Legendary Football Superstar

The preseason's finally wrapped up.

The San Francisco 49ers had a rough go, ending with four straight losses. To make things worse, their rookie quarterback, Colin Kaepernick, who was just starting to find his groove in the fourth game, threw two interceptions but also managed a passing and rushing touchdown. Just as he was getting better, he got a concussion in the final moments and is now out for at least four games.

The 49ers' nightmare seemed never-ending. First, Alex Smith got injured before the preseason, then Colin got a concussion right before the regular season. They had no choice but to push backup quarterback Luke into the starting spot, or they'd be stuck without a quarterback.

In the middle of all this chaos, to avoid Luke getting hurt too, the 49ers had to shuffle their 53-man roster, cutting a wide receiver and signing another backup quarterback temporarily.

There weren't many quarterbacks left to pick from, so they reluctantly went with undrafted rookie Scott Tolzien from the University of Wisconsin to back up Luke. With four quarterbacks on the roster, two were injured, and the other two were undrafted rookies. The 49ers were in a real bind.

So, the NFL officially confirmed that Luke, from UCLA, would be the first Asian- American player in NFL history to start a game. Not just Avalis American, but the first Asian-American ever to make history.

After the 49ers made their announcement, the league quickly made it headline news.

This was a groundbreaking moment in football history, almost like when African- American athletes first started half a century ago. In 2011, this news was even more sensational.

In other team sports like soccer, basketball, volleyball, hockey, and baseball, Asian- American players, though still a minority, had already made their mark. Even in the less popular ice hockey, you could find Asian-American players in professional leagues in Canada and the U.S.

But in football, North America's top sport, which is way more popular than baseball and ice hockey, there had never been an Asian-American starting player. Until now, history was finally being rewritten.

The first starting Asian-American player in NFL history was about to take the field, and he was a quarterback, the main guy on the football field. Not a special teams player, not a defensive player, but a 100% star position, the quarterback.

Maybe he'd be a shooting star, not lasting even one game before getting hurt; maybe he'd be a disaster, playing so badly he couldn't compete; maybe he was just a gimmick, a pawn for the 49ers and the NFL to promote the Asian market, sounding impressive but ultimately meaningless.

But no matter what, this was a historic moment.

In 2008, Barack Obama became the first African-American president in U.S. history. Under his leadership, American society's diversity and inclusiveness were gradually opening up. Now, the NFL had its first starting Asian-American player, a big milestone for a country that prides itself on being a melting pot of multiple ethnicities and cultures.

Almost overnight, the name "Luke" became a label, spreading across the U.S. and quickly becoming a focal point. From virtually zero, it skyrocketed to a thousand, not a hundred, but a thousand. The attention, enthusiasm, and intensity were so hot they were almost melting.

Everyone was curious: Who was this Asian-American quarterback? What was his story? At the same time, he became a laughingstock, a joke of the league, a national joke, and the subject of countless mockeries.

"This is a professional field, not child's play," commented Carolina Panthers rookie quarterback Cam Newton. "If I remember correctly, this is football. He must have walked onto the wrong field and chosen the wrong sport."

As Cam said, whether this Asian-American player could handle the game and withstand its intensity became the focus of everyone's doubts. The "Asian-American" label almost nailed Luke to the pillar of failure.

"Let me tell you what will happen in the first regular-season game," commented ESPN's veteran analyst Charles Davis on his show. "He'll take the field, get sacked, get injured, and never be able to run another play. That's it. Trust me, that's the kindest outcome for him."

Charles didn't hold back his ridicule and disdain, even laughing heartily after speaking. He then seriously explained, "Look at his build, 6'3" but only 187 pounds? Jesus Christ, he looks like a chocolate bar, ready to snap in half with a light touch. I don't expect him to throw a pass. For God's sake, I just hope the defensive players don't break him. Otherwise, that will be a moment recorded in NFL history!"

As one of the most senior and professional commentators in the league, Charles has an impressive resume and is considered one of ESPN's top talents, regularly hosting the flagship show "Inside NFL."

With his sharp commentary, professional demeanor, and authoritative reputation, Charles guarantees high ratings for the show. Other networks have tried to lure him away, but ESPN retained him with the highest salary in the industry.

ian-American player,

Even when faced with a first-year rookie and a history-making Charles showed no mercy, delivering a full-force reality check. "Look at this quarterback's first pass after taking the field an interception, a perfect interception. He didn't read the defense, didn't communicate with his teammates, and accurately delivered the football into the opponent's hands. This must be the easiest catch of that defender's career. Of course, from a positive perspective, at least his pass was precise."

This wasn't praise but sarcasm, biting sarcasm. The entire studio burst into laughter, noisy and boisterous. But that wasn't all.

Charles continued his ridicule and disdain, "He looks like Little Red Riding Hood lost on the field, worried about the Big Bad Wolf. His frail body and delicate face-God, even I feel a bit sorry for him. Maybe he can use his good looks and charm to beg the opponents for mercy. Why didn't he stay at an accountant's desk?"

The last comment bordered on racial discrimination, prompting host Edward Bowen to quickly change the subject before things escalated, "So, you don't have high hopes for the San Francisco 49ers this season?"

"Absolutely not," Charles said firmly. "We shouldn't be considering whether the San Francisco 49ers can win games but whether this quarterback can throw for over 100 yards-no, I correct myself, sorry, over 50 yards; and how many interceptions this quarterback will throw. If he's lucky, he might last the entire season and break Peyton Manning's rookie record of 26 interceptions. At least then, he'll have his name in the league's history."

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Every word dripped with disdain and contempt, not even giving Luke the respect of being considered a legitimate quarterback. The underlying discrimination was clear in Charles' words and attitude.

In the end, Charles even laughed out loud, "I bet this quarterback will go home crying to his mom."

Charles wasn't the only commentator pessimistic about the 49ers' season or Luke's prospects.

NBC commentator Bill Wingo said, "He looks out of place on the field, his frail body even less than a wide receiver's, almost like a paper doll. I don't understand the 49ers' choice, but I can sense Jim Harbaugh's frustration and helplessness."

Steven Golic, an expert columnist for "The New York Times" sports section, wrote, "Physically outmatched, clumsy footwork, defensive reading and passing accuracy still need further observation. These are the impressions left by this rookie quarterback in his few appearances during the four preseason games. Is he a competent quarterback? Clearly, he's just hovering around the passing mark."

ABC commentator Richard Riddick agreed, "The 49ers could have made better choices. After Alex Smith's injury, Carson Palmer and Matt Hasselbeck tried out, but Jim Harbaugh chose Luke Howard. Maybe it's a consideration for the San Francisco market. Other than that, it's hard to think of a better reason."

Kim Gimes, a commentator for "The Seattle Times," even started cheering for the team, the Seattle Seahawks, who are the 49ers' opening game opponents and division rivals, "The season hasn't even started, and the 49ers are already out of the playoff race. Four straight preseason losses, the starting quarterback injured, the second-round quarterback concussed, and finally, they chose an undrafted quarterback, an Asian- American player. Maybe the 49ers are already planning for the 2012 season."

The entire league was in an uproar, with almost everyone treating the whole situation

as a joke. The 49ers' continuous bad news and Luke's Asian-American identity only made things worse. Luke's interception after replacing Colin didn't help either.noveldrama

Even if the league tried to guide public opinion with the political correctness of "making history," it didn't matter. No one was buying it. More accurately, everyone was kicking them while they were down.