The preseason is over.
The San Francisco 49ers ended their preseason campaign with a loss in four games. To make matters worse, rookie quarterback Colin Kaepernick finally found some touch in the fourth game. Although he contributed He threw two interceptions, but also completed a passing touchdown and a running touchdown. His performance finally recovered, but he suffered a concussion at the last moment and was forced to sit out for at least four games.
The nightmare that belongs to the San Francisco 49ers still seems to be unfinished. First, Alex Smith was injured before the preseason, and then Colin Kaepernick was concussed before the start of the regular season. In the end, the team had to use backup options. The quarterback Lu Ke has been pushed into the main position. Otherwise, the team will be in the embarrassing situation of having no quarterback available.
In the midst of the chaos, in order to avoid the possibility of Lu Ke being injured again, the San Francisco 49ers had to adjust the team's 53-man roster, released a wide receiver, and then temporarily signed a backup quarterback again.
There are currently not many quarterbacks to choose from in the market. In desperation, they chose Scott Tolsin, also an undrafted rookie from the University of Wisconsin, to serve as Lu Ke's substitute. Four quarterbacks were stocked, but two were injured and the other two were undrafted rookies. The San Francisco 49ers are in dire straits.
As a result, the NFL officially confirmed that Lu Ke from UCLA will become the first Asian player in NFL history to officially step on the league field and officially serve as a starter. Yes, not only among Chinese Americans, but even among Asian Americans more generally, this is still the first to make history.
After the San Francisco 49ers made the official announcement, the league immediately released headlines.
This is an unprecedented first in football history, almost as much as half a century ago when black players took to the field for the first time and became a starting player. Even now, in 2011, the news is even more sensational——
In various team sports such as football, basketball, volleyball, hockey, ice hockey, and baseball, Asian and even Chinese players are still at a disadvantage, but they have more or less become part of the professional arena. Even in ice hockey, which is even less popular, Asian players can be found in professional leagues in Canada and the United States.
However, as the largest football team in North America, its dominance far exceeds that of baseball, which is ranked second, and ice hockey, which is ranked third. In the professional football field, there has never been an Asian player starting the game. Until today, history has finally been rewritten.
Although offensive tackle Wang Kai, a Chinese-American player, entered the league last year, he was not able to start, and even the number of rotations was very limited. It is different from the current situation!
The first starting Chinese-American player in NFL history is about to debut; and, he is also a quarterback. The undisputed and absolute protagonist on the football field is not the special team or the defensive team, but the 100% ace star position, the quarterback.
Maybe, he might be a shooting star, unable to last even one game, and then get injured; maybe, he might be a disaster, the game is a complete mess, and he has no ability to fight at all; maybe, he might be a gimmick, It is a chess piece used by the San Francisco 49ers and the NFL to promote the Chinese and Asian markets. It sounds nice, but in reality it has no meaning.
But, no matter what, this is the moment in history.
In 2008, Barack Obama became the first black president in American history. Under his leadership, the diversity and inclusiveness of American society are gradually opening up; now, the NFL The first Asian starting player has also appeared in the professional arena. This is undoubtedly important to the immigrant American society that has always emphasized multi-ethnic and multi-cultural society.
Almost overnight, the name "Lu Ke" became a label, spread across the United States, and quickly became the focus. Almost from scratch, it reached a thousand, not a hundred, but one thousand. The level of attention, the level of enthusiasm, the level of heat, it is so hot that it will melt.
Everyone is curious: Who is this Chinese quarterback? What's going on? At the same time, he has also become a laughing stock, a laughing stock of the alliance, a laughing stock of the country, and has become the object of ridicule and ridicule by countless people.
"This is a professional game, not a house game." This comment comes from the Carolina Panthers' rookie quarterback, Cam Newton. "If I remember correctly, this is football, not table tennis. He I should have entered the wrong arena and chosen the wrong event."
As Cam said, whether this Chinese player is qualified for the game task and whether he can withstand the intensity of the game has become the focus of everyone's doubts. The label of "Chinese" has almost pinned Lu Ke to the pillar of shame of failure.
"Let me tell you, what will happen in the first game of the regular season." ESPN senior professional commentator Charles Davis commented on the show, "He walks on the court. , and then got sacked, got injured, and couldn't run any offense again. That's all. Believe me, this is the kindest ending for him."
