Chapter 845: Off-Field Fashion
In the blink of an eye, October passed, and time quietly slipped into November. The second half of the NFL season officially began, and the San Francisco skyline was dotted with large patches of red maples. Before the harsh winter arrived, they were blooming freely. Between the intersecting waves and drizzle, sunlight and clouds, the aroma of a cup of coffee or the leisure of a glass of beer became the small joys that people found in their busy lives.
Leigh Steinberg's assistant, Vincent Camp, skillfully parked the car in a street parking spot in front of Lu Ke's apartment. Then, he looked at Leigh, who was sitting in the back seat, through the rearview mirror.
Leigh, however, didn't seem to be in a hurry at all. He looked down at his watch, checked the time, made a calming gesture to Vincent, and then leisurely began to enjoy his coffee.
He didn't have to wait long before he saw Lu Ke sprinting toward them.
As Lu Ke's agent, Leigh naturally knew Lu Ke's habits very well. His daily routine was incredibly disciplined. He never slacked off on his training, and he never wasted his free time. During the season, Lu Ke's life was basically a straight line between the practice field and his apartment. It was boring, dull, and extremely disciplined, even more so than a monk's.
During last week's bye week, Lu Ke went to a bar to drink with the members of the second offensive team. When Leigh found out, not only did he not stop them, but he also welcomed it with open arms. He suddenly felt a sense of relief and emotion, like, "My child has finally grown up."
Eagerly hoping for his professional player to go to a bar to relax, and when the player actually enjoyed a night of fun, the agent would cry tears of joy. Leigh was probably the only one in the world who would do something like that.
This morning, Leigh arrived at the apartment building on time according to Lu Ke's routine. There was no need to rush or be impatient. He just had to gauge the time, and then he would see Lu Ke, who had finished his morning workout, appear punctually like a Swiss watch. The time error would never exceed five minutes.
Lu Ke also noticed the black SUV parked in front of his home.
After finishing the last sprint, Lu Ke slowed down his pace, adjusted his breathing rhythmically, and walked toward his home. From a distance, he could see Vincent roll down the car window and wave hello. Lu Ke nodded in acknowledgment and immediately understood. He simply said, "Five minutes," and then walked around the car and into his home.
Today was the day to sign the sponsorship deal.
Thirteen months ago, Lu Ke signed his first sponsorship with Under Armour, proving his commercial value. Thirteen months later, Lu Ke was about to sign his second sponsorship. Although Lu Ke didn't know the brand name yet, from Leigh's few words, he knew that it was a big deal.
Leigh waited calmly, feeling relaxed.
From Troy Aikman to Mark Brunell and then to Ben Roethlisberger, in the past twenty or twenty-five years, Lu Ke was undoubtedly the player Leigh was most at ease with. He was disciplined and highly focused, determined and full of vitality. For a professional player, you really couldn't ask for more.
Thinking about the second sponsorship contract he had signed for Lu Ke, even a veteran like Leigh couldn't help but feel a little proud. Could this be considered one of the masterpieces of his career?
In a moment, Lu Ke appeared again.
Indeed, he had finished getting ready in five minutes, showering, and changing his clothes. Everything was simple, clear, and efficient.
However, Leigh was a little surprised today and looked Lu Ke up and down.
The Lu Ke in his impression was always dressed in simple sportswear. Even his casual clothes were just a T-shirt and jeans. Today, Lu Ke was dressed up for a serious occasion, which was probably the first time.
He was wearing a white crewneck T-shirt with light blue jeans, a fitted black blazer over it, a light blue plaid pocket square in the left chest pocket, and a pair of dark blue round-toe skate shoes.
There were no extra complex layers or clashing colors. The whole outfit was clean and simple, a little formal but not too grand. The details showed his sense of style, and his neat short hair was styled with pomade. The overall look was youthful and vibrant, which was really eye-catching.
"Good morning." Lu Ke opened the back car door and got in. "I'm not late, am I?"
"No, we still have plenty of time," Leigh said with a smile. Then, he patted the back of the driver's seat. "Vincent, let's go." Then, Leigh turned his head again and looked at Lu Ke.
