American Football: King of the Bay Area

In North America, racial discrimination against minorities is ubiquitous. In the central regions, this discrimination is incredibly severe, sometimes even leading to conflict and violence. In contrast, the coastal areas are more open, inclusive, and diverse. However, discrimination still exists. Often, it's not expressed through overt emotions like ridicule, curses, or contempt, but rather through deep-seated doubt, disdain, and a different standard of judgment.

This situation is even more intense and pronounced within the world of competitive sports. As things stood in 2011, Lu Ke was still the only player of Asian descent on the football field—a lone, solitary figure. That was the best proof there was.

For an ordinary rookie, two victories—one against a divisional arch-rival, one against a league nemesis—would have all the fans singing his praises. But for Lu Ke, two victories were still not enough. Fans were willing to offer praise and congratulations, to join the celebrations and revelry, but deep down, they still refused to truly accept him.

The wall of doubt was incredibly thick.

Jonathan shook his head with a wry smile. "Chris, don't get too excited. We all know this rookie quarterback has performed exceptionally well these past two weeks, but we just think he still has a lot to learn. There's a reason a rookie is a rookie. The rookie seasons of the four elite quarterbacks were all a mess, too."

"So you're saying we should stop supporting a quarterback who has led the team to victory for two straight weeks and instead support one who hasn't been able to turn the team's fortunes around in six straight years?" Chris's eyes widened, his anger and disbelief clearly written on his face.

"I'm just saying, for next week's game, Alex Smith would be the better choice. In the future, maybe this quarterback can still become the 49ers' starting quarterback," Jonathan explained with a shrug.

"Jesus Christ." Chris laughed in exasperation, so furious he was speechless.

It was unbelievable. Chris simply couldn't believe the scene unfolding before him. Just moments ago at Candlestick Park, the wild and uninhibited frenzy was still fresh in his mind, all the fans fanatically celebrating today's victory. But returning to Joe's Bar was like getting a bucket of cold water to the face, a sudden plunge from summer to winter, as if they had lost the game today, not won it.

Jonathan noticed Chris's surging emotions and held his hands down in a placating gesture. "Calm down, calm down. Think about today's win. It's a good thing."

"Oh, you remember we won today? Anyone who didn't know better would think we'd lost the game and were in here tearing the quarterback apart," Chris said sarcastically, making no effort to hide his sharp edges. His post-game high had been shattered, and now he was just full of resentment.

Jonathan looked back at the others in the bar. "Looks like our attitude really set Chris off." Immediately, the others started to hoot and jeer. Jonathan looked at Chris again. "What, after just two games, you're already a fan of that quarterback? I told you, rookies are up and down. Nothing is certain yet. He can look like a world-beater one game and fall apart the next."

"Yeah, I'm his fan," Chris shot back instinctively. Once the words were out, he didn't soften his stance; on the contrary, he felt a surge of joy.

The details of the game replayed in his mind, and his excitement began to build again. "He's got this spirit that refuses to lose, and a hunger for victory. In clutch moments, he's absolutely relentless, and he bravely steps up to shoulder the entire team's burden. That's the kind of competitive fire that Alex Smith just doesn't have!"

"So, yes, I support him. I believe the future of the 49ers rests on his shoulders!" Chris said resolutely, clenching his fist to emphasize his words.

The bar fell silent for a moment before erupting in boisterous laughter, as if they had just heard the most absurd joke of the year.

"What is wrong with you all? Maybe, for the first time in eight years, the team has a hope for the playoffs…" Chris couldn't finish before a wave of laughter cut him off. "At least, we have a good start…" More laughter followed. Chris had to raise his voice. "And we have a dynamic, excellent quarterback…"

The laughter became uncontrollable, as if the words "excellent quarterback" had struck a nerve. They simply couldn't stop.

"Chris!" Amidst the roaring laughter, Anthony Tinozzo raised his right hand, calling out over the tumultuous noise with a big smile.

"Fellas, show some respect! Hey, fellas!" Anthony shouted, finally managing to quiet the laughter. "At the very least, this rookie quarterback got our team two wins. He deserves some basic respect." The bar gradually grew quiet again. Anthony commented wryly, "This is a hell of a lot better than last year."

This brought on a new round of laughter—genuine, knowing laughter this time. The 2010 season had started with a five-game losing streak for the San Francisco 49ers; their first two regular season games were losses against the Seattle Seahawks and the New Orleans Saints.

