DodgeBall: A True Underdog Story is one of those cult classic comedies with lines that live on for years. In addition to the Cobra Dance, the 2004 film left society with such gems as, “If you can dodge a wrench, you can dodge a ball” and “Nobody makes me bleed my own blood.”
The movie also made popular ESPN 8: The “Ocho,” a fictional sports network. The movie’s inclusion of The Ocho poked fun at ESPN’s propensity for creating endless networks (ESPN, ESPN2, ESPN News, ESPN Classic, ESPNU, the list goes on). The above scene introduced ESPN 8.
On Tuesday (8/8), ESPN is making The Ocho a reality, the network has announced.
ESPN U will become ESPN 8 for the day, and—naturally—it will feature plenty of seldom-seen sports, including the American Disc Golf Championship, Ultimate Trampoline Dodgeball, and the Firefighters World Challenge. Be sure you don’t miss the World Darts Championship at 9 a.m.
Ironically, DodgeBall was nominated for the 2004 ESPY award for Best Sports Movie. The movie features Ben Stiller and Vince Vaughan.
This is simply good marketing. The network will officially switch from ESPN U to ESPN 8 at midnight.
