Award-winning ESPN 30 For 30 sports documentarian Mike Jacobs (The High Five; The Pittsburgh Drug Trials) joins Tim Hanlon to discuss his new film Bump & Spike, which recounts the curious tale of the 1970s International Volleyball League – the short-lived pro co-ed circuit hatched by Hollywood moguls, fueled by a basketball legend, and ultimately undermined by a combination of sketchy ownership and a US Olympic boycott. Jacobs relates how TV/movie producer David Wolper charmed his entertainment industry friends into co-founding the IVA; describes how volleyball-loving Wilt Chamberlain became the versatile promotional face of the league; explains how teams successfully blended star talent from both Olympic national teams and California beaches; and speculates as to why the IVA eventually collapsed under a “haze” of financial instability.
Bump and Spike Trailer from Strike Anywhere on Vimeo.
ESPN Films 30 For 30 Shorts: Volume 2 (including The High Five) - buy digital video here
ESPN Films 30 For 30 Shorts: Volume 3 (including The Pittsburgh Drug Trials) - buy digital video here
