Chapter 754: Unable to Refuse
"Hello, viewers, and welcome to the live broadcast of Week 2 of the 2012 NFL regular season. Today, Fox is bringing you the matchup between the San Francisco 49ers and the Detroit Lions. For the 49ers, this will be their second consecutive week facing a team that made it to the playoffs last season, and their performance in this game is highly anticipated."
In the studio, the familiar duo of Teddy and Kirk were once again providing commentary for the game.
Teddy was currently doing the intro. His style was always light-hearted with a touch of humor, trying to make the atmosphere lively. "There's still some time before the game officially starts, and we can see that a fan event is taking place at Candlestick Park."
"The lovely children on the field now are patients from the UCSF Benioff Children's Hospital, who are suffering from illnesses but are also loyal fans of the San Francisco 49ers. Today, they've not only come to Candlestick Park to watch the game but are also interacting with the team's players."
Teddy spoke with a cheerful tone, describing the scene. Kirk also joined the conversation at the right time. "I'm a little surprised that Lu Ke is such a natural with kids. He gets along with them so well, and it seems like every child wants to be around him."
"Are you sure that's surprising?" Teddy said with a meaningful hint.
Most Americans cannot tell the real age of an Asian face. During the offseason, some people joked that Lu Ke looked like a high school student and that they should check his birth certificate. However, this kind of joke couldn't be too exaggerated, or it would turn into discrimination.
So, Teddy only went so far.
Teddy turned his head and exchanged a glance with Kirk. A knowing smile appeared on both of their faces. Teddy then continued, "The thing that truly surprised me today was the special guests who attended—
Emma Watson from the Harry Potter series, top model Candice Swanepoel from Victoria's Secret, and the Golden State Warriors' fourth-year point guard Stephen Curry. They all showed up. This is a special situation that no one expected."
"Yes," Kirk also nodded in agreement. "It was not only a surprise for us but also for all the fans at the stadium. When the children entered the field, Emma and Candice each held a child's hand and walked at the front of the line, appearing on the field. The entire stadium gasped. Clearly, no one had expected this."
"And there was an even bigger surprise after that," Teddy said, leading the conversation perfectly.
Kirk followed up, "Stephen Curry held the hands of two other children and walked at the back of the line, appearing on the field. Although he's not a football player, it's clear that he also has a lot of supporters here, as he's also in the Bay Area. The crowd gave him a round of applause to show their support."
At this point, Kirk turned to Teddy and gave him a big smile. "You know what? The San Francisco 49ers are the favorite NFL team of countless professional athletes. Similarly, they also have a large number of celebrity fans in Hollywood. Everyone knows that the New England Patriots have a bunch of actors who are their fans, but once upon a time, the San Francisco 49ers were the league's star team."
"Just like the Lakers' status in the NBA?" Teddy said in a playful and teasing tone. The subtext was: the advantage of geography.
But it was a fact!
Kirk shrugged, noncommittally.
Teddy continued to joke, "So, can we look forward to the future? For example, will we see the all-star cast of the Academy Awards ceremony appear in the San Francisco 49ers' VIP suite? And will the paparazzi be waiting inside the stadium, looking for top celebrities who are secretly dating?"
Kirk chuckled. "I'm more curious about why they came."
After Joe Montana and Steve Young retired, the San Francisco 49ers fell into a long slump and slowly faded from the public eye. The so-called celebrity fans were nowhere to be seen. So, why did things suddenly change this year?
Lu Ke.
Without a doubt, this was the best answer.
Of course, winning and the increased attention were also factors, as was Randy Moss. The real answer could be complex. But ultimately, Lu Ke was the most important chemical reaction for the entire team.
However, Kirk and Teddy didn't directly state their thoughts. They just exchanged a glance, tacitly leaving the space for thinking to the audience. Everyone was bound to have their own answer, just as there are a thousand Hamlets in a thousand people. They were hoping to create another wave of discussion on social media.
"Oh, who are those two figures captured by the camera?"
