Chapter 569: Frenemies
Le'Veon Bell admitted that the last time he contacted Levi after the game was selfish, because he was forced to sign an exclusive franchise tag contract with the Pittsburgh Steelers, and he held it back throughout the season. He couldn't vent in one breath, and he also knew that he might encounter negotiation difficulties again in the next offseason.
He needs to rally more strength and really give the running backs a voice.
At that time, Bell did not expect that Levi would be able to fight all the way to the end and really reach the top. He contacted Levi purely because of the young man's Chinese identity and the support behind Goodell. Maybe this could win extra points for the running backs. attention and public opinion support.
Similarly, Bell did not expect that Levi would actually step forward and be willing to do so, even more than Gurley. After Gurley renewed his contract with the Los Angeles Rams, he just put his tail between his legs and stayed out of the matter. The posture has no effect at all.
Who would have thought that a simple and unintentional move would eventually turn into a friendship that would truly change their predicament?
This is something Bell did not feel in the Pittsburgh Steelers locker room, once again proving the role of a leader on the team's temperament and atmosphere.
Now, Bell understands why T.J. Watt was full of praise for Levi.
However--
Everything, just as Levi expected, they are facing the trend of the entire league, which is billions and tens of billions of profits, which cannot be changed by one or two small running backs. Just relying on Bell is not enough.
The running backs need to continue to build momentum and change public opinion starting on the field.
For now, the time has not come yet, and Bell may fail again.
Summer training camp is over, and there is still no news of Bell's contract extension.
Soon enough, the July 16th deadline passed, which meant the Pittsburgh Steelers had not changed their minds and placed the exclusive franchise tag on Bell for the second year in a row.
But Bell still refused to sign.
The preseason has kicked off, and Bell still has not returned to the team.
Things are slipping into the abyss bit by bit, and the ominous premonition is becoming clearer and clearer.
Then, this happened——
"I'm not going to play."
This is a text message from Bell.
At this time, there were less than forty-eight hours before the whistle blew for the 2018 regular season. When Levi saw the text message, the meaning was obvious.
At present, there are no reports in the media, there is no official notification from the Pittsburgh Steelers, and there is no news from the league. This means that even if Levi is not the first person to be notified by Bell, he is one of the first few members to know about such a heavy news. .
Levi sighed softly.
He supports Bell, but he really doesn't want things to develop to this point. There is a kind of tragic and tragic situation, which is unbearable.
Levi, "Is there no room for redemption?"
Bell, "No. If they are ready to make things happen, I can do it. The worst case scenario is that I leave Pittsburgh and go to other teams to develop, even if the salary is lowered, it doesn't matter. I just can't swallow this breath. Pittsburgh didn't take me." Take it seriously."
Levi, "Bell, you are more senior than me. You should know that our performance also depends on the coach's tactics."
Running backs, like quarterbacks, need tactical support from their coaches. If the coaches' tactics are wrong, no matter how good the players are, they won't be able to play well.
Just look at Foles in this year's Super Bowl.
The reason why Reed is known as the quarterback wizard is because he can create different tactical systems for different quarterback styles and types.
Similarly, the Kansas Chiefs brought back Burns from retirement because he can build different running backs based on the players' own characteristics.
Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Tomlin is also such a master tactician, and Levi is worried that Bell may face difficulties after leaving Pittsburgh. It is not easy to meet a coach who appreciates oneself and knows how to use one's own abilities. How many talents are buried in this way.
Bell, "You should believe me."
Looking at the text message and the short text, it was obvious that Bell didn't want to talk more, which made Levi let out a long breath and swallowed all the words that followed.
Li Wei, "No matter when, you will never face thousands of troops alone."
Pressing the send button, Levi put the phone aside. Although Levi knew nothing about rugby in his previous life, he naturally had no way of knowing Bell's follow-up; but based on his understanding of the professional league, he had an ominous premonition that things might not be the same. It will develop in the direction that running backs expect it to.
bite.
A text message alert came from the phone, and the screen lit up:
Bell, "I'm ready."
Then, the screen went dark again.
Early the next morning, a bombshell turned the entire alliance upside down.
People haven't had time to see the shock and thrill of the Green Bay Packers and Rodgers dramatically completing their contract extension before the start of the season. Another top star's contract extension has gone in a completely different direction. It stirred up ripples.
Bell announced that he will not play in any Pittsburgh Steelers regular season game.
From the training strike to the game strike, Bell showed his determination that he would rather live in peace than lose everything, and still refused to sign the exclusive franchise tag contract.
Moreover, something more cruel and cold is yet to come.
The Pittsburgh Steelers did not give any response, did not condemn Bell, did not discuss the contract extension, and did not even make an official announcement confirming Bell's decision to miss the regular season. Instead, they announced another decision:
100 in the third round of 2017 The fifth overall pick, running back James Conner, will be the starter.
The attitude couldn’t be more direct——
Without Bell, the world keeps spinning and the Pittsburgh Steelers move forward.
Not a word was mentioned about Bell, but Bell was completely ignored and treated as a transparent person, showing a thunderous and decisive attitude.
Silence is better than sound.
This is the real ruthless decision, a superior one.
The 2018 season kicked off amidst the noise and chaos.
The bustling discussion exploded after a short pause of continuous impact and shock. Not only the fans, but also the league was full of astonishment.
The reason is very simple -
In the season opener, the defending champion Kansas City Chiefs faced the Pittsburgh Steelers at Arrowhead Stadium.
It’s not that enemies don’t get together.
In the eyes of the Pittsburgh Steelers, Levi and Hunter are the instigators who are afraid of chaos in the world. Without them there to fan the flames, the negotiations between Bell and the team would not have developed to such an extent. As a result, Bell went on strike and the Pittsburgh Steelers team His image also hit rock bottom.
Levi: Do the Pittsburgh Steelers have a franchise identity? Rumors of Roethlisberger roughing up fans and running amok in the locker room in Pittsburgh were heard even by Roethlisberger, a rookie who knew nothing about football.
Tomlin: Get out!
Moreover, reviving the grudges from last season’s divisional round, the Pittsburgh Steelers did not take the Kansas Chiefs and Jacksonville Jaguars seriously at all, and had already set their sights on the conference finals and the New England Patriots. After joining forces, the two traditional strong teams joined hands to return home and were humiliated to grandma's house.
All the old and new hatreds came to my mind.
On the verge of breaking out!
(End of this chapter)