Chapter 437 A Starting Point

Having witnessed such a roller-coaster of a game, the miraculous nature of a last-second offense, and the stunning performance of a comeback from the brink of defeat, no one was an exception. Every single fan in the stadium was wildly cheering, celebrating, shouting, and jumping. This was true even for the five hundred spectators of Chinese descent watching a live football game for the first time.

In that moment, they didn’t care that this was a completely unfamiliar sport, because they had truly felt its passion, strategy, and physicality. They didn’t care that this was a sport far removed from their lives, because on that field stood a player with hair, eyes, and skin similar to their own, united with every other spectator in the stadium.

This was a starting point, but it was a perfect one!

This spectacular clash between titans, this classic showdown that would leave a significant mark on the 2011 season, became the catalyst for the Chinese Community to truly embrace the San Francisco 49ers. It was also the starting point for their entry into the sport of football itself.

In this moment, they truly felt the pulse of the city. Ethnicity, culture, gender, age, class—all boundaries had completely blurred. A victory, a breathtaking victory, had united them all as one.

Jiang Youning turned her head and saw the faces around her, some familiar, some strange. They held their signs up high, cheering tirelessly. Even though the game had ended and the players were gradually leaving the field, their passion hadn’t diminished in the slightest as they all chanted the same name:

Bambi.

‘That’s my son, the hero of this team, and the pride of this city!’

A brilliant smile bloomed on Jiang Youning’s face. After the roller-coaster of the final moments ended, the taut tension inside her instantly loosened, leaving her feeling a bit overwhelmed. Caught off guard, she felt a prickle in her nose. But this emotional wave lasted only for an instant. Jiang Youning quickly raised her hands high and joined the cheering crowd.

‘Today, they’d won. A hard-fought victory. So, now was the time to celebrate, and she was more than willing to join this massive, wild party.’

Turning her head, Jiang Youning saw the young man in the wheelchair beside her. Because of his illness, his face was a little pale, but it was now flushed an unnatural red that made it hard to guess his exact age. Despite that, his face showed the same exhilaration and excitement.

Jiang Youning clenched her fists, pumped them gently a couple of times, and shouted, “Touchdown!”

The young man chuckled softly and shouted back, “Touchdown!”

In this simple back-and-forth, a bridge of understanding was built between the fans. Everything was so simple, as if they were comrades-in-arms fighting side-by-side. Now that the war was finally won, a special bond had formed between them.

The young man called out, “My name is Ryan Baldwin, and I’m a 49er. You?”

Jiang Youning paused for a moment, taken aback. It was an unfamiliar question, but the answer wasn’t difficult. “My name is Annie Jiang, and I’m a 49er too.”

Afterward, Jiang Youning noticed Ryan’s gaze fall on the group behind her, looking them over with curiosity. There was no malice in his stare, only friendly goodwill.

Jiang Youning reacted at once. “Seeing such a large group of unfamiliar faces here is a bit unusual, isn’t it?”

While there were some football fans within the community of Chinese descent, like Li Monian, they were few and far between. Even fewer came to watch games in person. A group of this size was practically unheard of—which was why the stadium officials had made a formal announcement at the beginning of the game.

Jiang Youning leaned in closer and raised her voice again. “They’re all 49ers too. Today is their first day as 49ers.” After saying this, Jiang Youning broke into a wide smile.

Ryan started laughing along with her. “Welcome to the family. We’re always happy to welcome new members with open arms.”

Besides, today was a new beginning for Ryan, too. It had been a long time, but he had finally returned to this great big family, and in such a joyful way. “After we leave the stadium, we’re planning to hit a bar to really savor this victory. What do you say, want to join us?” he asked, extending the friendly invitation.

Jiang Youning, however, paused for a moment with an odd expression. Just as Ryan was thinking she found his invitation too presumptuous, she continued, “You mean, you’re inviting all of us? There are five hundred of us! What bar in San Francisco can hold five hundred people?”

Ryan burst out laughing cheerfully. He liked this lady. “For fans, five hundred people is nothing, even five thousand would be no problem. I know a bar that can actually only hold less than a hundred people, but it’s one of the most loyal home bases for the 49ers. If we can’t fit inside the bar, we can stand outside. The whole street is our territory. We can just grab a beer and enjoy ourselves to the fullest.”

