There was no playful banter, no witty jokes, and no polite small talk. Lu Ke delivered his statement with force. He was unyielding, poised, respectful, and controlled. These simple words were filled with sincerity and determination. He refused to compromise, refused to back down, and refused to ignore the issue. He stood tall, openly protesting and expressing his dissatisfaction, and clearly stating his position and demands.
Lu Ke showed an unprecedented stance, standing under the spotlight and making his voice heard by the world. What happened on the field today was absolutely unforgivable. Lu Ke was not going to let it go, nor was he going to swallow his pride and let it slide. Lu Ke never saw himself as a hero, a hero who would revitalize his nation on the world stage, or a hero who would create history and write a miracle. He was just a regular football player. He was just an athlete who had just graduated from college and was now playing professionally. He didn't have the ability or the prestige to shoulder such a heavy responsibility.
But when things came up, when the pressure mounted, when problems arose, when conflicts broke out, and when duty called... Lu Ke would absolutely not back down! Just like today. He needed to make his voice heard, he needed people to listen to his voice, and he needed society to truly take his voice seriously. Obeying the law, being a good citizen, and constantly backing down would not protect his rights. Only by actively attacking, actively fighting for, and actively resisting could he win a place for himself in the chaos and confrontation! A place that belonged to him! If, just if, his actions could become a single spark that would light a fire, a fire that would truly unite the entire Chinese-American community and make them rise up, then he would not hesitate to step up and burn that fire!
After his powerful and resounding words ended, Lu Ke didn't stay. He politely nodded to all the reporters, then turned and walked toward the locker room, leaving all the reporters behind. He knew what this victory meant today, and he also knew that this game was full of drama. But at this moment, nothing else mattered, because the victory itself had said it all. All he had to do was make his voice heard and state his position. That was enough. After entering the player tunnel, the locker room door was not far away. But there was a gray-haired old man standing next to the door, which made Lu Ke's steps pause for a moment. Then, the old man looked up and gave a polite smile, greeting him, "Hey, you're here." Leigh Steinberg, that was his agent.
Lu Ke left just like that, catching all the reporters off guard. In people's minds, Chinese-American players were still humble and reserved. This wasn't some ancient, rigid stereotype. The most direct example was Yao Ming, the basketball superstar who had made a name for himself in the NBA and became one of the most well-known Chinese players in the United States. He was surrounded by a lot of star power and a lot of topics. Yao Ming's calm and composed style in interviews had left a deep impression on people, which further proved the modesty, humility, and cautiousness of Eastern culture.
But today, Lu Ke surprisingly chose to actively attack, firmly stating his position and righteously clarifying his demands. He clearly drew a line in the sand and immediately labeled the incident for what it was. Regardless of how this incident would unfold and develop, his proactive and strong stance and his formal and candid statement were eye-opening and left a deep impression. For a moment, the reporters couldn't help but savor the moment. The shock was far more profound than they had imagined. The regular season had been going on for 14 weeks. Everyone thought they knew this Chinese-American player well enough, but it was clear that the surprises kept coming. He showed his sharp edge, was calm and powerful, and did it all at the right time, truly showcasing his incredible personal charisma.
Standing in the crowd, Jay felt an immense surge of emotion and excitement. He wanted to applaud in a show of respect. He knew better than anyone the pressure Lu Ke was facing. At the same time, he also knew better than anyone the effort Lu Ke had put in. As Lu Ke's roommate and friend, Jay sincerely hoped that he could use his writing to show his most sincere and powerful support. He couldn't help but think of Emily Pover, the editor of the UCLA school newspaper. Emily had written a few articles about Lu Ke's time with the Bruins. She had successfully captured the important connection between race and sports, which later laid the foundation for the stadium-wide chant at the Rose Bowl. They hadn't been in touch since they graduated. Now, Jay was seriously considering that he should send Emily an email.
