VOA常速英语2007年-Washington DC Football Fans Relive History in N

By Jim Stevenson
Washington
20 December 2007

Thousands of books have been written about sports players and teams. Most focus on a spectacular season or other specific events and accomplishments¹. But few are as detailed² and all-encompassing as a recently published book about a storied and one of the wealthiest sports franchises⁴ in the world. VOA's Jim Stevenson has more on The Redskins Encyclopedia⁵, a comprehensive history of the U.S. National Football League team in Washington.

Lifelong Washington Redskins fan Michael Richman spent eight years compiling The Redskins Encyclopedia.

"I can safely say it is the most comprehensive book ever written on the Redskins in a journalistic fashion," said R

ichman. "They will see a lot of original interviews that I did with players. Get a feel for what took place during certain eras. I actually go all the way back to the late 1930s in terms of interviewing people. And they will just learn a lot about Redskins history."

This season, the Washington Redskins are celebrating 75 years in the National Football League. Hall of Fame coach Joe Gibbs is again leading the team. And that long history provided Mr. Richman with more material than he expected.

"I uncovered so many facts about the Redskins that I never knew," he said. "And I love doing research. My background is in print journalism⁶. So I just kept writing and writing and writing. I know I went way more than originally intended in terms of the manuscript. And I also felt like I was reliving my childhood, having the opportunity to interview guys particularly from the 1970s, and 1980s for that matter, the first glory era under [coach] Joe Gibbs. I remember vividly⁷ the games, and just having the opportunity to interview them I was having flashbacks to what actually took place."

Among those flashbacks were five Super Bowl appearances in the past 35 years and three championship titles. But the memories for some Washington fans span almost to the beginning of several other teams and the National Football League itself.

"The Redskins were one of the first franchises in the league," said Richman. "I would not put them in the group of the very first teams such as the [Chicago] Bears and the [Green Bay] Packers. The Redskins were sort of in the next tier. They came along in the early 1930s, 1932 was their first season actually in Boston. They were known as the Boston Braves. And they were renamed the Redskins prior to the 1933 season. The [Pittsburgh] Steelers, if I am correct, were formed in 1933, as were the [Philadelphia] Eagles. And also the Chicago Cardinals⁸ came along around the same time."

George Preston Marshall first owned the Redskins and moved the team from Boston to Washington. He was a master promoter of entertainment, introducing the first marching band and team fight song in the NFL. Marshall also cultivated a following for the team that extended well beyond Washington and into the deep south of the United States.

In recent years, team owner Daniel Snyder has continued to build on the perennial⁹ financial success of the Redskins. As Redskins historian Michael Richman notes, the team is valued at over one-and-a-quarter billion dollars ($1,264,000,000).

"Forbes magazine has recognized the Redskins as the wealthiest NFL franchise³ year after year since about the beginning of this century, and one of the wealthiest around the world," he said.

The Washington Redskins franchise is ranked in value just behind English soccer power Manchester United ($1,373,000,000). Other top sports franchises in terms of financial value include Major League Baseball's New York Yankees ($1,026,000,000) and the National Basketball Association's New York Knicks ($543 million).

But as Richman explains, the excitement on the field - season after season - is what keeps attracting the fans.

"Win or lose for the most part, the Redskins are still going to have a major following in this area," he said. "There are diehard fans that follow the Redskins. And that dates back to when the Redskins first moved here in 1937. They won a championship in their very first season here in Washington. So they had a huge following immediately."

And Mr. Richman says the following in recent decades has watched one of the best matchups in professional American-style football between the Redskins and the Dallas Cowboys.

"Nothing tops the rivalry¹⁰ they have had with the Cowboys," he said. "That is one of the greatest rivals if not the greatest rivalry in NFL history. And I wrote a separate chapter on that rivalry because there has been so much history to it. There has been so much finger pointing over the years, and bad mouthing, and so much intensity¹¹ when these two teams play."

That story and more is chronicled in The Washington Redskins Encyclopedia, published by Temple University Press. Author Michael Richman is also a journalist at the Voice of America.

1 accomplishments   

n.造诣；完成( accomplishment的名词复数 )；技能；成绩；成就

参考例句：

• It was one of the President's greatest accomplishments. 那是总统最伟大的成就之一。
• Among her accomplishments were sewing,cooking,playing the piano and dancing. 她的才能包括缝纫、烹调、弹钢琴和跳舞。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》

2 detailed   

adj.详细的，详尽的，极注意细节的，完全的

参考例句：

• He had made a detailed study of the terrain.他对地形作了缜密的研究。
• A detailed list of our publications is available on request.我们的出版物有一份详细的目录备索。

3 franchise   

n.特许，特权，专营权，特许权

参考例句：

• Catering in the schools is run on a franchise basis.学校餐饮服务以特许权经营。
• The United States granted the franchise to women in 1920.美国于1920年给妇女以参政权。

4 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

5 encyclopedia   

n.百科全书

参考例句：

• The encyclopedia fell to the floor with a thud.那本百科全书砰的一声掉到地上。
• Geoff is a walking encyclopedia.He knows about everything.杰夫是个活百科全书，他什么都懂。

6 journalism   

n.新闻工作，报业

参考例句：

• He's a teacher but he does some journalism on the side.他是教师，可还兼职做一些新闻工作。
• He had an aptitude for journalism.他有从事新闻工作的才能。

7 vividly   

adv.清楚地，鲜明地，生动地

参考例句：

• The speaker pictured the suffering of the poor vividly.演讲者很生动地描述了穷人的生活。
• The characters in the book are vividly presented.这本书里的人物写得栩栩如生。

8 cardinals   

红衣主教( cardinal的名词复数 )； 红衣凤头鸟（见于北美，雄鸟为鲜红色）； 基数

参考例句：

• cardinals in scarlet robes 身披红袍的枢机主教
• A conclave of cardinals was held to elect the new Pope. 红衣主教团举行了秘密会议来选举新教皇。

9 perennial   

adj.终年的；长久的

参考例句：

• I wonder at her perennial youthfulness.我对她青春常驻感到惊讶。
• There's a perennial shortage of teachers with science qualifications.有理科教学资格的老师一直都很短缺。

10 rivalry   

n.竞争，竞赛，对抗

参考例句：

• The quarrel originated in rivalry between the two families.这次争吵是两家不和引起的。
• He had a lot of rivalry with his brothers and sisters.他和兄弟姐妹间经常较劲。

11 intensity   

n.强烈，剧烈；强度；烈度

参考例句：

• I didn't realize the intensity of people's feelings on this issue.我没有意识到这一问题能引起群情激奋。
• The strike is growing in intensity.罢工日益加剧。