Ted Lasso season 2 premiere features team mascot

The Ted Lasso season 2 premiere episode heavily featured the team mascot of Earl the Greyhound.

Unfortunately, it also included Earl’s crossing of the rainbow bridge in a bizarre and morbidly hilarious way, which is somewhat fitting for a heartfelt comedy about a football coach becoming the manager of a Premiere League soccer club.

While AFC Richmond is fictional (though based on the Crystal Palace Eagles), the rest of the Premiere League clubs they face actually exist, and in the season one finale they were relegated to the Football League Championship after a loss to the Manchester United Red Devils.

Mexican player Dani Rojas (Cristo Fernandez) is taking a penalty kick in the Ted Lasso season 2 premiere when a bird flies in front of the goalposts, which Earl then chases.

Ted Lasso season 2 premiere storyline is heavily dogcentric.

Since Earl is in the path of the oncoming missile it’s not a surprise that the impact kills him instantly.

Considering that the average professional soccer player kicks a shot at anywhere from 60 to 80 miles per hour, and then given the light, bird-like bone structure that Greyhounds have, this is an entirely plausible freak accident. (Possibly based on the time Arizona Diamondbacks pitcher Randy Johnson blew up a bird with a fastball.)

Understandably, this destroys Dani’s confidence, resulting in the team hiring a psychiatrist that seems to improve his performance on the field.

Ted Lasso stars Saturday Night Live alum Jason Sudeikis (Horrible Bosses, Booksmart) in the eponymous role, with other actors American audiences have heard of include Anthony Stewart Head (Buffy the Vampire Slayer’s Giles) and Juno Temple of Maleficent and The Dark Knight Rises.

New episodes of Ted Lasso season 2 are currently airing weekly on Apple TV Plus. For more soccer and entertainment news within the the FanSided Network, be sure to check out our sister sites Playing for 90 and Hidden Remote for the latest.