Chapter 1422: Chapter 1421: One-Click Triple Combo
The final suspense of the NFL 2019 season regular-season awards—
Who is the regular-season MVP?
All eyes are fervently focused on Li Wei and Jackson, with the media’s clamor further heating up the suspense.
For the Baltimore Ravens, and for Lamar Jackson, this is the last straw to save the 2019 season.
A season filled with high hopes, aiming for the championship, ends in such a vague and careless manner. They didn’t even get a chance to face off against the Kansas City Chiefs.
Worse still, when facing the Houston Texans, there was no chance at all.
Jackson, recalling now, still gets chills and struggles to breathe. While he knows there will be more to come, he is still young and has opportunities; imagining the tumult of this offseason is suffocating.
Thus, the regular-season MVP is the ultimate salvation. In this competition against Li Wei, he can win, he must win. This is the only hope to save the season, to make his 2019 season seem worthwhile.
However, upon arriving at the awards ceremony, Jackson finds Li Wei absent—
Preparing for the Super Bowl, the Kansas City Chiefs collectively skip the Pro Bowl and the league’s most important awards ceremony; only the team manager Veach appears as a representative.
The calm and indifferent attitude makes Jackson, who invests all his focus on the award, feel particularly small. He knows Li Wei did it on purpose, not out of belief, but out of certainty; he knows Li Wei deliberately humiliated him.
Heh.
In his view, Li Wei’s arrogance and confidence are just a protective color to disguise cowardly fear. Actually, Li Wei must have realized that this year’s regular-season MVP belongs to Jackson; Li Wei really has no chance, so he deliberately presents a high-profile stance to disguise the ugly and fierce reluctance to concede and refuse to celebrate his opponent.
Once he acquires the regular-season MVP trophy, he will know who the real clown is.
Jackson regains his confidence, stands tall again, steps towards the spotlight, ready to embrace his moment.
Finally, the long wait is over, the highlight is here.
Two major awards are revealed first.
Offensive Player of the Year, Lamar Jackson, Baltimore Ravens Quarterback.
Defensive Player of the Year, Stephon Gilmore, New England Patriots Cornerback.
Thunderous applause!
Because Gilmore represents the victory for the defensive secondary, finally seen after ten years since Charles Woodson of the Green Bay Packers in 2009 and Troy Polamalu of the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2010.
Also because Jackson completed an unbelievable season, the running quarterback since Michael Vick’s emergence in 2006 has finally achieved a second and most important upgrade. Who knows, maybe this will become another turning point for the league’s structure in the next decade.
In the crowd, Jackson felt excited and confused—
He didn’t expect his name to appear so early; does this mean he will sweep both the Offensive Player of the Year and the regular-season MVP?
How can he be so lucky?
But if the professionals truly believe this, he should graciously accept it.
"Sorry, Li Wei, I accidentally beat you once."
"Oh, not just once, but twice."
Finally!
From NCAA to NFL, Li Wei has evolved into Jackson’s Heart Demon, from college courts to the Heisman Trophy, then to the draft and finally to the professional field. Losing all the way, Li Wei is like a rock pressing on his chest, slowly destroying Jackson’s courage.
Losing to frustration, losing to suffocation, losing to obedience.
Now, finally! Jackson finally wins once!
Vindicated!
First Offensive Player of the Year, then regular-season MVP; tonight Jackson fully defeats Li Wei and uses this as a turning point to start the counter-attack.
To sweep Offensive Player of the Year and regular-season MVP, which Li Wei couldn’t achieve, now Jackson is about to complete this milestone first:
Sorry, rookie, this time he plans to surpass you.
From tonight, he won’t fear Li Wei, won’t lose to Li Wei, all the Heart Demon has been breached.
With head high, Jackson confidently steps onto the stage to accept his first Offensive Player of the Year, full of vigor and galloping forward.
In contrast, Gilmore appeared dejected and frustrated because he knew the probability of a defensive player winning both Defensive Player of the Year and regular-season MVP was low. Watt and Donald couldn’t do it, and now it seems he won’t achieve it either, even this trophy seems somewhat dimmed.
Amidst the bustling and vibrant scene, Peyton Manning steps onto the stage, ready to unveil the last piece of the 2019 NFL awards, also the jewel in the crown—
Regular-season MVP.
With the pounding drum beats, Big Manning opens the envelope amidst the heated gaze of the audience.
"Oh, a bit nervous, palms are sweating."
Clearly, this legendary veteran knows how to create an atmosphere; all players and reporters collectively groan, even league staff are no exceptions—
Everyone is anticipating the result, everyone is curious about the result; this should be the most interesting and anticipated regular-season MVP since the millennium.
Below the stage, Jackson tightly grips his Offensive Player of the Year trophy, his heartbeat pounding, seemingly ready to explode. He must use his entire strength to barely control his trembling knees to prevent revealing his true emotions.
Then, before all oxygen is exhausted, Big Manning pulls the card from the envelope.
"Oh."
Big Manning sighs.
The audience holds their breath, dying of curiosity, wanting to pry open Big Manning and grab the envelope to see the answer themselves.
Jackson’s muscles are tightly wound to the extreme, staring at the card in Big Manning’s hand. He completely forgets to breathe, his body involuntarily leans forward, his wildly beating heart uncontrollably flying towards the stage, lifting off his seat, almost standing up.
Big Manning raises his eyes to sweep the whole scene, just like surveying the defensive group setup in the pocket.
A pause.
The whole crowd collectively holds their breath.
"The 2019 season regular-season MVP..." a deep breath, "Li Wei, running back, Kansas City Chiefs."
One second, silence.
Two seconds, stillness.
Three seconds, explosion.
Buzz buzz buzz, the brain directly explodes, energy soars through the clouds, leaving only a booming sound. The entire audience goes wild, rationality burns to ashes.
Jackson is stunned, maintaining the slightly standing position, entirely stiffening, losing reaction ability. At this moment, only one thought occupies his mind:
Devil. That’s a devil, a persistent haunting devil. Lost, lost again, damn God, how did this even happen?
Four seconds, boom! Boom boom boom!
The whole scene, applause explodes, it’s all applause, nothing but applause, sweeping relentlessly across.
Li Wei has done it, crowned the 2019 regular-season MVP—
Reigning. Crowning.
Li Wei’s era has arrived.