Sophie Brook was wearing a black dress with a white blouse, which outlined her stunning curves. Her bright red high heels emphasized her long legs, and her proportions made one want to whistle. Her long blonde hair was tied up in a high ponytail, and she wore a pair of black-rimmed glasses. It was a typical office look that hid her radiant eyes but highlighted a different kind of charm.
Sophie Brook, an assistant in the media department, had become a stunning figure among the San Francisco 49ers' back-end staff.
When the players in the therapy room saw Sophie, they immediately made a commotion. "Hey! There are some people here without clothes on! I mean, underwear!" "This is the men's locker room, isn't there a sign outside?" "Sophie, if you're curious, you can just say so. If you barge in like this, you might see something you're not supposed to" ...
Lu Ke, who was sitting in the bathtub, was also a little flustered. He hadn't expected such a sudden ambush and immediately became anxious. This was not so much because a woman had entered but because an outsider had barged in. However, standing up now was clearly not a wise choice. So, he just sat up straight and used the ice to cover his private parts.
It was a good thing he was wearing his underwear in the tub today.
The room was filled with whistles, teasing, and flirting, but Sophie remained completely calm.
She wasn't flustered at all. Instead, she deliberately looked up and down at the players' bodies and muscles, pretending to be a critic. She retorted, "Are you sure you don't need to cover up? I think your manhood looks a little listless."
This fierce comeback immediately caused the other players to join Sophie in mocking the person who was the target of the comment. The locker room was in an uproar.
After working for the team for more than a year, Sophie knew that if she showed any panic or even shyness, these men would only take advantage of her. On the contrary, being composed, calm, and fierce in her comebacks was the way to survive on a football team.
As Sophie's arrival caused a commotion in the therapy room, she remained calm. Her gaze swept around the room and finally landed on the ice bath. "Lu Ke, the owner is in the VIP box. He wants to see you."
In the midst of the noise, this sentence immediately made everyone quiet down. Then, an even more raucous uproar broke out.
"Hoo-hoo-hoo," the other players in the therapy room all started cheering. "Bambi! The owner wants to see you!" Then, Marcus was the first to lead the charge, raising his right fist high and shouting, "Hoo-hoo, Bambi! Bambi!" In unison, everyone else followed suit, and the atmosphere was lively.
This was an unexpected invitation. He thought about it for a moment, but he couldn't find any clues as to why he was being invited. However, after a moment of surprise, Lu Ke calmed down and nodded in agreement. "Okay, I'll be right there."
For a reporter, facing all kinds of important people was a daily occurrence. Although Lu Ke was only a reserve reporter, he was not lacking in courage and etiquette.
Sophie pointed towards the door. "I'll wait for you outside. Please be quick."
Lu Ke smiled and nodded. "At least let me put on some pants." The playful remark made Sophie smile with a hint of exasperation. She glanced at Lu Ke, then turned around and left the locker room in a composed manner.
The NFL has 32 teams. Of these, 31 are for-profit teams owned by individuals. The Green Bay Packers are the only exception. They are a non-profit team owned by the public.
The Packers have never had a principal owner since their founding. Although the team is nominally owned by corporate shareholders, buying Packers stock is a voluntary support of the team's operations because Packers stock does not pay dividends or issue bonuses. Shareholders also have no management power other than the right to vote on certain issues at the annual shareholders' meeting.
The league rules require that the total number of partners who own an NFL team cannot exceed 24 and that one person must hold more than 30% of the shares. However, because the Packers were founded long before this rule, under the grandfather clause, the Packers are still publicly owned, and this is the only exception in the league.
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 the majority stake in the team since 2000 and have hoped for the team to achieve excellent results. Unfortunately, in the past decade, the team has been unstable, and the coaching staff and key players have never been at their best. They have gradually fallen to the bottom half of the league.
For professional players, the owner's appreciation and approval are undoubtedly of utmost importance. The most typical case in the league is Tony Romo and Jerry Jones of the Dallas Cowboys.
As the team's owner and chairman, Jerry Jones is also in charge of the team manager position. He is the absolute leader of the Dallas Cowboys, and his word is law.
In the past few years, Romo's performance has been inconsistent, and he has only led the team to the playoffs once in 2006. As the leader of "America's Team," Romo has faced more pressure and more criticism from fans and the media. However, no matter how much people criticized Romo, Jerry always stood firmly behind his "Captain America," supporting him.
