This week, the San Francisco 49ers once again found themselves in the spotlight. Was it strange? Not at all. It was gradually becoming a habit; a lack of news about the 49ers was the real news. After a dominant victory, the team failed to silence the critics. Instead, more attention was focused on their next game, and they lost even more trust from industry professionals, with most people believing the Arizona Cardinals would win.
The 49ers faced questions about their ability to handle pressure, their true strength, and their performance against strong opponents. The scrutiny was widespread and unrelenting. On the path to being recognized as a strong team, the young 49ers still had many victories to go. At this moment, eight years of silence, a brand-new roster, a head coach with no prior NFL experience, and an undrafted rookie quarterback all became reasons for people to challenge the 49ers.
On Wednesday's official media day, the entire 49ers team became the center of attention. The coaching staff, offense, defense, and special teams were all bombarded by reporters, and Lu Ke was no exception. At first, the reporters' questions were normal and within the expected range. For example, how the team rested and adjusted over the past few days, the secret to quickly getting back in form after two straight losses, and the team's atmosphere heading into a rematch against a team that had just beaten them two weeks ago. Lu Ke handled these questions with ease, even making some jokes and keeping the mood light.
Gradually, the questions became sharper, with their aggressive nature slowly becoming more apparent.
"Two weeks ago, the Arizona Cardinals ended the team's undefeated home streak. Two weeks later, the team will be on the road, facing the same opponent again. How do you feel about that?"
"I feel like a professional football player," Lu Ke replied with a smile, successfully diffusing the question's sharpness and eliciting a chuckle. Lu Ke nodded, confirming, "I'm serious. The games come week after week. There's no time to rest. The opponent may be the same, but every game is different."
"So, what are the team's goals for this game?"
Lu Ke was slightly stunned, and a look of confusion appeared on his face. "Besides winning?" It was a rhetorical question, implying that victory was the team's only goal. He wasn't sure what answer the reporter wanted to hear. Were there other goals besides winning?
The simple retort once again defused the attack and even made a few reporters laugh quietly, as if mocking the previous question for being so amateurish and foolish. Then, another question was seamlessly thrown his way: "But the San Francisco 49ers are going through a volatile period. Analysts generally believe the Cardinals will beat the 49ers again. Before this, they already defeated the Rams twice." In other words, they were now aiming to beat the 49ers twice.
The sharp and pointed question carried a strong sense of aggression. Following the voice, Lu Ke saw Harry Wayans. The "Sports Illustrated" reporter was clearly persistent; he was present at every press conference. Lu Ke wasn't sure if he should be flattered or horrified.
"Fortunately, we're not the Rams. And fortunately, it's not the analysts who are playing on the field." Lu Ke's two "fortunatelies" sounded as if he were truly relieved, but the sarcasm was obvious.
Harry's pupils narrowed. Without leaving any room for Lu Ke to breathe, he hit him with a direct follow-up: "Are you saying you believe the 49ers can win the game?"
"Clearly, you are not a team supporter," Lu Ke didn't answer directly. Instead, he made a statement, and his provocative stance was a response in a different way: Harry was deliberately causing trouble. He was an opponent of the team, not a supporter, so naturally, he didn't want the 49ers to win.
Harry, instead of getting angry, laughed and took over the conversation. "Apparently, I'm not the only one. Charles Davis believes that the Arizona Cardinals will win this week's game, and he also believes that the 49ers may be in danger and face defeat in their next two games. Do you have anything to say in response to that?"
"Thanks for the concern?" Lu Ke's unexpected answer, with a slight upward inflection at the end, and a hint of a smile in his eyes, instantly foiled all of Harry's attacks and created a comedic effect.
This time, however, the reporters didn't laugh, because their eyes were fixed on Lu Ke and Harry. The back-and-forth between them, the quick shifts from offense to defense, and the counter-attacks during defense that caught the opponent completely off guard—it was a brilliant and captivating debate. Everyone was watching with bated breath. If the confrontation ended up with them fighting, it would be the headline of the day. For the first time ever, the observing reporters wanted the confrontation to continue.
