You're a Good Sport, Charlie Brown

Plot synopsis:
The cartoon begins with Snoopy playing tennis against Woodstock while Linus and Sally are unable to play due to the courts being occupied. (Sally tries to intimidate those playing by stating "her boyfriend" was going to clobber them, causing Linus to high-tail it out of there.) After failing to beat Woodstock, Snoopy destroys his racket in frustration.
Peppermint Patty arrives on a small motorcycle and alerts the kids about an upcoming motocross race, and suggests that Charlie Brown and Snoopy enter. Linus volunteers to be the pit crew and the two pool their limited financial resources to purchase a shabby old bike. Snoopy enters the race under the pseudonym of The Masked Marvel and Marcie is on hand as the announcer. Charlie Brown and Snoopy crash within minutes of the start of the race, and an ambulance shuttles them off for immediate medical care.
In the confusion, Snoopy is admitted to a regular hospital while Charlie Brown ends up at the vet. After regaining consciousness, Charlie Brown escapes and retrieves Snoopy from the hospital. Upon return, Linus informs Charlie Brown that motocross rules dictate that all drivers must be fitted with a helmet, which was lost during in the crash. Linus proceeds to outfit Charlie Brown with a hollowed-out pumpkin as a helmet and Charlie Brown, demoralized with such ridiculous headgear, returns to the race.
As the race continues, every other competitor falls victim to various mishaps (particularly assorted mud-traps)...leaving Charlie Brown as the only contender left to cross the finish line (his old bike proves to have amazing durability, despite its poor speed). Then he discovers that those who sanctioned the race could not afford the intended grand prize of Pro Bowl tickets. As a consolation prize, Charlie Brown is given a kiss from Loretta - the incredibly homely "Motocross Queen" - and a certificate for five free haircuts...which are useless to him, since his dad is a barber (and since Charlie has very little hair to be cut). Linus consoles Charlie Brown by telling him that the fact that he won against overwhelming odds is more important than receiving a prize.
The next day, a confident Charlie Brown is ready to pitch another baseball game, saying to the team that in spite of his 980 straight defeats, has come to understand what winning is, and is certain that he will win this game. Instead, a line drive plows past him, causing his clothes to go flying in all directions.

Tags: psychedelic

Review:
Get those mini bikes a-racing!!.
I remember this story of Good Ole' Chuck the moto-cross racer.
Man it's been years since I have seen this and it was only once unfortunately.
This is a 1975 classic Charlie Brown episode and I would love to find this on D.V.D. now for my 2 children.
A story not just about competing, but being a good sport as well.
This like just about all the other 'PEANUTS' videos are great.
My personal favorites, range in time from 1965 to 1986 Those are some of the old style animation before they had computer for everything.
The old animation style is warmer and more friendly, much more authentic to me.
So if you are reading this and you have kids, you can't go wrong, pick up a copy of one of your favorite 'Peanuts' episodes today!!.
Whoop-Dee-Do!.
When it comes to being an all-round sport - This sweet, animated short (25 minutes) from 1975, has our young, pumpkin-headed protagonist, Charlie Brown, going in for such all-American, pastime activities as tennis, baseball, football, and, yes, even dirt-biking.Of course, being good, ol' Charlie Brown (the ultimate blockhead) failure just seems to be his destiny in any sports arena.
But whatever he tackles, you can always be sure that Charlie Brown can be counted on to plunge into any given activity with the winning spirit of a real loser.This particular short was an Emmy Award winner.
Its creator, Charles M.
Shulz, is considered to be one of the most influential cartoonist of all time.Sad to say - On Feb. 12.
2000, Charles M.
Shulz, 77 at the time, died of cancer..
You ought to try a new sport, Charlie Brown.
Bored with football and at the end of his tether with Lucy for always pulling the ball away at the last second during place kicks (he just never learns) Chuck tries his luck at Motocross after Peppermint Patty turns up riding a new motorcycle.
There's a big race coming up but the only bike poor old Chuck can afford is a shambling wreck (much like he could only afford a pathetic excuse of a Christmas tree).The race, of course, is a disaster.
But luckily Chuck has the least bad luck of all the contestants and manages to limp across the finish line in first place.
However the promised prize of tickets to the Pro Bowl is not available and instead Chuck is awarded vouchers for free haircuts (Charlie Brown's dad is a barber).Even when Chuck has some good luck it turns out bad.
Though it's nice to see him win for once..
A typically delightful Peanuts TV special.
Charlie Brown competes in a grueling motocross bike race against scruffy tomboy Peppermint Patty and his ever-irrepressible pooch Snoopy, who participates in the race under the funky alter ego of the Masked Marvel.
Director Phil Roman and writer Charles M.
Schulz expertly craft a lively and funny twenty-five minute diversion with a warm, engaging tone, bright, colorful animation, a funky and syncopated get-down groovy 70's workover of Vince Guaraldi's infectiously jaunty'n'jazzy score, and, most of all, a good-natured quality which in turn makes this program quite appealing and enjoyable.
Comic highlights include Snoopy excelling at a solo game of tennis and throwing a fit after he loses a game to Woodstock, the always hilarious football gag, Marcia conducting interviews with the race's contestants and hogging the spotlight during said interviews, Charlie Brown being sent to the vet and Snoopy being sent to a fancy hospital after they both wipe out in the big race, Linus making an impromptu helmet out of a pumpkin for Charlie Brown, and Snoopy having a quick picnic during the race.
Amazingly, the usually hapless Charlie Brown wins the race, although the prize he receives turns out to be really lame and useless.
Still, it's nice to see Charlie emerge victorious for once and the central message about how it's more important to try your best than it is to win is sweet and inspiring.
A total treat..
Not a fan, but it was okay all in all.
"You're a Good Sport, Charlie Brown" is an American 25-minute cartoon and the title gives away that here we got another Peanuts episode circled around Charlie and the gang.
This one's from 1975, so already over 40 years old and it won an Emmy back then.
The fact that Phil Roman directed here made me especially curious as I am really a big Garfield fan, his trademark series, and he didn't let me down with this one either.
Script and story are as always by Charles M.
Schulz.
This one's all about sports, motocross for the most part, but the first five minutes belong to Snoopy playing tennis and due to my personal liking in the sport and in the character, this was the highlight for me without a doubt.
Would have made a good 5-minute short too.
Anyway, of course Chuck wants to kick the football again, more than ever this time given the film's subject.
The rest is typical Peanuts humor.
If you like their other stuff, you will enjoy this one too like the scenes with the interrupting reporter or the barber part at the very end or the pumpkin helmet.
There is always some kind of sobering, maybe even slightly depressing, comedy to these Peanuts shorts.
Grown-ups and their voices don't play a big part in here.
It's probably not among the most known from the series, but it is among my top5 favorites perhaps, but then again I am far from a big Peanuts fan.
No shot at number 1 though.
All in all, I give it a thumbs-up and positive recommendation.