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It's said that reporters, who are known to be ruthless, actually have a mutually beneficial and constraining relationship with professional players. For some players who aren't good at dealing with the media, these reporters are demons. But for other players, reporters are far less difficult to deal with than lawyers, businessmen, or politicians.
I was the latter.
"Bambi, how does it feel to get your third consecutive victory?"
"You won the rookie showdown. What are your thoughts on Andy Dalton?"
"How was your first away game?"
"How did you feel about today's game? Was it tough or easy?"
"What are your thoughts on next week's game?"
The questions came pouring in, all at once. I could barely hear them, only catching fragmented bits and pieces. They were so enthusiastic and crazy, as if Columbus had discovered a new continent. But in fact, this was only my third regular-season game. The difference was that this wasn't just my third start, but also my third victory, and that's why everyone was so excited.
When I was an intern reporter, most of the interviews were one-on-one, or one reporter interviewing a group of people. Occasionally, there would be a situation where multiple reporters interviewed one person, but the number of reporters would never exceed the number of fingers on one hand, and the scene would be orderly and harmonious.
Now, all of a sudden, I was surrounded by fifty or sixty reporters. Even with my height advantage, I still couldn't see the end of the crowd. The noisy voices, excited recorders, and distorted faces were everywhere. Arms were even hitting my face like a bunch of headless chickens. The situation was getting a little out of control.
If there wasn't a railing between us, which kept the situation under control, the consequences would have been unimaginable.
I turned around and looked for Bobby, and I saw him standing far away, looking like he had escaped. He had a big smile on his face and was giving me a thumbs-up with both hands, looking like he was saying, "Good luck," which made me want to hit him. Just before this season, Bobby was an active wide receiver and had just retired. He was naturally very familiar with the craziness of reporters.
I also gave Bobby a thumbs-up and then deliberately pointed it downward, showing my protest and a threat. But it was no use. Bobby still jogged away.
Now, the only thing I could hope for was that my other teammates would come over quickly and relieve some of the pressure. Ted Ginn, Kyle Williams, and Marcus Lynch were all people worth interviewing today. They were the heroes of the game. Even Mike Lupati and Chilo Chachal, the two leaky blind-side blockers, were worth a good interview.
But before they came, I was all alone. Bobby deliberately called me over early, so it must have been the team's intention.
I caught the keyword "Joe Montana" in my ear and looked in the direction of the voice. The other reporters around me also gradually quieted down and looked in the same direction.
The reporter who became the focus of attention looked left and right, and then realized that he had the chance to ask a question. He quickly spoke again. "A lot of people are comparing you to Joe Montana now. What do you think about that?"
This was the second time. In less than three minutes, this was the second time I had heard such a comparison. For an undrafted rookie, is being compared to a Hall of Fame quarterback who is considered one of the best of all time a compliment or a way to get me a bad reputation?
However, after the question from the fans just now, I wasn't too surprised this time and just chuckled. "You can never surpass a legend."
Every fan has their own all-time best in their hearts. The so-called all-time best isn't just a string of honors and a string of data. It also needs to take into account the player's social environment, competitive state, and the quality of their opponents at the time. More importantly, every all-time best player is accompanied by a period of irreplaceable time that the fans went through.
For example, the legendary Miami Dolphins player Dan Marino.
The Dolphins won the Super Bowl twice in NFL history, but neither was led by Marino. This Hall of Fame quarterback never won the highest honor in football in his career. However, he is the greatest person in the history of the Dolphins, bar none. Not even those who won the championship can surpass him. At the same time, he is also one of the greatest quarterbacks in the history of the league, and he can even compete with Joe Montana for the position of the all-time best.
So, a thousand people have a thousand different Hamlets. Everyone has their own hero! As I said, you can never surpass a legend, because there is no competition between legends. They are all equally great.
