ESL Podcast 793 - Signing Professional Athletes
free agent - an athlete who has not signed a contract that restricts or limits which team he or she can join; an athlete who can make his or her own decision about which team to play on
When he becomes a free agent, a lot of teams are going to want to sign him.
to field - to receive and have to respond to; to consider and act on
The receptionist has been fielding a lot of calls from reporters today.
offer - a statement of how much someone is willing to pay for something; a bid or proposal
Wendy made an offer on the house yesterday.
deal - an agreement to buy or sell something at a particular price; an agreement for a transaction or trade
Let's make a deal: I'll give Mariah free piano lessons if she agrees to watch my kids one afternoon each week.
signing bonus - money paid as a bonus to a new employee when he or she begins working at a company, or to an athlete when he or she begins playing on a team
When Jacob graduated with a master's degree in computer science, he received a lot of job offers with signing bonuses.
to sweeten the deal - to make an offer more attractive, usually by offering to pay more money or provide some other benefit
We're going to have to sweeten the deal if we really want to win that contract.
round - one of many related events, or one of many repeating events, often part of a cycle
Joss made it through the first round of interviews with the managers, and in the next round of interviews, he'll meet the CEO.
pick - the person who is selected for a particular position or opportunity, especially when talking about an athlete who has been chosen for a team
Our first pick for the job accepted a job with another company, so we'll have to offer the job to our second pick.
draft - the system in which professional sports teams choose new players from colleges
How many players are participating in the draft this year?
no-trade clause - part of a legal contract that states the athlete will not be given to another team in exchange for something else
If Miller can't play for the team in his own state, he doesn't want to play at all, so he is insisting on a no-trade clause.
to call the shots - to have power and be in charge; to be the decision-maker
Alicia made some good recommendations, but in the end, her boss is the one who calls the shots.
to trade - to give someone something in exchange for something else; to make a transaction without using money
Would you consider trading your motorcycle for my power saw?
agent - a person who represents someone else in negotiations, especially when talking about athletes, actors, or models
Liliana wants to get a new agent, because she hasn't liked any of the roles that have been offered to her lately.
competing offers - offers (bids) received from more than one person or organization at the same time when only one can be chosen
How are you going to choose among the competing offers? Are you going to base it on the price alone, or are you considering other factors?
to pull out all the stops - to do everything possible, without putting limits or restrictions on one's actions
Jun is pulling out all the stops to ask Yuki to marry him: an expensive diamond ring, a romantic dinner, and even a helicopter ride!
to land - to get or obtain something that is very valuable and difficult to get, usually because it is wanted by many people
Jenna is working really hard because she wants to land a partnership in a law firm.
to be bested by - to be beaten by; to be defeated by; to lose to
If you want to compete in the Olympics, you can't be bested by anyone in tomorrow's event!