Jordan and Bird vs. LeBron and Howard – No Contest In This Game of H.O.R.S.E.

Sometimes, you shouldn’t mess with a good thing – no matter how much you try.  I recently saw the new McDonalds’ H-O-R-S-E commercial starring Miami Heat superstar, LeBron James and Superman, Dwight Howard of the Orlando Magic.  And while I understand our culture’s love for “remaking classics” from music to movies, I thought the commercial missed the mark. 

Who can forget the original H-O-R-S-E commercial with Michael Jordan and Larry Bird… “Through The Window, Off The Wall, Nothin’ But Net!”  It is a classic commercial – one that everybody can recall without hesitation.  Ask anyone to name their most memorable commercial starring an athlete, and I’ll bet you my Big Mac that the Jordan vs Bird McDonald’s H-O-R-S-E commercial is Top Five.  Which is why I thought the latest version was such a mistake.  (Hey, would you remake the Big Mac?  Maybe add bacon to it?)  

In the original H-O-R-S-E commercial there was a playful air about Jordan and Bird.  Everyone knew about the rivalry between these two players on the court, so it was entertaining to see them in a commercial together that poked fun at their competitiveness.  (In my opinion, Bird and Jordan were two of the most competitive players I have ever seen.)    The commercial made you feel like they were competitors who came together at the gym.  I actually could see them playing a game of H-O-R-S-E against each other.  In the recent version, it all seemed staged as if there was no chemistry between the two superstars.   

Still, there were moments in the recent commercial that were amusing...while Bird and Jordan shot from "way, way downtown,"  LeBron and Howard took to dunking. 

Maybe I am just stuck in my old ways, but I prefer to leave the Classics just where they belong…and I don’t need my meal Super Sized!