[外電] Golden Boys: 活塞進駐汽車城五十週年

[Leek ( つかさ )]

原文：
http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20071023/SPORTS03/
710230384/1051

譯文：
http://www.wretch.cc/blog/Leek&article_id=20248813


GOLDEN BOYS:
Pistons moved to Detroit and played first game here 50 years ago
Golden Boys:活塞進駐汽車城五十週年

October 23, 2007


BY BILL DOW
FREE PRESS SPECIAL WRITER


Valued at more than $400 million by Forbes Magazine, the Detroit Pistons are
one of the most successful franchises in pro sports, having led the NBA in
attendance in four of the last five seasons.
根據富比士雜誌的估計，活塞今年的價值超過了4億美元，並成為了一支相當成功的職業
運動球隊。畢竟，他們在過去五個球季裡面，在觀眾進場人數的統計上佔了四年第一名的
位置。


And when the Pistons open their regular-season home schedule Nov. 4, with
public-address announcer John Mason's familiar refrain -- DEE-TROIT BAS-KET-
BALL -- the team anticipates its 186th consecutive sellout.
伴隨著熟悉的Mason腔，當11月4號活塞開始本季的常規賽時，活塞保持著連續第184場門票
銷售一空的紀錄。


But a half century ago, the team that was born in a YMCA league in Ft. Wayne,
Ind. -- where it was sponsored by a manufacturer of pistons -- struggled to
make its mark in the Motor City.
不過，在半個世紀之前，由一個活塞生產公司所贊助的活塞隊，出生在YMCA聯盟的韋恩堡
(Ft. Wayne，屬於印第安納州，http://www.cityoffortwayne.org/)，還在為了能在汽車
城中打響名號而浮浮沉沉的掙扎當中。


Fifty years ago tonight at Olympia Stadium, on the corner of Grand River and
McGraw on Detroit's west side, 10,965 curious fans were introduced to Detroit
basketball in the second game of an NBA doubleheader.
五十年前的今晚，在底特律西側的Grand河和McGraw交會處的Olympia Stadium裡，在活塞
這次二連戰的第二場比賽當中，總共吸引了10,965個好奇的觀眾前來觀看球賽。


It was an inauspicious debut for the transplanted franchise, which, for the
next quarter century, would have only three winning seasons, poor attendance
and would not average 10,000 fans until the Isiah Thomas era.
不過這樣的開始似乎並不怎麼順利，因為在接下來的二十五年當中，活塞只有三季勝率
超過五成，觀眾的造訪率也並沒有破萬。這樣的日子一直持續到「微笑老湯」Isiah 
Thomas的時代才結束。


After waiting till 9:20 p.m. for the first game to end -- the New York Knicks
beat the St. Louis Hawks, 112-95 -- impatient fans were less than enthralled by
a ceremony that featured introductions of Gov. G. Mennen Williams, Lions
captain Joe Schmidt, Tigers GM John McHale and Red Wings GM Jack Adams.
一直等到晚上九點二十分，第一場比賽才結束，紐約尼克以112比95擊敗聖路易老鷹隊。迫
不及待的球迷們馬上就被特別來賓的出場給吸引住了，包含Gov. G. Mennen Williams，
NFL獅子的隊長Joe Schmidt，MLB老虎的GM John McHale，以及NHL紅翼的GM Jack Adams等
名人。


"My recollection of that first game at the Olympia is that everything was in
place for a great event, but that it turned into a mess," said Gene Shue, 75,
who was the Pistons' starting guard and a fan favorite for five seasons in
Detroit.
「關於Olympia的第一場比賽，在我的回憶裡，那就像是一場嘉年華。不過雖然開始的氣氛
相當好，可惜後來的結束好像變得有點糟糕。」已經75歲的Gene Shue說道。Shue以前是活
塞的先發後衛，目前也是底特律本地的忠實球迷。


"There were so many delays during the game because the floor was slippery from
the ice below it, a problem that often happened at Olympia. I didn't like
playing there because it was a large building with small crowds, and you were
always freezing your butt off," said Shue, who was relieved when the team moved
to Cobo Arena in 1961.
「當時的比賽太容易被延誤了，尤其是因為球場地板底下的冰溶解而使地板變得濕滑。這
種情形在Olympia是經常發生的事情。那裡球場太大而觀眾太少，常常打到身體都涼了，所
以我很不喜歡在那裡打球。」Shue這麼說。當球隊在1961年搬到Cobo Arena時，他也因此
鬆了一口氣。