Facing Lu Ke's impenetrable responses, Harry was getting a little agitated, but he didn't show it. He pressed on with his aggressive attack: "Charles said on the show that if the 49ers can beat the Cardinals and the Steelers in the next two weeks and get a winning streak, he is willing to fulfill a promise. And the punishment is whatever you want to propose."
This was the ultimate move. Everyone knew that the feud between Lu Ke and Charles was deep. Previously, Charles was always on the offensive, and Lu Ke could only passively defend himself. But this time was different. Although Charles was still the aggressor, he had given the initiative to Lu Ke. If Lu Ke wanted, he could propose an impossible bet to humiliate Charles. The big show was about to begin.
Not just Harry Wayans, but all the reporters were curious about Lu Ke's response. During the interview, the reporters had been setting up the perfect opportunity to throw this bombshell. Now, Harry clearly knew how to do it, meticulously building up to the moment and then suddenly posing the question, cornering Lu Ke.
Sure enough, the reporters could see a playful expression on Lu Ke's face, which was hard to read. A hint of surprise flashed in his eyes, uncontrollably revealing his inner astonishment. Then, Lu Ke raised his eyebrows and began to respond.
"I'm not sure how he comes to his conclusions; he never seems to have a good outlook for the 49ers' games. But I am sure that gambling isn't allowed on the show. Maybe he needs a psychologist, not a job." Lu Ke expressed deep concern and gave his sincere advice. Imagining Charles's face upon hearing these words, some reporters' mouths started to twitch, their smiles almost uncontrollable.
But Harry saw through Lu Ke's clever trick of using minimal effort to achieve maximum effect. He didn't lose focus for a second and pulled the conversation back to the main topic. "If the San Francisco 49ers win two consecutive games, what punishment do you want to propose?" By changing his angle, Harry was trying to lead Lu Ke into the trap.
This time, Lu Ke didn't evade the question. Instead, he put on a serious expression. "If I'm not mistaken, this analyst has set up two bets before and lost both, and he paid the price accordingly. This is the third time. I think if he loses this bet again, isn't that a hint?"
"A hint of what?" Harry followed up, providing a platform for Lu Ke to continue.
Lu Ke looked up, smiling at Harry. "A hint that he is not a qualified analyst. His mind is always on other things, and he's not doing his job properly. So, maybe the show's producers should consider... making him silent in the next episode and having other professional analysts give their opinions. After all, we watch the show for objective and authoritative analysis, not for a gambler who has left Las Vegas but still doesn't know where he is."
His words were sharp but hidden under a gentle smile. The fierce sarcasm was unleashed. Even the reporters on the sidelines were wincing, unable to imagine what kind of disaster Charles would face if he heard this.
More importantly, Lu Ke had cleverly but sharply proposed a bet. At the same time, he pushed the burden of the bet onto the show's producers, questioning Charles's authority and professionalism. He didn't have to kick the dog while it was down; his strategy was far more effective. In one fluid motion, Lu Ke perfectly avoided Charles's trap and, in turn, dug a new one for him.
When Charles learned of the interview, his face turned ashen. He had thought that dealing with Lu Ke would be easy and that his plan was foolproof. But he hadn't expected to shoot himself in the foot. Now he was in a difficult situation. Regardless of whether he won or lost the bet, "Inside the League" would not let this go. If the situation was serious enough, they might even demand that Charles apologize for his unprofessionalism. As Lu Ke said, this was a professional analysis show, not a gambling show that put entertainment above all else. If the network received complaints from viewers or if social media platforms were flooded with support for Lu Ke, Charles would be in an unfavorable position. He wouldn't even have to wait until the game against the Arizona Cardinals started. Even more seriously, if it involved gambling in Las Vegas, Charles's career could be in jeopardy. This wasn't an exaggeration; it was a real possibility.
Without saying a word, Lu Ke had dug a huge trap and completely screwed over Charles. And this was a trap that Charles had cleverly set for himself. He could only swallow his bitterness. It was truly frustrating.
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