American Football: Domination

Whether it's Nike or Pepsi, these top-tier brands always operate with a grand, long-term strategy—

a calculated plan that spans regions and timeframes, designed for sustained commercial promotion.

This is a game of chess.

Since around 2012, Pepsi has set its sights on dominating the competitive sports market, directly challenging its old rival, Coca-Cola.

In April 2015, Coca-Cola ended its 30-year partnership with the NBA, and Pepsi swooped in, securing an exclusive sponsorship deal with the league. This marked the moment Pepsi became the main sponsor of all four major North American sports leagues:

The NFL for football, MLB for baseball, NHL for hockey, and NBA for basketball.

Pepsi's influence on North American sports reached an all-time high. Its roster of superstar ambassadors was endless:

Messi, Van Persie, Agüero, David Luiz, Wilshere, Ramos, Kompany, Salah, Mario Gómez...

The list went on and on.

In addition to amassing big names, Pepsi adopted increasingly youth-oriented marketing strategies, solidifying its hold on the younger generation.

Meanwhile, Coca-Cola, which once led the charge with youthful trends, shifted its focus to promoting retro culture. The two competitors began pursuing vastly different promotional strategies.

For Pepsi, the NFL was a critical piece of its market expansion.

In 2012, Pepsi signed a 10-year deal with the NFL, becoming the league's exclusive sponsor and securing rights to sponsor the Super Bowl halftime show.

There's no doubt: any player chosen by Pepsi was receiving a tremendous honor, akin to a golden ticket to the Galácticos.

But Donald wasn't blinded by flattery.

While Pepsi plotted its moves for its business empire, Donald was crafting a long-term plan to build Lance's brand image. Each party had its own goals.

Yes, Lance could sign with Pepsi, leveraging his current momentum to negotiate a higher contract. Donald was confident in his negotiating skills. But if Lance were merely another badge on Pepsi's ever-growing collection, he'd be neither unique nor indispensable—easily replaceable at any time.

In the long run, this would harm Lance's brand and market value.

This is why dealing with Nike and other brands was so different. After two months, Lance's position and circumstances had subtly shifted.

From this point forward, Donald needed to build a solid foundation. No rushing, no shortcuts. They needed a clear plan and strategy—this was the only way to ensure Lance's hype didn't turn into a fleeting bubble.

Donald turned his gaze toward Stanley.

Stanley was briefly caught off guard. The sudden shift was unexpected.

Logically, a rookie should be overjoyed and grateful for an olive branch from Pepsi, rushing to sign without hesitation. Negotiating would merely be about securing a larger number on the check—Pepsi's ultimate weapon against Coca-Cola had always been its financial might.

As long as the money was right, anything was possible.

So Stanley had been focused solely on deciding the right price.

But this meeting had taken an entirely unexpected turn.

After a moment's thought, Stanley displayed the decisiveness and boldness Pepsi was known for. Instead of insisting on maintaining control, he strategically conceded the initiative.

"So, in your eyes, what is Lance's image?"

By asking this, Stanley implicitly admitted that Pepsi hadn't fully considered this question. Yet, he remained open to possibilities, signaling a willingness to hear Donald's perspective.

This cooperative attitude instantly opened new doors.

Donald turned to Lance.

"A dreamer," he said.

"Look at the labels attached to him. Each one represents a burden or an obstacle—things that would make an ordinary person give up. But he persevered."

"In fact, he didn't just persevere. He completed an extraordinary journey. He made people believe that dreams can truly come true."

Stanley raised his chin slightly, his eyes reflecting a hint of contemplation.

Unexpectedly, Lance spoke up, a smile spreading across his face. "I know. Public image is just a form of packaging. There's no need to take it too seriously. But I swear, the person Donald just described has nothing to do with me."

The atmosphere lightened instantly.

Donald's eyes revealed a trace of exasperation, but he didn't interrupt Lance.

Stanley, clearly intrigued, leaned forward. "Oh? Nothing at all?"

Lance shrugged lightly. "Well, maybe just a little."

Stanley chuckled.

Lance continued with an easy, candid expression. "Let's be realistic. I never expected to play football, and I never expected to join the professional league. This wasn't part of my life plan."

He wasn't lying. At least before Lance's unexpected journey to this world, neither football nor the original Lance had anything to do with each other.

"Maybe, to you, I'm creating miracles and making history. But to me, I'm just the first person to do this."

"If I can do it, I believe there are plenty of other #23s out there who can, too."

Rather than calling himself a dreamer, it would be more accurate to describe him as a trailblazer.

But never underestimate the courage, determination, perseverance, and action it takes to blaze a new trail. The difficulty of breaking through uncharted territory is beyond imagination.

Before this meeting, Stanley admitted he had no special expectations for Lance. It was just business as usual. Sure, they were eager to sign him, but that was the extent of it—

Another rising star.

In the world of competitive sports, there were far too many rising stars to count.

Especially in the era of social media, where even the smallest accomplishments were inflated to watermelon-sized hype. Everything was exaggerated, overdramatic, and overindulgent. Words like "once-in-a-generation talent" or "savior of the sport" were thrown around so casually they'd lost their meaning.

Three exclamation marks? Not enough to convey shock. Five exclamation marks? That's the bare minimum.

Pepsi's desire to sign Lance was undeniable. When football and the Asian market collided, it created a gold mine that couldn't be ignored. But up until now, Stanley hadn't seen what made Lance particularly special.

Until this moment.

Stanley's gaze lingered on Lance, now alight with newfound curiosity. "Is that so? I thought professional athletes always believed they were unique, destined to change history, and utterly irreplaceable. For example—"

Stanley glanced at Donald.

Donald, unbothered, filled in the blank. "Brady."

Stanley grinned. "Yes, Brady."

In a way, the competitive drive of professional athletes was similar to an actor's narcissism—it was an essential professional trait. Even the most mild-mannered player needed to unleash their passion and determination the moment they stepped onto the field.

Nice guys rarely finish as champions. Most legendary stars are killers.

Confidence, drive, competitiveness—

These are the hallmarks of champions.

Lance shrugged and offered a calm smile. "Oh, you mean Michael Jordan?"

Jordan: What did I ever do to you?!

Brady: ?? Why am I being ignored again?!

But Stanley and Donald both caught on immediately, their faces breaking into knowing smiles—

When it came to competitiveness and ego, Jordan truly was in a league of his own.

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Powerstones?

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