After a brief pause, Ryan added, “Over there, all you need is a 49ers jersey to get a warm welcome from everyone.” He pointed to Jonathan standing behind him, and Jonathan’s group of friends—that bunch of young college student fans. “We’re all heading to that bar in a bit. If you’re interested, we’d love for you to join us.”

Jiang Youning didn’t hesitate, nodding enthusiastically. “Of course, why not?”

‘For the Chinese Community, they needed to step out of their own circles and truly integrate into this city. Maybe football could be the catalyst, just like today, when the victory in this game has already become the best bridge of friendship.’

“Oh, right, which player is your favorite?” The thought suddenly occurred to Ryan, and he asked curiously. After getting sick, he hadn’t bought a jersey in a long time. The last time he’d stepped into an official merchandise store was years ago. Today, Ryan was wearing a Joe Montana jersey from the 1992 season.

Jiang Youning didn’t say a word. Instead, she proudly tugged on the front of her jersey, showing Ryan the number:

Fourteen. It was a number fourteen jersey.

The realization dawned on Ryan, and he felt he’d asked a stupid question. But he immediately followed up, “Actually, I was just about to buy a number fourteen jersey myself. God, his performance today was just incredible…”

“Right? Right? You think so too?” Li Monian, who was standing nearby, jumped into the conversation without warning, then shouted at the top of his lungs, “Number fourteen!” All the surrounding fans then started howling and cheering wildly.

Without any words needed, they had already become friends. This, too, was a starting point.

…

Another week of the regular season had ended. Another come-from-behind victory in a hard-fought battle. Another show of dominance in a clash of titans.

First, they defeated the Detroit Lions, shattering their undefeated streak. Then, they defeated the New York Giants, coming out on top in a showdown between the league’s second and co-third ranked teams. Whether it was the close score of 28-27 or the last-second offense, after this week’s game, the San Francisco 49ers had undoubtedly become the focus of the league once again.

In a way, the San Francisco 49ers were even more buzzworthy than the undefeated Green Bay Packers. Everyone knew that the Packers, as the reigning champions, would be strong this year, but the 49ers were the dark horse comeback story that shattered everyone’s expectations. The various topics surrounding this team were incredibly exciting.

After the game, Lu Ke once again became the undisputed focus of the news media.

Before anyone knew it, the San Francisco 49ers’ record had reached eight wins and one loss. They were now very, very close to clinching a playoff spot for the first time in eight years. For the team, and for the rookie quarterback, this was an absolutely rare and massive breakthrough, and it quickly overshadowed the game itself to become the center of attention.

“Bambi, if you can keep winning for the next two games, the San Francisco 49ers will achieve their first ten-win season in a long time. And because of your divisional record, it’s very likely you could clinch a playoff spot early. Do you have any particular thoughts on that?”

In the NFL, there’s an unwritten rule of thumb: ten wins is the minimum standard for making the playoffs.

For one, it’s rare for a team to make the playoffs with an 8-8 or 9-7 record. For another, it’s also not very common for a ten-win team to unfortunately miss the playoffs.

So, reporters always like to use ten wins as a watershed moment, a simple and crude way to divide the playoff picture. Of course, the actual playoff analysis is naturally much more complex and tedious, requiring judgment based on the different situations of each season and each division.

This year, the San Francisco 49ers had shown absolute dominance within the NFC West.

Currently, the Seattle Seahawks and the Arizona Cardinals were both at three wins and six losses, while the St. Louis Rams were at two wins and seven losses. They were completely unable to pose any real threat to the San Francisco 49ers.

Just as the reporter said, with seven weeks left in the regular season, the San Francisco 49ers were miles ahead of the pack. As long as they won two more games to reach ten wins, they would have a firm grip on a playoff spot. If they wanted to secure home-field advantage in the playoffs or get a better seed, then naturally, the more wins, the better.

Barring any surprises, the San Francisco 49ers would likely become the first team in the league to lock in a playoff spot. This was because the undefeated Green Bay Packers still had to face a fierce challenge from their divisional rivals, the Detroit Lions. Their chances of making the playoffs were infinitely high, but it wasn’t a 100% lock yet.

So, after the victory over the New York Giants, reporters were already eagerly looking ahead to the San Francisco 49ers’ playoff situation.

But for Lu Ke, a question like this was truly unexpected. It was only Week 10 of the regular season; the team hadn’t discussed the topic at all. The players had only joked about it among themselves in private, with no one taking it seriously. He just hadn’t expected the reporters to be so impatient.