American Football: King of the Bay Area

In just four short weeks, Lu Ke was already thriving in the locker room. This small joke revealed a great deal. The reporters on the scene were all sharp, and they could clearly sense that the atmosphere within the young San Francisco 49ers was gradually becoming more harmonious.

This was especially rare for a player of Chinese Descent.

”Bambi, a question! Your team fought to the very end but unfortunately lost the game. Do you have any particular thoughts on that?” The first to ask was none other than Jay Fox. The familiar face even gave Lu Ke a playful wink, only to be met with a look of disgust from the quarterback, which made Jay roll his eyes speechlessly.

Lu Ke reined in the smile on his lips and wiped away the sweat that was constantly trickling down his forehead. ”The NFL isn’t very friendly to Undrafted Players, is it?” Lu Ke let the end of his sentence curve upward, answering a question with a question, which immediately drew a collective laugh from the reporters.

”Losing is never easy, especially a loss this close. We’re a very young team. Obviously, we have an immense amount of work ahead of us to avoid having you ask me the same question after the next game. By then, I might not be in the mood to joke around.”

Lu Ke answered with a sincere expression, but his deadpan tone carried a witty humor that made the reporters laugh once again.

”Skywalker, a question! The Offensive Line’s performance wasn’t quite up to par again today. For the second game in a row, you took consecutive hits and sacks. What are your thoughts on that?”

”Uh, wait, are we all just going to ignore the ’Skywalker’ thing? What exactly is going on here? Are you a Star Wars fan?” Instead of rushing to answer the question, Lu Ke couldn’t help but chuckle and cast a puzzled look at the other reporters.

The reporter who had just asked the question was Harry Wayans, who worked for the most influential professional sports magazine in the United States, ”Sports Illustrated.”

”Sports Illustrated” had a weekly readership of over twenty-three million and more than three million regular subscribers. Every week, twenty percent of American men would read the magazine, making its influence second to none. Furthermore, its ”Swimsuit Issue” had become a cultural phenomenon. Each year, the magazine also selected a Sportsperson of the Year, corresponding to ”People” magazine’s Person of the Year.

As the most professional and influential sports magazine in the industry, ”Sports Illustrated” sent reporters to games every week and naturally wouldn’t miss the San Francisco 49ers. However, Lu Ke’s sudden emergence had yet to garner their full attention.

At the start of every season, when teams were in full force, it was perfectly normal for a few rookies to have spectacular performances or for veterans to experience a career resurgence. Moreover, in the opinion of the magazine’s editor-in-chief, Lu Ke’s popularity was, to some extent, thanks to his Chinese descent. Due to political correctness, the league was giving him a lot of hype.

All this buzz was, in reality, just an illusion. As the season progressed and more games were played, the dark horses would eventually fade and return to mediocrity.

But after last week’s game, the ”Skywalker” nickname had become one of the hottest topics on social media. At the same time, after securing three straight wins, Lu Ke had become an absolute focal point, comparable to Aaron Rodgers, perfectly replicating the trajectory of Kurt Warner’s own meteoric rise years ago.

”Sports Illustrated” could no longer continue to ignore him. Thus, veteran professional reporter Harry Wayans came to Philadelphia to conduct a close-up interview and get a better look at this red-hot undrafted rookie quarterback.

Faced with Lu Ke’s question, Harry chuckled confidently. ”I thought we were using nicknames for interviews now. On the sports field, it’s a very common practice. The only surprise is that you’ve only played four games in your professional career and already have so many nicknames. Clearly, you’re attracting a lot of attention.”

Lu Ke didn’t like Harry’s tone.

It was brimming with a condescending and superior self-satisfaction and arrogance. It wasn’t necessarily racial discrimination, but it was definitely disdain for a rookie, especially an undrafted one. This contempt was evident in every word and was incredibly grating to the ear.

In truth, this wasn’t uncommon. In the world of competitive sports where strength reigns supreme, rookies who had yet to prove themselves or gain recognition for their skills were always under scrutiny. They had to constantly prove themselves, and Lu Ke was just one of over three hundred rookies.

So, Lu Ke didn’t get angry. Instead, he spoke calmly but firmly, ”If you can pronounce my name correctly, then I would much prefer you use my proper name. Sir.” He was smiling and polite, but his words showed no sign of backing down, clearly and properly stating his position.

Harry let out a small laugh, raising an eyebrow in surprise. Then, his interest piqued, he continued, ”And what if I don’t know your name?” This was a blatant provocation.

