once again proving Li Wei’s incomparable influence.