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‘Dirty Dancing’ Super Bowl ad: Edmonton Eskimo players first to perfect the lift

(Left) New York Giants quarterback Eli Manning and wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. reenacting the iconic lift from Dirty Dancing for an NFL commercial, and (right) Edmonton Eskimos quarterbacks James Franklin and Danny O'Brien doing the same thing. Credit: NFL/ CFL

While the New York Giants may have stolen the spotlight with their hilarious Dirty Dancing-themed commercial during the Super Bowl, two Edmonton Eskimos quarterbacks perfected the act months ago.

READ MORE: Best and worst of Sunday’s Super Bowl TV commercials

In the third-quarter advertisement, which aired Sunday night during the championship game between the Philadelphia Eagles and New England Patriots, Giants quarterback Eli Manning and wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. reenacted the iconic lift from the 1987 film.

The one-minute long commercial begins with the players taking a break during a practice session, during which Manning and Beckham begin dancing to the iconic song (I’ve Had) The Time of My Life.

The ad included references to Jennifer Grey’s laugh (which Beckham mimics) and Patrick Swayze’s dance solo (performed by Manning with back up from the offensive line.)

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The ad was a hit on social media, where a CFL employee pointed out two Edmonton Eskimos players did it first.

Quarterbacks James Franklin (who was traded to Toronto late last year) and Danny O’Brien were spotted doing the iconic move during a game against the Saskatchewan Roughriders last year, in addition to during practice during the season, as seen in the tweet below.

The similarity led to a CFL staffer posing the question, “Who did it better?” which prompted a series of replies.

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