Cometh the hour, cometh the man they say.
Right now, in the hour(s) when I needed a bit of lightness in my life, the man that came along was Ted Lasso.
If you haven’t already discovered it, the Apple TV comedy stars Jason Sudeikis as an American football coach taking on Premier League Club AFC Richmond, an ailing British soccer (football) club.
Ted knows nothing about soccer, but is unfailingly upbeat, honest, optimistic and curious about the world. He’s got plenty of advice that works just as well off the field as on.
For a playing dwelling on defeat, his wise words were: “You know what the happiest animal on earth is? It’s a goldfish. Know why? It’s got a 10 second memory. Be a goldfish.”
Right now, having a 10 second memory sounds blissful. Daily case numbers? Gone. Anti-vax theories … nothing that springs to mind. Infringing my sovereign rights? I don’t recall that. Not enough vaccines available? I don’t remember.
You know what I love about this show?
It’s nice.
It’s not laugh-a-minute, rapid fire comedy. It’s gentle and has heart and makes me remember that people can support and help each other, and that sometimes the good guys are the quiet, nerdy ones, and they do get to win … even when they lose the game.
“It’s just a group of people who care, Roy. Not unlike folks at a hip-hop concert whose hands are not in the air.”
I’m not going to put any spoilers in here, but trust me, you don’t need to know about football (or even like it) to love Ted Lasso.
If you’re looking for a break from what feels like the unrelenting grind of life right now, then you should tune in.
“I feel like we fell out of the lucky tree and hit every branch on the way down, ended up in a pool of cash and Sour Patch Kids.”
In case you need more legitimate endorsement, Ted is scoring big at this year’s Emmy awards with 20 nominations for Season One. Season Two is already on air, so there’s plenty to binge on, if that’s your style.
If you want to be kind to yourself, and find an escape from the bleakness of a never-ending pandemic and rolling lockdowns, then treat yourself to some Ted Lasso.
“I promise you there is something worse out there than being sad, and that’s being alone and being sad.”
Spend an hour or two with Ted and you’ll feel less sad and less alone. And as hard-nosed sports reporter Trent Crimm (played by James Lance) said: “If the Lasso way is wrong, it’s hard to imagine being right.”