On April 28, 2011, the NFL Draft for the new season officially began at Radio City Music Hall in New York!
The entire draft would last for three days, from the 28th to the 30th, with a total of seven rounds. The first day was dedicated to the first round, and it was the most anticipated and important day of the entire draft. According to statistics, the TV ratings for the live broadcast of the draft on this day even surpassed those of the World Series of Major League Baseball!
Football was rightfully known as America's number one sport.
On this day, the eyes of the entire United States converged on New York. Journalists from large and small news outlets all arrived in this media capital, rushing to get a hold of firsthand information. In addition to major television networks, cable TV, online video programs, and local TV stations all turned their attention to this bustling and prosperous city. The various live and recorded shows were dazzling, but that was only the tip of the iceberg.
Tens of thousands of football fanatics from all over the country flocked to Manhattan, New York. A small number of them had bought tickets to the draft early, hoping to witness their team's draft picks firsthand. They might be welcoming the core figure who would build a dynasty. Most of the other fans hoped to stand on the ground of Manhattan and experience the excitement of the draft up close, and they were even ready to party and celebrate on the streets.
This was a grand event for everyone. In North America, nothing could compare to football, except for Thanksgiving. Not the Oscars, not the NBA Finals, and not even a presidential address.
Overnight, it seemed that all eyes were focused on the small area of Manhattan, and the rest of the country was no exception. The only topic of discussion was "Draft! Draft! Draft!"
The same was true in San Francisco, which was located on the West Coast on the other side of the North American continent. Although it was a Thursday, a normal workday, many people had already taken time off to stay at home and host parties to follow the draft process in real time. Some companies even voluntarily announced that they would have the day off so their employees could fully enjoy another grand event after the Super Bowl.
The Haight-Ashbury district is located in the northeastern part of San Francisco, far from the beautiful coastline of the San Francisco Bay Area. The entire area is built on rolling hills, and even for experienced drivers, driving here requires extra caution.
In the 1960s, this area gave birth to hippie culture, which then spread wildly throughout North America. After half a century of development and evolution, the residents here had gradually formed their own culture.
The streets were still filled with a strong hippie culture, but the homeless, Mexican immigrants, and Italian immigrants had gradually left and built their own small communities in other parts of the city. Young and talented people from Silicon Valley, freelancers with dreams, and artists who embraced creative expression started to settle here.
This was not the most expensive or upscale neighborhood in San Francisco, but it was also not the most crime-ridden or poorest. It was also not a neighborhood with a distinct immigrant culture. It was more like a melting pot of cultures, a neighborhood with its own unique San Francisco characteristics—young and full of life, vibrant and thriving.
In 1997, when Lu Zhengze and his family immigrated to San Francisco, they considered living in Chinatown. By now, San Francisco had developed three different Chinese immigrant communities, and it was one of the cities with the largest Chinese population in the United States. But at that time, Chinatown was still the oldest one, now jokingly called "street market" by people, which meant that the whole street was a traditional food market with Chinese-style street scenes.
However, living in Chinatown would have been inconvenient for both Lu Zhengze and Jiang Youning to get to work. After careful consideration, they chose the Haight-Ashbury district. At that time, it was still an area that was in need of a fresh start. The public safety wasn't great, but it was much better than the slums. The prices were also very reasonable, and more importantly, living here made it very convenient for both of them to get to work.
So, their family settled here. Later, Lu Ke attended George Washington High School, where there weren't many Chinese students. It was a completely mixed high school, which became a key reason for Lu Ke to quickly adapt to life as an immigrant.
In this neighborhood, you could meet all kinds of neighbors and friends.
For example, Lu Ke's next-door neighbors were an Italian immigrant family. Not the mafia kind, but the kind who owned an Italian restaurant. It was a big family, with a couple who had five kids. Mealtimes were always very lively.
Across the street was an American family, a traditional white-collar, middle-class family. The husband was a doctor, and the wife was a gardener. They had two children, a boy and a girl. The older son was Logan Newman.
