American Football: King of the Bay Area

A black pencil skirt and a white blouse outlined her stunning curves. The bright red high heels she wore accentuated her long, slender legs—her proportions were enough to make anyone want to whistle. Her golden hair was pulled back into a high ponytail, and she wore a pair of black-rimmed glasses. It was a typical office outfit that, while hiding her lively, expressive eyes, gave her a unique charm.

Sophie Brook. An assistant in the media department, she had all but become the belle of the San Francisco 49ers’ behind-the-scenes team.

The moment Sophie appeared, the players in the physical therapy room erupted. ”Hey! There are guys with no clothes on in here! Well, just underwear!” ”This is the men’s locker room, isn’t there a sign outside?” ”Sophie, if you were curious, you could’ve just asked. Barging in like this, you’re bound to see something you shouldn’t…”

Lu Ke, who was sitting in the bathtub, was also flustered. He was completely caught off guard by the sudden intrusion and panicked—less because a woman had entered and more because a stranger had barged in. However, standing up was clearly not a wise choice at this moment. So, he simply sat up straight and used the ice cubes to cover the vital areas.

Fortunately, he had worn his briefs into the tub today.

The room was filled with whistles, jeers, and teasing, but Sophie remained incredibly calm.

Far from being flustered, she deliberately looked the players up and down, sizing up their physiques and muscles with a critical eye, and shot back a taunt of her own. ”Are you sure you don’t need to cover up? I think your ’manhood’ seems a little... limp.”

Her sharp comeback immediately sent the other players into an uproar. They joined her side, laughing and mocking the targeted player. The locker room was suddenly alive with commotion.

Having worked with the team for over a year, Sophie knew full well that if she acted flustered or even shy, these men would only push their luck. On the contrary, being poised, composed, and hitting back hard—that was the way to survive on a football team.

Sophie’s arrival in the physical therapy room had caused a commotion, but she was unhurried. Her gaze swept around the room before finally landing on the ice bath. ”Lu Ke, the big boss is in the VIP room. He wants to see you.”

Amidst the commotion, her words brought an instant silence. Then, an even more tumultuous wave of shouts and cheers erupted.

”WHOOOA!” The other players in the physical therapy room started hooting. ”Bambi! The big boss is giving you an audience!” Then, Marcus was the first to lead the charge, pumping his right fist in the air and yelling, ”Whoa, Bambi! Bambi!” The others all joined in, and the room buzzed with excitement.

’An unexpected invitation.’ He racked his brain but couldn’t think of any reason for it. However, after a moment of surprise, Lu Ke composed himself and nodded. ”Okay, I’ll head over now.”

For a journalist, facing all sorts of important figures was part of the job. And though Lu Ke was only a student of journalism, he certainly didn’t lack the requisite courage and professionalism.

Sophie pointed toward the door. ”I’ll wait for you outside. Please be quick.”

Lu Ke nodded with a smile. ”At least let me put on some pants.” His joke brought a hint of exasperation to Sophie’s smile. She shot him a glance, then turned and left the locker room without missing a beat.

The NFL has a total of thirty-two teams. Thirty-one of them are for-profit franchises owned by individuals. The Green Bay Packers are the only exception; they are a non-profit, publicly owned team.

Since their inception, the Packers have had no majority owner. Although the team is nominally owned by its shareholders, buying Packers stock is essentially a donation to support the team’s operations. The stock pays no dividends, does not split, and grants shareholders no management rights beyond voting on certain issues at the annual meeting.

The Alliance has a rule requiring that the number of partners owning an NFL team cannot exceed twenty-four, and one person must hold over thirty percent of the stake. However, since the Packers were founded long before this rule was implemented, they remain publicly owned under a grandfather clause—the sole exception in the Alliance.

Simply put, the Packers belong to the people of Green Bay.

The current owners of the San Francisco 49ers are the Yorks—John York and Denise DeBartolo York.

They have held a majority stake in the team since 2000, hoping for excellent results. Unfortunately, over the past decade, the team has been in turmoil. The coaching staff and star players have never been an optimal mix, causing the team to gradually sink to the bottom of the Alliance.

For a professional player, the owner’s appreciation and approval are undoubtedly crucial. The most classic example in the Alliance is Tony Romo and Jerry Jones of the Dallas Cowboys.

As the team’s owner and president, Jerry Jones also holds the title of general manager, making him the absolute, undisputed leader of the Dallas Cowboys.

