Legendary Football Superstar

September 11, 2011, Sunday.

The San Francisco 49ers kicked off the new season at home in Candlestick Park, squaring off against their division rivals, the Seattle Seahawks.

The 49ers are part of the NFC West division in the NFL, which includes four teams: the San Francisco 49ers, the Seattle Seahawks, the St. Louis Rams, and the Arizona Cardinals. Out of these four, the fiercest rivalry is between the 49ers and the Rams.

Back in 1995, before the Rams moved to St. Louis, they were based in Los Angeles for 58 years and were known as the Los Angeles Rams. They had one of the most heated rivalries with the 49ers. In 2008, ESPN ranked the top ten rivalries in the league, and "49ers vs. Rams" came in at number eight.

On the flip side, the Seahawks and Cardinals only joined the 49ers' division after the league realigned in 2002. So, there's no deep-seated history or bad blood between them. Plus, in the past eight years, these teams have never really been on the same level performance-wise, so their matchups haven't been all that thrilling.

But this year is different.

In 2010, the Seahawks brought in a new head coach, Pete Carroll. And in 2011, the 49ers did the same, hiring Jim Harbaugh.

The personal rivalry between Pete and Jim has been the most exciting, competitive, and intense in the NCAA over the past three years.

Pete Carroll was the head coach at the University of Southern California from 2001 to 2009, leading the team from the bottom to the top and back down again. Jim Harbaugh, on the other hand, coached Stanford University from 2007 to 2010, taking the team to new heights and making them a dominant force.

USC and Stanford have always been arch-rivals in California, along with UCLA. The history between these three teams is filled with grudges and feuds. But with UCLA's recent decline, they've fallen behind, leaving USC and Stanford to battle it out in three consecutive years of epic showdowns.

Jim is a flashy, sharp-edged coach, while Pete is more unconventional and strict. Neither of them ever backs down, and every time they face off, it's like a clash of titans. From pre-game trash talk to on-field battles to post-game interviews, their rivalry is always full of drama.

Now, with Pete leading the Seattle Seahawks and Jim at the helm of the San Francisco 49ers, they're set to meet again. Both teams are struggling, and the tension is already sky-high even before they hit the field.

"He's not worth worrying about; I've never considered him a rival," Pete Carroll said in an interview with "The Seattle Times" at the Seahawks' training base before heading to San Francisco.

"Back in college, all his wins were thanks to Andrew Luck. Andrew's an outstanding quarterback, and I believe he'll have a bright future in the league. As for that fame- seeking behind-the-scenes figure, he should realize his incompetence and stop talking nonsense."

Pete then snorted and added dismissively, "I don't think that quarterback who looks like a matchstick can create miracles again. I believe we'll easily take a victory from Candlestick Park."

Throughout the interview, Pete was full of disdain and contempt, not taking Jim and the 49ers seriously at all. As for Luke, he was even more of a nobody in Pete's eyes.

Jim didn't hold back in his response to Pete's provocation, "If he's still dreaming about his college days, then it's time to wake up. Clearly, last year's record is the best proof that he's just a mediocre, incompetent, and arrogant coach."

Last year, the Seahawks had a dismal record of seven wins and nine losses. But thanks to the even worse records of their division rivals, they became the first team in NFL history to win a division with a losing record and made it to the playoffs. After beating the defending champion New Orleans Saints in the first round, they lost to the Chicago Bears in the second round, ending their journey.

Even though the Seahawks made it to the playoffs and advanced to the second round, they did it in a way that left a bitter taste and raised questions about Pete's abilities.

During the offseason, Pete decided that quarterback Matt Hasselbeck wasn't capable enough to lead the team forward. So, he let Matt go and traded for Tarvaris Jackson from the Minnesota Vikings. He also cleaned house with all the backup quarterbacks, starting fresh for the new season.

