Chapter 92 91: Draft Day
On April 28, 2011, the NFL's new season draft officially kicked off at Radio City Music Hall in New York!
The entire draft would last for three days, from the 28th to the 30th, spanning a total of seven rounds. The first day would feature the first round of selections, which was also the most watched and most important day of the entire draft. According to statistics, the viewership for the live broadcast on this day even surpassed that of Major League Baseball's World Series!
Football was hailed as the number one sport in the United States, a title it truly deserved.
On this day, all eyes in the United States turned toward New York. Reporters from newspapers large and small flocked to the media capital, hustling to get firsthand information. Beyond the major networks, cable channels, online video programs, and local television stations also fixed their gaze on the bustling, vibrant city. The dazzling array of live and recorded programs was overwhelming, but this was just the tip of the iceberg.
Hundreds of thousands of fanatical football fans from all over the United States poured into Manhattan, New York. A small fraction of them had snagged tickets to the draft early on, eager to witness their team's selections live and in person—perhaps they would welcome the very cornerstone of a future dynasty. The vast majority of other fans, however, hoped to simply stand on Manhattan soil, to experience the grandeur of the draft up close, and were even prepared to celebrate in the streets.
It was a nationwide celebration. In North America, apart from Thanksgiving, nothing could compare to football. Not the Oscars, not the NBA Finals, not even a presidential address.
Overnight, it seemed all eyes were fixed on that small patch of land in Manhattan. The rest of the country was no exception. The only topic of conversation was, "The draft! The draft! The draft!"
San Francisco, located on the West Coast at the other end of the North American continent, was no different. Even though it was a Thursday, a regular workday, many people had taken the day off to stay home, throw parties, and follow the draft in real-time. Some companies even proactively declared a day off, allowing their employees to fully enjoy the next major event after the Super Bowl.
The Haight-Ashbury District was situated in the northeastern part of San Francisco, far from the enchanting coastline of the San Francisco Bay Area. The entire district rested upon rolling hills, and even for seasoned drivers, navigating the streets here required extreme caution.
In the 1960s, this area gave birth to the hippie culture, which then spread vigorously across North America. After half a century of settling and development, the residents here gradually formed a culture of their own.
A strong hippie culture still permeated the neighborhood, but the homeless, Mexican immigrants, and Italian immigrants had gradually moved away, building their own small communities in other parts of the city. Young talents from Silicon Valley, aspiring freelancers, and artists embracing their creative pursuits began to settle here.
This wasn't San Francisco's most expensive or high-end neighborhood, nor was it the one with the worst crime or living conditions. It also wasn't a neighborhood defined by a distinct immigrant culture. Instead, it was more like a cultural melting pot with its own unique San Francisco character—young, vibrant, full of energy, and on the rise.
In 1997, when Lu Zhengze immigrated to San Francisco with his family, they had considered living in Chinatown. San Francisco has since developed three different residential communities for immigrants of Chinese descent, making it one of the cities with the largest Chinese population in the United States. But at the time, Chinatown was still the oldest one, a community now nicknamed the "Street Market"—meaning the entire street was essentially a traditional vegetable market, a streetscape with distinct Chinese features.
However, living in Chinatown would have been inconvenient for both Lu Zhengze's and Jiang Youning's commutes. After careful consideration, they chose the Haight-Ashbury District. Back then, the area was still underdeveloped. The public safety wasn't great, but it was much better than the slums, and the prices were very reasonable. More importantly, living there was very convenient for both of their jobs.
So, the family settled down there. Later, Lu Ke attended George Washington High School. There weren't many Chinese students; it was a thoroughly mixed high school, which became a key reason for Lu Ke's quick adaptation to his new life as an immigrant.
In this neighborhood, you could meet all sorts of neighbors and friends.
For example, next door to Lu Ke's family lived an Italian immigrant family—not the mafia kind, but the kind that runs an Italian restaurant. It was a huge family; the couple had five children, and mealtimes were always incredibly lively.
Across the street, for another example, was an American family—a traditional white-collar, middle-class household. The husband was a doctor, and the wife was a horticulturist. They had two children, a boy and a girl. Their older son was Logan Newman.
