Chapter 864: The Soul of the Bay
What was in front of their eyes was a golden ocean, a one-of-a-kind golden ocean!
The golden light surging on the red ocean was like brilliant sunlight spilling onto the surface of a vast and boundless ocean, enveloping it in a hazy and magnificent golden halo. It rose and fell with the gentle waves, making a mirage pale in comparison. The purest sunlight and sea had already displayed nature's miracle to the extreme, freezing all language and emotion.
The immense vitality contained in the golden halo was soft yet passionate, tenacious yet full of tension, powerful yet vigorous, allowing a glimpse into the mysteries of the ocean that gave birth to all life, making one want to worship it.
This was a red ocean. This was also a golden ocean. This was also an ocean of life.
"Keep fighting!"
At this moment, Ryan, sitting in front of the TV, was quietly looking at the magnificent scene. Even without being there, he could still feel the dynamic and majestic grandeur through the screen, which was lighting up the entire Candlestick Park. Such a grand scene was so beautiful that it made people want to bow in worship.
Jonathan, standing in the corner of the hospital room, turned his head away in embarrassment, looking at the large green garden outside the window, continuously rubbing his eyes to hide his watery eyes. But his red eyes revealed his true emotions. The happiness and excitement, bitterness and sadness in the depths of his eyes kept surging.
Ryan didn't cry. The smile on his face bloomed brightly. "Jonathan, look, those are the Niners. Those are my friends. Those are my comrades. They are always by my side. They are always fighting side-by-side with me. I'm not alone. I've never been alone, have I?"
"Yes. Yes!" Jonathan kept nodding clumsily. He tried to say more, but he couldn't. He could only keep repeating his positive answer. God, he must look like an idiot right now.
This was the San Francisco 49ers, the team they had dedicated their lives to.
Some people say that fans are an unreasonable bunch of fools. They can cry hysterically over a game and cheer with joy over a game. They can give their all for a team and spend a fortune for a team. They can shed tears of joy for a victory and hold on to a piece of history.
But they were also the simplest, purest, and friendliest group of people in the world. They had integrated their entire being with the team. It was not just a team, not just a sport, and not just a game. It was where their souls and spirits resided.
A team defines a group of people.
This was a saying that applied to this group of the world's most lovable fans. "Football is not a matter of life or death; it's more important than that." This phrase also applies to every fan of every other sport. They are like moths to a flame, giving their lives to light up a lamp in the long river of life, guiding themselves to charge forward relentlessly.
The San Francisco 49ers were the same for Ryan and Jonathan.
And today, they felt that surging passion in their souls once again:
This was them, "Keep fighting!" "Never give up!" "Persevere!" Even if they knew the end was a defeat, they would never surrender. They would fight to the end, until the last drop of blood was burned, until the very last moment. They would hold their heads high and embrace their end with pride and honor.
Ryan looked at the vast and magnificent red and gold ocean in front of him. He turned to look at his embarrassed brother and laughed joyfully. "Jonathan, look, they're fighting now. They're marching towards the Super Bowl now. They're waiting for me to join them. This is our season. This is my season. I can't wait to join them now! Our battle isn't over yet, is it? It's not over yet!"
Jonathan turned his head and looked at the revitalized Ryan. He couldn't help but think of fireworks, blooming wildly before they withered and disappeared into the night.
But... at least they had bloomed, right?
So, Jonathan showed a big smile. "This is our year!"
"This is our year!" Ryan also shouted. His pronunciation was still not very clear, and his voice was still not very loud, but that didn't matter. He clenched his fists with all his might and shouted along with the cheers from the TV. "Keep fighting!"
He would not give up. He would not compromise. He would not surrender.
Even if the end of this road was death, at least he could choose whether to give up and die in sadness or to bravely embrace life in a blaze of glory. Like a summer flower, after blooming wildly, it would wither gloriously and fall into the soil, waiting for spring to come again.
This was the spirit of the San Francisco 49ers!
He was still waiting to witness the day the San Francisco 49ers returned to the Super Bowl throne! How could he miss it?
Jonathan also raised his right fist and shouted in unison, "Keep fighting!"
Outside the hospital window, one could clearly see large patches of brilliant golden light surging. The doctors and nurses coming and going, the patients and visitors entering and leaving, all had a smile on their faces. The vitality that had been missing for a long time had returned to the hospital, slowly surging in the air.
The San Francisco General Hospital was just the tip of the iceberg.
Candlestick Park could only hold seventy thousand people, and the capacity of Candlestick Park was also relatively limited. For a city with a population of eight hundred thousand, that piece of land could not hold all the Niners fans.
On Union Square, more than a thousand people gathered in a bustling crowd, facing the large screen on the outside wall of Macy's. They were raising their right fists high, and a sea of golden balloons was surging together.
On the streets and alleys of the Castro District, the bars and cafes were packed with people. Countless people had left their homes and gathered together, raising their gold accessories and greeting each other in a friendly and enthusiastic manner.
On the open space of Fisherman's Wharf, golden flags, golden signs, and golden ribbons were fluttering in the wind. The view was filled with people. The radio broadcast from the loudspeakers conveyed the call from Candlestick Park clearly and accurately.
At "Joe's Bar," the doors were wide open, and all the fans were gathered together, stretching from the bar to the street. The entire block had become a sea of celebration. A beer and a support scarf were all it took. All the fans would welcome everyone with open arms.
Looking out from the center of Candlestick Park, the entire Bay Area was surging with the same golden ocean. It wasn't just the stadium and the streets, but also the corners of the streets, the department stores, and the brand flagship stores. The images from the TV screens and the signals from the radio broadcasts were intertwined, filling every corner.
The entire city had gone into a state of utter ecstasy. It was only today that people realized for the first time just how many Niners fans lived on this land.
This was just the warm-up before the start of the game, but the moment of unity for San Francisco and the Bay Area had truly arrived.
The vast and passionate cheers continued to echo in Candlestick Park. The golden ocean was so dazzling and scorching that people couldn't open their eyes. This was an extremely rare sight in the entire league and in all of history. One could even say it had never been seen before.
In the broadcast booth, Teddy and Kirk didn't say anything. They both remained silent.
They tried to say something, because that was their job—to describe the situation and bring the audience into the atmosphere of the game. But after trying, they realized that any words were powerless and any commentary was in vain. The only thing they needed to do was:
Shut up, be quiet, watch, and feel.
It was only today that they truly felt the soul of the San Francisco 49ers. Like a towering giant, it had risen completely from its knees, carrying the vast sky on its shoulders, straightening its back little by little, and creating a new world with its tall and majestic body.
Even the Green Bay Packers, the New England Patriots, the Seattle Seahawks, or the Pittsburgh Steelers—among all the teams in the NFL—they had never seen such a sight, one that tightly united an entire city and reawakened the passion and excitement in the depths of their blood.
No one was an exception.
The charm of competitive sports truly reached its peak at this moment. It was so beautiful that it was moving. Even their enemies couldn't help but open their mouths slightly, watching everything in front of them in awe. The envy and jealousy in their hearts couldn't be suppressed. This was why they loved sports so much, and this was why they were so crazy about it.
God, at this moment, "Niner" was like a totem, bestowed with a sacred light, illuminating the entire North American continent. The shock and emotion slowly surged in their minds. The charm and magic of competitive sports were fully displayed at this moment. This was the most beautiful and moving commentary.
That golden ocean was so vast and immense, and that golden light was so dazzling and brilliant, like a giant wave hitting a rock, creating an endless echo:
Keep fighting.
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