Fans are pumped for the first round of the men's NCAA basketball tournament

Fans are pumped for the first round of the men's NCAA basketball tournament

Transcript¹

With COVID-19 rules lifted, fans will be back in the stands for the games. New name, image and likeness² rules will allow student athletes to profit from breakout performances.

A MARTINEZ, HOST:

OK, so the NCAA tournament has been going on a couple of days with the preliminary play-in games, but the big show starts today - first round of the Division 1 men's tournament. That's when Davids sling³ their stones at Goliaths and everything else in between happens. And the women's big show gets started tomorrow. Joining us now is NPR sports correspondent Tom Goldman. Tom, all right, we'll get to the actual basketball in just a minute. First, I think we got to recognize that while the coronavirus is still with us, this year's tournament almost feels post-pandemic. How so?

TOM GOLDMAN, BYLINE⁴: Yeah. Well, fans are back in full force, A. Cheerleaders and bands are back, too. That's very important. They were both missing last year. There will be games throughout the country. Last season, of course, the men played only in Indiana, the women in Texas, to reduce COVID risk. Some arenas⁵ will require masks and proof of vaccination⁶. It depends on local laws. But compared to last season's restrictions⁷ and the year before when there weren't any tournaments, this one definitely will seem more normal.

MARTINEZ: In recent years, come March Madness time, we've heard a lot of criticism about how it's the event itself that makes a ton of money - none of that money going to the athletes, who make it all possible. But that's different now.

GOLDMAN: It sure is, and it's a sea change. You know, we're now in the era of NIL⁸, where athletes, men and women, can get compensated⁹ for the use of their name, image and likeness. So now, if a player has a great tournament, a mechanism¹⁰ is in place for that player to possibly take advantage financially. And it's long overdue¹¹.

MARTINEZ: All right. Now, also, last year, we heard a lot about gender¹² equity¹³. And I'm thinking back to that viral video a female player made showing a really paltry¹⁴ weight room at a tournament site for the women. What has happened since?

GOLDMAN: Right. Yeah. You know, there have been changes. For the first time, the women's tournament has expanded to 68 teams, like the men. Also, the women are now being allowed to use March Madness branding, which they haven't in the past. We'll see that showing up actually on courts in later rounds. Other improvements are in the works, but there's still concern. In fact, this week, three U.S. lawmakers sent a letter to NCAA President Mark Emmert saying there has been inadequate¹⁵ progress on male and female inequities in all of NCAA sport. So you're going to see these issues continue.

MARTINEZ: Now to the hardwood on the men's side. What should we focus on?

GOLDMAN: You've got your four No. 1 seeds - Kansas, Arizona, Gonzaga, Baylor. Of course, those last two played for the championship last year. Baylor won. You know, A, the seedings mean something. Over the past 20 years, No. 1 seeds have won 68% of the time. But obviously, it's not a lock. There are strong No. 2 seeds this year, like Duke and Kentucky. They're back after both missing the tournament last year for the first time since 1976.

You know, and there are so many great players with interesting stories. I will pick one, which is totally unfair - a 6'7'' guard from South Korea. Hyun-jung Lee plays for Davidson, the school most famous for Steph Curry¹⁶, now of Golden State Warriors¹⁷ fame. Like Curry, Lee is a great three-point shooter. He's really - a really good all-around player, hugely popular in his native country. And it shows, yet again, basketball's global spread.

MARTINEZ: All right, what about on the women's side?

GOLDMAN: You know, even though the field expanded to 68 teams, there's still not as much depth in the women's game. So you should see the power teams moving on, you know, well into the tournament. The No. 1 seeds are South Carolina, defending champ Stanford, North Carolina State, Louisville. You will notice perennial¹⁸ power UConn is not in that group. The Huskies had a down year for them, largely because their best player, Paige Bueckers, was out with an injury for a long time. She's back - UConn looking a lot better of late. But, you know, it's a vulnerable team, and the Huskies could fall short of another title.

MARTINEZ: That's NPR sports correspondent Tom Goldman. Tom, thanks a lot.

GOLDMAN: You're welcome, A.

