The plot resembles a similar storyline used in the episode of The Brady Bunch titled "Getting Greg's Goat" when Greg Brady (Barry Williams) steals a rival school's mascot: a goat named Raquel. The goat runs rampant in the Brady's house after Greg tries to keep it in his room. Greg thinks he'll wind up being a hero, but his plan backfires and he's admonished for it later.
Willis' catchphrase "Say what?" is uttered by 2 people (his former teacher and gym coach) when Arnold's attempts to match to his brother's reputation backfires.