"BREAKING: Luke, Who Has NEVER Played Football, Claims He's the Best Quarterback!"
"They Say People Are Humble? Think Again!"
"Whom the Gods Would Destroy, They First Make Mad!"
"This Actor Is Treating a Team Sport Like a Personal Hero Stage!"
Immediately after Luke finished his interview with the Fox News reporter, a barrage of news stories hit the media channels. American football, being a national obsession, is a massive traffic magnet. These reports were like throwing a lit firecracker into a dumpster—everything blew up.
Within just a few hours, the internet and real-life conversations were dominated by people paying attention to this and arguing about it. Luke's fame and trending status shot straight up.
"Who is Luke? Some guy? What gives him the right to call himself the best quarterback?"
"He's a famous Hollywood action star. I really like him. I think he has a movie coming out soon called Pirates of the Caribbean."
"Who cares about that! I just want to know why he's so arrogant!"
"I actually like Luke's movies. As an action star, he's amazing—professional and dedicated. But I seriously doubt he can play football well, let alone be the best QB."
"I'm actually angry. Luke said he's the best quarterback, so he's saying he's better than Tom Brady? That's my idol!"
"Luke said he's going to prove himself. Is he actually going to go out there and play a football game?"
Whether the comments were good or bad, friendly or malicious, the result was the same: Luke's buzz skyrocketed, instantly making him the hottest topic around.
At the center of this media storm, Luke saw that the time was right and made his own announcement to the press.
Thanks to Mr. Eisen's efforts, a news story appeared on the front page of The New York Times:
"Hollywood Action Star Luke Challenges Super Bowl MVP Tom Brady?"
This news detailed the entire backstory, including the most crucial information:
"Since people keep talking about how a person can't play quarterback, Luke is preparing to put his money where his mouth is and prove them wrong."
"Luke, a longtime football fan, has donated a $10 million sponsorship to the New York Giants and has requested their help in arranging a friendly exhibition game against the New England Patriots."
"The New England Patriots have accepted the invitation for the friendly match. In three days, the newly crowned champions will face off against the veteran New York Giants in a highly anticipated game."
"Luke will temporarily join the Giants and play as their quarterback. We'll all be watching to see how he performs."
When this news broke, the already raging topic immediately escalated several levels. The buzz was comparable to pre-Super Bowl predictions, with countless people weighing in.
Betting companies certainly didn't miss this opportunity; many set up dedicated betting lines for the exhibition game. Naturally, the odds were overwhelmingly in favor of the New England Patriots.
If Luke were to win, the payout was 4-to-1.
Betting on the Patriots, the payout was only 1.2-to-1.
Even with the low return, the vast majority chose to bet on the Patriots, seeing it as an easy way to make money. It might not be a huge profit, but it was a sure thing!
Meanwhile, the public was stunned by Luke's actions:
Luke is actually serious about this?
He's really going to play quarterback?
And he picked the reigning champions, the New England Patriots, as his opponent?
Is Luke really challenging Super Bowl MVP Tom Brady?
At this point, the public opinion, which had been overwhelmingly against Luke, started to shift. A portion of the audience began to side with him and defend his actions:
"Luke's actions prove he's not just talk. As long as he has the guts to challenge the champion team, I support him. Who knows? Maybe he'll pull off a miracle!"
"Football is a sport that relies heavily on athleticism. If you've seen Luke's action movies, you know he might actually be a good football player!"
"Win or lose, as long as Luke performs well on the field, he'll have proven his point."
The moderate shift in opinion wasn't surprising. On one hand, Mr. Eisen had started working behind the scenes, encouraging media outlets supportive of Luke to speak up. He had held off earlier because the negative buzz was necessary to hype the story.
On the other hand, Americans genuinely admire people who have the courage to speak up and back it up with action. If you're willing to step up and fight a real battle, many people will immediately respect you more.
Now, this widely anticipated exhibition game was unavoidable.
For Luke, he absolutely had to win.
He had talked a big game, and with so many people watching, a loss would be a massive embarrassment. He wouldn't be able to show his face for a long time.
"Are you really confident you can win? The New England Patriots are undisputed champions, and you know the New York Giants aren't exactly a powerhouse right now," Mr. Eisen asked, still worried.
"Don't worry," Luke said, laughing from the office couch. "If the Giants were too strong, it would be harder to prove that the win was my doing."
"You really don't do 'humble,' do you? I'm not doubting you, but the Giants..." Mr. Eisen remained concerned.
Luke nodded, assuring Mr. Eisen not to fret.
He knew, of course, that the current New York Giants were in a period of decline, only able to call themselves a "veteran team" based on their past records. The last time the Giants won the Super Bowl was eleven years ago. Luke knew the team wouldn't return to the top until 2008.
The team was at its weakest point right now, which is why they were willing to accept the sponsorship money and help him play an exhibition game. Otherwise, if they lost too badly, the Giants themselves would look foolish.
It was a true example of money talking: $10 million for one game, and that didn't even include the money spent lobbying the Patriots and the NFL.
However, Luke didn't feel it was a bad deal. Attracting this much attention wouldn't be possible with simple advertisements. He viewed the money as the movie's marketing budget, a cost he would more than recoup from Pirates of the Caribbean's box office. Plus, the exhibition game would bring in ticket sales and broadcast revenue, so it would be hard to lose money overall. Luke had heard that the tickets were already sold out.
That's why Luke naturally chose the strongest, most buzz-worthy opponent possible. It wasn't his style to pick an easy target.
There was no need to detail how great the legendary quarterback Tom Brady was.
The Patriots were also in their absolute prime. In the coming years, they would win multiple Super Bowls and set the NFL regular season record for the longest winning streak at 21 games.
Defeating a team like that was the only way to push Luke's personal fame to its absolute peak.
For the two days before the game, Luke joined the Giants for temporary training. This was just enough time for him to get slightly familiar with his teammates—there wasn't even time to fully integrate the team's complex plays.
Time flew by, and soon it was game day.