In America, the winner takes all.

Chapter 305 Everything is revealed, the Thanksgiving Day battle (8K)

Dallas, Irving, Cowboys practice facility.

"Hurry up, faster...it's not fast enough. In front of Randy Moss, you are as slow as a turtle!" Dave Campo was scolding the defender loudly.

On the other side, the offensive team also had a difficult time. Billy was completely out of breath, the older Michael Owen was not much better, and everyone on the offensive line was sweating all over.

The left tackle and guard are currently Nate Newton and Larry Allen respectively. Both of them have been selected to the Pro Bowl several times. It seems that they have not participated in many offenses, but in fact they are the most solid foundation for every offense. , without the two people working diligently to protect the quarterback in the blind area of ​​​​Eason's vision on the weak side, I am afraid that the Cowboys will not be able to score a touchdown.

The two "goalkeepers" are both 325 meters tall. Larry Allen weighs as much as 147 pounds (335KG). Nate Newton's weight has soared to 152 pounds (KG) this year. During the game, he stood leaning against Ethan. The front was like two copper and iron walls blocking Ethan. Apart from the Big Three, only two people have the highest salary.

"I have to slow down now." Larry Allen dropped his helmet and lay directly on the lawn.

"It's not fair at all. We have to train with the same intensity as running backs every day. Don't forget that we are carrying one hundred pounds but two hundred pounds of fat. I hate this fat." Nate Newton also took off his helmet. Once upon a time, he was also a lean boy. Until he changed his position in high school, his weight began to soar rapidly. Now he weighs 400 pounds. This has brought great consequences to his life. Big inconvenience.

But as a rugby player, the role of the stadium is the first priority. Even if he doesn't want to, he has to eat a huge amount of food. As "goalkeepers", the two's first priority is not to maintain muscles, but to ensure tonnage. The meals customized by the nutritionist for the two contain staggering calories. Even the milkshake cups they drink have twice the capacity of other team members. many.

Just a few minutes after lying down, Nate Newton saw a figure looking down at him condescendingly.

"Don't want me to get up! Unless, of course, you are willing to drag me up." It was Ethan's figure reflected in Nate Newton's small eyes in his deep eye sockets.

Ethan's extremely outstanding physique is also noticed by his teammates. In the previous wrestling game, Ethan defeated many forward players and was able to rank among the top five in the team. For a quarterback, this is already It's a terrifying result, but objectively there is still a big gap with Nate Newton and Larry Allen.

The two once pulled a standard passenger plane with hundreds of seats on the show.

Ethan sat down without saying a word at this time. You could clearly feel the heat on his body. When Ethan took off his helmet, you could still see beads of sweat on his forehead. It was obvious that he had exercised quite a lot this morning. .

"I really hope the game against the Minnesota Vikings comes soon. Who can bear to live like this for a month?"

"Look at Dave, it's like taking a stimulant. I wonder if the fitness coach secretly fed him drugs?" Larry Allen muttered softly.

"It's very possible." Ethan couldn't help but agree.

The training intensity has increased in recent days, and the head coach has also followed suit. You must know that he is already an old man in his sixties.

"But then again, if we can beat the Vikings..." Larry Allen turned over and looked at Ethan.

"Maybe it's possible to win the Super Bowl!" He raised his eyebrows. Lower your voice.

In the memories of the training camp at the beginning of this season, the coaching staff set this year's goal to exceed last year's results. But now that the schedule is halfway through, everyone has begun to envision the Super Bowl.

The reason is simple. Ethan's outstanding performance completely conquered everyone on the team, including every fan and every commentator. So much so that what Ethan said in the interview after the game was mentioned repeatedly. .

"The first quarterback in history to win the Super Bowl as a rookie, this is simply a miracle! You will become one of the most famous men in this country, even comparable to Clinton."

"Oh, I have to remind you, it's not about matching Clinton, it's about surpassing Clinton."

The two big black guys kept talking to each other, and Ethan picked his ears. At this time, he was somewhat used to it.

The two people who look fierce are actually funny and talkative, which is in sharp contrast to their huge bodies.

