After witnessing such a dramatic game, the magic of the zero-second drive, and the incredible comeback from the brink of defeat, no one was an exception. Every fan in the stadium was cheering, celebrating, shouting, and jumping wildly. This included the five hundred Chinese spectators who were watching a football game live for the first time.
In this moment, they didn't care that this was a completely unfamiliar sport, because they truly felt the passion, intelligence, and intensity of the game. They didn't care that this was a sport far removed from them, because on that field, there was a player with hair, eyes, and skin similar to theirs, who had become one with all the spectators in the stadium.
This was a starting point, and it was a perfect one! This brilliant, hard-fought game, a classic that left a strong mark on the 2011 season, became the catalyst for the Chinese community to truly embrace the San Francisco 49ers and the starting point for the Chinese community to truly embrace the sport of football. In this moment, they truly felt the pulse of the city. Race, culture, gender, age, class—all the boundaries had been completely blurred. A victory, a breathtaking victory, had connected them all.
Jiang Younning turned around and saw the familiar and unfamiliar faces around her. They were holding up signs and cheering tirelessly. Even though the game was over and the players were leaving the field one after another, their enthusiasm hadn't waned at all. They were all shouting the same name: Bambi. That was her son, the hero of this team, and the pride of this city!
A brilliant smile bloomed on Jiang Younning's face. After the roller coaster of the final moments ended, the tension instantly eased, leaving her a little lost. Her nose suddenly tingled. But this emotional fluctuation only lasted for a moment. Then, Jiang Younning raised her hands high and joined in the cheering and shouting. Today, they had won a difficult victory, so it was a time for celebration, and she was willing to join this big party.
Turning around, Jiang Younning saw the young man sitting in the wheelchair next to her. Or rather, a young man, because of his illness, his face was a little pale, but now it was flushed with an unnatural excitement. It was hard to tell his exact age, but his face showed a similar excitement and passion.
Jiang Younning clenched her fists, waved them twice, and shouted, "Touchdown!" The young man also laughed and shouted back, "Touchdown!" In this back-and-forth, a bridge of understanding was built between the fans. Everything was so simple, as if they were comrades who had fought side by side. Now that the battle had finally been won, a special bond had been formed between them.
The young man shouted, "My name is Ryan Baldwin. I'm a 49er. What about you?"
Jiang Younning was slightly stunned. This was a strange question, but the answer wasn't difficult. "My name is Anne Jiang, and I'm a 49er too." Then, Jiang Younning noticed Ryan's gaze was on the people behind her, looking at them with curiosity. There was no malice, only friendly goodwill.
Jiang Younning immediately understood. "What do you think? It's not common to see a large group of unfamiliar faces here, is it?" Among the Chinese community, although not many people liked football, there were some, like Li Monian. But they were still a minority, and even fewer came to watch games live. A large group like today was rare, which was why the home team's official announcement at the beginning of the game was so special.
Jiang Younning moved closer and said again, "They are all 49ers too. Today is their first day as 49ers." With that, Jiang Younning gave a big smile. Ryan also laughed along. "Welcome to the club. We are always willing to welcome new friends with open arms."
Besides, today was a new beginning for Ryan too. After a long time, he had finally rejoined this big family in a happy way. "After we leave the stadium, we're going to a bar to sit down and enjoy this victory. How about it, would you like to join us?" Ryan extended a friendly invitation.
Jiang Younning paused for a moment and showed a strange expression. Just as Ryan thought she was being too presumptuous, Jiang Younning continued, "Do you mean all of us? There are five hundred of us! Is there a bar in San Francisco that can hold five hundred people?"
Ryan laughed heartily. He liked this woman. "For fans, don't say five hundred people, five thousand people is no problem. I know a bar that can only hold less than a hundred people, but it's one of the most loyal 49ers' strongholds. If we can't fit inside, we can stand outside. The whole street is our territory. We can just enjoy a beer." After a pause, Ryan added, "There, all you need is a 49ers jersey to get a warm welcome from everyone." He pointed to Jonathan, who was standing behind him, and Jonathan's group of friends—the young college fans. "We're all going to that bar later. If you're interested, we'd be happy for you to join us."
