Chapter 839: Both Sides Disgusted
Last year on December 11th, the famous "racism" incident happened at University of Phoenix Stadium. This forced the league to take an official stance, truly affirming Lu Ke's place as a Chinese player for the first time, and settling the matter with swift and harsh penalties.
This year on October 29th, a little less than a year after the incident, the San Francisco 49ers returned to this field to play against the Arizona Cardinals. This game naturally became the focus of attention, not only because it was Lu Ke's first time on this field since the incident, but also because of the animosity between the two divisional rivals.
All these factors made the game full of things to watch.
It was certain that at University of Phoenix Stadium, no one liked the San Francisco 49ers, and no one liked Lu Ke.
That game last season was unforgettable for the San Francisco 49ers and Lu Ke, but it was also an indelible disgrace for the Arizona Cardinals.
The Arizona Cardinals fans who started the attack not only got slapped hard in the face by their opponent and lost the game, but they also got their team fined and warned, becoming a negative example for the entire league and being nailed to a pillar of shame to be showcased everywhere. Furthermore, the other thirty-one teams all distanced themselves, as they were afraid of being associated with such a sensitive topic.
They didn't just fail to profit, they didn't even get their money back. They lost both the sesame seed and the watermelon.
Now, whenever people mention the "Arizona Cardinals vs. San Francisco 49ers" divisional rivalry again, no one mentions that the Cardinals ended the 49ers' five-game winning streak and home undefeated record last year. The first impression is that malicious incident. It seemed to have become an ugly label that couldn't be torn off, stuck firmly on their foreheads.
As time passed, things finally calmed down a bit, and it seemed like they could finally turn the page and start a new chapter. But before this game, those old stories were brought up again and discussed. All the sports shows and sports columns said that this would be another memorable game.
What kind of performance would Lu Ke put on a year after returning to this field?
The ghost wouldn't leave. It was truly a persistent ghost.
The Arizona Cardinals fans were also holding their breath, eager to show their presence and let the San Francisco 49ers feel what a true "devil's home field" was like.
This time, the fans were smarter. There were no profanities or attacks. They used a more clever and effective method.
They simply erupted with a noise that was comparable to a jet plane. All kinds of onomatopoeia collided and turned into a buzzing sound that lingered over the offense like a dark cloud.
From time to time, a weird scream would burst out without warning when Lu Ke was about to pass, and the undulating roar was like a disaster scene from a horror movie, wailing and startling, which was truly heart-pounding.
When Lu Ke completed a pass, the stadium erupted in a chorus of retching sounds. When Lu Ke failed a pass, or when the defensive team tackled a receiver right away, the stadium erupted in a sarcastic jeer. It wasn't a celebration, but a jeer, as if they were doing their best to taunt them.
The entire University of Phoenix Stadium was a massive car accident scene.
Noise itself is not scary. What's scary is trying to stay focused amidst sounds of mockery, ridicule, disdain, contempt, and sarcasm. It's like standing on a stage while the entire audience is constantly jeering. Even a confident and experienced performer would find it hard to endure such immense pressure. What's more, a football offense is like a precisely calculated machine that cannot afford to make a mistake.
In the face of such a difficult game environment, the offense led by Lu Ke erupted with the most focused and concentrated performance of the season. Every player remained fully concentrated, giving their all without being affected in the slightest, turning all their anger, frustration, and suppression into motivation on the field.
Just before the end of the first quarter—
"Touchdown! Touchdown! A brilliant touchdown!"
"Without a doubt, this is another beautiful touchdown! A year after returning to University of Phoenix Stadium, Lu Ke is showing rare growth and excellent form! He's responding in the most direct and powerful way possible!"
"The San Francisco 49ers' offense is showing an excellent form in today's game that was different from the previous two games!"
"The Arizona Cardinals' defense was completely focused on defending the pass, because their opponent's first touchdown was completed through a pass. But Lu Ke, through his command and arrangement of the offensive line, continuously tore open running spaces, creating more opportunities for the running backs and further containing the defense's momentum to retreat. This last drive was exactly that."
