美国国家公共电台 NPR--No matter who wins, the first Super Bowl with 2 Black quarterbacks will make history

No matter who wins, the first Super Bowl with 2 Black quarterbacks will make history

Transcript¹

A couple Sundays ago, Doug Williams was watching football.

He wasn't rooting for any of the teams, exactly, in the NFL's two conference championship games, the winners of which would advance to the Super Bowl.

Instead, he said, he was rooting for two players: Jalen Hurts and Patrick Mahomes, the starting quarterbacks of the Philadelphia Eagles and Kansas City Chiefs, respectively — both of whom, like Williams, are Black.

First came Philadelphia, which cruised to victory over the San Francisco 49ers. "I sat there patiently after Jalen and the Eagles had won that game," Williams said.

Then came the Chiefs game — a tense back-and-forth against the Cincinnati Bengals that came down to a Kansas City field goal in the final seconds to win 23-20.

"When that ball went through the uprights, I can tell you this — cold chills went through my body, and I got a little emotion," Williams said in an interview with NPR's All Things Considered. "There wasn't no tears running, but I had eyes full of water."

The emotion he felt was decades in the making — 35 long years since Williams became the first Black quarterback to start in, and win, a Super Bowl when he was under center for the Washington football team in their 1988 championship run.

In the decades since then, Black quarterbacks have come to be a common sight in NFL games, thriving in a position once reserved exclusively for white men.

Yet the sport's biggest stage had never featured two — until now.

On Sunday, for the first time in 57 Super Bowls, both teams will start a Black quarterback. The two players, Mahomes and Hurts, have had superlative seasons. Both are finalists for the Associated Press Most Valuable Player award, and Mahomes is expected to win.

And speaking to media this week, both acknowledged the long history of Black quarterbacks who fought to pave the way for their opportunity this weekend.

"I think about all the rich history in this game, and to be part of such an historic event, historic moment, it's special," said Hurts on Monday.

"It's historic," said Mahomes. "So many people laid the foundation before us, and to be playing with a guy like Jalen, who I know is doing it the right way, it's going to be a special moment that I hope lives on forever."

A long history of discrimination

The NFL, once entirely² off-limits to Black players, began to integrate in earnest throughout the 1950s. Washington, the last team to desegregate, finally drafted its first Black player in 1962.

Yet even as Black players joined teams in growing numbers, team owners and managers continued to discriminate³ against them — especially in so-called "thinking positions" like center, middle linebacker and quarterback.

"They felt Black men were inherently inferior, that Black quarterbacks — in their minds — could not lead white players in the NFL, and they just weren't smart enough," said Jason Reid, a sportswriter for ESPN and author of the book Rise of the Black Quarterback: What It Means for America.

White players dominated those leadership positions, he said, while Black players were relegated⁴ to positions that were thought to be more physical than intellectual, like running back, cornerback and wide receiver.

"It was just understood that if you were a Black quarterback in college, you were moving to another position [in the NFL]. And it really just came down to systemic racism," Reid told NPR's Morning Edition.

For every "first Black quarterback to ____" milestone⁵, there's a story about how a Black man's abilities were underestimated by white coaches and owners.

There's Marlin Briscoe, the first Black player in the Super Bowl era to start a game at quarterback. The Denver Broncos wanted to convert him to cornerback, but soon the team's white quarterback was injured and the white backup played poorly, forcing the Broncos to give Briscoe a chance.

Then there's Warren Moon, the first Black quarterback to enter the NFL Hall of Fame.

Despite leading the University of Washington to a Rose Bowl victory in 1978, no NFL team showed an interest in him. Instead, Moon spent six years in the Canadian Football League, where he won five straight championships. After making the switch to the NFL, Moon was named to the Pro⁶ Bowl nine times.

"I'm so proud to see Jalen and Patrick as the first 2 African American QBs to face each other in the Super Bowl," Moon wrote last week when the Eagles and Chiefs advanced to the Super Bowl. "We have come a long way."

And of course, there's Doug Williams, the first Black quarterback taken in the first round of the draft, the first Black quarterback to start and win a Super Bowl, and the first Black quarterback to be named Super Bowl MVP.

Williams was only scouted⁷ by one NFL coach before he graduated from college. He was for a time the lowest-paid starting quarterback in the league. Despite his Super Bowl heroics, his career ended soon after.

"At least I was given the opportunity and was able to do something with it," said Williams, who is now a senior adviser⁸ to the president of the Washington Commanders. "It's a bittersweet situation. But we take the sweet at this particular time."

Black quarterbacks became more common throughout the 1990s, but bias⁹ remained

By the late 1980s, Black players were no longer a minority in the NFL. And over the decades, as Williams and Moon gave way to Randall Cunningham then Donovan McNabb and Daunte Culpepper, the outright¹⁰ discrimination began to fade away. In 2001, Michael Vick was the first Black QB taken with the top pick of the draft.