As for the Gypsy family on the corner, they insisted on living a "primitive" life, growing their own vegetables, weaving their own clothes, and homeschooling their children. At first, everyone was surprised, but over time, they got used to it.
On Draft Day, the Haight-Ashbury district was also celebrating. On the rolling streets, residents hung up the San Francisco 49ers' team flags or American flags to participate in the draft. Many residents also hung up colored lights and balloons and decorated wreaths on their doors. A party was already brewing, and now they were just waiting for the draft results.
The air itself was filled with the smell of "football."
Logan came running out and stood on his lawn, shouting, "Bambi! Bambi!" His shouts became more and more urgent, but the one who came out was not Lu Ke but Jiang Youning. "Hey, Logan."
"Good afternoon, Anne. Where's Bambi?" Logan asked with a big smile.
"He went out for a run. He said his training for the day wasn't finished yet." Jiang Youning was also in a good mood and replied with a chuckle. Logan was dumbfounded, then laughed.
Jiang Youning then called out, "When are you guys coming over? We've got everything ready. I just checked, and the live countdown show is about to start. Why don't you come over first? We can eat and chat."
"But what about Bambi? Hasn't he come back yet?" Before Logan could even finish his question, Jiang Youning waved her hand. "He'll be back after his run. He's always on time." Lu Ke's current training was very scientific and standardized, with accurate timing and planning. The entire schedule was very precise, so there was no need to worry.
"Okay, we'll be right over!" Logan also laughed, nodded, and then turned to walk back into the house. "Dad, Mom, the live countdown show is about to start. Let's go over now."
For the draft day party, Lu Zhengze and Jiang Youning were the hosts. The two families gathered together to watch the live broadcast. Not only because both of their children were participating in the draft, but also because it would make the atmosphere more lively and the live broadcast more enjoyable.
To add drama and entertainment to the draft, on the day of the draft, the league would use data from various sources and scouting reports to predict which rookies would be selected in the first round. They would then invite these potential first-rounders into a live broadcast room called the "green room," where they would wait for the draft results to be announced surrounded by cameras.
The TV stations would also switch live to capture the players' joy, anxiety, and disappointment. It was a reality show with no script.
Usually, the league would send out forty to forty-five invitations to ensure that all the players for the thirty-two first-round picks were covered.
However, players could choose whether they wanted to wait in the green room for the live broadcast or prefer to stay at home with their families to wait for the draft results. To ensure they captured the first reactions of the first-round picks, TV stations would also get permission to broadcast live from the players' homes.
But what if there was an upset? What if a dark horse appeared? What if a player who was not captured by the cameras was selected in the first round? This had happened in history, and the solution was simple: a live broadcast via phone call. Not only would this not affect the excitement of the broadcast, but it would also make it even more dramatic.
Among the 332 players at the rookie training camp, fewer than forty-five received an invitation. Lu Ke and Logan were not among them. To be precise, none of the five players from UCLA who were entering the draft were.
So, Lu Ke had returned to San Francisco to watch the draft with his family and wait for the results.
In fact, Lu Ke was quite sure that the first day had nothing to do with him. He was not going to be a first-round pick, and Logan's chances were also very slim. They could relax and enjoy the reality show. For them, what was important was not who was picked in the first round, but how many players in their positions were picked in the first round, as this would affect their draft position later on.
When he returned home, the live countdown show had already started. The special guests were sitting around a table, passionately discussing the potential stars and dark horses of the first round and the draft strategies of each team. When they heard Lu Ke open the door, everyone raised their arms at the same time. "Quick, Bambi! Hurry! It's starting!"
Logan threw the football he was holding at Lu Ke. "You crazy guy, you went for a run today? Ten thousand meters? You didn't run around the hills several times, did you?"
"Who's as lazy as you?" the one who complained was Logan's younger sister, Julia Newman. She was a junior in high school and would be a senior in September, so she would be preparing for college soon. She had classes today, but Julia had still rushed back early to watch the live broadcast of the draft.
Lu Ke caught the football and threw it back. He shrugged at Logan and then looked at the four adults. "I'm going to take a shower first. I don't want to miss the broadcast," he said politely.
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