It was almost noon, and Ethan suggested going to the restaurant now. Although Americans don't pay much attention to lunch, as an athlete, eating is the most important part of maintaining physical condition, second only to physical fitness.

The two of them had a lot more food than Ethan. During the meal, the two of them talked about the situation of their families.

One of the two is already married and has a child, and the other is about to get married. In daily life, they are the kind of people who keep to themselves. They usually work hard, go home after work, and almost never go out in bars.

"Of course I have been. When I graduated from college, I went with my friends, and guess what? I was treated as a security guard, and I haven't been there since."

"It's better than what happened to me. A few years ago, I met a girl on the street. I mustered up the courage to strike up a conversation with her, but guess what, I scared her to tears."

"Later she said that the lights were dim and she thought I looked like a bad guy. I swear, I was five yards away from her at that time." Nate Newton said vividly.

"and after?"

"Later, I met her again, and this time she didn't cry. Later, she became my fiancée."

Ethan has met Nate's fiancée. Her photo is posted on the inside of Nate's wardrobe. She is a young black girl with naturally curly afro hair and the same skin color as Nate.

"Good job" Larry Allen patted Nate on the shoulder.

"I'm also planning to get married next year, and I'll invite you to Utah then."

"There will be more than one bride then."

Ethan didn't answer, but his expression already represented the answer.

"Cool!" Larry Allen exclaimed.

"Ethan, you have to be careful in the future. Women are different before marriage than after marriage. We still want to see you play for a few more years. Don't turn into a soft-footed shrimp." Larry continued. .

Ethan smiled and said nothing.

Next, the three of them talked about this afternoon's training...

In the final analysis, everyone prepared frantically before this game in order to defeat the Vikings. Now that the game is halfway through, the Vikings and Cowboys are the two most impressive teams this year, and they are also strong contenders for the Super Bowl.

·

"Ethan, guess who will be performing at this year's Thanksgiving halftime show?"

In the evening, Kelsey asked Ethan at an American restaurant near the apartment where Ethan lived.

Now Kelsey almost doesn’t ask Ethan about his preparations for the competition. The reason is simple. She doesn’t want to put extra pressure on Ethan. She talks more about her own DCC preparations.

"Is there a halftime show for the Thanksgiving game?" Ethan couldn't help but ask.

This was the first time he heard of this.

“It was Charlotte’s idea, modeled after the Super Bowl halftime show, combined with the Salvation Army’s red bucket campaign.”

The Salvation Army is actually a religious charity organization born out of the Methodist Church. It provides shelter for homeless people around the world, extends a helping hand to people in deep suffering, and spreads the "gospel of God."

In the United States, there are many charity activities from Thanksgiving to Christmas, giving away free clothing and food on the streets. However, the organizers of these charity events probably never imagined that there would be more and more homeless people in the United States 20 years later, and some lecturers would even use this as jungle material.

These activities are not available 365 days a year. As for the reason for its formation, in addition to following part of the cultural tradition of the church to save all sentient beings, charitable organizations can also provide help to the rich to a greater or lesser extent.

Starting last year, the Cowboys began to cooperate with the Salvation Army in all aspects, and jointly carried out a fundraising event with the Salvation Army during the Thanksgiving holiday. This was called the "Red Bucket", calling on everyone to put a dollar into the red bucket. Eason is not immune as a player, as the Cowboys have a series of collaborative activities over the Thanksgiving holiday.

Such a fund-raising halftime performance cannot be overly entertaining. Ethan excluded those popular artists, such as Grandma Mai, and then guessed a few names, all of which were well-known in the United States. No such person could be found abroad. traditional country singer.

"It's Reba McEntire, she's going to sing gospel at halftime..."

Ethan had heard this name from his mother, who was a country singer. Most of his audience were middle-aged people, and young people rarely listened to it.

"Then how are you going to perform?" Ethan originally thought that DCC would have to put on a hot performance, but it obviously didn't match the style of gospel songs.

"Slow songs also have the dance method of slow songs, and the movements we rehearse are lighter and more relaxed than before."

During the dinner, Ethan's mother Mia called.

Katherine and Ethan are now in Texas and busy with their affairs, so the child has been left to Mia to take care of in Los Angeles.

