American Football: Domination

What? Lance is in the spotlight again?

This is getting ridiculous. Out of the entire 2017 rookie class, is there seriously no one else worth talking about? It's always Lance, Lance, Lance—enough already!

On one hand, top draft pick Myles Garrett was finally set to return from injury and make his debut in Week 5.

The defensive end was raring to go, eager to silence the media chatter accusing him of "strategic injury timing" to avoid being compared to Lance. What were the odds, they said, that his injury conveniently kept him out of the opening month?

Garrett could do nothing to clear his name.

It's hard to prove an injury to skeptics without holding a press conference, and as a rookie, Garrett had no such privilege. Left with no choice, he swallowed his frustration and waited for his moment.

Now, he was ready to make his case on the field.

Meanwhile, second overall pick Mitchell Trubisky also got his shot.

After the Chicago Bears stumbled to a 1-3 start, head coach John Fox finally decided to give the rookie quarterback his chance. Trubisky, carrying the weight of endless speculation and criticism, had no choice but to step up.

Compared to Garrett, Trubisky had an even harder time.

Like Lance, he had played only one full season in college, but he had been drafted early in a chaotic first round. Ever since, the media had scrutinized him mercilessly.

Every time Lance silenced his doubters, the press used Trubisky as a comparison. Sitting on the bench studying playbooks, Trubisky couldn't escape the crossfire. He had no way to respond.

Now, his time had come.

As Garrett and Trubisky sharpened their focus for their big moments, thinking the Lance frenzy had started to cool, disaster struck.

Once again, it was Lance.

The endless coverage they thought was subsiding came roaring back, hitting them harder than ever.

"Just give it up—top pick, second pick, doesn't matter. Lance has already claimed the title of 2017's best rookie."

"Cleveland Browns fans are in tears. Holding the first overall pick, they've somehow missed their chosen one yet again. Rebuilding remains a long and winding road."

"The Chicago Bears keep piling up losses, turning a chaotic draft into a masterclass in failure. Now they realize they could've grabbed the rookie king of this class. Once again, the Bears cement their reputation as the NFC North's Santa Claus—always giving, never receiving."

"An opportunity once dangled in front of them, squandered. The Browns passed. The Bears passed. Meanwhile, the Jacksonville Jaguars are fuming."

"And the San Francisco 49ers front office? They're left wondering what went wrong."

Even the 49ers, who had no involvement in the current drama, found themselves dragged into the conversation. Holding the second overall pick, they had traded it away and been hailed as draft-day winners. But with Lance's meteoric rise, questions were mounting:

What were they thinking?

Meanwhile, the 49ers had started the season 0-4.

If Lance truly was a good luck charm or a destined star, this year's draft mistakes could go down as one of the NFL's all-time blunders. The Chiefs, ridiculed at the time for their bold move, would emerge as the ultimate winners.

The future looked promising—for Kansas City, at least.

Social media exploded. Lance's streak of 19 consecutive wins since entering competitive football was nothing short of legendary. His appeal extended beyond football fans; even casual observers were joining the frenzy.

Memes and posts flooded every corner of the internet:

"The Story of Me and Lance."

"48 Hours Alone with Lance."

"Without Me, There'd Be No Lance."

"I'm the Real Talent Scout Behind Lance."

"Lance and I Secretly Got Married—Ladies, Please Stop Screaming."

From heartfelt tributes to outlandish claims, Lance fever gripped the web.

Since Odell Beckham Jr.'s iconic one-handed catch in 2014, the NFL hadn't seen such widespread buzz. Lance's rise wasn't just a sports story—it was a cultural moment.

Behind the scenes, Roger Goodell smiled knowingly.

Even he hadn't anticipated this level of success. After all, football is a team sport, and Lance was merely a running back. But Lance's performances exceeded expectations, and the Chiefs' strong showing added fuel to the fire.

Every element of the league's star-making machine clicked perfectly into place.

Goodell's confidence soared. Whatever happened next, Lance's trajectory as the NFL's new superstar and poster boy seemed unstoppable.

The only question was: who would seize the moment?

Trevor Edwards of Nike certainly hadn't seen this coming.

Yes, the internet moves fast, and in the two weeks since his meeting with Lance in Los Angeles, much had changed. But the sheer speed of Lance's rise and his breakout into the mainstream were beyond expectations.

On the other side, Adidas and Under Armour were making aggressive moves.

Rumors swirled:

Adidas was reportedly willing to meet Donald's ambitious demand of $2.5 million annually, though contract length was still being negotiated.

Under Armour hadn't matched the figure but proposed something unprecedented—a deal akin to the "Jordan x Nike" partnership. They offered to create a new product line around Lance and even include revenue sharing, though the exact percentages remained under debate.

After all, football gear isn't as versatile as basketball shoes. Fans might wear sneakers casually, but cleats don't have the same crossover appeal. Both Under Armour and Donald were weighing their options.

Nike's initial edge was slipping away.

Edwards had discussed the situation with Nike's top brass. They knew the risks of signing Lance—what if the running back got injured next week? They also understood that waiting any longer would only strengthen Donald's hand.

Every Chiefs win added leverage to Lance's case.

Donald had a point:

A Chinese-American. A third-overall pick. A rookie.

And now, an undefeated streak as a "good luck charm."

The combination was unprecedented.

Edwards was determined not to repeat the mistakes of Adidas and Converse decades ago. Especially now, with Nike planning to end its partnership with Roger Federer—citing high costs and Federer's nearing retirement—Nike needed to focus on the future.

Lance might just be the answer.

With this in mind, Edwards sat down with Donald once more.

This time, a decision had to be made.

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Powerstones?

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