英语播客 A Cup of English Wenatchee professional football.

Something very exciting has happened in Wenatchee. A professional american football team has been developed which is called The Wenatchee Venom. The team has a mixture of men from all over the country, and has just had its first game. I was lucky enough to go to this big event on Saturday night. It was held at the new stadium in town. We got there about half an hour before the game started, but still, the parking lot was full, and there was a long line of people waiting to get into the building. We were fortunate enough to have box seats for the night, so basically we had a private room with meals and drinks, and a great view of the field. Because this is an indoor stadium that is used for many different events, the field is not as big as an american football field usually is. In true U.S. style, the evening was not just about the game. It was a show from start to finish. There were performances by cheerleaders, three mascots dancing, a pretend sumo wrestler running competition, and loud modern music throughout. It is big business really. Advertisements for local companies and sponsors were announced all the way through the evening, and even in one of the end zones, a sponsor's name was written right on the field. It was interesting to observe all the elements of this sporting event. The game itself was great fun. Wenatchee won, and the players were real showmen. They danced and encouraged the crowd to cheer and clap. I was yelling, applauding, and making all kinds of noises, which suprised the people I was with. I couldn't help it, the Wenatchee Venom made some very good touch-downs. I hope I can go and see Venom again, because they are a team that plays with heart, as they say here. I think that means that they give it their all, they hold nothing back. A few of them were injured during the game and had to leave. It's not surprising considering how they would throw themselves head first at their opponents to block them. It must be like getting into a car crash when they collide! I hope the team continues to be successful. It would be exciting to put Wenatchee on the map through a professional sport. We'll see how their season goes.

Grammar notes.

American football related vocabulary: touch-down, field goal, end-zone,line of scrimmage.

1. The team scores points by getting touch-downs.

2. If a field goal is kicked after a touch down, the team gets an extra point. If it is kicked without a touch-down, it gets three.

3. The-end zone is the area at each end of the field where the touch-downs are scored.

4. The line of scrimmage is when the teams bend down close together and the ball gets passed along the floor.