Lu Ke had already noticed the unusual look just now, and it became even more apparent now. "What's wrong? Does this outfit not look good? Didn't you say to be a little formal today? Did you mean a shirt with a blazer? Wouldn't that be too formal? I have two suits at home, but they seem a little too formal, like for a graduation ceremony."
Leigh nodded to show that he understood. "It seems we need to discuss a few things. First, you need to buy a few suits. In the future, for some formal occasions, like press conferences, suits are always the best choice. I'm not talking about branded suits, but custom-made suits. Leave the sportswear for the field."
"I know, I know, David Beckham," Lu Ke quipped lightheartedly.
Leigh didn't refute but raised his right hand. "Yes, David Beckham."
Then he continued to explain in detail, "You know how he became an iconic figure? Victoria Beckham gave him a sense of style and a public image, and that's what truly built his brand. The current Tom Brady is also built in this way. Gisele Bündchen is the mastermind behind it. Otherwise, it's absolutely not easy for a professional athlete to build a brand."
After Leigh finished speaking, Lu Ke spread his hands. "Then it seems I don't meet the standard. I'm still single, and I don't have a mastermind behind me."
"Haha, that's okay. I think you can handle it yourself. Of course, it would be even better if you had a partner." Leigh looked at Lu Ke's outfit again. "This is the second thing we need to talk about. On Wednesday's regular press conference, in the player tunnel before the game, and in the official press conference after the game, can you dress yourself up a little before you accept an interview?"
Noticing Lu Ke's confused look, Leigh continued, "Your outfit has your own style, and I think it fits your image very well. Besides sportswear, you have a chance to show your style, and that's even better. Young, stylish, simple, and youthful. This is a great start. Leave the other promotions and marketing to me."
This season, the league had a new reform.
In the past year or two, the rapid rise of social media had made professional athletes' exposure skyrocket. Their personal image, personal brand, and personal influence were all being amplified step by step.
The NBA was a great example. Before each game, the players' walk-in was like a fashion show. There were Givenchy shirts from the current season, the latest bomber jackets from Balenciaga, and bright red turtleneck sweaters. The players were becoming more and more daring and bold, and even exaggerated outfits like denim corsets and jazz jeans appeared one after another.
In line with the call of the "Entertainment is dead" era, everything was evolving into a show.
Now, the "player tunnel show" had become a unique sight in the NBA. The exposure and attention were extraordinary. Those top superstars had also hired stylists to be an extension of their brand image and build a business empire.
Only by truly knowing how to market and manage themselves can they develop more commercial value and create value in other areas outside of their athletic career.
Roger Goodell also quickly smelled the business opportunity. Although each NFL team only had one game a week, which was a much lower frequency than the NBA, they could still create more hype if they operated it well.
So, the league officially made an official reform. After each game, players were allowed to go back to the locker room to wash up and calm their minds before going to the press conference to be interviewed by reporters. Although it was not explicitly stated, the purpose was to give the players time and space to dress up.
In addition, the official press conference on Wednesday and the player tunnel before the game were also a stage to showcase themselves.
This was not only to tap into the players' commercial value but also to increase the league's exposure and promotional level.
In the first half of the season, some players had already started to try daring things.
For example, Cam Newton would wear all kinds of weird hats and colorful suits at every press conference, like derby hats, embroidered fedoras, and newsboy caps. Von Miller, for example, owned a hundred pairs of glasses and eight hundred pairs of shoes to ensure that he could always have something new.
Some players would show up in cartoon character pajamas, some would choose Halloween costumes like capes or suits, and some would start appearing in designer clothes from luxury brands. They were all strange, varied, and capable of anything, often making the reporters exclaim in surprise.
However, this was only the first season of this new attempt, and all the players were still trying to figure things out. It was clear that NFL players still had a lot to learn in this aspect from their NBA counterparts. They were either trying too hard, missing the point, or being nonsensical, and the news media didn't know whether to laugh or cry.
Gradually, those top-tier agents were preparing to hire professional stylists for their clients, not designers but stylists who were responsible for different outfits, imitating the NBA's path and joining the entertainment wave of the internet era. If successful, this would also be an untapped frontier, and any one of them could become another pioneer of the NFL.
Now, Leigh also noticed Lu Ke's potential.
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