In the same league?_其他_趣味英语-查字典英语网

In the same league?

Reader question:

Please explain “same league” in the following”:

The Washington Post reported that BP discovered an enormous new oil reservoir in the Gulf of Mexico... BP had no definitive word on the discovery’s size, but said it was “in the same league” as their other large Gulf fields. BP’s largest working Gulf platform, Thunder Horse, produces 300,000 barrels per day.

My comments:

It means that the new discovery is large, and probably as large as the largest existing oil fields in the Gulf of Mexico.

A league is a sports term referring to a group of teams playing regularly together for an annual championship. The NBA, CBA (Chinese Basketball Association), English Premier League football, Euro-League basketball are all sports leagues, pitting players of comparable age and abilities against each other.

Yes, comparable age and abilities. In American baseball for example, the adults play in the Major League while teenagers (minors) play in what is called Minor League.

Hence therefore if someone or something is described as “in the same league” as others, it means that they share the same qualities others have.

However, this term is most often used in the negative, i.e. someone or something is “NOT in the same league” as someone or something else. In other words, they’re not at all as good as others. Yi Jianlian, for instance and literally speaking, plays in the same league, the NBA, as does LeBron James, but figuratively speaking, he’s not in the same league as LeBron in terms of physical strength, skills level, work ethic and especially the desire to win.