Charles did not hide the ridicule, disdain, or even contempt in his words. After finishing speaking, he laughed happily, and then explained seriously, "Look at his body size, 6.3 feet, but only 187 pounds? Jesus?" Christ, he looks like a chocolate bar that snaps and snaps in two. I don't expect him to pass the ball, and for God's sake the defense better not snap him Otherwise, it will become a scene in the history of the NFL!"
As one of the most senior and professional commentators in the league, Charles has an excellent resume and can be called one of ESPN's trump cards. He is a regular anchor of the main program "Inside-NFL" every week.
With his sharp comments, professional attitude and authoritative reputation, Charles is the ratings guarantee of the show. Other TV stations have been trying to poach him, but ESPN still offered the highest salary in the industry to keep Charles.
Even facing a first-year rookie, even facing a Chinese-American player who made history, Charles showed no mercy at all and was full of firepower, truly delivering a shocking education.
"Look at this quarterback's first pass after coming on the field, an interception. It was a perfect interception. He didn't read the defense, didn't inform his teammates, and accurately sent the football into the arms of the opponent. , this should be the easiest catch in that defensive player's career. Of course, maybe from a positive point of view, at least his pass is accurate enough."
This was not a compliment, but a mockery, a biting sarcasm, and the entire studio burst into laughter, joyfully and noisily. But that's not all.
Charles's complaints and disdain continued, "He looked like a lost Little Red Riding Hood on the court, worried about the big bad wolf. With his thin body and handsome face, God, even I couldn't bear it. Maybe he could use his handsomeness and cuteness to dazzle his opponents and implore them to show mercy. Why didn't he stay at the accountant's desk?
The last sentence actually touched the bottom line of racial discrimination. As the host, Edward-Bowen had to stand up immediately and quietly change the subject before the matter got bigger, "So, you Not optimistic about the San Francisco 49ers’ prospects for the new season?”
"Of course not." Charles said decisively, "What we need to consider now is not whether the 49ers can win the game, but whether the quarterback can pass a hundred yards. No, I corrected, sorry, It should be a breakthrough of fifty yards; also, how many interceptions will this quarterback send? Maybe, with luck, he can persist for the entire season and then break the two interceptions gained by Peyton Manning in his rookie season. Sixteen interceptions. So, he at least left his name in the history of the league."
Almost every sentence, every word, was full of disdain and contempt. He didn't even regard Lu Ke as a quarterback. The discrimination in his bones seeped out through his words and attitude.
At the end, Charles even burst out laughing, "I bet you this quarterback is going to go home crying to his mom."
In fact, Charles is not the only commentator who is pessimistic about the San Francisco 49ers' season prospects, nor is he the only commentator who is pessimistic about Lu Ke's season prospects.
NBC commentator Bill Wingo said, "Standing on the field, he looks out of place. His thin body is not even comparable to that of a wide receiver. He is almost like a paper man. I don't know much about San Francisco." The 49ers' choice, but I can feel Jim Harbaugh's helplessness and helplessness."
Steven Golic, an expert commentator for the New York Times sports column, commented in his column, “The physical confrontation is completely at a disadvantage, the footwork is completely clumsy and difficult, and the defensive reading and passing accuracy are not good enough. It remains to be seen, this is the impression left by this rookie quarterback after only a handful of appearances in the four preseason games. Is he a qualified quarterback? Obviously, he Just hovering on the edge of passing.”
A similar view was echoed by ABC TV commentator Richard Riddick, "The San Francisco 49ers can have better options. After Alex Smith was injured, Carson Palmer He and Matt Hasselbeck participated in the trial training, but Jim Hubble chose Lu Ke. Perhaps this is the team's consideration of the San Francisco market. Other than that, it is difficult to think of a better reason."
Commentator Kim-Gimes of the "Seattle Post" even started cheering for the team - the Seattle Seahawks. This is the opponent of the San Francisco 49ers in the opening game. At the same time, the two sides are also mortal enemies in the same district. "Season The San Francisco 49ers have already dropped out of the playoff race before they even started. They lost four games in a row in the preseason, their main quarterback was injured, their second-round draft quarterback suffered a concussion, and in the end they chose an undrafted quarterback. Chinese players. Maybe the 49ers have already started making plans for the 2012 season."
Wails were everywhere, and the entire alliance was wailing, and almost everyone regarded the whole thing as a joke. Because of the repeated bad news about the San Francisco 49ers, and even more because of Lu Ke's Chinese identity. The interception that Lu Ke made after taking over from Colin didn't help.
Even if the league attempts to guide public opinion with "history-making" political correctness, so what? No one bought it. To be more precise, everyone is adding insult to injury.
