Dominate the Super Bowl

Chapter 566

Chapter 566: Spring wind and rain Chapter 566: Spring wind and rain A stir rippled through the crowd.@@@@

Whether media journalists or Chieftain players, everyone fell into shock under Hunter’s indiscriminate barrage, their mouths agape and eyes wide.

Clearly, this was unexpected—

After all, this was only the spring training camp, attended voluntarily.

Each year, players would skip spring training to posture for better contracts, forcing teams to negotiate, but it wasn’t something to make a fuss about.

The real issue would be the mandatory summer training camp, which everyone had to attend.

Missing that would be a declaration of war, with both players and teams preparing for the worst in full alert.

...

At the moment, the situation between Bell and the Pittsburgh Steelers was tense, and that was a fact; but Bell had only missed the spring training, and neither the media nor anyone else were ringing alarm bells just yet.

Escalation needed to happen gradually.

However.

Right off the bat, Hunter had detonated a bomb, adopting a do-or-die stance that pushed the atmosphere to its limit and tensions soared instantly.

A bombshell!

An absolute bombshell!

One could almost feel the shockwaves rippling outward.

Veach, who was just turning to head back to his office, was stopped by the coaching staff informing him of the commotion at the entrance of the training facility.

His mind blew up and his ears rang, drenching his back with cold sweat.

Meanwhile, the Pittsburgh Steelers were thrust into the spotlight to handle a tricky situation, the full-guarantee contract between Cousins and the Minnesota Vikings making other teams sensitive, shifting all eyes toward Bell’s running back contract, putting immense pressure on the Steelers, whose managers were relieved they weren’t the ones facing the problem.

But who would have thought that a lone assassin would emerge within the defending champion team?

One could imagine, the Kansas City Chiefs would soon be dragged into the storm; moreover, they also had another top running back in the limelight, making Veach’s scalp tingle just thinking about it.

Damn.

Damn damn damn damn damn!

Safeties merely need to stand sincerely far back, beyond twenty yards from the scrimmage line, guarding the mid-field area; quarterbacks then automatically find ways to avoid risky deep passes.

Naturally, the tactical function gap between top-level safeties and ordinary safeties has become smaller, and what’s more often tested now is the safeties’ ability to start from a deep position and defend ground attacks or tackle wide receivers in the mid-and-short pass zones, while safeties like Earl Thomas of the Seattle Seahawks, who could tightly cover individuals and single-handedly dominate the deep field, are becoming rarer.

The decline in safeties’ abilities naturally leads to a decline in their value.

Moreover, at the turn of the century, safeties were synonymous with forceful impacts, their powerful hitting abilities making wide receivers tremble; but over the years, as league rules increasingly protect offensive players, not just quarterbacks but also wide receivers, the hands of safeties are tied, and impact-style safeties are almost vanishing.

Indeed, some cornerbacks, after their peak periods and when their physical capabilities significantly declined, switched from playing cornerback to safety, which is also indicative of the trend.

Currently, in high schools and colleges, most young people with exceptional physical talents choose to play cornerback instead of safety.

Today, the annual salaries of safeties are about the same as those of running backs—

even slightly lower on average than those of running backs.

In other words, both safeties and running backs are the result of a league that focuses on the passing offense.

That is, the plight of the running back is not an isolated phenomenon.

The focus shifted back to Li Wei.

A brief statement that was enormously informative.

Perhaps laymen may not feel any special way, but the difference is stark in the ears of professionals.

Veach paused slightly, no longer rushing to continue.

Faced with the swarming circle of reporters, Li Wei remained composed, managing to converse with ease and humor.

“Of course, Bell’s excellence doesn’t need my acknowledgment or praise, as it is evident to everyone, and no one understands this better than the Pittsburgh Steelers,”

“Coach Tomlin has on multiple occasions publicly expressed his admiration and approval, owning a remarkable team with an excellent lineup.”

“So, I believe the Pittsburgh Steelers will offer Bell fair and equitable treatment, and I trust that the Pittsburgh Steelers will provide a top player with the treatment he deserves.”

With a smile, as refreshing as a spring breeze.

One moment caught in Hunter’s rapid storm, the next calmed and brightened by Li Wei’s refreshing manner.

Is this normal?