Three weeks ago, during the Arizona Cardinals' ga against the San Francisco 49ers, Patrick Peterson rose to fa, getting his first and second career interceptions and becoming a major talking point. But before that, Peterson was an unknown na.
As a rookie cornerback, even a first-round pick, Peterson started from the bench just like Aldon Smith. Peterson played more on special teams for the Cardinals, where his performance was indeed excellent. He had already scored two punt return touchdowns this season, including a 99-yard punt return touchdown that set a new franchise record for the Cardinals. It was because of this outstanding performance that he was added to the defense as a rotational player and earned playing ti in the ga against the 49ers.
However, as a rookie, Peterson still needed to improve his competitiveness. The Cardinals currently had four main cornerbacks. Typically, only two cornerbacks are on the field at a ti, so you can imagine how fierce the competition was. Peterson was considered a rotational backup at best.
This was the source of Lu Ke's earlier statent: "I guess that's assuming he makes it onto the active roster."
Peterson was provoking Lu Ke's passes and interceptions, while Lu Ke was mocking Peterson's playing ti, suggesting he might not even get on the field as a defensive player. Even if Lu Ke wanted to throw in Peterson's direction, he might not be able to. In their previous matchup, Lu Ke's passing rating in Peterson's direction was so low largely because Peterson's playing ti was so limited. He might have only been on the field for five or six plays, but he got two interceptions, and the ratio between the nurator and the denominator skewed the final stat to make it seem much worse.
Now, Lu Ke's counterattack was short, powerful, sharp, and direct. In an instant, the tension in the air beca palpable. But this was clearly not the end.
After the official dia day ended, reporters imdiately relayed Lu Ke's response to Peterson. Peterson was still unfazed, his comnts filled with disdain and the self-centered confidence of a true believer. "I'll see you on the field. Like I said, an interception is still my goal, and I hope to contribute to the team in my own way. I believe in my ability, and as for my playing ti, I don't think he needs to worry about it."
Peterson couldn't co up with anything more creative, and the verbal spar seed to be over. But the Cardinals' defense was eager to continue the attack. The animosity was already building before the ga had even begun.
After hearing about Peterson's interview, defensive end Darnell Dockett imdiately posted his thoughts on Twitter for the world to see:
"Everyone keeps talking about the 49ers having a great receiving corps, but in my opinion, they're just average guys. They're a bunch of pushovers."
"Last ga, our defense didn't even have to try too hard to shut them down. They looked like a bunch of sissies."
"This week, we're going to replicate the sa dominance and the sa victory. We're going to teach them what real defense is all about."
These comnts escalated to personal attacks and the rivalry between the two teams' offenses and defenses. The contempt and disdain were not hidden at all. More importantly, Dockett posted three tweets in a row, using a barrage of attacks to announce the war on social dia.
It's well known that on social dia, all negative emotions are magnified. Users are more reckless, more attention-seeking, and more aggressive. By choosing social dia as his battlefield, Dockett was essentially inviting a colossal train wreck. This imdiately escalated the conflict between the two teams.
After Dockett's tweets, Vernon Davis was quick to respond. "Dockett-who? Is that so player's grandpa who snuck onto Twitter to run his mouth? I don't rember seeing that guy on the field last ga."
Darnell Dockett, drafted in 2004, was a third-round, 64th-overall pick. Now 31 years old, his career had an unconventional path, starting slow and then picking up. He was selected for the Pro Bowl for the first ti in 2007 and then for two consecutive years in 2009 and 2010, delivering standout performances in the later stages of his career. However, this year, Dockett had been affected by so minor injuries, and his playing ti was relatively limited. In the Cardinals' last ga against the 49ers, he only played four defensive snaps and wasn't fully involved.
Vernon's Twitter response was not only sharp but also brutal. He landed punch after punch on Dockett's weak spots, showing no rcy and being far more aggressive than he would have been in an interview.
Dockett imdiately responded on Twitter, "Shut up, loser! I saw you on the field last ga, constantly failing to make catches. If I were you, I'd lock myself in the toilet and think about what a disgrace you are. Don't co out and embarrass yourself." This was not the end. Dockett continued his attack on Twitter, "If I were on the San Francisco 49ers, Lu Ke would have to wait until after I and all my teammates had finished showering, getting dressed, and leaving the locker room before he was allowed to enter."
With that, Dockett ignited a powder keg, and things imdiately spiraled out of control. In his comnts, Dockett not only mocked and ridiculed Lu Ke but also ca dangerously close to being a racist. His words, both explicit and implicit, were impossible to ignore. They were the kind of things you see not only in football but also in every corner of mainstream Arican society. Even in the 21st century, there are still exaggerated signs that are reminiscent of "No Chinese or dogs allowed," as if the era had regressed by centuries overnight.
For so people, it might have just been a joke, but for the person on the receiving end, it was not funny at all. Logan Newman was the first to step up and give a strong response on Twitter, "Shut your foul mouth! The luckiest thing for you is that you're not on the San Francisco 49ers. Otherwise, I'd give you a good beating right now! You're not welco here, and this city doesn't welco you! Get lost!"
Marcus Lynch also sent a tweet right away, but it was filled with so many F-words and S-words that it beca a string of asterisks, which severely affected his ability to express his opinion. So, he had to post a new, slightly less offensive tweet.
"I can't believe I'm seeing such absurd and ridiculous comnts in 2011! Hey, my Black brother, those are the words that Southerners used to say to Northerners. Do you want to go back to those days?"
Logan couldn't say those words, but Marcus could. Because Marcus, like Dockett, was Black, and they were on the sa side. So, he could attack Dockett with impunity. The reference to Southerners and Northerners was a specific allusion to the Arican Civil War, a war that was fought to free the slaves. But this was not all. Marcus was absolutely furious and sent out two more tweets.
"If you have a brain full of water, you'd better stay in the hospital and not run around biting people. Don't you know the new league rule? Mad dogs and idiots aren't allowed to play?"
"Also, if you were on the San Francisco 49ers, you'd be the last person to enter the locker room—to clean it."
One after another, Lu Ke's teammates on the San Francisco 49ers all stepped up to counterattack Dockett. Vernon, who was one of the catalysts of the incident, was no exception and imdiately gave a strong rebuttal. "You know why I'm not in the toilet? Because your stupid big head is stuck in it and can't be taken out, and it can't be flushed away either!"
"Also, are you sure you need to take a shower? If I'm not mistaken, a gorilla hasn't learned how to shower yet." Vernon followed up with another jab, a strong mockery of Dockett's words. Vernon was also Black; otherwise, he wouldn't have been able to say such a personal attack.
Now, Dockett, who had been hit from all sides, went ballistic and posted five more tweets. But they were all the sa. The gist was that Lu Ke was trash and not worth respecting, that Jim Harbaugh must have been crazy to choose Lu Ke as the starting quarterback, and that the San Francisco 49ers would surely lose this week's ga.
The long string of tweets was hard to read and fully displayed his anger and irritability. He then started attacking Logan, Marcus, and Vernon one by one. Of course, he also blatantly tagged Lu Ke's Twitter account in his comnts about Lu Ke, making no attempt to hide his intention to start a fight.
Lu Ke's only response on Twitter was one sentence:
"There's an old Chinese saying: The dog that barks doesn't bite. Also, I should focus on training."
The first part not only implied that Dockett was a dog but also mocked him for being all talk and no action. The second part mocked Dockett for spending too much ti on social dia and not enough ti training, which ant he wasn't doing his job properly.
When it ca to rhetoric, Lu Ke had a certain knack for being able to shut down his opponent with a casual remark. Now, the entire social dia world was buzzing with excitent.
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