Chapter 334: Dilemma
Old Oak Tavern.
Charles West, who was standing at the bar, looked at Provos with helplessness on his face, raised his hand to stop other fans, and looked at Provos with helplessness on his face.
West knew that Provos' asthma relapsed last week and that he could no longer work as a temporary worker at the refinery, otherwise his life might be on the line there. Next week's rent was imminent; Provos almost died last night. On the streets, this winter in Kansas seems particularly long.
It’s not that Provos doesn’t work hard, it’s just that... in the face of the magnificence of the times, the struggles of ants like them seem unable to change anything——
Does Provos not want the Kansas City Chiefs to win in the playoffs?
Of course not.
Provos hopes more than anyone else that the team can advance and light up a glimmer of hope; but he is afraid that he has experienced so many disappointments that he has become cautious about having hopes now, lest he be disappointed again, his world will be over. Tottering, a little more strength and it might fall apart, and then he'd be stuck in the winter of 2017 forever, unable to move forward.
Those attacks, those negatives, are all just a means of defense. They are armed in layers like armor to cover up their bruises.
"Stop, stop everything." West tried to control the situation.
The other fans paused temporarily, but did not expect Provos to speak again.
"Have we not experienced enough?"
"With hope and confidence, we stood behind them and cheered and shouted, fought alongside them again and again, and placed all our enthusiasm and hopes on the team."
"But what did we get?"
"Disappointment. Over and over again. Over and over again."
As he spoke, Provos became painful—
This season, hope has been rekindled, but the brighter the dawn of hope, the more turbulent the emotions of worry about gains and losses. The entanglement and struggle are really too painful.
He no longer had the strength to bear such pain.
"I'm done."
"I just... I just don't want you to be disappointed."
"hehe."
Looking up, Provos gave a sarcastic smile.
Seeing that the tavern was about to make a move again, but this time, before anyone else could speak, West had already interrupted Provos.
"Shut up!"
Provos was stunned.
"Chris, you're not the only one in pain, we are all."
"Are you rooting for a team just because they bring wins? Just because of championships? God damn it, if that's the case, you should be rooting for New England, they've won, I don't know, how many championships. Four? Five? Or six seats?”
"I don't care."
"Because it doesn't matter at all."
"I support the team because they are my life. They are struggling. They are fighting. Like thousands of ordinary people in Kansas, they will fail, they will be frustrated, and they will encounter setbacks, but they never give up. surrender."
"Yes, we may not be able to win the playoffs. We may still lose in the first round of the playoffs. Athletic Sports has not said anything is 100%, but this does not affect my support for them. I hope to fight with them. ”
"Have you forgotten?"
"When we played against the Steelers, we fought hard until the last moment to reverse the victory; when we played against the Raiders, we went through the last two desperate minutes together."
"When we lost six games in a row, we all thought the season was over early; however, the team didn't give up the fight. Do you remember Levi's long-distance running touchdown in the opening game against the Raiders at Arrowhead Stadium?"
"It's moments like this that make us believe there is still hope in life and don't give up."
West took a deep breath. "So, in the playoffs, I will still fight with them here, face all results calmly, and leave no regrets."
"You can leave the pub now if you don't want to."
Provos was stunned, raised his head and looked at West, and then looked at the silent but determined faces in front of him, standing unitedly opposite him, with thousands of words stuck in his throat.
Then, Provos stood up and left the bar without saying anything.
Standing at the door of the tavern, Provos said quietly, "You will be heartbroken."
Without stopping, Provos opened the door and left.
Hooray.
A burst of biting cold air hit his face, and Provos stood at the door with a blank look in his eyes.
He thought he would cry, but sadly, his eyes were as dry as the Sahara Desert, and there were no tears at all. He just looked ahead, with thousands of thoughts in his mind, and finally dragged his heavy footsteps in despair, slumped his shoulders, In the cold winter, we walked towards the gray without looking back.
So, can the Kansas Chiefs really break the playoff curse?
Compared with the Old Oak Tavern, "Within the Alliance" is not much better.
Ultimately, the playoffs are different from the regular season.
Whether it is the randomness and suddenness of the single-game elimination system, the strong competition entering a new stage after a long season, or the full attention of the pressure and motivation to compete for the championship, everything makes the playoffs full of variables. , it is always necessary to consider unpredictable "uncertain factors".
Naturally, pre-game analysis is full of variables. All teams are the same, and the Kansas Chiefs are no exception.
Bart said, confused.
The Kansas Chiefs... are just a hammer. Anyway, when he encountered this team and that Levi this season, Bart never felt at ease.
The memory of the left cheek being swollen and replaced with the right cheek is still so vivid that I can’t bear to look back. I finally figured out some tricks at the end of the season, but what should I do in the playoffs?
After much thought and careful consideration, Bart still did not dare to make a conclusion easily.
"...Blair, your expression is like clearing mines. Calm down, calm down." The host Crosby joked.
Bart: Can't laugh.
In fact, this is clearing mines, startling every step of the way, okay!
However, looking at the expressions of other colleagues on the show, Bart also realized that he could not continue to be embarrassed by a show broadcast across the entire North American continent.
Taking a deep breath, Bart gritted his teeth and admitted it.
"Personally, I don't like the Kansas City Chiefs."
In the end, you still have to make a choice and have no regrets.
"I know that the Kansas City Chiefs are an unknown factor this season. They defeated three strong opponents in the first period of the season, the New England Patriots, the Philadelphia Eagles, and the Pittsburgh Steelers. There is no doubt that these three wins are very valuable. of."
The three teams are the No. 1 seed in the American League, the No. 1 seed in the National League, and the No. 2 seed in the American League.
"However, entering the middle of the season, the Kansas Chiefs' performance became unstable. The reason behind their six-game losing streak is that the team does not have the temperament of a strong team when facing weak teams. It still lacks intensity at critical moments."
"Despite the four-game winning streak at the end of the season, all four teams were mid-tier teams in the league that could not enter the playoffs. Three of the wins were duels within the American League West."
"I wouldn't say this is a pseudo-strong team, but the fact is that the Kansas Chiefs' playoff berth is unconvincing."
"After entering the playoffs, such shortcomings will be further magnified. Just relying on the individual performance of one or two players cannot turn the situation around. After all, they do not have an elite quarterback."
"What's more, they will face a tough nut to crack in the wild card round——"
Tennessee Titans.
(End of chapter)