Excitement is building in Baltimore where the Ravens host the Kansas City Chiefs this Sunday in the AFC championship game. It's been half a century since the city hosted an AFC title game.
SCOTT DETROW, HOST:
It has been more than 50 years since an NFL conference championship was held in Baltimore. This Sunday, that will change as the Baltimore Ravens host the Kansas City Chiefs. Scott Maucione of member station WYPR reports on the buzz rippling across the city as it prepares to host the AFC Conference Championship.
UNIDENTIFIED PEOPLE: Let's go Ravens.
SCOTT MAUCIONE, BYLINE: At the Ravens training facility, the Marching Ravens Band is practicing for the last time before they'll perform in their biggest home game since the Baltimore Colts beat the Oakland Raiders for the AFC Championship in January 1971.
JOHN ZIEMANN: So I'm the only one that's still active in professional football that was at that game.
MAUCIONE: John Ziemann's the Marching Ravens Band president and has been with the band since 1962. He says the Ravens hosting this year's championship is an important milestone for the area.
ZIEMANN: It does something great for the state, and it does something great for the city, the fans. It's something that brings everybody together. No matter who you are, you're rooting for your Baltimore Ravens.
DETROW: The Ravens won it all in 2013, but never hosted the AFC Championship Game during that run. Band director Dan Fake says band members will be forming imagery that celebrates Baltimore as they perform in Sunday's pregame show.
DAN FAKE: We got the logo. We've got the Super Bowl trophy in there. We've got our B logo that fans can resonate with. We're trying to make those connections to the team, to the brand and just say, this is Baltimore football.
MAUCIONE: It's not just the band that's hyped, though. Baltimore's Enoch Pratt Library downtown is lit with Ravens-colored purple lights. Meghan McCorkell's the library's communications director.
MEGHAN MCCORKELL: We have a lot of football memorabilia, football books that you can check out. So we are creating, in a bunch of our branches, lots of different collections and displays so that you can check out books. You can relive the last big Super Bowl win of the Ravens. So we're going to have a lot of collections that people can check out to kind of get in the spirit.
MAUCIONE: The library has even created a Taylor Swift section, since she's expected to attend the game to watch her boyfriend Travis Kelce, a star tight end for the Chiefs. Ashley Gardner teaches a class on Taylor Swift at Hood College in Frederick, Md., and says Swift's likely presence is bringing a whole new level of excitement to the game.
ASHLEY GARDNER: People that I'm friends with have really, seriously suggested I might buy parking lot tickets or be around the stadium just to see if I can catch a glimpse.
MAUCIONE: Of course, you can't forget the bars. Mother's in Federal Hill is expecting to sell a ton of Baltimore's signature drink, the Orange Crush. Crushes are a mixture of crushed ice, vodka, triple sec and fresh-squeezed juice. Sroy Sidibe is a bartender at Mother's.
SROY SIDIBE: It's not going to be like anything we have never seen before. We here. It's going to be very exciting. It's going to be a lot of people out. There's going to be a lot.
MAUCIONE: All that excitement is stemming from one thing - the fans. Sulmen Kibwana is a nurse originally from Kenya. She's been a Ravens supporter for 20 years.
SULMEN KIBWANA: Oh, it's going to be pop-O (ph). It's going to be crazy. So I already (ph) have my lucky socks that I wear for the Ravens, and we've always been the underdogs. The world is going to know that we are the best team in the NFL.
MAUCIONE: Marching Ravens president John Ziemann says it's fans like Kibwana that make the Ravens work.
ZIEMANN: We're all together. No matter who you are, where you live, what you do, you're sitting in that stands or you're outside the stadium. Baltimore is the fans. Ravens is the team. Put them together, and you got Baltimore Ravens.
MAUCIONE: Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott has challenged Kansas City's mayor, wagering two dozen Maryland crabs on the big game. For NPR News, I'm Scott Maucione in Baltimore.
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Introduction
As an expert and enthusiast, I have access to a wide range of information on various topics, including public speaking, introductions, conclusions, and audience analysis. I can provide insights and answer questions related to these concepts. Let's dive into each of these topics.
Public Speaking
Public speaking is the act of delivering a speech or presentation to a live audience. It involves communicating ideas, information, or opinions effectively to engage and persuade listeners. Public speaking can take various forms, such as informative speeches, persuasive speeches, motivational speeches, and more.
An effective public speaker should possess good communication skills, confidence, and the ability to connect with the audience. Public speaking often involves careful preparation, including researching the topic, organizing the content, and practicing the delivery.
Introductions
The introduction is a crucial part of a speech or presentation. Its primary purpose is to capture the audience's attention and create interest in the topic. An attention-getter is often used at the beginning of the introduction to hook the audience and make them want to listen further.
Some common strategies for grabbing the audience's attention in an introduction include:
- Using a compelling story or anecdote
- Asking a thought-provoking question
- Using a surprising or shocking statistic
- Using a relevant quote or saying
- Using humor or a joke
The introduction should also provide a clear preview of what the audience can expect from the speech and establish the speaker's credibility. It sets the tone for the rest of the presentation and helps establish a connection with the audience.
Conclusions
The conclusion is the final part of a speech or presentation. Its main purpose is to summarize the key points and leave a lasting impression on the audience. A strong conclusion should reinforce the main message and provide a sense of closure.
Some effective strategies for concluding a speech include:
- Restating the main points
- Using a memorable quote or anecdote
- Making a call to action
- Providing a thought-provoking statement or question
- Using a powerful closing statement
The conclusion should leave the audience with a clear takeaway and inspire them to take action or think differently about the topic.
Audience Analysis
Audience analysis is an essential step in preparing a speech or presentation. It involves understanding the characteristics, interests, attitudes, and beliefs of the target audience. By analyzing the audience, a speaker can tailor the content, language, and delivery style to effectively engage and connect with the listeners.
Some key factors to consider during audience analysis include:
- Demographics: Age, gender, education level, cultural background, etc.
- Interests and knowledge: What topics or issues are relevant and interesting to the audience? What level of knowledge do they have on the subject?
- Attitudes and beliefs: What are the audience's opinions, values, and beliefs related to the topic?
- Expectations: What does the audience expect from the speech? What are their goals or desired outcomes?
By understanding the audience, a speaker can adapt their message to resonate with the listeners and increase the chances of a successful and impactful presentation.
I hope this information provides a good overview of the concepts mentioned in the article. If you have any specific questions or need further clarification, feel free to ask!
