"Watson has lost his mind."
The Kansas City Chiefs and the Houston Texans were the first to learn about this, and the League also received the initial reports, recognizing the gravity of the situation.
Although this was Watson’s personal issue, and the League confird multiple tis that it was unrelated to alcohol or drugs, it was purely a ntal breakdown.
But it wasn’t that simple.
A starting quarterback for the conference finals team, a young quarterback representing the League’s new generation, suffers a ntal breakdown after a ga loss?
From both the team and League perspectives, this doesn’t look good, and if not careful, it could be linked to "concussions" again.
Those negative voices are bound to endlessly entangle football players with potential long-term injuries from sustained impacts; Watson isn’t the first player to show ntal instability after retirent—not only must they face the physical pain that cannot be healed, but also the ntal scars that are hard to nd.
Now, active players must also be on alert?
Though the League is 99.99% sure this incident is unrelated to concussions, and Watson played the entire ga under pressure without any real impacts, it’s purely a personal psychological imbalance for Watson; but the League knows those opposing voices will surely exploit the issue.
Putting this matter aside for now, with the Super Bowl approaching, the Kansas City Chiefs have successfully advanced, and regardless of who becos the National Conference champion next, the showdown promises to be spectacular and worth the anticipation, providing a perfect ending to the season. The last thing the League needs now is anything that shifts the focus.
Various factors. Various reasons.
The League realized they needed to contain the information.
Goodell isn’t in Kansas City; this year, he’s confident in the city, so he headed to San Francisco to watch another conference final.
But upon learning the situation, Goodell demonstrated his ability, imdiately making calls and setting the plan in motion.
From the Houston Texans to the Kansas City Chiefs, from dia journalists to Li Wei and Watt, every crucial elent was thoroughly covered with no oversight.
Of course, Goodell knows that in the smartphone era, sealing off information completely is impossible, but they can limit the damage to an acceptable range, and all this requires the cooperation of the Kansas City Chiefs.
Whether it’s Li Wei leading the Kansas City Chiefs players or the audience at Arrowhead Stadium, without the Chiefs’ cooperation, controlling the damage is impossible.
The team manager, Veach, believes that cooperating with the League’s actions at this critical mont is beneficial with no downsides.
Moreover, Veach’s real brilliance lies in his straightforward agreent without taking advantage of the situation to make demands or exchange benefits.
Because Veach knows that making demands on the League in a situation where external unity is needed is a lowly move, it might succeed but could also earn Goodell’s silent resentnt; given the urgency, uniting to solve the problem is key, actively cooperating with actions and earning a favor from the League——
The value in this is evidently much more precious.
Thus.
This scene unfolded.
At the post-ga press conference, amid a flood of questions, journalists didn’t forget about Watson’s situation, and Li Wei showed his usual steadiness.
Hypothermia and dehydration.
That’s the official answer, not just from Li Wei; the Houston Texans gave the sa account, with the difference being a bit more detail:
They said Watson had a high fever and was rambling, not in a good state, with signs of the flu, and Watson has already gone to the hospital imdiately.
However, the reporters didn’t believe because Watson’s behavior seed manic, nothing like soone with a high fever; the situation wasn’t that simple.
Amid doubts and relentless inquiries, Li Wei played along, "You’ve stumped , I’m not a team doctor, nor do I lurk in the Houston Texans’ locker room. So if you’re hoping for a definitive answer from , I might not be able to help."
The key to persuasiveness lies in the blend of truth and lies, fact and fiction.
If they all stick to one narrative, it’s obvious it’s a well-rehearsed answer, inevitably sparking journalists’ curiosity to dig for the truth.
Sure enough, Li Wei’s quip successfully triggered low laughter in the pressroom.
Li Wei then continued to add.
"Believe , after going through four hours of intense confrontation with everything you have left on the field, your brain is entirely blank; you might not even know what you’re saying, your mind can’t function properly, that feeling is real."
"Honestly, I’m worried right now that I might start rambling, my palms are all sweaty."
Ha, laughter couldn’t be contained.
"But I think my overall condition today is probably a bit better than JJ’s." A double entendre, not only teasing Watt but also making a jab at the Houston Texans’ offensive group for being unhelpful.
Hahaha! Laughter like thunder!
Beyond laughter, applause and whistles flooded in, seeing Li Wei unabashedly poke fun at Watson; the authenticity of previous explanations soared.
And most importantly, those top authority dia have already been notified; journalists will ask related questions but won’t relentlessly pursue; they won’t pretend not to see the elephant in the room but will stop digging after reaching a certain depth——
Everyone knows, but nobody exposes it.
As for Watson’s actual situation in private, these journalists naturally have their channels to find out, maybe won’t reveal now, but after the Super Bowl, there are no restrictions, they can expose the truth anyti they want, or hold onto a handle, waiting for the right mont to announce.
So when Li Wei showcased his wit, effortlessly responding and slightly deeper digging journalists stopped while they were ahead, remarkably refraining from stirring controversy, blowing the situation out of proportion, and the atmosphere in the pressroom was more relaxed than ever.
Then, on scene, a journalist followed up, "Today’s match tension and close state were above expectations, the Kansas City Chiefs have faced consecutive tough battles this playoffs, after a challenging season, how is the team’s physical reserve, and what’s the impact for the Super Bowl in two weeks?"
Everything flawlessly seamless, seed perfect, naturally shifting from Watson’s topic to the Kansas City Chiefs’ topic.
"We will be ready," Li Wei said, "I an, since you’re asking in public, even if our knees are shaking now, we’ll grit our teeth and say everything’s fine."
Haha, laughter spread all around, even applause and whistles burst out——
After all, the San Francisco 49ers and Green Bay Packers are both covetously watching.
Afterward, switching tones, Li Wei continued, "Of course, it’s not far from the truth."
"We know we’re the target."
"We were aware since the season started, after all, you guys ensured we celebrate this fact in every way, the main the throughout the season was defeating the Kansas City Chiefs, even if we cover our ears, we can’t escape."
Li Wei stared straight at the reporters present, eyes seemingly conveying: Every one of you is the culprit.
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