In the first week of the regular season, when Lu Ke became the starting quarterback of the San Francisco 49ers, Goodale had already anticipated this day, but that didn't mean he had already thought about a solution.

Today, under the aggressiveness of the Los Angeles Times, the situation is getting out of control little by little, and the league officials must respond as soon as possible, even if it is a "reservation, to be investigated", and Goodale must make a gesture; Or go one step further and give a solution directly.

The press conference was about to begin, but Goodale still hadn't been able to make up his mind.

The reason why the topic of racial discrimination is sensitive is not only related to political correctness, but also involves the interests of the entire group.

If a black person is faced with such a dilemma now, the alliance and public opinion do not need to think at all, and they will take the lead on the side of the black people, because the entire black community is an indispensable part of the alliance, and because they can really influence the real profits of the alliance, not to mention the important position of social influence.

But Lu Ke?

Lu Ke is only one of only two Chinese players in the entire league, and the other one has been reimbursed for the season due to injury, which is a lonely palm.

If the Arizona Cardinals express a strong protest, the big thing is small, the small thing is small, and it is just to blame the personal behavior of the fans, and then symbolically punish several fans, deprive them of the right to watch the home game, give a public relations explanation, and deal with the past; Moreover, the Cardinals can also win the support of other teams, so there is no suspense about how things will be handled.

Goodale couldn't have offended the team for the sake of a Lu Ke.

The premise is that Goodall's position as president is voted for by the owners of thirty-two teams; At the same time, they could also co-sponsor a proposal to force Goodall's resignation.

In other words, they were originally a mutually beneficial community of interests, as for Lu Ke? That's just a nobody.

Don't say that Lu Ke is just a rookie player now, even if he wins the Super Bowl, in the face of the huge interests of the team and the league, he is still a pawn that is sacrificed, ignored and abandoned. Without suspense.

Thinking in this vein, Goodale didn't need to hesitate and hesitate at all, symbolically scolding the Arizona Cardinals, asking the team to investigate thoroughly, and finally issuing a painless warning, and the matter was over.

But now, the reason why things are still in suspense is precisely because of those seemingly natural reasons.

Lu Ke is an undrafted rookie player, insignificant, has no connections and no power, and even does not have many fans; But on the flip side, it means that the future is endless, and now it has a firm foothold in the league and really breaks down prejudices.

Lu Ke was the only Chinese-American player in the entire league to start, alone and isolated, unable to hold a stronger protest together; But from another point of view, this is a rare treasure, after all, rare things are expensive, and the important thing is that this "uniqueness" is important.

The Chinese community, and even the Asian community, represented by Lu Ke, does not have a strong presence in North America, especially in the field of rugby. However, a positive response can create a better image of the alliance and lay the foundation for opening up the market for the Asian community.

All of this makes it possible for Lu Ke to "become the fulcrum of the earth".

Sitting in his office, Goodall's fingers tapped lightly on the top of the solid sandalwood desk, like a woodpecker, and his mind recalled Lech's words again.

"The future is too far away for us to predict; The other side of the Pacific is too far away for us to talk about it. But, San Francisco is just around the corner, and you should look at the city and you should also look at Chinatown there.

You need a Chinese player to open up the situation, not a player who can be on the court at any time, rotate at any time, and substitute at any time, but a star, a star who can really bring victory, can create conversations, and can convey confidence. Perhaps, you should take a look at Lu Ke's performance in previous interviews, which can give you some inspiration.

Then you know that Lu Ke is your best choice. Not the only one, but the best.

I know that Lu Ke is not Yao/Ming, but he may shoulder a greater market potential than Yao/Ming. Everyone likes the great achievements of the champion; But can anyone refuse the counterattack of the undrafted rookie? ”

Lech did not hide his purpose and intentions, and even had some red fruits; But Goodale could not refuse, nor could he refute it.

If Lech plays the "race card" and must choose to support Lu Ke and punish the Arizona Cardinals because of political/political correctness, then Goodale also has to agree that the strong momentum of the "Los Angeles Times" is also a factor that must be considered; But deep down, Goodale couldn't empathize, because the presence of the Asian community in North America was still too weak, and he was never able to think and look at the two sides on an equal footing.

