In just four weeks, Lu Ke was already in his element in the locker room. The little joke revealed a lot of information. The reporters on-site were smart people and could clearly feel that the young San Francisco 49ers team's internal atmosphere was gradually becoming more harmonious.
This was especially rare for a Chinese-American player.
"Bambi, a question please! You fought until the end of the game, but the team unfortunately lost. Do you have any special thoughts on that?" The first to ask was Jay Fox, a familiar face, who even winked at Lu Ke playfully. Lu Ke looked at him with a disgusted expression, and Jay rolled his eyes in exasperation.
Lu Ke contained his smile and wiped the sweat from his forehead. "For an undrafted rookie, the NFL is really not friendly enough?" He ended with a rising tone, asking a rhetorical question that made the reporters laugh.
"A loss is never easy, especially one that was so close. We are a very young team, and it's clear we have a lot of work to do to avoid you all asking me the same question at the end of the next game. I probably won't be able to joke about it then."
Lu Ke answered sincerely, his serious tone laced with witty humor, and the reporters laughed again.
"Skywalker, a question! The offensive line's performance today was still not good enough. For the second consecutive game, you faced constant hits and sacks. What are your thoughts on that?"
"Uh, wait, are we all just going to ignore the 'Skywalker' thing? What's going on here? Are you a 'Star Wars' fan?" Lu Ke didn't rush to answer the question but chuckled with a grin, casting a questioning look at the other reporters.
The reporter who asked the question, Harry Wayans, worked for one of America's most influential sports magazines, "Sports Illustrated."
"Sports Illustrated" had a weekly readership of over 23 million and over three million subscribers. Every week, 20% of American men read this magazine, and its influence was second to none. Also, their "Swimsuit Issue" had become a cultural phenomenon. Every year, the magazine also named a Sportsman of the Year, similar to "People Magazine's" Person of the Year.
As the most professional and influential sports magazine in the industry, "Sports Illustrated" sent reporters to every game, and of course, they would not miss the San Francisco 49ers. However, Lu Ke's sudden emergence had not garnered enough attention from them.
At the beginning of every season, when teams were at their strongest, it was normal for a few outstanding rookies or veterans to have a resurgence. Moreover, from the magazine's editor-in-chief's perspective, Lu Ke's popularity was more or less due to his Chinese-American identity, and the league was heavily promoting him for political correctness.
This kind of popularity was just an illusion. As the season progressed, the dark horses would eventually fade and return to mediocrity.
However, after the game last week, the nickname "Skywalker" became one of the hottest topics on social media. At the same time, after a three-game winning streak, Lu Ke had become a central figure comparable to Aaron Rodgers, perfectly replicating the trajectory of Kurt Warner's sudden emergence.
"Sports Illustrated" could no longer ignore him, so veteran reporter Harry came to Philadelphia to interview this popular undrafted rookie quarterback up close.
Facing Lu Ke's question, Harry smiled confidently. "I thought we were all using nicknames for interviews now. It's a very common thing in sports. The only surprising thing is that your career has only been four games, and you already have so many nicknames. It's clear you're getting a lot of attention."
Lu Ke didn't like Harry's tone.
It was filled with a sense of condescending superiority and arrogance. It might not have been racism, but it was clear that his contempt for rookies, especially undrafted rookies, was coming through in every word, sounding sharp and grating to the listener.
In fact, this was not uncommon. In the world of sports, where ability is king, rookies who lack self-proof and recognition of their skills are always under scrutiny. They have to constantly prove themselves, and Lu Ke was just one of over 300 rookies.
So, Lu Ke didn't get angry. He spoke in a loud, neither humble nor arrogant voice, "If you can pronounce my name correctly, I would prefer that you use the proper address, sir." He was smiling and polite, but his words showed no retreat or compromise. He was expressing his opinion forthrightly.
Harry chuckled, his eyebrows slightly raised in surprise, and then continued with interest, "What if I don't know your name?" This was a clear provocation.
