大生意

Scott+Cacciola

team after team filled with players who serve as walking billboards on one of the sports worlds biggest stages.

在世界體育最大的舞臺上，所有的大學(xué)球員，都變成了活廣告牌。

One of the perks of playing college basketball for a powerhouse program like North Carolina is all the team-issued gear. Every year， the Tar Heels are outfitted with more shirts， sweats and sneakers than they can possibly wear in a season.

為北卡這樣的籃球強(qiáng)校打球的利好之一，就是能得到球隊定制的裝備。每年，北卡球員都能得到一賽季也穿不完的外套、T恤和球鞋。

The only problem is that their friends and families know it.

唯一的問題是，他們的朋友和家人也知道。

"Oh， people are always asking for stuff，" said Stilman White， a senior guard. "Its a weekly thing， to be honest."

“哦，人們總是要東西?！贝笏暮笮l(wèi)斯蒂爾曼·懷特說，“說實話，每周都會發(fā)生?！?/p>

The latest request came from Whites 18-year-old sister， Noel， who became enthralled with one of his T-shirts as North Carolina began to prepare for the N.C.A.A. tournament.

最近一個提出要求的是懷特18歲的妹妹諾艾爾，北卡開始為NCAA錦標(biāo)賽備戰(zhàn)時，她卻對北卡的T恤著了迷。

"My sister would not talk to me about anything else besides that shirt until I finally just gave it to her so shed stop bugging me，" White said.

“除了那件T恤，我妹妹什么都不愿跟我聊，直到我終于給了她一件，她才不來煩我?！睉烟卣f。

Among the potential difficulties facing college basketball players， being the recipients of too much branded （and free） gear surely qualifies as a first-world problem. But it is one of the most noteworthy byproducts of lucrative endorsement deals that prominent programs like North Carolina， U.C.L.A.， Kansas and Michigan have with sports apparel companies like Nike， Adidas and Under Armour.

在大學(xué)籃球運(yùn)動員面臨的諸多潛在困難中，接受過多品牌（免費）裝備顯然也是一等一的麻煩。但這也是如北卡，UCLA，堪薩斯和密歇根這樣的籃球強(qiáng)校與耐克，阿迪達(dá)斯和安德瑪這樣的運(yùn)動裝備公司簽下巨額合同后最重要的副產(chǎn)品。

The N.C.A.A. will remind anyone within earshot that these players are still amateur athletes， and the mere suggestion of compensation — beyond their scholarships — opens the door to a swirl of complications. But they do receive gear — so much gear — and the N.C.A.A. allows them to give it away. They just cant sell it.

NCAA會提醒所有人，這些球員仍屬于業(yè)余運(yùn)動員，僅僅提出“補(bǔ)償”這個概念——獎學(xué)金除外——都能讓后續(xù)變成一團(tuán)亂麻。但他們確實能夠得到裝備——非常多的裝備——NCAA也允許他們把裝備送人。他們只是不能拿裝備出去賣錢而已。

For the companies， the arrangement has obvious benefits： team after team filled with players who serve as walking billboards on one of the sports worlds biggest stages. In the brands view， the more clothing and shoes they hand out， the more likely it is that a player will wear their logo. For the athletes， who are often oversize teenagers who struggle to find clothes and shoes that fit， the free gear — including coveted sneaker styles that can cost$200 or more a pair — comes in handy.

對品牌公司來說，這種做法有著明顯的好處：在世界體育最大的舞臺上，一支支球隊的球員，變成了活動的廣告牌。從品牌的角度看，他們送出的衣服和球鞋越多，球員的身上就越有可能出現(xiàn)他們的商標(biāo)。這些運(yùn)動員大多數(shù)身材超標(biāo)，很難找到合適的衣服鞋子，因此免費的裝備，包括售價可能超過200美元的熱門球鞋，自然派上了用場。

But the question eventually becomes： What to do with all of it？ Sweatshirts wind up going to moms and dads. Shorts get shipped off to siblings. Old sneakers are handed out to pals back home — whether they fit or not.

但問題還是出現(xiàn)了：怎么處理這些東西？運(yùn)動衫一般歸爸爸媽媽，短袖短褲送給兄弟姐妹，用過的球鞋屬于朋友們——不管是否合適。

Gabby Williams， a star forward for the womens basketball team at Connecticut， said she had set aside a stack of UConn clothing as gifts for her family members to wear during the Huskies latest tournament run.

康涅狄格大學(xué)女子籃球隊的明星前鋒加比·威廉姆斯就準(zhǔn)備了很多康大的服裝，當(dāng)做禮物送給親戚，讓他們穿著這些衣服參加康大最近一次的NCAA錦標(biāo)賽。

"Its always nice to give back to everyone else，" she said. "We do get a lot of stuff， and were very lucky， so I love to give my stuff away."

“回饋其他人是好事，”她說，“我們確實能得到很多東西，我們很幸運(yùn)，所以我喜歡送東西給別人?！?/p>

Charlie Noebel， a senior guard at Oregon， said that he constantly hears from friends desperate to get their hands on a pair of the Ducks custom Nikes.

