"You did it on purpose, didn't you?"
Leigh Steinberg asked with a smile. Lu Ke didn't answer or object. He just smiled, meeting Leigh's gaze, and waited for him to continue.
"You're worried that for the benefit of the league, the team, and your future commercial interests, everyone would want to avoid more conflict and not make a big deal out of this. You're worried that I might advise you to let it go and minimize the impact of the incident, or even actively show friendliness to create a positive image. Undoubtedly, this is the most profitable choice, and also the best for public relations. But this is different from your ideas and beliefs. So, you intentionally didn't meet with me and rushed to respond to the reporters first to state your position. Is that right?"
While he spoke, a smile remained on Leigh's face. The kind and gentlemanly demeanor was as comforting as a spring breeze. There was no tension or hostility. It was as if they were just discussing what to have for dinner. Lu Ke pursed his lips and chuckled. Then he asked in return, "How are you so sure that it's not because I'm not used to having an agent yet and I don't know how things work, so I didn't talk to you first?"
Leigh didn't mind. He raised an eyebrow. "Well, are you?" The old fox was still an old fox. Without much effort, he put the ball in Lu Ke's court. He was retreating to advance. He knew that with Lu Ke's personality, he wouldn't deny it, and there was no need to object.
"No, I'm not." That was for Leigh's follow-up question. Then, Lu Ke answered Leigh's first question. "Yes, I did it on purpose." Lu Ke admitted the truth openly, with a calm expression, and met Leigh's gaze.
Leigh knew this was a statement, a statement that Lu Ke didn't regret his decision and wasn't worried about it. It was even a statement of actively standing up against his agent. "Maybe I should remind you that I'm Jewish." At first, Lu Ke didn't follow Leigh's train of thought and was slightly stunned. After a moment, he gradually came to his senses and understood the deeper meaning behind the words. Not only had the Jews suffered a devastating blow during World War II, losing their homes and being scattered all over the world like gypsies, but discrimination against Jews was also everywhere in American society. Even though Jews held a large amount of economic power, the deep-seated discrimination was still there. However, Jews were now winning their status and respect in their own way and had achieved great success. Just like Leigh.
"I know what it feels like to stand in a large crowd. You think you're one of them, but you're not. We have to spend more effort and energy to prove that our existence is meaningful and valuable. So, we need to stand up, and we need our voices to be heard." Catching Lu Ke's look, Leigh knew that Lu Ke understood his hidden message, so he continued. "As the first Chinese-American quarterback in the league, it's like an elephant in the room. Everyone is trying to ignore its existence, but it's impossible. We need people to face the elephant." Leigh smiled, but before he could speak, Lu Ke seemed to have a telepathic understanding of what was coming next. He blurted out, "So, you're on my side."
"Yes, I'm on your side," Leigh nodded in confirmation. He then continued, "I need you to stand in front of the media and state your position, but at the same time, I also need you to stay calm and not lose control. That's my only concern."
"You must know that this involves complex interests. To get a firm footing on the field and to create more opportunities for Chinese-American players, you need more allies." While he was talking, Leigh caught the surprise in Lu Ke's eyes. He chuckled and nodded. "Yes, that's how we Jews do things. But don't worry, you can leave these things to me. All you have to do is be yourself."
Lu Ke pursed his lips in an exaggerated way, and his tone was sarcastic. "So, you came all the way to the locker room and waited at the door just to tell me to be myself?" Was this a bit too grand? Leigh didn't mind Lu Ke's sarcasm. Instead, he nodded in agreement. "I heard your conversation with the reporters just now. The media is always the trickiest. If you use them cleverly, they can be a shortcut to your goals. But if you're not careful, they can become a huge obstacle. Your answer was perfect."
