"Bambi! Bambi! Bambi!"
A thunderous roar echoed through Candlestick Park, even louder and more powerful than Niagara Falls. The entire San Francisco Bay Area was boiling over at this moment. Everyone was cheering, screaming, jumping, roaring, and shouting. In the end, all those emotions merged into one single name.
"Bambi."
Stephen Curry grabbed a pillow from his sofa and bit down on it, but he still couldn't control the excitement and elation in his heart. So, he started jumping up and down and roaring wildly. His wife, Ayesha, looked at his howling with a helpless expression. She carefully cradled her slightly bulging belly and said, "Hey, calm down, calm down." She had just found out she was pregnant and couldn't get too excited.
But Curry couldn't calm down at all. He shouted recklessly and even turned to his wife, waving his hands, signaling for her to join in his celebration. He pointed at the TV screen, and his glowing eyes seemed to be asking, "Are you sure you don't want to join?" This was a party for everyone. He kept shouting, "Bambi!"
At this moment, if you listened carefully, you could hear the sound of a mountain-sized tsunami rising and rising, from the streets of San Francisco to the alleys of Oakland, linking the entire Bay Area with a powerful momentum. Then, with the force of thunder, it swept across California and spread throughout North America.
Curry kept repeating, "He's the man! Hey, I told you, he's the man! I knew it!"
For the past week, Curry had been waiting for this Monday Night Football game. He told all of his Golden State Warriors teammates that San Francisco would win, that the 49ers would beat the Steelers, and that Lu Ke would definitely shine on the prime-time stage. He didn't just believe it; he was certain of it. He deeply believed it!
But his teammates all refused to believe him. Everyone was teasing Curry for his fanciful thoughts. Now, who was the one with the fanciful thoughts?
"I knew it! I knew it!" Curry roared wildly, as if he saw a new sense of courage in Lu Ke. He turned around, facing the living room with only Ayesha in it, and kept waving his hands, passionately shouting, "To all the viewers and everyone here, come on, join me! Bambi! Bambi! Bambi!"
Curry, who was far away on the other side of the Bay, was celebrating wildly, and the fans who were close to Candlestick Park were also cheering like crazy.
Raymond Jackson looked at the scene in front of him with disbelief, tears streaming down his face. His heart was so excited that it was trembling, causing his whole body to tremble. Countless emotions surged in his chest, but he couldn't express them accurately.
They did it. They really did it.
San Francisco had its first snowfall in thirty-five years, turning a home game into a road game for the 49ers. The 49ers were facing their toughest opponent of the season, and their starting quarterback was in a difficult situation with hypothermia and couldn't play. The offense was locked down by the opponent's strongest defense, and even at their best, they couldn't find many opportunities. The Monday Night Football broadcast and the racial comments attracted a wave of critical eyes and a lot of doubt.
The heavens, the earth, and the people all seemed to be against them. But they did it.
For the first time in ten years, Raymond once again felt the living, beating heart of Candlestick Park. He felt it right where he was standing. Thump. Thump. It was so clear, so powerful, so vibrant.
All his emotions were completely out of control. He could barely make a sound. He just shouted with all his might, shouting the name of the king who had reawakened the Bay Area's sleeping soul. Then, he devoutly prostrated himself, kneeling in worship.
"Bambi!"
When Ted Ginn shook off Ike Taylor's last desperate tackle and sprinted into the end zone, the entire stadium erupted like a volcano, erupting without restraint. The synchronized shouting poured down like a storm of wind and lightning, instantly engulfing the entire stadium.
In the broadcast booth, all the voices were drowned out. Although their voices could still be broadcast through their microphones, being on-site, they could barely hear themselves. The roaring and vibrations in their ears were so overwhelming that they could only see each other's mouths moving. Their eardrums felt like they were filled with cotton.
Unbelievable. This was truly unbelievable!
Facing the airtight defense of the Pittsburgh Steelers, Lu Ke still managed to break through and deliver a powerful and decisive final blow. In this play, from the very first moment of the snap, Lu Ke began to lay out his tactical plan. Using the receivers' routes and Lu Ke's passing motion, he shifted all the defensive focus to the left side, creating a shift.