But Lech didn't.

Lech's emphasis on profits, the market, and the essence of business really poked at Goodall's weakness.

Goodale is not a philanthropist, everything is about profit.

"Jews." Goodale muttered softly, and then couldn't help but smile, and the fingers that kept tapping paused, but the decision had already been made in his heart. Without too much repeated measurement, the decisiveness that burst out in an instant gives a glimpse of the iron fist and strong posture of the former president, Paul Tagliab.

The basic quality of being a hero is not to be indecisive.

"Knock knock", there was a knock at the door, and the secretary's voice came, "Roger, all the reporters have arrived." ”

Goodale raised his voice, "I see. Tell them that the press conference will officially begin in five minutes. ”

Then, Goodale stood up, took his blazer from the hanger, buttoned it up, confident but calm, he could tell that the wind was about to rise and the time had come for the alliance to change its dynasty again, but he was not nervous at all, but became more and more excited.

Because, history is about to be born in his hands. Again.

……

On Tuesday, December 13, 2011, just 48 hours before the Arizona Cardinals vs. San Francisco 49ers game in the fourteenth week of the regular season, NFL commissioner Roger Goodale held a press conference to officially take an official stance on the racist rhetoric that emerged during that game.

Goodale said this is an act of firm resistance and opposition from the league, and that the NFL has been committed to inclusion, fraternity and coexistence, welcoming players from all over the world to join the sport with open arms.

Goodale said the league has zero tolerance for such behavior, and ordered the Arizona Cardinals to complete an investigation and rectify the situation so that no similar situation can occur in the future.

Goodale also said that because of the incident, the Arizona Cardinals were fined $500,000 and given a serious warning; If it happens again in the future, the alliance will give further severe punishment.

The press conference lasted 25 minutes, and Goodale made many official statements and interviews with reporters, but the most important point was the "$500,000 fine", which is the maximum amount that the league has the right to fine, which is the absolute core of the entire press conference.

This act alone is enough to prove the official attitude of the Alliance: for such behavior, there will be absolutely no condon for adultery, and the highest level of severe punishment will be given.

It also makes a gesture for other teams.

The legal system of the United States is the law of the sea, and unless the legislation of a particular project needs to be enacted by statute due to the needs of the objective environment or for the purpose of resolving disputes, it is only necessary to assess the rights and wrongs according to the local customs of the project in the past.

To put it simply, this time the Arizona Cardinals had such a situation at home, and the league gave a severe punishment, and there will be a similar situation among other teams in the future, and they will follow this penalty and give severe punishment.

Today, Goodall's statement at the press conference can be called the first step in history, and it is the first time that he has truly expressed his support for Lu Ke from an official standpoint. Although the rejection of racial discrimination is a tendency with strong political correctness, the attitude of the League is not unusual; But this step of Goodall, so radical, so bold, so resolute, is still slightly surprised.

After the press conference, the aftermath was far from over, to be precise, it was just beginning.

Following the Los Angeles Times, the New York Times also published a related story, proactively joining the rugby storm.

"Lu Ke: Whose cheese did he move?"

This report takes a more layman, a more social and more interesting perspective, out of the context of rugby, and further analyzes the origins and motivations of this controversy:

As a Chinese player, on the one hand, he represents a group that has always been weak in North America, and on the other hand, he represents the strong rise of Chinese power in the international market.

The controversy of this game is not an end, but a beginning, and in the following career, whether it is success or failure, Lu Ke will gather more focus and discussion. It's a sporting event, but it's also a social event.

The "New York Times," which is far away from the "Los Angeles Times," is not as powerful as the "Wall Street Journal" and "USA Today" in terms of sales, but its authority is second to none, and this newspaper has an unrivaled ability to guide American public opinion. In many cases, other local newspapers will even read the New York Times' stance before writing about it.

This time, the "New York Times" is obviously also standing behind Lu Ke.

It is worth mentioning that this New York Times story was written by a budding journalist named Emily Puvo. If anyone is curious, she is also a graduate of UCLA.