The situation today was too aggressive, which could have escalated the conflict. It could also have been too weak and ineffective. Everyone knew that the issue of discrimination had always existed. It didn't happen overnight, and it wouldn't be solved overnight either. This wasn't just true for Asian Americans but also for African Americans, Latin Americans, and other minorities. They were all facing the same situation, and the road to equality was not easy. More importantly, for professional athletes, at the end of the day, their actions and performance on the field matter more than their words or fists. Only by constantly proving themselves, constantly winning, and constantly improving could they have a voice, and it was also the best way to fight against discrimination.
Lu Ke's response to the media was truly impressive, and Leigh was very satisfied. "You emphasized your position, your identity, your point of view, and your demands in a simple and clear way. At the same time, you didn't focus too much on the sensitive topic. You shifted the focus from the fans to the discrimination itself, avoiding getting bogged down in details, and put it on a bigger picture. You made your point and then you stopped."
In just a few words, Leigh clearly expressed his praise and approval. He had read Lu Ke's file, and his excellent grades in journalism were quite impressive. It seemed that those excellent grades were not just numbers. Even if Lu Ke had talked to him beforehand, this was all he would have asked for. "That's enough. Now, you have done your job excellently," Leigh smiled and nodded again in confirmation. "The rest is for me to handle. You don't need to respond to the media anymore. Just focus on your daily job as a professional player, and that's all you need to do."
Lu Ke frowned and looked at Leigh with confusion. Although Lu Ke understood Leigh's position and ideas, to be honest, as an agent, Leigh was undoubtedly very caring. After they signed the contract, Leigh had attended every single one of Lu Ke's games and paid close attention to everything about him. No other player on the team received such treatment. However, this didn't mean that Leigh was a philanthropist or an activist for equality. At his core, he was still an agent, and those were two completely different things.
"I always thought that to get more advertisements, it's best to keep your mouth shut?" Lu Ke expressed his opinion in the most straightforward way. Leigh, however, crossed his arms over his chest and said with a serious expression, "The best way to get advertisements is always to have an excellent performance on the field." He paused for a moment, then added, "And to make the advertisers realize how vast the Chinese market and the global Chinese market are, a market that football has not yet been able to enter." It was 100% certain that Leigh was not a philanthropist. At the end of the day, he was a businessman, a businessman who put profits first.
As one of the only two Chinese-American players in the league, and the only starting quarterback, a quarterback who could win games, and a quarterback who could win the support of the fans and the city, Leigh clearly knew that Lu Ke had a huge market potential. But the question was, how could he maximize this market value? It was not an easy task. Timing, location, and people were all necessary. Before Leigh officially signed with Lu Ke, he had already been thinking about this but had never found the right opportunity. Perhaps this incident could be a start, a start for the league to take Lu Ke's existence seriously, a start for the league to take the Chinese market seriously, a start for the league to take the Chinese market seriously.
The reason Leigh was thinking this was because the current NFL commissioner, Roger Goodell, was also an ambitious businessman—not a commissioner, but a businessman, just like him. In fact, Goodell had done his job excellently. Although he had been controversial since he took office, he was too utilitarian and too greedy, connecting almost everything to profits. At the same time, he was too lenient in handling negative news, repeatedly creating ethical controversies. But he did bring in profits. The most direct example was that the NFL's market value had doubled or tripled, and the revenue of the 32 teams had also grown visibly. At the same time, the league's market influence was also rising rapidly. In the past few years, Goodell had been trying to expand the league globally, to Europe, Oceania, and Asia, and he had not hidden his ambition at all. After Lu Ke joined the NFL, the league's official position showed corresponding support and approval, which was a positive sign and also showed Goodell's attitude to a certain extent. This incident could not be ignored by the league or by Goodell. So, Leigh was now considering using this incident to work with Goodell and the league to further expand their influence and take a firm first step.
Leigh's honesty made Lu Ke nod in agreement. "Professional matters should be left to the professionals." Leigh snapped his fingers. "Good. Now, our trust has gone a step further." After a long conversation, the topic returned to where it began. Leigh still complained about Lu Ke's lack of trust in him, which made Lu Ke shrug and accept the "criticism" calmly. "Now, I need to make a phone call to Roger Goodell."
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