<p>After a series of somewhat cryptic tweets, we finally know what Toronto Maple Leafs captain Auston Matthews and Edmonton Oilers captain Connor McDavid&#8217;s social media challenges mean.</p>
<p>McDavid first issued a &#8216;crossbar and in&#8217; prompt to Matthews via social media on January 2, then Matthews responded in kind, telling McDavid that he couldn&#8217;t hit a billboard from 50 feet away. And while we figured it was a form of viral marketing, it&#8217;s been since confirmed.</p>
<p>Matthews and McDavid star in a new McDonald&#8217;s commercial that was unveiled Tuesday morning, titled <em>The Showdown.</em></p>
<div class="jetpack-video-wrapper"><iframe loading="lazy" title="Auston Matthews vs. Connor McDavid Trickshots | McDonald’s Commercial" width="1424" height="801" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/0C2k3LVbvmE?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe></div>
<p>McDavid is seen working on his shooting, before Matthews asks him what&#8217;s in his bag, and the two superstars challenge each other to a Big Mac, where the first player to miss has to each the other player eat. It&#8217;s a pretty impressive series of trick shots from two of the defining players of their generation, evocative of several McDonald&#8217;s ads from the past, spanning several different sports.</p>
<p>This isn&#8217;t the first commercial titled <em>The Showdown </em>from McDonald&#8217;s. In a 1993 advertisement for the fast food conglomerate, Michael Jordan and Larry Bird squared off against each other. Please excuse the poor quality of the film, while taking note of Jordan&#8217;s spectacular drip — an outfit he often wore during the 1992 Barcelona Olympics, where Jordan, Bird and the U.S. men&#8217;s national basketball team took the world by storm.</p>
<div class="jetpack-video-wrapper"><iframe loading="lazy" title="&quot;The Showdown&quot; - Bird vs. Jordan McDonald&#039;s ad - 1993" width="1333" height="1000" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/1shK-j_u6LI?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe></div>
<p>McDavid and Matthews are two of the best players of their generation, as first overall selections and Hart Trophy winners who are still looking for an elusive Stanley Cup. Oilers fans certainly don&#8217;t need a reminder, as they fell short in Game 7 against the Florida Panthers last summer.</p>
<p>Who do you think will win the contest? Coming from The Leafs Nation, we&#8217;d go with Matthews, even if wagering against McDavid is often a losing proposition.</p>
<h3>Sponsored by bet365</h3>
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After a series of somewhat cryptic tweets, we finally know what Toronto Maple Leafs captain Auston Matthews and Edmonton Oilers captain Connor McDavid's social media challenges mean.

McDavid first issued a 'crossbar and in' prompt to Matthews via social media on January 2, then Matthews responded in kind, telling McDavid that he couldn't hit a billboard from 50 feet away. And while we figured it was a form of viral marketing, it's been since confirmed.

Matthews and McDavid star in a new McDonald's commercial that was unveiled Tuesday morning, titled <em>The Showdown.</em>

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0C2k3LVbvmE

McDavid is seen working on his shooting, before Matthews asks him what's in his bag, and the two superstars challenge each other to a Big Mac, where the first player to miss has to each the other player eat. It's a pretty impressive series of trick shots from two of the defining players of their generation, evocative of several McDonald's ads from the past, spanning several different sports.

This isn't the first commercial titled <em>The Showdown </em>from McDonald's. In a 1993 advertisement for the fast food conglomerate, Michael Jordan and Larry Bird squared off against each other. Please excuse the poor quality of the film, while taking note of Jordan's spectacular drip — an outfit he often wore during the 1992 Barcelona Olympics, where Jordan, Bird and the U.S. men's national basketball team took the world by storm.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1shK-j_u6LI

McDavid and Matthews are two of the best players of their generation, as first overall selections and Hart Trophy winners who are still looking for an elusive Stanley Cup. Oilers fans certainly don't need a reminder, as they fell short in Game 7 against the Florida Panthers last summer.

Who do you think will win the contest? Coming from The Leafs Nation, we'd go with Matthews, even if wagering against McDavid is often a losing proposition.
<h3>Sponsored by bet365</h3>
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Connor McDavid, Auston Matthews go head-to-head in new McDonald’s commercial

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