In that brief moment of shock and distraction, the reporters came back to their senses and realized that Lu Ke had already left. His figure had completely disappeared. They couldn't even find him if they wanted to call out to him. This made the reporters feel completely lost. What about the victory? What about Patrick Peterson? What about the playoffs? Then, Logan appeared in front of the reporters.
"It's a disgrace." Even though the reporters hadn't asked, and even though Logan didn't have to answer, he brought up the topic on his own. He didn't hide his attitude, and he mercilessly showed his dissatisfaction. "What happened in this stadium today, the behavior and attitude of those fans today, it's a disgrace."
"I thought people were changing, learning to accept different things and embracing differences. But apparently, the first Black president in history hasn't changed people's narrow-mindedness and stupidity," Logan's words were sharp. Even though he wasn't going all out, he was holding nothing back. Lu Ke needed to be careful with his wording, but as a bystander and a white man, Logan didn't have to be. "This victory today, that's our response! Whether you like it or not, Lu Ke has earned a place on this field."
It wasn't just Logan. Marcus also openly expressed his opinion. "I stand with Lu Ke. Not just because he's a great quarterback, but also because he's a great leader. This is not the way he should be treated, and it's also not the way our society should treat minorities."
"You should listen to your own words, how ugly and terrible they are," Marcus, who was Black, was deeply empathetic to Lu Ke's situation. "We are all equal. God loves every one of his people and loves them just the way they are. It's a shame that in this game, those fans betrayed their own beliefs."
People expected Logan to be emotional and Marcus to be supportive, but they didn't expect the support and approval from the other San Francisco 49ers' players. Although a few players chose to avoid it and refused to respond to such a sensitive topic, the active support of three veteran core players, Jonathan Goodwin, Patrick Willis, and David Akers, was undoubtedly the most important and firm force that set the tone and attitude of the team's locker room.
More importantly, head coach Harbaugh said in an interview, "I'm very, very disappointed about this. Those fans' views and perspectives are too narrow-minded. They didn't see Lu Ke's excellence, they didn't see Lu Ke's hard work. They're just living in their own bubble, still holding on to prejudice and discrimination. It's a very unfortunate thing."
"In my personal opinion, Lu Ke is a very, very excellent player. And today's game result proved that," Harbaugh's words weren't anything new, but they were consistent with his usual style. He was simple, direct, and straightforward, clearly stating his opinion and stance, with a hint of sharpness. It was clear that Lu Ke's Chinese-American identity was not an issue for this team. This was the first surprise after the game ended.
On some level, Lu Ke's attitude and the players' attitudes toward today's sensitive issue would determine the future direction of the incident. It was clear that they were on the same side. They were so firm, so united, and so passionate. And this was all in the first interviews after the game ended, without any discussion, without any embellishment, and without any official filtering. It truly showed everyone's most authentic reactions. For the reporters, this was indeed a surprise.
Logically, there should have been some disagreements within the 49ers' team. Victory was one thing, but beliefs and discrimination were another. The prejudice against Asian Americans in the entire social culture didn't happen overnight. It was part of the culture and ideology. And it was true. A number of players, like Parys Haralson, Colin Kaepernick, and Braylon Edwards, chose to stay quiet. It was clear that they had some reservations, but they didn't kick Lu Ke when he was down or publicly attack him. They simply avoided the topic. This detail showed that, putting aside the entire Asian-American community, they had no intention of publicly attacking Lu Ke, the first Chinese-American player in the league. Did this mean that the football world was starting to get used to Lu Ke's presence?
Then, the official attitude of the San Francisco 49ers and the official attitude of the league would further define the incident, which would be an important event for all 32 teams in the NFL.
At the same time, the interviews between the reporters and the 49ers' players were in full swing. The reporters were also having a tense and fiery conversation with the Cardinals' players, and the atmosphere was not as friendly. In front of the locker room, the conversation between Lu Ke and Leigh was also taking place. Leigh looked at Lu Ke with a smile. "You did it on purpose, didn't you? You intentionally didn't meet me and rushed to respond to the reporters first, didn't you?"
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