When Lu Ke became the starting quarterback for the San Francisco 49ers in the first week of the regular season, Roger Goodell had already anticipated this day, but that didn't mean he had a solution in mind. Today, under the pressure of the Los Angeles Times, the situation was slowly getting out of control. The league's official office had to give a response immediately. Even if it was just a "pending investigation," Goodell had to make a gesture. Or even better, he could provide a solution directly. The press conference was about to begin, but Goodell still couldn't make up his mind.
The topic of racism is sensitive, not just because it's politically correct, but more because it involves the interests of an entire group. If a Black person were facing such a predicament, the league and the media wouldn't have to think twice. They would immediately side with the Black person because the entire Black community is an indispensable part of the league. They can genuinely influence the league's actual profits, not to mention their important position in social influence.
But Lu Ke? Lu Ke is only one of the two Chinese-American players in the entire league, and the other one's season is over due to an injury, so he's basically alone. If the Arizona Cardinals strongly protest and try to downplay it by blaming it on the fans' personal behavior, then symbolically punishing a few fans, revoking their right to watch games at home, and giving a public relations-style explanation to get through it, and the Cardinals can also get the support of other teams, then there's no doubt about how the matter will be handled. Goodell can't afford to offend a team for the sake of one player.
The premise is that Goodell's position as commissioner was voted for by the owners of the 32 teams. At the same time, they can also jointly initiate a motion to force Goodell to resign. In other words, they are a mutually beneficial community of interests, and Lu Ke? He's just an insignificant person. Not to mention that Lu Ke is only a rookie. Even if he wins the Super Bowl, in the face of the huge interests of the team and the league, he is still a pawn that can be sacrificed, ignored, and abandoned. Without a doubt.
If you think about it this way, Goodell doesn't need to hesitate. He can just symbolically scold the Arizona Cardinals a few times, demand that the team conduct a thorough investigation, and then issue a warning that doesn't hurt much. Then the matter would be perfectly resolved. But now, the reason why there is still suspense is precisely because of those seemingly obvious reasons.
Lu Ke is an undrafted rookie. He is insignificant, has no connections, no power, and not even many fans. But on the other hand, this means that he has unlimited possibilities for the future. He has now established himself in the league and has truly broken down prejudice. Lu Ke is the only Chinese-American starting quarterback in the entire league. He is alone and has no support, and he can't get together with others to launch a stronger protest. But from another perspective, this makes him a rare treasure. After all, rarity is what makes things valuable, and the important thing is that he is "one of a kind." The Chinese-American community that Lu Ke represents, and even the Asian-American community, doesn't have a strong presence in North America, especially in the world of football. But if you think about it from a different perspective, a positive response can create a better league image and lay the foundation for opening up the Asian-American market.
All of this makes it possible for Lu Ke to "become the fulcrum to move the earth." Sitting in his office, Goodell's fingers were gently tapping on his solid sandalwood desk, making a knocking sound like a woodpecker. He thought back to Leigh's words. "The future is too far away for us to predict. The other side of the Pacific Ocean is also too far away, and we can't just talk. But San Francisco is right in front of us. You should take a look at the city, and you should also take a look at Chinatown there. You need a Chinese-American player to open up the market, not a player who can be put on the field at any time or a substitute at any time, but a star, a star who can really bring victory, create a topic, and deliver confidence. Maybe you should take a look at Lu Ke's performance in his previous interviews. This can give you some inspiration. Then you will know that Lu Ke is your best choice. Not the only one, but the best. I know Lu Ke is not Yao Ming, but he may have a greater market potential than Yao Ming. Everyone loves the glorious achievements of a first-round pick, but can anyone refuse the underdog story of an undrafted free agent?"
Leigh didn't hide his purpose and intention, and it was even a bit shameless. But Goodell couldn't refuse or argue. If Leigh had played the "race card" and said that he had to support Lu Ke because it was politically correct and that the Arizona Cardinals should be punished, then Goodell would have had to agree. The powerful influence of the Los Angeles Times was also a factor that he had to consider. But deep down, Goodell couldn't relate to it because the Asian-American community's presence in North America was still too weak, and he could never see both sides as equals.
