Debate, arguments, attacks, insults.
A foul atmosphere, noisy and chaotic.
The negative incident set off a chain reaction, with the bustling noise of social media roaring down like a sudden midsummer storm.
Hunt was caught off guard.
Things turned sharply, and before Hunt could even catch his breath, he was swept into a chaotic whirlpool, spinning and lost in the darkness.
Everything was tied to Hunt—yet also seemed to have nothing to do with him.
In front of the team, in front of the league, Hunt thought he had some say. This was why he spoke up for Bell, and why he pushed for an early contract restructure. He genuinely believed—
Believed he could leverage some influence.
But with one violent gust, the illusion popped. The dream shattered, and the world revealed its true form.
He was insignificant. Utterly negligible.
Team or league, no one cared about his opinion or perspective. Not that he could argue against the hard evidence of the surveillance footage—but as the central figure in the incident, he wasn't even involved in deciding his own fate. His destiny had already been sealed.
Fired. Period.
That was all.
When faced with real interests, he had no weight at all.
He even had to learn his fate through ESPN's live broadcast.
Such irony.
Extension? High salary?
All those dreams had turned to dust.
Now the real question was whether he could still play football at all—whether he could, like Foster, find another team willing to take him. Ahead lay league discipline and possible legal action.
Realizing this, all his anger, rage, and resentment had to be swallowed down—
Even though he had already smashed all the furniture in his home. How could he be wrong? The one in the wrong was the woman who deliberately provoked him. The one in the wrong was the Kansas City Chiefs for rushing to sever ties without fully investigating or confirming a solution.
So what if he hit a woman? She didn't break any bones, wasn't hospitalized, didn't die—was it really worth all this fuss?
Heh.
Under his agent's repeated persuasion, Hunt took a deep breath, forcing himself to swallow those thoughts and calm down.
Once the team and league press conferences concluded and the spotlight seemed to be moving on—nearly forgetting the true subject of the news—Hunt's official apology letter managed to drag some attention back.
"…I regret my personal actions and am willing to accept all consequences…"
Blah, blah, blah.
Though the statement had more content, that was its essence.
Briefly, the discussion shifted back to Hunt.
Some believed that since he had apologized and the victim hadn't pursued charges, he should be given a chance to redeem himself.
But more believed that his apology was purely forced by circumstance, not sincere—and that his future actions would be the real test.
Others felt Hunt should be permanently removed from professional football and undergo anger management counseling.
Particularly with the backdrop of Foster finding a new job without any penalty, Hunt's next move became an even hotter topic.
At this boiling point, all NFL teams acted cautiously. None dared to touch him, showing just how intense public opinion had become.
And it wasn't only Hunt—the Kansas City Chiefs also remained in the direct line of fire.
As defending champions, their perceived protection and disregard were under heavy public condemnation.
It was precisely because of teams like the Chiefs and Washington Redskins, who smoothed things over or pretended everything was fine, that off-field violence by players continued to be ignored—and even worsened.
Public opinion had no intention of letting the Chiefs off easily.
Originally, this week should have marked a new stage in the playoff race—
The Chiefs were heading on the road to face division rival Los Angeles Chargers.
This was the Chargers' second season under new head coach Anthony Lynn. After adjustments and adaptation, the team was finally on track, with quarterback Philip Rivers playing the best season of his career.
After starting the season 1–2, the Chargers had rebounded with six straight wins, and their victory over the Cincinnati Bengals last week brought their record to 10–3.
It was their first double-digit win season since 2009.
In the AFC West, their record was just behind the Chiefs' 11–2 and tied with the New England Patriots for the AFC's #2 seed.
Though the Chiefs had already secured a playoff berth, the division title and playoff seeding were still up in the air, with the Chargers eyeing them hungrily.
In short, the Chargers and Chiefs were in a head-to-head battle for the AFC West crown—while also competing for a first-round bye and home-field advantage. The tension was sky-high.
And, as division rivals, even if playoff implications didn't exist, the matchup would still be a fierce fight to the death.
However—
The off-field uproar had completely shifted the focus, to the point where no one seemed to care about the upcoming game.
It was almost laughable.
At the pregame press conference, even when facing Lance, the questions were all about Hunt—some even laced with traps.
So Lance opened with a bombshell.
"I hate Los Angeles."
Gasps all around. Eyes widened in disbelief.
Lance just shrugged.
"Last time we came here, we lost. Not exactly a pleasant memory. And this time, it feels like no one cares about our preparations. Oh—please give me a reason to like Los Angeles."
Witty. Cunning.
The room broke into laughter—now they understood his point.
Even so, Lance couldn't dodge it entirely.
When a reporter asked him to comment on the Chiefs' handling of the Hunt incident, Lance spread his hands and rolled his eyes.
"See? Couldn't dodge it after all."
One sarcastic remark, and the room laughed again.
Then Lance decided to just give a straight answer.
"We made the wrong judgment and the wrong choice. That's all there is to it."
Gasp.
The media had been pressing hard—not only Lance, but even Reid hadn't been spared—as they tried to force the coaches and players to give a direct criticism of management. But clearly, no one wanted to do that.
The journalists knew it too—getting them to openly condemn the front office, especially on such a sensitive issue, was nearly impossible.
But the reporters kept pressing.
To be precise, they just wanted to see the coaches and players squirm.
A bit of mockery. A bit of attack.
But they hadn't expected Lance to actually…
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Powerstones?
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