Over the past few years, Romo’s performance had been inconsistent and full of ups and downs, leading the team to the playoffs only once, in 2006. As the star leader of Team USA, Romo shouldered immense pressure and criticism from both fans and the media. But no matter how much people maligned Romo, Jerry always stood firmly behind him, supporting his ”Captain America.”

The media and fans joked that Romo was Jerry’s biological son.

This shows that an owner’s approval and support is the kind of treatment players dream of. For the Green Bay Packers, on the other hand, the players’ job is to satisfy the fans’ wishes and demands with one victory after another.

For Lu Ke to be summoned by the team owner after just two victories was both incredibly rare and completely unexpected.

Out of the tub, a quick shower, towel off, change clothes. In less than three minutes, Lu Ke had done it all. He met Sophie at the locker room door, and together they headed for the VIP room.

Just two weeks ago, Lu Ke had been an ordinary person from a normal family with a simple resume, a recent graduate with no connections, backing, or real-world experience. As an undrafted rookie of Chinese descent in the Alliance, his presence was negligible. Then, after a series of accidents, he was handed the hot potato that was the starting quarterback position, facing condemnation and ridicule from across the Alliance.

But now, Lu Ke had secured two consecutive regular-season wins and was on his way to an audience with the team owner. The change in his fortunes had been earth-shattering, and it had all happened a little too fast, a little too furiously.

The VIP room was located on the stadium’s highest level, occupying the ultimate vantage point. It offered a commanding view of the entire field, like a god looking down upon mortals. One could closely follow every play and hear the roar of the fans, creating the unique allure of a god’s-eye view. This was the true appeal of the VIP room.

As they walked toward the VIP room, Sophie said with a smile, ”Tomorrow, the team wants to arrange an exclusive interview. A reporter will come to your house to see your home and interview your parents. Of course, the most important part will be an in-depth conversation with you. We’ll screen the questions and give them to you in advance. Do you have any objections? I mean, would your parents be willing to be interviewed?”

A player’s family is always an important part of their story, especially since Lu Ke’s parents were long-time San Francisco residents, which was crucial for building a connection with the fanbase. However, it wasn’t a requirement. Some families were happy to be interviewed and step into the spotlight, while others preferred to maintain their privacy.

’An exclusive interview?’

’First a summons from the owner, now an exclusive interview. This treatment was like a rocket ride to the top, incredibly rare for any rookie. Still, Lu Ke knew that for high-profile rookies with a lot of buzz, like Cam Newton or Tim Tebow, the media would inevitably latch on. Early exclusives and continuous coverage were standard procedure.’

’If he kept shining in the games to come, the media would keep singing his praises. But if he performed poorly, the higher the expectations, the more intense the wave of disappointment and blame would be. Media attention was always a double-edged sword. Some players lost their way amid the excessive exposure and scrutiny, their on-field performance plummeting as a result.’

’As the first player of Chinese descent in the Alliance, Lu Ke knew he was a center of attention. Still, he much preferred the focus to remain on the field, not on his personal life.’

”I’ll ask my parents when I get home and give you an answer as soon as I can. You said tomorrow?” Lu Ke didn’t let the excitement go to his head, managing to keep his composure.

”Yes.” Sophie nodded. ”I know tomorrow is an official day off, but the team is hoping you’ll do the exclusive. Besides that, there are also phone interviews with two other media outlets. I’ll email you once the times are confirmed.”

Team manager Trent Balk had emphasized from the beginning that picking Lu Ke meant tapping into the Asian immigrant market—a potential goldmine for a city like San Francisco. Now, with Lu Ke on a two-game winning streak and morale soaring, it was the perfect time to launch the first wave of publicity.

The victory in Week 1 had come too fast for fans to form a real connection. Waiting until after Week 3 was a gamble, with the outcome of that game unknown. But now, after a huge comeback win in Week 2, the timing was perfect.

Less than thirty minutes had passed since the victory against the Dallas Cowboys, and Lu Ke’s role on the team was already quietly changing. This was a positive start.

”What about the official media day?” Every week, the Alliance scheduled an official media day, requiring all teams to collectively give interviews to the media.

Sophie chuckled. ”An exclusive interview is different from a regular press interview.” She, of course, had no idea Lu Ke was a journalism major. For professional football players, their college major was rarely a significant factor.

Lu Ke quipped with a smile, ”I thought you were going to say there’s a difference between a star player and a regular one.”

Sophie’s gaze fell on Lu Ke’s face, pausing for a moment. A faint smile bloomed in her eyes.