Jiang Younning didn't hesitate and nodded enthusiastically. "Of course, why not?" For the Chinese community, they needed to leave their own circles and truly integrate into the city. Perhaps football could be an opportunity, just like today, where the victory of this game had become the best bridge of friendship.
"By the way, who is your favorite player?" Ryan suddenly remembered this and asked out of curiosity. After he got sick, he hadn't bought a jersey in a long time. The last time he went to a merchandise store was years ago. Today, Ryan was wearing Joe Montana's 1992 season jersey.
Jiang Younning didn't say anything but proudly tugged at her jersey, showing the number on the front to Ryan: fourteen. It was a number fourteen jersey. Ryan suddenly understood and realized he had asked a stupid question, but he then continued, "Actually, I was just about to buy a number fourteen jersey too. God, his performance today was just too brilliant..."
"Right, right, you think so too?" Li Monian, who was standing next to them, interjected without warning, and then shouted loudly, "Number fourteen!" And all the fans around them started to howl. They had become friends without saying a word. This was also a starting point.
Another regular season week had ended, another hard-fought comeback victory, and another tough matchup between two strong teams. First, they defeated the Detroit Lions, breaking their undefeated streak. Then, they defeated the New York Giants, laughing last in the matchup between the second and tied-third ranked teams in the league. Whether it was the close score of 28-27 or the zero-second drive at the end, the San Francisco 49ers had undoubtedly become the focus of the league again after this week's game.
In a way, the 49ers were even more of a topic of conversation than the undefeated Green Bay Packers. Everyone knew the defending champion Packers would be strong this year, but the 49ers were an underdog story that shocked everyone. The various topics surrounding this team were all incredibly exciting. After the game, Lu Ke had undoubtedly become the focus of the news media again. Unknowingly, the 49ers' record had reached eight wins and one loss. They were very, very close to making the playoffs for the first time in eight years. For the team and for the rookie quarterback, this was definitely a rare and huge breakthrough, quickly surpassing this game and becoming the center of attention.
"Bambi, if you can keep winning for the next two games, the San Francisco 49ers will have a long-awaited ten-win season and, because of the head-to-head record in the division, will likely secure a playoff spot ahead of time. Do you have any special thoughts on this?"
In the NFL, there was an unwritten standard for making the playoffs, and the minimum standard was ten wins. First, it was rare for teams with an eight-and-eight or nine-and-seven record to make the playoffs. Second, it was also not very common for ten-win teams to miss the playoffs. Therefore, reporters always liked to use ten wins as a watershed to simply and crudely divide the playoff picture. Of course, the specific playoff analysis was naturally more complex and tedious, and it also had to be judged according to the different situations of each season and each division.
This year, in the NFC West, the San Francisco 49ers had shown an absolutely dominant stance. Currently, the Seattle Seahawks and the Arizona Cardinals both had a three-and-six record, and the St. Louis Rams had a two-and-seven record. They couldn't pose any effective threat to the 49ers. As the reporter said, with seven weeks left in the regular season, the 49ers were far ahead. As long as they got two more wins to reach ten wins, they could safely secure a playoff spot. If they wanted to have home-field advantage in the playoffs or a better seed, then the more wins, the better.
If nothing unexpected happened, the 49ers would likely be the first team in the league to lock up a playoff spot. Because the undefeated Green Bay Packers still had to face the fierce challenge of their divisional rival, the Detroit Lions. Their chances of making the playoffs were infinitely high, but not a hundred percent guaranteed. So, after defeating the Giants, the reporters couldn't wait to start looking ahead to the 49ers' playoff situation.
But for Lu Ke, this question was truly unexpected. It was only the tenth week of the regular season. The team hadn't discussed this topic at all. The players were only talking about it privately as a joke, and no one was taking it seriously. He didn't expect the reporters to be so impatient.
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