In America, the winner takes all.

Chapter 321 Edge and Ambition

Under the surveillance of the two people, Ethan completed the drug test. Ethan handed bottle A and bottle B to the two people. In front of Ethan, the two people also put the samples into the sealed bags and affixed sealing strips.

Ethan asked the two about the rules regarding drug testing in the NFL.

The NFL adopts a dual-track inspection strategy. A unified test is conducted before the start of the season, and random tests are conducted during the season. There is also a floating mechanism. For example, people who have been reported like Ethan will be arranged for additional tests.

As for the two officials involved in the testing, they were decided entirely by drawing lots, and no one could arrange personnel in advance.

Of course, it is impossible for the two of them to know who actually reported Ethan, nor can they determine the number of people who reported him and the time.

Finally, Ethan watched as his drug test bottle was finally put into the suitcase, and the seal was affixed again, and Ethan signed it.

After the two drug testing officials left, several National League players approached.

"Ethan, you should contact your personal doctor instead of testing directly. You can even apply for additional testing time, which is within the scope of the testing. In order to ensure that the results are convincing enough." Jerry Rice whispered. Ethan said.

"This is Hawaii, where do you get a private doctor?" Some team members put forward different opinions.

Ethan didn't care at all. He was not on drugs and needed extra metabolism.

Listening to what the athletes said, Ethan also understood the inside story behind drug testing. Whether he contacted a doctor in advance or asked to extend the testing time during the incident, it was considered an official backdoor.

If the NFL had not joined the International Anti-Doping Organization, I am afraid that none of these procedures would have occurred. This is called "unnecessary expenditure"...

"How long does it take for the drug test results to come out?" Ethan asked.

"It will take a month and a half at the fastest." Jerry Rice said.

Ethan nodded.

His physique is exceptionally good, which according to industry insiders, is simply impossible to achieve without the support of technology.

If you want to discredit yourself, drug testing is a simple and effective way...

The Super Bowl is long over in a month and a half. Combined with Charlotte's reaction, Ethan already had an answer in his mind, but he was not completely sure yet.

On the way back to the hotel, Ethan looked out the window. The raindrops were hitting the car glass intensively, turning the street scene into an impressionistic oil painting.

Although he is not sure yet, if his guess is correct... Ethan only feels deeply regretful.

The matter stems from the huge scandal that the Cowboys had previously been exposed by the media.

The incident eventually led to a public apology from Jones Sr.

Judging from the results, this is not a bad thing for the Cowboys, and the negative impact will be eliminated by the following games.

Most team owners would think this is a good thing, but considering the old Jones's character and desire to control everything personally, this behavior itself may be an absolutely intolerable betrayal in his view.

Ethan can completely understand that at most, every dream in life is wonderful, but the old Jones may do more than he imagined. Not only will he use himself to win the championship, but he will also be ruined and suspended.

However, he obviously miscalculated and did not use any stimulants or hormone-like drugs.

So, I am safe for now.

And a month and a half after the results were announced, I could see the stunned expression on Old Jones's face. At that time, I was discussing transfers with other teams, right?

No matter what, I will need another team to start over next season...

But Ethan never gave up his ambition.

"Peter, how are you feeling during this time?" Ethan suddenly asked the driver.

"What do you mean?" asked Peter, who was driving.

"Every aspect, treatment, income, working hours."

"I have to admit, sir, this is much more enjoyable than working as a driver in a car rental company, and the income is also higher than before."

"But if you want to get more income, it will be extremely difficult, right?" Ethan tried.

"Actually, I'm very satisfied, but if it goes any higher...it's obviously impossible. After all, I'm not a great player like you."

"What if the players want to go further?" Ethan asked.

"You have..." Peter was lost in thought, he couldn't answer this question.

In his opinion, Ethan has already received the maximum salary as a rookie player.

In the foreseeable future, the club's profitability will increase exponentially. Of course, Ethan will increase his salary, but the restrictions of the hard salary cap are there. As a quarterback, he can get 6% of the entire salary cap. If it works, this is already the limit. Even if the team spreads the signing fee forward ten years to ease the pressure on the salary cap, it can give Ethan a record signing fee. According to the development level of the NFL in 2000, the total contract amount is about million U.S. dollars, and it is not a one-time payment.