"To have my name mentioned with Joe Montana, I think it's an honor for me, considering I'm a rookie and also an outsider. That's even more impressive." I shrugged slightly. Although I didn't say it explicitly, "outsider" was clearly alluding to my Asian identity. This kind of good-natured expression made the reporters chuckle.
Without stopping, I continued, "One day, I hope I can become a reference for reporters. But for now, I need to get back to the game on the field. The regular season has only been going on for three weeks. This season is still very long. I don't want people to ask me the complete opposite question in three weeks."
For example, how do you feel about a three-game losing streak?
My meaningful words showed my confidence and determination, which complemented my passing style on the field. At the same time, I expressed myself in a humorous and light-hearted way. After taking off my armor from the field, I showed the vibrant spirit of a recent college graduate, which was indeed impressive.
More importantly, without me saying a word, I had shifted the topic, and no one continued to ask questions about "Joe Montana."
In fact, such a question is very official but also very tricky. Especially for rookies, besides paying homage, there aren't many other options. After all, those Hall of Fame players have already proven themselves, while the rookies have only just started on the field. If they were too arrogant, the rookie would soon be drowned in the fans' criticism.
However, I handled it quite skillfully. I broke away from the usual pattern and, at the same time, showed my beliefs.
"Are you saying you hope to be in the Hall of Fame one day?" another reporter in the crowd asked.
I looked up and smiled. "Of course." I paused for a moment and then asked back, "Who doesn't?"
The reporters looked at each other for a moment, then chuckled and nodded in agreement.
"Before today's game, everyone was focused on the rookie quarterback showdown. You and Dalton are both number fourteen and both rookies this year. What are your thoughts on that?" The questions finally got back on track, and the reporters started asking regular questions.
For me, this was something I was good at. "Andy is a very good quarterback, no doubt about it. We both played well tonight. I think the final score doesn't really reflect the true outcome. My teammates and I gave it our all, and that's how we got the final victory."
"Are you saying you were sacked four times?" a reporter sniffed out a loophole. "Today, the 49ers' offensive line didn't play well, and you were constantly throwing under pressure. There was even a chance you would be injured, and Logan Newman had an argument with an offensive lineman. What's going on?"
"Clearly, the pocket did have some problems today. Besides the numbers, my sore muscles are also reminding me of that," I replied in a joking manner, keeping it light.
"Over the past week, we've been training for the Bengals, but today, their defense played very well, so we had difficulties. You can ask Mike and Chilo later how much Logan wanted to win, and they will tell you how much pressure they felt."
I explained the internal conflict in the team as a "desire to win." This is what a team leader needs to do. Although I wasn't the locker room leader yet, I was the team's quarterback. I needed the team to be united and on the path to victory.
"We still have a lot of work to do. I'm a rookie quarterback, and just the playbook takes up all my spare time. So, before the next game, I hope we can work together to solve the problem," I said, smiling as I summarized.
"Are you sure you're still the starting quarterback for the next game? As far as we know, Alex Smith has returned from his injury, and Colin Kaepernick has also passed his concussion test. What are your thoughts on that?" The reporters' questions were always so sharp, without any relaxation or softening.
"I welcome both players back from their injuries," I said with a shrug and a chuckle. "As for the starting quarterback, I think we all need to compete and let our performance do the talking. I hope the best and most suitable quarterback can lead the team forward. Personally, I hope that's me."
The reporters chuckled kindly. It wasn't because of what I said, but because of how I expressed myself and my tone. It was always relaxed and humorous, and people could feel the confidence and determination behind my words. At the same time, I used a simple way to liven up the atmosphere and avoid the sharp questions.
For any reporter, an interview subject like me was a dream come true.
"After four consecutive losses in the preseason, the team has now won three consecutive games. What are your thoughts on next week's game?" The game this week had just ended, and the heat on the field had not even had time to dissipate, but the reporters were already focusing on the next one.
I gave a big smile. "Let's first enjoy this week's victory. As for next week's game, we can talk about it slowly on Wednesday. How does that sound to you?"
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