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This football rivalry is older than six US states  December 15, 2025

 

What's up, Sunshine? Rise up. I'm Coy Wire coming to you from Baltimore, Maryland, where the iconic and arguably most historic football rivalry went down over the weekend, the Army-Navy game. Navy won by just one point.

 

Now, it's been said that this is the only game where everyone playing is willing to sacrifice everything for everyone watching.

 

I think it's time for a Did You Know?

 

The Army-Navy game isn't just college football's most storied showdown, it's also one of the oldest. We're talking spanning three centuries old.

 

storied [ˋstorɪd] adj. 传说上有名的

 

The first game took place in West Point, New York, way back on November 29, 1890. Saturday marked the 126th edition of these two service academies going at it on the gridiron.

 

gridiron [ˋgrɪd͵aɪɚn] n. 橄榄球场

 

This rivalry is older than six U.S. states, older than the Spanish-American War, even older than the invention of bicycle tires, older than the discovery of x-rays, and the entire sport of basketball.

 

Navy won the very first game 24-0, and as far as bragging rights go, the midshipmen have the advantage.

 

bragging rights 炫耀的资本，吹牛的本钱，吹嘘的权利

midshipman [ˋmɪd͵ʃɪpmən] n.（昔时在舰上受训以备甄选的）见习军官；美国海军军官学校学生

 

They lead the series with 63 wins and hold the longest win streak with 14 straight and the largest margin of victory, 51-0.

 

win streak 连胜

 

It is a deep rivalry, deep enough to divide households, but don't take my word for it.

 

Listen to this pair of siblings I spoke with before the game. She's my sister 364 days out of the year. Yeah, we're still, we still have a little beef.

 

beef [bif] n.【美】【俚】抱怨，牢骚

 

All right, here is what makes this so special. Even though these service members spend a few hours as bitter rivals on the gridiron each year, many of them will work together to protect and serve America for the rest of their careers.

 

It's a bond that transcends any football game and makes this tradition unlike anything else in sports.

 

transcend [trænˋsɛnd] v. 超越；优于

 

Now that I'm wrapping up my time here in Baltimore, I'm starting to get excited for one of my next assignments.

 

In less than two months, I'm headed to Italy to cover the 2026 Winter Olympic Games, and many of the events will be held in the old country's famous Cortina Ski Resort.

 

The town will host curling as well as bobsledding, luge, and skeleton in its newly built Sliding Center, a venue that almost wasn't ready in time. Our Antonia Mortensen got to speak to some of the American luge athletes hoping to make the team.

 

bobsled [ˋbɑbslɛd] n. 大雪橇；（比赛用）连橇；连橇赛 (= bobsleigh)

luge [luʒ] n. 平底雪橇; 仰卧滑行小雪橇

skeleton [ˋskɛlətn] n. 空架雪车

 

The glamorous Italian ski resort of Cortina D'Ampezzo is shifting into high gear as it prepares for its role in the Milan-Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics, now less than two months away.

 

into high gear 进入高速运转、全力以赴

 

Final preparations are underway at the newly built Eugenio Monti Sliding Center, which hosted its first Olympic luge qualifying event at the end of November.

 

qualifying [ˈkwɑləfaɪɪŋ] adj. 获取资格的

 

Curling passes, passes 75 miles an hour. These athletes are testing this ice track for the very first time, hoping to qualify for the Olympics.

 

More than 150 athletes from 25 countries are battling for a place on the Olympic qualifying list.

 

The US women's luge team laser focused on the challenge ahead.

 

laser focus 极度精确且专注的聚焦

 

How would you compare this track to previous tracks?

 

I think it feels kind of similar to Pyeongchang a little bit. I like it.

 

I think that each track has its own personality and kind of rhythm to it, so it's hard for me to really say this one is like that one. It has its own unique personality. I think a lot of the entrances are a little, the consistency throughout the track is that it's not quite how I would naturally, my natural line would go through it.

 

First we have to make the team qualify, but I'm really really looking forward to the potential of the Olympics here for myself.

 

If I qualify, it'll be my fourth Olympic Games and every experience I've had has been extremely different for a number of reasons, so the one thing I'm sure of is you can't know what to expect.

 

Right now the focus is make the qualifications, figure out a good rhythm and race well leading up to the Games and then see what that brings.

 

The newly re-homologated track measures 1,700 meters, features 16 curves and is ready to host luge, bobsleigh and skeleton events for the Olympics.

 

homologate [ˋhomoləget] v. 赛事认证

 

 

It's elite, it's up there at the top echelon, it's both the character and the setting and the support we get here, it's absolutely elite.

