（Level 3）-Day_97 Free Agency

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词汇提示

1.negotiate 谈判

2.contracts 合同

3.conditions 条件

4.reserve 储备

5.duration 期间

6.notorious 臭名昭著的

7.intact 完整

8.militant 激进

9.granted 赋予

10.previously 以前

11.colluded 串通

12.servitude 奴役

原文

Free Agency

“Free agency”refers to the ability of athletes to negotiate their own contracts and working conditions in professional sport.

Before the 1970s，most professional sports had some sort of reserve system for athletes.

In their reserve systems，players were forced to play for a single team-usually for the duration of their careers-under the conditions set by the team owner and the league bosses.

Historically，the sport of baseball had the most notorious reserve system，which had been intact and strictly enforced for decades.

The purpose of the reserve system was to allow owners of professional teams to control the movement of players and reduce their salaries.

By being forced to play for only one team，players had little choice but to accept the contractual terms and conditions set out for the player.

The player，in short，did not have the freedom to offer and negotiated his services on the open market，as is done on all other industries.

This significantly reduced owners' payroll expenses，and increased profits greatly.

In North America，the major professional leagues-in the sports of baseball，football，hockey and basketball-all had some form of reserve system.

In the late-1960s and 1970s，however，the reserve system encountered a number of challenges.

The most important challenge came from a baseball player，Curt Flood of the St. Louis Cardinals.

Flood refused the terms of a trade and offered his services on the open market of the Major League Baseball.

When no offers were made，Flood field suit in American courts under the Sherman Antitrust Act，which makes it unlawful for any business or combination of businesses to maintain a monopoly in any commercial industry.

While Flood did not win the case，a series of subsequent legal decisions made it apparent，that baseball owners had unreasonable control over their laborers-the players.

The baseball players' union became more militant as a result of the Flood case.

In 1976，a court decision granted players free agency and the right to negotiate the conditions of their labor services much more freely than they had in the past.

The move to free agency changed the character of the relations between professional sports clubs and their owners.

Previously，owners worked or colluded together to limit the movement of players

Professional sports clubs acted like a well-organized club.

Free agency meant a more competitive environment for players，and of course player salaries have risen substantially as a result.

Today，sports fans often complain that players' salaries are too high.

While certainly at times it seems difficult to justify the huge salaries of today，it should be kept in mind that before the current era of free agency and big contracts，players barely made a subsistence wage，and often worked under conditions of  servitude.

The situation now might be less than perfect；however，it's certainly a vast improvement over the pre-free agency days.

翻译

自由代理

“自由代理”指运动员在职业体育项目中谈判自己的合同和工作条件的能力。
20世纪70年代之前，大多数职业体育项目都有某种运动员后备制度。
在他们的预备队体系中，球员被迫在球队老板和联盟老板设定的条件下，在职业生涯中只为一支球队效力。
从历史上看，棒球运动有着最臭名昭著的预备队制度，几十年来一直保持完整并严格执行。
预备队制度的目的是允许职业球队的老板控制球员的移动，并降低他们的工资。
由于被迫只为一支球队效力，球员们别无选择，只能接受为球员制定的合同条款和条件。
简而言之，运动员没有在公开市场上提供和协商服务的自由，就像在所有其他行业一样。
这大大减少了业主的工资支出，并大大增加了利润。
在北美，棒球、足球、曲棍球和篮球等主要职业联赛都有某种形式的预备队制度。
然而，在20世纪60年代末和70年代，后备系统遇到了一些挑战。
最重要的挑战来自棒球运动员，圣路易斯红衣主教队的柯特·弗雷德。
弗雷德拒绝了交易条款，并在美国职业棒球大联盟的公开市场上提供服务。
在没有报价的情况下，弗雷德根据《谢尔曼反垄断法》向美国法院提起诉讼，该法规定，任何企业或企业组织在任何商业行业保持垄断是非法的。
虽然弗雷德没有赢得这场官司，但随后的一系列法律判决表明，棒球队拥有者对他们的劳动者——球员——拥有不合理的控制权。
由于弗雷德事件，棒球运动员工会变得更加激进。
1976年，一项法院判决授予球员自由代理权，以及比过去更自由地协商其劳工服务条件的权利。
向自由球员的转变改变了职业体育俱乐部与其所有者之间关系的性质。
以前，老板们一起工作或串通来限制球员的移动
职业体育俱乐部就像一个组织良好的俱乐部。
自由球员意味着球员们有一个更具竞争力的环境，当然球员的薪水也因此大幅上升。
如今，体育迷经常抱怨运动员的工资太高。
当然，有时似乎很难证明今天的巨额工资是合理的，但应该记住，在当前的自由代理和大合同时代之前，球员几乎没有维持生计的工资，而且经常在劳役条件下工作。
现在的情况可能不太完美；然而，与自由球员制之前的日子相比，这无疑是一个巨大的进步。