"We are gathering together for Thanksgiving this year. In a few years, you may have forgotten your mother! I will take the children to Texas by then, and Katherine will have to come over, and Lisa, I will ask her to come too. Come with the kids, and Grace, including Charlize, and..."

The question is, do they really have the time?

Ethan on the other side had just hung up the phone, and Kelsey on the other side immediately nodded and said:

"Is your mother coming? Just in time, I'll be spending Thanksgiving at your house this year."

Kelsey had to stay in Dallas on Thanksgiving Day and immediately decided not to go back during this year's Thanksgiving holiday.

Reason told Ethan that now was not a good time, so he said: "I...my mother has a bad temper. I think it's better for you to meet again after a while.".

"Menopause, that's understandable." Kelsey didn't mind at all.

"She doesn't like cheerleaders," Ethan continued.

"I'm not just a cheerleader. Although I'm suspended, I'm still a registered nurse." Kelsey shook her head.

At this moment, Ethan had nothing to hide, so he directly told Kelsey that he was a Mormon, had multiple partners, and could count his children on one hand.

Halfway through the words, Ethan saw Kelsey’s mouth wide open.

"What are you talking about?" Kelsey was completely confused and had lost the ability to think at this moment.

After being stunned for a few seconds, she couldn't help but sigh after seeing Ethan's expression indicating that this was definitely not a joke: "I knew it wasn't that simple."

But it's too outrageous.

"I avoided it before because of this reason. My situation is different from others. Before I go any further, I must make this clear to you."

"A little conscience, but not much conscience." Kelsey snorted coldly. No rejection was shown.

Ethan changed his previous avoidance and took the initiative to invite Kelsey, and also introduced other people to Kelsey.

This time, Kelsey was hesitant.

"Ethan, give me a few days. I have to...think carefully. I'd better go back to Nebraska for Thanksgiving." Kelsey decided to separate from Ethan for a few days to give herself some time to think.

Ethan nodded and said he would give Kelsey time.

Ethan knew that now was not a good time. To say the least, even if Kelsey refused, Ethan would not embarrass her about the Star Glory Project.

Although the meal had just been served not long ago, Kelsey couldn't eat it anymore, so she finally gave up and Ethan sent her home.

"What should I do? Lacey, if it were you, what would you choose?" Kelsey's friend Lacey called that night.

"Nonsense, I will definitely choose Ethan."

"why?"

"You won't meet many men like this in your life, why wouldn't I choose him?" Lacey said matter-of-factly.

"But……"

"But he has many partners and a lot of children, right? I think this is good. At least he didn't keep it from you, nor did he force you to agree. It's quite a gentleman."

"Gentleman?" Kelsey asked.

"Yes, he just wanted to go to heaven. What's wrong with him? He was just afraid that you wouldn't accept it, so he chose to say it at this time."

Don’t tell me, that’s really what the dogma says.

"Then what if he falls in love with someone else in the future?" Kelsey was obviously thinking more long-term.

"If it doesn't work out, can we still separate? You are not getting married, so you can try it first." Lacey gave a compromise plan.

Kelsey would be reluctant to give up Ethan now, but she also couldn't accept this situation.

"What if he didn't tell me this? I would rather be kept in the dark by him." Kelsey said resentfully.

"You, don't think about this, holding things in your hands is the most important thing. You should let him buy you a house, give you some money, and..."

Kelsey shook her head and hung up the call to her friend.

No matter how you look at it, Lacey's advice is not very reliable.

Over the next few days, Kelsey became increasingly dull, talking less during training and often wandering off.

Lacey saw it and was anxious, but there was nothing she could do. She knew Kelsey was different from her. She had lived in a simple family environment since she was a child, and her parents had a good relationship. Unlike her, her parents had divorced since she was a child, and they both remarried, but the result was still the same. As for Ethan, the matter with Kelsey has come to an end, and he will focus all his energy on preparations for the competition.

·

"Dear viewers, have you put the Thanksgiving turkey in the oven? Before the Thanksgiving dinner in the evening, the NFL follows the tradition and presents an extremely exciting game on Thanksgiving. I am your old friend Madden .”

