This is an All Ears English Podcast episode 2304.
How to use sports pride to connect in English.
Welcome to the All Ears English Podcast.
Downloaded more than 200 million times.
Are you feeling stuck with your English?
We'll show you how to become fearless and fluent by focusing on connection, not perfection.
With your American hosts, Lindsay McMahon, the English adventurer, and Michelle Kaplan, the New York radio girl, coming to you from Colorado and New York City, USA.
And to get your transcripts delivered by email every week, go to allearsenglish .com forward slash subscribe.
Do you have a favorite sports team?
Today, find out how native English speakers use one key phrase to say just how much they love their team and learn how to respond and connect over team pride.
Hello, Michelle. How are you doing?
I am good. How are you, Lindsay?
Absolutely fantastic.
Michelle, do you know anyone who is a huge sports fan?
I know many people who are huge sports fans.
I have friends who are huge sports fans.
My nephew has turned into quite a huge sports fan.
Yes, he plays a lot.
Number one, he plays sports.
He's very athletic, which means that he's not from my family.
But number two, he really knows a lot about sports.
So yeah, but I was actually recently.
Have you ever had this experience where you're friends with someone who is a huge sports fan and you're spending time with them and they keep on checking the game?
Yeah, sure. So I have friends who are like that, who they'll be sitting there watching the game.
And I have even done that once before.
I remember last Mother's Day, there was a big Knicks game and I was just sitting watching the TV.
But I'm normally not like that.
Yeah, it can happen.
And this is timely because we're in the middle of football season, which is the most sports.
I think it's such a fanatic sport in America, in the United States of America.
People are just so into their football and people just go crazy, especially if you went to a big university where you had a college team.
You're going to be familiar with this term and we're going to get into it today.
So I am excited to talk about what Michelle today.
We're going to talk about how to share that you're a huge fan of a team or a school, mostly those things.
So this expression is going to be a this is a fun.
It's kind of a gross sounding.
It sounds a little disturbing, but it's not meant in this way.
So the expression is I bleed color and color, basically.
So you're when me and we are taught we are basically saying I bleed these teams colors.
This school's colors.
And what does that mean, Lindsay?
What does when we say I bleed these colors on me?
We'll just put it into context right away.
So I think that my high school was actually sports were a bigger deal than my college because I went to a small college in Virginia and, you know, but in high school, we had the high school football games and we were orange and black.
Right. So we're the blackbirds and you say I bleed orange and black.
Right. With a with a grimacing look on your face.
You're a big fan, right?
You fully feel your team.
You believe in your team.
You stand for your team.
OK, right. So it is so much so that it's in your blood.
It's who you are. So, yeah.
If you were to get a cut, the idea is that those are the colors that would come out because it's so true to who you are.
And what about you, Michelle?
Nick's fan. What colors are the next blue and orange?
No blue and orange.
Yep. Blue and orange.
So I always felt good about that.
So I could say I bleed orange and blue or I bleed blue and orange.
You could be a Denver Broncos fan too, because I'm pretty sure the Denver Broncos also do watch in blue.
Oh, OK. Yeah. I mean, so let me but when would something like this come up?
I mean, why I mean, not out of nowhere, you're going to say I bleed orange and blue.
When would this come up?
This is all about not being tone deaf about knowing who you're around.
Right. This is about when you're around, you're a fanatic.
You're a big fan and you're around other big fans.
This is when you would say this, right?
You might say I have leaned orange and blue and then flex your muscles and and whatever.
Go tailgate with people.
Right. So this is not about saying this in a crazy way at work on Monday.
If people other people don't feel the same way.
This is about who you're around in the moment.
Right. Right. Right.
Exactly. So, you know, it's just connecting with someone over sports and it doesn't have to be professional sports.
It could be college sports.
It could also college.
Sorry. I was just going to say, I think in the US college sports are kind of people might prefer college football over pro football.
A lot of people. It's just a little more interesting, I guess.
I don't know. Yeah.
Yeah. So a lot of people really, really, really follow college sports.
I mean, that when I said my friend was watching the game the other day, he was watching his college's football game.
Yes. So people really, really get into it over college sports.
Absolutely. Or it could if it's not about sports necessarily, it could just be your school in general.
Maybe all your family went to this one university.
So it could be, you know, you know, you're a place you're fond of, like, your college, your university.
It doesn't have to be about a sports team.
It's more about showing pride for something.
Totally. That's a really good point.
And in that case, maybe it's other things you might say, like, go Blackbirds or for my high school.
Or I know for people that went to Notre Dame, they say, like, Irish or something like that.
Right. I don't know exactly what they say.
But anyways, there are certain code words, expressions that you might say to other fans.
And especially if your family is kind of a legacy at that school, it's going to be a big deal in your family if that's the kind of setup for education.
