American Football: King of the Bay Area

The preseason was over.

The San Francisco 49ers ended their preseason with a winless record of 0-4. What was worse, rookie starting quarterback Colin Kaepernick, who had just started to find his rhythm in the fourth game, was taken out with a concussion in the final moments and would miss at least four games. Although he had thrown two interceptions, he had also completed one passing touchdown and one rushing touchdown, finally showing signs of a comeback.

The nightmare for the San Francisco 49ers seemed far from over. First, Alex Smith was injured before the preseason. Then, Colin Kaepernick suffered a concussion just before the regular season. In the end, the team had no choice but to push their backup quarterback, Lu Ke, into the starting role. Otherwise, they would face the dire predicament of having no available quarterbacks.

In the ensuing chaos, to avoid the possibility of Lu Ke also getting injured, the San Francisco 49ers had to adjust their 53-man roster. They released a wide receiver and temporarily signed another backup quarterback.

There weren’t many quarterbacks left on the market to choose from. Out of desperation, they selected Scott Torsin from the University of Wisconsin, another undrafted player, to serve as Lu Ke’s backup. They had stockpiled four quarterbacks, but two were injured, and the other two were both undrafted players. The San Francisco 49ers were in truly dire straits.

And so, the NFL officially confirmed that Lu Ke, from UCLA, would become the first player of Asian descent in NFL history to formally take the field for an Alliance team and serve as a starter. Yes, not just of Chinese Descent, but the first in the broader category of Asian descent to make history.

Immediately after the San Francisco 49ers made their official announcement, the Alliance also released it as a headline story.

For the history of football, this was an unprecedented first, almost comparable to half a century ago when the first black athlete took the field as a starter. In fact, in the current year of 2011, the sensation caused by the news was even more explosive—

In all sorts of team sports—soccer, basketball, volleyball, field hockey, ice hockey, baseball, and so on—players of Asian and even Chinese descent, while still at a disadvantage, had more or less become a part of the professional scene. Even in the less widespread sport of ice hockey, one could find players of Asian descent in the professional alliances of Canada and the United States.

But in football—the number one sport in North America, with a dominance far surpassing second-ranked baseball and third-ranked ice hockey—there had never been a starting player of Asian descent on the professional field. Until today, history had finally been rewritten.

Although Chinese-American offensive tackle Wang Kai had entered the Alliance last year, he had not been able to start, and even his rotational appearances were very limited. It was nothing compared to the current situation!

The first starting player of Chinese descent in NFL history was about to take the field; moreover, he was a quarterback. The undisputed main character on the football field—not special teams, not the Defense Team, but the 100% bona fide star position: the quarterback.

Perhaps he would just be a shooting star, not even lasting a single game before getting injured and leaving the field. Perhaps he would be a total disaster, his performance an utter mess, with no ability to compete whatsoever. Perhaps he was just a gimmick, a pawn for the San Francisco 49ers and the NFL to promote the Chinese and Asian markets—something that sounded nice but was ultimately meaningless.

But, regardless, this was a historic moment.

In 2008, Barack Obama became the first black president in the history of the United States. Under his leadership, the diversity and inclusivity of American society were gradually opening up. Now, the first starting player of Asian descent had appeared on the professional fields of the NFL. For the immigrant society of the United States, which had always emphasized its multi-ethnic and multicultural nature, the importance of this was undeniable.

Almost overnight, the name ”Lu Ke” became a symbol, spreading across the entire United States and rapidly becoming a focal point. It was like going from zero to a thousand in one breath—not one hundred, but a *thousand*. The level of attention, excitement, and heated debate was scorching enough to melt steel.

Everyone was curious: Who was this Chinese-American quarterback? And what was this all about? At the same time, he also became a laughingstock—an Alliance laughingstock, a national laughingstock, the target of countless people’s mockery and ridicule.

”This is the pros, not playing house.” This comment came from the Carolina Panthers’ rookie quarterback, Cam Newton. ”If I remember correctly, this is football, not table tennis. He must have walked onto the wrong field and chosen the wrong sport.”

Just as Cam said, whether this player of Chinese descent could handle the demands of the game and withstand its intensity became the focus of everyone’s doubt. The ”Chinese Descent” label had all but nailed Lu Ke to the pillory of failure.

”Let me tell you what’s going to happen in the first game of the regular season,” commented Charles Davis, a senior professional commentator for ESPN, on his show. ”He’s going to walk onto the field, get sacked, get injured and taken out, and never run another down. That’s it. Believe me, that’s the most merciful ending for him.”