"In an earlier period, the game between the Detroit Lions and the Pittsburgh Steelers ended at the Pontiac Silverdome. The Lions won on a free kick in overtime. This was their first victory in the past five years. other side."

"The next game is the real highlight. It can be said that this is the most quality Thanksgiving game in ten years. The Cowboys and Vikings currently lead the entire league and are the only two teams that have only lost one. It is possible that this year’s Super Bowl champion will be born between these two teams..."

At the same time, in the players' locker room, Ethan watched Larry Allen take out a photo of his wife and carefully press it under his shoulder protector.

As for Billy, he still chose to put his money in the same place. Michael Owen was choosing his goggles as usual. The rest of the prayers that should be prayed seem to be some kind of ritual for every player.

As for Ethan, he knew that no metaphysical ritual could change the outcome.

"In other words, this game is likely to be a preview of this year's Super Bowl final... We see the camera switch to the player tunnel, and the fascinating goddess DCC is ready to lead the players into the stadium. Standing at the front is DCC Kelsey.”

Facing the camera, Kelsey, wearing exquisite makeup and a blue and white DCC uniform, forced a smile, which seemed incompatible with the noisy atmosphere around her. She was somewhat forced to smile.

"My dear, forget about that man for now. Tens of thousands of fans in the audience are waiting to cheer for you." Lacey behind Kelsey came closer and whispered from behind.

Rather than coming to see me, it’s better to say it’s to see him, right?

Kelsey shook her head, discarding the last trace of distracting thoughts. After seeing the staff in front of her nodding, she quickly shook the blue and white bouquet in her hand. In the light rock melody, along with the rhythm, she appeared with a dance-like posture. .

Thirty-five players walked out of the tunnel, followed by several flag bearers. Last but not least are the players.

The Cowboys' channel for help was open. When Ethan walked out with his teammates, he saw the fans surrounding him raising their cameras and taking pictures. The flashing spotlight was a bit dazzling.

After walking out, the view suddenly became clearer. Looking around, most of them are Cowboys fans, and many people are waving white towels in their hands. This is not a sign of surrender, but a tradition of this stadium. There are also many Vikings fans, wearing purple support uniforms.

At this time, DCC lined up on both sides to greet the players. As a special game on Thanksgiving Day, the game procedures have also become grand, such as the current entrance process.

But Ethan is used to it. When it comes to battles, NFL games cannot be compared with college NCAAF games.

Ethan kept his eyes open, passing Bonnie first, then Holly, Rachel, and finally Kelsey's friend Lacey.

When passing by Kelsey who was standing at the end, Ethan didn't look at her at all.

When playing the game, Ethan was extremely focused and would not let anything disturb him.

Seeing Ethan's decisive back, Kelsey's lips twitched. At that moment, the expression on her face turned a little ugly. As a cheerleader with long experience, Kelsey's professionalism is unquestionable. If she wasn't too concerned, , and won’t have a droopy face at this moment.

Next it was the Vikings' players' turn to take the field.

As a comparison with Ethan, commentator Madden specially introduced Randy Moss, who also debuted in the 98 draft. Ethan and Randy Moss are considered the two most outstanding newcomers this year.

As for this year's No. 1 pick, Peyton Manning, he is still looking for his third victory this season. In the game against the Buffalo Bills a few days ago, the Indianapolis Colts lost again.

In addition to Randy Moss, the Vikings' lineup depth is also top-notch in the league.

Running back Robert Smith led the team in yards last year with 1 yards. Leroy Hodder, a veteran running back with rich experience, transferred to the Vikings from the Panthers last year.

One is at the peak of his career, and the other is experienced. In terms of technical style, one is superior and the other is fast. Of course, this does not mean happiness and joy, but serious height and speed.

It is worth mentioning that the two universities they graduated from were rivals. Robert Smith came from the Ohio Buckeyes, and Leroy Hoard graduated from the University of Michigan that year, but they graduated ten years apart.

In terms of wide receivers, in addition to Randy Moss, the rookie who shines this year, another wide receiver who always frowns and faces bitterness is Chris Carter, a Hall of Fame-level wide receiver. Hand, who has been with the Vikings since the early 1990s, has made eight consecutive Pro Bowl appearances.