The media and fans jokingly called Romo "Jerry's son."
From this, it can be seen that an owner's approval and support are undoubtedly a dream come true for players. As for the Green Bay Packers, the players' mission is to fulfill the fans' wishes and demands with one victory after another.
After only two victories, Lu Ke was summoned by the team's owner. This was truly rare and unexpected.
Lu Ke got out of the tub, took a quick shower, dried himself, and changed his clothes. In less than three minutes, Lu Ke had finished all of his tasks, cleaned himself up, and met up with Sophie at the locker room door to walk to the VIP box.
Just two weeks ago, Lu Ke was an ordinary person. He came from an average family, had a simple resume, no connections or background, and was a fresh graduate with no social experience. In the league, as an undrafted Chinese-American rookie, he had a weak presence. After a series of unexpected events, he took over the hot potato of a starting quarterback, only to be criticized and ridiculed by the entire league.
But now, Lu Ke had achieved two consecutive regular-season victories and was on his way to meet the team's owner. His life's fortune had changed so quickly and fiercely.
The VIP box was located on the top floor of the stadium, occupying the highest point. It overlooked the entire stadium, as if looking down on all living things, and it closely watched every move of the game. It also allowed one to hear the cheers and shouts of the fans, creating a unique charm of having a god's-eye view. This was the unique thing about the VIP box.
As they walked towards the VIP box, Sophie said with a smile, "Tomorrow, the team wants to arrange an exclusive interview. A media reporter will personally come to your house, take a look at your family situation, and interview your parents. Of course, the most important thing is to have an in-depth conversation with you. We will screen the interview questions and give them to you in advance. Do you have any objections? I mean, are your parents willing to be interviewed?"
A player's family members are always an important part, especially since Lu Ke's parents have been living in San Francisco for many years. This could play a big part in building a rapport with the fans. However, this part wasn't mandatory. Some families were willing to be interviewed and enter the spotlight, while others preferred to remain private.
An exclusive interview?
First, he was summoned by the owner. Then, an exclusive interview was arranged. This kind of treatment was like a rocket ride and was very rare for any rookie. However, Lu Ke also knew that for high-profile rookies like Cam Newton or Tim Tebow, the media would not let them go easily. Arranging exclusive interviews early and then following up was the usual course of action.
If he continued to shine in the following games, the media would continue to praise him. But if his performance was not good, the higher the expectations were, the more disappointment and criticism he would face. Media attention was always a double-edged sword, and some players even lost themselves due to excessive media exposure and attention, and their performance on the field plummeted.
As the first Chinese-American player in the league, Lu Ke knew that he was a focus of attention. However, he still preferred for the focus to be on the field and not on his personal life.
"I'll go back and ask my parents and give you an answer as soon as possible. Did you say tomorrow?" Lu Ke was not carried away by the joy and still managed to remain a little calm.
"Yes," Sophie nodded. "I know tomorrow is an official day off, but the team still hopes you can accept the exclusive interview. In addition to this interview, there are also two other phone interviews with other media outlets. I will inform you of the times via email once they are confirmed."
The team's general manager, Trent Baalke, had emphasized that choosing Lu Ke meant they could tap into the Asian immigrant market, which was a huge potential market in San Francisco. Now that Lu Ke had achieved two consecutive victories and his momentum was high, this was definitely a good time to launch the first wave of publicity.
The victory in the first week was too quick to be acknowledged, and the outcome of the game after the third week was still unknown. The second week, where the team achieved a comeback victory, was the perfect time.
Less than 30 minutes after the victory against the Dallas Cowboys, Lu Ke's position in the team had already begun to quietly change. This was a positive start.
"What about the official media day?" The league arranges an official media day every week, urging all the teams to collectively accept media interviews.
Sophie chuckled. "There's a difference between an exclusive interview and a regular interview." Of course, she didn't know that Lu Ke had a journalism degree. For professional football players, their major was never one of the important factors.
Lu Ke smiled and quipped, "I thought you were going to say there's a difference between a star player and a regular player."
Sophie's gaze fell on Lu Ke's cheek, and she paused for a moment. A faint smile was bubbling up inside of her.
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