Chapter 1057: Gritting Teeth
"Get out!"
"Get out of here!"
"You disgusting piece of trash who's nothing but talk!"
"If you dare to talk nonsense here, I'll make sure you don't go back!"
"Shameless!"
"Asshole!"
Fans on both sides of the player tunnel hurled insults at the Seattle Seahawks players. After they witnessed the entire incident, losing the game, Sherman and Chancellor were still spewing trash talk, continuously challenging their bottom line. The anger was no longer controllable. A torrent of curses poured down like a summer thunderstorm, rumbling through the entire tunnel.
The Seahawks players, after all, didn't dare to stay for too long. They didn't even have time to talk big and collectively scurried back to the away locker room.
The physical confrontation did not end up escalating.
Even so, in the subsequent press conference, both teams were still spitting fire and refused to back down, as if releasing all the anger that had been suppressed.
The members of the Legion of Boom were the first to face the media.
As a powerhouse defense that had risen to prominence this year, the Legion of Boom had received countless praises during the regular season. It was not an exaggeration to say they got whatever they wanted. But in the three games they faced Lu Ke in the regular season and playoffs, they completely lost their momentum, and their performance was terrible. How could the media reporters let them off so easily?
Every reporter was trying their best to provoke these players to create more sensational headlines. Questions about Lu Ke, about this loss, and about "minimum Score" came one after another, as they continuously changed their methods to create a tense atmosphere.
Brandon Browner and Earl Thomas's personalities were relatively low-key and reserved. Even when faced with the reporters' provocations, they were able to remain calm.
Browner simply said calmly, "The team that performed better today won the game." Thomas's response was a bit more sullen, "After the game, we have a lot of work to do. Our defense had some mistakes and some bright spots. We should look toward the future."
Neither of them directly answered the sharp questions. Instead, they dodged them. After losing the game, they clearly didn't want to cause more trouble. But Kam Chancellor and Richard Sherman, the two hot-headed players, were like powder kegs, igniting with the slightest spark, especially with the reporters fanning the flames.
Chancellor directly gave the reporters the middle finger and cursed, "Fuck Lu Ke! Fuck minimum Score! Why don't you say that Lu Ke is racist? Didn't you see how he provoked us during the game? He's a two-faced bitch."
The entire interview was pretty much like this. There was no need to repeat it, as it was full of vulgar language and had no meaning. This made it very difficult for the reporters. They couldn't report or broadcast it. If they removed all the sensitive words, it would become a bland article. Was there even a need to report it then?
The only good thing was that Chancellor had made his stance clear.
Sherman responded with a face full of disdain, and his trash talk was non-stop. "He's just an arrogant, self-righteous pretty boy. Everyone thinks he's a positive little guy. You all think he's an innocent and kind angel, but I know what he said. He's constantly provoking our players, like a garbage truck full of trash."
"What do I think? I think he's a coward who didn't dare to throw many passes my way the entire game. He's clearly scared but still acts tough. If he has the guts, when we face each other next season, remember to throw the ball my way the entire game. I'll show him what minimum Score is. Two interceptions, understand? That's my minimum Score!"
"If you want to keep kissing his ass, I don't care! But don't use me to highlight his greatness and height. In my opinion, he's just a clown who used race to build his image. What, now you're allowed to criticize black people, but we're not allowed to criticize Asians?"
"Get out! Don't mention minimum Score in front of me again! I'm not his bitch! If you want to lie down, just do it yourself! Don't bring us into it! I'm not interested in group activities!"
Sherman was still Sherman. He was full of arrogance, untamed, and looked down on everyone. Even though he lost the game, he still held his head high and refused to admit defeat.
And when the same questions were thrown at the San Francisco 49ers, the hot-headed players also didn't hold back their emotions.
"They are just a bunch of clowns! It was like this last time, and it's like this again this time. They lost the game, but they are still not convinced, and they want to settle things with their fists! They're just sore losers! If they want to fight in a boxing ring, I'm ready! I'm telling you, whether it's on the field or in the ring, I will crush you! Crush you!"
The above words came from Logan. Sherman had insulted Julia Newnam in the player tunnel, which completely enraged Logan. He didn't care that it was a press conference. He just let his anger out.
And Michael Crabtree was also dissatisfied. "Can someone tell me what happened? If the league has any complaints about our team, they can just say it! Why did no one mention Earl Thomas's malicious foul during the game? He was clearly trying to injure Ted Ginn. What is going on? When did the league change the rules to boxing rules? Why didn't I know?"
"After the game, they insulted our players and our families in the player tunnel, and then the referees came and told us to calm down? Told us to maintain order? My God, are they deaf? Those guys are spewing garbage. They constantly provoke us on our home field. After losing the game, they started throwing punches. Is no one going to punish them?" Crabtree was also furious and passionately expressed his opinion. "God damn it!"
In addition to them, there were also Randy Moss, Ginn, Patrick Willis, Quinton Patton, and so on. The entire 49ers team was unprecedentedly united. Even a peaceful player like David Akers stepped up and expressed strong dissatisfaction with the Seahawks' terrible actions on and off the field.
This was not the first time. It was clear that this would not be the last time.
When Lu Ke was asked about the related issues, he didn't fly into a rage. Instead, he remained calm, or even terrifyingly calm. "I will compile the relevant situation into a report, including videos and written forms, and submit it to the league through the NFL Players Association to ask for a reasonable explanation. This matter is not over!"
He was going to fight to the end!
Since the Seattle Seahawks had already lost face, losing both the game and their dignity, there was no need for him to leave them any room.
Protesting to the league through the NFLPA involved two aspects. One was internal pressure from the NFLPA, and the other was external pressure on the league, expressing the team's firm stance.
In reality, everyone knows that trash talk and dirty words are unavoidable on and off the field. It's impossible to punish every player who says trash talk. Lu Ke also understood this. Even if the opponent's words involved racism, the final punishment might just be a warning or a small fine, which was basically meaningless.
Lu Ke did this only to emphasize their stance. This matter would absolutely not be taken lightly. Seeking justice through official channels was just for show. The real confrontation would be in their next matchup, and he would not let them off so easily like he did in this game.
This was a survival skill he learned as a second-generation immigrant. They need to learn to use the weapons of unions or laws to voice their opinions. Only by making their voices heard can they create more waves and win more living space for themselves.
In addition, Lu Ke's straightforward and aggressive attitude was also a warning to the media: this matter was over. He had already stated his attitude and stance, and there was no need to keep asking questions. Otherwise, things would get ugly. He didn't want the media to drag Julia into this again. She was Logan's sister, and she was also his sister.
As expected, the subsequent developments unfolded as Lu Ke had predicted.
Lu Ke submitted a complaint through official channels. The 49ers also gave their full support through their official stance. And the vast number of fans also launched an online voting campaign to show their support. The powerful momentum completely settled the matter.
In the end, the league officially added a punishment for Earl Thomas's serious foul and also punished Richard Sherman and Kam Chancellor for their provocative behavior off the field.
The so-called punishments were not severe. They were a written warning and a fine. If they did it again, they might face a suspension. But what was important was not the punishment result but the league's official attitude. In the confrontation off the field, the 49ers once again defeated the Seahawks.
The Seahawks fans, the 12s, were furious and gritted their teeth. They started to condemn Lu Ke on the internet, calling him "insidious and cunning" and accusing him of being a snake who cleverly used the rules to set traps. They said he looked like those hated "Suits"—a term specifically used to refer to Wall Street elites who wore suits to work.
Clearly, the 12s were trying to create class conflict and make a bigger fuss by using a deceptive tactic to rally other netizens to collectively oppose Lu Ke.
But this time, their plan was bound to fail.
A netizen immediately started to complain on the internet, "Didn't Bambi beat you on the field, and then you, as sore losers, started a fight off the field, and then Bambi tamed you off the field again? Don't you guys have any sense of the logical order of things?"
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