Chapter 836: Venting Frustration
Every time he comes to the team's practice facility, Bryan Westbrook has a new feeling. As a commentator for the "San Francisco Chronicle," he is undoubtedly the most qualified to speak on the matter. The team's morale has changed completely. From top to bottom, inside and out, you can feel a vibrant new life.
Today was no different.
To attend the San Francisco 49ers' public practice, Bryan arrived early at the practice facility. The loyal fans, who were three layers deep, became the most beautiful scenery under the golden morning sun. Before he even got close, he could hear the laughter and joking between the players. The air itself felt light and free.
It was clear that the team was on the right track. The confidence boost after seven consecutive wins made the atmosphere relaxed and harmonious. Everyone was enjoying this wonderful season.
But as he got closer, Bryan still noticed a subtle difference.
He couldn't quite describe it, but the subtle difference was spreading across the practice field. It wasn't until a rookie reporter asked out of curiosity, "Where's the second-team practice? Why don't I see the second team?"
Bryan suddenly realized: today, the first team and the second team were not practicing separately but together.
Of course, this was a public practice, so it wouldn't involve any special training on core plays. There was nothing wrong with the first and second teams practicing together. But what really caught Bryan's attention was that the first and second teams were getting along much better. It was clear that the communication and interaction between the players were more frequent and natural.
This was a little unusual!
Then, Bryan and the other reporters noticed that Michael Crabtree was wearing the neon vest of the second team.
But before the reporters could even process their guesses and confusion, Ted Ginn and Logan Newman also joined Crabtree. Colin Kaepernick was still the quarterback of the second team. Meanwhile, Vernon Davis, Randy Moss, Mario Manningham, and other players were still wearing their original team jerseys and were practicing with the first team under Lu Ke's leadership.
What was going on?
Bryan was a little confused. Were the first and second teams completely shuffled, and were they picking the starters again? But it didn't seem like it, because the defense hadn't changed much.
The only thing that was certain was that today's first and second-team practices were more... more passionate, more dedicated, and more focused. It seemed that every player was giving their all on the field. It was just a simple and basic tactical practice, but the players were all focused and dedicated. The practice game also sparked a different kind of excitement.
The bustling and thriving practice continued until the end of the session, which made the fans in attendance cheer and applaud.
This should be a good thing, right? After seven consecutive wins, the team didn't feel the pressure building up. It still looked relaxed and harmonious. This... was a good thing, wasn't it?
After practice, head coach Jim Harbaugh was surrounded by reporters. The first question was about today's special practice.
Harbaugh didn't beat around the bush and said frankly, "The 2012 season is almost halfway over. The team is on the right track, but the players have more or less suffered from injuries of varying degrees. To prevent the situation from becoming more serious, we must make some adjustments. We need more players to get involved in the team and contribute their strength as an integral part of the team."
Harbaugh didn't hide the truth, because almost every team inevitably faces this problem. The existence of the first and second teams is to increase the depth of the bench and promote healthy competition. There was nothing to hide. He just expressed his opinion in a more subtle and gentle way.
But the reporters' first reaction made Harbaugh freeze. "Injuries? May I ask if Bambi has an injury problem?"
What kind of ridiculous connection was that?
Harbaugh was about to scold them for being absurd, but then he realized that it wasn't just one reporter. Almost all the reporters were looking at him with eager eyes. It was just that the content of each look was different. Some were gloating, some were eagerly anticipating... but most of them were worried. The concern in their eyes was completely undisguised.
Clearly, Lu Ke was not the same as before.
"No," Harbaugh denied solemnly. "Lu Ke is still in excellent condition. He is not bothered by injuries. Thank you for your concern."
"Then is it Michael Crabtree?" After a sigh of relief, the real question followed. "In the past two games, Crabtree's performance on the field has not been satisfactory. It's clear that he's having some issues. So is the team now looking for a rotational wide receiver? We noticed that Mario Manningham and Lu Ke were doing some pass-and-catch drills."