As for the family of Gypsies on the corner, they always insisted on living a "primitive" lifestyle, cultivating their own vegetable garden, weaving their own clothes, and homeschooling their children. At first, everyone was amazed, but over time, it became a familiar sight.
On Draft Day, the Haight-Ashbury District also joined in the celebration. Along the rolling streets, residents hung up San Francisco 49ers team flags or American flags, joining the draft festivities in their own way. Many residents also decorated their doorways with colorful lights, balloons, and wreaths. Parties were already in the works, now just waiting for the draft results to be announced.
The spirit of football permeated the very air.
Logan came jogging out and stood on his lawn, shouting, "Bambi! Bambi!" His calls grew more urgent with each shout, but it wasn't Lu Ke who came out; it was Jiang Youning. "Hey, Logan."
"Annie, good afternoon. Where's Bambi?" Logan asked with a wide smile.
"He went out for a run. Said he hadn't finished his training for the day," Jiang Youning replied cheerfully, her mood clearly bright. Logan was stunned for a moment, then chuckled in disbelief.
Jiang Youning then invited him over. "When are you guys coming? We have everything ready. I just checked, and the live countdown show is about to start. Why don't you come over first? We can eat and chat while we wait."
"But what about Bambi? Hasn't he come back yet?" Before Logan could even finish his question, Jiang Youning waved her hand dismissively. "He'll be back as soon as his run is over. He'll definitely be on time." Lu Ke's current workouts were scientifically regimented—precisely timed and planned. His entire routine was incredibly exact, so there was no need to worry.
"Okay, we'll be right over then!" Logan laughed in amusement, nodded, and turned back toward his house. "Dad, Mom, the live countdown show is about to start! Let's head over."
For tonight's Draft Day, Lu Zhengze and Jiang Youning were hosting. The two families gathered together to watch the live broadcast. It wasn't just because both of their sons were in the draft, but also because it made the atmosphere livelier and watching the broadcast more fun.
To add to the drama and entertainment of the draft, on the day of the event, the league would use data from various sources and scouting reports to predict the rookies likely to be selected in the first round. These potential first-round picks were invited to a room known as the "green room," where they would wait for the results surrounded by cameras.
The television networks would cut to them live, capturing all the players' joy, anxiety, and disappointment. It was like an unscripted reality show.
Generally, the league would send out forty to forty-five invitations to ensure they had all the players for the thirty-two first-round draft slots covered.
However, players had a choice: they could wait in the green room or stay at home with their families to await the results. To ensure they could capture the immediate reactions of the first-round picks, television networks would also get permission to set up live broadcasts at the players' homes.
But what if there was a surprise? A dark horse? What if a player was selected in the first round who wasn't on camera at all? This had happened before in history, and the solution was simple: a live phone call. This wouldn't detract from the excitement of the broadcast; in fact, it would make it even more dramatic.
Among the three hundred and thirty-two players at the Rookie Training Camp, fewer than forty-five received an invitation. Neither Lu Ke nor Logan was among them. To be precise, none of the five draft-eligible players from UCLA were.
So, Lu Ke returned to San Francisco to watch the draft with his family and await the results.
In fact, Lu Ke was quite certain that the first day had nothing to do with him. There was no way he would be a first-round pick, and Logan's chances were also very slim. They could relax and simply enjoy the reality show. For them, the important thing wasn't who was chosen in the first round, but how many players at their same position were chosen. This would affect subsequent draft positions and was directly relevant to their futures.
When he got home, the live countdown show had already begun. Special guests were seated before the cameras as if at a round table, passionately discussing potential stars and dark horses of the first round, as well as the draft strategies of various teams. Hearing the sound of Lu Ke opening the door, everyone raised their arms in the air. "Quick, Bambi! Quick! It's starting!"
That guy Logan immediately tossed the football in his hands at Lu Ke. "You maniac, you still went running today? Ten thousand meters? You didn't run around the hills a few times, did you?"
"Unlike a certain lazy person I know," retorted Logan's sister, Julia Newman. She was a junior in high school and would be a senior in September, after which she would start preparing for college applications. She had classes today, but Julia had still rushed back home early to watch the live draft.
Lu Ke caught the football, tossed it right back, and shrugged at Logan. Then he looked at the four adults and said politely, "I'm going to take a quick shower. I don't want to miss the broadcast."