As a price, he will sign a long-term contract, which will occupy the golden period of his entire career, five years or even longer. A bold guess is that Ethan may win more than one Super Bowl during this period and establish a new dynasty. A few years later, as his physical functions began to decline, he was traded to another team. A few more years later, he retired honorably and entered the Hall of Fame. With any luck, he won't become dementia due to concussion.

It's pretty good when you think about it.

But what if another calculation method is used?

How much additional merchandise does a Super Bowl champion allow a team to sell? How much can it increase the team's attendance? What about intangible assets? For example, if the reputation of the illusory "historical heritage" is converted into valuation, how much quantifiable income can it bring? And that's just one Super Bowl title.

Ethan couldn't come up with specific figures, but anyone could tell the difference between digging a gold mine with a pickaxe and being a mine owner.

Don’t forget, the NFL relies on its share-sharing system, strict control over the number of clubs and games, and a hard salary cap to achieve the highest operating profit margin of all sports clubs.

Financial health and rapid development are the fundamental reasons for the high valuation of NFL teams.

Of course, there have always been many people who want to cross class, but just like Paul's difference, some things cannot wait, but need to take the initiative and look for opportunities.

Ethan dialed Catherine's number.

"Is the Pro Bowl over?" Katherine asked.

"It just ended. Also, I would like to ask about the party some time ago. What was the purpose of Old Jones inviting you to the party?" Ethan asked.

To make a decision before taking action, he had to know the relationship between old Jones and the other party before he could make the next step.

"It's nothing. Old Jones asked us for financial support to build a magnificent stadium."

Ethan now has a complete understanding of Catherine's relationship.

Catherine's great-grandfather was the former Grand Commander's grandfather. According to the results given by the relative calculator, Catherine had to call him "uncle (uncle)"

The two common ancestors, George Herbert Walker, had already accumulated substantial wealth in the 19th century, including American International Company, Georgia Manganese Company, American Shipping and Commercial Company, Union Bank Company, Missouri Pacific Railroad, Laclede Gas Company and the New Orleans, Texas and Mexico Railroad, among other industries.

The most famous of them are WA Harriman & Co. and GH Walker & Co.. The former is now called Brown Brothers Harriman, or BBH. In 2020, it manages more than US$4.7 trillion in assets and is the No. financial company in the United States. Eight major private companies.

The latter was founded at One Wall Street in 1900 and was eventually merged into Wachovia Securities in 1974.

In the eyes of the outside world, the two families are a whole. There is me in you and you in me. Together with another branch, they are collectively called: Bush-Davis-Walker family. This family appeared in the family in the early 19th century. He became a Massachusetts congressman, Lincoln's right-hand man, promoted the abolition of slavery in Maryland during the Civil War, family members participated in World War I, and provided financial support to the Nazis before World War II. In short, it has a long history and strong strength.

Coincidentally, this is the time when this family is at its peak.

"Then did you agree?"

"I don't know, but judging from my uncle's intentions, although he is not familiar with your boss, he is quite interested."

There is no doubt that this large family likes to be involved in sports. The Walker Cup, Mets, and Davis Cup are all inseparable from this family. Catherine's cousin is also a fan of the Cowboys.

Ethan found a bigger opportunity in front of him: "Maybe I have an investment plan that you are more interested in now."

He informed Katherine of the NFL's expansion meeting and the status of the three bids for additional franchises.

"If all goes well, Bob McNair will win the franchise in a few months. Although Michael Ovitz's proposal is tempting, he cannot match the financial resources of the power tycoon, unless, Someone can help.”

"MLB has begun to gradually decline, but the NFL is different. There is no doubt about his prospects. I think we can definitely join forces with Michael Ovitz."

Ethan also knows that with his current ability, he is just a small shrimp in front of the real behemoth. It is a fantasy to fully own a team of his own. Any transaction involving team control in the NFL requires more than the league. It requires the support of two-thirds of the members.

Considering that the NFL did not add teams for the next 20 years, this may be the last chance.

After hearing what Ethan said, Catherine on the other end of the phone fell into a long exam.

