Metallica on Sports Center: Hilarious New ESPN Ad

Metallica is starring in a hilarious new “This Is Sports Center” ad on ESPN, according to Radio.com.

Fresh off their successful appearance at the Glastonbury Festival in England, Metallica was more than willing to poke fun at themselves in the new ad. The 30 second spot featuring Metallica and ESPN anchor Stuart Scott aired last night during the Major League Baseball All Star Game Home Run Derby.

The premise of the ad revolves around Metallica’s ties to New York Yankee Mariano Rivera. When Rivera played in New York, every time he came up to bat, Yankee Stadium played Metallica’s blockbuster 1991 hit, Enter Sandman as his intro music.

Metallica’s Enter Sandman became so tied to Rivera, that when he retired, Metallica flew to New York and played the great player’s intro music live at the stadium. According to ESPN.com, after Rivera’s retirement, the Hard Rock Cafe retired Metallica’s Enter Sandman from all of their locations – except the Hard Rock Cafe in New York’s Yankee Stadium.

Here’s a video of Metallica playing for Rivera at Yankee Stadium:

The Sports Center Metallica ad on ESPN plays as if Metallica is out of a job now that Rivera has retired. Metallica is hanging around the ESPN offices trying to find someone else to provide intro music for. Disgustedly, Metallica’s drummer, Lars Ulrich, hangs up a phone and tells Metallica frontman, James Hetfield, “Coach K’s not interested in an entrance song either.”

To which, Hetfield replies, “Who’s left?”

Ulrich: “John Daly?”

Cut to all four members of Metallica standing in an ESPN production room as their 1986 thrash classic, Battery, plays loudly over the speakers. An ESPN exec looks at them and says, “You know this is for golf… right?”

The capper at the end of the spot is when ESPN legend Stuart Scott walks into a break room and sees a guitar lessons flyer – complete with tear off phone numbers at the bottom of the sheet – on the bulletin board. The flyer features a picture of Metallica’s lead guitar player, Kirk Hammet. Scott turns around and sees Hammet sitting at the break room’s table holding a guitar. Wide eyed, Scott makes a quick exit, only to have Hammet call after him, “First lesson’s free!”

Metallica have often been willing to make fun of themselves, especially in recent years. About the commercial, Metallica’s Lars Ulrich told Rolling Stone:

“Sometimes it can be quite freeing to put yourself at the mercy of others. ESPN’s commercials have a tendency to be hilarious. We were like ‘That sounds like a good time.’ The whole thing had an overriding impulsivity to it.”

You can watch ESPN’s new Sports Center ad featuring Metallica here: