The silence was deafening. People looked at each other, their heads hung low in defeat.
The atmosphere in "Joe's Bar" was heavy and somber. The bitterness of falling short and the frustration of a game-winning score were so overwhelming, weighing heavily on everyone's chests, making it almost impossible to breathe. Failure always seems to have the power to destroy everything.
"A bunch of idiots! A bunch of cowards! A bunch of losers!" a voice suddenly rang out, breaking the silence and depression in the bar. Everyone instinctively looked over and saw it was Jonathan Baldwin standing in the center. His thin body was bursting with incredible energy.
"Are we cowards who can only accept victory and not bear defeat? Failure is a part of sports. If you only like to win and refuse to admit defeat, you will never improve. You'll just be a Snow White living in an ivory tower!" Jonathan stood there, calmly meeting everyone's gaze. "We are the 49ers. For the past eight years, we have been used to losing! But today, today is different!"
Jonathan pointed to the TV on the wall. "In today's team, I not only saw the light of victory, but I also saw them fight until the very last second! How long has it been since we saw that stubbornness and determination to never give up and refuse to lose? Yes, we lost, but we can hold our heads high and tell everyone that this is sports. We can handle losing because we will win again!"
Turning around, Jonathan walked quickly to Cliff Hart and pulled up the large banner. "Guys, what's more important is that we have a leader, a real leader! Did you see it? Did you see Bambi's performance on the field? Even when he was hit again and again, even when his teammates made mistakes again and again, he never gave up. He gritted his teeth and led the entire team to fight until the very last second!"
"Can he become our second Joe Montana? I don't know, but I know that he is a 49er, a 49er with red and gold blood flowing in his veins! I don't care if he's an undrafted rookie. I don't care if he's a Chinese-American player. I don't even care if he never started a game in college. All I know is that he deserves my respect and my support!"
"This is the first time in eight years that we have seen hope for the playoffs! So, I won't be discouraged, and I won't be angry. I will hold my chin up, chug the beer in my glass, and go to the airport to welcome our warriors back! Let's cheer for our warriors! Let's tell that young man that he has my support! I am willing to follow him and take a chance!"
Jonathan Baldwin, the same Jonathan who had been pouring cold water on them for the past three weeks, the same Jonathan who had been sarcastic and mocking, was now the first to stand up. He held the "King of the Bay" banner high and expressed his support and recognition with firm and passionate words.
Those simple words, without the embellishment of complicated adjectives, made Jeff Locke's blood boil. He thought back to the last two games in college. He thought back to those moments of survival again and again. He also thought back to Lu Ke's leadership in the clutch.
In just six games, in just ten months, Jeff truly witnessed Lu Ke's rise. Every step was solid and exciting. At this moment, Jeff's soul was trembling slightly. He could clearly see the 49ers' brand slowly being etched, because of Lu Ke, and because of the San Francisco 49ers that Lu Ke led!
"Bambi!" Jeff jumped up excitedly and raised his right hand. No more words were needed; this was enough.
Then, Danny Rees, Nate Chandler, Chris Wilson, and others all stood up, shouting the same name, "Bambi!" The nickname that represented innocence and gentleness was now filled with passion and hope, connecting everyone and making them feel the resonance deep within their hearts.
Cliff carefully raised the banner. Noah walked forward knowingly, pulling the banner and waving it hard, then they all shouted in unison, "Bambi! Bambi! Bambi!"
Gradually, the gloomy atmosphere in the bar began to dissipate, and the gurgling enthusiasm and excitement started to heat up. In the end, everyone stood up, everyone joined the cheering, and everyone roared wildly. The loud and powerful shouts echoed throughout the entire bar.
Chris raised his beer glass. His throat was already hoarse, but he didn't care. He yelled with all his might, "For Bambi!" Then, he tilted his head back and poured all the beer in the glass down his throat. Finally, he slammed the glass on the bar, making a dull sound.
"For Bambi!" Everyone in the bar raised their glasses, even Anthony behind the bar. Then, everyone tilted their heads back at the same time and drank all the beer in their glasses, slamming them on the table one after another. The "bang" sounds were continuous, like a rumbling drum.