"For you, it is just a matter of redirecting the money originally invested in stadium construction elsewhere. In the future, the new team will be able to have its own stadium..."

"The league will hold a final vote next month. We must reach a consensus before then. I will find a way to have preliminary communication with Michael Ovitz later."

"Then I will report this to them immediately." Catherine followed.

There is no doubt that Catherine was of great help this time.

"Peter, you have to help me make an appointment with someone..." Ethan immediately ordered after hanging up the phone.

"But how to find each other?" Peter looked confused.

"There are only a few high-end hotels in Honolulu. If you use my identity to seek a visit, you can quickly determine where the other party is..." Ethan didn't need to say anything next, Peter knew what he should do.

Not long after returning to the hotel, Peter brought good news, and Ethan immediately set off for the hotel where Michael Ovitz was staying.

To Ethan's expectation, the other party heard that he was coming to visit and welcomed him very warmly. Ethan went very smoothly and met Michael Ovitz without any hindrance.

"Young man, give me a hug."

This Hollywood boss, who was several levels higher than Lisa, actually opened his arms to Ethan when he saw him and was amazed at Ethan.

"God, you are so tall." He raised his hand to measure the gap between himself and Ethan.

Then Ethan saw his man walk into the room, holding a football in his hand.

"You have to sign it for me." Michael Ovitz put the football into Ethan's arms with a smile on his face.

This feeling was all too familiar to Ethan.

Michael Ovitz is actually his fan? !

"By the way, why didn't you use that kind of pass in the Pro Bowl? I really want to see it." Michael Ovitz then asked with a look of anticipation.

"If you need it, I can demonstrate it to you in person later." Ethan put the football on the table.

"Really?" Michael Ovitz looked surprised and happy.

Ethan nodded: "But before that, let's talk about business first."

Ethan talked about the bidding.

"Do you understand it in detail? But to be honest, failing the bid is not a bad thing. I admit that I was a little impulsive. I can mobilize funds, come up with a construction plan, or ask the Los Angeles local GOV to help me Endorsement, but I'm not good at running a club. Now think about it, if we really get the franchise, we don't even know how to start." Michael Ovitz shook his head, having somewhat let go of the matter.

What he is not good at happens to be the field that Ethan is most familiar with: "It's very simple. The first thing to do when getting a franchise is to communicate with local fans and ask them about the image of Los Angeles and its surrounding areas, the NFL's image and expectations for the Los Angeles franchise, gathering opinions. Then it was time to hire a credible manager, then a solicitation for a logo, a name, uniforms, then announcing the groundbreaking for the stadium, and finally, we A local meeting was held in Los Angeles to officially announce the team name."

"This is the beginning, and then comes hiring the coaching staff, hiring the first players, using additional draft picks, and finally opening training camp. In theory, if we move quickly enough and are efficient enough, we can even play games next season. ." Ethan said.

"Don't be ridiculous, young man." Michael Ovitz waved his hand. His team had done research on this matter.

"The construction of the stadium will take two years at the earliest, and games will start in 2002 at the earliest. This period is a process of continuous investment."

"There are many large stadiums in Los Angeles, why not temporarily rent the Rose Bowl Stadium? Only CULA will use it as their home stadium, and there is a schedule there to host another NFL team as their home stadium," Ethan said immediately.

"This..." Michael Ovitz scratched his head, and finally muttered: "We really haven't considered this matter."

"No one stipulates that we have to stay in Los Angeles. Houston is also willing to open its arms to us. They will help whoever gets the franchise." Ethan continued.

"But... to be honest as a young man, I feel like I don't know much about this industry." Michael Ovitz still seemed a little hesitant.

"Let's try another way..." Ethan sat directly opposite him.

"What is the output value of the entire film and television industry in the United States?" Ethan asked.

"About 10 billion U.S. dollars, maybe 20 billion U.S. dollars? In the future, it may reach 30 billion U.S. dollars, or even 50 billion U.S. dollars." Michael only gave a rough range.

"Then do you know the total output value of the sports industry? You have to add a zero to this, which is more than ten times larger than Hollywood!" Ethan reminded.

