美国国家公共电台 NPR--Outcry over injuries to Miami Dolphins quarterback leads to new concussion protocols

Outcry over injuries to Miami Dolphins quarterback leads to new concussion¹ protocols³

Transcript⁴

NPR's A Martinez talks to Dave Zirin, sports editor at The Nation and producer of the documentary Behind the Shield: The Power and Politics of the NFL, about the league's new concussion protocols.

STEVE INSKEEP, HOST:

The NFL promises that this time it really is addressing head injuries like the ones suffered by Tua Tagovailoa.

(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)

UNIDENTIFIED SPORTSCASTER: Tagovailoa - oh, boy - getting up - oh, my goodness. That's an awful, awful sight to see. They will take him to the sideline immediately.

INSKEEP: The Miami Dolphins star quarterback took a hit in a game against Buffalo⁵. He stumbled after standing⁶ but managed to pass the concussion protocol² and return to the field. Just four days later, in another game, he was carried out on a stretcher after another hard hit, and the outcry led to changes. Dave Zirin, sports editor at The Nation and producer of the new documentary "Behind The Shield: The Power And Politics Of The NFL," discussed this with A Martinez.

A MART?NEZ, HOST:

It definitely seems very clear now that Tua should not have been playing in that second game. Tell us about the new protocols, and do they go far enough?

DAVE ZIRIN: Well, the new protocols are pretty basic. I mean, now, if a player exhibits symptoms of what's known as ataxia - meaning stumbling, not having equilibrium⁷ - that automatically is one of the checklists on the concussion protocols. Now, I don't know about you, but I was really surprised that that was not already part of the concussion protocols, if a person is stumbling and can't keep their balance. So does it go far enough? I mean, it does not go far enough, but that speaks to one of the fundamental problems. It's impossible for it to go far enough because these kinds of injuries are so baked into the cake of this sport.

MART?NEZ: And the thing about it is the average NFL career lasts three years, just a little over three years. That's according to the players union. So what does it say about how the league views the long-term health of its players, that it takes this long and seemingly something this striking to make some kind of change?

ZIRIN: And it took bad public relations to make this kind of change. And that's something players realize, is that if it doesn't make big news, if it doesn't embarrass the NFL, there's not going to be that kind of change because one of the great tragedies of the sport is that oftentimes players are treated just like extensions of equipment. And when they're used up, they're out the door - a lot of churn and burn when it comes to the players on the field, which is why there is such a push to make upper management more diverse in the NFL, so players can have an opportunity to do more than use their bodies but can also use their minds.

MART?NEZ: And speaking of that diversity, many of the players are young men of color. In your view, this fact has made a difference in how concussions⁸ have been handled by the league.

ZIRIN: Well, we know this, that they recently had this case around what's known as race norming, which is a huge topic, but that the NFL does - no longer practices, but race norming meant that Black players were having a tougher time getting a piece of the NFL's mass concussion settlement with players because their cognitive⁹ testing was deemed as low because of how people of color traditionally perform on these kinds of tests. I mean, it was racist¹⁰. It was an outrage¹¹. And the NFL, when it got the bad publicity¹², said, oh, we disavow it entirely¹³. But it - for a lot of players, I got to tell you, it spoke¹⁴ to a larger concern that as young Black men, their lives are seen as expendable, while management is a step away from even understanding the perilous¹⁵ nature of that reality.

MART?NEZ: Dave Zirin, sports editor at The Nation, thanks a lot, Dave.

ZIRIN: Thank you so much.

1 concussion   

n.脑震荡；震动

参考例句：

• He was carried off the field with slight concussion.他因轻微脑震荡给抬离了现场。
• She suffers from brain concussion.她得了脑震荡。

2 protocol   

n.议定书，草约，会谈记录，外交礼节

参考例句：

• We must observe the correct protocol.我们必须遵守应有的礼仪。
• The statesmen signed a protocol.那些政治家签了议定书。

3 protocols   

n.礼仪( protocol的名词复数 )；（外交条约的）草案；（数据传递的）协议；科学实验报告（或计划）

参考例句：

• There are also protocols on the testing of nuclear weapons. 也有关于核武器试验的协议。 来自辞典例句
• Hardware components and software design of network transport protocols are separately introduced. 介绍系统硬件组成及网络传输协议的软件设计。 来自互联网

4 transcript   

n.抄本，誊本，副本，肄业证书

参考例句：

• A transcript of the tapes was presented as evidence in court.一份录音带的文字本作为证据被呈交法庭。
• They wouldn't let me have a transcript of the interview.他们拒绝给我一份采访的文字整理稿。

5 buffalo   

n.(北美)野牛；(亚洲)水牛

参考例句：

• Asian buffalo isn't as wild as that of America's. 亚洲水牛比美洲水牛温顺些。
• The boots are made of buffalo hide. 这双靴子是由水牛皮制成的。

6 standing   

n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的

参考例句：

• After the earthquake only a few houses were left standing.地震过后只有几幢房屋还立着。
• They're standing out against any change in the law.他们坚决反对对法律做任何修改。

7 equilibrium   

n.平衡，均衡，相称，均势，平静

参考例句：

• Change in the world around us disturbs our inner equilibrium.我们周围世界的变化扰乱了我们内心的平静。
• This is best expressed in the form of an equilibrium constant.这最好用平衡常数的形式来表示。

8 concussions   

n.震荡( concussion的名词复数 )；脑震荡；冲击；震动

参考例句：

• People who have concussions often trouble thinking or remembering. 患脑震荡的人通常存在思考和记忆障碍。 来自互联网
• Concussions also make a person feel very tired or angry. 脑震荡也会使人感觉疲倦或愤怒。 来自互联网

9 cognitive   

adj.认知的，认识的，有感知的

参考例句：

• As children grow older,their cognitive processes become sharper.孩子们越长越大，他们的认知过程变得更为敏锐。
• The cognitive psychologist is like the tinker who wants to know how a clock works.认知心理学者倒很像一个需要通晓钟表如何运转的钟表修理匠。

10 racist   

n.种族主义者，种族主义分子

参考例句：

• a series of racist attacks 一连串的种族袭击行为
• His speech presented racist ideas under the guise of nationalism. 他的讲话以民族主义为幌子宣扬种族主义思想。

11 outrage   

n.暴行，侮辱，愤怒；vt.凌辱，激怒

参考例句：

• When he heard the news he reacted with a sense of outrage.他得悉此事时义愤填膺。
• We should never forget the outrage committed by the Japanese invaders.我们永远都不应该忘记日本侵略者犯下的暴行。

12 publicity   

n.众所周知，闻名；宣传，广告

参考例句：

• The singer star's marriage got a lot of publicity.这位歌星的婚事引起了公众的关注。
• He dismissed the event as just a publicity gimmick.他不理会这件事，只当它是一种宣传手法。

13 entirely   

ad.全部地，完整地；完全地，彻底地

参考例句：

• The fire was entirely caused by their neglect of duty. 那场火灾完全是由于他们失职而引起的。
• His life was entirely given up to the educational work. 他的一生统统献给了教育工作。

14 spoke   

n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说

参考例句：

• They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。
• The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。

15 perilous   

adj.危险的，冒险的

参考例句：

• The journey through the jungle was perilous.穿过丛林的旅行充满了危险。
• We have been carried in safety through a perilous crisis.历经一连串危机，我们如今已安然无恙。