Standing at the entrance of the VIP box, Sophie politely knocked on the door. She then turned her head, her bright eyes shimmering with a faint smile, and looked back with a charming smile. "Good luck, Mr. Bambi."
This was Lu Ke's first time in the VIP box on the top floor. He had no idea how far they had walked. One second, he and Sophie were still talking, and the next, the VIP box was right in front of them. Lu Ke's attention was drawn to the door of the VIP box, and his reaction was a little slow. He didn't have time to respond to Sophie right away.
By the time he came to his senses, the door to the VIP box was already open, and Sophie had turned and left. In his peripheral vision, he only managed to catch a glimpse of the faint smile on her face and the sweet scent on her nose. The next moment, a security guard in a black suit stood in front of Lu Ke and gestured for him to enter. "Please."
Lu Ke quickly composed himself, looked away, and walked into the VIP box.
The VIP box was decorated in red and sapphire blue, with a retro European style. The occasional gold accents added a touch of opulence. There were soft velvet sofas, a tall oak bar, a cabinet filled with spirits, genuine famous paintings on display, and lush green potted plants... a vibrant atmosphere. On the right side, there was also a large pool table.
However, after a quick glance, one would see a large glass wall in the front. The scarlet curtains on both sides were pulled back, and the entire stadium was visible. A powerful visual impact surged, and pictures of the intense game immediately appeared in his mind.
"Look, here's our protagonist. He has dominated Candlestick Park for the past two weeks. Welcome, a warm welcome." A warm greeting caught Lu Ke's attention, and he saw a figure approaching him with open arms, ready for a hug. He gave Lu Ke a firm hug.
Then, he took two steps back and looked Lu Ke up and down, slightly lowering his chin. "You're taller and stronger than I thought." He turned his head and looked at Jim Harbaugh, who was standing next to him. "Why does everyone say he's too thin? Is it because I'm too much of a layman?"
He was full of curiosity and vitality.
Lu Ke opened his arms and calmly met his gaze. "Likewise, you're also younger than I expected. I hope that's not just my prejudice at work." Lu Ke responded to the humor and curiosity with humor and curiosity, showing the essential qualities of a reporter. He was neither humble nor arrogant, and he was not flustered.
"I am indeed too young to own a team, but you are good enough to lead the team to two victories." The way young people communicate with each other is indeed different.
The person standing in front of Lu Ke was not the Yorks but their son, Jed York, who was only 31 years old. Three years ago, the Yorks officially appointed Jed as the team's chairman. He was now in charge of the team's daily affairs, including dealing with the media and watching games every week.
"Two victories. Isn't that a little too easy to satisfy for a team?" Lu Ke responded with a chuckle.
Jed turned to Jim and said with a light laugh, "This rookie player has a remarkable ambition. You know, we only had six victories last year and started the season with five consecutive losses." Then, Jed shrugged. "But I like it." He looked at Lu Ke and Jim again, his gaze shifting back and forth. "So, can we look forward to the next game?"
Jim said confidently, "First, we need to do our job. That's the first step."
His confident and composed demeanor successfully made Jed smile.
The meeting ended quickly, lasting less than five minutes.
Jed was not looking at Lu Ke with special favor; he was simply a little curious.
A Chinese-American quarterback, an undrafted rookie. People could say it was luck, a fluke, or a surprise win. But the fact was, he had led the team to two consecutive victories, and this was even more commendable since the team had lost all four of their preseason games.
After his curiosity was satisfied, Lu Ke and Jim left the VIP box without staying for long. In fact, it wasn't just Jed York. The entire league—in the truest sense of the word—had their eyes on the San Francisco 49ers and on Lu Ke.
After the 2010 season ended with a 6-10 record, the 2011 preseason was a struggle for victories. The team went through turmoil and a reshuffle during the offseason and faced injury challenges during their preparation. An undrafted rookie quarterback was called upon to fill in on short notice... Who would have thought that after the season began, the San Francisco 49ers would achieve two consecutive victories? There were only seven undefeated teams in the entire league.
It was all truly incredible.
Even more commendable was that this rookie quarterback delivered another stunning performance for the second consecutive week. Whether it was his decision to run in a critical situation or the return of "The Catch," he had truly delivered an excellent performance. Unbeknownst to them, the league's views and opinions were beginning to change.
In competitive sports, the difference between victory and defeat is always very clear.