Ethan is really not talking nonsense. As an industry insider before time travel, he would read the American Sports Industry Development Report every year.

However, this figure is calculated after adding sporting goods. This sub-sector alone accounts for 4% of the entire sports industry.

"You know that I am from the University of Alabama, but you don't know that my major is sports marketing. The six major segments of the sports industry include sporting goods, sports events, sports intermediaries and marketing, sports communication media, fitness and sports education (leisure) , stadium operation. Old Jones knows this well, and he has already been involved in three of them relying on the Cowboys club. This is not irreproducible, but follows a simple business logic. Cowboys fans have fitness needs and are buying sports. The main group of supplies, he has also taken a big step forward in venue operations." Ethan's analysis was clear and logical.

Michael Ovitz was stunned for a moment after hearing this. He just felt that this kid's college experience was not in vain.

If a stranger came, Michael Ovitz would probably kick him out directly, but Ethan was different. He had watched many of Ethan's games. Before the two formally met, he already knew Ethan, and Ethan's performance also gained a lot of points in Michael Ovitz's heart.

He is being gradually convinced by Ethan.

"Well, it sounds like you can try it, but... I've failed, young man. Bob McNair sold his company and was hell-bent on getting the franchise. He can come up with something better than me. Twice the money." Michael shook his head.

"This is exactly why I came here. I found a strong enough partner. The other party is already considering whether to join forces with you. They are very rich and generous enough to sports. The most important thing is that they are omnipresent and powerful. Huge." Ethan gestured with the double quotation marks with his hand. After talking about this, Michael Ovitz also knew what Ethan wanted to do. He did not ask who the other party was, but immediately asked with some suspicion why Ethan did this.

"I'm almost certain that the Cowboys can no longer accommodate me. I did something that old Jones will never forgive." Ethan recounted the cause and effect of the incident to Michael Ovitz.

"If I were Old Jones, you might have been thrown into the Atlantic Ocean." Michael Ovitz joked.

"Looking at it this way, he is really 'merciful'." Ethan laughed.

"I understand, it sounds very tempting, but you have also ignored the most important thing." Michael Ovitz changed the subject and adjusted his glasses. Ethan saw the enlarged eyes behind the lenses. .

"You ignore yourself and the role you will play in it. Maybe you should not just be a player." Michael Ovitz, as the most famous agent in Hollywood, has worked with too many young people.

He saw in Ethan a bright future, as well as unabashed edge and ambition.

Not only does this kid have excellent ball skills, but his mind is also different from that of the players.

"At that time, five colleagues and I collectively resigned from WME and jointly founded CAA. Although I later became the chairman of the company, CAA has always been a company with a limited partnership system. I firmly believe that this is the only way to retain talents. You It’s such a waste to be a player, why can’t you be my ‘partner’?” Michael Ovitz volunteered.

If old Jones regards himself as a "king", he views his relationship with his subordinates and even his children as a monarch and a minister. Michael Ovitz regarded his colleagues more as "gang members with the same interests."

They are all bosses of the same side, there is no distinction between them being good or bad, it is just a difference in personality.

"It's a pleasure to serve you, Mr. Michael Ovitz." Ethan nodded immediately.

"Now you can tell me who that powerful ally is."

When he heard Ethan reveal the identity of the other party, Michael was so frightened that he almost dropped the porcelain coffee cup in his hand.

"That's another story, but anyway, my fiancée is the daughter of George Herbert Walker III."

Ethan didn't know how to introduce Catherine, and the two were not married. It would be unfair to call Catherine his girlfriend, so he could only call her his fiancée.

"I can meet with him at any time." Michael Ovitz nodded immediately.

·

It was already late at night when we returned to the hotel, and it was still raining heavily outside. Ethan felt that Kelsey should have gone to bed by this time.

"Mr. O'Connor, there is a lady over there who has been waiting for you."

When passing by the front desk, Ethan heard someone say.

Following the other party's guidance, Ethan saw a young Asian girl sitting in the lobby. Although her hair was dry, she could still see traces of being wetted by the rain. Apparently she came here despite the heavy rain.

This is when the other party also saw Ethan, immediately got up and walked towards Ethan.

"Long time no see." She nodded.