Charles made no effort to hide the ridicule, disdain, or even contempt in his words. After speaking, he laughed cheerfully and then explained seriously, ”Look at his build. 6-foot-3, but only 187 pounds? Jesus Christ, he looks like a chocolate bar. One light snap and he’ll break in two. I’m not even expecting him to throw the ball. For God’s sake, the defense better not break him. Otherwise, that’ll be a moment for the NFL history books!”

As one of the most senior and professional commentators in the Alliance, Charles had an outstanding resume and was considered one of ESPN’s aces. He was the regular host of the flagship program ”Inside the NFL.”

With his sharp commentary, professional demeanor, and authoritative reputation, Charles was a guaranteed ratings booster for the show. Other television stations were constantly trying to poach him, but ESPN had offered the highest salary in the industry to keep him.

Even when faced with a first-year rookie, even one making history as a player of Chinese descent, Charles showed not a shred of pity. He went full throttle, delivering a truly shocking lesson.

”Look at this quarterback’s first pass after getting on the field. An interception, a picture-perfect interception. He didn’t read the defense, didn’t communicate with his teammates, and delivered the football with pinpoint accuracy right into the arms of an opponent. That was probably the easiest catch of that defensive player’s career. Of course, looking at it from a positive angle, at least his pass was accurate.”

This wasn’t praise, but mockery—caustic, biting mockery. The entire studio burst into raucous laughter, thoroughly amused. But that wasn’t all.

Charles’s rant and contempt continued, ”He looks like Little Red Riding Hood lost on the field, worried about the Big Bad Wolf. A frail body, a delicate face... God, even I’m starting to feel a little sorry for him. Maybe he can use his good looks and cuteness to charm the opponents, beg them to go easy on him. Why didn’t he just stay behind an accountant’s desk?”

That last sentence had, in fact, crossed the line into racial discrimination. As the host, Edward Bowen had to step in immediately, subtly changing the subject before things got out of hand. ”So, you’re not optimistic about the San Francisco 49ers’ prospects this season?”

”Of course not,” Charles said emphatically. ”What we need to be considering right now isn’t whether the 49ers can win a game, but whether this quarterback can break a hundred passing yards—no, I correct myself, sorry, it should be fifty yards. And how many interceptions this quarterback is going to throw. Who knows, if he’s lucky, he might last the whole season and break Peyton Manning’s rookie record of twenty-six interceptions. Then at least he’ll have left his name in the Alliance’s history books.”

Almost every sentence, every word, was filled with disdain and contempt. He didn’t even seem to regard Lu Ke as a real quarterback. The deep-seated discrimination seeped out through his words and attitude.

Finally, Charles even let out a loud laugh. ”I’ll bet you this quarterback is going to run home crying to his mommy.”

In fact, Charles wasn’t the only commentator who was pessimistic about the San Francisco 49ers’ season, nor was he the only one pessimistic about Lu Ke’s prospects.

NBC Television commentator Bill Wingo stated, ”Standing on the field, he looks completely out of place. His frail frame is even smaller than a wide receiver’s; he’s practically a paper cutout. I don’t really understand the San Francisco 49ers’ choice, but I can sense Jim Hubble’s helplessness and desperation.”

Steven Golic, an expert commentator for the New York Times sports column, wrote in his column, ”Completely outmatched in physical confrontations, his footwork is utterly clumsy and stuck, and his defensive reads and passing accuracy require further observation. This is the impression this rookie quarterback left after his handful of appearances in the four preseason games. Is he a qualified quarterback? Clearly, he is barely hovering on the edge of passing.”

A similar opinion was shared by ABC Television commentator Richard Riddick. ”The San Francisco 49ers could have made a better choice. After Alex Smith was injured, Carson Palmer and Matt Hasselbeck both had tryouts, but Jim Hubble chose Lu Ke. Perhaps this was a decision based on consideration for the San Francisco market. Other than that, it’s hard to think of a better reason.”

Kim Gimes, a commentator for the Seattle Post-Intelligencer, even started cheering for his team—the Seattle Seahawks, the San Francisco 49ers’ opponent in the season opener and a division rival. ”The season hasn’t even started, and the San Francisco 49ers are already out of the playoff race. A four-game losing streak in the preseason, an injured starting quarterback, a second-round pick quarterback with a concussion, and in the end, they chose an undrafted quarterback, a player of Chinese descent. Maybe the 49ers are already planning for the 2012 season.”

The entire Alliance was in an uproar, with almost everyone treating the whole affair as a joke. This was because of the San Francisco 49ers’ string of bad news, and even more so because of Lu Ke’s Chinese heritage. The interception Lu Ke threw after replacing Colin certainly didn’t help matters.