In any case, these four are still regular players, and they seem a bit "mediocre" compared with the team's quarterbacks.

The Vikings' starting quarterback this year is Randall Cunningham.

He is thirty-six years old this year. He has played for the Eagles for eleven seasons. In the first few years, he was the substitute for veteran Ron Jaworski. After a few more years, he finally got rid of the old man, but what he ushered in was not Highlights, but darkest moments.

The black quarterback still retains an extremely embarrassing record of being tackled 72 times in a season.

This made him a laughing stock. Although he occasionally performed well in the following years and was even selected for a Super Bowl, his career was generally unsatisfactory.

In 1995, Randall Cunningham chose to retire after being refused a contract extension and spent a year recuperating at home.

No one knows what Randall went through during this year. People only know that he later chose to play again and signed another contract with the Vikings.

After becoming a professional player for the second time, Randall is like a new person. His stable performance last year earned him recognition from Vikings head coach Dennis Green. This year, he was able to become the Vikings' starting lineup, while Randall Del also broke out completely, currently leading the league with a passer rating of 106.0, becoming the most dazzling dark horse.

Although the Vikings' lineup does not look weak, it is not comparable to the "star-studded" lineup. However, as if fate arranged it, the unknown players in key positions have completed the coupling one after another, and each has contributed the brightest performance of his career. With his eye-catching performance and unique chemical reaction, he has only lost one game so far, defeating many opponents including the Green Bay Packers.

"Don't forget what I said before..." Dave Campo was still teaching the defensive team members at the last moment before the game started.

At this time, Ethan and Emmitt Smith walked to the center of the playing field, where the referee was waiting for both sides to guess coins.

"Cowboys, heads or tails?" Bill Carollo, the referee of this game, asked.

This referee has been working in the NFL for ten years. In the Super Bowl of the 95-96 season, when the Cowboys won the fifth championship in team history, he was one of the referees and has now been promoted to the referee.

Ethan didn't speak, it was better to let Emmett make the decision at this time.

At the same time, Kelsey, who was supposed to be standing on the sidelines, facing the audience to enhance the atmosphere, was obviously a little distracted, so much so that the choreographer Judy came over personally and asked Kelsey if she was not feeling well today and her aunt was here.

Kelsey shook her head. She didn't know why the more she thought about it, the more angry she became. She even thought of rushing up to Ethan to explain it clearly, but the next second she was shocked by her bold idea.

The Vikings got the first down and returned the ball 36 yards, a decent distance.

Ethan stood on the sidelines, watching the Vikings' movements with concentration.

After Randall Cunningham received the pass from the center, he did not take it off immediately. Instead, he struggled with the rushing Cowboys defensive end behind the line. Although the Vikings' pocket had been completely washed away at this time, Randall Cunningham was as nimble as a loach, turning around and throwing the ball.

Chris Carter jumped high at this time and tried to stop the ball, but missed the flying football.

The first attack failed.

Ethan recalled the actions of quarterback Randall Cunningham just now, and suddenly felt a familiar feeling.

You wouldn't have been watching your own game videos after resting at home for a year, right?

Ethan felt that Randall's response to the breached pocket was very similar to his own.

And Randall made good use of his athletic talent as a black man, combining Ethan's movements with his own. When he was with the Eagles, he was regarded as a surprise player in long-yardage offenses by then head coach Buddy Ryan, who valued his mobility.

At the same time, Cowboys head coach Dave Campo was paying attention to Randy Moss.

At the moment when the Vikings quarterback passed the ball, Randy Moss also started to start. Originally, he was just serving as a support for Chris Carter, trying to attract the attention of the Cowboys backfield defenders. Randy Moss took a lunge. But he directly got rid of the cornerback who was marking him.

This kind of explosive speed is exclusive to young people, and it also makes Dave Campo sweat for the next game.

Whatever you are afraid of will come.

After the second offensive center kicked off, Randall Cunningham still did not choose to take action immediately, but was waiting for an opportunity.

At the same time, after Randy Moss met with the opposing cornerback Kevin Smith, he suddenly accelerated. Kevin Smith watched him rush past him, and only then did he realize that he tried to pull Randy Moss away. Silk, but was thrown away by Randy, and had to passively pursue him.

