Be a good winner. And, most of all, be a good loser.
What is good sportsmanship? From steroids to fights to throwing hissy fits, the game is mostly about winning. But that’s not the way it is on the animated TV series, The Loud House, especially in the episode, Lynner Takes All (Season 2, Episode 35).
For reference (Wikipedia is the source, “The Loud House is an American animated television series created by Chris Savino for Nickelodeon. The series revolves around the chaotic everyday life of a boy named Lincoln Loud, who is the middle child and only son in a large family of 11 children. It is set in a fictional town in southeastern Michigan called Royal Woods.”
Lynner Takes All begins with Lincoln as he prepares for family game night. While he loves family game night, Lyn always wins.
While he doesn’t care that Lyn always wins, Lincoln points out that Lyn isn’t a good sport. How so? She rubs winning into everyone’s face, which makes family game night no fun for him and his sisters.
So everyone tries to devise a way for Lyn to lose.
First, they take Lily’s suggestion of ‘Go Fish,’ which Lyn wins for the 300th time in a row. Lyn rubs it in people’s faces by popping homework confetti. Then they try Lola’s suggestion of playing ‘Pretty, Pretty, Pageant Queen,’ which Lyn also wins. Lana’s suggestion is playing ‘Plumbing Pro,’ which Lyn almost looses–but eventually wins in the end. It’s Lincoln turn next. He tries to stump Lyn in ‘Ace Savvy Trivia.” But it doesn’t work. Lyn still wins.
Finally, Lyn loses playing ‘Settlers of Catland,’ a game where you have to trade items to build a cat city, which no one does for Lyn.
But the next day, Lyn starts turning every little thing into a competition. First, she beats Lincoln at chugging milk. Then, she bests Leni at going upstairs, defeats Lily by building a block tower, beats Lisa at making an explosion, tops Lucy at washing the dishes, and betters Lola at brushing her teeth. Finally, she beats everyone at going to bed first, waking up first, and going faster on her bike.
Courtesy: Deviant Art
The siblings then admit that trying to beat Lyn probably wasn’t the smartest idea. They decide to do a rematch of ‘Settlers Of Catland.’ But this time they let Lyn win. Lyn almost wins, too. But Leni literally “throws the game” by tossing out the gameboard. She didn’t know that “throwing the game” is an expression, not a literal act of picking up a game and throwing it.
Lyn decides to apologize for her poor sportsmanship, promising to never be a bad winner or sore loser again. After winning ‘Go Fish’ for the 301st time in a row, Lyn says it was a good game and then leaves to go snowboarding. After watching it all, Lincoln says: “At least it’s not in our faces.”
What’s the lesson to be learned? Take the episode’s message to heart. Be a good sport. Be a good winner. And, most of all, be a good loser. If you can do that in sports–in anything, for that matter–life will be dandy, and the world will be better for it.
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If you never saw the episode–or want to view it again–go here.
