Washington Commanders to Retire John Riggins' Jersey Number
華盛頓指揮官隊將退役 John Riggins 的球衣號碼
Introduction
The Washington Commanders have announced that they will retire number 44, which was worn by Hall of Fame running back John Riggins, during the current NFL season.
華盛頓指揮官隊宣布，將在目前的 NFL 賽季退役 44 號，該號碼由名人堂跑衛 John Riggins 穿著。
Main Body
The official ceremony will take place during halftime on November 8 during the game against the Los Angeles Rams. Riggins played for the team from 1976 to 1985 and still holds the franchise records for rushing yards (7,742) and rushing touchdowns (79). His performance was essential to the team's first Super Bowl win after the 1982 season, where he was named the Super Bowl MVP and set a postseason record with 610 rushing yards. Additionally, in 1984, Riggins became the oldest NFL player to rush for over 1,000 yards in a single season.
正式儀式將於 11 月 8 日對陣洛杉磯 Rams 的比賽中場休息期間舉行。Riggins 從 1976 年到 1985 年為球隊效力，至今仍持有球隊衝球碼數 (7,742) 與衝球達陣數 (79) 的紀錄。他的表現是球隊在 1982 年賽季後首次贏得超級盃的關鍵，當時他被命名為超級盃 MVP，並以 610 碼衝球創下季後賽紀錄。此外，Riggins 在 1984 年成為 NFL 史上最年長的單季衝球超過 1,000 碼的球員。
In the past, Riggins had a difficult relationship with the team, which was caused by his criticism of former owner Dan Snyder and his dislike of the team's new branding. However, the relationship improved after Josh Harris bought the team in 2023. This reconciliation was clear when Riggins attended the 2023 season opener and joined other team activities. Riggins, who entered the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1992, is now the seventh player in the team's history to have his number retired, joining legends such as Sammy Baugh and Sean Taylor.
過去，Riggins 與球隊的關係較為緊張，這是由於他批評前老闆 Dan Snyder 且不喜歡球隊的新品牌形象。然而，在 2023 年 Josh Harris 收購球隊後，關係有所改善。Riggins 出席 2023 年賽季揭幕戰並參與其他球隊活動，清楚顯示了這次和解。Riggins 於 1992 年入選職業美式足球名人堂，目前是球隊歷史上第七位被退役號碼的球員，與 Sammy Baugh 和 Sean Taylor 等傳奇人物並列。
Conclusion
John Riggins will be honored on November 8, becoming the seventh player in Washington Commanders history to have his jersey retired.
John Riggins 將於 11 月 8 日獲得表彰，成為華盛頓指揮官隊歷史上第七位被退役球衣號碼的球員。
Vocabulary Learning
⚡ The 'Passive' Pivot: Moving from A2 to B2
An A2 student says: "The team retired the number." (Simple, active, basic).
A B2 student says: "The number was worn by Riggins" or "Riggins will be honored."
Why this matters: To reach B2, you must stop focusing only on who did the action and start focusing on what happened to the object. This is the secret to sounding professional and academic.
🛠️ Deconstructing the Logic
Look at these two fragments from the text:
- "...which was worn by Hall of Fame running back John Riggins..."
- "...to have his number retired..."
In sentence 1, the number is the star of the sentence, not the man. We use [Be] + [Past Participle].
- A2 Level: John Riggins wore number 44.
- B2 Level: Number 44 was worn by John Riggins.
🚀 Practical Application: The 'B2 Upgrade'
Try shifting your perspective from the 'doer' to the 'receiver'.
| A2 Thinking (Active) | B2 Thinking (Passive/Complex) |
|---|---|
| Josh Harris bought the team. | The team was bought by Josh Harris. |
| The ceremony will happen on Nov 8. | The ceremony will be held on Nov 8. |
| He set a record. | A record was set by him. |
Coach's Tip: Notice the phrase "to have his number retired." This is a 'Causative' structure. It means he didn't retire the number himself—the organization did it for him. Using "have something [done]" is a hallmark of upper-intermediate fluency.