ESPN has a strong hold on the televised athletics industry and the network has managed to have a sense of humor while doing so. Commercials for its primary news program, Sports Center, have long garnered chuckles from viewers, with nearly every "episode" featuring a professional athlete or mascot and shenanigans within the ESPN offices. Alas, that doesn't leave much room for musical guest stars but the new 30 second spot starring Metallica is spot on.
The band is known, at least to baseball fans, for being the performers behind "Enter Sandman," which served as Mariano Rivera's entrance music at Yankees games for many years. It was a chill-inducing moment and was perhaps the most iconic musical moment in professional sports outside of the Chicago Bulls' pregame introduction featuring the Alan Parsons Project's "Sirius/Eye In The Sky."
ESPN's commercial joked that as Rivera had retired, Metallica was struggling to find work (if you'd rather just watch it for yourself, skip to below). The commercial opens with vocalist James Hetfield and drummer Lars Ulrich making phone calls from a cubicle, attempting to find a new "client" for their music. After a rejection from Duke basketball coach Mike Krzyzewski, the band opts for golfer John Daly. The spot's most humorous moment comes when the band and host Scott Van Pelt watch a clip of Daly putting while aggressive thrash music plays in the background.
The network was no doubt inspired to bring Metallica in after watching the self-produced spoof that Metallica aired during its Glastonbury set. Fans at the event initially protested the band's appearance due to Hetfield's narration of a documentary on bear hunting, so the group appeared in bear costumes and sent on a shooting spree of fox hunters.
Watch the commercial for yourself below.
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