美国国家公共电台 NPR--前海豚主帅状告NFL种族歧视

Ex-NFL head coach sues the league alleging¹ racism² in its hiring practices

Transcript³

NPR's Leila Fadel talks to Kevin Blackistone, ESPN panelist and Washington Post columnist⁴, about the law suit filed against the NFL and three teams alleging racism in their hiring practices.

STEVE INSKEEP, HOST:

Two news events highlight pro⁵ football's struggle to represent a diverse country. The Washington football team has chosen its new name - the Washington Commanders. The original name was dropped back in 2020, though you still see cars in Washington, D.C., flying tattered⁶ old flags that carry it. ESPN's Kevin Blackistone recalls the team made this change after years of pressure.

KEVIN BLACKISTONE: They didn't do it altruistically⁷. They did it under economic pressure from FedEx, which is one of its huge sponsors and happens to have its name on the team's stadium.

INSKEEP: So that's one development. The other story is about a lawsuit⁸. Former Miami Dolphins Head Coach Brian Flores sued the NFL and three teams - the Giants, the Dolphins and the Broncos - alleging racism in hiring and even a plot to deliberately⁹ lose games. Kevin Blackistone talked about that with Leila.

BLACKISTONE: Well, he's alleging overall discrimination by the league - in a league that, as of today, has one Black coach among its 32 coaches in the league. And this is a league that is 70% Black. And also Flores is pointing to the fact that he had a winning record the last two years with a very bad team in Miami. He's alleging that the owner for whom he played was trying to pay him to lose games because losing games in the NFL means that you get a higher draft pick come April. And that is a fast way to potentially improve a team - and that it was very difficult for him to do that in terms of his future in this league because obviously losing would be a stain on his resume and make it more difficult for him to get a job. So after three years, he's fired. He went home, did his homework and pointed¹⁰ out how this is a pattern in the NFL for many, many, many years and that he is the latest victim of it.

LEILA FADEL, HOST:

I mean, that number you mentioned is just so stark¹¹ - one Black head coach of 32. So put into context why this lawsuit is such a big deal.

BLACKISTONE: Well, it's such a big deal for one reason because about 20 years ago, the late, great attorney Johnnie Cochran and his law firm basically brought the same data to the NFL and said that they would sue on the behalf of Black men aspiring¹² to be head coaches in this league unless the league could come up with some way to remedy its horrible hiring practices when it came to men of color. And Johnnie Cochran went into those meetings after having successfully sued huge Fortune 500 companies, like Coca-Cola...

FADEL: Right.

BLACKISTONE: ...With the exact same data. And so the league developed what became known as the Rooney Rule, which basically said that when there is an opening for a head coach - and since, that has been expanded to any top executives with the team - that the hiring managers be sure to bring someone of color into that interview process to make it more equitable¹³ and to, hopefully, rectify¹⁴ those horrible numbers. Well, one of the things that happened here in the case with Brian Flores is that he and another former assistant coach that he worked with under Bill Belichick by the name of Brian Daboll were both up for the same job at the New York Giants. And one day, a couple of days before Brian Flores is to interview for that job, he gets a text from Bill Belichick congratulating him for having won the job.

FADEL: Oh.

BLACKISTONE: There was some confusion in the texts from Bill Belichick. And finally, Bill Belichick and Brian Flores realize that Bill Belichick meant to congratulate Brian Daboll, and that Brian Flores was going into an interview that he had no chance of winning because it was already handed to...

FADEL: Wow.

BLACKISTONE: ...One of his former colleagues. So that, to him, proved that the Rooney Rule was no more than a ruse¹⁵, and that this is something that has probably happened to dozens of Black men aspiring to be head coaches in the NFL.

FADEL: So Flores is taking his grievances¹⁶ to court. What does this mean for the NFL long term?

BLACKISTONE: Well, it's huge. The NFL hates to be in court. When it came to Colin Kaepernick, they reached a settlement. When it came to concussions¹⁷, they reached a settlement. They don't like to go to discovery. In this particular lawsuit, which reads like a master's dissertation¹⁸ on discrimination employment, lays out so many facts that it's going to be difficult for them to clean it up, I think - and having talked to some lawyers - without winding¹⁹ up in court. So this is a huge, huge, huge stain on the league. And not only that, I should point out the other important part of Brian Flores' lawsuit is against Stephen Ross, his owner, where he claims that the owner tried to pay him to lose games, which, if true, is a fraud against the public, which could cost Ross his ownership of that team and certainly result in numerous lawsuits²⁰ by fans against the Miami Dolphins, who thought that they were getting an honest event for their ticket purchase.

FADEL: ESPN panelist and Washington Post columnist Kevin Blackistone. Thanks so much, Kevin.

BLACKISTONE: Thank you.