"Viewers, if I'm not mistaken, the two blurry figures in the shot now are NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell and top Hollywood superstar Leonardo DiCaprio. They're talking quietly at the entrance of the player's tunnel. Wow, this game is really star-studded!"
The charity event had ended, the warm-up practice was over, and the game was about to officially start.
Emma Watson stood in the VIP suite, quietly watching the Candlestick Park in front of her. On the surface, everything seemed calm, but her body's muscles were slightly tense.
After the event, Goodell had warmly and kindly invited Emma to stay and watch a real football game. "Believe me, this is a very rare experience. Maybe it will change your perspective on this sport."
Emma had absolutely no interest in football, let alone a football game in which that guy was participating. She was avoiding him, so how could she get closer?
Initially, the word "no" was already on the tip of her tongue, but Goodell's words didn't leave her any room to maneuver.
It was well known that after finishing the filming of Harry Potter, Emma was trying to become a feminist activist, rebuild her public image, and expand her acting career. Football was undoubtedly one of the most male-dominated sports and could even be said to be very unfriendly to women, which was why they always criticized the NFL.
This time, the NFL and the San Francisco 49ers had invited Emma, hoping she would attend today's charity event, with the theme of "breaking misconceptions."
The public had many misconceptions about Hollywood, and the same could be applied to the NFL. Only by truly stepping into it could one get a glimpse of the truth. Even if it was just the tip of the iceberg. So, the league and the San Francisco 49ers, in collaboration with relevant charity organizations, hoped that Emma, as a "spokesperson for feminism," would come and witness a different side of the NFL.
Now, Goodell had brought up this topic again. Emma had no way of refusing. If she refused, a big hat would be put on her, and she would be in a disadvantageous position.
So, the word "no" had been swirling on her tongue for a while, but she ultimately bit down on it and smiled as she agreed. Deep down, however, she was cursing Goodell for being so cunning.
This time, Goodell was truly wronged.
Goodell didn't know that today's guest was Emma, nor did he know that the reason for her invitation was to break prejudices. His decision to invite Emma to stay and watch the game was just a natural progression. Who knew that he would coincidentally hit Emma's weak spot?
Now, Emma regretted it. She shouldn't have been so weak and should have refused firmly. It wasn't difficult; she just had to say that she had another work commitment, and she could have easily gotten away. But at that intense moment, her mind went blank, and she didn't think of that, foolishly agreeing.
It was all that jerk's fault!
Standing in the VIP suite, besides her, there were Roger Goodell, Leonardo DiCaprio, Leigh Steinberg, and others. She felt a little out of place. And Candice Swanepoel and Stephen Curry had gone to the stands to watch the game amidst the crowd of fans, which made her even more puzzled. She couldn't understand why they would voluntarily enter a crowded area.
Escape, escape, escape.
The voice in her mind was getting louder and louder. She was almost unable to resist the urge to flee in a panic. For the thousandth and first time, Emma regretted it. She should have refused!
Boom, boom, boom. Boom, boom, boom.
A powerful vibration faintly came through the soles of her feet. Emma couldn't help but look down at her legs. The first thought that came to her mind was "earthquake." Then she thought about it seriously: was California on an earthquake fault line?
Then, the vibration began to spread through her muscles like a ripple, and finally it erupted on her eardrums like a clap of thunder:
"We are the Niners!"
"We are warriors!"
The powerful and majestic cheering was in perfect unison with the rhythm!
From the 70,000 people inside Candlestick Park to the 80,000 people outside, and the millions of people in front of their televisions, everyone was raising their arms and shouting. The same voice was roaring from the depths of their souls, as if they could connect with each other through the shouts. Finally, it converged into a powerful and continuous force that swept in majestically.
This momentum was truly vast and powerful. It was overwhelming, like a massive wave crashing down on them. The hair on their skin began to sway slightly, creating a hurricane-like storm that powerfully announced the existence of the Niner Empire and officially opened the door to the San Francisco 49ers' home field in 2012, welcoming their guests!
At this moment, the greatness and insignificance of humanity were simultaneously on display, a contradictory yet harmonious sight that made all words pale in comparison. All they could do was look up in awe.
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