Yeah. Yeah, absolutely.
So guys, we also want to take this time to thank those of you who have reviewed us, because we appreciate you so much.
So Lindsay wants to give a shout out to some listeners here today.
I do. I would love to.
I want to say thank you to Tunki Gomes from Turkey, who left us a five star review.
And Ivana HC from the US also left us a five star review.
And Ivana says, I have to say the new approach of releasing series on specific topics like the Olympics and politics is awesome.
I love these topics.
And they've helped me connect more deeply.
Oh, that's great. That's great.
Yeah, so a special thank you to Tunki and Ivana.
And if you want to hear your name announced on the show, guys, go and leave us a review wherever you listen, whether it's in the podcast, Spotify, Apple, or in the ION Android app.
Leave us a review. Yes.
Absolutely. Yes. Thank you so much.
I'm so glad you like these, those series.
And speaking of this isn't a series, but we have been just a couple episodes, episode 2301.
We answered a listener question who was asking more for sports questions to talk about sports in English.
So we did episode 2301, rookie mistakes in English, and it's not necessarily a series, but we wanted to do another sports type episode today.
So you'll start to notice we're going to potentially be doing a little bit more sports related topics just because to help this listener out, we're gonna end.
This is such a good connection topic.
So listen to that episode of you have a I love it.
I'm so glad that our listeners are loving the show.
So Michelle, let's dive into some examples, because that's how we show that real English.
Okay. Here we go. I can't miss the game.
It's my alma mater.
I bleed red and yellow.
I'm so glad you like the sweatshirt.
I got you. I know you bleed purple and yellow, so I couldn't resist.
Sorry. That's not a roleplay.
It was two separate examples.
I'm clearly not listening to you.
You bleed red and yellow, not purple and yellow.
What are you doing?
Yeah, exactly. So yeah, in the first one, I'm saying it's so what is an alma mater.
Yeah, all the modern.
Important keywords.
So this just means where you got your university degree.
I say your bachelor's degree.
I don't think you would say that about your masters, right?
Not really. Or would you?
I don't know. I think so.
I mean, you could say it about both then.
Yeah, I think so. I mean, I have.
So okay, sure. Why not?
Yeah. So I know wherever you studied, where you went to school.
Okay. Yeah. Yeah, exactly.
And then in the second example, you said, I'm so glad you got like the sweatshirt.
I know you bleed purple and yellow, so I couldn't resist.
So what does that mean?
And that's, oh, that's a fun episode idea.
When somebody says, Oh, I couldn't resist.
It's a good one. Yeah.
So again, guys, the mistake I made here, I thought this was a connected conversation.
These are two separate comments, right?
Yeah. The second what I said, I'm so glad you like the sweatshirt.
I know you bleed purple and yellow.
So basically, I probably just got you a logo sweatshirt of your school, which is a different school.
Different logo colors, right?
Purple and yellow. Yep, exactly.
I mean, Lindsay, do you ever wear gear supporting sports teams or you're on the matter?
Do you have any of that?
I guess when I went to school, I had like my school t -shirt.
Not a ton of that, actually, unless I'm gifted something and it's a free t -shirt.
I never turned down free t -shirts.
You know, but no, I don't wear a lot of sports stuff.
What about you? Nick's all the way.
I do have Nick's stuff.
And now that we've moved a little bit, we're starting to get into some Eagles sports gear.
Philadelphia Eagles?
Yes, Philadelphia Eagles.
But also, just yesterday, I picked up what we got it delivered.
It was because now my son is in elementary school and they had a fundraiser selling gear for the school.
So I got a hoodie for the, you know, supporting the school.
So it can even be, I mean, I don't know that I would say about my son's elementary school that I bleed those colors.
Yeah. But, you know, just a way to yeah, no, not that quite strong.
I think it's nice. But yeah, just getting this gear can be fun.
And, you know, I have Nick's stuff.
Dan actually just got shoes with Nick's colors.
So it's just fun to get in the spirit.
Well, I think there is something there, like humans want to show that they're part of it.
It's an identity. We want to show our identity, whether it's a Nick's fan, which says a lot about you, you're from New York, right?
You're passionate maybe.
Or any school organization, we want to show that identity sometimes, right?
Not all the time, because sometimes we want to differentiate and not show it.
Right. But yeah, so super interesting the way humans think.
Yes, definitely. All right, Michelle.
So there are other ways that we can say that we have pride for a team, a place, a school, a club.
Right. For example, yeah, I'm a lifelong something fan.
Like I'm a lifelong Yankees fan.
Right. More, you could be more just descriptive.
I've been a blank fan since blank.
So I've been a fan of the Knicks since I was a little kid.
Right. And often these teams do go back to childhood for us, right?