俄勒岡大學(xué)的大四后衛(wèi)查理·諾貝爾表示，朋友總是想盡一切辦法想得到一雙俄勒岡大學(xué)的耐克定制球鞋。

"All the time，" said Noebel， who wears size 12.5 shoes. "Most of my friends are 10s， so they cant fit into them. But theyll always be like， Hey， I can wear two or three pairs of socks， I dont care.”

“總是有人要?！蹦_穿12碼半的諾貝爾說，“我大部分朋友只有十多歲，所以不合他們的腳。但他們總是說，嘿，我可以穿兩三雙襪子”

Oregon T-shirts seem to be popular， too. In recent years， the Ducks have worn a different one for every game， and unloading those is rarely a problem. As Noebel explained， "A lot of people like the color green."

俄勒岡的T恤看上去也頗受歡迎。最近幾年，俄勒岡大學(xué)每場比賽的T恤都不一樣，而處理這些衣服毫無難度。正如諾貝爾所說：“很多人喜歡綠色。”

At Michigan， where the university has an apparel deal with Nike that could be worth as much as $173.8 million through 2031， some players said they had received as many as 13 pairs of Jordan brand sneakers this season. Sometimes， they said， the shoes just appear， tucked inside fresh boxes left on locker-room chairs before random practices.

密歇根大學(xué)與耐克簽訂的合同一直持續(xù)到2031年，總價高達(dá)1.738億美元，有些球員表示，他們本賽季最多收到了13雙Jordan系列的球鞋。他們表示，有時候塞進(jìn)鞋盒的球鞋會在任意一場訓(xùn)練前擺在他們更衣柜前的椅子上。

"It was pretty cool just to get free stuff，" said Muhammad-Ali AbdurRahkman， a junior guard who， before he joined the Wolverines， would spend his own money on the Jordan gear he now gets gratis.

“能得到免費的東西挺酷的。”密歇根大學(xué)的大三后衛(wèi)穆罕默德-阿里·阿卜杜爾-拉克曼表示，進(jìn)入密歇根大學(xué)前，他會自己花錢買這些現(xiàn)在免費送給他的Jordan球鞋。

Bob Bland， Michigans longtime equipment manager， is responsible for the surprises. When a new shipment of sneakers arrived this season， Bland showed up for a team film session with a bin full of them. He called players up by name and number to receive their allotments.

長年在密西根大學(xué)擔(dān)任裝備經(jīng)理的鮑勃·布蘭德負(fù)責(zé)給球員帶去這些驚喜。本賽季每次收到新鞋，布蘭德都會拉著一個大桶出現(xiàn)在球隊的錄像分析課上。通過叫號和叫名字，球員們就能拿到屬于自己的那一部分。

Moments like those are a big deal for Brent Hibbitts， a sophomore walk-on from Hudsonville， Mich. Growing up， he said， he was such a fan of Jordan sneakers that he would camp outside stores just for the chance to buy the newest release.

對于布倫特·希比茨這種來自密歇根哈德森威爾的不起眼二年級球員來說，這是非常重要的時刻。他表示，從小他就深愛著Jordan球鞋，他愿意在商店外露宿，就為了買到最新款球鞋。

"I think I waited outside one time for 10 hours in a blizzard，" he said.

“我記得有一次冒著暴風(fēng)雪，我等了10個小時。”他說。

Hibbitts no longer has to subject himself to such ordeals. Nor do the players at North Carolina — Michael Jordans alma mater — which also has a deal with Nike. White， for example， said he had stacks of Jordan sneakers in boxes. Some live in his locker. Others take up real estate in his dorm room. He has even sent a few to his parents for safekeeping.

希比茨再也不需要忍受那樣的折磨。邁克爾·喬丹的母校，北卡的球員們也不需要，他們也和耐克簽下了合同。比方說，懷特表示他有好幾雙Jordan的球鞋。有些放在更衣柜，有些放在宿舍。為了妥善保管，他甚至把一些鞋放到了父母那里。

"Stockpiles，" White said.

“囤積了好多?！睉烟卣f。

And while he is happy to part with T-shirts and also has bequeathed used pairs of sneakers to friends， White was clear that there is a line even friends and family cannot cross. "Theyre not，" he said， "getting any of the new stuff."

盡管他很高興送T恤給別人，或者把穿過的球鞋送給朋友，但懷特明確了一條底線，“他們不會拿到新東西。”他說。

Alex Olesinski， a sophomore forward at U.C.L.A.， said his classmates were always in the market for his Adidas-provided freebies. "Theyll be like，Give me a shirt，" he said. Most are not particularly discriminating， he added.“Theyll take anything， honestly.”