 

echelon [ˋɛʃə͵lɑn] n. 阶层；等级

 

It wasn't all cool runnings, the track hit headlines after delays sparked concerns, leading organizers to explore backup plans, including Lake Placid, New York in the United States.

 

Despite the setbacks, organizers insist everything is on schedule.

 

The Games will be spread across eight different locations in Northern Italy, promising a dynamic experience for athletes and fans.

 

All right, if you saw our special episodeon the science behind self-driving cars, you may remember Waymo.

 

Well, the company has rolled out autonomous vehicle fleets in cities across the country, but in Austin, Texas, city officials are pressing the company over a serious safety issue that's putting students at risk.

 

They say that on at least 19 different occasions, Waymo's driverless vehicles illegally passed school buses that were stopped while dropping off or picking up riders.

 

The incidents were recorded by the bus's built-in cameras and even led local police to ask Waymo to stop operating the vehicles while buses are bringing kids to and from school. Listen.

 

They did not agree with our risk assessment and respectfully declined to stop operating.

 

Waymo claims they have fixed the software issue causing the problem, but police say they've seen at least seven more violations since the alleged fix and have sent the videos to the National Highway and Transportation Safety Administration.

 

It's just the latest example of some of the real-world implications of the rollout of driverless vehicles and what they can have on our everyday lives.

 

implication [͵ɪmplɪˋkeʃən] n. 牵连；涉及；卷入

 

Pop quiz, hot shot.

 

On a firefighter's helmet, what color is traditionally used to indicate who is the fire chief or officer?

 

Yellow, black, white, or red?

 

Answer is white because white stands out clearly against smoke. The white helmet makes it easy for crews to find the incident commander and receive instructions.

 

Firefighter helmets of all colors just received a golden honor in Hollywood last week. A new star on the iconic Hollywood Walk of Fame pays tribute to the Los Angeles Fire Department honoring the brave women and men who protect the city from raging wildfires like January's Palisades fire.

 

tribute [ˋtrɪbjut] n. 敬意，尊崇

 

And the touching tribute started in an unlikely place, a letter from a teen on the other side of the country. 14-year-old Eniola Taiwo from Connecticut loves Hollywood and sent a letter to the city's chamber of commerce suggesting the move.

 

I guess when I thought California, I thought actors and the Walk of Fame.

 

So that's what immediately motivated me and I put two and two together and I was like, why not represent the real heroes?

 

She was shocked when they not only responded but made her the guest of honor. She rode in on a fire truck, helped unveil the star, and was even made an honorary junior chief of the department. Now that's what I would call starstruck.

 

junior [ˋdʒunjɚ] n. 年少者, adj. 资浅的；地位较低的

starstruck 过分崇拜名人的；（尤指）追星的

 

It's a great reminder that even the smallest things like a handwritten letter can have a huge impact on our lives and others.

 

Today's story getting a 10 out of 10, some do-good grannies brightening the holidays on demand. Meet Grandma Nancy, one of three grandmas in residency at the quote Granny Stand in McKinney, Texas.

 

granny [ˋgrænɪ] n.【口】奶奶；外婆；老太太，老奶奶

 

Visitors to the town's Christmas market can stop in for advice, friendly conversation, or even just a big old warm hug from Baba.

 

If there's a choice of being unkind or be kind, choose kindness, choose love, choose patience. Group hug!

 

The goal is simply to give some kindness and a listening ear to anyone who might need it.

 

Grandmother Nancy has four grandkids herself and says her daughter nominated her for the gig. The idea actually started in New York, but some exceedingly nice nonis could be headed to your town soon.

 

gig [gɪg] n.【口】（爵士乐、摇滚乐等）演奏，公演

Noni: (复数为 Nonis) 是一个源自意大利语的亲昵称呼，等同于英语中的 Grandmother (奶奶/外婆) 或 Granny。

 

Stands have already popped up in several other cities and are planned for Boston, Berlin, Paris, and London.

 

Grandmas are non-judgmental, we're loving people as a rule, and it's just nice sometimes to be able to talk to someone that it's basically a total stranger, but yet you can feel a connection.

 

non-judgmental [nʌndʒʌdʒˋmɛnt!] adj. 不依个人道德观作论断的；客观的；中正的；不偏不倚的

 

All right superstars, time for some shout outs. Now this one goes to Miss Folks at Knox Preparatory School in Knoxville, Tennessee.

 

Coach D and I say what's up from right here in Baltimore, and we have an extra special shout out. Going to Mr. Filowich's class and all the Sabres in Souris, Manitoba, Canada. My whole team and I, we're sending you a lot of strength and love.

 

Manitoba [͵mænəˋtobə] n. 马尼托巴省

 

Go on out and spread some joy today if you can everyone. We'll see you right back here tomorrow. I'm Coy Wire and we are CNN 10.