"His best skill is blaming all the mistakes on the players. Other people's successes are due to the players' excellence, while his failures are due to the players' poor performance," Jim shot back, not one to back down. "Instead of worrying about our players, he should take care of the mad dogs on his own team! Losing both the game and dignity, that's the real shame!"

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The "mad dog" Jim was talking about was the Seahawks' rookie, Richard Sherman. This rookie had been making bold statements during training camp, but the scouts didn't think much of him. He ended up being picked in the fifth round by the Seahawks.

After the draft, Richard boasted to the media, angrily lashing out at other teams, "The scouts are all blind. I will make the other thirty-one teams regret it and see how great I am. Let me tell you, every pass thrown my way will turn into a disaster!"

After three months of a quiet training camp, the new season officially kicked off, and Richard spoke out again, "That Avalis American quarterback is a disgrace to the league. He's a clown, as weak as a fawn, Bambi. Yes, Bambi is his nickname, a show-off, and disgusting."noveldrama

"He was a clown jumping around during the rookie training camp, constantly taking pictures with players, practically licking the boots of every player..." Richard's subsequent words were directly spoken, but the interview was censored by the reporter, clearly indicating an inappropriate term, "He's a complete sissy. I can't believe any team would be stupid enough to use him as a quarterback."

Finally, Richard pointed his right index finger at the reporter's camera, "Let me tell you, if you dare throw a pass my way, you'll regret it. I'll teach you a lesson like kicking a stray dog! Let you know, this is my turf!"

A rookie, and a fifth-round pick at that. Hardly anyone in the league knew Richard Sherman, but at this moment, this little guy was not only arrogantly trash-talking but also brazenly challenging his opponents. Of course, the San Francisco 49ers' Avalis American quarterback was seen as an easy target for everyone to challenge, adding another highlight to the game before it even started.

Despite this, everyone believed that Luke didn't have the guts to challenge Richard.

In response to Jim's accusations, Pete nonchalantly replied, "Players have the freedom to express their opinions. If you can't handle it, you better go home to your mom." "Like coach, like player. Their mouths are as foul as his, a special outlet for excrement," Jim fired back in an interview. "Let's settle it on the field."

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The game between the San Francisco 49ers and the Seattle Seahawks hadn't even started, but the teams had already exchanged several rounds of verbal sparring, cranking up the excitement for this division rivalry.

So, which of these two teams, both facing internal and external challenges, would secure a season-opening victory? And how would the historic first start of an Asian player in the league unfold?

In theory, this should be a highly anticipated game, but in reality, it was just a PR piece that looked good on paper: the game didn't make it into the primetime broadcast lineup and was scheduled to start at 1:15 PM local time in San Francisco, just one of many games starting simultaneously.

The league's much-touted historic moment felt more like a "Chaplin" moment, a complete joke.

However, even without primetime coverage and with the promotion seemingly just for political correctness, the game still garnered a lot of attention. Even if it was the same old press release, a boring matchup, or a predictable outcome, the first start of an Asian player in history had to be reported. So, thousands of reporters arrived at Candlestick Park at the first opportunity.

Moreover, the game day was also the tenth anniversary of "9/11." Fox Broadcasting Company would broadcast the game, providing a platform for fans in San Francisco and Seattle to watch.

On the morning of September 11, Candlestick Park was already buzzing with activity: numerous reporters, numerous fans, numerous visiting fans, and numerous onlookers. Even though San Francisco fans had lost faith in the team, as the season opener, season ticket holders still showed up, at least to make an appearance and support the team.

Candlestick Park, located on the outskirts of the city, is not only a football stadium but also a baseball stadium, just under ten kilometers from downtown, with very convenient transportation. Since 1971, it has been the home of the San Francisco 49ers, accommodating nearly seventy thousand spectators.

The stadium is built on an artificial peninsula created from construction debris, facing the sea, with a spring-like climate. However, it embraces a "wind gate," making the stadium perpetually shrouded in foggy cold winds, like a fairyland; it is also one of the windiest stadiums in the league.

Today, here, the league witnesses history.