The entire league knew that Charles Davis was in trouble. On "NFL Live," Charles had actually fulfilled his bet, albeit in a clever way. There was no doubt that it had left a five-fingered handprint on Charles's face, and it would be a symbol of his humiliation for a long time.
The enlarged world map was undoubtedly a good idea, as it saved Charles from a more embarrassing situation. But this unique idea still couldn't hide the fact that Charles had been slapped in the face again and again. This fall had truly left Charles bruised and battered. This time, the "crossing the Pacific" was not on the same level as the "eating the microphone" bet from the first week, whether in terms of impact, attention, or severity. It had gone up several notches and could be considered unique among all the flashy bets in Las Vegas.
The surge in online views and program ratings was only one aspect of the event's far-reaching impact. The day after the "NFL Live" episode aired, over 150 sports media outlets reported on it, widely spreading the news of Charles's failure, his predicament, and the humiliating fulfillment of his bet. All his media colleagues couldn't wait to kick him while he was down and gossip about it. For them, Lu Ke was a talking point, but so was Charles. If necessary, they themselves could also be a talking point. In a daze, this had become the biggest—or at least one of the biggest—talking points of the 2011 season.
It was a perfect storm of hot topics: a Chinese undrafted rookie, an analyst repeatedly getting embarrassed, a shocking comeback victory, and a bizarre bet. How could this not attract attention? How could it not spark discussion? From the media to the audience, from the sports industry to the entertainment industry, and from fans to ordinary people, everyone was talking about this farce. On the one hand, Charles's downfall and predicament had become the perfect material for online entertainment. On the other hand, the name "Lu Ke-Skywalker" was now evolving into a new pop culture symbol, just like the real Star Wars movies.
First, it was the Detroit Lions, and then the New York Giants. In both of these tough matchups, Lu Ke delivered a brilliant performance and repeatedly embarrassed his haters, led by Charles. This performance had become one of the most popular topics for young people after work. Charles was facing the biggest crisis of his career and had blamed all of his misfortune on Lu Ke, creating a feud that would never die. But for Lu Ke, after the post-game interview, he had already put it out of his mind. Compared to Charles and his boring bet, as a professional athlete, Lu Ke's focus had to be on more important things.
Although the NFL was a stage for all to see, this was competitive sports, not a Hollywood show. The gossip off the field was always just a sideshow; the performance on the field and the victory of the game were the core focus. Lu Ke constantly reminded himself that all the glory came from winning. Once he started losing, the glory would disappear in a matter of minutes. As an Asian living in North America and an undrafted rookie fighting on the field, Lu Ke had an even deeper understanding of this.
But this was not an easy thing to do, especially after one victory after another, when applause and cheers poured in continuously. One moment he was bathed in the hot light of the reporters' flashbulbs, and the next, when he entered the locker room, he felt the spotlight turn on again, without any time or space to think. The frenzied adoration came rushing toward him.
Let's rewind to after the post-game interview against the New York Giants. At that time, people didn't know how Charles would fulfill his bet. They also didn't know that the ups and downs of this game had become an official recommendation from the league. They didn't even know that Lu Ke had gained countless fans through this victory.
However, even then, the 49ers players knew that even without the off-field news, Lu Ke was still a rising star on the team. Not only because he had burst onto the scene as an undrafted rookie, but also because his rise had been so fast that it was beyond everyone's imagination, to the point where he had... skyrocketed to success.
Lu Ke pushed open the door to the locker room, and in an instant, all the intense gazes from all directions rushed toward him, landing on his skin like a splash of boiling water. This caused Lu Ke to stop for a moment, and he looked at Colin Jones, who was closest to him, with a look of confusion. Jones didn't answer but raised his hands excitedly and gave Lu Ke a big thumbs-up. It seemed like he was celebrating the victory of the game, but there was a strange feeling that Lu Ke couldn't quite put his finger on. He tilted his head, unable to figure it out, and walked into the locker room in a daze. He then saw his teammates rushing toward him, their wide eyes showing a mix of admiration and envy. Giving a thumbs-up seemed to be the standard gesture. The scene was getting stranger and stranger.
Logan and Marcus rushed up, one after the other, forcefully bumping into Lu Ke's shoulders and slapping his back, as if they were beating him up. This made Lu Ke yell in pain and shake off their hands. "Hey! Hey, you two! Do you have ADD?" ADD is Attention Deficit Disorder. But the two of them didn't care at all. They surrounded him from the left and right. "Spill it! When did this happen? We didn't hear a thing!" "Exactly! You did this behind our backs! You scared the hell out of us!" "Tell us, tell us, how did you two meet? Was it a pickup at a bar? Hahahaha." "He actually came to the game today. Your relationship must be something special. You've been hiding it from us for so long. You have to treat us today, you have to treat us. Tell us, if we invite him to a bar with us, will he refuse?" "Let's try, let's try. Wait, are you guys planning to meet in private? What do you say, can I join?" "Me too, me too!" "Let's all go to the bar together, all of us."
The incoherent chatter didn't help at all. The questions were not answered, and he became even more confused. Lu Ke had to raise his right hand and hit both of them on the forehead. As he watched the two of them grimace and rub their heads, Lu Ke spread his hands. "What are you talking about? Can someone explain?"
At that moment, Aldon Smith also walked past Lu Ke with a look of surprise. His eyes were about to pop out of his head. He then gave Lu Ke a thumbs-up with both hands, stuck out his tongue exaggeratedly, and yelled in a deep voice, "Swag!" He also did a dramatic squat, mimicking the cool walking style of a hip-hop artist, but his knees went weak, and he almost fell, looking like a clown.
Looking at the ridiculous Aldon, Logan and Marcus laughed heartily, not giving him any face. But Lu Ke couldn't laugh. He pointed at Aldon. "What's that all about? And you two!" "It's Leo, Leonardo DiCaprio, don't you know?" Logan's explanation came out, without a beginning or end, and still didn't explain the situation. But it was no longer necessary, because the person in question appeared in Lu Ke's line of sight, instantly answering all his questions while also creating more.
With Sophie Brook by his side, Leonardo walked toward him with a big smile. On the other side were Colin Kaepernick and Michael Crabtree, and a few other players were following a few steps behind, creating a formation of stars surrounding the moon.
People always say that sports and entertainment are a family, and there are many similarities between competitive sports and the entertainment industry. They all live under the spotlight, stand on a stage to win over the audience with their performances, and earn money through their performances while also trying to win over sponsors. Also, they are all the focus of attention on TV, in newspapers, and in new media.
But in reality, there isn't as much overlap between the two industries as one might think. Most of the time, they are two separate fields that have nothing to do with each other. Actors might support their teams, and players might like different actors. So, when an actor and an athlete are in the same place, it's quite a lively scene.
In this 49ers team, there were no A-list superstars. Patrick Willis and Vernon Davis were the most famous players in the league. But on the other hand, Leonardo DiCaprio was a global superstar. From Titanic to Inception, he was definitely one of the most well-known actors.
So, all the previous scenes were explained. No wonder all the players were so excited. No wonder everyone was so emotional and jumping up and down. After winning a tough game, a world-famous superstar actor visiting the locker room to congratulate them in person—what could be more exciting than that?
But the question was, why? Why was everyone giving Lu Ke a thumbs-up? And why was Leonardo in the locker room? If Lu Ke remembered correctly, Leonardo was a Los Angeles Lakers fan and didn't know much about football. So, what was going on? Just then, Sophie also noticed Lu Ke, stopped, and gave a professional and polite smile. "Welcome back, our hero. We have a distinguished guest here today."
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