It associates it with going to games with our parents and things.
So it's a big deal.
It's a big part of our identity.
I have a ton of ex pride.
I have a ton of Eagles pride.
And of course I can imagine our listeners will apply this to their own sports.
I'm imagining soccer, big deal.
Globally, much bigger deal globally than it is here in the US.
So you could talk about your soccer team this way, using these expressions.
Yeah. Absolutely. Absolutely.
So this is huge for connection.
It is about your identity and especially like, let's say your team is doing well or there's a big game coming up.
You might even see if you live in the area where that team plays, you're going to see other people wearing their sports gear that shows their pride for that team.
And so it can be a source of connection there as well.
And then you know, oh, oh my gosh, did you watch the game last night?
Or people might even just say if they see what you're wearing.
I mean, sometimes if I see somebody with a NYX shirt, I might just go to go to NYX.
That connection. So it's just fun.
Or even college, you know, living in Denver, I hear a lot of go buffs.
And buffs are the mascot of Colorado University, like Boulder, you know, University of Colorado Boulder, who, by the way, right now, Dion Sanders is their coach.
You know, Dion Sanders, the football player.
Yeah, I do know that.
I do know. Yeah. So they brought in a pro player, which has been interesting.
So go buffs, right?
I hear people saying that even now, people in their 40s saying that to each other who may have both gone to Colorado University.
So yeah, interesting.
Yeah. Sports can really connect people together.
Absolutely. So not a bad thing to learn about sports, know about it, even if it's not necessarily your thing, you know, you don't need to become a huge sports fan, but it's good to know about these things.
Yeah, it's kind of nice when you can talk about anything with anyone.
Honestly, just have a little bit of basic knowledge of most things.
It can go a long way for connection.
Okay. Absolutely. Yes.
Let's do a role play.
All right. So we are strangers and we're sitting next to each other at a Knicks game, of course.
Yeah. Okay. Okay. Here we go.
Your jersey is so awesome.
That's really vintage.
Oh, thanks. I bleed blue and orange.
So I have so much gear.
Oh, same. I've been a Knicks fan since the 90s.
Oh, that's the best.
I'm a lifelong fan for sure.
I have a ton of Knicks pride.
Let's get that championship.
For sure. Okay. All right.
So here you use the key phrase of the episode.
I bleed blue and orange.
Again, you're saying you're just a big Knicks fan, right?
And then you're being very descriptive.
I have been a Knicks fan since the 90s.
And then I said, I'm a lifelong fan.
You said I'm a lifelong fan for sure.
Yeah. And then you said, I have a ton of Knicks pride.
Nice. Nice. Yeah. I guess if I were going to be a fan of any team, it would probably be Boston Red Sox.
But I just like to go for the beer and the hot dogs.
That's okay. I don't care about the game.
That's okay. But that's good.
I mean, you can still, I don't think you have to be a huge, huge fan of the sport to care about the team or to like the experience.
It's not that you need to know.
Sometimes Dan will make fun of me.
If I'm trying to say I'm a fan of a team and he'll say, name three players on that team.
He can't either. But yeah, and we, or we'll make up names.
Yeah, for sure. But it's just fun to it's just fun, especially, you know, if that team is in the playoffs or has a big game, it can be kind of fun to just be a part of the team spirit.
And I think I would encourage our listeners, guys, go to these games.
If you can, if you can get tickets, because there's nothing like that feeling in the summer when you're in a baseball stadium and someone cracks the bat, that sound of the bat cracking and you get it out, it goes into the stand and like the momentum, everyone stands up.
It's the coolest feeling.
It's almost like you get like a, I don't know, wave of energy up your whole body.
It's very cool. It's very cool.
So have those experiences as much as you can and connect at home when you're watching these games to talk about it the next day at a party, right?
This is connection right here.
Yes, absolutely. And guys that we did do, speaking of series, we did do a whole series on basketball.
So definitely head on over and I'm not listening to them all out, but part one is basketball and English part one vocabulary for the game.
So lots of stuff for you guys to learn about sports here, basketball, talking about being a big fan and yeah, anything else you want to add, Lindsay?
Yeah, I mean, the stuff of connection is right here in front of us, right?
We don't need to think of these brilliant ideas to connect.
All we have to do is think about who's in front of us.
What do they care about?
Be able to talk about it and genuinely be interested.
That's connection right there.
All right. Absolutely.
Okay. Thank you so much, Lindsay, for talking about this with me today and guys have a good day.
All right. Take care, Michelle.
Bye. Bye. Thanks for listening to All Ears English.
Would you like to know your English level?
Take our two minute quiz.
Go to allearsenglish .com forward slash fluency score.
And if you believe in connection, not perfection, then hit subscribe now to make sure you don't miss anything.
See you next time.
