The exploitation of US college athletes | Tim Nevius

Transcriber:

翻译人员: Hangyuan Liu 校对人员: Helen Chang

In college sports, American universities are exploiting, disproportionately,

在大学体育中，美国大学 正在不成比例地剥削黑人运动员

Black athletes

for billions of dollars,

赚取数十亿美元

while diminishing their education, health and safety.

同时还影响了他们的教育、健康和安全

Let me start with a bit of history.

我先介绍一点历史

In November 1984,

1984年11月

an undersized quarterback from Boston College named Doug Flutie

一个来自波士顿大学 名叫Doug Flutie的小个子四分位

threw a game-winning touchdown pass against the defending national champions,

在对战卫冕国家冠军 迈阿密大学队的比赛中

扔出了一记绝杀的前传球

University of Miami.

As the Hail Mary pass floated through the fall air

当这一记长传在秋天的空气中穿梭

in front of a packed stadium,

座无虚席的体育馆中万众瞩目

millions more watched with excitement on TV.

数百万的人心潮澎湃地在电视前观看

After the dramatic win,

在这戏剧化的胜利之后

undergraduate application rates at Boston College shot up by 30 percent,

波士顿大学的本科申请率飙升了30%

revealing to universities the enormous marketing value

这也让大学看到，建立知名的运动项目

of building high-profile sports programs.

所具有的巨大商业价值

That same year, the United States Supreme Court heard a case

同年，美国最高法院审理了一起案件

in which the Universities of Georgia and Oklahoma

案件中，乔治亚大学 和俄克拉荷马州州立大学

challenged rules that limited the number of football games they could play on TV.

起诉了限制大学在电视上 进行橄榄球比赛场数的规定

Those schools saw the opportunity to not only make money

这些学校不仅看到了 直播比赛的赚钱机会

by televising their games,

but to also market their universities to the world.

也看到了向全世界推广自己学校的机会

The Supreme Court agreed that the broadcasting restrictions were illegal

最高法院判决，球赛转播的限制违法

and schools began to negotiate TV deals worth millions.

学校开始协商 价值数百万美元的转播协议

That case opened the floodgates to money in college athletics,

这一案件使得金钱大量涌向大学运动员

and with it, ever-growing conflicts of interest

随之而来的是不断加剧的利益冲突

that prioritize sports over education,

使得运动压倒教育

promote wins over health and safety

输赢胜过健康和安全

and reinforce the disturbing racial and economic inequities in our country.

并加深了我们国家令人担忧的 种族和经济上的不平等

Since then, the growth in college sports has been extraordinary

自那之后，大学体育急速增长

and schools have earned record revenues year after year.

学校的年收入节节攀升

The spending during that same time period

由于各大学争相加入 夺取排行榜首的军备竞赛

has increased at almost the same dramatic pace,

as universities engage in an arms race to the top of the rankings.

学校同期的支出增速也同样剧烈

Massive expenditures on new stadiums, bigger staffs and record salaries

在新场馆、大团队、高工资上挥金如土

have made it appear, on the books at least,

导致这些运动项目 表面上看起来是在亏损

that athletic departments are losing money,

至少从账本上看是这样的

while they build lavish facilities

但同时他们建设着奢华的场馆

and make multimillionaires out of coaches and administrators.

教练和管理人员赚得盆满钵满

In fact, in 40 out of 50 states,

实际上，50个州当中有40个州

the highest-paid public employee is now a college football or basketball coach.

现在收入最高的公共雇员 是橄榄球或者篮球教练

Meanwhile, college athletes, whose elite talents generate these massive revenues,

然而，那些通过自己出色天赋 创造这些巨额财富的大学运动员

are not only denied the ability to share in the riches they create,

不但无法分享由他们创造的财富

too many of them are not given the education they're promised, either.

大多数也没有得到 大学向他们承诺的教育

Today, college athletes are exploited to the tune of almost 15 billion dollars.

今天，大学运动员受到的剥削 达到了近150亿美元

That's how much money is generated by college sports each year.

这就是大学体育运动每年赚到的钱

And I'm all too familiar with the exploitation,

而我对这些剥削真是再熟悉不过了

because I used to be responsible for enforcing it.

因为我曾经就负责执行这些剥削

Following my own college baseball career at the University of Dayton,

我在代顿大学的棒球生涯结束后

I went on to law school before becoming an investigator

去上了法学院，然后成为一名 国家大学体育协会的调查员

at the National Collegiate Athletic Association.

I traveled to college campuses across the country

我在全国的大学校园间奔波

and helped enforce a 400-page rule book that denies athletes the right to get paid

帮助执行一本400页的规章手册

这本手册剥夺了运动员 根据运动表现获得收入的权利

for their performance

or even profit from their own name.

甚至剥夺了他们以自己名义盈利的权利

For instance: unlike the music student who, in addition to their scholarship,

比如，学音乐的学生 除了他们的奖学金外

can get paid to record a song,

还能通过录制歌曲获得额外收入

or the English student who, in addition to their scholarship,

学英语的学生除了他们的奖学金外 还能通过写书获得额外收入

can get paid to write a book,

college athletes cannot profit from their talents

大学运动员无法利用自己的天赋赚钱

or even take a free meal

甚至都不允许接受免费的餐食

without being ruled ineligible and risking their scholarship.

