September 18, 2011: Sunday Showdown!

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Clockwise from the bottom left:

• Poor Leroy, already completely emasculated by being forced to carry Loretta's purse and to dutifully accompany her at the department store while she makes expensive purchase after expensive purchase is then told that he will also have to pay for another futile gym membership. This is Loretta's equivalent to running up the score. Sunday victories for Leroy have always been sparse over the years and if this opening blowout is any indication, he may be in for another long day. Loretta goes up 1-0.
• After a frustrating, fruitless day of fishing nothing beats getting insulted by your wife in front of an acquaintance just as you walk through the door. I find Loretta's comment to be a little shaky. For her to notice that Leroy has come back from fishing due to the lack of fish, would imply that Leroy would be carrying fish home with him in all other situations. There must be a better, clearer way for her to mock Leroy's poor fishing abilities. Regardless, it's still a point for Loretta; the lead expands to 2-0.
• Either the Lockhorns are flying with some obscure, niche, retro inspired airline or they've stumbled upon the set of ABC's new fall series "Pan Am". I suppose I also can't rule out time travel to the early 60's at the dawn of the jet age; after all anything is possible in the wondrous and fantastic world of "The Lockhorns"! Anachronistic surroundings or not, Loretta remains focused on locking up another Sunday, and finds easy pickings with a compromised Leroy. Loretta rolls out to a dominating 3-0 lead.
• Having getting absolutely blitzed by Loretta for the first three panels and conceding the day, Leroy shows some faint signs of life and manages to get a weak zinger across at the dinner table. It's such a lazy and feeble line about Loretta's meatloaf that it should almost constitute a "near-point" for Leroy. Loretta's gruesome take on an already much maligned dish like meatloaf should invite a plethora of punishing insults. Leroy's tame complaint almost makes it sound like her meal is actually edible. Criticism aside, Leroy still scores a point. It is 3-1 Loretta.
• I guess I should give Leroy the credit here, but this is almost flatter than the last panel. I don't quite see the full insult here. If Loretta's nagging of Leroy is motivated by her conscience, then her conscience would be indirectly guiding Leroy. What's the issue? Maybe he's saying that Loretta is a hypocrite and that while she imposes what her conscience would suggest on Leroy via her nagging, her personal actions are not influenced by her conscience at all (that would explain her unconscionable cooking). I'll give Leroy the benefit of the point but this showdown was definitely not as close as the final 3-2 score would indicate. Loretta takes the day.

Official Count:

Leroy - 92
Loretta - 102

Push - 67