The Pistons le=d the Boston Celtics for most of the game, but their hopes of an
opening night win slipped away as Boston's Bill Russell took over the game
while Detroit's first basketball superstar, high-scoring forward George Yardley
, and 7-foot center Walter Dukes fouled out midway through the final period.
比賽中絕大部分的時間裡，活塞是領先塞爾蒂克的，然而直到Bill Russell負責看管當時
底特律第一位籃球明星，具有得分爆發力的前鋒George Yardley，同時七呎中鋒Walter 
Dukes也在第四節中段犯滿畢業之後，活塞的首勝夢就此破滅。


By the time the game ended with a 105-94 Boston victory about 12:10 a.m., half
of the weary crowd already had left.
當午夜12點10分，這場比賽以105比94落敗給波士頓的時候，一半以上疲倦的觀眾已經早早
離席了。


Although the Pistons would experience significant growing pains in Detroit
before becoming wildly successful years later under a new owner, the story of
how the franchise was established is nothing short of remarkable.
雖然在新的老闆底下，一直成長到今日的榮景之前，活塞也走過一段相當慘澹的歲月，不
過這段往日情懷還是值得拿出來好好回味一下。


The Ft. Wayne years
韋恩堡歲月


As a means to further employee relations and promote the Zollner Machine Works
-- a company that eventually supplied 70% of the world's heavy-duty, aluminum
alloy pistons for internal-combustion engines -- Fred Zollner sponsored a world
champion fast-pitch softball team and a company basketball team in the Ft.
Wayne YMCA Industrial League.
這又是一個企業員工促進企業本身進步的成功案例。Zollner機械公司，提供了全世界七成
以上的鋁合金活塞產量，以及其他的引擎內部燃燒工具。老闆Fred Zollner同時也贊助了
一支曾獲得世界冠軍的軟式棒球隊與一支屬於韋恩堡YMCA工業聯盟的籃球隊。

In 1939, he named Carl Bennett, a Zollner employee and the softball team's
first baseman, to coach and manage the basketball squad. Bennett not only would
oversee the team's transition from a YMCA team to professional basketball, he
also would play a role in the formation of the NBA.
在1939年，有個名叫Carl Bennett的傢伙，是Zollner的員工，也在那支軟式棒球裡面當一
壘手，突然想要搞一個籃球隊出來。Bennett不僅負責監督這支球隊從一支YMCA的隊伍轉型
成為一支職業球隊，同時他也實際上參與了後來NBA的成立。


Bennett, 91, who still lives in Ft. Wayne, recently gave a brief history lesson
on the development of the Ft. Wayne Zollner Pistons.
現在已經91歲的Bennett還是住在韋恩堡，最近還老當益壯的給我們上了一堂「韋恩堡
Zollner活塞隊歷史課」。


"In February of 1941, we beat another local YMCA team, the International
Harvesters, in overtime and earned the right to play in a pro tournament in
Chicago. Although we lost to the Oshkosh All-Stars, 47-41, after the tournament
Mr. Zollner asked me to set up some exhibition games against the professional
NBL teams. But at the invitation of the league's commissioner, Leo Fisher, we
joined the league."
「在1941年二月，在延長比賽之後，我們打敗了另一支YMCA的地區球隊，國際收割機隊
(International Harvester)，並且取得了參加當年在芝加哥舉辦的職業巡迴賽資格。雖然
後來我們還是以47比41輸給了Oshkosh明星隊(Oshkosh city，在Fox河畔的一個城市，
http://www.ci.oshkosh.wi.us/)，不過後來Zollner老總就要求我開始建立一些表演賽，
讓我們來對抗那些職業級的NBL隊伍。不過，在收到當時的委員Leo Fisher邀請之後，我們
就決定加入聯盟。」


The Zollner Pistons won their first National Basketball League game Dec. 1,
1941, when they defeated George Halas' Chicago Bruins, 48-46.
1941年的12月1號，Zollner活塞隊以48比46擊敗了由George Halas所擁有的芝加哥熊隊，
獲得他們在國際籃球聯盟(NBL, National Basketball League)的第一場勝利。