But Lu Ke smiled instead of getting angry. "That's not a problem for me. I can introduce myself. But as a reporter, I have to start questioning your professionalism and authority if you didn't even do your homework before the interview. I believe my face isn't that hard to distinguish."
After Wang Kai of the Buffalo Bills was put on the injured list, Lu Ke was now the only Chinese-American player in the entire league. His face was clearly his best calling card.
Lu Ke met the provocation with a firm response. His composure and wisdom made Harry pause, as he had not expected such a calm and measured counterattack from this rookie.
After answering, Lu Ke ignored Harry and turned to the other reporters. "I didn't know I had other nicknames now. Can someone explain?"
A reporter next to him quickly explained the buzz on the internet, which made Lu Ke laugh helplessly. "It's like a scene from my middle school days all over again. Everyone had the same misunderstanding, but 'Lu' is my last name. However, I now understand the powerful influence 'Star Wars' has on American culture."
"Bambi, the offensive line still made a lot of mistakes today. You were hit 13 times throughout the game, and the blindside protection was especially poor. What are your thoughts on that?"
It wasn't Harry, but another reporter asked the same question, which was the focus of all the reporters' curiosity. The offensive line is crucial for any quarterback. But when the offensive line is in poor shape, even the four elite quarterbacks, or a running quarterback, can't sustain a good performance.
"It means we still have room for improvement, which I think is a good thing. We just had a great start to the season, and we don't want this to be our peak. Otherwise..." Otherwise, the rest of the season would be a downhill slide. Even though he didn't finish the sentence, the meaning was clear. Lu Ke responded to the question in an honest yet humorous way, and he didn't start a war in the locker room. This kind of response once again surprised people.
"A question, please. The team still lost this week. If the coaching staff decides to replace you with Alex Smith or Colin Kaepernick as the starting quarterback, what are your thoughts?"
Looking at the source of the question, it was Harry again. His aggressive stance was undisguised, cornering Lu Ke with one question after another.
"So, after your analysis of the game, the responsibility for the team's loss lies with me, and that's why you've made this judgment?" Lu Ke didn't answer but countered with a question. Harry's brow furrowed slightly. He was about to retort "no," that it wasn't his point.
But Lu Ke didn't give him a chance, cutting off Harry's next words. He said directly, "If the coaching staff makes that decision, I can only go back to training and prove my ability, hoping to get back to the starting position." It was a standard, unsurprising answer.
Then, the tone of his words changed, revealing his aggressive side. "Otherwise, what is this reporter expecting? For me to get into a fight with the coaching staff? Or to get into a fight with the other quarterbacks? I know football is a tough, confrontational sport, but I don't know since when football and boxing became the same sport."
As Lu Ke spoke, all the reporters' eyes shifted to Harry. For reporters, they needed headlines and sensationalism. Not only would they not protect their colleagues, but they would also continue to add fuel to the fire and watch the show from the sidelines.
Even though Harry was a seasoned veteran, he was a little surprised at this moment, but he didn't panic. He said loudly, "You know that's not what I meant."
"That's good." Lu Ke cut in on the topic, again stopping Harry from asking or defending himself. Then, with a smile on his face, he turned to the other reporters. "Any other questions?"
Harry was left to the side, his face a little stiff.
"Bambi, what did you and Vick talk about after the game?"
"What are your thoughts on the next game?"
"In today's game, your two connections with Crabtree and Ginn were excellent passes. What do you think about Ginn's performance?"
...
The questions kept coming for nearly 20 minutes before the reporters were finally satisfied and let Lu Ke leave. All the reporters stayed behind, organizing their interview materials and discussing their views on the game with lighthearted expressions.
Standing in the crowd, Jay had been watching Harry.
Harry had been watching Lu Ke for a long time, his expression meaningful. He didn't ask any more questions. When the Q&A session was over, he quietly turned and left. Jay didn't like Harry's questioning style, nor his method of fabricating news. It was as if... he would do anything for ratings, headlines, and sensationalism.
That's not what news should be.
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