"Marcus Lynch had three runs, with the longest being a whopping sixteen yards. Frank Gore had four runs for a total of twenty-three yards, averaging 5.75 yards per run. Finally, Gore had a five-yard rushing touchdown. In addition, fullback Bruce Miller also had two runs."
"The Arizona Cardinals' defense didn't expect this situation at all. The defense continuously lost their positions. Lu Ke keenly caught this and continuously opened up the game with runs, truly getting their running game back on track."
"Now, the situation has become tricky for the Arizona Cardinals. Should they press forward or retreat? In this game, their run defense is terrible, and their pass defense must also be prepared. The control of the defense's front and back distribution is becoming more and more difficult."
"The first quarter is over, and the score is now 0-14. The Arizona Cardinals, who are playing at home, are in a bad situation. They need to bounce back quickly, otherwise the score difference will get bigger and bigger, and the second half might turn into garbage time. On the other hand, the San Francisco 49ers, who are playing on the road, are taking over the game. They show no signs of awkwardness or nervousness on the road, and they completely dominated the first quarter with an absolutely strong and dominating performance."
"This reminds us again of the San Francisco 49ers' other games this season, where they erupted on both the offensive and defensive sides. It is clear that the San Francisco 49ers are fully prepared to go all out against their divisional rival. Will this be another big blowout? It all depends on the Arizona Cardinals' performance in the second quarter."
Another touchdown. This was Lu Ke's second response, like a loud slap in the face, once again slapped onto the cheeks of the home fans, choking them and making the noisy sounds become sparse. He threw a hard straight punch with his right fist, hitting the home team's vital spot with pinpoint accuracy.
The impact was so fierce that the fans at University of Phoenix Stadium were a little stunned.
They expected the game to be difficult, but they didn't expect the process to be much harder and more dangerous than they thought. They were already down 0-14 in just the first quarter. The visiting team's absolute dominance was putting the game on their rhythm, and the home team was falling into an abyss.
Looking at each other, the fans quickly recovered from the shock. This was their home turf, so how could they let their opponents run wild here?
Cheers and shouts once again filled the sky. This time, it wasn't to attack the San Francisco 49ers' offense but to support the Arizona Cardinals' offense. The game had just begun, and it was too early to make a conclusion. The outcome of victory and defeat was still far from being revealed!
"Offense! Clap! Clap!"
"Offense! Clap! Clap!"
"Offense! Clap! Clap!"
This was the basic cheer used throughout the league. The thirty-two teams had all interpreted it in their own style. Compared to the San Francisco 49ers, the Arizona Cardinals' cheers had a little less enthusiasm and a little more urgency, a little less lightness and a little more tension. But the vast sound wave still stirred up the entire University of Phoenix Stadium.
The overwhelming cheers hid a lingering sharpness. The deep-rooted hostility and rage could not be vented on the San Francisco 49ers' offense for now, and it inevitably intertwined with the cheers, revealing a gnashing hatred that truly created the atmosphere of a divisional showdown.
On the field, the Arizona Cardinals' offense was giving their all, trying to break the scoring drought. Otherwise, no matter how the defense performed, the two-touchdown difference could not be made up, and victory would still be far away.
On the sidelines, the San Francisco 49ers' wide receiver coach, John Morton, was scolding Michael Crabtree. "Control your emotions, or you're coming out of the game!" Then, Morton didn't listen to Crabtree's explanation and turned to leave.
Crabtree kicked the turf hard, but the negative emotions suppressed in his chest were not relieved at all.
It wasn't that Crabtree had a conflict with Lu Ke, nor was it that Crabtree had a conflict with other teammates. It was just that in the first quarter, Crabtree as a whole seemed very impatient. All his runs and alignments showed a sense of urgency and anger, but haste makes waste, and his eagerness caused him to lose his advantage.
In just the first quarter, Crabtree committed two yellow flag penalties, and both ended with a minor conflict with a defensive player. His words and actions were like dancing on a tightrope, extremely precarious.
The entire coaching staff could feel Crabtree's instability. Coupled with his slump in the past two games, Morton had no choice but to give a warning in advance, hoping that Crabtree could adjust in time. If they waited until the situation was ruined, it would be too late to salvage.
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