Unexpectedly, he chose the central area, which happened to be the area the Steelers were least worried about. They allowed Ginn to make a solid catch. The safeties weren't in a hurry to provide timely backup. They slowed down, making sure nothing went wrong. If the 49ers had rushed their advance, the safeties would have had the upper hand, making a solid tackle with a stable center of gravity. At the same time, they were waiting for other defenders to surround him.
From the left to the right and then to the middle, people now finally understood the series of numbers Lu Ke shouted before the snap. Those were the routes for the players. Just like a master chess player, he planned every step, and then he delivered a fatal blow.
What if Ginn couldn't find any open space after making the catch? What if the Steelers' defense didn't fall for it, and Lu Ke's plan didn't work?
Then Ginn would have gone down, and the 49ers would have used a timeout. This would have meant that the San Francisco 49ers had advanced about 55 yards, putting them directly in field goal range. Even if they couldn't make another offensive play, they could have kicked a field goal and sent the game into overtime.
The Steelers' fourth-down play put the 49ers in a desperate situation. The 49ers' brilliant tactical plan took control of the game back. The central area, the area that no one cared about, the area that the Steelers even deliberately left open, was turned into a game-changing play by Lu Ke. This was truly unbelievable!
Tirico finally found his voice amidst the deafening roar. "This is absolutely rare. I mean, in my broadcasting career, I have never seen a play like this. In a critical moment of an offensive drive, the wide receiver chose to stop and observe, waiting for the offense and defense to get into position before advancing again."
"But the key is that Ted Ginn pulled it off. Using his teammates' picks and his own nimble body and excellent speed, he successfully broke through. The San Francisco 49ers used their weapons to the fullest, performing a beautiful dance on a high wire. Brilliant! Absolutely brilliant! This is the most brilliant moment of Week 15 of the regular season, and it could even be in the top twenty-five moments of the season!"
"My God, this Monday Night Football game is truly brilliant. It could even be called the most brilliant Monday Night Football game of the season. The San Francisco 49ers' rookie quarterback, Lu Ke, delivered a perfect performance under unfavorable circumstances! Well, maybe not perfect, there was an interception in the first half. But his performance is enough to shut all the doubters up."
In a sea of cheers, the referees had become supporting characters, but they still completed their tasks meticulously, giving the confirmation signal and confirming that it was a successful touchdown. There were no yellow flags or any controversial calls during the play. Ted Ginn completed a clean touchdown. As a result, the San Francisco 49ers took the lead for the first time in this game. They were just one step away from reversing the game.
"The Pittsburgh Steelers had the upper hand throughout the game, but in the end, they gave up control. This Monday Night Football game was indeed worth the wait!" Tirico quickly said, "Now, there are only twenty-four seconds left in the game. The score is now 30-27. The home team, the San Francisco 49ers, has taken the lead, but the ball is still in the 49ers' hands. They still have the extra point to go."
A three-point difference. If they kicked the extra point, the difference would be four points, which would mean that the Pittsburgh Steelers would have to score a touchdown to win, with only twenty-something seconds left. But to everyone's surprise, the San Francisco 49ers chose a two-point conversion.
In fact, there was no difference between a four-point and a five-point lead, because the Steelers would still have to score a touchdown to win the game. But the San Francisco 49ers still chose a two-point conversion. The reason? It was the same logic as when the Steelers chose to go for it on fourth and six—to consume game time. Whether the two-point conversion was successful or not was not important. What was important was to reduce the amount of time the Steelers had to play. But this was too risky. Because if the two-point conversion failed, the score difference would remain at three points, which would mean that the Pittsburgh Steelers would only need a field goal to send the game into overtime.
A field goal and a touchdown were two completely different situations. If it was a field goal, Roethlisberger could try a super long pass connection as soon as he got on the field. If it was successful, they might be able to get into field goal range. No one should forget that Roethlisberger's deep pass was also well-known in the league.
So, this was a huge gamble. Even in the final moments of the game, the San Francisco 49ers were still dancing on the edge of a knife.
In the midst of the roaring storm, the two teams still meticulously lined up. Lu Ke then snapped the ball, and five seconds later, Candlestick Park erupted again with an even more terrifying momentum. Just when everyone thought the climax had arrived, the next moment would bring another shock. This was the true meaning of Monday Night Football!
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