American Football: Domination

The tree wants to be still, but the wind never ceases.

The Kansas City Chiefs' locker room had finally shaken off its gloom and regained its focus, but the media's relentless stoking of the flames had once again planted seeds of unrest.

Foreseeing this, offensive captain Travis Kelce took the initiative to address the elephant in the room with the team. By bringing everything into the open, he prevented behind-the-back whispers that could lead to unnecessary conflicts.

As Kelce pointed out, anyone tempted to question Lance's focus on the game should remember just how relentless the "training maniac" could be.

Besides, Lance hadn't skipped practice the day before—he had left only after training was over. The media's sensationalist claims were exaggerated, if not outright lies. Kelce also made sure to remind any envious or jealous teammates of these facts—in his usual half-joking manner.

Unexpectedly, defensive captain Justin Houston also spoke up.

After making his point, Houston even glanced at Lance.

"Rookie, don't bother wasting energy on this media garbage."

Lance waved it off, his expression calm. "Their trash-talking is pretty weak. They need more practice. I'm more worried about the locker room."

Houston was momentarily taken aback.

There are some things better left unsaid because addressing them outright can create awkwardness. Surely Lance understood this.

But Houston didn't interrupt him.

And, as expected, Lance wasn't done speaking.

"I'm just worried that seeing those endorsement figures might give you all heart attacks. I was thinking about whether I should start prepping some Christmas gifts to make it up to everyone."

"But..."

"Look at me—thinking like this while earning a rookie's salary, playing as a running back, and worrying about quarterback-level stuff. I must be getting ahead of myself."

The room burst into laughter, everyone erupting with playful jeers.

To be honest, when the news broke about Lance possibly landing yet another endorsement deal, envy and jealousy were inevitable. After all, he already had Nike under his belt, and he was just a rookie. Most players in the league didn't have personal sponsorships. So when the media added fuel to the fire, it was bound to get into people's heads.

But now, Lance had disarmed everyone with his openness. He reminded them he was still a rookie, earning a salary that was a fraction of theirs. Plus, as a running back—the lowest-paid position on offense on average—his getting a few endorsement deals wasn't unreasonable.

After all, Lance had undeniably performed at an elite level this season.

By turning the situation into a lighthearted joke, any potential tension in the locker room was defused before it could take root. Instead, the atmosphere became lively, with the players now teasing each other.

"Alex!"

"Alex!"

"Alex!"

Suddenly, all eyes turned to quarterback Alex Smith, who had been quietly watching from the sidelines. Confused, he looked around at his teammates, completely lost.

It took him a moment to realize what was happening: the team had turned him into their de facto Santa Claus, openly demanding Christmas presents.

Smith, one of the nicest guys on the team, had no choice but to go along with it. He spread his arms wide, basking in the cheers and laughter, spinning in a 360-degree circle as if soaking in the moment. Then he spotted Lance and Patrick Mahomes joining in with huge grins on their faces, and he couldn't help but laugh along.

Outside the locker room, Coach Childress glanced at Coach Reid. The two exchanged a look.

Reid had been monitoring the media frenzy, knowing it could stir unrest in the locker room—especially with the playoffs fast approaching, where any disruption could derail their season. They had been prepared to intervene if necessary.

But to their surprise, the team leaders had already anticipated the issue. With Lance's quick thinking and lighthearted approach, the potential crisis was resolved before it could even start.

Childress couldn't help but express his admiration. "Coach, did you see this in him when you drafted him? Did you predict moments like this?"

Otherwise, why would the Chiefs have taken such a huge risk trading up to draft Lance third overall?

Reid's expression remained neutral, but there was a flicker of satisfaction in his eyes. "No, I didn't expect him to grow this fast."

This situation could have easily spiraled into a lingering problem if mishandled. Instead, from Kelce and Houston to Lance and Smith, the team's leaders had come together to steady the ship. Eric Berry wouldn't need to worry about the locker room now.

Perhaps, after a season filled with ups and downs, the Chiefs were maturing into a more cohesive and resilient team—one with a true soul.

Reid didn't say much more, motioning for Childress to follow him as they turned to leave.

However—

Unexpectedly, during practice, it became apparent that Lance was deliberately keeping his distance from most of his teammates. Only Kelce, Mahomes, and a few other familiar faces lingered silently by his side.

It was obvious to any observer: something about the training atmosphere felt slightly off.

Reid: ???

Wasn't the issue already resolved? So what was this all about?

After some thought, Reid privately called Kelce over to ask what was going on. The answer he got left him both amused and exasperated.

"What?"

Kelce looked at Reid's incredulous expression and chuckled as he explained. "It's a prank. The rookie calls it 'espionage.' He wants to mess with the media and see if they take the bait."

As it turned out, the entire scene had been orchestrated by Lance.

Since the media was so eager to create division in the locker room, the team decided to play along.

During practice, they pretended to isolate Lance, creating the illusion of a rift. The plan was to let the media run wild with the story and see if the Chargers were naive enough to fall for it.

"When game time comes, we'll give our old rivals a little surprise," Kelce said with a grin.

Reid, watching Kelce's gleeful expression, simply nodded. "Just don't take it too far."

As Kelce returned to the field, Reid couldn't help but admire Lance's cleverness.

The prank was just a means to an end—a way to unify the team by giving them a common goal: to outwit the media and potentially deceive their opponent. By working together on this playful scheme, the team was becoming even more cohesive.

If the Chargers fell for it, that would be a bonus. If not, it didn't matter. The main point was that the Chiefs were solidifying their bond.

After all, many players had had their fair share of grievances with the media. Even someone as easygoing as Smith had been criticized by reporters. Now, given the chance to turn the tables, everyone was eager to play along.

That was what truly mattered.

Reid's gaze returned to Lance, a trace of admiration in his eyes.

Sure enough—

After practice, the media swarmed Lance as he walked off the field. But for once, Lance, who was usually composed and charismatic, wore a sullen, distracted expression. He ignored the reporters entirely, brushing past them no matter how loudly they called after him.

As Lance disappeared into the distance, the reporters exchanged glances. Excitement flickered in their eyes.

Ha! Even the rookie isn't immune to this!

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