"Through the war years, the Piston players worked 40 hours in the plant and
were paid $100 a week, and at the end of the season we divided up our gate
receipts," Bennett said. "And after expenses, I remember in our first year
each player received a $1,500 bonus."
「在大戰時期，活塞球員們每週在工廠裡工作四十個小時，週薪一百美元，同時在期末可
以拿到分紅。」Bennett說，「扣掉其他開銷之後，我記得第一年裡，每位球員都拿到了
將近一千五百元的獎勵。」


From 1943 to 1946, the Zollner Pistons posted the NBL's best record, won
championships in 1944 and 1945, and won the Chicago pro tournament three
consecutive years.
從1943年一直到1946年，Zollner活塞隊都是NBL戰績最佳的球隊，並且在1944和1945兩年
奪得了總冠軍，同時，在前述的芝加哥職業巡迴賽裡，活塞也是連續三年獲得優勝。


Before the =start of the 1948-49 season, Bennett and Zollner played key roles in
what would become the eventual birth of the NBA.
在48-49球季開始之前，Bennett和Zollner老總都變得相當關鍵，這樣的關鍵時期正是決定
了後來NBA的形成的重要時段。


At the time, there were two struggling pro leagues competing for players. The
NBL was made up mostly of Midwestern teams; the BAA (Basketball Association of
America) consisted mainly of big-city eastern teams.
當時，有兩個主要的大型聯盟經常互相搶奪優秀的球員，其中NBL佔有大部份中西部市場，
而BAA(Basketball Association of America)則是佔有了東區的部份。


"In January of 1948, the BAA commissioner, Maurice Podoloff (who would become
the first NBA commissioner), called and met me at my house in Ft. Wayne, where
we discussed the idea of the leagues merging," Bennett said. "The next day we
sold the idea to Mr. Zollner, and that season Ft. Wayne, Minneapolis, Rochester
and Indianapolis joined the BAA."
「在1948年一月，BAA的執行長Maurice Podoloff(後來成為NBA的第一任執行長)前來韋恩
堡，並到我家裡拜訪，我們討論了許多關於聯盟合併的事情，」Bennett回憶道，「隔天
我們把討論結果告訴老總Zollner，接著在當年球季，韋恩堡，明尼亞波里斯，羅徹斯特
，以及印地安那波里斯，都加入了BAA。」


The remaining NBL teams sued, and after a settlement and shakeout of teams,
another merger occurred, and the BAA was renamed the NBA before the 1949-50
season.
其餘的NBL球隊針對這事情提出了控告，而在事情暫時和解之後，扣掉退出的及倒閉的以外
，又一次的聯盟合併發生了，並且BAA也在49-50球季之後改名為NBA。


Zollner and the Pistons would make history on three other fronts in the early
years of the NBA.
因此，老總Zollner以及活塞隊，與另外三個先驅者一起，並列為NBA的草創隊伍與先驅者
。


In the lowest scoring game in NBA history, the Pistons beat the Minneapolis
Lakers, 19-18, in a 1950 game, using a stall strategy that infuriated fans.
The game helped precipitate the adoption of the 24-second shot clock, a move
that probably saved the pro game.
在當時低比數的比賽當中，活塞擊敗明尼亞波里斯湖人隊的比數是19比18，大量的拖延戰
術使得球迷們相當不耐煩。這樣的情形促使了二十四秒進攻時限規則的誕生，進而可能挽
救了當時職業比賽的大危機。


Two years later, Zollner, who had previously chartered a team plane, purchased
a used DC-3 from United Airlines for $60,000. He called it The Flying Z, and
the Pistons became the first sports team to have its own plane.
兩年之後，先前已經準備讓球隊擁有飛機的Zollner，用六萬元的代價從聯合航空(United
Airlines)買來一架二手的DC-3飛機(http://www.centercomp.com/dc3/gallery/
collections/Neil_R/DC36.jpg)，並給它取名為The Flying Z。因此，活塞隊成為所有職
業球隊當中，第一個擁有專屬飛機的球隊。


Finally, just before the 1954-55 season, and to the surprise of the basketball
world, Zollner hired colorful NBA referee Charley Eckman to coach the Pistons,
even though Eckman had no previous coaching experience.
在54-55球季之前，震驚全籃球界的是，Zollner老總聘請了裁判Charley Eckman來執教，
儘管Eckman之前一點籃球教練的經驗都沒有。


