Chapter 1027: Going Against the Current
The month of January in San Francisco can be a brutal and wild winter month, but Candice Swanepoel's nose was glistening with sweat. The entire Candlestick Park was filled with a surging heatwave. The shimmering, slightly undulating sea of red seemed to have no end, and the blood-red sunset in the evening blanketed the sky, the sea, and the stadium with a dazzling, brilliant glow.
Tonight, at 8:00 PM West Coast time, the San Francisco 49ers vs. Seattle Seahawks Divisional Round game was about to start. There were still more than four hours until the official kickoff, but the stadium was already packed.
Candice's expression was incredibly focused, and she wasn't affected by the noisy and chaotic surroundings at all. Her eyes, as blue as the sea, reflected the dazzling sunlight, as if she were creating the most important work of art in the world. Then, the corners of her mouth slowly turned up. "All done! Annie, what do you think? I think this makes Jack look younger!"
Jiang Younin stood behind Candice, nodding with a big smile. "I think so, too."
Lu Zhengze, the center of attention, was still a little uncomfortable. He awkwardly turned his head. "Are you sure this is okay? I just don't think it's very appropriate."
At this moment, Lu Zhengze's face was painted with two designs. On the left side was the San Francisco 49ers' logo, and on the right side was a small crown. He looked just like a typical die-hard 49ers fan.
But for Lu Zhengze, he was still a little uncomfortable. Deep down, he was still an Asian man, and at his age, painting his face like this felt unprofessional and out of place. When he arrived at the stadium today, he was encouraged by the enthusiastic atmosphere and by Candice's encouragement, so he impulsively nodded his head, but... now he regretted it a little.
"Jack, don't worry, you look great!" Candice said with a big smile, giving Lu Zhengze a thumbs-up. At the same time, she shouted to the other 49ers fans nearby, "What do you guys think?"
"Exactly, exactly!" Li Monian was the first to shout. Then he said "Old Lu" in Chinese. This was a nickname the Chinese-American fans had for Lu Zhengze, as opposed to "Little Lu" for Lu Ke. It was a term of endearment. When they wanted to joke around, they would deliberately call him that. Then he switched back to English. "I'm so jealous now. Come on, come on! Do two for me, too!"
This season, the San Francisco 49ers made it to the playoffs for the second consecutive year and went even further by creating a brilliant undefeated season. The enthusiasm of the Chinese-American community for watching the games had reached its highest point in two seasons. Many first-generation immigrants who had lived here for many years but had never understood football started to learn about it and even organized football rule study groups.
Today was the first playoff game, and all the fans came to Candlestick Park to cheer on the team. Even if they couldn't get into the stadium to watch, the big screen outside the stadium was the best place to feel the atmosphere of the game. The number of Chinese-American fans who showed up in the Bay Area alone had already surpassed 20,000.
It is well known that San Francisco is the third most populous city in the United States with Chinese people, only behind New York and Los Angeles. In terms of population density, more than 20% of San Francisco's residents are Chinese, a number that is the highest in the US. If you add Oakland, the number of Chinese in the Bay Area would surpass Los Angeles and be second only to New York.
After two years of preparation and building, the San Francisco 49ers now have an absolute appeal in the Bay Area, especially for the Chinese community. They are witnessing history step by step, and the pride and honor are indescribable. Even other Asian communities have joined this trend.
It's no exaggeration to say that Lu Ke's influence on the Chinese community in North America has already subtly surpassed Yao Ming's. This is partly because of football's unique leading position in the United States and partly because Lu Ke is making history on the field with his astonishing performance. In the end, competitive sports are all about winning and losing.
Li Monian was no longer alone.
All his dreams and ambitions, all his persistence and regrets, were now being realized in Lu Ke. Even the entire Chinese community had started to change subtly. Other people might not know, but as a middle school football coach, he could clearly feel that more and more third- and fourth-generation young immigrants were starting to play football.
Before, his persistence was seen as unprofessional by people, and even his own family and friends couldn't understand it. He walked alone on the road of his dreams. Now, his dreams are being realized step by step, and his work, his ideals, and his hobbies are being recognized. Every second of his life is now joyful and happy.
