美国国家公共电台 NPR--Tom Brady ends his football playing days but he's not done with the sport

Tom Brady ends his football playing days but he's not done with the sport

Transcript¹

NPR's Steve Inskeep talks to Michael McCarthy of Front Office Sports about Tom Brady's upcoming broadcast career. He signed a contract with Fox last year to be their lead NFL analyst².

STEVE INSKEEP, HOST:

Tom Brady is retiring from the NFL. The Buccaneers quarterback and onetime Patriots³ quarterback announced yesterday his 23-year-old football career is over for good. And now he starts a related career because last year, around the first time he retired⁴, he signed a 10-year contract with Fox Sports, reportedly worth $375 million, to be their lead NFL analyst. Michael McCarthy of Front Office Sports is covering this. Good morning.

MICHAEL MCCARTHY: Good morning, Steve.

INSKEEP: I guess we should begin by asking, do you believe him this time when he says he's retiring?

MCCARTHY: I do believe him. But given that it's Tom Brady and he changed his mind last year after a month, anything is possible. But from everybody I've talked to, Steve, he's tired. He's serious. And this looks like it's it.

INSKEEP: Sure. And he's in his mid-40s. I mean, at some point you want to get away with your health, if you can, from football, I suppose.

MCCARTHY: Absolutely. I mean, you know, it's a dangerous game. It's a high-collision sport. And the fact that he's even playing at age 45 is amazing.

INSKEEP: OK, so we presume then he goes on to a Fox Sports career for $375 million. Granting he's Tom Brady, what makes him worth that much money?

MCCARTHY: Well, he's not just going to be a broadcaster for Fox, Steve. Lachlan Murdoch actually calls him an ambassador, which means he's going to be involved in everything from sales to marketing⁵ to strategy. He's really going to be almost an executive as well as a broadcaster. And I think it's a smart move. If you're General Motors and you're in a meeting and you're trying to decide to buy a Super Bowl spot and Tom Brady comes in to finish the deal, you're going to sign on the dotted line.

INSKEEP: (Laughter) Show up at the meeting with a football. You want to play catch?

MCCARTHY: That's right. Catch a pass from Tom - sign.

INSKEEP: But the way that you and I will experience his work is in broadcasting as an analyst. Do you have any idea of whether he's a good broadcaster?

MCCARTHY: I think he's going to actually surprise people, Steve. I think once he got away from Darth Belichick and the suffocating⁶ environment in New England, you saw his sense of humor. You saw his timing⁷. You sort of saw the fun-loving nature. So I think he's going to be a terrific analyst. Who could tell you more about how to win a Super Bowl than Tom Brady? He's won more than any other franchise⁸, seven titles. Who could tell you more about a two-minute drill? So I think it's a great move.

INSKEEP: And of course, there's that other skill, which is not only being a great player but being able to articulate it. You think he can do that?

MCCARTHY: I do. I mean, it's not easy. There's been a ton of NFL players and coaches who've come into TV who flopped⁹. I'll give you a two-word answer. Jason Witten - remember him on Monday Night Football? You know, he could barely get a sentence out, the poor guy, he was so nervous. So it is a risk reward. But I think he's going to succeed.

INSKEEP: Even Bill Parcells didn't do well in this job, even though he was such a colorful guy and such an articulate guy normally in press conferences and so forth¹⁰.

MCCARTHY: Bill Parcells, Joe Montana - you know, go down the list - Emmitt Smith - you know, TV history is littered with famous names that flopped on TV.

INSKEEP: Is Brady going to displace Fox's current color commentator¹¹, Greg Olsen, who's pretty popular?

MCCARTHY: Yes. Brady will instantly become the No. 1 analyst with Kevin Burkhardt, which means he gets the Super Bowl and Greg doesn't.

INSKEEP: Does that mean this coming Super Bowl? It could happen that quickly?

MCCARTHY: Well, I've actually been hearing that Fox would like to throw a Hail Mary and get Brady into the programming somehow, either in the booth or more likely in the pre-game studio. But who knows? The guy is tired. It's completely up to him.

INSKEEP: OK. Well, we'll be watching. Michael McCarthy of Front Office Sports, pleasure talking with you.

MCCARTHY: Thank you, Steve.

1 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。

2 analyst   

n.分析家，化验员；心理分析学家

参考例句：

• What can you contribute to the position of a market analyst?你有什么技能可有助于市场分析员的职务？
• The analyst is required to interpolate values between standards.分析人员需要在这些标准中插入一些值。

3 patriots   

爱国者，爱国主义者( patriot的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Abraham Lincoln was a fine type of the American patriots. 亚伯拉罕·林肯是美国爱国者的优秀典型。
• These patriots would fight to death before they surrendered. 这些爱国者宁愿战斗到死，也不愿投降。

4 retired   

adj.隐退的，退休的，退役的

参考例句：

• The old man retired to the country for rest.这位老人下乡休息去了。
• Many retired people take up gardening as a hobby.许多退休的人都以从事园艺为嗜好。

5 marketing   

n.行销，在市场的买卖，买东西

参考例句：

• They are developing marketing network.他们正在发展销售网络。
• He often goes marketing.他经常去市场做生意。

6 suffocating   

a.使人窒息的

参考例句：

• After a few weeks with her parents, she felt she was suffocating.和父母呆了几个星期后，她感到自己毫无自由。
• That's better. I was suffocating in that cell of a room.这样好些了，我刚才在那个小房间里快闷死了。

7 timing   

n.时间安排，时间选择

参考例句：

• The timing of the meeting is not convenient.会议的时间安排不合适。
• The timing of our statement is very opportune.我们发表声明选择的时机很恰当。

8 franchise   

n.特许，特权，专营权，特许权

参考例句：

• Catering in the schools is run on a franchise basis.学校餐饮服务以特许权经营。
• The United States granted the franchise to women in 1920.美国于1920年给妇女以参政权。

9 flopped   

v.（指书、戏剧等）彻底失败( flop的过去式和过去分词 )；（因疲惫而）猛然坐下；（笨拙地、不由自主地或松弛地）移动或落下；砸锅

参考例句：

• Exhausted, he flopped down into a chair. 他筋疲力尽，一屁股坐到椅子上。
• It was a surprise to us when his play flopped. 他那出戏一败涂地，出乎我们的预料。 来自《简明英汉词典》

10 forth   

adv.向前；向外，往外

参考例句：

• The wind moved the trees gently back and forth.风吹得树轻轻地来回摇晃。
• He gave forth a series of works in rapid succession.他很快连续发表了一系列的作品。

11 commentator   

n.注释者，解说者；实况广播评论员

参考例句：

• He is a good commentator because he can get across the game.他能简单地解说这场比赛，是个好的解说者。
• The commentator made a big mistake during the live broadcast.在直播节目中评论员犯了个大错误。