In his first two seasons, Eckman -- with stars George Yardley, Larry Foust and
Mel Hutchins -- led the Zollner Pistons to two NBA championship series that end
ed in losses. The 1955 finals were played in Indianapolis because Ft. Wayne's
Memorial Coliseum had been booked for a two-month-long bowling tournament.
在Eckman執教的前兩個球季，擁有明星George Yardley，Larry Foust與Mel Hutchins的活
塞隊，兩度打入總冠軍賽，但都鍛羽而歸。其中，1955年的總決賽在印第安納波里斯舉行
，因為當時韋恩堡活塞的主場韋恩堡紀念體育館(Ft. Wayne's Memorial Coliseum)正在舉
辦為期兩個月的保齡球巡迴賽。


As the NBA grew in stature, it was only a matter of time before the Pistons
would relocate to a major market.
當NBA正在成長茁壯之時，活塞好像已經到了需要轉換至一個能成為主要籃球市場的城市裡
的地步了。遷移之事，彷彿已經只是時間上的問題。


Moving to Detroit
搬去底特律吧


"Mr. Zollner always dreamed of being in Detroit because it was where his
manufacturing customers were. It was a great sports town, and he was sure he
could make basketball work there," said Bennett, who left Zollner in 1955 to
go into the concessions business with former Pistons player Bob Kinney.
「老總總是夢想能到底特律，因為他的老主顧們都在那裡。那兒是個運動風氣鼎盛的城市
，老總也確信他可以在那裡成功的培植籃球事業。」Bennett這麼說。而在1955年的時候
，Bennett已經離開Zollner，夥同前底特律球員Bob Kinney轉行從商去了。


On Valentine's Day 1957, Zollner entered into a six-year lease with the Red
Wings to rent Olympia Stadium and Detroit became only the second city -- New
York was the other -- to host all four major professional sports. (A month
later, the Pistons played their final game as a Ft. Wayne team in front of
2,200 fans.)
1957年的情人節，Zollne與紅翼隊簽了六年的租約，租下了Olympia運動場(Olympia 
Stadium)，而底特律也成為了繼紐約之後的第二支，同時擁有四種職業運動隊伍的城市。
(一個月之後，活塞隊也在韋恩堡的2,200位球迷面前，打了在韋恩堡的最後一場球賽。)


"The announcement didn't create all that much excitement because we had a
little knowledge of pro basketball, anyway," said George Puscas, the now-
retired Free Press sports editor and columnist who first covered the team for
this newspaper.
「說實在話，當初這樣的遷移並沒有激起我們太大的興趣，畢竟那時我們跟籃球一點都不
熟。」George Puscas說。Puscas是位退休的自由體育編輯與專欄作家，當年就是他第一個
將活塞放上報紙頭版的。


"The Pistons were treated like poor country cousins because, remember, in the
'50s, the Lions were winning NFL championships, and the Wings had won a string
 of Stanley Cups," Puscas said. "It was hard for the Pistons to compete against
 that, but I still felt Zollner would succeed, unlike previous attempts at pro
 basketball in Detroit, because he came in with a hell of a lot of money."
「當時活塞隊的待遇就像小媳婦一樣。畢竟在五零年代，獅子隊才拿下了NFL冠軍，而紅翼
隊也是史坦利盃的常勝軍，」Puscas說，「當時活塞想要抗衡這樣的情況是相當困難的。
不過我始終認為Zollner會成功，因為比起之前想要在底特律搞職業籃球的人，他實在太有
錢了。」(XD)


Since the first game 50 years ago, Morrie Moorawnick, 80, of Redford, has
witnessed nearly every Pistons home game, mainly as a scorer and statistician
for the team or for the Elias Sports Bureau. He recalled the effort to sell
the NBA in Detroit.
自從五十年前的第一場比賽起，現在已經八十歲的Morrie Moorawnick，幾乎每場主場比賽
都會準時收看，專業的程度，已經可以當作活塞的記分員，甚至可以作為Elias Sports 
Bureau的數據整理員了。他也試著回憶當初NBA在底特律推動職業籃球的那些日子。


