The hit Apple TV+ series Ted Lasso has a lot of memorable quotes from the titular character, but ‘be a goldfish’ hits home in a different way. The show’s protagonist, ‘Ted Lasso’, might come off as a stereotype for an American coach involved with football, but as the seasons unravel – more unique layers show the different sides of his character.
Ted Lasso is a comedy series that perfectly blends emotional drama, which has made fans fall in love with it. The series shows an American football (rugby) coach – whom the show is named after – being transferred to England to manage a fictional Football (soccer) team in England called AFC Richmond.
The character, portrayed by Jason Sudeikis, is more of a motivator than a real football manager – because he has little to no idea about the beautiful game and how it works. Out of nowhere, he gives some brilliant monologues – which include some amazing dialogues and quotes from the character.
That has helped Ted Lasso be extended to its third season, which will begin on March 15. It has only gotten popular with every episode, with the second season having 8.4 times more average viewers on Apple TV than the average series on the platform. The series has won a host of Emmy Awards as well as Golden Globes, with Sudekis’ popularity soaring too.
A number of Ted Lasso quotes are highly memorable, but one that has really stuck with a lot of fans is his quote about Gold Fishes.
In which episode does the Ted Lasso Gold Fish quote occur?
In the second episode of the first season of Ted Lasso, named ‘Biscuits’, the coach decides to give this short motivational quote to one of his players at AFC Richmond. Soon after arriving at the club, Lasso notices some clear disdain inside the squad – with certain players not liking each other.
The most obnoxious player at Richmond is forward Jamie Tart, an arrogant loanee from Manchester City (yes they are named in the series). Tart puts in little effort in training and shows no harmony to bond with the squad. In one training session that Lasso oversees, he notices Tart embarrass Sam Obisanya – a Nigerian defender who was also signed by Richmond.
Obisanya is annoyed after being left down on the floor after a skill move from Tart, who then goes on to taunt him for not being up to the level. Soon after that, Lasso decides to call over Sam and give him a piece of advice – using the example of a goldfish.
He said: “You know what the happiest animal in the world is? It’s a goldfish. It’s got a 10-second memory. Be a goldfish!”
This quote even catches Sam off-guard, as he’s weirded out at first but eventually realizes the meaning behind it. Similarly, fans have also gotten warm to this brilliant little advice and reminiscing the true meaning behind it years after the episode first aired.
What impact is Ted Lasso’s ‘Be A Goldfish’ quote having in society?
The true essence of Ted Lasso’s ‘Be a Goldfish’ quote is that one shouldn’t let bad moments weigh them down for long and like a goldfish, forget about it after a 10-second memory. Well, it appears this mentality has made a significant impact on the lives of many people around the globe.
A faculty teacher at Kafrelsheikh University in Kafr El Sheikh, Egypt actually displayed this quote to motivate his students of the Faculty of Science in the Graduation Project.
A sticker of ‘Believe’ was also inserted in the projector, acting as a brilliant way of motivating students while also looking cool with pop culture references.
“You know what the happiest animal in the world is? It's a goldfish. It's got a 10 second memory. Be a goldfish!”
– Ted Lasso 2020 – The end of Graduation Project , Faculty of Science, KFS University 2023 pic.twitter.com/3IAK1Y6q9Z
It’s also having a lot of impact on those involved in sports as well. Spanish professional golfer John Rahm once revealed in an interview how ex-US Open Golf Champion Dustin Johnson is the ‘best goldfish’ out there among Golfers.
He claimed that Johnson has the best ability to forget unfortunate moments quicker and better than any of his peers.
Jon Rahm pointing out that DJ has the best Ted Lasso/"Be a goldfish" mentality is obvious yet awesome pic.twitter.com/Mf5TTqpA93
Rahm also indicated that a number of golfers are big fans of Ted Lasso and in particular his ‘Be a Goldfish’ quote. A number of other USA Sportspersons also appeal to have used the motivational quote to get over disappointments.
A former Director of Communications for the Liberty Men’s Basketball team – which plays in the NCAA (National Collegiate Athletic Association), is also a fan of the show. He used the ‘Be A Goldfish’ comment for his team’s players after their gutting narrow loss in the 2022 NCAA finals to the Bellarmine Knights.
Be a Goldfish 💛
Needed some Ted Lasso after last night. Tough loss last night but couldn't more proud of our guys and love this @LibertyMBB_ Family! pic.twitter.com/KVhdJ9KlLl
This inspired quote appears to have inspired many within the Basketball scene in the USA, with the Louisville Cardinals women’s basketball team’s Senior Associate Athletic Director also sharing her love for the quote earlier this year.
She also stuck a ‘Believe’ sign on top of the door for her office, just as coach Lasso did in the TV series.
Best gift today. Thank you to my girl @taylorekman for my new sign ❤️.
Even for the fans who aren’t normally into sports, this quote hits hard. This is because a number of Ted Lasso viewers are those who are not essentially that into football or any sports in general. They’ve formed a bond with the show because of the loveable characters and brilliant quotes.
The power of the quote has transcended so much that even commentators are often using it during games. During the Tottenham Hotspur-Chelsea game in January 2022 in the Carabao Cup semi-finals – which Chlesea won, the USA commentary team on ESPN+ also used the ‘Be A Goldfish’ quote to refer to Ted Lasso at one point.
I was watching Chelsea vs Tottenham, I switched to the English commentary and right in that moment Arlo said: "Be a goldfish, as Ted Lasso would say" 🥺🐠 The way I screamed, the power of this show my god and what were the odds that I would head that sjshsjsh pic.twitter.com/octvFyH4fQ
Ted Lasso is set to air the final season this year
For all the love and motivation it has managed to spread over the course of its two seasons, Ted Lasso’s producers have made the bold decision to end the series with its third season.
Indeed, this will be the final season for the fictional AFC Richmond team, their players and the coach himself as well.
The first trailer for ‘TED LASSO’ Season 3 has been released.
That itself means the third season should see even bigger spikes in viewership numbers for the show – as viewers find a last chance to be motivated by Ted Lasso’s amazing quotes.