"How long have you been waiting here?" Ethan asked the front desk to give her a drying towel.

"It didn't take long. I have nothing to do. I just came to see you." The other party said.

"How about in Xiangjiang?" Ethan invited her to sit on the chair next to him.

"How do you know I went to Xiangjiang?"

"Well... I watched the TV series you starred in when I was traveling in Xiangjiang." Ethan immediately found an excuse to avoid causing trouble.

"Really?!" Unexpectedly, Ethan still remembered this incident, and the other party seemed particularly happy.

Then she talked about her life there. To Ethan's expectation, she actually became the "disciple" of a certain action superstar. Now her main job every day is to practice martial arts and develop towards beating women.

"Then you and him..." Ethan frowned slightly.

"what happened?"

"nothing."

"I've only met him once, and it's far away. I'm not familiar with him. If you want an autograph, I'll think of a way." Li Meiqi replied with the wrong meaning.

"No need." Ethan shook his head.

"When are you going to come to Hollywood to develop?" Ethan then asked.

"Hollywood?" The other party was stunned.

"I never thought about going to Hollywood, where Asians would never be mainstream."

"You are right, but at least you can make money. I will let you come to Hollywood much earlier." Ethan said confidently.

"Very early?" Ethan's words left Li Meiqi confused.

"Yes."

"Then will you come back to Hawaii next year?"

"Probably." Ethan couldn't give her a definite answer.

"I understand." Li Meiqi nodded.

She didn't chat with Ethan for too long, and got up and left after a while. Ethan asked the driver Peter to take her back.

She seemed to have been waiting for so long just to talk to herself.

After all, the Pacific is too big and the other shore is too far away.

Ethan turned back upstairs.

·

Ethan was still staying at the airport in Hawaii until the next morning. Through the window, he could see the pouring rain outside the terminal. The tropical branches were swaying wildly in the hurricane, and they would be uprooted at any time. The bad weather made Everyone was forced to stay here.

Kelsey, who was sitting next to Ethan, saw Larry Allen talking on the phone not far away.

Then Kelsey turned to Ethan next to her. The Super Bowl will be held next week, and it is unknown when Ethan will return to the team, but now he is closing his eyes and concentrating, and he doesn't seem to be in a hurry at all.

After a while, Kelsey saw Larry Allen put down his phone and come back, and Ethan opened his eyes at this moment.

"Is that Dave Campo calling you?" Ethan asked.

Larry Allen, who was very close to Ethan a few days ago, did not immediately respond to Ethan's question at this time. He thought for a while and then said: "Yeah, almost."

It seemed like he was hiding something from Ethan.

Seeing that Ethan didn't ask any questions, Larry Allen returned to his seat. It was completely different from when he came. This time, Larry Allen and Ethan were separated by a whole corridor.

Why did Dave Campo only talk to Larry Allen and not Ethan? Isn't he worried? Kelsey felt increasingly puzzled.

The heavy rain finally stopped until the afternoon of that day, and the airport finally had the conditions for takeoff and landing.

"Larry Allen seems to be hiding something from you." Kelsey muttered to Ethan when they got on the plane.

She eavesdropped when she went to the bathroom just now, and she clearly heard Ethan's name from Larry Allen and his wife.

Ethan acted very calmly. As the veteran of the team, Larry Allen must have received some rumors. His relationship with Ethan was so good before, but now they are so distant.

Late that night, the plane landed in Dallas, and after parting ways with Larry Allen and his wife, Ethan and Kelsey went to Ethan's apartment.

"I'm not going back. During this time, we'll stay in a hotel." Ethan said in the car.

"Why?" Kelsey asked quickly.

"I'm used to staying in high-end hotels, but I find them not comfortable enough. Don't you like the spacious baths in high-end hotel rooms?" Ethan asked with a smile.

In the past few days, I did play in the bathtub with Ethan a lot.

Although she felt this was a bit extravagant and wasteful, seeing Ethan so insistent, Kelsey couldn't say much.

That night, Ian also asked the driver to go to Kelsey's residence and pick up a change of clothes for the two of them for the past few days.

The next day, Kelsey returned to DCC training. This year DCC will not participate in the Super Bowl performance, and the training intensity dropped sharply during this period.