"We don't have a clear idea yet." Harbaugh immediately became vigilant at the key question, and his words became vague.
Although Harbaugh was not good at dealing with the media, he was still capable of giving a simple political answer. "Through the next few practices, we will test different combinations to find the best option for the team. Of course, Michael's performance has indeed fluctuated in the past few games, but we all think this is normal. It's not easy to maintain a high speed throughout a long season..."
As Harbaugh and the reporters were still in a heated discussion, the players on the field who didn't have to deal with interviews were leaving one after another.
"Bambi, no way. Don't tell me you're going to do extra practice today?"
"What's so surprising about that? Isn't that what's supposed to happen?"
"I'll tell you something even more surprising. After Bambi goes back, he will also watch game footage. My God, I'm starting to wonder if he's dedicating himself to Jesus and rejecting some temptations that make life lazy."
"Don't talk about Bambi like that. You can't control yourself and you complain about others everywhere. Tell me, do you have a date tonight?"
"Please call me Casanova. I'm proud of it, okay?"
Amid the bustling discussion, they all complained in unison, and it was hard to distinguish who said what. Then, everyone burst into laughter. The relaxed and cheerful atmosphere continued to boil, spreading from the practice field to the entrance of the locker room. Under the setting sun, it was like a sparkling path, guiding the lost children home.
Clearly, Bryan's feeling was correct.
After seven consecutive wins, the team could still feel the pressure building up. In addition to the close attention from the outside world and the seriousness of their opponents, the physical and mental fatigue was also an undeniable factor. But now, after the invisible barrier between the first and second teams was broken, they were able to relax a little. At least from the perspective of their preparation, this was a positive thing.
"Bambi?"
The group of people arrived at the locker room entrance and saw Michael Crabtree leaning against the door, anxiously shuffling his feet. He took the initiative to call out.
Although he didn't say much, his eyes and expression were enough. The other players said goodbye to Lu Ke, nodded to Crabtree, and entered the locker room one after another. In the blink of an eye, the entrance became quiet, with only Lu Ke and Crabtree left.
Crabtree was a bit annoyed. He turned his head and looked around, trying to speak, but in the end, he couldn't open his mouth. He seemed to have some concerns. After thinking for a moment, he took a step and walked toward the corner. Lu Ke didn't know why, but he followed.
When they got to the corner, Crabtree couldn't hold it in anymore. He didn't even wait for Lu Ke to fully turn the corner and asked impatiently, "What the hell is going on?"
Lu Ke was confused by his nonsensical words.
Crabtree tried his best to suppress his emotions, but in the end, he failed. He pointed toward the locker room. "What the hell has been going on these past few days? Why are you practicing with the second team? And today, the first and second teams completely messed up the starting order and practiced together? Are you sure you don't have anything to explain to me?"
Lu Ke immediately understood. It was clear that even the reporters had smelled something unusual. As a person involved, Crabtree felt an even stronger sense of crisis.
Crabtree was not a calm and composed person. His hot temper on and off the field was well-known. Before last week's game against the Seattle Seahawks, Crabtree and Sherman's social media feud reignited once again, but it didn't attract as much attention as last time due to the vastness of the internet.
Now, Crabtree couldn't hold back anymore and went to confront Lu Ke directly.
Lu Ke was about to explain, but Crabtree's temper got the better of him. "Are you and Jim working together behind my back to trip me up? Mario Manningham? Are you fucking kidding me? That guy can't even run a slant route without running into a wall. How can he possibly be my backup?"
"Michael," Lu Ke tried to calm him down, but as soon as the words came out, Crabtree exploded even more.
"Don't pretend to be close to me! We're just teammates, regular teammates. I'm not that familiar with you. I know you're in Logan's and Marcus's clique." Crabtree pushed Lu Ke's shoulder hard. "So when you needed a scapegoat, you came after me first, didn't you? I just dropped a few passes, and you're already trying to replace me? Damn it!"
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