After the game between the San Francisco 49ers and the Dallas Cowboys, a new wave of news and controversy swept in! The discussions and hot topics surrounding "The Catch" were even more sensational and became the focus of attention!
The controversial, highly-watched, and doubted Chinese-American quarterback, Lu Ke, had a slightly inconsistent performance this week but still led the team to victory for the second consecutive week!
He completed 21 of 31 passes for 256 yards, three touchdowns, one interception, a quarterback rating of 111.7, and a PFF score of 1.4.
Excellent, excellent, and excellent! For the second consecutive week, Lu Ke's quarterback rating and PFF score showed a pleasing trend, once again demonstrating the potential of an excellent quarterback and catching everyone's attention.
No one should forget that this was the same team that had only one passing touchdown in the four preseason games. But in the two regular-season games, Lu Ke had already thrown eight passing touchdowns.
No one should forget that in a crucial moment in Week 4 of the preseason, Lu Ke was forced to step in. Before the regular season, the new starting quarterback had only 10 days to get used to the team, but he had already achieved two consecutive victories.
Similarly, no one should forget that in the two games, the San Francisco 49ers had 619 passing yards and only 112 rushing yards. The team won the game entirely on their passing offense.
As the team's starting quarterback, Lu Ke was undoubtedly the primary hero!
In response to such an excellent performance, Kirk Charleston, a commentator for Fox Sports, said, "This Chinese-American quarterback reminds me of Big Ben."
"Big Ben" is the nickname for Ben Roethlisberger of the Pittsburgh Steelers. Like Eli Manning and Philip Rivers, he entered the league in the 2004 NFL Draft. That draft was one of the most important quarterback draft classes in a decade. The first overall pick was Eli Manning, the younger son of the Manning family, while Big Ben was selected in the first round as the 11th pick.
In his rookie season, Big Ben was the third-string quarterback, but in the preseason, the second-string quarterback was injured, making him the team's second-string quarterback. In Week 2 of the regular season, the starting quarterback's unexpected injury made Big Ben's league debut even earlier, forcing him into the starting quarterback position.
Big Ben's first game was a nightmare. He had two touchdowns but also threw two interceptions, and the Pittsburgh Steelers lost to the Baltimore Ravens by a large margin. But after that, with the cover of the league's best defense that year, Big Ben began his record-breaking journey.
He achieved a 13-game winning streak, setting the best record for a rookie in league history. In Week 8 of the season, he led the team to defeat the defending champions, the New England Patriots, ending their record 21-game winning streak. In his rookie season, he had a 66.4% passing completion rate and a 98.1 quarterback rating, both of which broke the NFL record set by Hall of Fame quarterback Dan Marino of the Miami Dolphins in 1983. He was also unanimously voted the Offensive Rookie of the Year.
Then, in the 2005 season, he stumbled his way to the Super Bowl and won his first championship ring, surpassing Tom Brady and becoming the youngest starting quarterback to win a Super Bowl in league history. In the 2008 season, he made it to the Super Bowl again, facing the "League Cinderella" Arizona Cardinals, led by Kurt Warner. The two teams played one of the most exciting Super Bowls in history, and in the end, he won his second championship ring.
In conclusion, Big Ben currently holds most of the rookie quarterback records and is also one of the most successful quarterbacks of his generation. Eli Manning, the first overall pick in the same year, although he won a Super Bowl ring, his inconsistent performance meant he had no chance of breaking any passing records.
Now, Kirk was comparing Lu Ke to Big Ben. It was clearly not because of Big Ben's strong 241-pound (109-kilogram) body but because of Big Ben's masterful passing skills and Lu Ke's keen intuition for the game and for victory.
This time, the opposition was at least cut in half, and voices of support began to emerge.
"Can Lu Ke break Big Ben's rookie season quarterback records? That's still a question mark! The season is still very long. But one thing is for sure: this rookie quarterback has proven with his excellent performances in two consecutive games that he is more than just a temporary quarterback. His superb passing skills, excellent awareness, great judgment in key moments, and a never-give-up attitude all give him the potential to become an excellent quarterback!"
This was a comment from Brian Westbrook, a football commentator for the "San Francisco Chronicle." It also represented the mainstream opinion in the league. Many professional commentators and analysts also expressed similar views. The season was long, and the games were tough, but at least Lu Ke had proven that he was not just a temporary quarterback.
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