Chapter 767: 766 Mountains Beyond
Gasping for breath, his face devoid of color, staring blankly at Li Wei’s figure, even he, often called a madman, couldn’t help but feel mentally exhausted. Witnessing the towering figure of number twenty-three in the end zone, it seemed unreachable no matter how hard he tried to close the gap.
Leonard was just gasping, his mind went blank, incapable of thinking.
On the sidelines, Andrew Luck watched this scene in silence—
If only the score difference had been smaller, he too might have tried to catch up. He wasn’t some untested greenhouse flower; he’d been the protagonist of many underdog triumphs on the sports field, and he was familiar with such scenarios.
Yet, at that moment, looking at the scoreboard and the situation on the field, Luck felt a sense of powerlessness. No matter how hard they tried, he couldn’t see any possibility of turning the situation around, only a sense of defeat.
It was said that encountering Bolt in his prime was a tragedy for sprinters because they could only ever see the back of the Jamaican Lightning.
Luck used to scoff at this, always believing that competing against top players was an honor. They should relish the thrilling sensation, as facing the strongest opponents is the essence of competitive sports.
Today, Luck finally understood what that felt like.
It was more than just defeat; it was a profound disinterest.
It’s meaningless, really meaningless—they seemed like headless flies, running blindly without knowing what they were doing.
Not interesting at all.
In mangas and superhero movies, people are always invigorated with motivation: you can do it, the game isn’t over yet, anything is possible.
In real life, the glaring numbers on the scoreboard seemed to mock their insignificance and foolishness—
When the gap is within sight, everything seems possible; a comeback, a reversal, it’s enjoyable. But when the gap is completely out of control, it’s a completely different story.
This was a story that nobody in the Indianapolis Colts had anticipated before the divisional game started.
A breath stuck in his chest, Luck felt neither anger, depression, nor sorrow, he just felt that everything in front of him was utterly meaningless.
Successive calls exploded upon his eardrum, abruptly bringing Luck back to reality.
Luck turned his head, it was Richie.
Richie patted Luck’s helmet, “Get ready to go on. You can do it, believe in yourself, Andrew, you can do it, the game isn’t over yet, we still have a chance, as long as we don’t give up, anything is possible.”
Luck glanced at Richie, nodded casually without a word, and turned silently to re-enter the field.
Not just Luck, but the commentators in the booth and the studio felt equally awkward.
The score disparity was indeed too great, making any words sound like desperate excuses, untenable nonsense, efforts made in vain.
But what else could they do?
The audience could turn and leave, Indianapolis Colts fans could curse and turn off their TVs, and bystanders could disinterestedly leave, but they could not; they had to continue commentating.
The game was not over yet; they still had to play the neutral role, trying to prolong the suspense and cheer for the Indianapolis Colts.
When it comes to motivational talk, no one is better than commentators.
The first divisional game was a complete mess, and honestly, the commentators had the toughest job—
How did it turn out ? The difficulty of their job had increased several levels.
They had to rack their brains to come up with solutions, hoping that the trailing team could rally and catch up; however, every time they made a suggestion, it was quickly dismissed, and the lifeless game dragged their spirits down as well, but they each had to psych themselves up.
Being mere workers, they felt the hardship deeply but couldn’t voice it out.
Roger Goodell stood in the VIP room of Arrowhead Stadium, looking down from above.
No matter whether they were ahead or behind in the score, Arrowhead Stadium was always full of energy, passion, and fervor, stirring the entire city.
Comparable to a volcano.
Normally, there is no uniform dress code for fans going to the stadium; they can wear their own clothes or their team’s jerseys; and even if they choose jerseys, there isn’t a strict demand, allowing everyone to freely choose from any jersey they own, whether from different seasons, home or away games, etc.
In other words, even if everyone chooses jerseys, the scene is still a kaleidoscope of colors, dazzling to the eyes.
Arrowhead Stadium is no exception.
However, since this season began, the fans at Arrowhead Stadium gradually influenced and supported each other, eventually uniting as one. When most fans go to home games, they try to choose the home team’s red jerseys, even if they cannot get the latest season’s new jerseys, they opt for red jerseys from previous years.
It’s a symbol and also a strength.
Thus, you have the current Ocean of red at Arrowhead Stadium—
Massive, widespread, a sea of red, like flames, resembling immense waves, lighting up the entire world, becoming a grand sight in Kansas City.
Amazement all around.
Only by being present at Arrowhead Stadium, feeling the atmosphere and energy, can one truly experience the fervor of this sport.
At this moment, that’s exactly the case.
Goodell was completely immersed in it, losing himself.
A call pierced his ears, suddenly yanking Goodell’s thoughts back to earth. Turning his head, he could see the concern on his colleague’s face.
He exhaled softly, “Don’t worry, it’s good that we didn’t schedule this at night.”
With that sentence, the answer became clear.
Clearly, the other party was worried about the ratings—a one-sided game meant happiness for the home fans, who could thoroughly enjoy the match; but for the trailing team and neutral fans, it was tormenting, devoid of contest and thus of interest, leading fans to naturally disengage.
The current game seemed hopeless, with the Indianapolis Colts unable to turn the tide.
Perhaps, the only consolation now was that this wasn’t a night game, and the league could look forward to other matches.
Watching Goodell lost in thought, it was natural to speculate that he was concerned about the ratings, prompting a comforting remark.
But, unexpectedly, a smile played on Goodell’s lips, “No, I’m not worried.”
In the VIP room, the others from the league cast their glances over, doubting what they heard, hardly believing Goodell’s words.
Goodell chuckled lightly, “I believe the viewership numbers for this game won’t look good, but we should look forward to the reaction after the game is over.”
What did he mean by that?
Goodell, “A one-sided game is naturally dull, but it also proves that the Kansas City Chiefs are now transforming into a truly strong team.”
“When a new strong team is born, people will challenge, confront, and attack; but when this team keeps winning and winning, gradually, no one cares whether their victories are entertaining or good-looking, but they will marvel at the strong and effortless nature of their victories.”
“And then, they’ll adore them.”