Black quarterbacks were being drafted, Black quarterbacks were starting, Black quarterbacks were the faces of franchises¹¹. They were here to stay.

"By that point, you start to see more of an acknowledgement that, look, these guys are here, and they can play. And if they can help us win, we need to look to do that," Reid said.

Yet bias against them lingered, he said — more subtle, perhaps, but still insidious¹².

Black signal callers were often described as athletic¹³ in the same breath that white quarterbacks were praised for their intellect. (That trope, unfortunately, hasn't totally disappeared.)

Credit for big wins was given to other players while blame for losses came easily. When a Black quarterback succeeded, white commentators¹⁴ speculated about whether the praise had been inflated¹⁵ due to a desire for good publicity¹⁶.

And sometimes the questions were more overt¹⁷.

In 2011, Jerry Richardson, the 75-year-old owner of the Carolina Panthers, proudly told The Charlotte Observer that he had asked quarterback prospect¹⁸ Cam Newton, who is Black, whether he had any piercings or tattoos¹⁹.

Newton, a Heisman winner, was thought to be the best player available in that year's draft, in which the Panthers had the top pick.

Newton replied that he had no tattoos or piercings, to which Richardson responded, "Good. We want to keep it that way." (Another prominent player on the team at the time, a white tight end, had tattoos.)

Richardson later told PBS he'd also asked about Newton's hair, encouraging the player to not to grow it out (which Newton eventually did anyway).

That was only 12 years ago, said Reid. "It brought back to memory a time that was supposed to have been long gone."

This Sunday, history will be made

These days, there's no disputing the talent of Patrick Mahomes, the 27-year-old who is on the precipice²⁰ of his third Super Bowl appearance and second MVP award in just five years in the starting job. His highlight reel heroics have redefined the possibilities for quarterback play in the NFL.

Meanwhile, Jalen Hurts is the biggest star of the Philadelphia Eagles, arguably the league's most talented team, who have cruised through the playoffs to this Super Bowl berth²¹.

Even more than his football skills — his mobility²², his passing game, his creativity — Hurts' teammates and coaches praise him for his leadership.

"It's like having Michael Jordan out there. He's your leader," said Eagles coach Nick Sirianni after the team's first playoff game last month. "This guy leads. He brings this calmness to the entire team. He plays great football. He's tough as they come."

Beyond the Super Bowl, the 2022 season was already historic for Black quarterbacks.

Just under half of the league's 32 teams started a Black quarterback at some point this season, and 29% of all NFL games this year featured a Black starter under center, according to Football Perspective. In total, 21 Black quarterbacks threw at least one pass this season, the highest number ever.

"There has never been a better time in the NFL for Black men who aspire²³ to play quarterback. These guys are the faces of franchises. They have massive endorsement²⁴ deals. They have the biggest contracts," Reid said.

There is still progress left to achieve for Black men in the NFL, said Doug Williams, especially on the sidelines, where coaching staffs have been slower to diversify²⁵ than rosters²⁶.

But come Sunday, watching Mahomes and Hurts face off in the Super Bowl will be a moment to treasure, he said.

"We can't lose. We got two in the Super Bowl," he recalled telling a friend. "It's a great feeling."

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 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。

3 discriminate   

v.区别，辨别，区分；有区别地对待

参考例句：

• You must learn to discriminate between facts and opinions.你必须学会把事实和看法区分出来。
• They can discriminate hundreds of colours.他们能分辨上百种颜色。

4 relegated   

v.使降级( relegate的过去式和过去分词 )；使降职；转移；把…归类

参考例句：

• She was then relegated to the role of assistant. 随后她被降级做助手了。
• I think that should be relegated to the garbage can of history. 我认为应该把它扔进历史的垃圾箱。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

5 milestone   

n.里程碑；划时代的事件

参考例句：

• The film proved to be a milestone in the history of cinema.事实证明这部影片是电影史上的一个里程碑。
• I think this is a very important milestone in the relations between our two countries.我认为这是我们两国关系中一个十分重要的里程碑。

6 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？

7 scouted   

寻找，侦察( scout的过去式和过去分词 )； 物色（优秀运动员、演员、音乐家等）

参考例句：

• They scouted around for a shop that was open late. 他们四处寻找，看看还有没有夜间营业的商店。
• They scouted around for a beauty parlour. 他们四处寻找美容院。

8 adviser   

n.劝告者，顾问

参考例句：

• They employed me as an adviser.他们聘请我当顾问。
• Our department has engaged a foreign teacher as phonetic adviser.我们系已经聘请了一位外籍老师作为语音顾问。

9 bias   

n.偏见，偏心，偏袒；vt.使有偏见

参考例句：

• They are accusing the teacher of political bias in his marking.他们在指控那名教师打分数有政治偏见。
• He had a bias toward the plan.他对这项计划有偏见。

10 outright   

adv.坦率地；彻底地；立即；adj.无疑的；彻底的

参考例句：

• If you have a complaint you should tell me outright.如果你有不满意的事，你应该直率地对我说。
• You should persuade her to marry you outright.你应该彻底劝服她嫁给你。