UCLA的二年級前鋒亞力克斯·奧利辛斯基表示，他的同學(xué)總是覬覦阿迪達(dá)斯免費送給他的裝備?！八麄儠f，‘給我件衣服?！彼f。大部分人并不挑剔，他補(bǔ)充道：“說真的，他們什么都愿意要。”

There could be a lot for the taking soon： The Bruins are in the final year of their multimillion-dollar contract with Adidas and next season will switch to Under Armour. Despite that coming change， the Bruins equipment cupboard is anything but bare. This season， Olesinski said， Adidas provided each U.C.L.A. player with more than 15 pairs of sneakers. In the locker room after the teams practice session on Thursday afternoon at FedEx Forum， Olesinski pointed to a nearby pair of colorful high-tops.

很快他們就能得到更多的東西：UCLA正處于和阿迪達(dá)斯百萬美元合同的最后一年。盡管即將發(fā)生改變，可UCLA的裝備庫始終滿滿當(dāng)當(dāng)。奧利辛斯基說，本賽季阿迪達(dá)斯為每一名UCLA球員提供了超過15雙球鞋。周四下午在聯(lián)邦快遞球館的訓(xùn)練結(jié)束后，更衣室里的奧利辛斯基指著不遠(yuǎn)處一雙色彩鮮艷的高幫球鞋這樣說道。

"Today is the first day Ive worn those，" he said. "Comfortable."

“今天是我第一次穿這雙鞋?！彼f，“很舒服?！?/p>

Dillon Pulliam， a sophomore guard at Kentucky， has laid in about a dozen pairs of sneakers that he has never worn. He has lent a couple pairs to his younger brother， Zach， who plays at Division III Transylvania University in Lexington， Ky， far down the equipment-deal food chain. The occasional giveaway is no problem， Pulliam said. He still has more than enough for himself.

肯塔基大學(xué)的二年級后衛(wèi)迪隆·普利亞姆表示，他拿到了十多雙鞋，都沒穿過。他把其中幾雙借給了自己在二級聯(lián)盟大學(xué)，肯塔基州萊克星頓的特蘭西瓦尼亞大學(xué)打球的弟弟扎克，那所學(xué)校自然處于裝備食物鏈的底層。普利亞姆表示，剩下的球鞋足夠他穿了。

"Im going to be good for basketball shoes for the rest of my life，" Pulliam said.

“我這輩子的籃球鞋都夠了。”普利亞姆說。

Some of his friends， though， are more discerning collectors. Pulliam said he had heard from several people this season who coveted one teamissued item in particular： custom-made Nike Kobe 11s with the Wildcats interlocking UK logo on the inside heel. Each Kentucky player， he said， had received three pairs， one each in three color schemes： blue， white and gray.

不過他的一些朋友在收藏的問題上更為挑剔。普利亞姆說，本賽季他聽好幾個人說過，他們想要一個球隊定制的裝備：定制的耐克科比11代球鞋，鞋跟內(nèi)部印有夜貓和肯塔基隊標(biāo)。他說每名肯塔基球員收到了三雙這樣的鞋，每雙都是藍(lán)色、白色和灰色這樣的配色。

Nike made similar versions for Duke， Michigan State and Oregon， but if you want a pair， good luck： Because they were team-only items， you would need to find a player willing to part with his.

耐克也為杜克，密歇根州大和俄勒岡大學(xué)提供了類似版本的球鞋，若是想得到這樣的球鞋，只能祝你好運(yùn)了：因為這種鞋只送給球隊成員，你需要找到一個愿意送出球鞋的球員。

Sneakers are seldom in short supply at programs like Kentucky， North Carolina and U.C.L.A.， the three blue bloods that cohabitated in Memphis over the past few days for the South Region semifinals and final. The fourth team left in the region when the weekend began， Butler， is a program with its own rich basketball history — but one that appears to take a more judicious approach to equipment.

在肯塔基，北卡和UCLA這樣的學(xué)校，球鞋很少出現(xiàn)短缺，這三所學(xué)校過去幾天一直在孟菲斯參加南部賽區(qū)的半決賽和決賽。周末開始時第四支走出該地區(qū)的球隊巴特勒大學(xué)，也是一所有著豐富籃球歷史的學(xué)?！麄儗Υb備的態(tài)度更為謹(jǐn)慎。

Nate Fowler， a sophomore center， said each Butler player typically receives three sets of practice shorts and jerseys at the start of the season， along with one pair of sneakers. They get another pair about halfway through the season， and then maybe one more at the start of the postseason. Fowler said he was aware that players at other programs get more free stuff， not that he minds.

二年級中鋒內(nèi)特·富勒表示，巴特勒大學(xué)每名球員一般會在賽季開始時收到三套訓(xùn)練短褲和球衣，以及一雙球鞋。賽季過完一半時，他們會再得到一雙球鞋，季后賽開始時可能還能得到一雙。富勒說他知道其他學(xué)校的球員能得到更多裝備，但他并不在意。

He knows he can always get more — as needed. Butler， you see， has a storage closet.

他知道能得到更多，也能收到裝備。你看，巴特勒也有裝備儲備庫。

"If anything rips，" he said， "theyll replace it."

“如果有東西壞了，他們就會換掉?！彼f。