PBS高端访谈:举办超级碗比赛的城市都在赔钱?

 WILLIAM BRANGHAM: Today, of course, is Super Bowl Sunday.

In the days leading up to the game, fans debated which team will win, and economists¹ debated the wisdom of cities trying to host the big game.

Yesterday, Hari Sreenivasan spoke² with Mina Kimes, a senior writer for ESPN The Magazine.

HARI SREENIVASAN: So, each year, we see cities compete for the Super Bowl as if it's the Olympics, as if it is going to bring tons of money, and energy and excitement.

Is it worth hosting the Super Bowl?

MINA KIMES, ESPN The Magazine: Well, so for Glendale, which is where this year's game is, it might not be.

The city hosted the game in 2008. And I had read that they had said, oh, we actually lost money, which was surprising.

So, I called the mayor, who told me, not only did we lose money then; we are totally going to lose money this year, which is an absolutely stunning³ statement from a public official.

HARI SREENIVASAN: How are they losing money?

MINA KIMES: So, the game is in Glendale, but many of the events, the tourists, the hotels, are actually in Phoenix⁴ and Scottsdale.

So, you're going to have a lot of people coming in for the game and then leaving. And the city has to spend money on security, costs like that.

HARI SREENIVASAN: So, this also happened last year when…

MINA KIMES: Exactly.

HARI SREENIVASAN: With the Super Bowl in New York, right?

MINA KIMES: Right.

HARI SREENIVASAN: Actually, I said New York.

MINA KIMES: There you go, right, a perfect example, right.

MINA KIMES: The actual game was in New Jersey⁵, but everyone remembers that it was the New York Super Bowl.

So, as a result, New Jersey felt kind of spurned⁶ in a way by the game.

HARI SREENIVASAN: OK.

So, what about — how do the NFL owners feel in these towns? Is there tension between the mayors and the owners?

MINA KIMES: Well, there definitely is in Arizona.

So, the owners, they want game. There's huge benefits to have it at their stadium. It's great for the team.

And the Cardinals⁷' owner, Mike Bidwill, has actually publicly clashed with the mayor of Glendale about his, shall we say, lack of enthusiasm over hosting the game this year.

HARI SREENIVASAN: And cities and towns put a lot of money into building stadiums…

MINA KIMES: Yes.

HARI SREENIVASAN: … so that they can get events like this.

MINA KIMES: Glendale being a perfect example of where that has gone wrong.

This city has contributed money to three major sports facilities over the last 10 years and now is absolutely mired⁸ in debt.

HARI SREENIVASAN: You know, there are economists or that — that are going to say, look at all of — or, I should say, maybe even the NFL will say, look at all the money that comes in with all the tourists.

Don't they spend a couple extra bucks⁹ here and couple extra bucks there?

So you are saying — or the mayor of that town is saying that it doesn't make up for the cops that I have to put on the beat?

MINA KIMES: So, the NFL definitely says that.

Economists mostly don't. In fact, a lot of economists will — who are independent, right, will come out and say, actually, the benefits of these games and especially stadiums are incredibly overblown, because, in a lot of cases, you are displacing other tourists that would normally be in especially a warm place like Phoenix in the winter.

And, oftentimes, it is indirect spending, publicity¹⁰, things you can't really put a clear number on.

HARI SREENIVASAN: Right. And I would imagine that the NFL is also going to say that the — what about the sort of brand that you build…

MINA KIMES: Right. Yes.

HARI SREENIVASAN: … and the exposure argument, that you are getting all this free airtime. Everybody is talking about the Super Bowl in your town.

MINA KIMES: And yet you just said the Super Bowl in New York last…

HARI SREENIVASAN: I mean, not East Rutherford, New Jersey, right.

MINA KIMES: A perfect example, right?

Really, what branding? I mean, our — in America in a year, are people going to remember the Super Bowl was in Glendale?

Some people will, but I'm guessing a lot of people will just say Phoenix.

HARI SREENIVASAN: Yes.

And so, and all the celebrities¹¹, all that traffic goes to Phoenix, that they don't…

MINA KIMES: Yes.

HARI SREENIVASAN: … necessarily come out to Glendale until exactly the game time, and they're there for the game and then they leave.

MINA KIMES: Much like in New York, I don't think, you know, most of these celebrities were staying in New Jersey last year.

HARI SREENIVASAN: All right, Mina Kimes, senior writer for ESPN The Magazine, thanks so much for joining us.

MINA KIMES: Thanks for having me.

1 economists   

n.经济学家，经济专家( economist的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The sudden rise in share prices has confounded economists. 股价的突然上涨使经济学家大惑不解。
• Foreign bankers and economists cautiously welcomed the minister's initiative. 外国银行家和经济学家对部长的倡议反应谨慎。 来自《简明英汉词典》

2 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。

3 stunning   

adj.极好的；使人晕倒的

参考例句：

• His plays are distinguished only by their stunning mediocrity.他的戏剧与众不同之处就是平凡得出奇。
• The finished effect was absolutely stunning.完工后的效果非常美。

4 phoenix   

n.凤凰，长生(不死)鸟；引申为重生

参考例句：

• The airline rose like a phoenix from the ashes.这家航空公司又起死回生了。
• The phoenix worship of China is fetish worship not totem adoration.中国凤崇拜是灵物崇拜而非图腾崇拜。

5 jersey   

n.运动衫

参考例句：

• He wears a cotton jersey when he plays football.他穿运动衫踢足球。
• They were dressed alike in blue jersey and knickers.他们穿着一致，都是蓝色的运动衫和灯笼短裤。

6 spurned   

v.一脚踢开，拒绝接受( spurn的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• Eve spurned Mark's invitation. 伊夫一口回绝了马克的邀请。
• With Mrs. Reed, I remember my best was always spurned with scorn. 对里德太太呢，我记得我的最大努力总是遭到唾弃。 来自辞典例句

7 cardinals   

红衣主教( cardinal的名词复数 )； 红衣凤头鸟（见于北美，雄鸟为鲜红色）； 基数

参考例句：

• cardinals in scarlet robes 身披红袍的枢机主教
• A conclave of cardinals was held to elect the new Pope. 红衣主教团举行了秘密会议来选举新教皇。

8 mired   

abbr.microreciprocal degree 迈尔德（色温单位）v.深陷( mire的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• The country was mired in recession. 这个国家陷入了经济衰退的困境。
• The most brilliant leadership can be mired in detail. 最有才干的领导也会陷于拘泥琐事的困境中。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

9 bucks   

n.雄鹿( buck的名词复数 )；钱；（英国十九世纪初的）花花公子；（用于某些表达方式）责任v.（马等）猛然弓背跃起( buck的第三人称单数 )；抵制；猛然震荡；马等尥起后蹄跳跃

参考例句：

• They cost ten bucks. 这些值十元钱。
• They are hunting for bucks. 他们正在猎雄兔。 来自《简明英汉词典》

10 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。

11 celebrities   

n.（尤指娱乐界的）名人( celebrity的名词复数 )；名流；名声；名誉

参考例句：

• He only invited A-list celebrities to his parties. 他只邀请头等名流参加他的聚会。
• a TV chat show full of B-list celebrities 由众多二流人物参加的电视访谈节目