1 alleging   

断言，宣称，辩解( allege的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• His reputation was blemished by a newspaper article alleging he'd evaded his taxes. 由于报上一篇文章声称他曾逃税，他的名誉受到损害。
• This our Peeress declined as unnecessary, alleging that her cousin Thornhill's recommendation would be sufficient. 那位贵人不肯，还说不必，只要有她老表唐希尔保荐就够了。

2 racism   

n.民族主义；种族歧视(意识)

参考例句：

• He said that racism is endemic in this country.他说种族主义在该国很普遍。
• Racism causes political instability and violence.种族主义道致政治动荡和暴力事件。

3 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。

4 columnist   

n.专栏作家

参考例句：

• The host was interviewing a local columnist.节目主持人正在同一位当地的专栏作家交谈。
• She's a columnist for USA Today.她是《今日美国报》的专栏作家。

5 pro   

n.赞成，赞成的意见，赞成者

参考例句：

• The two debating teams argued the question pro and con.辩论的两组从赞成与反对两方面辩这一问题。
• Are you pro or con nuclear disarmament?你是赞成还是反对核裁军？

6 tattered   

adj.破旧的，衣衫破的

参考例句：

• Her tattered clothes in no way detracted from her beauty.她的破衣烂衫丝毫没有影响她的美貌。
• Their tattered clothing and broken furniture indicated their poverty.他们褴褛的衣服和破烂的家具显出他们的贫穷。

7 altruistically   

参考例句：

• An unexpectedly large fraction of players acted altruistically to protect their weaker friends. 远远超出人们的预料，有很大一部分玩家在游戏中无私地保护那些弱者朋友。 来自互联网

8 lawsuit   

n.诉讼，控诉

参考例句：

• They threatened him with a lawsuit.他们以诉讼威逼他。
• He was perpetually involving himself in this long lawsuit.他使自己无休止地卷入这场长时间的诉讼。

9 deliberately   

adv.审慎地；蓄意地；故意地

参考例句：

• The girl gave the show away deliberately.女孩故意泄露秘密。
• They deliberately shifted off the argument.他们故意回避这个论点。

10 pointed   

adj.尖的，直截了当的

参考例句：

• He gave me a very sharp pointed pencil.他给我一支削得非常尖的铅笔。
• She wished to show Mrs.John Dashwood by this pointed invitation to her brother.她想通过对达茨伍德夫人提出直截了当的邀请向她的哥哥表示出来。

11 stark   

adj.荒凉的；严酷的；完全的；adv.完全地

参考例句：

• The young man is faced with a stark choice.这位年轻人面临严峻的抉择。
• He gave a stark denial to the rumor.他对谣言加以完全的否认。

12 aspiring   

adj.有志气的；有抱负的；高耸的v.渴望；追求

参考例句：

• Aspiring musicians need hours of practice every day. 想当音乐家就要每天练许多小时。
• He came from an aspiring working-class background. 他出身于有抱负的工人阶级家庭。 来自辞典例句

13 equitable   

adj.公平的；公正的

参考例句：

• This is an equitable solution to the dispute. 这是对该项争议的公正解决。
• Paying a person what he has earned is equitable. 酬其应得,乃公平之事。

14 rectify   

v.订正，矫正，改正

参考例句：

• The matter will rectify itself in a few days.那件事过几天就会变好。
• You can rectify this fault if you insert a slash.插人一条斜线便可以纠正此错误。

15 ruse   

n.诡计，计策；诡计

参考例句：

• The children thought of a clever ruse to get their mother to leave the house so they could get ready for her surprise.孩子们想出一个聪明的办法使妈妈离家，以便他们能准备给她一个惊喜。It is now clear that this was a ruse to divide them.现在已清楚这是一个离间他们的诡计。

16 grievances   

n.委屈( grievance的名词复数 )；苦衷；不满；牢骚

参考例句：

• The trade union leader spoke about the grievances of the workers. 工会领袖述说工人们的苦情。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》
• He gave air to his grievances. 他申诉了他的冤情。 来自《简明英汉词典》

17 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

18 dissertation   

n.（博士学位）论文，学术演讲，专题论文

参考例句：

• He is currently writing a dissertation on the Somali civil war.他目前正在写一篇关于索马里内战的论文。
• He was involved in writing his doctoral dissertation.他在聚精会神地写他的博士论文。

19 winding   

n.绕，缠，绕组，线圈

参考例句：

• A winding lane led down towards the river.一条弯弯曲曲的小路通向河边。
• The winding trail caused us to lose our orientation.迂回曲折的小道使我们迷失了方向。

20 lawsuits   

n.诉讼( lawsuit的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Lawsuits involving property rights and farming and grazing rights increased markedly. 涉及财产权，耕作与放牧权的诉讼案件显著地增加。 来自辞典例句
• I've lost and won more lawsuits than any man in England. 全英国的人算我官司打得最多，赢的也多，输的也多。 来自辞典例句