In honor of Chinese President Hu Jintao’s visit to the United States, U.S. Vice President Joseph Biden hosted a lunch at the State Department at which Ed Wang, the first NFL player of full Chinese descent and a rookie offensive lineman with the Buffalo Bills, presented President Hu with an NFL game ball and met, among others, Vice President Biden, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and U.S. Ambassador to China, Jon Huntsman.
Ed Wang was selected with the ninth pick in the fifth round (140th overall) by the Buffalo Bills in the 2010 NFL Draft. His NFL debut took place at Ralph Wilson Stadium against the Detroit Lions on Nov. 14, 2010. In the six games Ed played in this season, the Bills amassed a record of 4-2.
At 6-foot-5 and 315 pounds, was one of the largest offensive linemen selected in the 2010 NFL Draft and is blessed with natural athleticism – both his parents were Chinese National Team athletes in the 1970s. His father, Robert Wang was a high jumper, while mother, Nancy, ran the 100-meter hurdles. Wang’s brother, David, is a 6-foot-2, 290 pound offensive guard who redshirted (was declared an inactive player for purpose of prolonged athletic eligibility) last year at Virginia Tech. The entire Wang family made their Chinese television debut on CCTV5’s NFL China Blitz last year, and Wang’s role as the first NFL player of full Chinese descent is a major topic of discussion in both Chinese and American media coverage.
The NFL has made significant efforts to promote the league and the sport of American football in the Chinese market, organizing a diverse array of activities in this past year. The league brought over the San Diego Chargers cheerleaders to tour in a number of Chinese cities in September. In 32 universities across the country, the NFL University Flag Football League ignited grassroots interest in football from May to December. In early December, the NFL invited a delegation of Chinese journalists to experience the excitement of live NFL games in Buffalo, New York (Buffalo Bills) and Houston, Texas (Houston Texans).
For the most up-to-date NFL news, Chinese sports fans can log onto NFLChina.com, the league’s official Chinese website, where they can also watch the latest video highlights complete with Mandarin commentary. The NFL’s media partners: GDTV Sports (Guangdong), G-Sports (Shanghai), BTV Sports (Beijing), Sina.com.cn and QQ.com (Tencent) continue to broadcast NFL games across China’s different markets.
With Super Bowl XLV two weeks away, two much-anticipated conference title games will be broadcast live to the Chinese audience on GDTV Sports, G-Sports, Chongqing TV Sports, ESPN China Channel, CNTV 5+, Sina.com.cn and QQ.com. On Monday, Jan. 24, the Green Bay Packers will take on the Chicago Bears at 4 a.m., while the Pittsburgh Steelers will host the New York Jets at 7:30 a.m. (all time local in China).
The Super Bowl will be aired on Monday, Feb. 7 at 7:30 a.m. (Beijing time). Chinese fans can watch the game live on CCTV5, Dragon TV, BTV Sports, GDTV Sports, G-Sports, Chongqing TV Sports, as well as stream the game live on CNTV 5+, Sina.com.cn and QQ.com.