Mario Lemieux Gets the "@Midnight" Treatment

Consider it a "Throwback Thursday" if you want, but an old, local television promo for Mario Lemieux Life-Size Poster Night during his rookie season in 1984 was featured on Comedy Central Thursday Night.

"@Midnight with Chris Hardwick," the late night game show that revolves around content found on the internet, played a game called "Loco-mercials: Sportz Edition."

Professional athletes acting in local commercials always leads to awkward moments. Hardwick gives the comedians (who are also the contestants) a professional athlete and gives them two different options of what exactly the athlete is endorsing.

At 2:57 in the video below, a young Mario Lemieux is standing next to what appears to be a starstruck (or frightened) child.

Of the two options, it was life-sized poster night at the old Civic Arena. They played the commercial and with four comedians there to make jokes, hilarity ensued.

@midnight
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Also, can you believe that was 30 years ago?

So much has changed since that awkward local ad. Lemieux has saved the franchise three times (unofficial count), and now owns the team that once made him do that commercial as a rookie.

Here's the full commercial in all its awkwardness.