否则会被判定不符合相关资格 有失去他们的奖学金的风险

During my time as an investigator,

我担任调查员期间

I questioned hundreds of athletes and their families

我调查过数以百计的运动员 和他们的家庭

about their financial transactions,

质问他们的账户交易记录

dug through their personal bank and phone records

深挖他们个人的银行和电话记录

and scrutinized their relationships to a humiliating degree,

以近乎羞辱的方式 审查他们的关系往来

all for the possibility that someone gave them something beyond a scholarship,

这一切只是因为某人 可能向他们提供了奖学金以外的东西

no matter how petty.

无论这些东西多么的不值钱

In one case, I questioned Ohio State football players

有一个案例中，我调查了 俄亥俄州的一些橄榄球运动员

who received free tattoos and cash in exchange for memorabilia.

他们以纪念品为交换 获取免费的纹身或现金

The case received national attention and became known as "Tattoo Gate,"

该案件引起了全国的关注 被称之为“纹身门”

as if it were a scandal on par with political espionage.

搞得就好像这是一个和政治间谍 不相上下的丑闻

The players were suspended and had to repay the cash

牵涉的运动员被停赛，不得不把钱退还

as well as the value of the tattoos.

并支付纹身的费用

In effect, unpaid athletes were fined by a billion-dollar organization

实际上，这些没有报酬的运动员 被价值十亿美元的组织罚款

that gets paid by sponsors to decorate the athletes in corporate logos.

这些组织则拿着赞助商的钱 把运动员和赞助商商标打到一起

I was told my job was to promote fairness, but there was nothing fair about that.

我被告知，我的工作就是去促进平等。

但是他们这种做法却毫无公平可言。

Shortly thereafter, I left the NCAA and started fighting for the athletes.

在那不久之后 我离开了国家大学体育协会

It became increasingly clear to me

我越来越清楚地看到

that rules supposedly designed to prevent exploitation

那些原本设计出来防止剥削的规则

instead allow a collection of universities and their wealthy corporate sponsors

却让许多大学和他们阔绰的公司赞助商 从运动员身上赚钱

to profit off the athletes,

who are promised an education and lured by a chance at the pros

这些运动员得到了获得大学教育的承诺

受到大学体育可能带来的好处的诱惑

but who too often end up with nothing.

但最后往往一无所获

Now, some people believe college athletes get a free ride.

请注意，有些人认为大学运动员 搭了免费的顺风车

However, there is nothing free about risking health and safety

但这趟顺风车并不是免费的

你要冒着身体健康和安全的风险 每周工作40到50个小时

while working 40 to 50 hours per week

as you fight to keep your scholarship.

拼命去保住你的奖学金

In football alone,

单就橄榄球

there are over 20,000 injuries a year,

每年受伤的就超过2万人次

including 4,000 knee injuries and 1,000 spinal injuries.

包括膝盖伤4000人次，脊柱伤1000人次

Since 2000, forty players have died.

自2000年以来，已有40名运动员死亡

Beyond football, a recent study revealed

一项研究估计，橄榄球外的其他运动中

that an estimated 60 percent of Division 1 college athletes

约60%来自第一梯队大学的运动员

suffer a major injury in their career,

在职业生涯中受过重伤

and over half of them endure chronic conditions

他们中有半数都忍受着慢性病的折磨

that last well beyond their playing days.

这些慢性病在职业生涯后 也会长久的伴随他们

There is nothing free about that,

这趟顺风车并不免费

especially as the NCAA refuses to enforce health and safety standards

尤其是当国家大学体育协会 拒绝执行健康和安全标准时

and has denied in court it even has that responsibility.

甚至在法庭上矢口否认 其有执行这些标准的责任时

And about that education they're promised --

至于让他们接受教育的承诺

according to the College Sports Research Institute,

据大学体育研究所称

Black football and basketball players in the top five conferences

在排名前五的体育协会中 黑人橄榄球和篮球运动员

graduate at 22 and 37 percent lower

本科毕业率分别比普通本科生 低22%和37%

than the undergraduate population.

Those who do graduate are often shuffled into majors with watered-down courses

那些顺利毕业的，通常也被分到那些

符合他们运动日程安排 且课程很少的专业

that conform to their athletic schedules to simply keep them eligible.

就是为了维持他们的参赛资格

The time demands and required focus on sports

因为要在运动上投注大量时间和精力

makes it challenging for even the most well-intentioned athlete

即使是那些最想要得到教育的运动员

to get a meaningful education.

要获得有意义的教育也充满了挑战

This is unacceptable for a 15 dollar billion industry

这在一个价值150亿美元中 是不能接受的

run by institutions whose mission is to educate young people.

由以教育年轻人为职责的机构 所主导的产业，这是不能接受的

Although plenty of athletes succeed,

尽管有很多的运动员成功了

their achievements don't require rules that deny pay

他们的成就并不需要这些 拒绝支付运动员报酬的规则

or a system that limits educational opportunities

也不需要这样一个限制教育机会

or neglects health and safety.

