One of the more unexpected developments of 2014 has been Metallica showing off a sense of humor. A few weeks after mocking Glastonbury protestors with clever t-shirts and a pre-show video, the famed metal band has now teamed up with ESPN for a new SportsCenter clip.
The premise is that since New York Yankees reliever Mariano Rivera is now retired, the band have nothing to do and are seeking work in the world of sports. Rivera, of course, used to walk to the mound en route to saving Yankee games to the tune of Metallica’s “Enter Sandman.”
“Sometimes it can be quite freeing to put yourself at the mercy of others,” Lars Ulrich tells Rolling Stone. “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.”
There is no mention of frontman James Hetfield’s narration of hunting shows.
The clip will air during tonight’s Home Run Derby broadcast on ESPN, but you can watch it below.
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