As soon as she entered the door, Kelsey discovered that her poster on the wall had been removed and replaced with Rachel's.

"Kelsey, the manager said to go to her office when you arrive." Holly said cautiously when she saw Kelsey.

"Fired?" Kelsey heard a buzz in her head when she heard manager Kelly's words.

"Yes, according to Cowboys rules, DCC members cannot maintain romantic relationships with team members, so you must leave. Sorry, Kelsey, you need to return all uniforms today."

After losing her mind, Kelsey seemed to think of the reason, and then she burst into anger: "This is what Charlotte meant, right?"

"No, of course not. In fact, Charlotte advocates keeping you, but she has no way to change the team's rules." Kelly explained helplessly.

It took nearly half an hour for Kelsey to gradually accept it all.

Without saying anything else, she went directly back to the locker room to take away her personal belongings. Looking at the blue and white uniform, an uncontrollable bitterness emerged from her heart.

As she walked out of the building, Kelsey also ran into Rachel, who was taking promotional photos outside the building.

"Kelsey!" Rachel yelled, as if she wanted to talk to Kelsey.

But Kelsey didn't give her this chance. She walked straight to the parking lot with the carton in her arms, and within two steps she found the large SUV Ethan bought parked not far away.

"The boss told me to take you to the hotel after you come out," Peter said.

"How did you know I was leaving at this time?"

"This is what the boss ordered."

"You guys are hiding something from me, take me to Ethan!" Kelsey got into the car directly.

Arriving at the Cowboys' training facility, Kelsey saw that Ethan was still training with his teammates, and she felt a little more at ease.

She was afraid that Ethan would have the same experience as herself.

"Don't worry, old Jones still counts on me to help the Cowboys win the Super Bowl."

During the training break, Ethan came to Kelsey and smiled after hearing Kelsey's words.

With the attitude of being a monk and hitting the clock every day, Ethan did not resist the training.

At present, he has been excluded from the tactical system. Emmett was appointed as the new captain by Dave Campo because "Ethan went to the Pro Bowl and lacked tactical adjustment" but Larry Ai also participated in the Pro Bowl. Lun, but was not affected in any way.

Considering that everyone is a laborer, Ethan will not make it difficult for others.

This actually made him feel relaxed. He only had to follow the tactical plan and pass the ball to the specified place within the specified time. This was extremely simple for Ethan.

Other than that, it's all trivial things, such as going to eat alone at noon. Now Ethan won't eat any food provided by the Cowboys.

"What happened?" At night, Kelsey finally couldn't restrain herself and asked Ethan.

In order not to worry everyone, Ethan was not going to take the initiative to inform anyone about this matter.

However, under Kelsey's questioning, he had to reveal it.

"You have obviously done so much for the Cowboys. Besides, what those players did should be exposed. They are so ridiculous and a complete waste of the enthusiasm of the fans. You have not done anything wrong. This is not at all Fair!" Kelsey defended Ethan.

The world is inherently unfair.

Ethan laughed it off and started talking about his next plan.

"Then if Mr. Ovitz can win the franchise, can you become a shareholder and executive of the new team?" Kelsey immediately thought of something.

Michael Ovitz doesn't know anything about sports, and he has opened a new agency, and he will most likely be a hands-off manager. If Catherine has no intention of participating in management, then the actual operation of the club will either be handled by professional managers or she will be essentially responsible for it.

In the same way, the same goes for partial ownership. The NFL stipulates that clubs can only exist in the form of a limited liability company (llc), and must have a clear major shareholder or actual controller, who must hold at least 30% of the shares, and nothing else. limit. LLC is also to prevent confusion of control, which gives the team owner absolute control, which cannot be taken away in any form as long as he does not want to sell it.

"That's understandable." Ethan nodded.

"That's great. Next time you meet the Cowboys, you must beat them!" Kelsey said eagerly.

Needless to say, Kelsey said that Ethan wanted more than just victory on the field this time.

It’s time to change the name of the most valuable club.

While the two were talking, Catherine called.

"The family decided to send representatives to meet with Michael Ovitz in recent days."

(End of this chapter)