But instead of getting angry, Lu Ke laughed. ”For me, that’s not a problem; I can introduce myself. But for a reporter, I have to start questioning your professionalism and authority if you don’t even do your prep work before an interview. I believe my face isn’t that hard to recognize.”

With Wang Kai of the Buffalo Bills on the injured list, Lu Ke was now the only player of Chinese Descent in the entire league. His face was clearly his best calling card.

Meeting provocation with a firm response. Lu Ke’s composure and wit actually made Harry pause for a moment. He hadn’t expected the rookie to counterattack with such poise and tact.

After finishing his answer, Lu Ke ignored Harry and turned to the other reporters. ”How come I didn’t know I have other nicknames now? Can someone explain?”

A reporter next to him quickly explained the buzz online, which made Lu Ke let out a helpless laugh. ”It’s like middle school all over again. Everyone makes the same mistake, but in reality, ’Lu’ is my last name. Still, I finally understand the powerful influence Star Wars has on American culture.”

”Bambi, the Offensive Line still made quite a few mistakes today. Over the course of the game, you were hit thirteen times, and the blindside protection in particular was not good enough. What are your thoughts on that?”

It wasn’t Harry, but another reporter asked the same question, which was a point of curiosity for all the journalists. The Offensive Line is crucial for any quarterback. When the Offensive Line is in bad shape, even the top elite quarterbacks, or even a mobile quarterback, would find it hard to succeed.

”It means we still have room for improvement, and I think that’s a good thing. After a great start to the season, none of us want this to be our peak performance, otherwise…” *Otherwise, the rest of the games would just be a downhill slide.* Even though he didn’t finish the sentence, the meaning was perfectly clear. Lu Ke responded to the question with a frank yet humorous manner, and he did so without starting a locker room war. His handling of the situation was once again impressive.

”Excuse me, but the team still ended up losing this week. If the coaching staff decides to change the starting quarterback and put in Alex Smith or Colin Kaepernick, what are your thoughts on that?”

Following the voice, Lu Ke saw it was Harry again. His aggressive attitude was undisguised as he went straight for the jugular, backing Lu Ke into a corner.

”So, after analyzing the game, you’ve concluded that the team’s loss is my responsibility, which led you to that judgment?” Lu Ke didn’t answer but retorted with a question of his own. Harry’s brow furrowed slightly, and he was just about to protest, ”No,” that wasn’t his question.

But Lu Ke paid him no mind, cutting off whatever Harry was about to say. ”If the coaching staff makes that decision, I can only put my head down, train hard, prove my ability, and hope to get the starting position back.” It was a standard, by-the-book answer, nothing surprising.

Then, his tone shifted, revealing his aggressive side. ”Otherwise, what is this reporter expecting? A brawl between me and the coaching staff? Or a brawl between me and the other quarterbacks? I know football is a tough, physical game, but I didn’t know it was the same sport as boxing.”

As Lu Ke spoke, all the reporters’ eyes shot toward Harry in unison. For reporters, what they needed were explosive soundbites and sensationalism. Not only would they not protect one of their own, but they would also continue to fan the flames and watch the drama unfold from the sidelines.

Even though Harry was a seasoned veteran, he was slightly taken aback. Still, he didn’t panic and replied loudly, ”You know that’s not what I meant.”

”Good.” Lu Ke cut in promptly, once again interrupting any follow-up questions or justifications from Harry. Then, with a smile, he turned to the other reporters. ”Any other questions?”

Harry was instantly left hanging, his expression a little stiff.

”Bambi, what did you say to Vic after the game ended?”

”What’s your outlook for the next game?”

”In today’s game, your two connections with Crabtree and Gene were excellent passes. What are your thoughts on Gene’s performance?”

...

The stream of questions continued for nearly twenty minutes before the reporters, finally satisfied, let Lu Ke leave. All the journalists remained where they were, organizing their interview notes and discussing their thoughts on the day’s game, their expressions relaxed.

Standing in the crowd, Jay kept his eyes on Harry.

Harry stared after Lu Ke for a long, long time with a meaningful expression. He didn’t ask any more questions. After the Q&A session ended, he silently turned and left. Jay didn’t like Harry’s questioning style, nor did he like his method of manufacturing news. It was as if… as if he were unscrupulous, willing to do anything for profit, for a sensational story, for a gimmick.

’Journalism shouldn’t be like this.’