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 likeness   

n.相像，相似（之处）

参考例句：

• I think the painter has produced a very true likeness.我认为这位画家画得非常逼真。
• She treasured the painted likeness of her son.她珍藏她儿子的画像。

3 sling   

vt.扔；悬挂；n.挂带；吊索，吊兜；弹弓

参考例句：

• The boy discharged a stone from a sling.这个男孩用弹弓射石头。
• By using a hoist the movers were able to sling the piano to the third floor.搬运工人用吊车才把钢琴吊到3楼。

4 byline   

n.署名；v.署名

参考例句：

• His byline was absent as well.他的署名也不见了。
• We wish to thank the author of this article which carries no byline.我们要感谢这篇文章的那位没有署名的作者。

5 arenas   

表演场地( arena的名词复数 )； 竞技场； 活动或斗争的场所或场面； 圆形运动场

参考例句：

• Demolition derbies are large-scale automobile rodeos that take place in big arenas. 撞车比赛指的是在很大的竞技场上举行的大型汽车驾驶技术表演。
• Are there areas of privacy in the most public of arenas? 在绝大部分公开的场合中存在需要保护隐私的领域吗？

6 vaccination   

n.接种疫苗，种痘

参考例句：

• Vaccination is a preventive against smallpox.种痘是预防天花的方法。
• Doctors suggest getting a tetanus vaccination every ten years.医生建议每十年注射一次破伤风疫苗。

7 restrictions   

约束( restriction的名词复数 )； 管制； 制约因素； 带限制性的条件（或规则）

参考例句：

• I found the restrictions irksome. 我对那些限制感到很烦。
• a snaggle of restrictions 杂乱无章的种种限制

8 nil   

n.无，全无，零

参考例句：

• My knowledge of the subject is practically nil.我在这方面的知识几乎等于零。
• Their legal rights are virtually nil.他们实际上毫无法律权利。

9 compensated   

补偿，报酬( compensate的过去式和过去分词 )； 给（某人）赔偿（或赔款）

参考例句：

• The marvelous acting compensated for the play's weak script. 本剧的精彩表演弥补了剧本的不足。
• I compensated his loss with money. 我赔偿他经济损失。

10 mechanism   

n.机械装置；机构，结构

参考例句：

• The bones and muscles are parts of the mechanism of the body.骨骼和肌肉是人体的组成部件。
• The mechanism of the machine is very complicated.这台机器的结构是非常复杂的。

11 overdue   

adj.过期的，到期未付的；早该有的，迟到的

参考例句：

• The plane is overdue and has been delayed by the bad weather.飞机晚点了，被坏天气耽搁了。
• The landlady is angry because the rent is overdue.女房东生气了，因为房租过期未付。

12 gender   

n.（生理上的）性，（名词、代词等的）性

参考例句：

• French differs from English in having gender for all nouns.法语不同于英语，所有的名词都有性。
• Women are sometimes denied opportunities solely because of their gender.妇女有时仅仅因为性别而无法获得种种机会。

13 equity   

n.公正，公平，（无固定利息的）股票

参考例句：

• They shared the work of the house with equity.他们公平地分担家务。
• To capture his equity,Murphy must either sell or refinance.要获得资产净值，墨菲必须出售或者重新融资。

14 paltry   

adj.无价值的，微不足道的

参考例句：

• The parents had little interest in paltry domestic concerns.那些家长对家里鸡毛蒜皮的小事没什么兴趣。
• I'm getting angry;and if you don't command that paltry spirit of yours.我要生气了，如果你不能振作你那点元气。

15 inadequate   

adj.(for,to)不充足的，不适当的

参考例句：

• The supply is inadequate to meet the demand.供不应求。
• She was inadequate to the demands that were made on her.她还无力满足对她提出的各项要求。

16 curry   

n.咖哩粉，咖哩饭菜；v.用咖哩粉调味，用马栉梳，制革

参考例句：

• Rice makes an excellent complement to a curry dish.有咖喱的菜配米饭最棒。
• Add a teaspoonful of curry powder.加一茶匙咖喱粉。

17 warriors   

武士，勇士，战士( warrior的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• I like reading the stories ofancient warriors. 我喜欢读有关古代武士的故事。
• The warriors speared the man to death. 武士们把那个男子戳死了。

18 perennial   

adj.终年的；长久的

参考例句：

• I wonder at her perennial youthfulness.我对她青春常驻感到惊讶。
• There's a perennial shortage of teachers with science qualifications.有理科教学资格的老师一直都很短缺。