In many parts of the world, there are four seasons: spring, summer, fall and winter. In the U.S., there are only three: football, basketball and baseball. The United States is a sports-loving nation. Sports in America take a variety of forms; organized competitive struggles, which draw huge crowds to cheer their favorite team to victory; athletic games, played for recreation anywhere sufficient space is found; and hunting and fishing. Most sports are seasonal, so that what is happening in sports depends upon the time of year. In every season, Americans have a ball. If you want to know what season it is, just look at what people are playing. For many Americans, sports do not just occupy the sidelines. They take center court.
Football
American football has become the most popular sport in this country. The professional football league, NFL (National Football League), has two conferences: AFC and NFC. AFC (American Football Conference) now has 17 teams. NFC (National Football Conference) has 15 teams. In a regular season (September to the end of the year), a team will play a game each week, usually on Sundays. Then each conference has 8 teams entering the playoffs. The season finale is when the two conference champions play in the Super Bowl, which is also the biggest sport event of the year.
A football game has four quarters of 15 minutes each. At a particular time, the team that has the ball attacks, while the other team plays defense. The offense side tries to have one player pass the finish line with the ball, or throw the ball past the finish line and have someone on the team catch it on the other side of the line. This is called a touchdown, which is worth 6 points. After a touchdown, the offensive side has an opportunity to kick the ball and let it pass through the poles to get an additional point. To make the game more interesting, the offensive side can choose to try another touchdown (instead of kicking the ball) and have a chance to get 2 points. Kicking the ball through the poles without first having a touchdown will get 3 points.
The offense side has 4 chances to move the ball for a total of at least 10 yards forward, in order to get another round of chances. The four chances are called "first down," "second down," "third down," and "fourth down." Usually the "fourth down" is used to kick the ball, either to get 3 points, or to make the other team start their offense from a point that is far away from their finish line. Each offense starts with a player throw the ball backward through his legs to the quarterback. Then the quarterback passes the ball to someone, who tries to catch it and carry it forward. If the ball ends up in a defender's hand, the offense side lose the ball immediately and becomes the defense side.
College football is played mostly within each conference during the regular season. A conference has around 10 schools. Each school is in the same conference for all different sports: football, basketball, track and field, etc. The regular season for college football starts early September and ends before Christmas. Then the best teams are invited to play in the different bowls: Sugar Bowl, Rose Bowl, Orange Bowl, etc. These bowl games are played between Christmas and New Year. Being invited to play in Sugar Bowl is considered the highest honor in college football.
Basketball
Basketball is the winter sport in American schools and college. Like football, basketball originated in the US and is not popular in other countries. Many Americans prefer it to football because it is played indoors throughout the winter and because it is a faster game. It is a very popular game with high schools, and in more than 20 states, state-wide high school matches are held yearly. Many people support a particular team and watch the games that their team plays.Each team has a name, which usually includes the name of the town or city that the team is associated （有关）with. Some examples of names are: Boston Cetics , Chicago Bulls, Denver Nuggets, and Los Angeles Lakers. The plying season runs from autumn to late spring. Teams with each division play against each other, and against teams from the other divisions within the conferences. The best teams from each other (the NBA Championship). The first team to win four of these games is the NBA champion. Professional basketball games are organized in the US in the following way: National Basketball Association (NBA) has two conferences, Eastern conference and Western conference. The Eastern conference has two divisions, Atlantic division with 6 teams and Central division with 7 teams and Western conference has two divisions, Midwest division with 7 teams and Pacific division with 7 teams.
Baseball
Baseball used to be the most popular sport in US. People still call baseball the "good old game." Many terms came from baseball, such as "home run," "baseline," "touch base," "home base,".
Each game has 9 innings. In every inning, each team has a chance to be on the offense side. The most important person on the defense side is the one who throw the ball, called the pitcher. The offense side sends one person at a time, called batter, to hit the ball. Many people support a particular team and watch the games that their team plays.
Each team has a name, which usually includes the name of the town or city that the team is associated with. Some examples of names are: Boston Red Sox, Minnesota Twins, Chicago Cubs, and Houston Astros.The two leagues together are know as the major leagues. The plying season runs from late spring to October. The winning team in each league is called the pennant champion. In October, the two pennant champions play against each other in seven games call the world series. The team that wins four games is the champion. Professional baseball games are organized in the US in the following way. There are two leagues, National League with 12 teams and American League with 14 teams. National League has Eastern division and Western division and American League also has Eastern division and Western division.
Besides "the big three" sports, Americans play a variety of other sports. In warm weather, people enjoy water sports. Lovers of surfing, sailing and scuba diving flock to the ocean. Swimmers and water skiers also revel in the wet stuff. Fishermen try their luck in ponds, lakes and rivers. In winter sportsmen delight in freezing fun. From the first snowfall, skiers hit the slopes. Frozen ponds and ice rinks become playgrounds for skating and hockey. People play indoor sports whatever the weather. Racquetball, weightlifting and bowling are year-round activities.
For many people in the U.S., sports are not just for fun. They're almost a religion. Thousands of sports fans buy expensive tickets to watch their favorite teams and athletes play in person. Other fans watch the games at home, glued to their TV sets. The most devoted sports buffs never miss a game. Many a wife becomes a "sports widow" during her husband's favorite season. America's devotion to athletics has created a new class of wealthy people: professional athletes. Sports stars often receive million-dollar salaries. Some even make big money appearing in advertisements for soft drinks, shoes and even toiletries.
Not all Americans worship sports, but athletics are an important part of their culture. Throughout their school life, Americans learn to play many sports. All students take physical education classes in school. Some try out for the school teams, while others join intramural sports leagues. Athletic events at universities attract scores of fans and benefit the whole community. Many people also enjoy non-competitive activities like hiking, biking, horseback riding, camping or hunting. To communicate with American sports nuts, it helps if you can talk sports.
　Sports in America represent the international heritage of the people who play. Many sports were imported from other countries. European immigrants brought tennis, golf, bowling and boxing to America. Football and baseball came from other Old World games. Only basketball has a truly American origin. Even today some formerly "foreign" sports like soccer are gaining American fans. In 1994 the U.S. hosted the World Cup for the first time ever.
Not only do Americans import sports, but they export sports fever, as well. Satellites broadcast games to sports fans around the globe. The World Series, the U.S. professional baseball championship, has begun to live up to its name. The names of American superstars like basketball great Michael Jordan have become household words the world over. Who knows? Sports seasons may even change world weather patterns.