The back of Randy, who had already completed the breakthrough, also fell into the eyes of quarterback Randall Cunningham.

The average pass score of 160 points means that Randall not only has a passing success rate of more than 70%, but also represents a very large number of passes in each game.

Almost with the front and rear feet, the football followed Randy Moss's back and flew out. Like a cruise missile, the football flew accurately to the predetermined position.

Randy Moss is not only fast, but his movements are also very crisp.

Turn back, raise your hands, catch the ball, hug the ball, and charge.

There are almost no unnecessary details, and it is quite simple.

The catch didn't slow down Randy Moss even one point. At this time, other positions were far away from Randy Moss, and he could only watch helplessly as he scored.

Even Ethan couldn't help but applaud in his heart for this goal. Although he was an opponent, he had to admit that Randy Moss's movements were very sophisticated and he looked like a veteran who had been playing in the NFL for many years.

The Vikings' PAT was not unexpected, and their lightning-fast offense put the Cowboys on the road to chasing points from the very beginning.

Ethan and his teammates on the offensive team walked onto the field. After receiving the kick from the center, Ethan immediately passed it to Emmitt Smith.

Letting the running back test the waters first is an old tactic of Eason's.

Emmett moved around and found a way out of the three-man double team, gaining 6 yards for the Cowboys. This result is completely acceptable.

In the second gear, Ethan had just gotten the ball. After reading the defense, he was about to charge with the ball himself. A yellow flag had already passed by and floated towards the forward position.

"Offensive foul! Pull the mask." Referee Bill Carollo gestured in front of the camera.

The offender was one of Ethan's bumpers, Nate Newton.

Nate seemed a little embarrassed at this time and couldn't help but complain when he and Ethan got together.

"Contact is inevitable, but this referee's penalty was too strict. What I encountered was a defensive tackle, not the person I was facing at all."

He said that when he turned around and shook his hand, he touched the other person's mask.

For most referees, this is a foul that may or may not be called.

There was a loud boo just now. Apparently the fans were not satisfied with the penalty.

"We'll talk about the referee later. Now we should consider how to get the first offense." Ethan redirected his teammates' attention back to the offense.

Now that the Cowboys were fourteen yards away from the first down, Ethan changed his strategy and decided to take the first down first.

The offense gathered together, and the Cowboys lined up again, a standard running ball I formation.

Ethan stands behind center, and behind him is veteran Daryl Johnston, and behind him is Emmitt Smith.

When the game resumed, Ethan immediately turned around after receiving the ball and handed it to Daryl. The latter also turned around and handed the ball to Emmett. At this time, Emmett had already begun to accelerate, preparing to attack from the strong side. Breaking through, Ethan stood at the front, clearing the way for Emmett.

The moment Emmett passed by Ethan, he crossed paths with Ethan again and handed the football in his hand back to Ethan again.

Such continuous fake moves are enough to confuse the opponent, and this tactic has not been used by the Cowboys before. It was repeated many times within a period of time. Emmett also cooperated very well with Ethan, and the movements were quick and smooth.

Ethan rushed out before the defensive end could react, and then used an emergency stop to avoid the linebacker. At this time, Ethan had already reached the edge of the field, and he chose to accelerate forward.

After just two steps, Ethan's whole body fell uncontrollably.

Someone rammed Ethan in a blind test.

At this time, there was a cheerleading team on the side of the field. Ethan couldn't control himself at this time, so he could only attack the blond cheerleader from behind. In the end, Ethan's whole body was on top of her.

"Ouch!"

Ethan could hear her gasp.

Only then did Ethan realize that the person he knocked down was Rachel.

It seemed like she was fine.

"Come on, I'm fine." The considerate Rachel said quickly, fearing that Ethan would be sorry.

Ethan nodded, turned around at this moment, and inadvertently saw Kelsey not far away looking towards him with wide eyes.

When she noticed Ethan's gaze, Kelsey immediately turned her face to the side, looking a little angry.

Didn't you ask me not to contact you? Why are you angry again? Ethan laughed and returned to the field...

(End of this chapter)