"Let's go!" Danny was the first to step out. "We're going to the airport now!"
After saying that, Danny was ready to leave the bar, and everyone else followed him. But Anthony still had a bit of sense. "Wait!" He stopped everyone in time. "It's a six-hour flight back from Philadelphia. The team still has to do interviews and relax after the game. It will probably be in the middle of the night when they arrive in San Francisco."
"Then...then what do we do?" Danny was also confused. He had completely forgotten about that.
Anthony pondered for a moment, his eyes scanning the familiar faces in the bar, which reminded him of the years when his father was running the bar. "How about this? Everyone goes home first, checks in with their families, and gathers all the fans you know. Once we confirm the team's arrival time at the airport, we'll all go together and welcome our heroes home!"
"The team needs to be united, and the fans need to be united too! Tonight, let's reignite the 49ers' flame in this city!" Anthony's simple words made everyone's blood boil. So, Danny was the first to roar, "Ahhh!" The other fans also followed with their howls. That surging passion reawakened the heat of summer.
For the first time, San Francisco once again heard the same call. The football market, which had been dormant for eight years, was reawakened after a loss, bursting with a long-lost fighting spirit!
After leaving Lincoln Financial Field, before meeting the reporters, Lu Ke first saw Leigh.
Leigh was standing at the entrance of the players' tunnel, leaning on his cane. It seemed he had been waiting for a while. Under his gaze, Logan, Marcus, and the others all greeted him and continued on, leaving some space for Lu Ke and his agent.
"Are you okay?" This was Leigh's first question. The two sacks in today's game were truly brutal, even tougher than the previous week.
Lu Ke couldn't help but smile.
To have an agent who was constantly worried about him was something Lu Ke was still not used to, to be honest. But after their conversation last week, Lu Ke knew that Leigh's concern was genuine. So, he put away his smile, nodded seriously, and met Leigh's gaze. "Yes, I'm fine. I'll get a massage to relax a bit later. I'll probably need some recovery training tomorrow."
Leigh didn't speak immediately. He looked intently into Lu Ke's eyes before nodding in relief. "Remember to call home. Your mother is worried sick."
During the game, after Leigh confirmed the latest status with the team doctor, he immediately called Jiang Youning to update her on the situation. After the game, Leigh also called Jiang Youning again to confirm Lu Ke's status. But, he was an outsider, and Jiang Youning would definitely want to receive a call from Lu Ke himself.
After speaking, Leigh didn't linger. He turned and left.
Lu Ke, standing where he was, couldn't help but laugh. "Nothing else?"
"We can talk about other things on the flight back. You go and do the interviews first." Leigh's steps didn't slow down as he walked unhurriedly out of the players' tunnel.
Lu Ke chuckled, then started walking. He could see a bustling crowd of reporters scattered everywhere, interviewing all the key players of the San Francisco 49ers. Almost every player had three or four reporters in front of them. The entire space was filled with two or three hundred people, and the scene was very lively.
Noticing Lu Ke's appearance, the reporters immediately surrounded him. The group of about 15 to 20 reporters swarmed in like a tide, instantly swallowing Lu Ke. Countless voice recorders and microphones were pushed forward, almost hitting Lu Ke's head. The relentless scene was like a battlefield.
"Quiet, quiet. One question at a time, or I can't hear anything." Thinking about it made Lu Ke laugh. After he spoke to quiet them down, the commotion finally subsided a bit. Patrick Willis, who was standing not far away, joked loudly, "Oh, Bambi, you're hot! Truly hot!"
This playful remark was not a mockery but a joke between friends. It made the other players join in the teasing. Someone in the corner even shouted, "I only have two reporters here, Bambi. Can you spare me some?"
"Are you envious of Bambi's good looks now? That's a natural advantage. Just accept your fate; you'll be ugly for life," Logan's teasing came next, and everyone clapped and laughed.
"Hey, Patrick, if you want to, why don't you come over here? I'll go take an ice bath. We can trade places," Lu Ke responded loudly. He then saw Patrick's expression of wanting to get away as fast as possible, and he fled.
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