The San Francisco 49ers' press conference room was famous throughout the league.
However, the interior was not very high-tech or modern. In fact, it was just a tiered classroom space. In the front, there was a small stage with a long table on it, and the team's flag hung behind it. In front of it was a fan-shaped, tiered room that went up in layers. The overall design was very ordinary and unremarkable.
What really made people remember this place was the interior decoration and color scheme. The combination of gold, red, and deep blue was simple and elegant, yet luxurious. The deep blue carpet on the floor reduced all the noise and distractions to a minimum. The warm air was filled with a soft, comfortable, and cheerful feeling. The beauty of the visual design always made people happy.
In fact, Candlestick Park was a historic stadium. It had been built more than half a century ago, and the old buildings, outdated decor, and old equipment all showed the traces of time.
Although the York family had done some renovations after they took over the team to welcome a new era with a fresh look, since 2006, the York family had been trying to build a new stadium. The proposal was passed in 2010, and they won the support of the city council, and the new stadium officially began construction.
In the near future, Candlestick Park might become a thing of the past.
Despite this, this historic stadium still carried the team's glory and prestige. In this press conference room, people had witnessed the departure of Joe Montana and the retirement of Steve Young. Its significance was, after all, different.
At this moment, more than sixty reporters were gathered in the press conference room, waiting anxiously. Those who were sitting in their chairs were chatting idly, their eyes occasionally drifting toward the entrance on the left side of the stage, looking for a figure to appear. Some couldn't sit still and simply stood up, pacing back and forth in the narrow aisles and the open area in the front.
Today was Friday, not the official press day on Wednesday.
By custom, media reporters would not show up, and the team would not allow interviews to avoid disturbing the players' daily practice. But at this moment, the entire room was very lively. A lineup of more than sixty reporters was not the most, but it was not a small number. There was no boisterous discussion, but the undercurrent of tension and anticipation was palpable.
This was a press conference held by the San Francisco 49ers. It was Friday, and there was less than two days left until Sunday's game. The much-anticipated starting quarterback was about to be officially announced.
Would it be Lu Ke, the undrafted rookie quarterback who had repeatedly created miracles recently, who would continue to lead the team forward? Or would it be Alex Smith, the veteran quarterback who had been the team's leader for five consecutive years, who would return from his injury and take back control? Or would it be Colin Kaepernick, the second-round pick who had high hopes placed on him, making a strong comeback after a disappointing preseason?
Thanks to the presence of the Chinese-American quarterback Lu Ke, the already high-profile topic was now attracting even more attention. Just like Tony Romo and Kurt Warner, every step of Lu Ke's career in the league was making history, and the discussion remained at a fever pitch.
Now, the critical moment had arrived. Would Lu Ke be able to keep his starting position? Or would his legendary journey come to a temporary end, waiting for the next opportunity to rise?
Even as observers, people couldn't help but feel excited and impatient.
"It has to be Alex, definitely Alex."
"I agree. I don't see the need to choose a rookie player. Both Colin and Lu Ke are too young. The 49ers need a veteran to bring the team together now. Otherwise, their performance is too inconsistent. They can give you a heart attack several times in one game."
"The only question is, how is Alex's recovery from his injury? Does anyone here know how he looked during the passing drills last week?"
...
The low-pitched conversations, without any loud noise, buzzed, but every word still found its way into Jay Fox's ears. His already nervous emotions became even more irritable. He just wanted to stand up and tell those reporters to shut up.
However, his remaining sanity convinced Jay that this was their job, and telling a reporter to shut up was the equivalent of canceling the press conference. So, Jay could only sit obediently in his seat, constantly taking deep breaths to try and calm himself down.
"What do you think?" A voice suddenly came from beside him, and Jay was startled. He turned his head and saw a friendly face smiling. "Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you. Is this seat next to you taken? Can I sit down?"
"Of course," Jay said in a panic. "What did you just say?"
"Brian, from the San Francisco Chronicle." Brian Westbrook introduced himself. Jay also quickly said, "Jay, from the Los Angeles Times."
Brian had a look of sudden realization. "Oh, The Times." For the West Coast, the "Los Angeles Times" was the biggest newspaper. Although the "San Francisco Chronicle" was the second biggest, the difference in influence was still quite obvious.
