Ted Lasso Can Help LSU’s Jordan Thompson

I may be the last person on the face of the earth who hasn’t watched Ted Lasso.  Not sure why.  Just never tuned in.  

But when I come home to spend time with Mama Schultz, she actually likes watching shows together, so I try to pick out ones we'd both like.

So Sunday evening, shortly after Florida’s 24-4 drubbing of the LSU Tigers, I dove into the 1st Season of Ted Lasso.  After three episodes, I started thinking someone needs to share these with Tigers shortstop Jordan Thompson.  And fast.

Thompson started the NCAA Tournament on fire, going 8-18 (.444), scoring and driving in four runs apiece, but since going 1-4 against Tennessee in the College World Series opener, he’s 0-26. 

While obviously it’s a bad time for a hitting slump, he had been fine defensively, with a couple of harmless errors against Tennessee.

That was the case until Sunday.

With the game already tied at 3-3 in the 3rd inning, Thompson dropped what otherwise may have been an inning-ending double play.  Who knows what happens if he makes the play, but all we know what happened because he didn’t.

Florida hits a grand slam, goes on to score 23 answered runs in the biggest blowout in College World Series history.

This is where Ted Lasso comes in.

In the 2nd episode, Coach Lasso has a quick conversation with his young defenseman Sam after he got beat for a goal in practice.  Apparently, goldfish are the happiest animals on the earth because they have a 10-second memory.  Coach Lasso suggests to Sam ‘be a goldfish’.  That’s what Thompson needs to do.

Thompson can’t go back and change what happened.  Even if he could, I’m not sure how much that would’ve slowed down the Gators' bats on Sunday.  He needs to get over it and go back to playing shortstop the way he had been for most of the season.  

A hit or two would be nice, but he has to make the plays expected of him and not try to do too much.  As he did when he threw it away trying to get a base running rounding 3rd base, costing the Tigers another run.

Toward the end of the 1st episode is when Lasso puts his “Believe” sign up in the locker room.  This would be a good message for Thompson and the rest of the Tigers.  They need to forget about Sunday and ‘Believe’ they can win on Monday. Because they can.

And if anyone can find Thompson and his teammates some biscuits in Omaha, that may help as well.