或漠视健康和安全的体系

The fact is,

事实是

American universities oversee a multibillion-dollar entertainment industry

美国大学监督下的这一 价值数十亿美元的娱乐产业

that denies fundamental rights to its essential workers,

剥夺了产业中核心工作人员的基本权利

a disproportionate number of whom are Black,

这些工作人员中黑人的占比 也高于人口比例

while making millionaires of largely white coaches and administrators.

但同时，这一产业创造出的百万富翁 大多数都是白人教练和管理者

This dynamic has not only deprived many young people of a meaningful education,

这不仅剥夺了年轻人 获得有意义的教育的机会

it has shifted generations of wealth away from mostly Black families

也夺走了大多数黑人家庭数代人的财富

and represents the systemic inequities plaguing our society.

反映了毒害我们社会的系统性不公

The good news is that people are starting to see the truth.

好消息是，人们开始看清真相

The NCAA's own public polling

国家大学体育协会自己的民调显示

has revealed that a staggering 79 percent of the public

有令人惊讶的79%的公众认为

believe that colleges put money ahead of their athletes.

大学重视金钱多过大学生

State and federal lawmakers, both Republican and Democrat,

来自共和党和民主党的联邦和州立法者

have also taken notice and started to act.

也注意到了这一情况，并开始行动

Several US senators have rightly described the problems in college sports

多名国会参议员表示

大学体育存在的问题是公民权问题 这一点确切无疑

as a civil rights issue.

Meanwhile, college athletes from across the country

同时，全国各地的 大学运动员开始站出来

have started to stand up to demand greater health and safety protections,

要求得到更多的健康以及安全保护

representation rights,

要求获得代表权

attention to racial and social justice issues

要求对种族和社会公正问题 以及经济公平问题给予关注

and economic fairness.

Those who think the players should just stick to sports

那些认为运动员就应当专注于运动的人

fail to recognize how rarely college athletes speak up

没有认识到大学运动员很少为自己发声

and ignore the great personal risk they take

也忽略了运动员个人在对抗这 一强大产业时所承担的巨大风险

in confronting a powerful industry,

especially without any representation.

尤其当他们在这一产业中没有代表权时

More importantly, critics fail to acknowledge

更重要的是，这些批评者未能认可

that college athletes are simply seeking rights

大学运动员只是在追求

that are afforded to virtually everyone else in this country

那些在这个国家几乎人人享有的权利

and basic protections that shouldn't even be in question.

他们只是在追求那些 甚至不应纳入讨论范围的最基本的保护

I agree that college sports should be an enjoyable distraction,

我同意，大学体育 应当是一种令人愉悦的消遣

but not when they're distracting us from the very injustice they enable.

但它不应当转移我们对大学体育本身 所带来不公的注意力

In his retirement,

Walter Byers是国家大学体育协会第一任 也是任期最长的一任执行董事

the NCAA's first and longest-serving executive director, Walter Byers,

他在退休后，把大学体育形容为

described college sports as

"the plantation mentality resurrected and blessed by today's campus executives."

大学董事们许可下 黑人棉花种植园的还魂

This is a telling quote from the man who designed this system

从一个亲手设计这一体系，并对它 了如指掌的人口中说出这样的话

and the one who knew it best.

是很能说明问题的

But you don't have to be an insider

但你并不一定要是内部人员

to recognize the exploitation of young people.

才能看到这一体系对年轻人的剥削

You don't have to be a Republican or a Democrat

共和党人也好，民主党人也好

to be troubled by the irresponsible spending or the disregard for values

你都会因为大学中毫无负责的开支 或对价值的漠视感到不安

at our universities.

You don't even have to be a sports fan.

你也并不一定要是一名体育迷

You just have to believe in basic ideas of fairness

你只需要相信公平这样的基本理念

and the values of higher education.

和高等教育的价值

So let's require that all college athletes

让我们要求，所有大学运动员

are given a chance at a meaningful education.

都能有机会获得有意义的教育

Let's demand responsible spending by our universities

让我们要求，大学更合理地开支

and fairly allocate the billions of dollars being generated.

并公平分配数十亿美元的营收

Let's create robust health and safety standards

让我们建立一套稳健的健康和安全标准

to protect those who entertain us with their bodies

去保护那些用他们的身体 为我们提供娱乐的人

and enforce those standards.

并去执行这些标准

Let's provide college athletes with a representative body

让我们为大学运动员提供一个代表机构

so they have recourse when things go wrong

在他们遭遇困难时能获得帮助

and a voice about how to make things right.

能够为纠正不公发声

Finally, let's rise to the challenge of our time

最后，让我们直面时代的挑战

and once and for all correct

一劳永逸地

the persistent racial and economic inequities

纠正大学体育内部和外部 长期存在的种族和经济不公

that apply to college sports and beyond.

Change is long overdue,

虽然这些改变早该发生

but there has never been a better time than now.

但改变的最好时机 就是现在