As for the East Coast, the "New York Times" was the undisputed leader. However, besides them, the "Washington Post," "Wall Street Journal," and other major newspapers also had a lot of influence. When it came to news media, the East Coast was not only the center of North America but also the focus of the entire world.
When people in North America talked about "The Times," everyone knew they were specifically referring to the "New York Times." But if they were only talking about the West Coast, then "The Times" specifically referred to the "Los Angeles Times." However, compared to the "New York Times," the "Los Angeles Times" was still not on the same level.
"It's just my first year," Jay said humbly.
Brian shrugged and didn't dwell on it any further. "I'm rooting for Bambi." Jay's thoughts seemed to be unable to keep up with Brian's speed, and the difference between a rookie and a veteran was not only on the football field. "I mean, for today's starting quarterback competition, I'm rooting for Bambi. What about you?"
"Bambi," Jay said without any hesitation.
"Is it because he's your friend?" Brian said with a chuckle. "I know you and Bambi were classmates in college, along with Logan and Marcus."
"UCLA," Jay nodded in affirmation. "It's not just because of that. It's because I know how focused Bambi is. It can even be described as scary. If you underestimate Bambi's ability, you'll have to pay a heavy price."
"Just like the Seattle Seahawks?" Brian's example was so vivid that both of them burst out laughing. Brian looked around the press conference room. "But we're still a minority. These people are empiricists. They're used to making judgments based on past experiences and have a fixed mindset about Asian-American players. They refuse to see the changes and progress made in the three games."
So, they all believed that the San Francisco 49ers would choose Alex Smith. When faced with the question of choosing a veteran or a rookie, of the thirty-two teams in the entire league, with only three regular-season games as a reference, it was estimated that more than two-thirds, or even three-quarters, would choose the veteran.
The quarterback position was extremely special, and there were so many factors that people had to consider. Even Peyton Manning's rookie season was a disaster.
"They're here!" As they were talking, the door on the left side was pushed open, and Jim Harbaugh, accompanied by several staff members, appeared in front of the reporters.
In an instant, all the reporters started to move, quickly finding their seats. They were surging and noisy, yet they were orderly and sat down very quickly. Pairs of eager and expectant eyes were all focused on Jim, like laser beams, and the scorching heat made the air slowly start to burn.
"Thank you all for coming to the team's press conference." Jim didn't waste any time and went straight to the point. "Today's topic is the starting quarterback. The team is at a very important moment. After the coaching staff's discussion and deliberation, and after evaluating the performance during practice over the past few days, we have finally reached a conclusion."
After a brief pause, Jim looked around and saw that all the reporters were holding their breath.
Many reporters were sitting behind their laptops, their hands quickly typing on their keyboards, writing their stories, and just waiting to fill in the name of the starting quarterback. Then they would immediately post a breaking news on Twitter and their websites, and then they would do a more in-depth interview to write a detailed news article. But at this moment, the hands of these reporters had also stopped, as if they were caught in a time vortex.
The scene was a little funny.
"The starting quarterback for the San Francisco 49ers in this week's game..." Jim didn't intentionally play tricks on the reporters. He continued, "will continue to be Lu Ke."
Silence, quietness, dullness. The sound of time flowing became incredibly clear. Everyone held their breath, and their hearts seemed to have temporarily stopped beating. Then... with a muffled "boom," it exploded in their ears. In an instant, everyone came back to their senses and realized what had just happened. A huge piece of news had just been announced!
Before Jim could even finish his sentence, questions came pouring in like a tidal wave.
"What is the specific reason?"
"Has Alex Smith not fully recovered from his injury?"
"Isn't choosing Lu Ke as the starting quarterback too risky?"
"Did the team consider all factors?"
"What does Alex Smith think about this?"
"What is the atmosphere like in the team right now?"
"Did the team make this choice based on the three wins in the last three games?"
...
A huge number of questions all came at once. The momentum was even more exaggerated than when the San Francisco 49ers announced that Lu Ke would be the starting quarterback before the first week of the regular season.
Because at that time, there was no choice. Alex Smith and Colin Kaepernick were both injured, and Lu Ke was forced into the role. But today, it was an active choice, so the weight of the news was naturally completely different.
Brian and Jay exchanged a glance and both smiled knowingly.
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