"A toast to that quarterback!" Jonathan raised his glass in celebration. Immediately, all the other fans also raised their glasses high, shouting, "A toast to that quarterback!"

The atmosphere in the bar grew lively once again.

Anthony waved again. "Chris, come over here. We're celebrating a win today. Come on, I'll get you and your buddies a beer, on the house."

Chris didn't say anything more and walked toward the bar. Jeff and Nate followed close behind. Danny lagged at the very back, his burning gaze fixed on Jonathan, unwilling to look away. After a moment's hesitation, he shouted, "That quarterback, he has a name. Lu Ke. His name is Lu Ke."

Not just some random quarterback, but Lu Ke. The one and only Lu Ke.

Eyes wide, Danny and Jonathan's gazes locked. After a tense moment, Danny slowly, slowly made his way over to his friends by the bar. Jonathan, who remained where he was, rolled his eyes dramatically, raised his glass, and like a comedian taking a final bow, bowed and saluted the surrounding fans, earning another round of cheers.

Behind the bar, Anthony skillfully took out tall beer glasses and flipped a nearby switch. A rich, golden beer began to fill them, the fluffy white head carrying the faint aroma of wheat. "Don't pay them any mind," Anthony said in a relaxed tone. "They're just a bunch of idiots. During the live broadcast, each one was cheering louder than the last, their shrill screams like a bunch of sixteen-year-old girls."

The sharp-witted jab had Jeff and the others laughing.

"Honestly, that quarterback is one capable guy. That final sixty-six-second drive… I don't want to exaggerate, but the fact is, I saw Aaron Rodgers." Anthony didn't hide his amazement as he placed the filled beer glasses on the bar one by one. "I can just imagine how crazy the reaction was at Candlestick Park."

"You really should have been there," Chris said with feeling. "In the clutch, Lu Ke's performance… The guy's got ice in his veins!"

"You guys should have seen him play in college," Jeff chimed in excitedly. "His first-ever career game. He was a backup, put in a desperate situation with the team down by three touchdowns. He got on the field with less than a quarter left to play, scored four touchdowns, and pulled off a shocking comeback. It was even more incredible than today's game."

"For real?" Not just Anthony, but Chris was curious too. "I thought he was a total unknown in college."

"Yeah," Jeff and Nate exchanged a look and both nodded. "Back then, when Lu Ke went in, the first reaction in everyone's head was, 'Who the hell is this guy? What is the coach thinking?' More than two-thirds of the stadium had already emptied out. Nobody held out any hope. Danny turned and left too."

Feeling their eyes on him, Danny nodded, unabashed. "I left. Back then, the only thought in my head was, 'This stupid game… I can't watch another second.' But now, I've followed that nobody quarterback all the way to San Francisco and become a 49ers fan."

Jeff, Nate, and Danny were all recent graduates.

After the Rose Bowl, they had put their fan personas aside for a while to return to real life, and they had slowly lost touch.

In early August, the news that Lu Ke had joined the San Francisco 49ers really got Jeff fired up. By a stroke of luck, Jeff had found a job in San Francisco, and now he could return to the world of football and join the city-wide festivities every game day.

After the big win in the first week, Jeff had run into Nate by chance, and then learned that Danny was working in Silicon Valley.

After all the twists and turns, they had all come together again, becoming Lu Ke's first fans in the Professional Alliance. His real fans.

"Tell me more. What exactly happened in that game?" Chris said, incredibly excited. "That was his first game?"

"Yeah, but he wasn't flustered at all, as if he'd been honing his skills on that field for over a decade," Nate and Jeff began to reminisce, trading parts of the story.

Gradually, little by little, other fans sitting near the bar gathered around, leaning in to listen and join the discussion.

Everything about this Chinese-American quarterback felt so mysterious, so magical. The fragmented bits of information weren't nearly enough to piece together the full story. Now, to have his loyal fans recount the game play-by-play was an absolutely golden opportunity for the other fans.

Beneath all the hype and labels, the image of "Lu Ke" began to take on a fuller, more complete shape. Not from rumors, not from the media, and not from the internet.

The crowd of fans around Jeff and his friends grew. At first there were three or five, then more than a dozen, a bustling, lively group. As night fell, the post-game fervor only continued to swell. Joe's Bar was just the tip of the iceberg in a city-wide celebration.