But Leigh didn't do that. Leigh emphasized profits, the market, and the business nature of the issue, which truly hit Goodell's weak spot. Goodell is not a philanthropist. Everything is related to profit. "Jews," Goodell whispered. Then he smiled. The fingers that were constantly tapping stopped, and he had already made a decision in his heart. Without too much deliberation, the decisive and ruthless resolution that burst forth made people see the iron fist and powerful stance of the former commissioner, Paul Tagliabue. The basic quality of a great man is not to be indecisive.
"Knock, knock," there was a knock on the door, and his secretary's voice came through. "Roger, all the reporters are here." Goodell said in a loud voice, "I know. Tell them the press conference will officially begin in five minutes." Then, Goodell stood up, took his suit jacket from the hanger, put it on, and buttoned it up. He was full of confidence, yet calm and collected. He could foresee that a big wind was about to rise and the moment for the league to change again had arrived. However, he was not nervous at all. Instead, he was getting more and more excited. Because history was about to be made in his hands. Once again.
On Tuesday, December 13, 2011, just 48 hours after the Week 14 game between the Arizona Cardinals and the San Francisco 49ers, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell held a press conference to officially state the league's position on the racist remarks that appeared in that game. Goodell said that this was an act that the league was determined to resist and oppose. The NFL has always been committed to inclusion, brotherhood, and coexistence, and welcomes players from all over the world to join the sport. Goodell said that the league has a zero-tolerance policy for such behavior and ordered the Arizona Cardinals to complete an investigation and a rectification to prevent any similar situations from happening in the future. Goodell also said that because of this incident, the Arizona Cardinals were fined $500,000 and given a serious warning. If they do it again in the future, the league will give them an even more severe punishment.
The entire press conference lasted for 25 minutes. Goodell expressed many official positions and also took questions from reporters, but the most important point was the "$500,000 fine." This was the highest amount the league was authorized to fine a team. This was the absolute core of the entire press conference. This move alone was enough to prove the league's official attitude: they would not tolerate such behavior and would give the highest level of severe punishment. This also set an example for other teams.
The American legal system is based on common law. Unless a certain law needs to be enacted as a written law due to objective environmental needs or to resolve a dispute, it only needs to be judged based on the local customs of the past. In simple terms, since a similar situation happened at the Arizona Cardinals' home stadium and the league gave them a severe punishment, if a similar situation happens in another team in the future, they will also be punished in the same way. Today, Goodell's statement at the press conference can be called the first step in making history. It was the first time that the league officially expressed its support for Lu Ke. Although getting rid of racism is a strong politically correct stance, and the league's attitude is not surprising, Goodell's step was still a bit unexpected because it was so aggressive, so bold, and so firm.
After the press conference, the aftermath was far from over. To be precise, it had just begun. After the Los Angeles Times, the New York Times also published a related article, actively joining this football storm. "Lu Ke: Who's Cheese Did He Move?" This article, from a more layman, social, and interesting perspective, broke away from the context of football and further analyzed the origin and motivation of this controversy. As a Chinese-American player, on one hand, he represents a group that has always been at a disadvantage in North America. On the other hand, he represents the rising power of China in the international market. His position in the league is extremely special, and he has touched the interests of some people and the nerves of others.
The controversy in this game is not an end but a beginning. In his future career, whether he succeeds or fails, Lu Ke will gather more attention and discussion. This is a sports event, but it is also a social event. The New York Times, which is far away from the Los Angeles Times, has a sales volume that is not as high as the Wall Street Journal and USA Today, but its authority is second to none. The powerful ability of this newspaper to guide public opinion in the United States is unmatched. Many times, other local newspapers will even write their related articles after reading the New York Times' stance. This time, the New York Times was obviously also standing behind Lu Ke. It is worth mentioning that this article in the New York Times was written by a new reporter named Emily Pover. If anyone is curious, she also graduated from UCLA.
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