College Football Lovers Live on Large Sign for Weeks

 

People who love sports often go to great lengths to show their support for their favorite sports team.

Over the past two weeks, four Americans took their team loyalty¹ to new heights. As part of a competition, they agreed to live high in the air next to a billboard² overlooking³ the city of San Jose, California.

The four fans represented the four schools competing for the championship of American college football. The fans agreed to live on the nearly 14-meter- high sign for as long as their favorite team kept playing.

The sports broadcaster ESPN provided⁴ each person with a sleeping bag and a small tent to protect them from rain and cold weather.

The fans passed time on the billboard by taking part in games in which they could win money and other prizes.?

As of Monday morning, only two of the four were still up on the billboard. They are Nancy Volland, of Mount⁵ Dora, Florida, and Llyas Ross, Sr., from Tuscaloosa, Alabama.

Volland supports Clemson University’s football team, the Clemson Tigers. Ross likes the University of Alabama’s team, the Crimson⁶ Tide. The two teams play for the college football championship Monday night.

Volland is a 59-year-old married mother of two daughters. She told the Reuters news agency⁷ that her time on the sign had gone by quickly. But she admitted it came with some difficulties.

She has to walk down 72 steps to use a restroom. In the middle of the night, “going down those 72 stairs and back up is the hardest part,” she added.

Volland attended Clemson University in 1977. She likes the school so much that she had one requirement for her now-husband before agreeing to marry him. He had to promise that she got to attend three Tigers home football games a year.

Ross, age 39, has been deployed⁸ to Iraq three times for the U.S. Army. He told Reuters that living on the billboard for about two weeks is just the latest example of his loyalty to Alabama.

One time in Iraq, Ross awoke in the middle of the night to put on Alabama clothing and cheer for his team back home. He did this on a day when he had orders to carry out a mission⁹ hours later.

Ross counted down the minutes until January 1, 2019 on a video call with his wife and four children. He said living up on the sign had not been that difficult. But he added that he was happy it was nearing an end.

Ross said, “I am so ready to get off this billboard. Not only to see my family but before I see my family to see the national championship game because this will be the very first one I am having the opportunity to attend.”

I’m Jonathan Evans.

Words in this Story

sleeping bag – n. a thick, body-length object that is used for sleeping outdoors

billboard – n. a large sign for advertisements that is next to a road or on the side of a building

mission – n. the act of doing something; duties you are required to carry out

1 loyalty   

n.忠诚，忠心

参考例句：

• She told him the truth from a sense of loyalty.她告诉他真相是出于忠诚。
• His loyalty to his friends was never in doubt.他对朋友的一片忠心从来没受到怀疑。

2 billboard   

n.布告板，揭示栏，广告牌

参考例句：

• He ploughed his energies into his father's billboard business.他把精力投入到父亲的广告牌业务中。
• Billboard spreads will be simpler and more eye-catching.广告牌广告会比较简单且更引人注目。

3 overlooking   

v.忽视( overlook的现在分词 )；监督；俯视；（对不良现象等）不予理会

参考例句：

• The house is in an elevated position, overlooking the town. 这栋房子地势较高，可以俯瞰全城。
• The house sits high on a hill overlooking a lake. 房子高高地坐落在可以俯瞰湖水的小山上。 来自《简明英汉词典》

4 provided   

conj.假如，若是；adj.预备好的，由...供给的

参考例句：

• Provided it's fine we will have a pleasant holiday.如果天气良好，我们的假日将过得非常愉快。
• I will come provided that it's not raining tomorrow.如果明天不下雨，我就来。

5 mount   

n.山峰，乘用马，框，衬纸；vi.增长，骑上（马）；vt.提升，爬上，装备

参考例句：

• Their debts continued to mount up.他们的债务不断增加。
• She is the first woman who steps on the top of Mount Jolmo Lungma.她是第一个登上珠穆朗玛峰的女人。

6 crimson   

n./adj.深(绯)红色(的)；vi.脸变绯红色

参考例句：

• She went crimson with embarrassment.她羞得满脸通红。
• Maple leaves have turned crimson.枫叶已经红了。

7 agency   

n.经办；代理；代理处

参考例句：

• This disease is spread through the agency of insects.这种疾病是通过昆虫媒介传播的。
• He spoke in the person of Xinhua News Agency.他代表新华社讲话。

8 deployed   

（尤指军事行动）使展开( deploy的过去式和过去分词 )； 施展； 部署； 有效地利用

参考例句：

• Tanks have been deployed all along the front line. 沿整个前线已部署了坦克。
• The artillery was deployed to bear on the fort. 火炮是对着那个碉堡部署的。

9 mission   

n.使命，任务，天职；代表团，使团

参考例句：

• He was charged with an important mission.他受委托承担一项重要使命。
• I'll leave you to undertake an important mission.我要让你承担一项重要使命。