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Sports Underdogs

How to Use 'Used to Do' and 'Be Used to'

Date: Aug 06 2012

Themes: Sports

Grammar: Used to Do vs Be Used to

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Intro

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It’s exciting to watch your favorite sports team win. But it’s even more exciting if that team is also an underdog.

In sports, an underdog is an athlete or team that isn’t expected to win. Underdogs have to work extra hard and give everything they have in order to become champions. It’s thrilling to watch an underdog beat the odds, especially in a competition as important as the Olympics. Hear Amy and Jason talk about sports underdogs.

Dialog

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2. Study - Read the dialog again to see how the vocab words are used.

Jason

Amy

Jason: So Team USA, the basketball team, has announced their roster. And it’s all the best players in the NBA.

Amy: Right.

Jason: And I was excited about that, and I was thinking about how they’re probably going to win the gold medal.

Amy: You would think so.

Jason: But then I was thinking about how it’s so hard not to root for the underdog.

Amy: Yeah, it’s true.

Jason: I’m so used to rooting for the underdog that I’ve always wondered how those people who are from New York can actually root for the Yankees, you know, who win the World Series like every other year.

Amy: Yeah, they just win over and over again.

Jason: But now I get it. I guess if you’re from New York, like, that’s your team. ‘Cause I’m from the United States, like, those are my guys.

Amy: Right. Well, I also think sometimes you root for the champion, the one who’s the best, because it’s so fun to watch people who are really incredible at something just do that thing better than anyone could possibly do it. You know, like that is sort of its own thrill.

Jason: Yeah.

Amy: But I agree that it’s a lot more fun to root for the underdog, especially if the underdog actually pulls it off and wins. There’s nothing more thrilling than that.

Jason: Yeah, there are a lot more movies about Cinderella stories and underdogs than there are about, you know, how the Boston Celtics won 18 championships.

Amy: Right. But I think underdogs don’t win in real life nearly as much as they do in the movies.

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Discussion

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Jason is excited to watch Team USA play basketball in the Olympics. The team is made up of NBA All-Stars. Team USA is expected to win the gold medal. They are definitely not the underdogs at the Olympics.

Usually, Jason roots for the underdog. He is used to rooting for the team or player that is not expected to win. It’s strange for him to be rooting for the favorite in Olympic basketball.

Jason and Amy agree that it is more fun to root for the underdog, especially when the underdog actually manages to win. Underdog stories are very exciting. That’s why there are so many movies about underdogs pulling off a victory in sports.

Do you like rooting for underdogs? Which underdogs do you hope will win a medal at the Olympics?

Comments

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ErinDong

United States

Yay! sports underdogs are on my side. We work together. Some nights I just sit and wonder what it would be like if there was a team of underdogs and a team of champions playing volleyball together. well, of course, the underdogs would win because of talent and humor. I am really glad of that. When I used to play soccer, (for England, it would be football) I was a sports underdog. I would kick the ball into my own goal, or at least try to, or just wander off in the middle of the game. well, thanks to my coach, I started getting better and better game. I hope all the sports underdogs in the history of the world will improve and earn a gold medal in the olympics.

Masbarar

Turkey

When I was child,I was always rooting for always underdogs.When we were playing football,I was always at the side of the underdogs.Because there is no any pleasure to win knowing that you are favorite and play against underdogs.I was always choosing bad players.

saeedshin

Iran, Islamic Republic Of

In addition …. in this olampic you can find underdog players who win with freindly help of referees!

WHAT IS YOUR IDIEA??

saeedshin

Iran, Islamic Republic Of

Never can one denay that underdogs teams will be always underdogs team! so may be in the feuture you see unexpect resualts for the other basketball teams!

aichamohamed

Senegal

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aichamohamed

Senegal

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aichamohamed

Senegal

sanaa2000

Egypt

Look,I like all those who make their efforts to win or to reach to their dreams.I hope that Karam Gaber wins too.

raisacorrea

Brazil

In the truth, I never root for the underdog, since I was kid, I used to root for the team that had more chances to win. lol
This year I’m not following the olympics games, but I’m rooting for the players and teams that have beeing training hard, they’re worthy of gold medal!

But, on the other hand, it’s cool rooting for the underdog, it’s a diferent thril!

xoxo

i love life

Palestinian Territory, Occupied

When I saw the flag my country when our national flag was flying in London we were happy , as the same time we prefer strong athlete more than weak athlete , I love Roger Federer I love him ,He’s a good Example To youth , Unfortunately He lost in the final match against Andy murray , He is the greatest Player during history , He has an Olympics medal , For me I was an player basketball when I was playing my life was different Really when you Practice any sort of sport It’s very useful to your health, specially If you are suffer from any disease .

Life with sport is very Interesting .

juan luis armenta perez

Congo

Day by day we must work hard if we want to get something.

Englishty

Egypt

Actually yes i agree with Jason that rooting for the underdogs are so much fun when they win maybe because we always love the challenges, by the way i hope the Egyptian wrestler Karam Gaber wins today i cross my fingers

yuminaga

China

its exciting to watch your favorite team or athlete win so most of people are rooting for the one who are the best but uderdogs are great as well ,they are worth being rooting for .there are a lot more of movies about underdogs who pulls it off (manage to pull) and win .friend of mine told me life is harsh reality. yeah thats true , i agree with it but underdogs in real life still work hader and expect to win .who know will happen next ! Go with smile and your dream will come true .

haitham4vip

Egypt

what after sports

1234567891

Iran, Islamic Republic Of

bellaboo2422

Pakistan

i dont know much about olympics so i ll share a real life cinderella story. its about inter schl basketball competition matches, our team was not a underdog team but this year we had losed many matches and it was looking hard to reach semi finals. its was qulifiyig match and whole team was totally screwd up despite of a single player shekha, who was joinig team after recovering her injury she had a week before. some how team was trying to pull off but shekha proved a second wind to our game she brought a sea change by basket after basket and we had beat the odds. crowed out there rooted our team with thrill and we were the champpions.

yuminaga

China

I was the person who isn’t expected to win , nobody called me underdog though .I hate myself .

trailo_hathanh

Viet Nam

Rooting for underdoog is the feeling of everyone.

It is very thrill to watch the underdoog to pull of to be a champion.

aBEER

Egypt

on my opinion, its boring if i rooting for a team that always is being the winner because there is nothing thrilling to watch something always happened

and it is so exciting to watch underdog beat the odds , it is really make me happy because something happened which is not expecting and is incredible .