Turning his head, Li Monian could see a large number of Chinese faces, all filled with a look of pride and excitement, because of Lu Ke and the San Francisco 49ers.
Li Monian loved this moment. Not because of any specific thing, but because of everything this moment brought.
A dream is called a dream not because it's beautiful and brilliant, but because it represents the driving force of life, which makes life bearable. Besides, you should always have a dream, because you might just achieve it one day.
"Do you guys think we can still reach the 'minimum Score' for this game?"
"Of course we can! Otherwise, why would we call it the 'minimum Score'?"
"But the team's injuries are so annoying. The offense just got its rhythm back, and now half of the players are injured. The defensive line is also a concern. I'm not worried about anything else, just the injuries!"
In the past week, while the Wild Card games were in full swing, the San Francisco 49ers were also actively preparing for the game. After a whole season of high-intensity competition, injuries were inevitable.
Mario Manningham suffered a knee injury in the final moments of the game against the Arizona Cardinals and was carted off the field. After further examination, it was confirmed to be a sprained medial collateral ligament. It wasn't too serious and would heal in two weeks, but for intense competition, it would take at least three weeks or more, so he would miss the entire playoffs.
Chad Hall sprained his ankle in practice. Fortunately, it was still under control. He could play in this game but couldn't start. His performance would have to be seen when he was on the field. Randy Moss's physical condition has been a problem since the second half of the season. Harbaugh has been consciously limiting Moss's playing time, and with the playoffs being more intense, it's uncertain how long his body will hold up.
As the fans said, almost half of the 49ers' offensive receiving group that won games in the second half of the season had been replaced. Now, they have to go back to a situation with only three receivers: Michael Crabtree, Ted Ginn Jr., and A.J. Jenkins, with Randy Moss as a substitute.
Considering that Crabtree hasn't fully recovered, Moss can't play the entire game, and Jenkins is still too young, Ginn would be on his own. It's very likely that they will be forced back into a two-tight end formation, and Vernon Davis's performance is even more unpredictable than Crabtree's.
The only good news for the offense is that Anthony Davis's injury is completely healed, and he can return to the offensive line to ensure Lu Ke has a strong pocket.
At the same time, the defense is also facing injury problems.
These weren't serious injuries that would prevent them from playing, but nagging small injuries. Justin Smith and Ray McDonald on the defensive line had relapses of old injuries. The San Francisco 49ers played a "3-4" formation this season, with only three defensive linemen. Now, two of the main players are facing injury problems, which means their ability to rush the quarterback and pressure the offensive line will be put to the test.
NaVorro Bowman on the linebacker line has a shoulder injury. Cornerback Chris Culliver has played with an injury for the past two games, and safeties Donte Whitner and Dashon Goldson are not in their best physical condition either.
Although injuries are inevitable in competitive sports and almost every player has some kind of injury, the exhaustion and overexertion from the undefeated season are slowly taking their toll.
The San Francisco 49ers' defense, which is made up of mostly veterans, is more noticeably affected. The offense, which is made up of mostly young players, is more affected by their performance fluctuations than their injuries.
"But I still have faith in us! Because we have Bambi!"
"Football is a team sport. We can't put all our hopes on Bambi. Bambi is very good, but he's not a magician. The pressure is too much for him!"
"What I mean is, Bambi is the spiritual leader. He will find a solution! Trust me, when the receiving group was struggling and Logan was out with a concussion, Bambi still managed to continue the winning streak with second-string players. If it wasn't for Bambi finding them, who would have known that Mario and Chad could be so good? So, it's the same now. Bambi must have realized the problem! He won't just give up!"
"Exactly, exactly! What's more, we're playing against the Seahawks. We have a psychological advantage! We can definitely beat them easily! The 'minimum Score' isn't just something we said off the cuff!"
"Anyway, in terms of strength, we're the better team, aren't we? We fought for every single win to get our undefeated season!"
"But... forget it, forget it. I didn't say anything. I also hope we can win! Go, go!"
Even though the last fan didn't say it, Li Monian knew what he meant: But... there have been too many upsets this year.
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