11 franchises   

n.（尤指选举议员的）选举权( franchise的名词复数 )；参政权；获特许权的商业机构（或服务）；（公司授予的）特许经销权v.给…以特许权，出售特许权( franchise的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• TV franchises will be auctioned to the highest bidder. 电视特许经营权将拍卖给出价最高的投标人。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Ford dealerships operated as independent franchises. 福特汽车公司的代销商都是独立的联营商。 来自辞典例句

12 insidious   

adj.阴险的，隐匿的，暗中为害的，（疾病）不知不觉之间加剧

参考例句：

• That insidious man bad-mouthed me to almost everyone else.那个阴险的家伙几乎见人便说我的坏话。
• Organized crime has an insidious influence on all who come into contact with it.所有和集团犯罪有关的人都会不知不觉地受坏影响。

13 athletic   

adj.擅长运动的，强健的；活跃的，体格健壮的

参考例句：

• This area has been marked off for athletic practice.这块地方被划出来供体育训练之用。
• He is an athletic star.他是一个运动明星。

14 commentators   

n.评论员( commentator的名词复数 )；时事评论员；注释者；实况广播员

参考例句：

• Sports commentators repeat the same phrases ad nauseam. 体育解说员翻来覆去说着同样的词语，真叫人腻烦。
• Television sports commentators repeat the same phrases ad nauseam. 电视体育解说员说来说去就是那么几句话，令人厌烦。 来自《简明英汉词典》

15 inflated   

adj.（价格）飞涨的；（通货）膨胀的；言过其实的；充了气的v.使充气（于轮胎、气球等）( inflate的过去式和过去分词 )；（使）膨胀；（使）通货膨胀；物价上涨

参考例句：

• He has an inflated sense of his own importance. 他自视过高。
• They all seem to take an inflated view of their collective identity. 他们对自己的集体身份似乎都持有一种夸大的看法。 来自《简明英汉词典》

16 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。

17 overt   

adj.公开的，明显的，公然的

参考例句：

• His opponent's intention is quite overt.他的对手的意图很明显。
• We should learn to fight with enemy in an overt and covert way.我们应学会同敌人做公开和隐蔽的斗争。

18 prospect   

n.前景，前途；景色，视野

参考例句：

• This state of things holds out a cheerful prospect.事态呈现出可喜的前景。
• The prospect became more evident.前景变得更加明朗了。

19 tattoos   

n.文身( tattoo的名词复数 )；归营鼓；军队夜间表演操；连续有节奏的敲击声v.刺青，文身( tattoo的第三人称单数 )；连续有节奏地敲击；作连续有节奏的敲击

参考例句：

• His arms were covered in tattoos. 他的胳膊上刺满了花纹。
• His arms were covered in tattoos. 他的双臂刺满了纹身。 来自《简明英汉词典》

20 precipice   

n.悬崖，危急的处境

参考例句：

• The hut hung half over the edge of the precipice.那间小屋有一半悬在峭壁边上。
• A slight carelessness on this precipice could cost a man his life.在这悬崖上稍一疏忽就会使人丧生。

21 berth   

n.卧铺，停泊地，锚位；v.使停泊

参考例句：

• She booked a berth on the train from London to Aberdeen.她订了一张由伦敦开往阿伯丁的火车卧铺票。
• They took up a berth near the harbor.他们在港口附近找了个位置下锚。

22 mobility   

n.可动性，变动性，情感不定

参考例句：

• The difference in regional house prices acts as an obstacle to mobility of labour.不同地区房价的差异阻碍了劳动力的流动。
• Mobility is very important in guerrilla warfare.机动性在游击战中至关重要。

23 aspire   

vi.(to，after)渴望，追求，有志于

参考例句：

• Living together with you is what I aspire toward in my life.和你一起生活是我一生最大的愿望。
• I aspire to be an innovator not a follower.我迫切希望能变成个开创者而不是跟随者。

24 endorsement   

n.背书；赞成，认可，担保；签(注)，批注

参考例句：

• We are happy to give the product our full endorsement.我们很高兴给予该产品完全的认可。
• His presidential campaign won endorsement from several celebrities.他参加总统竞选得到一些社会名流的支持。

25 diversify   

v.（使）不同，（使）变得多样化

参考例句：

• Our company is trying to diversify.我们公司正力图往多样化方面发展。
• Hills and woods diversify the landscape.山陵和树木点缀景色。

26 rosters   

n.花名册( roster的名词复数 )；候选名单v.将（姓名）列入值勤名单( roster的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• Teams have until Monday, Oct. 29 to set their rosters. 球队可以在下周一之前，即10月29确定他们的15人常规赛名单。 来自互联网
• Rosters, R& R, FIFO or country-based lifestyle limiting your opportunities? 枯燥单调的生活方式限制了你的机会？ 来自互联网