A kick, a throw, a point. Clean, simple, and the extra point was secured. The zero-second drive was finally complete. The game was won! In an instant, the entire stadium erupted.
Candlestick Park had completely gone insane. Even though it was just a regular season game, and even though it was the eighth victory of the season, all the home fans still celebrated wildly. Their voices, hoarse from shouting for over four hours, still burst with incredible passion and excitement, flowing out continuously.
On the field, David Akers watched the football fly through the uprights. His focused gaze was calm and sharp, as if he had already known the result. But at this moment, he still raised his hands high, signaling a successful extra point. As he looked around the stadium, he looked like a king ruling his kingdom! He then heard the referee's whistle and saw the referee's signal, confirming Akers' guess.
Scott Tolzien, the holder, jumped up in a daze and hugged Akers tightly, shouting incoherently, "We did it! We did it!" A rush of ecstasy surged through him, and it felt as if the entire world had lit up, bubbling with excitement in that vast red ocean.
It wasn't just Akers and Scott; even Lu Ke raised his hands high, watching the referee and waiting for the call. The moment the whistle blew, all the players rushed onto the field like a tide, swarming toward Akers. That raging red tide pushed the celebration to its peak.
Lu Ke slapped Akers on the back and yelled wildly, "You're the man! God, you're the man!" In this young and spirited team, David Akers, a veteran from the special teams, was like a stabilizing force. His consistently excellent performance in every game had become a crucial part of the 49ers' comebacks. Aside from missing one field goal over fifty yards today, he had made all his other extra points and field goals, becoming the team's most reliable support. Once again, Akers had ended the game, defeating the strong New York Giants and extending their winning streak to make their season record eight wins and one loss.
More importantly: undefeated at home!
Facing Lu Ke's excitement, Akers finally relaxed from the tension of the final moments and showed a brilliant smile. He held Lu Ke's helmet with both hands and said firmly, "No, you're the man!" Akers' eyes were red as he shouted, and as he shouted, his eyes couldn't help but well up. As an undrafted rookie, a veteran who had been in the league for fourteen seasons, and a player who had spent most of his career with the Philadelphia Eagles, it wasn't an easy decision to transfer to the San Francisco 49ers.
Some people whispered behind his back, thinking he was blinded by money. Some hardcore Eagles fans even cursed him, telling him to retire because he had betrayed the team that had appreciated him.
Carrying all this, Akers silently considered himself a mercenary. This team might be the last stop of his career, just a temporary one with no ties or emotions. He would just do his job and then retire. But now, he felt the passion and the fire again. This team had swept away all the rot and decay and burst with new life, reigniting hope, the hope of making the playoffs and the hope of winning the Super Bowl. His blood was boiling again!
All of this came from the undrafted rookie in front of him, an undrafted rookie just like him, a rookie who carried the weight of racial differences and history. Even when things were tough and difficult, this rookie was unyielding and pushed forward, carving out his own space on this field. Akers could clearly feel the heart in his chest beating powerfully.
So, Akers yelled, "Bambi!" The moment the shout broke through his chest, it was as if a fresh, green seed had broken through the soil deep in his heart. He raised his right fist high and roared, "Bambi!" Not only that, but Akers also turned to his teammates, his flickering eyes sending a strong call, one after another.
Scott Tolzien also raised his right fist high, looking around eagerly and longingly for like-minded friends to join Akers in shouting the same name in unison: The man who had led them out of difficult situations and won games again and again. The man who had carved out a new world with his own two hands and feet. The man who had become a team captain as a rookie and led them to keep moving forward.
"Bambi!"
Standing in the surging crowd, Lu Ke initially thought it was a joke. But gradually, all his teammates gathered around him, one by one raising their right hands and jumping happily, as if they were at a rock concert, just enjoying the wonderful moment and losing themselves in it. And this wasn't all.
Sitting in his wheelchair, Ryan Baldwin's emotions were still surging in his chest because of this victory, and even more because of how they had won it. The magic and amazement of the last drive kept replaying in his mind. The twists and turns of the last two minutes of the game felt like two centuries, which made the victory even sweeter and more joyful. In the surging cheers of the crowd, the synchronized shouts from the field came faintly, instantly lighting up his ears. The whole world seemed to brighten up, and Ryan couldn't help but start shouting along. The emotions were so intense that he leaned forward, wanting to get closer, just a little closer.
"Bambi!" As he shouted, Ryan started crying again. He knew he was acting like a five-year-old, and his emotions had completely broken today, but he didn't care at all. He just let the tears flow freely. From today on, for him, it was a new beginning.
Jonathan heard his brother's shout and then saw Ryan, who was crying uncontrollably. As strong and stubborn as he was, his eyes also welled up. It had been a long time since he had seen his brother like this. The old Ryan used to be the most energetic person in the family. On every San Francisco 49ers game day, he would run and jump around, shouting. Even when the team was in its darkest slump and all the fans had lost hope, Ryan never gave up, just like Chris Wilson. But a sudden illness had taken all that energy away. It was only now that he felt it again!
Unconsciously, Jonathan also nodded repeatedly. The excitement in his chest was so strong that it made his chest hurt. He looked up and saw the group of Chinese fans next to him. The Asian woman wearing a number fourteen jersey had tears in her eyes, but a smile on her face. Their eyes met in the air. Even though they didn't know each other and hadn't spoken a single word, at this moment, a single look was enough. Both of them shouted the same name at the same time, "Bambi!"
One after another, the shouts gradually merged, forming a single, overwhelming roar that filled the entire Candlestick Park. The powerful shouts slammed against the players' eardrums. Everyone looked up, their faces beaming with big smiles. They jumped more joyfully and shouted more heartily. The omnipresent shouts caused the red ocean to roll with unimaginable waves. The sky, the field, the city, the ocean... everything was dyed the same color. Red.
At this moment, this was the color of San Francisco. The surging red overflowed with a boiling passion, dyeing every 49ers fan in the city red. It wasn't just Candlestick Park, but also every bar in every corner of the city, and even everyone in front of their TV sets. All the fans had stopped what they were doing to celebrate this victory, to cheer for this victory.
Red hearts, red blood, red passion, all gradually merged into a river, winding its way through every corner of the city, as if this land had been given life and had become alive.
"Bambi! Bambi! Bambi!"
Suddenly, Lu Ke's chest was filled to the brim. He was so full that he could barely breathe. He stood in the center of the world, and all he had to do was open his arms to have the whole world. Those shouts, that passion, that happiness, it was all his. God, he loved moments like this. In this passionate atmosphere, his eardrums started to vibrate violently, and so did his heart. Lu Ke showed a brilliant smile and simply put aside his modesty and humility, joining his teammates in jumping and shouting, "Bambi!" As he shouted, Lu Ke couldn't help but laugh out loud. The party atmosphere suddenly became thick. They cheered wildly, jumped wildly, and let it all out. Now, the reality of the victory sank into his heart, heavy and real. It felt as if this wasn't just a regular season game, but they had just won the Super Bowl.
Walking through the cheering, surging crowd, Lu Ke caught a glimpse of the New York Giants surrounding him. The blue jerseys seemed to be completely submerged in the red ocean, lonely and dejected. Lu Ke patted his teammate's shoulder, left the crowd, and saw the Giants' number ten player standing outside: Eli Manning. The party behind him was still going on, and Lu Ke's departure didn't affect it at all. The "Bambi" shouts in his ears were still surging, but the protagonist was standing outside. The scene was truly a mix of laughter and tears. Then, Lu Ke and Eli exchanged a look and both started to laugh at the same time.
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