"I know the Pistons gave away more tickets than they sold in that first season
," said Moorawnick, who has fond memories of occasionally scoring a Pistons
game in the afternoon, watching the basketball floor being taken off the
Olympia ice, then scoring a Red Wing game in the evening.
「我還記得活塞送出的門票比賣出去的還多的那段日子，」Moorawnicl說，他也表示，當
時那些下午的時間裡，看完活塞的比賽後，地板被更換，以迎接稍後的紅翼隊比賽的日子
，實在相當珍貴。


"The Pistons hired Bill Veeck to help promote the team, and we know what a
salesman he was," Moorawnick said. "Sometimes there would be a bigger crowd
at the end of the game because Veeck brought in acts like Duke Ellington and
his Orchestra and Count Basie for a postgame show. People would come in late
and watch the end of the game, just to see the shows."
「活塞雇用了Bill Veeck來負責推銷球隊，而我們都知道，他是個多令人訝異的精明商人
，」Moorawnick說道，「有時候比賽結束時的觀眾比開場時還多，因為Veeck把Duke 
Ellington和他的管絃樂團，或是Count Basie的表演，都帶來了球館裡面。儘管只能看到
活塞的後半場比賽，人們還是會特地來到球場，因為接下來還有更多的表演。」


After a 9-16 start in the first season, Zollner fired Eckman and hired former
Pistons player Red Rocha to coach.
第一個球季的戰績9-16，Zollner把Eckman炒了，並且僱用一個前活塞球員Red Rocha來當
教練。


Gene Shue remembers.
Gene Shue回憶起這段日子。


"Charley got a call from Zollner, who told him, 'I think we'll make a change in
 your department.' Charley thought about it for a second and realized he was
the only one in the department," Shue said with a chuckle. "I was really
disappointed because Charley never really had a fair shot in Detroit."
「Charley接到一通老總的電話說，對於你的處境，我想我們需要一些改變才行。Charley
想了一會，才明白自己是那個唯一所謂需要改變的人。」Shue邊笑邊說，「其實我有點不
平，畢竟Charley並沒有真正得到能夠證明自己的機會。」


The Pistons finished their first season in Detroit with a 33-39 record
highlighted by the play of Yardley, who led the NBA with 27.8 points per game
while becoming the first player to score 2,000 points in a season (2,001 total)
. The Pistons lost the Western Conference finals to the St. Louis Hawks, four
games to one.
活塞在底特律的第一個球季有33-39，並且出了Yardley這個聯盟得分王(27.8ppg)，並且他
也是聯盟首位得分超過兩千的球員(2001 pts)。不過活塞在西部決賽裏以4-1輸給了聖路易
老鷹隊(yes,西部)。


After years of losing basketball, in 1974 Zollner sold his Pistons for $8
million to Golden Beach, Fla., neighbor and native Detroiter William Davidson
, who eventually turned the franchise into the envy of the NBA while capturing
 three world championships.
在持續多年的悽慘戰績之後，Zollner把球隊以八百萬賣給了底特律本地人William 
Davidson老爹，這個老爹也是開創接下來囊括三座總冠軍的活塞隊開創者。


Seventeen years after he died in 1982, Zollner, who was named Mr. Pro
Basketball at the NBA's Silver Anniversary All-Star Game, was inducted into the
Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.
在過世(1982)的十七年後，老總Zollner在NBA's Silver Anniversary明星賽當中
被提名為職業籃球先生，也進入了奈史密斯籃球名人堂。


A Fitting tribute to a founding father of the NBA who started a YMCA team in
Ft. Wayne, Ind., moved it to the Motor City and planted the seed of DEE-TROIT
BAS-KET-BALL.
多虧了Zollner老總，經由一支在韋恩堡的YMCA球隊，進而參與了NBA成立，以及進駐汽車
城的震撼性革命，除了實至名歸的表揚以外，有了他，也才有今天的DEE-TROIT BAS-KET-
BALL。




--
We may be human,
But we still animal.
                                 ＝ Steve Vai ＝

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◆ From: 140.109.54.2
推 frank88311:推～
推 loki761124:超讚的!
→ Kreen:第一段那邊市值是四億美元，不是四百萬～
→ Leek:真是見鬼了@@已更正，感謝指正
推 Kreen:終於看完了，推！
※ 編輯: Leek            來自: 140.109.54.2         (10/24 14:45)
推 SHB:超棒的！
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推 aqasia:19:18 天啊真低
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